Media Advisory, February 26, 2018

Contact: Candice Kim, (213) 220-0591, ckim@biologicaldiversity.org

Vera Pardee, (858) 717-1488, vpardee@biologicaldiversity.org

San Francisco Polar Bear Funeral to Oppose Clean Power Plan Repeal

SAN FRANCISCO Public-health, environmental and youth activists will hold a symbolic polar bear funeral and rally Wednesday to oppose the Trump administrations proposed Clean Power Plan repeal. The event will take place in front of the San Francisco Main Public Library, where the Environmental Protection Agency will hold a listening session on the proposed repeal later that morning.

Implementing the Clean Power Plan would finally cut the dirty power-plant pollution that drives climate change and makes people sick, said Vera Pardee, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute. Killing this crucial protection would be the Trump EPAs most destructive environmental assault yet.

What: Funeral service for Frostpaw the polar bear (a person in a realistic polar bear costume) and rally against the EPAs proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan

When: Wednesday, Feb. 28. Funeral begins at 8 a.m., EPAs listening session scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: Steps of San Francisco Main Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Who: Participants available for media interviews include young climate leaders, public-health advocates and representatives from the Center for Biological Diversity.



Background

The nations fleet of fossil-fuel power plants is the largest stationary source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The Clean Power Plan imposed the first-ever nationwide limits on carbon pollution from power plants.

Power plants also emit pollutants that cause asthma and other health problems. According to the Trump EPAs own analysis, the Clean Power Plan would prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths per year by 2030 due to reductions in these pollutants. This is particularly important for low-income communities and communities of color who are disproportionately saddled with power-plant emissions.

The Clean Power Plan was finalized by the Obama administration in 2015. In October 2017 EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced a proposal to repeal the rule without committing to any replacement.

The EPAs listening session is a sham. Scott Pruitt is hell-bent on scrapping the Clean Power Plan for his friends in the fossil fuel industry, Pardee said. Its a stunning abdication of the EPAs central duty to protect our health and environment, and we must fight it.
For Immediate Release, February 26, 2018 Contact: Lori Ann Burd, (971) 717-6405, laburd@biologicaldiversity.org New Global Study: Wildlife-harming Neonicotinoid Pesticides Generally Fail to Increase Crop Yields Sustainable Pest-control Strategies Are Cheaper, More Effective PORTLAND, Ore. The widespread use of wildlife-harming neonicotinoid pesticides is failing to deliver promised benefits to agricultural production, according to a study published today in the academic journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research. The global assessment of 200 scientific studies by the International Task Force on Systemic Pesticides found that use of neonicotinoids over the past two decades has inflicted serious damage to birds, pollinators and other insects without generally increasing yields. This study should be the final nail in the coffin for these dangerous pesticides here in the U.S., said Lori Ann Burd, director of the Center for Biological Diversitys environmental health program. Its mindboggling that while much of Europe and Canada are limiting the use of these poisons, the U.S. EPA is considering expanding their use across millions of acres. The study shows neonicotinoids can be phased out to protect pollinators and aquatic invertebrates without harming agricultural productivity; research also shows that farmers benefit from integrated pest management practices such as crop rotation and biological controls. Moving forward, the studys authors conclude that the documented harms of neonicotinoids must be weighed against evidence that use of the dangerous pesticides does not generally result in higher yields or profits. The International Task Force on Systemic Pesticides is made up of the worlds leading experts on neonicotinoids and other systemic pesticides. Todays study is the response of the scientific community to escalating worldwide concerns about the harm of these pesticides on biodiversity and ecosystems. Here in the U.S., its time the EPA started listening to the worlds leading scientists instead of pandering to companies hoping to squeeze more profits out of selling these dangerous pesticides, said Burd. This eye-opening study confirms that the EPA must move quickly to eliminate the unacceptable risk posed by neonics. The sooner the better. Background

Neonicotinoids are a class of pesticides known to have both acute and chronic effects on aquatic invertebrates, honeybees, birds, butterflies and other pollinator species; they are a major factor in overall pollinator declines. These systemic insecticides cause entire plants, including their pollen and nectar, to become toxic to pollinators. They are also slow to break down, and they build up in the environment. A large and growing body of independent science has found overwhelming evidence linking neonicotinoids to declines in populations of bees, birds, earthworms, butterflies and other wildlife. Neonicotinoids have long been known to pose serious harm to bee populations. EPA assessments released in December 2017 found the commonly used pesticides can also kill and harm birds of all sizes and pose significant dangers to aquatic invertebrates. The EPAs aquatic and non-pollinator risk assessment found that the majority of uses of neonicotinoids on currently registered crops resulted in risks to freshwater invertebrates that exceeded levels of concern  the threshold at which harm is known to occur. Yet the same week the EPA released these risk assessments, the agency announced that it was considering allowing the highly toxic neonicotinoid pesticide, thiamethoxam, to be sprayed directly on 165 million acres of wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, rice and potatoes.
For Immediate Release, February 26, 2018 Contact: Kieran Suckling, (520) 275-5960 Ryan Zinke Wins 2017 Rubber Dodo Award TUCSON, Ariz. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is the winner of the Center for Biological Diversitys 2017 Rubber Dodo award. The statue is awarded each year to the person or group who has most aggressively sought to destroy America's natural heritage or drive endangered species extinct. Ryan Zinke seems to wake up every day wondering how he can tear apart Americas public lands, ramp up oil and gas development and put endangered species on a fast track to extinction, said Kieran Suckling, the Centers executive director. Zinke and President Trump announced massive cuts to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. Days later his Interior Department opened bids for the largest oil lease-sale ever offered in Alaskas National Petroleum Reserve  potentially turning over more than 10 million acres of prime wilderness and wildlife habitat to oil development. Zinkes Interior Department also proposed vastly ramping up offshore drilling in the Arctic, the Gulf of Mexico and along the West Coast and East Coast. If the plan is enacted, it could lead to more than 5,000 oil spills and contribute 49.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide pollution, the equivalent of the emissions from 10.6 billion cars driven for a year. He overturned President Obamas moratorium on federal coal leasing and wants to open three marine monuments to industrial commercial fishing: Northeast Canyons and Seamounts in the Atlantic; Pacific Remote Islands; and Rose Atoll in the South Pacific. Zinkes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this fall tried to roll back an Obama-era ban on trophy elephant imports from Zimbabwe; he has denied protections to species like the Pacific walrus. Zinkes an extension of Trumps greed, callousness and corporate cronyism, Suckling said. Its hard to imagine anyone else who has done more this year to drive our environment straight into the ditch, along with the future of Americas wildlife and public lands. Zinke won the Rubber Dodo award after an online contest where tens of thousands of people were asked to choose between him, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Sonny Perdue, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Previous Rubber Dodo award winners include Rep. Rob Bishop (2016), Monsanto (2015), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services (2014), the Koch brothers (2013), climate denier Senator James Inhofe (2012), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2011), former BP CEO Tony Hayward (2010), massive land speculator Michael Winer (2009), Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (2008) and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne (2007). Background on the Dodo

In 1598 Dutch sailors landing on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius discovered a flightless, 3-foot-tall, extraordinarily friendly bird. Its original scientific name was Didus ineptus. (Contemporary scientists use the less defamatory Raphus cucullatus.) To the rest of the world, it's the dodo  possibly the most famous extinct species on Earth after the dinosaurs. It evolved over millions of years with no natural predators and eventually lost the ability to fly, becoming a land-based consumer of fruits, nuts and berries. Having never known predators, it showed no fear of humans or the menagerie of animals accompanying them to Mauritius. Its trusting nature led to its rapid extinction. By 1681 the dodo had vanished, hunted and outcompeted by humans, dogs, cats, rats, macaques and pigs. Humans logged its forest cover while pigs uprooted and ate much of the understory vegetation. The origin of the name dodo is unclear. It likely came from the Dutch word dodoor, meaning sluggard, the Portuguese word doudo, meaning fool or crazy, or the Dutch word dodaars meaning plump-arse (that nation's name for the little grebe). The dodo's reputation as a foolish, ungainly bird derives in part from its friendly naivete and the very plump captives that were taken on tour across Europe. The animal's reputation was cemented with the 1865 publication of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Based on skeleton reconstructions and the discovery of early drawings, scientists now believe that the dodo was a much sleeker animal than commonly portrayed. The rotund European exhibitions were likely produced by overfeeding captive birds.
26 February 2018

Appeared in BioNews 939

A court in Thailand has awarded a Japanese man paternity rights over 13 children born through surrogacy, meaning that can now apply for custody of them.

The man, not named in court documents, is reported to be Mitsutoki Shigeta. The son of a wealthy IT entrepreneur, Shigeta attracted controversy in 2014 after Thai officials raided his flat in Bangkok on the of suspicion of human trafficking and found at least nine babies, nannies and a pregnant woman (reported in BioNews 768).

The Japanese businessman, who was shown to be the biological father of the children, maintained that he simply wanted a large family who could inherit his wealth. The Central Juvenile Court in Bangkok, which heard Shigeta's application, said that it did not find any evidence of human trafficking and believed that he has the means to care for the children.

'For the happiness and opportunities which the 13 children will receive from their biological father, who does not have a history of bad behaviour, the court rules that all 13 born from surrogacy to be legal children of the plaintiff,' the Court said in a statement.

The Thai women who acted as surrogates, sought custody over the children themselves in 2015 (reported in BioNews 786). However, BBC News  citing the recent decision  said that the women had now forfeited any rights to the children.

The case, which became known as the 'baby factory' scandal in the press, cast a spotlight on Thailand's surrogacy industry and the Thai government shortly afterwards introduced a ban on foreigners from paying for surrogacy in the country. It is claimed that Shigeta paid the surrogates between $9,300 and $12,500 each.

Commenting on the case, Sam Everingham, founder of the Australian consultancy organisation, Families Through Surrogacy, said: 'The case of Mitsutoki Shigeta is way outside the norm for cross-border surrogacy. Fathering 13 children via surrogacy highlights the need for regulation of surrogacy at a domestic level.'

A total of 17 babies have so far been identified in Thailand as having been fathered by Shigeta, who already has custody of four of the children. CNN reports he also has two further children born to surrogates in India.
26 February 2018

Anna Mallach By

Appeared in BioNews 939

Genome editing has been used to correct the mutation causing sickle cell disease in stem cells from the blood of patients.

In up to 40 percent of the blood cells, the disease-causing mutation was reversed using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach. 'The idea is to correct that particular mutation, and then stem cells that have the correction would differentiate into normal blood cells, including red blood cells,' said Professor Gang Bao at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and lead author of the study. 'Those will then be healthy blood cells.'

The team then implanted the edited human cells into the bone marrow of mice. Even 19 weeks after this transfer, the cells retained their induced correction, indicating that this is a stable change within the cells.

This raises the hope that genome edited cells could be a potential treatment for patients. However, this will need to be confirmed in future clinical trial, as Professor Bao remarked: 'We still don't know whether repairing as much as 40 percent of the cells is enough to cure a patient.'

The study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference in Austin, Texas, also found unintended changes in the genome of the corrected cells. Professor Waseem Qasim at the University College London, who was not involved in the study, told iNews that 'the question is how many cells may have other parts of their DNA change'.

Sickle cell disease affects 14,000 people in the UK and causes anaemia, infections and strokes. A single mutation in the beta-globin gene causes red blood cells to adopt an abnormal sickle shape, leading to blockages of the blood vessels, pain and potential organ damage. According to NHS Choices, current treatments for sickle cell disease involve treating the symptoms, rather than the underlying cause of the disease.
26 February 2018

Kathryn Ashe By

Appeared in BioNews 939

Scientists have successfully grown sheep embryos containing human cells, taking a step towards a method for growing human organs in animals for transplantation.

The research team introduced human stem cells into early sheep embryos, creating hybrids which were allowed to develop for 28 days. The team are already working on genetically modifying animal embryos so they can't develop certain organs for themselves. If human stems cells are introduced into such embryos, the hope is that they will develop to replace the missing organ, for example producing a human pancreas inside a host sheep.

This latest research, reported at last week's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Austin, Texas, is part of a wider ongoing investigation into the possibility of animal-grown human organs.

'We have already generated a mouse pancreas in rats and then transplanted those into a diabetic mouse and were able to show almost a complete cure without any immunosuppressants,' said Dr Hiro Nakauchi of Stanford University, California, one of the lead authors of the new study.

These embryos are not the first human-animal hybrids: human-pig hybrids have already also been created (see BioNews 855 and 886), producing embryos with one human cell in every 100,000. This most recent advance has achieved a higher ratio of human to animal cells.

'About one in 10,000 cells in these sheep embryos are human, [but] we think that that's still not probably enough to generate an organ,' said Dr Pablo Ross from the University of California, Davis, who is working with Dr Nakauchi on the project. The Guardian reports that around 1 percent of the embryo's cells may have to be human for an organ to grow successfully.

Sheep and pigs are suited to hosting developing human organs because their own are a similar size and function in a similar way, according to Dr Nakauchi. There are several advantages to using sheep embryos in particular. 'For a pig we typically transfer 50 embryos to one recipient [but] with the sheep we transfer four embryos to one recipient,' said Dr Ross. This means fewer embryos are needed for one experiment.

Using animals as hosts for developing human organs for transplantation could reduce both organ waiting lists  nearly 500 people died last year in the UK while waiting for a transplant, according to NHS figures  and organ rejection rates, as the patient's own cells could be used in the procedure, meaning the organs will be genetically compatible with the patient receiving them.

'Even today the best matched organs, except if they come from identical twins, don't last very long because with time the immune system continuously is attacking them,' said Dr Ross. 'We need to explore all possible alternatives to provide organs to ailing people.'
In July, the United Nations sounded alarms with its 2020 hunger report , which documented a 25% increase from 2019 to 2020 in the number of severely undernourished people in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa saw a similar spike with an estimated 44 million more people suffering severe hunger. Covid-19 and climate change were the proximate causes, but lagging productivity growth in agriculture contributed as well.
It is time for people in Africa to solve their own "lion sized problems" and not wait for someone from the West to do it. This is the view of Kenya's Mark Kamau, a human centred designer whose mission is to connect the unconnected in Africa. His company is already disrupting education around the world.

Mark Kamau, user experience design director, BRCK.

Digital classrooms

Kio Kit by BRCK.

BRCK is named as one of the top 10 most innovative companies in Africa 2018: https://t.co/TutIfthEIN  BRCK (@brcknet) February 20, 2018

Afrofuturism

Kamau, user experience design director with Kenyan startup BRCK, told Bizcommunity.com on Friday, day three of Design Indaba, that BRCK , has a model to reach the unreached, connect the unconnected. They are installing internet connectivity in taxis all over Kenya, in shops, restaurants, to villages in Rwanda, free of charge.The Moja network created by his company means that anyone within range can connect to the internet for free, or watch shows, listen to music or read books from the stored content on the network. Facebook is one of their biggest clients.In the world of six billion people, only half of that, about three billion, are connected to the internet, Kamau said. In Africa, 800 million people are not connected to the internet  in fact, he said, only about 24% of Africans have reliable internet connectivity.He wants to change all of that, disrupting the internet and reimagining it for Africa.A lot of time people wait for people from the West to solve what we call, lion sized problems, of education and of connectivity, so people wait for Google or Facebook to come along and do that for them. But as an African company, we have taken on that challenge and that is why I like this optimism. We will be the ones to connect Africa.That is our mission as a company. We have a model where there are those who try reach the unreached with content, with messages, so when you use our connectivity for a certain amount of time, you get an advertising message. So you pay with your eyes, you dont pay me."Kamau added: The internet is organised for the West. So we are also disrupting the internet and organising it best for Africa, because now the servers are in the village, and the information is next to you. So we are also reimagining the internet for Africa.As well as creating a content delivery network and free Wi-Fi connectivity through his Moja network, Kamau has also developed a way to turn any classroom into a digital classroom with a  Kio Kit . The Kio Kit is a simple and hardy solution that can turn any classroom into a digital classroom in minutes. It is designed for rural schools and schools with poor infrastructure.The Kio Kit consists of 40 ruggedised Kio tablets, headphones and a BRCK containing both world class local and international content. There is a single plug to charge the Kit and one button to power on the entire system. The Kio tablets and BRCK tech within it have enough battery to manage intermittent power in rural areas. It is portable, easy to secure, has expandable storage, remote content sync and a rugged, hardy, carry case to fit it all in.Kamau said the inspiration for the Kio Kit was to level the playing field for children in the rural areas which had no access to computer labs at school, yet have to compete with better-equipped learners in urban areas with more resources when national examinations came round.They built this tech for Kenya, but it has also been bought by countries all over the world, such as Mexico and the Solomon Islands. BRCK has been named by Fast Company as one of the top 10 most innovative companies in Africa for 2018, as a result.Kamau defines Afrofuturism, a thread running through the Design Indaba conference this year, as the energy and hope that you find on the continent, the incredible innovation happening in the tech scene in particular.People outside of Africa look at Africa and see a mess. Whereas we see immense progress that comes from survival and fighting for a better Africa. In a country like Kenya, there is this optimism. The creative sector and the tech scene in Kenya are booming - 45% of our GDP in Kenya is traded in mobile money.Kamau said Afrofuturism is young people rising up to sort out their own problems: Its a can do attitude that I see across Africa. I travel to Rwanda, I come here [to South Africa], and I see people who choose the future, they choose hope - where others would see despair. That is the beauty of Africa, the energy and hope I find here, is amazing.Providing access to information in Africa is a critical element of Afrofuturism, Kamau reiterated.It is good to see African built technology being exported and that idea that it is time for Africa to claim thought leadership in solving problems for the world that is Afrofuturism in my opinion. The Africa of the future does not sit back and take these messages about hunger, about poverty... So we have our challenges, but we are vast and complex people, we can tackle our own challenges and still think about solutions for the world.That is our attitude. That is what we try to do and demonstrate. So, the three billion people in the world not connected to the internet - we are going to be the ones connecting them!
#DesignIndaba2018: Be inspired by problems in Africa

Leroy Mawasaru was only 16 and still at school when he founded Greenpact, a social enterprise to provide alternative renewable energy to local communities and institutions in Kenya.

Leroy Mawasaru, founder of Greenpact. What started out as a high school project, has been featured by CNN,



The Greenpact model involves using human waste to provide electricity for homes in rural villages. It describes itself as a clean energy startup which hopes to solve the problem of lack of access to clean energy and proper sanitation that six million Kenyans face.



After being exposed to design thinking, Mawasaru also founded CampBuni, a social enterprise teaching design thinking to high school students, because he wanted to expose them to the learnings he has had and hopefully encourage others to take their ideas and innovations further.



Then there is CommCycle, a trade platform to facilitate peer-to-peer trading that he founded. He is currently saving for college.



After wowing the Design Indaba audience with his ingenuity on the third and last day of the Design Indaba conference, Mawasaru sat down with Bizcommunity.com to talk about his journey.



What started you on your journey? What started you on your journey? What started out as a high school project, has been featured by CNN, The HuffPost , Forbes, UpWorthy, Grist and local media in Kenya. And among his many accolades, this 19-year-old is a One Young World Ambassador, a Harvard Social Innovation Collaborative Fellow, a Resolution Fellow, the youngest 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme fellow and Royal Commonwealth Society Fellow.The Greenpact model involves using human waste to provide electricity for homes in rural villages. It describes itself as a clean energy startup which hopes to solve the problem of lack of access to clean energy and proper sanitation that six million Kenyans face.After being exposed to design thinking, Mawasaru also founded CampBuni, a social enterprise teaching design thinking to high school students, because he wanted to expose them to the learnings he has had and hopefully encourage others to take their ideas and innovations further.Then there is CommCycle, a trade platform to facilitate peer-to-peer trading that he founded. He is currently saving for college.After wowing the Design Indaba audience with his ingenuity on the third and last day of the Design Indaba conference, Mawasaru sat down with Bizcommunity.com to talk about his journey.

The most important person in your life? The most important person in your life?

What were your main challenges in starting out? What were your main challenges in starting out?

Why go into the renewable energy sector? Why go into the renewable energy sector?

What personality trait do you need to succeed? What personality trait do you need to succeed?

Why teach design thinking skills? Why teach design thinking skills?

So whats next for you? So whats next for you?

What is your advice for other entrepreneurs? What is your advice for other entrepreneurs?

Louise Burgers' articles About Louise Marsland Louise Burgers (previously Marsland) is Founder/Content Director: SOURCE Content Marketing Agency. Louise is a Writer, Publisher, Editor, Content Strategist, Content/Media Trainer. She has written about consumer trends, brands, branding, media, marketing and the advertising communications industry in SA and across Africa, for over 20 years, notably, as previous Africa Editor: Bizcommunity.com; Editor: Bizcommunity Media/Marketing SA; Editor-in-Chief: AdVantage magazine; Editor: Marketing Mix magazine; Editor: Progressive Retailing magazine; Editor: BusinessBrief magazine; Editor: FMCG Files newsletter. Web: www.sourceagency.co.za. Louise Burgers (previously Marsland) is Founder/Content Director: SOURCE Content Marketing Agency. Louise is a Writer, Publisher, Editor, Content Strategist, Content/Media Trainer. She has written about consumer trends, brands, branding, media, marketing and the advertising communications industry in SA and across Africa, for over 20 years, notably, as previous Africa Editor: Bizcommunity.com; Editor: Bizcommunity Media/Marketing SA; Editor-in-Chief: AdVantage magazine; Editor: Marketing Mix magazine; Editor: Progressive Retailing magazine; Editor: BusinessBrief magazine; Editor: FMCG Files newsletter. Web: www.sourceagency.co.za.

It began with family values I observed back at home. It made me into this responsible kid. It instilled a discipline in me. Apart from this, the attitude of taking hard parts and taking the parts no one wants to take. Magic happens when you step out of your comfort zone. Any youth who is outside Africa could do and achieve lots more.My parents, my mum for always being there for me, my dad for showing me that everything didnt come on a silver platter.Getting people to take me seriously was a very big challenge. I would walk into a meeting, and people would want to know what a teenager has to do in a meeting. It was experiencing those blockages and defying convention. Nothing can stop me. I am here.Then there are values that I uphold, but Ive had to break some school rules because I wanted to do something, nothing is ever a smooth path. If you follow the system blindly, not everything will be in your favour. You need to defy some conventions and break some rules, it's never a straight path. Of course Im not suggesting that school rules should be broken!I was mainly inspired by a problem. I identified this problem. I started solving it and then learnt as much as I could about the solution. I barely knew it. I looked at the concept behind the problem. I tried to get all these resources. I learned things very fast and learned as much as possible, so I could learn about the solution. I am still continuing to learn. I am inspired by a problem.What I believe is a successful trait is discipline; and an ear to always be open and listen to feedback you get from people on the ground and people you work with. That is what leadership is about. You cant just be deaf about what is happening. I take in all this and act.I never knew what design thinking was. I applied to an innovation competition in Kenya and was introduced to design thinking tools. I was fortunate and decided to teach other Kenyan youth these skills. I want to make sure these tools are available to Kenyan youth. It is more of a self-taught process. I practice design thinking. It is not something you learn in class, it is something you go into the field and do it.I am trying to save for college, but it is not the end of it. Maybe a platform to further impact my work. My vision is always to do better things. I am fascinated by behavioural economics and applied econometrix. That is what I would study.Two words: Always stand. Its more of an analogy. As we grow up we are taught how to walk, keep quiet, sit down, dont stand. No one tells us how to move beyond 'sitting and keeping quiet'. We have to learn that ourselves.
The 2018 Warc 100, an annual global index of the world's top marketing campaigns and companies based on their business impact, has been released by Warc.

Andrew Robertson, president and chief executive, BBDO Worldwide.

Purpose is effective when brands have a credible role. Three purpose-driven campaigns appear in the top 10. 'Dads #ShareTheLoad' for Ariel, Whirlpool's 'Care Counts' and 'Imagine the Possibilities' for Barbie are all examples of the commercial success that can be driven when a brand's purpose is intrinsically linked to its product.

Strategies with PR baked in are becoming the norm. Three campaigns in the top ten used a PR-led strategy to drive brand awareness and increase sales: 'Meet Graham' for Australia's Transport Accident Commission, Burger King's 'The McWhopper Proposal' and 'Van Gogh BnB' for the Art Institute of Chicago.

New takes on long-term ideas. Several of the highly effective initiatives ranked, such as 'Dads #ShareTheLoad', 'Hungerithm' for Snickers, the John Lewis Christmas campaigns and Always' 'Girl Emojis', show how blockbuster ideas can be intelligently followed up with brands investing in long-term strategies rather than quick wins for immediate gain.

Smarter thinking unleashes the power of creativity

Producing great work

Campaigns with purpose

Top 10 world's top effectiveness campaigns

Rank Campaign title Brand Agency Points 1 Dads #ShareTheLoad Ariel BBDO Mumbai 127.1 2 The Swedish Number Swedish Tourist Association INGO Stockholm 95.4 3 Care Counts Whirlpool Ketchum Chicago 84.6 4 Meet Graham Transport Accident Commission Clemenger BBDO 82.5 5= The McWhopper Proposal Burger King Melbourne 80.7 5= Van Gogh BnB Art Institute of Chicago Y&R Auckland 80.7 7 Hungerithm Snickers Leo Burnett Chicago 78.9 8 John Lewis Christmas Campaigns John Lewis Clemenger BBDO Melbourne 78.4 9 Reword Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation adam&eveDDB 72.2 10 Imagine the Possibilities Barbie London 70.0

Top 5 creative agencies for effectiveness

Rank Agency Location Points 1 Clemenger BBDO Melbourne Melbourne, Australia 186.6 2 Colenso BBDO Auckland, New Zealand 174.2 3 BBDO New York New York, USA 139.8 4 BBDO India Mumbai, India 124.9 5 Droga5 New York, USA 114.9

Top 5 media agencies for effectiveness

Rank Agency Location Points 1 Starcom Chicago, USA 269.6 2 Mindshare Istanbul, Turkey 86.3 3 Spark Foundry Chicago, USA 77.9 4 PHD Shanghai, China 76.4 5 Manning Gottlieb OMD London, UK 65.5

Top 5 digital/specialist agencies for effectiveness

Rank Agency Location Points 1 DigitasLBi Chicago, USA 90.7 2 Ketchum Chicago, USA 84.6 3 Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Chicago, USA 79.9 4 Weber Shandwick New York, USA 54.4 5 Team Unilever Shopper New York, USA 51.1

Top 5 agency networks for effectiveness

Rank Network Points 1 BBDO Worldwide 1454.9 2 Ogilvy & Mather Advertising 738 3 McCann Worldgroup 699.1 4 DDB Worldwide 553.4 5 OMD Worldwide 536.4

Top 5 holding companies for effectiveness

Rank Holding company Points 1 Omnicom Group 3472.7 2 WPP 3220.6 3 Interpublic Group 2157.2 4 Publicis Groupe 1944.1 5 Dentsu 425.5

Top 5 brands for effectiveness

Rank Brand Points 1 Burger King 153.3 2 Ariel 127.1 3 Mastercard 120.8 4 IBM 103.6 5 Vodafone 101.1

Top 5 advertisers for effectiveness

Rank Advertiser Points 1 Unilever 505 2 PepsiCo 398.6 3 Mars 339 4 Procter & Gamble 327.9 5 Heineken 265.3

Top 5 countries for effectiveness

Rank Country Points 1 USA 3360.1 2 UK 1478.3 3 Australia 949.9 4 India 630.8 5 New Zealand 531.8

Creative approaches translate to marketplace success

Warc 100 tracks the performance of campaigns, brands and agencies in more than 70 of the most important global, regional and national marketing effectiveness and strategy competitions around the world. Now in its fifth year, the Warc 100 is based on a rigorous methodology developed in consultation with Douglas West, professor of marketing at Kings College London.The top-ranked campaign, 'Dads #ShareTheLoad' by BBDO India for Ariel Matic, Procter & Gamble's premium laundry detergent brand, built on its previous 'Share the Load' campaign by persuading dads to do more laundry in order to promote gender equality. Ariel Matic generated a 42% increase in unaided brand awareness, $12.3m in earned media coverage, and conversations on social media and sales growth exceeding previous campaigns.In second place is 'The Swedish Number' by INGO Stockholm for The Swedish Tourist Association, which manages hotels and hostels across Sweden. The purely PR-driven approach saw more than 32,000 Swedes sign up to take more than 200,000 calls from abroad helping STF boost its renewal figures and attract new members.Ranked third is the 'Care Counts' campaign for Whirlpool by DigitasLBi Chicago. The appliances manufacturer installed washers and dryers in schools to give disadvantaged students access to laundry facilities, resulting in 90% of the participants increasing their school attendance rate. The programme has been expanded to nearly 60 schools across the US.Three themes have emerged from the world's top effectiveness campaigns:Australia's Clemenger BBDO Melbourne tops the creative agencies for effectiveness table for the first time having produced two top 10 campaigns: 'Meet Graham' and 'Hungerithm'. New Zealand's Colenso BBDO follows in second place with work for Burger King and DB Export contributing to their score.Starcom Chicago has returned to the top of the media agencies for effectiveness ranking with almost triple the points of the second-placed agency.Eight of the top digital/specialist agencies for effectiveness are from the US, with Chicago-based agencies making up the top three. DigitasLBi Chicago takes poll position.BBDO Worldwide remains the most awarded network for the fifth year in a row, having retained this rank since Warc 100 began in 2014. Its agencies contributed to four of the top 10 campaigns and 19 of the top 100.Andrew Robertson, president and chief executive, BBDO Worldwide, says: "Smarter thinking unleashes the power of creativity to make greater impact. That's why leading the Warc 100 is so meaningful."For the second time, Omnicom Group is the most awarded holding company, having previously held top position in 2014. Omnicom Group owns four of the top 10 agency networks.John Wren, president and CEO, Omnicom Group, says: "Producing great work that drives results for our clients is why we come to work every day. It is especially gratifying to see Omnicom recognised by Warc as having five of the top ten individually ranked agencies, three of the top five networks, and being the top-ranked holding company. I could not be prouder of our teams."Burger King improved its ranking by 30 places to reach the top brand for effectiveness, with the 'McWhopper Proposal' campaign in the top 10 and 'Backyard Burger King' in the top 100. The continuing performance of Ariel's 'Share the Load' campaign has contributed to the brand retaining its second place.Unilever was the most effective advertiser for the third time, having previously held this top position in 2015 and 2014. Unilever has four campaigns in the top 100 - Lifebuoy's '#HelpAChildReach5', Knorr's 'Love At First Taste', 'The Vaseline Healing Project' and 'The radicalisation of Persil' - with a further 50 campaigns across all competitions contributing to its tally.Keith Weed, chief marketing and communications officer, Unilever, says: "It's a great honour to be recognised by Warc as Most Effective Advertiser again. I'm hugely proud of our marketers, working hard to drive campaigns with purpose that cut through to consumers and make a real impact."USA retains its place as the top country in the world with 36 of the top 100 campaigns, compared to 12 from the UK and 12 from Australia.The most highly ranked campaigns and companies in Warc 100 are:The Warc 100 is now part of Gunn Report, which recently published Gunn 100, a ranking of campaigns and companies based on creativity.Commenting on Warc 100, Emma Wilkie, managing director, Gunn Report, says: "This year's Warc 100 once again confirms that creative approaches to marketing translates into marketplace success, with nearly all the top 10 campaigns also recognised in Gunn 100. Long-term strategies continue to be an important element to long-term success but we're also seeing a significant number of purpose-led and PR-led campaigns doing particularly well in achieving commercial objectives."The full Warc 100 rankings  including the world's top 100 campaigns for effectiveness, top 50 creative, media and digital/specialist agencies for effectiveness, agency networks, brands, advertisers, countries and top holding companies as well as commentaries, the work and credits - is available by subscription on www.warc.com/gunnreport.The Gunn media rankings will be released in March.
Albeit a lifesaving procedure, heart valve replacement is fraught with problems ranging from blood clotting to tissue degeneration. The field is long overdue for innovation.

Professor Jacques Janson. Photo: Luigi Bennett

Human regenerative tissue the ideal

What next?

There are no 'off-the-shelf ' heart valves (as is the case with replacement lenses in cataract surgery, for example) and those that are available, aren't ideal. The technology has advanced in so many surgical fields, but with heart valves it's like we're stuck in the 1970s. The best mechanical valve in use now has essentially been unchanged since 40 years ago," says Professor Jacques Janson, a senior specialist in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Division in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University.He is exploring a new method that uses the body's own venous tissue to recreate damaged mitral valves. Recently, using a sheep model, he took tissue from the jugular vein to fashion anterior mitral valve leaflets. Janson was partly inspired to do the research, which led to his PhD dissertation, due to frustration with the slow pace of development in this field.There are problems with both the mechanical prosthetic and bio-prosthetic valves being used. With prosthetic valves clots can form, raising stroke risk, therefore patients need to take anti-coagulants. These, in turn, increase risk for bleeding.You risk just exchanging one disease for another when you replace someone's heart valve," Janson explains.Biological materials like human pericardium and porcine valves are used in bio-prosthetic valves. These materials have to be processed and fixed with glutaraldehyde to strengthen the tissue and remove antigens. This non-living tissue deteriorates with time, requiring replacement after 10-15 years. The patient's own pericardium can sometimes be used, but it calcifies as well and shrinks after a while unless it is also fixed and rendered non-living.Tissue valves are usually the choice for patients over 65, because despite degeneration the valve will likely last for the rest of their lives. A mechanical valve lasts longer in younger patients, but requires the lifelong use of Warfarin. Many young patients prefer a tissue valve and to then undergo another operation after ten years. Warfarin is also contraindicated in women who wish to become pregnant: In such cases tissue valves are used with the understanding that another operation will be required later.Repairing a valve rather than replacing it is always first prize, because you don't get the complications from the prostheses," Janson says.There is a lot of stress on a working valve and it should be able to repair itself. Ideally, you want a method that uses the patient's own regenerative tissue. My idea was to try using a vein, as we've been doing for coronary bypasses. However, using a vein graft as a conduit, which is what it's designed for, differs quite a bit from fashioning it into a valve leaflet."I don't relish using animals, but it was very useful in terms of getting the technique done. We used the sheep's jugular vein, which is long and wide. The sheep's heart itself is similar to a human's, especially the mitral valves, which also made it suitable."To fashion the leaflet, Janson used a 12cm section of vein. It was cut open lengthwise and then folded double with the inner endothelial layer on the outside, and the vein branches sutured. Gore-Tex sutures were implanted on the edge of the leaflet, acting as chords attaching to the papillary muscles to provide support for the leaflet.Once we'd got the sheep through the operation and did the echocardiograms, the valve looked quite good initially, but there were some technical issues.When we do valve repairs in humans, we insert a ring to stabilise the valve annulus to prevent enlargement. The ring basically comprises wire wrapped around a piece of Dacron, and I didn't want to use foreign tissue in the sheep  I wanted the healing process to be natural. Because of this, in the sheep the valve kept growing and the leaflet shrunk in relation. The result was that over 6-10 months regression of mitral regurgitation occurred. A few of the Gore-Tex sutures tore out, again because there was so much pressure on the leaflet.Therefore, if we did another study we'd probably look into improving the valve's durability by supporting the annulus, as well as supporting the leaflet with secondary chords.It was encouraging that the histology indicated that the vein leaflet itself was viable: The tissue survived, could take the strain of a working valve and showed the ability to heal and adapt to its new environment in the heart. So, it has the potential to be used as a leaflet substitute."The next step would be to investigate if it would be clinically possible to replace a whole valve, but obviously we'd have to do that as a study protocol. In humans, instead of the jugular we'd use the saphenous vein in the leg (which is too small to use in sheep). We already use it for coronary bypasses and there is enough vein to create a whole leaflet from it.A safe way to proceed might be to try the procedure in just one or two patients and monitor them closely for a year, checking to see if the valve needs replacement. Patients with a high risk for Warfarin usage might benefit from such a procedure.Another possible application of this method might be to use the vein in cases where you need to replace a piece of leaflet which is missing due to infection. A vein might be a good option for the patch instead of pericardium, which would degenerate. Sometimes the leaflets retract and need to be lengthened. A vein patch might also work in these cases.I've done that in one patient where the whole anterior leaflet was infected and needed to be cut away together with the chords. I used a saphenous vein and also inserted chords. We have monitored this patient for almost 10 months now and he's doing really well. That was the first case in which a human saphenous vein was used in valve surgery. However, that was a repair situation and not a full replacement.There might be applications for other valves too. The aortic valve, for example, is smaller and requires smaller leaflets, therefore you'd need less vein to replace it. The pressure the valve experiences is also less. In developed world populations the valve that tends to get diseased is the older aortic valve, which suffers stenosis. A calcified, thickened valve often can't be repaired and needs replacement. But with those patients you can often get away with a tissue valve, which will last them their lifespan."The ultimate prize, Janson asserts, would be a living tissue valve that can last for 20 years in a young person without needing to use Warfarin. This would be particularly useful in the South African context, where resource limitations often make repeated surgeries unfeasible.
As debate swirls on whether artificial intelligence will be a boon or a curse for humanity, two Indian-American entrepreneur brothers are out to ensure the emerging technologies don't just benefit the richest in society.

Romesh and Sunil Wadhwani this week launched what is billed as the world's first non-profit institute dedicated to putting AI to work improving lives of poor farmers, rural healthcare workers or teachers in communities with scant resources."AI will go where AI will go; it is difficult to predict where," Sunil Wadhwani said of the conflicting views on the emergence of computers more brilliant than their human creators."Our focus is how many tens of millions of lives can we improve in the next five or 10 years. Where AI goes in 100 years, it will go."The entrepreneur brothers, who have a series of lucrative startups to their name, have committed $30m over 10 years to the Wadhwani AI institute , established in Mumbai with the Indian government as a partner. Areas targeted at the outset will include healthcare, education, agriculture and urban infrastructure. The project's founders hope AI could help nurses in rural areas with diagnoses, advise how to optimise crops, translate text books into various languages as needed or even spot signs students might be on paths to dropping out."AI is a game-changing technology," said Sunil Wadhwani, who is based in Pittsburgh as a trustee for Carnegie Mellon University."A lot of developing countries are getting left behind; US and China are leapfrogging ahead."Students from New York University and the University of Southern California will travel to Mumbai to collaborate, while the brothers also plan to partner with players in Silicon Valley, where Romesh Wadhwani is based.The ethical issues raised by AI - from its potential to destroy jobs to the power it could exert over people's lives - will be front of mind, according to institute chief P. Anandan, a former Microsoft Research director."It has the potential to be used badly, or run away on its own," Anandan said of AI."At the end of the day, you are going to manage that by being aware of it from the start and applying it where intentions are good."Internet giants have been investing heavily in creating software to help machines think more like people, boosted by super-fast computer processing power and access to mountains of data to analyse. AI has been put to work in the form of virtual aides, for recognising people's friends in photos, fighting "fake news," stymying the online spread of violent extremist messages and more.But the rise of artificial intelligence brings mighty new challenges too, and the new initiative coincides with the release of a report by AI scholars warning the technology has the potential to be exploited for nefarious purposes."These technologies have many widely beneficial applications," said the study produced by the Future of Humanity Institute, the non-profit group OpenAI and others."Less attention has historically been paid to the ways in which artificial intelligence can be used maliciously."The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which took part in the study, expressed concern that "increasingly sophisticated AI will usher in a world that is strange and different from the one we're used to, and there are serious risks if this technology is used for the wrong ends".High-profile figures who have expressed fears about the potential dangers of AI include tech visionary and innovator Elon Musk. SpaceX founder and Tesla chief executive Musk in 2015 took part in creating the research organisation OpenAI, which aims to develop artificial intelligence that helps rather than hurts people.Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, IBM, and Google-owned British AI firm DeepMind are also members of a non-profit "Partnership on AI" which seeks to promote the technology's use "to benefit people and society".Sunil Wadhwani has meanwhile promised an "aggressive" timeline at the brothers' eponymous institute, with testing of potential AI tools starting by the end of this year.
The growing popularity of brandy and gin helped Distell increase its overall volume of liquor sold by 3.7% during the six months to end-December.

Brent Hofacker via 123RF

"Exceptional brandy volume growth continues at 13.7% alongside growth of 21.3% from gin," Distell said in its interim results released on Friday morning.The group warned that its full-year results were likely to suffer from the Western Cape's drought driving up grape prices and a stronger rand hurting exports."While competition has increased in the local cider market, Distell will increase investment in the renovation of its Hunter's brand, which remains the world's second largest cider brand by volume."Besides Hunter's, Distell also producers Savanna cider."Savanna continues to enjoy global growth and, in the last six months, recorded double-digit volume and revenue growth. Savanna is now available in more than 60 countries," the results statement said.Distell grew its interim revenue by 9.3% to R13.4bn, and its after-tax profit by 8.6% to R1.2bn. It maintained its interim dividend at R1.65.
Menswear is a slightly smaller category than womenswear, with population demographics being one of the reasons for this as well as the fact that women tend to buy clothing more frequently than men. But the segment has gained ground over the last decade.

SAMW Fashion Talks. From left: Seth Shezi, Mxolisi Mkhize, Gilmore Moyo, Anuell Ahmar and Jason Storey.

Celebrating African heritage

House of St Luke. Credit: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo

Breaking gender stereotypes

Becoming globally competitive

A post shared by BlackBrain Pictures (@blackbrain_sa) on Jan 9, 2018 at 3:15am PST

The South African market alone has been forecast to reach R41 billion in value in 2021, driven by a growing interest among men in their appearance and personal grooming. African fashion is seeing growing recognition abroad, and menswear, in particular, has become bolder, more expressive and less restricted by social norms.A handful of industry mavens unpacked the trends driving the business of mens fashion during a panel discussion hosted by fashion blogat the South African Menswear Week (SAMW) held in Cape Town earlier this month. The Fashion Talks segment looked at the current state of menswear in SA and the greater African continent, and the opportunities and challenges impacting its growth.Jason Storey, founder and CEO of clothing brand Unknown Union, proclaimed that fashion in Africa is verging on revolutionary.The African renaissance is upon is. Right now, I think the world is turning its energy and its gaze towards this continent. Walking through the streets, seeing the way people are styling themselves and viewing the designers' work I see limitless creativity, I see fresh interpretations of things, and I see a daring approach to fashion with an audacity and boldness that is particular to this space.Another panellist, creative director and designer of House of St Luke, Mxolisi Mkhize, noted the shift away from the idolising of European fashion to an embracing of local heritage. He spoke of a time growing up when Italian fashion was coveted and considered superior to locally-made apparel. But this mindset is changing.People are embracing their African cultures and traditions. Being different has become exciting and I believe that in terms of design were competing on a global level, Mkhize said.Gilmore Moyo, a Zimbabwean social entrepreneur and PR consultant, echoed these sentiments. In Africa, I think we're beginning to find ourselves more, but I think we need to find even more inspiration from each other and not look to Europe or Asia. We're seeing more fashion inspired by African roots and backgrounds and were beginning to realise that we need to take our expression to the world.While African fashion may be enjoying growing exposure globally, one could argue that the talent and ingenuity has always existed here. Look at how our ancestors covered themselves in jewellery and beadwork. African fashion has always been on the cutting edge; it was just never celebrated, said Seth Shezi, a local PR consultant, writer and lifestyle brand strategist.He believes that whats changed is that people have gained confidence. People are realising that who they are and how they feel they want to express themselves is enough. It doesn't need verification. And that confidence is highlighting creativity thats always been there.Less bound to the rigid gender roles of the past, fashion too is moving into a more gender fluid space. There are fewer stores now that have separate men's and women's fitting rooms, and many are mixing men's and women's clothing in the same department, said Anuell Ahmar, editor-in-chief and executive director at online magazineI visit a store and I find myself purchasing items from the ladies section because there are specific garments that Im drawn to.As a South African market we are pushing boundaries and moving towards a genderless state where men and women are realising that they dont have to conform to a style that has been imposed on them by societal norms years prior. We are starting to find our individuality and identity as individuals," Ahmar said.Similarly, Moyo said that current mens fashion is reflecting a time in history when women controlled the motherland. I'm seeing softer fabrics used in menswear and skirts for men are appearing on the runway. When we go back to the origin of our continent women ran households are theyre the ones inspiring fashion.While the panels attitude towards the state of local fashion from a design perspective was a positive one, the discussion around the effects of cheap Chinese imports on the local production sector was less optimistic.Deliberating on whether SAs manufacturing sector stands a competitive chance in producing clothing not just for the local market but for the rest of the globe, many felt that the bulk of responsibility lies at government level.But Storey urged local designers to tap into the technical expertise that is lying dormant since the thriving days of SAs clothing production sector, a time when Cape Town specifically served as a manufacturing hub for a number of global fashion houses.The individuals who trained and worked under those experts are still here. They're still alive today. And my experience here has been that when you find somebody who can do really amazing work, they tend to be 50 years-old and over.He cautioned: We need to act quickly, whether in the public or private space. The window of opportunity is closing quickly. Once those individuals are gone that expertise is no longer here.Shezi, meanwhile, highlighted the power of social media in influencing perception around the style and design that exists within the African continent, especially among Millennials and Gen Xers.In terms of access, social media manages to catapult or be a catchment for what magazines cant do. While the print magazine industry is busy dying, social media is there to amplify whatever the young generation is doing, he said.Referencing the Afropunk festival in Joburg, which gathered a crowd of bold, fashion-forward attendees visibly inspired by their African roots, Shezi noted that social media coverage of the event helped showcase their creative expression.For kids at that age to be able to feel confident and express themselves to that level is relatively new for us, and it's adding to this pot that is very fertile at the moment for African fashion. It's a good space to be in and I just hope that everyone sees that and harnesses it.
Former public protector, Thuli Madonsela, says she has neither the skills nor inclination for political office, but is committed in her role as chair of social justice at the University of Stellenbosch to help "create the South Africa of our dreams".

Thuli Madonsela, chair of social justice, Stellenbosch University

Pedestal of hope

Epic leadership

E thical: doing whats right the right way

thical: doing whats right the right way P urpose driven: staying focused on your goals

urpose driven: staying focused on your goals I mpact conscious: be conscious of the consequences of your actions

mpact conscious: be conscious of the consequences of your actions Comitted to service: Let service lead

Loyalty

Social justice

White monopoly capital

President Cyril Ramaphosas election has once again placed the country on a pedestal of hope, she told the audience at Old Mutuals Investment Insights seminar in Cape Town. This concept comes from Thabo Mbekis salute to Nelson Mandelas generation that pulled the country out of the abyss and placed it on the pedestal of hope on which it rests today.Yet Madonsela remains cautious. Things are looking good. Partly due to Cyril Ramaphosas speech, the rand is looking good. But things can change.In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) Ramaphosa provided policy certainty, but the question remains whether he has provided policy resonance."Yes, some policies are providing hope, but the process of engagement with government will determine their success. Sometimes this might even involve trying to reconcile what appears to be irreconcilable. No one wants to go back to the 'winter of despair' we had last year."She explained there is a difference between policy certainty and policy resonance by using education as an example."If our education system currently faces challenges regarding quality and the ability to meet the demands of the day, one needs to relook the system and not just have more of the same approaches," Madonsela said."President Ramaphosa said a whole lot of discussions will take place on the topic of education - including science and technology. That is an opportunity for us to interface with government to ensure a match between what the industry and social needs are, and what they will be in 10 to 15 years' time."South Africa is at a crossroads, Madonsela said, and we can transcend the challenges through epic leadership. She explained that the epic part of the term is an acronym for:Madonsela points out even great leadership can be misplaced to the sidelines, citing Hitler as an example. What kind of leadership will ensure the dream and vision is kept alive?She explains there are two kinds of loyalty. The unquestioning loyalty to government resulting to the turbulence and maladministration of the past few years, and the unquestionable loyalty to the people of South Africa."In state-owned enterprises we now see that some of the people who will be prosecuted are good people and just wanted to keep their jobs. Somebody at the top, however, wanted them to have unquestioned loyalty, so the service fell apart," she said.Madonsela says she has paid the price for refusing to accept unquestioning loyalty, which includes ludicrous accusations that she was a spy acting for the CIA, MI6 and even Mossad. Although she tells these stories with wry humour, they no doubt still cut deep.Madonsela explains that we are not just spectators and all our actions have an impact on the world around us. Using the concept of ubuntu  a human being is a human being because we are all people  she says we must all work together to ensure social justice. The South Africa we want and the world we yearn for lies in our collective effort."You and I will have to ensure we continuously define success not as a zero-sum game where one will win and one will lose.This should also be the approach of the business sector. Play your part in social justice. Instead of only investing in opportunities, you can see how you can invest to actually create opportunities."Last years buzz phrase white monopoly capital only got so much airtime and support was because it spoke to peoples real pain, Madonsela said."It was a classic case of diverting people away from state capture by giving them a dead cat - but that cat is not dead. If we don't all join hands, then someday someone might pull that scapegoat out again to bring division," she said.She said she is encouraged by what is currently being done by law-enforcement agencies investigating state capture and she expects some arrests and jail sentences as a result."The swamp will be drained in terms of state capture and this will give a serious blow to corruption. At the same time, I believe we must look back to find out why it took so long for the state-capture investigation to start. A lot of evidence might have gone lost by now," she said.She would like to see the Hawks pounce on anyone who was out of line, regardless whether they supported Ramaphosa or Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma."My greatest fear is that some evidence on state capture would have been destroyed by now so that some guilty people might not get brought to task. The Gupta leaks were great, but the inquiry must now authenticate those emails. I am not sure whether some evidence has not been destroyed by now," said Madonsela.On the other hand, the fact that the head of the inquiry, and the second most senior judge in the land, Raymond Zondo, has the authority to source his own staff for the inquiry, something that is unprecedented, but ensures the integrity and autonomy of the proceedings."To create a functional state, you must focus on ethical government even before you deal with state capture. We need a lot of emphasis on building civil society so that we never find ourselves again on the brink of catastrophe like last year."
Intu Properties said it had recorded a "solid" performance last year, positioning itself for a takeover by Hammerson, which will create the largest property stock on the JSE.

"The underlying strengths of the Intu business were much in evidence in 2017 as we recorded a robust overall performance, confounding the external gloom and negativity in pre-Brexit UK about retail and retail property," said CEO David Fischel.Intu recorded a strong year of leasing activity, signing 217 long-term leases in the UK and Spain, at rents in aggregate 7% ahead of previous rents, as retailers continued to focus on increasing their space in prime retail centres. This successful leasing performance meant that Intu achieved a third successive year of like-for-like net rental income growth. Following increases of 1.8% in 2015 and 3.6% in 2016, Intu delivered a 0.5% increase for the year overall, with a strong second half recovery with growth of 2.4%."This enabled us to reiterate our medium-term guidance, over the next three to five years, of 2% to 3% like-for-like net rental income growth per annum and now we expect to be in the range of 1.5% to 2.5% like-for-like net rental income growth in 2018," he said.Fischel said Intu was well-positioned for the expected takeover by European shopping giant Hammerson who made a successful bid for Intu in December 2017.Hammerson would nearly double in size and become a real estate group worth close to R110bn. This would position it as the largest property stock on the JSE. The deal was expected to be completed in the middle of 2018 after Intu releases results for the six months to June.Fischel said Intu's asset performance in the UK had met expectations, while the Spanish portfolio had surprised on the upside. This had resulted in a revaluation surplus of 47m, which in turn drove an increased profit for the year of 203m. This was up 18% from 172m during the 2016 financial year. Intus net asset value per share rose 1.73% from 404p per share to 411p per share.Other key performance indicators, such as 96% occupancy and increased footfall, also demonstrated that Intu is in good shape, said Fischel.Garreth Elston of Golden Section Capital said Intus results were in line with his low expectations of UK major retail. While the company has some very good retail properties, we remain negative on UK retail, and the only part of Intus operations that we are excited by are their continental operations. We also believe that the companys debt levels are getting too high.
Factories in flat-packs and homes built in factories - modular construction will build new momentum in 2018. However the industry is battling with significant skills shortages and must manage increasing globalisation.

Skills shortages will force the industry to adopt new technology and business models

With construction-integrated manufacturing, 10% of traditional contractors could disappear over the next five years

Globalisation will increase the foreign content of construction projects by 20% within five years

A shortage of one crucial resource threatens the rate of growth worldwide. Can you guess what it is? Energy? Water, maybe? Capital? Actually, its manpower. On every continent, skills and labour shortages are hitting hard. In 2018 it could force permanent, decisive changes in how construction does business and meets demands.The recent global Turner & Townsend international construction survey shows that 23 of the 43 markets surveyed suffers from skills shortage, up from 20 the previous year. Only four regions reported a surplus: Muscat, Perth, Santiago and Sao Paulo, according to the survey. Another source pointing in this direction is the World Economic Forum report, Shaping the Future of Construction which shows that the US construction industrys productivity has fallen 19% since 1964. In the same period, non-agricultural industries improved by 153%. This was also brought up in a recent UK government-commissioned report, the Farmer Review and has been ringing alarm bells in the construction industry. Subtitled "Modernize or die, time to decide on the industrys future", it details how skills shortages drive costs up, quality down, and lead to poor productivity.However, there is hope too. The review details many innovative high-quality cases where the merger of manufacturing and construction has opened up new markets and revenue streams with creative construction solutions.One such modular construction is GSKs factory in a box, designed by modular and BIM construction studio Bryden Wood . The solution is a colour-coded, easy-to-assemble pharma factory that can be shipped in a crate and put together in emerging markets with demanding local compliance standards, high potential, but limited money available for large specialist onsite teams. Designed with building information modelling (BIM), the factory in a box is a great example of how design-led innovation in construction can produce more assets with fewer resources. In 2018, I believe we will see a perfect storm of factors  an aging global workforce, a lack of new entrants and growing restrictions on free movement of labour  begin to decisively accelerate the uptake of construction-integrated manufacturing such as this. Governments, regulatory bodies and the industry alike will start to realise that getting more people into the industry is important, as well as trying to increase the number of people onsite. The most strategic solution would be to fundamentally change the way we build in the first place.It is beyond doubt that modular construction and construction-integrated manufacturing are playing an increasingly important role all over the world. Modular is expected to rise 6% globally by 2022 , with some countries already leading the pre-fab charge. Sweden is a model for modular home building. Around 84% of detached homes built in the Scandinavian nation use pre-fabricated timber elements. Compared to the US, Australia and the UK, where the figure is just 5%, Sweden is practically a modular world leader. Meanwhile, third world countries are also considering how pre-fab can meet their housing shortages and cost constraints. Nigeria is one example that is taking a long look at modular housing to meet its crippling housing shortage  close to 20-million units at the last count.In Japan, around a quarter of all new houses are prefabricated. Japans success shows in the quality of assets manufactured in controlled conditions, and how many new entrants they attract. Japan prizes prefab construction for its quality and efficiency. Offsite modular construction removes the last-minute changes that can plague onsite construction and reduce the quality of the finished asset. Small wonder from 1963 to 2014, manufacturers built 9-million prefab homes in Japan.With growing skills shortages and a need to build faster and more cost-effectively, it will become a crucial competitive advantage to be able to invest in the right technologies and people and find the right business partners to leverage construction-integrated manufacturing.Offsite, logistics-centric construction will be a catalyst for increased globalisation too. Currently, 95% of construction projects are carried out by local firms sourcing local materials. But we notice this is changing. Customised, large-scale components and elements will increasingly be sourced globally, meaning increased competition, and, potentially, margins. Its a big shift for an industry that has traditionally been highly country-specific. But for operators agile and disciplined enough to start planning and handling logistics, and invest in new joint ventures, the gains could be huge.Take Spain. With a significantly smaller GDP than, for example, the US or the UK, seven of the worlds top 100 construction companies are Spanish. Yet while the countrys recent economic difficulties crippled many companies, Spains construction sector fared remarkably well . One of the main reasons is that Spanish construction companies often partner globally and thereby reduce the risks of exposing the business to domestic economic challenges. Here, the Spanish construction industrys strong tradition of joint ventures and global partnerships is a powerful competitive advantage.New technology is making it easier to work profitably on a global level as well. With 3D printing, for example, costs for both materials and long-haul transports are decreasing substantially. Partnerships using these technologies focus more on global competence exchange than transport costs.All three of these trends are woven tight together. Contractors need to work hard to ensure that the right competencies are secured while considering how to implement new business models for modular buildings and construction-integrated manufacturing  all this in a construction industry that is becoming more global and offers new forms of partnerships. The players who master this balance act will be the winners in 2018.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has withdrawn the appeal at the Constitutional Court against the court ruling that NPA head, Shaun Abrahams, should vacate his position.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has indicated to the Constitutional Court that he will withdraw the appeal filed in the matter of Corruption Watch and Others v The President of the Republic of South Africa, which concerns the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), the Presidency said in a statement on Friday evening.Former president Jacob Zuma had appealed the High Court in Pretoria's ruling last year that Abrahams leave the top post at the NPA.The court ruled that then President Zuma was conflicted in the matter of appointing an NPA head because he faced possible prosecution on corruption charges. Abrahams is still appealing the matter - which goes to court on Wednesday next week.According to the Presidency, the only issue that had been appealed by the President of the Republic was whether or not the former President or his then Deputy should appoint the NDPP.That matter is now moot.At its hearing on Wednesday, 28 February 2018, the Constitutional Court will also be considering whether or not to confirm the High Courts decision that some sections of the National Prosecuting Authority Act  those dealing with suspension of the NDPP - are unconstitutional, the Presidency said.President Ramaphosa has indicated that he will no longer prosecute the appeal in this matter and will therefore not be present in court to argue the matter on 28 February.
An agreement between Eskom and the Technology Research Activity Centre South Africa (TRAC SA) will see more Eastern Cape students assisted in their science and mathematics studies.

 Wavebreak Media Ltd  123RF.com

Eskom has today signed an agreement with TRAC SA to extend the coverage of the Eskom Science Enhancement Initiative support programme, which aims to assist with science, mathematics and technology education in Eastern Cape Schools, said the power utility of the agreement signed on Saturday, 24 February 2018.This agreement follows an earlier accord that was signed in partnership by the Eastern Cape Department of Education with TRAC SA in March 2016. The agreement was signed with five schools in the Kouga Local Municipality.TRAC 2 is now being implemented in an additional 25 selected schools (for Grade 10  12) in the districts of Libode, Qumbu, Cofimvaba, East London and Uitenhage, bringing the total number to 30 schools. This is part of Eskoms drive to invest in communities where Eskom has infrastructure, the power parastal said.The utilitys acting Group Executive for Group Capital, Kobus Steyn, said the partnership with TRAC SA demonstrates a shared social responsibility that is in line with supporting governments initiative of skills development and improving access to quality education.One of the countrys many challenges remains making Mathematics, Physical Science and related fields exciting and popular among learners. However, TRAC has the potential to fuel enthusiasm in our children through using exciting and engaging methods in teaching and learning, said Steyn.The TRAC programme has shown remarkable results within the first year of inception. Over 2 000 leaners and 30 educators from 30 schools have benefitted from the programme.Eskoms acting General Manager for nuclear new build, Loyiso Tyabashe, said the entity is of the belief that improving the pass rate in maths and science will benefit the province.While the primary aim supports Eskoms plans to increase intake into Science and Engineering for future skills needs, we believe that the impact of improving the pass rate in Maths and Science will benefit the Eastern Cape and the country as a whole.We are confident that the extension of the programme to the wider Eastern Cape province will open up doors for learners to pursue various careers, thus instilling a sense of hope for a brighter future, said Tyabashe.
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Google says its digital assistant software would be available in more than 30 languages by the end of the years as it steps up its artificial intelligence efforts against Amazon and others.

Google Assistant, the artificial intelligence software which is available on its connected speakers, Android smartphones and other devices, will also include multilingual capacity "so families or individuals that speak more than one language can speak naturally" to the program, according to a Google blog post.The move aims to help Google, which has been lagging in the market for connected devices against Amazon's Alexa-powered hardware, ramp up competition in new markets.While Alexa currently operates only in English, Google Assistant works in eight languages and the new initiative expands that."By the end of the year (Google Assistant) will be available in more than 30 languages, reaching 95%t of all eligible Android phones worldwide," Google vice president Nick Fox said in the blog post."In the next few months, we'll bring the Assistant to Danish, Dutch, Hindi, Indonesian, Norwegian, Swedish and Thai on Android phones and iPhones, and we'll add more languages on more devices throughout the year."The multilingual option will first be available in English, French and German, with support for more languages coming "over time," Fox wrote.The move comes amid intense competition for artificial intelligence software on smartphones and other devices by Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Samsung and others.Amazon took the early lead with its Alexa-powered speakers and is believed to hold the lion's share of that market, with Google Home devices a distant second.Apple got a late start in the speaker segment with its HomePod, which went on sale this month in the US, Britain and Australia.
Product of the Year - South Africa's largest independent consumer-voted survey - celebrated 10 years of rewarding innovation and excellence in the country at its annual awards gala ceremony, held this year at The Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg on 22 February.

Winners list

Innovation of the Year Masterclass

Established 30 years ago in France, Product of the Year currently operates in 39 countries. This third-party endorsement programme aims to help clear the clutter for consumers, to guide them and help them find the best new products and services in their market, while also rewarding manufacturers for quality and innovation.This year's awards ceremony was a more formal affair as CEOs and other executives across various industry verticals, including the FMCG sector and other important consumer-facing markets such as technology, petrochemicals and health products, attended the formal black-tie gala dinner.In a celebration of its own heritage, local comedian John Vlismas once again fulfilled the role of emcee on the evening, having 10 years prior officiated the inaugural event. During the event Vlismas lent his unique blend of humour to proceedings as the last decade of work done by Product of the Year South Africa was showcased and celebrated, before plans for the next 10 years were shared with attendees.Vlismas then announced the category winners for 2018. The results were based on the endorsements of 4,000 consumer households who, after trying and testing the products or services, were surveyed by leading global information and measurement company, Nielsen.The 2018 awards were characterised by diversity, as we had a broad spectrum of winners from varied companies, with both local and international brands recognised on the night, says Preetesh Sewraj, CEO and chief innovation analyst at Product of the Year South Africa.Global icons such as Samsung and LG won awards, with international companies that are headquartered in France, the US and Britain acknowledged alongside home-grown brands like Hug in a Mug and the innovative Seatbelt Medic emergency device, which won the new safety category. Cookware was also added to the list of categories in 2018, which was won by Tefal Expertise.The full list of category winners includes:Sewraj adds that 2018 also saw the introduction of another Product of the Year innovation, with the inclusion of the Innovation of the Year Masterclass. This took the form of a conference held at The Maslow before the awards ceremony, aimed at helping executives and marketing professionals drive the innovation agenda within their organisations.Sewraj believes that this has become a strategic imperative for brands locally as the marketplace becomes more cluttered and a growing number of nimble startups disrupt existing lines of business.South Africa has bred a number of industry pioneers who have contributed greatly to global innovation, but those driving the most prolific developments in this regard are generally doing so outside of our country. We therefore want to foster a culture of innovation among our business professionals, entrepreneurs and non-governmental organisations to help them improve the lives of South Africans across the board.The inaugural masterclass took the form of an idea-sharing platform. Guest speakers from Nielsens Innovation Division and Popimedia, the only local Facebook-approved marketing partner, engaged with invited attendees on the topic of cultivating an innovation mindset within organisations and how to leverage it to succeed in the modern marketplace.Visit www.poysa.co.za for more information on the Product of the Year category winners, or to register for future Innovation of the Year masterclasses.
#DesignIndaba2018: 'Advice for the African girl child' - Lebo Mashile

Lebo Mashile on African females as the future of humanity, the importance of having a mentor in the industry and honouring the legacy of Hugh Masekela.





#DesignIndaba2018: Lebo Mashile on why she keeps coming back to gender and race in her poetry

Watch the full video embedded below for Mashiles thoughtful, impassioned responses in full, or skip to the summarised Q&A below:







Share how your personal exile story has shaped who you are and the stories you tell. Share how your personal exile story has shaped who you are and the stories you tell. When an interview starts with your interviewee telling you shes a hair junkie and she loves yours, youre off to a good start. Thats just what happened when I was one of the lucky few to spend a solo 10 minutes in conversation with Lebo Mashile at last weeks Design Indaba conference. Cue purple-hair swish!Watch the full video embedded below for Mashiles thoughtful, impassioned responses in full, or skip to the summarised Q&A below:

Explain the importance of making design accessible for everyone. Explain the importance of making design accessible for everyone.

But for the bulk of our people, who are black, poor, marginalised and disenfranchised, who cant access services that were promised to them, accessing art is like trying to reach for a cloud. Why do you need art when you dont have water or education? You need art precisely because you dont have those things. You need art because we need to heal as a society.

Talk us through the importance of mindfulness and meditation in your personal creative process. Talk us through the importance of mindfulness and meditation in your personal creative process.

Talk to us about the importance of having a mentor in this industry and your personal creative process. Talk to us about the importance of having a mentor in this industry and your personal creative process.

You shared in your Design Indaba presentation that you only felt brave enough to go into this field at the age of 21. How would you encourage the youth to stand up for what they believe in, whats inside of them and get that spark lit? You shared in your Design Indaba presentation that you only felt brave enough to go into this field at the age of 21. How would you encourage the youth to stand up for what they believe in, whats inside of them and get that spark lit?

Its an extraordinary time to be a young person in Africa. The narrative is shifting, Africa is asserting itself in bold and powerful ways.

The solutions that the continent needs are in the minds and hearts and spirits of young people now, so youre tremendously important.

Theres no other generation on the continent thats been able to tweet and Facebook and share their ideologies with the world. You have tremendous power. Dont allow other people to decide that the narrative should be important for you, you are the centre of it, everybody wants to be you  Kim Kardashian wants to look like you, people want to dance like you, dress like you, sound like you. People want your story. You are global currency.

Design Indabas latest legacy project for Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela Gallery opening at the Zeitz Mocaa.

Public art, being able to work as an artist on commissioned work that ordinary people are going to walk past on the way to the taxi rank or the office  sometimes thats the only fine art that people will ever see.

Hugh Masekela's sister Barbara addressing Design Indaba 2018 delegates.

Masekela has been such a personal inspiration over the years. One thing I learned from him was generosity, he was probably one of the most connected South Africans I know... If he missed your call, he would return it within 24 hours, without fail.

Leigh Andrews' articles About Leigh Andrews Leigh Andrews AKA the



Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen , is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews

: Demographically, Rhode Island has a very small population one of the highest percentages of immigrants, a melting pot of cultures in the time of hip-hop and Nike and Bart Simpson; and we all met at the level of being American. That shaped my consciousness as a black person, as a feminist, and was good preparation for my return to South Africa as South Africa has a lot of the same demons as America.: We live in one of the most unequal societies on earth. For this strata of society, with access to theatre, literature, the arts and design, festivals and conferences, were exposed to the same kind of art as people are exposed to in the Western world.So when a kid who is growing up in Gugulethu or Khayelitsha says, I want to be a sculptor, their mom has a reference. They can say: That beautiful thing that matters to me, that matters to so many people  my child does that.: I deal with a lot of different people and a lot of different energies. Im 39 now and at different points in my life, that became incredibly overwhelming, taking on all of this energy from so many human beings.Meditation and my spiritual life help to anchor me. Mindfulness, being able to tap into that and tune into the world and tune into myself, and also realising that in the greater scheme of things, Im actually really small, and its a gift especially as the world I work in is all smoke and mirrors.: Well, Pamela Nomvete who directed mywork is the reason I got into acting. She was acting onwhen I first came back to SA as a kid and seeing this plus-size, curvaceous black woman who was crazy and fearless and relentless, with dreadlocks, on TV was amazing.I went from watching her on TV and idolising her to seven years later, getting an acting gig where she was the first person to direct me. That led me toand all kinds of theatre work and me being an actress and shes come back into my life many times and weve collaborated many times.She loves process as much as I do, for the performer, for the artist, for the creative, process is really where the work happens and gets cooked, in its rawest form. You often hate it then love it, because letting people in when the work is still cooking, you see what works and what doesnt, and its an extremely intimate, rare gift to let people share that humanness as were so used to giving people perfect, polished products.: Wow. Africa is the future of the entire world. There are a billion people on this continent, the overwhelming majority of which are under the age of 30, while the West is ageing, getting older. So the future of the planet, the future of humanity is here.You see this with phenomena like, with the success of Design Indaba that draws all these talents from all over the world come to Africa, to Cape Town and saying that We have an important narrative to share with you, to contribute to the world. Were going to see more and more of this with African fashion trending globally, stars like Rihanna referencing Africa at the Grammys, doing theWe are there, but weve always been there. We just havent been able to claim what is ours. Now for the first time, we can, so its an extraordinary moment to be alive, to be creative at this time when were doing the work of dismantling white supremacy, capitalist patriarchy and African women are essential to that narrative.Everybody will try to tell you that youre not, that you matter in so much as the price on your jeans matters or your weave matters or the car you drive matters. Thats crap. People are marketing at you because they want to control your mind because you are that powerful.So if a marketer can decide what you are going to value they can actually decide what the world is going to value. Thats how important you are.Never lose sight of that, even if youre poor or disenfranchised. You are important. You matter.Mashile says as much as its important to attend and participate in events like Design Indaba, we also need to make the language accessible and spread the overall message. Last years Arch for Arch installation is an example of this.Music has a similar healing role to play, and this years conference finale announcement that the newly named Hugh Masekela Gallery' at the Zeitz Mocaa is now open to the public  ties in with this sentiment. Mashile said in the Design Indaba conference closing, We started the year off with some colossal losses  the first national poet laureate of South Africa Prof Keorapetse Kgositsile, followed shortly by musical icon, Hugh Masekela, lauded as the father of SA jazz, who was also a massive friend of Design Indaba.The Zeitz Mocaa initially approached Ravi Naidoo with the idea of naming a wing of the gallery after the Design Indaba, as a thank you to the Design Indaba for the vital role it has played. Instead, Naidoo asked if the honour could rather be bestowed on Masekela.Naidoo explained, I believe it is fitting that a cultural icon such as Hugh Masekela is honoured by yet another cultural icon such as Zeitz Mocaa, which has rapidly garnered global renown and several awards for architecture since its launch.In closing out the conference, Naidoo added:How many of us less-busy individuals can claim the same respect for others time? Mashile points to the power of Africans first contemporary art gallery honouring the legacy of activist and artist Masekela as a positive pondering point for the next generation.
Neri Oxman, architect, inventor, engineer, designer, scientist and founding director of the Mediated Matter Group at MIT Media Lab , who spoke on Day 3, thanked Design Indaba's founder, Ravi Nadoo for letting her be "suntanned by the Mother City's spirit." And after hearing her speak, we can only but thank him too for unleashing this ingenious and spirituous creature into our midst... albeit for only 30 minutes.

Neri Oxman, architect, inventor, engineer, designer, scientist and founding director of the Mediated Matter Group at MIT Media Lab.  Design Indaba.

Nature doesn't assemble, nature grows and we're now at a point in time, and this is partly why the water crisis is here, there was a clash between the world of nature and the world of culture, the world of biology and technology, and the world of design and the role of nature. And how they connect is a very, very slow process because its a passionate one. So, with 300,000,000 tons of plastic being wasted annually, this is a good time to ask, can we create manmade objects that are natural, but also can we create natural objects are manmade?

Oxman and her team think on a daily basis about what it means for today's designers to computationally grow forms  instead of bottling them up as preconceived shaven forms  and to connect the form generation process, both with the material properties that one is working with whether it's concrete or polymer etc. They also take into account the fabrication process; be it knitting, laser cutting, etc. And its this connection, between the material and technique that they care very much about, as its relevant when you think about growing as opposed to assembling.To put it simply, they continuously ask themselves how we shape the things around us, or the physical reality, to match nature. They then find ways to invent natural materials that will help us live on this planet well into the future  she calls this type of design Naturing - the verb, not the noun.A good illustration of this is Mushtari  a wearable digestive system that was designed as a continuous channel that one wears to expose the body to the sun. This then initiates photosynthesis for energy or bio food, or whatever form of energy is needed.

MUSHTARI from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

In August 2015, she and her team released the first functional optically transparent glass printer. Now, what is special about this is that when printing glass you can control the interior and the exterior features of the form, which you cannot do through normal means of blowing, pressing or forming. And with printing, depending on the distance between your end creation and the size of the printer, you start getting those, wobbly meandering patterns, like when you have honey and toast in the mornings.

GLASS from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

This is a big deal when you think about the fact that we have 450,000,000,000 square feet of glass per annum in building facades. That's a very, very big number. If we could take that number and shift it to harness solar energy through glass

This project created a path to a next generation and more functional printer that can process more than 30 kg of glass. So, what started as a little experiment, a piece of glass on the floor, ended with enabling a new technology that can print glass on an architectural scale! They demonstrated this at Milan Design Week debuting at the Milan Triennale in April 2017, where they printed and installed 3 x 3m columns, made of 15 components, inspired by Gaudis Sagrada Familia. The idea being, the surface area of the lobes would increase as a function of a mechanical structural load on the column so they would have more load on the bottom. It's a kind of morphing continuity of curvature that allows one to control the light that is reflected and refracted inside the columns  it is called caustics. This process has allowed them to create pockets and channels inside the glass. The glass can contain liquids and potentially biological heat inside, which means we can potentially harness solar energy.

GLASS II from Mediated Matter Group on Vimeo.

Series 1: 1.  Y. Reshef. Series 2: 3.  Y. Reshef. Series 3: 4.  Y. Reshef.

Vespers installation National Gallery of Victoria.  Tom Ross.

Another work she showed was that of a 3-part series calledthat comprises of 15 death masks designed as life masks which are devised to contain a single breath, and to take you from the physical world to the digital world to the biological world. Its a kind of mediation between the past, the present and the future. And then the future goes back to the past, it's the cycle of life.Traditionally made of wax or plaster, the death mask was a means of keeping the dead alive through memory. These death masks were designed to reveal cultural heritage and speculate about the perpetuation of life, both cultural and biological.In the first series , utilises five material combinations to emulate colours commonly found in cultural artefacts across regions and eras., the second series, they generate the same five objects, but the patterns are inside and so they propose or suggest the generation or the emergence of pockets or channels that can contain life. Rebirth is embodied in, the final part of the series, where digital becomes biological by engaging with synthetic biology to explore whether the death mask can drive the formation of new life, repositioning the objects as habitats capable of interfacing with living microorganisms. Devoid of cultural expressions and nearly colourless, the final five masks re-engineer life by guiding living microorganisms through minute spatial features of the artefacts.Crazy and/or inspired  the fact remains that Oxmans work has resulted in over 100 scientific papers and patents  and her innovations have received recognition at the World Economic Forum where she is part of the Expert Network, and the White House  we cannot wait to see whats next!PS, Should you be in Melbourne, Australia before the 15 April 2018, you can catch the full series ofat The National Gallery of Victoria . Other work can be seen in permanent collections at MoMA, SFMOMA, Centre Pompidou, MFA, The Smithsonian Institution, and more.
Mick Jagger and David Bowie made the lyric from Marvin Gaye's Dancing in the Street "it doesn't matter what you wear just as long as you are there," a 1980's anthem.

#Cairopunk

The power of the suit

The body politics

Bizcommunity M&M editor-in-chief, Leigh Andrews with Lebo Mashile  Terry Levin

Believe in yourself as heroes

An icon for an icon

Hugh Masekela's sister, Barbara takes to the stage at Design Indaba.  Terry Levin

Who is this man with the name of an Aztec god and the mouth of a preacher that comes from the Mother City? Professor Neri Oxman, MIT Labs.

The butterfly nation

Cut to 2018 and the collective Zeitgeist at Cape Towns Design Indaba Festival, may be said to paint a different picture, one in which what you wear and how that communicates identity, culture and self-expression has never mattered more.This was demonstrated by the Emerging Creatives exhibit showing authentic cultures such as Shweshwe swimwear and new labels such as I Run JHB, Gugu and others street-smart attire.First speaker honours at Design Indaba is always awarded to a local design practitioner. This year was bookended by Africa, opening with commercials director Sunu Gonera and closing with a tribute to recently fallen warrior Hugh Masekela.In the Molotov cocktail shot hurled in the second frame of Goneras One Source video and every shot thereafter, unashamed African energy and decorative styling offer a glimpse into a vision of a splendid post-apocalyptic Afrofuturism where, in Goneras words, aspiration is an attitude.Coinciding with the recent launch of the spectacular costumery seen in the Black Panther blockbuster, Goneras ovation-worthy presentation, showed his own pantheon of African mythological figures from the Absolut Superheroes short film Africa is on Fire, featuring SA DJs in the guises of The Dragon, The Rain Queen, The Iron Warrior and The Eye, which will be seen at the forthcoming One Source Live event, as evidence of a creative revolution in music, fashion, and art that is happening all around us right now.Gonera explains, in Africa, we create on the go, from whatever we have, the process which will continue to breathe fire into the fact that our stories matter and that as Africans we can bring something to the table, without any longer having ask for permission.This vision is giving rise to the uncovering of our stories  of ancient kings and future heroes  a fusion of fantasy, culture and future-shaping identity.Egyptian-born Amna Elshandaweely examines the issues around what to wear, through the lens of her Egyptian upbringing.At the age of only 22, Amna has become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in her country, using her fashion ethos to open conversations about the fact that Egyptians consider themselves non-African, the prejudice that exists against darker skin, gender and the discrimination experienced by Sudanese refugees to Egypt.Unable to find any clothes she liked that matched her own culture, experience and struggles, the intrepid Elshandaweely started making her own, embarking on a series of fashion safaris to Kenya, Ghana and Siwa on the Libyan border, to find the real Africa, fusing the cultural confidence she discovered there into her own fashion identity.Collections entitled Road to Nairobi  featuring a fashion shoot using dark-skinned models went viral and other collections such as the most recent #cairopunk herald a fashion empire in the making.Elshandaweely says the 2011 Arab Spring revolution pushed her forward and made her feel like proper change was happening around her.A fashion show that accompanied her Design Indaba talk saw models wearing t-shirts showing one of the forgotten superheroes of Africa - Nefertitis iconic image sporting some sort of wearable transforming it into a new version of African identity.Not only Africans were getting their superheroes on. Copenhagen-based designer Johannes Torpe was dramatically lowered onto the Design Indaba stage from the theatres heights by a rope, in dialogue with the AI voice of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.Johannes (aka your highness) some people cant pronounce my name, but I dont mind, he says laughing, went on to reveal to the audience that the golden space suits and furniture design, seen in the Stanley Kubricks 1968 classic, have been key career inspirations that have seen him transform audio into fashion  as carriables, as wearables and as the ultimate living room accessories during his tenure as creative director for the mothership Bang & Olufsen.Like the heights of hi-fi sound, Torpes work demonstrates with crystalline clarity that the business of design is that of creating universes around things  whether these are for individuals as costume, products as packaging or as interior design worlds, sharing that every career challenge has been launched by asking himself Where is my golden space suit?You could have heard a pin drop in the Artscape auditorium as Design Indaba speaker and MC Lebo Mashile delivered an account of her life and work and it is unlikely that there was ever a more rapt or attentive audience for a poetry reading anywhere.Mashile claims that poetry is the crown jewel of literature and it is plain to see that she is the one to wear it, with the uncanny ability to give voice to issues of patriarchy, gender, colonialism, identity or race and allow them to somehow be exorcised like squeezing a volcanic pimple.With 120,000 Twitter followers and mass media reach via her former TV personality status, Mashile offers just the right note  non-judgmental, masterful and profound  a riveting Rumi for Africa.The performance of Saartjie vs Venus about the life of Saartjie Baartman, whom she calls the grand ancestor of body politics right now, which was performed this week as part of the Design Indaba Festival with Ann Masina, reiterates the themes of identity, self-expression and self-ownership in a world reimagined.Of US, Nigerian parentage, Swiss-based product and furniture designer Ini Archibong uses fantasy, spirituality and mythology such as The Chronicles of Narnia, the Bible and Greek and Roman demigods to add meaning to his highly refined marble and glass furniture and lighting designs, adding that myths are clues to our hidden potential.In his work, the physical takes on the spiritual as seen in the Om table designed to convey the serenity and peace that comes from still water, the gradated glass of his sunset lamp series and Totem, a 1,4 metre sculpture that allows you to take out a stone and carry it around with you each day, as a reminder of what you meditated on, in the morning, all of the above acting as physical mantras inspired perhaps by powers greater than ourselves.With ovations, laughter, networking, tears of catharsis and joy, of the overwhelming emotions of struggles faced and overcome, it was time for the finale, which in recent years has become a format for ending with some sort of collective highpoint. This year the opportunity was met by the need to honour the passing of icon and jazz legend, Hugh Masekela.It was none other than publicity-shy Design Indaba founder Ravi Naidoo, who took to the stage for the first time in 23 years, not only to pay tribute to his personal friend and Design Indaba alumnus Bra Hugh Masekela, but also to reveal that in honour of the South African music legend the main hall within Thomas Heatherwicks multi-award winning Zeitz Mocaa architectural masterpiece has been unveiled as the Hugh Masekela Gallery, complete with metallic lettering in the signature font designed for the complex by M&C Saatchi Abel.Members of Masekelas family, including his sister Barbara, were present on stage with poems and tributes and with the final surprise for an already emotionally drained audience being an appearance by Hugh Masekelas own band, who performed the song Thuma Mina, send me, I want to be there, I want to lend a hand, which recently came to broader public attention as it was quoted by SAs new president, Cyril Ramaphosa in his inaugural address last week.There are shots in Sunu Goneras One Source video of Khuli Chanas music, in which people dance in front of a graffiti butterfly.Trend forecaster, Li Edelkoorts presentation this year was about the guise of goddesses, which set me to pondering whether the title Rainbow Nation, the term attributed to us by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe South Africas diverse peoples in harmony with one another, is still valid.Rainbows are elusive, subject to evaporation. Inspired by the Zeitgeist of this years Design Indaba could we take on a new identity of a butterfly nation  dynamic and evolving, like Eros and Psyche of love and the soul respectively. Perhaps we will wear regenerating wings grown from organic compounds as shown by Aleksandra Gosiewski or Neri Oxman. Perhaps it wont matter, just as long as we are there, next year at Design Indaba 2019.
Shall we discuss the giant black panther currently in the room? I have been keeping track of the production of Marvel's Black Panther for the last two years and the end result is beyond anything I could have imagined.

A note on representation and gatekeeping

I honestly thought thatwould be on the same level asand; that it would be solid but serve more as just another introduction of a new character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You know, setting up all the pieces for. I should have known better, I really should. I should have know when the legendary South African actor, John Kani appeared as King TChaka inand greeted his son, TChalla, in Xhosa that it was a foreshadow to something that would turn the world on its head.is a great Marvel movie but it has also managed to give black people a sense of pride at a time when we need it most. When I went to seelast year I walked out of the cinema grinning from ear to ear because it came at a time women needed a heroine.I walked out of the cinema after watchingand I was stunned at how good it felt to see a comic movie and relate to it with your heart and soul. As a black, Xhosa-speaking South African Id venture to say that I got more from the film than a black American did. But, hey, there is more than enough meaning in the movie to go around for everyone. I dont know if what I am writing next is going to be a review or a verbal rain dance giving thanks to Marvel Studios and Ryan Coogler for telling a story that gives voice to a people.I do not dare to give away too much of the plot because you really have to experience it for yourself but, in a nutshell:kicks off right after Civil War and TChalla arrives back in Wakanda to take up his deceased fathers mantle as king. Chadwick Boseman plays the character of a son who has to step up and be king in a quiet and thoughtful manner. His rule is challenged from within Wakanda and also from without. There is also conflict within himself about what sort of king he wishes to be and in what direction he will lead his people. Andy Serkiss Ulysses Klaue is cruel and has this crazy sense of humour that you cant help but like. They have Andy Serkis really lay that South African accent on you and it works. Klaue quickly gives way to Erik Killmonger as the main villain of the piece. Michael B. Jordan steals the show and his Killmonger sends chills down your spine whilst simultaneously breaking your heart. Killmonger is the MCUs most tragic villain and while you know that he has to be stopped the reasons he does what he does, make sense. He is the Hamlet of Wakanda.The female characters are my favourite. The women of Wakanda are intelligent, resourceful, and will definitely kick your ass! TChallas love interest is Nakia played by the gorgeous Lupita Nyongo. She is an undercover spy and can more than hold her own in any situation. Letitia Wright plays TChallas sister, Shuri. At age 16 she is Wakandas genius inventor who takes every opportunity to make fun of her older brother. Danai Guriras Okoye is Wakandas greatest warrior. She is head of the Dora Milaje, the elite, all-female unit that guards the king. She is no-nonsense and loyal to the throne.Other characters that stand out are Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Daniel Kaluuya fromas WKabi, Winston Duke as MBaku, Forest Whitaker as Zuri, and the graceful Angela Basset as Romanda, TChallas mother. John Kani returns fromto portray TChaka and his son, Atandwa Kani portrays a young TChaka. Another South African television and film veteran, Connie Chiume appears as the elder of the Mining Tribe.The Wakanda that director Ryan Coogler and his team have brought to life is a visual miracle. In the trailer, you hear Everett Rosss character say: I have seen gods fly. I have seen men build weapons that I couldn't even imagine. I've seen aliens drop from the sky. But I have never seen anything like this. We have seen places like Asgard and Xandar but we have not seen anything like Wakanda. The research that Cooglers team did was clearly extensive. They took inspiration from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, and many other African countries to create the aesthetics of Wakanda. Throw in some advanced tech and you have an Afro-tech society like no other. We have long known that black culture inspires many fashion trends so it comes as no surprise that everything in Wakanda drips style. Black culture has also always been at the forefront of music so it makes sense that the music in Black Panther, like in Luke Cage, can almost be seen as a character in its own right. The soundtrack, spearheaded by the urban poet (as Malusi Gigaba referred to him in the Budget Speech) Kendrick Lamar is worth listening to on its own. If youre a fan of thecomic books, youre also covered. The movie digs quite deep into the lore with many of its Easter eggs.is not merely a comic book film but a celebration that I think anyone can enjoy. You dont have to be black or into comic books to enjoy this movie. It is not perfect but where it falters you can easily forgive those missteps. At some points, the actors butcher the Xhosa language but you can see that they gave it their best and you appreciate the effort. If you have not seenyet, go out and do so. #WakandaForeverI have been involved in nerd, geek, and pop culture ever since I picked up a copy ofin my first year of school and I love the community with my heart and soul but there is a large part of our culture that is toxic. The culture still has too many fragile male egos that rail against making room for women or people of colour. There is also still a hipster-like gatekeeping culture that bars anyone with only a casual or mainstream interest in the culture. If you dont know what happened in#141-142, youre not one of us. If you dont know who the wizard, Radagast the Brown inis, do you even really nerd, bro? Seeing projects likeand the newfilms become more inclusive gives us hope that our culture will get to a point where we can tell the stories that make room for all of us as human beings. I always go back to Grant Morrisonsas the high-water mark for the grand scale in which comic books can tell stories and a quote by one of the celestial beings (I always forget if it was Zillo Valla or Weeja Dell) monitoring the multiverse is what I think inclusive stories should be: We all now have names and stories; there are heroes and villains, secrets and lovers. That is what we all want, to have names and stories in the media. Films likebring us closer to that.
German auto giant BMW said on Friday it plans to build an electric version of its compact Mini in China, in a possible joint venture with local partner Great Wall.

Yet to agree on details

The Munich-based group is in "advanced discussions" aimed at "a new joint venture in China", it said in a statement, adding that the two firms had signed a so-called letter of intent about the project.If plans to build the Mini in China go ahead, it would be the first time the unmistakeable cars - originally created by a British company - have been built outside Europe.But BMW and Great Wall have yet to agree on important details like where to build a factory and how much to invest.China is the fourth-largest market for the Mini after Britain, the United States and Germany.Some 35,000 were sold there in 2017, or around one in ten sales worldwide.BMW follows a maxim that "production follows the market", making China ripe for investment in local manufacturing.Reaching 560,000 units in 2017, Chinese sales of BMW-brand cars - produced locally under a joint venture with carmaker Brilliance - outweighed shipments in other major markets the United States and Germany combined."A similar growth strategy could accelerate development of the Mini brand significantly," BMW said.It added that it would continue talks with Great Wall "without questioning BMW Group's commitment in the UK," where production of electric Minis is slated to begin at an Oxford plant next year.The firm added that it would "further expand" its joint venture with Brilliance, but did not offer further details.
An operation by the Hawks and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has led to the seizure of 1.6 tonnes of abalone valued at R2.37 million.

In a statement on Friday, the revenue service said the sting operation at the port of Durban was initiated after the Hawks had seized illegally harvested abalone from a container in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape earlier this month.Based on the intelligence from the Port Elizabeth bust, a ship travelling to Sri Lanka was ordered to return to South Africa and arrived in Durban earlier this week. A suspicious container was removed from the ship and inspected after two Sars Customs sniffer dogs indicated the possible concealment of endangered species products in the container.The container was found to have 156 boxes of frozen abalone hidden amongst other items.The frozen boxes of abalone were handed over to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Hawks for further investigation.
The Department of Health is seeking a ban on alcohol advertising in the controversial Liquor Amendment Bill now with the Cabinet.

If Parliament passes the bill, alcohol advertising on radio and television will be banned from 6am to 10pm and the age limit for drinking will be raised from 18 to 21 years.Department of Trade and Industry director-general Lionel October confirmed on Friday that the bill had entered the cabinet process, but said it would take two-three weeks to finalise because the Department of Health was pushing for a total ban on all alcohol advertising.After finalisation by the cabinet subcommittee the bill will be submitted to the full Cabinet for approval.Alcohol-related health and crime incidents are understood to cost the government billions of rand every year with health costs alone estimated at 5% of total public-health spending.According to a report on a study for the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) by research consultants Genesis Analytics, restricting alcohol advertising from 10pm and 6am would result in a loss of revenue amounting to R400m for advertising agencies and R800m for the media, particularly television.In the report, the researchers proposed a more targeted restriction on alcohol advertising on programmes and channels with an adult audience.They did, however, find strong evidence that young people exposed to alcohol advertising were more likely to start drinking earlier, drink more and binge drink.There was evidence that exposure to alcohol advertising resulted in increased drinking by young people who were already heavy drinkers.The researchers estimated that the combination of a raising of the legal drinking age and a restriction on alcohol advertising would reduce alcohol consumption 3.2%-7.4% among those aged 15 years and older.Industry sources said the revised bill submitted to the cabinet subcommittee was largely unchanged from the draft published for public comment.They said they believed few changes were made to the bill to take account of the findings of the Genesis study presented to Nedlac in November last year.Still in the revised bill is the age limit and the ban on alcohol advertising from 6am to 10pm, although it is understood that the final version omits the prohibition on the location of liquor outlets within a certain distance from churches, schools etc.But the provision to limit the number of licences for the retailing of liquor is understood to have been retained.If passed, the legislation will hold liquor makers legally liable for branded products found in unlicensed outlets and for damages caused by any individual consumer while under the influence of liquor.SA Liquor Brand-owners Association chairman Sibani Mngadi said the association was not aware of any changes in the provisions of the bill as a result of the "credible, scientific study" commissioned by Nedlac. "Continuing with the bill in its current form runs contrary to the call by President Cyril Ramaphosa to all sectors to ignite the economy and create jobs," Mngadi said. "The Nedlac study recommends better ways of dealing with alcohol abuse in society without wiping out 1500 jobs."


An internet imagery.

New Delhi (PTI): India will host navies from at least 16 countries for an eight-day mega naval exercise from March 6 with an aim to expand regional cooperation and combat unlawful activities in critical sea lanes.



The biennial exercise 'Milan' is being organised at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the backdrop of China's growing military posturing in the Indo-Pacific region and officials said the issue is likely to figure during deliberations among navy chiefs of the participating countries at the event.



"The interactions during Milan encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good order and enhancing regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea," Spokesperson of Indian Navy Capt D K Sharma said.



He said the countries which are participating in the exercise include Australia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Vietnam, Thailand, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya and Cambodia.



Besides fostering cooperation through naval exercises and professional interactions, Capt Sharma said 'Milan' will also provide an opportunity to the participating navies to nurture stronger ties in dealing with various security challenges.



India, the US and several other nations have been pressing for freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea.



Officials said China's military manoeuvres in the South China Sea may figure during discussions among navy chiefs of the participating countries at the event.



In November, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending quadrilateral coalition to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence.



"From an event of sub-regional context, Milan has now grown into a prestigious international event and encompasses participation by maritime forces from not just the Bay of Bengal and South East Asia but the larger Indian Ocean Region (lOR)," Sharma said.



'Milan' was first held in 1995 with the participation of just five navies. The aim of the initiative was to have an effective forum to discuss common concerns in the Indian Ocean Region and forge deeper cooperation among friendly navies.



The exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.


Dulux Decorator Centre has introduced a range of new features and functionality to its website to offer greater convenience, support and flexibility to trade customers when managing their accounts.

The new features offer Dulux Decorator Centre account customers greater control over their billing preferences, enabling them to access account history, pay and download invoices online, sign up for paperless billing, download agreed price lists and call off from existing pallet arrangements at any time. Online customers also benefit from a wider range of products to choose from, which can be added to a favourites list to save time on repeat orders.

John Henderson, Managing Director at Dulux Decorator Centre said: Our new online self-service functionality gives painters, decorators and DIY enthusiasts greater control over their Dulux Decorator Centre accounts and invoices; which can now be accessed 24/7.

The customer is at the heart of everything we do, and were confident that these new features will make their lives easier by saving them time, helping them to build stronger relationships with their customers and giving them greater flexibility over how they manage their accounts.

Dulux Decorator Centre has also launched a new Visualizer app for Android and iOS to support businesses helping customers to choose the right colours for their decorating project. Using augmented technology, the Visualizer app enables users to test any colour in any room, ensuring that customers can be colour confident before ordering tester pots online.

Dulux Decorator Centre account holders can also enjoy free delivery and nectar points on all purchases; with a Click & Collect service available for customers to order online and pick up their goods from one of over 190 Dulux Decorator Centres across the UK.
NBG has signed a new deal for cement with Quinn Building Products. As part of the deal the Irish manufacturer has offered NBG Partners exclusivity on its new Master Grade cement range as well as access its new range of weatherproof packaged products.

The deal, which was signed during an NBG visit to Quinns facilities in Fermanagh and Cavan, will allow NBG merchant Partners to sell new Quinn General Purpose Cement, Master Grade Cement, and Premium Grade Cement. Quinn is also offering the group its bagged products range in new yard proof plastic packaging.

NBGs Keith Olver of Palladium Building Supplies said: This new cement deal is testimony to the excellent partnership we already have with Quinn. Their service is excellent, and they always bend over backwards to help NBG partners. These new products will really help NBG Partners to remain competitive and offer their customers the products they want at a price that suits everyone.

Lee Gillman, Quinn Building Products GB Sales and Marketing Director believes that the new products will suit NBG merchants well. She said: It is important for us as a business to be able to react to the changing customer needs, and to ensure UK merchants have the right products to offer their customers. Were delighted to offer NBG an extended bagged cement range and we expect the new line to perform very well in 2018 with the support of the NBG.
After a 150,000 investment, as part of a wider programme of renovation and expansion at the branch, Ridgeons has opened a new showroom in Cambridge.

The showroom, Ridgeons largest in Cambridge, comprises 10 kitchens and 23 bathrooms by Symphony and Masterclass Kitchens. Features include a bespoke display wall from sanitary ware and shower supplier, Grohe  it is the brands only display wall in the UK.

Branch Manager, Mark Johnson, said: We are delighted with the showroom, which is already attracting positive customer feedback. We are confident that tradespeople will bring their own customers in, knowing that they will be fully supported by our trained showroom staff. For instance, our team uses 3D design software to help people plan bathrooms and kitchens. Its such expertise and our bespoke approach to customer service that sets us apart from high street retailers.

The branch has also recently added dedicated Anglia Tool Centre and PlumbStock trade counters and, Ridgeons tool hire partner, GR8, has also opened onsite. Cambridge North has also extended its range of building materials, added a new decorating centre and expanded warehouse space.

When Cromwell Road closes in late March, the branch will be Ridgeons largest in the city and the Cambridge delivery service will be centralised at the site. Ridgeons new Cambridge flagship branch in Norman Way will open on 3 April.

Mark added: The branchs 400,000 revamp is part of the changes to Ridgeons in Cambridge, which aim to modernise the business offering, and provide a more efficient and easier customer journey.

Read more about the Cambridge branch opening in the March issue of BMN. Click here to subscribe.
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State-owned telecom firm BSNL on Monday signed a pact with Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia to roll out 4G services in 10 telecom circles covering western and southern regions in India.

"We are really proud to have technology partner like Nokia with whom we are working in South and West Zone of the country, rolling out the latest single RAN Technology, and further moving towards 5G...," BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement.

Nokia will deploy the technology in 10 telecom circles in India - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana - serving large cities, businesses, technology and tourist hubs and nearly 38 million BSNL subscribers.

The network technology that will be deployed by Nokia will help BSNL to save operational costs while supporting 2G, 3G and 4G subscribers in a single radio unit, the statement said.

"New VoLTE services will allow BSNLs 4G subscribers to experience HD-quality voice and faster call connections," it added.

As per Nokia MBiT Index 2018, released last week, 4G contributed to 82 per cent of data traffic in 2017 and the monthly 4G data usage per user was nearly 11 GB per user per month in India.

In 2017, Nokia and BSNL signed an agreement to explore and develop the applications of 5G for the India market.

"We are pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with BSNL on this important project in India. The deployment of our technologies will enable BSNL to launch exciting new voice and data services, satisfying growing demand in India," Sanjay Malik, head of India Market at Nokia, said.
The Delhi High Court today ordered the attachment of all unencumbered assets of two holding of former promoters of India's Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd to execute the Rs 35 billion arbitral award won by Japanese pharma major Daiichi Sankyo.

Justice Jayant Nath issued the warrants for attaching the unencumbered assets of RHC Holdings Pvt Ltd and Oscar Investments Pvt Ltd and directed former Ranbaxy promoters and brothers, Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh, and 10 others to file within 10 days a list of their unencumbered assets.

"Let warrants of attachment of all unencumbered assets (of the two companies) be issued," the judge said.

The court also restrained RHC Holdings from operating its bank accounts except for payment of salaries and statutory dues till March 23, the next date of hearing. It directed the Singh brothers and others to maintain status quo on all the assets where they have any interest, as it also issued a garnishee order relating to the two

A garnishee order is passed by an executing court directing or ordering a garnishee not to pay money to judgment debtor since the latter is indebted to the garnisher (decree holder). It is an order of the court to attach money or goods belonging to the judgment debtor in the hands of a third person.

During the hearing, senior advocates P V Kapur and Arvind Nigam, appearing for Daiichi, pointed out two affidavits filed by the two in 2016 and 2017 giving the list of their unencumbered assets and urged the court to attach the assets.

Senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar, appearing for the Singh brothers, companies and others, said the court should appoint a chartered accountant to set the process in motion.

The court had earlier restrained the Singhs and others from selling or transferring their shares or any movable or immovable property. The brothers had disclosed their assets to the court in sealed covers in December 2016 and March 2017 during the pendency of Daiichi's plea seeking enforcement of the 2016 arbitral award passed by a Singapore tribunal against them.

A tribunal in Singapore had passed the award in favour of Daiichi holding that the Singh brothers had concealed information that the Indian company was facing probe by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares.

The high court on January 31 had upheld the international arbitral award passed in the favour of Daiichi and paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 tribunal award against the brothers who had sold their shares in Ranbaxy to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 9,576.1 crore. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd had later acquired the company from Daiichi.

It had however said that the award was not enforceable against five minors, who were also shareholders in Ranbaxy, saying they cannot be held guilty of having perpetuated a fraud either themselves or through any agent.

Daiichi had moved the high court seeking direction to the brothers to take steps towards paying its Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award, including depositing the amount. It had also urged the court to attach their assets, which may be used to recover the award.

On February 16, the Supreme Court had dismissed Singh brothers' appeal against the high court verdict upholding the international arbitral award, saying it was not inclined to interfere with it.

Daiichi had approached the high court in 2016 to seek the enforcement of a Rs 2,562 crore Singapore arbitral award passed in April 2016, along with an additional claim of interest and lawyers' fees incurred in connection with the proceedings.

The tribunal's award had come after the Japanese company invoked arbitration clause against Singhs alleging that they concealed important information while selling Ranbaxy in 2008.

Daiichi had entered into a settlement agreement with the US Department of Justice, agreeing to pay $500 million penalty to resolve potential, civil and criminal liability. The company had then sold its stake in Ranbaxy to Sun Pharmaceuticals for Rs 226.79 billion in 2015.

Singhs' counsel had argued the award granted consequential damages which were beyond the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal and the award cannot be enforced under the provision of the Arbitration Act. They had alleged that Daiichi was fully aware of all facts and still chose to retain the Ranbaxy shares, instead of terminating the agreement and returning them.
Following Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash's allegations of an assault during a meet at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, the Delhi Government is mulling live streaming of all official meetings.

A senior government official said that as per the plan, a live feed of meetings with audio output will be available on a website. The government will allocate funds for the project in the upcoming budget if the plan is passed, the official told PTI. "Through live streaming of official meetings, people will be able to know who spoke what in the meeting, be it the ...
In a new twist to the sudden death of legendary actress Sridevi, it has been revealed she died due to accidental drowning in her hotel room and that there were traces of alcohol in her blood, according to the reports published in Gulf media.

The revelation came a day after the media reported that the Bollywood icon died following a cardiac arrest on Saturday night and also led to delay in the repatriation of her mortal remains back home in India. Her body will soon be moved to the Al Muhaisana embalming unit and will be repatriated to Mumbai -- ...
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in India for a week and his visit became a talking point for the wrong reasons. While his choice of attire became a subject of social media derision, there were controversies about his government's dalliance with Canadian NRI groups that are antithetical to India's territorial integrity.

In this Business Standard Special the writer looks at the controversies surrounding Trudeau's visit and tries to find whether there are any merits to the criticism in India. By all accounts, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus ...

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
Come April 1, all eyes will be on the rollout of electronic-way bill for inter-state movement of goods worth Rs 50,000 or more, especially so because the first introduction of the system on February 1 had failed as the technology backbone crumbled under heavy load. Some 480,000 bills had been generated on Day-1, causing the system to crash.

Now, after two rounds of testing, the group of ministers to fix the issues with the GST portal, under Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, is hopeful that the system is ready to take a load of up to 7.5 million e-way bills in a day. The GoM ...
In the backdrop of the Rs 114-billion fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB), the government is revisiting plans of a bank-holding company.

Such a company will hold all of the Centres shares in state-owned banks and raise capital for them.

The holding company was first proposed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 Budget. The Vinod Rai-led Banks Board Bureau (BBB) was set up in February 2016 as a precursor to a bank-holding company.

ALSO READ: PNB fraud: ED to trace assets of Nirav, Choksi from over dozen countries

Business Standard has learnt that with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies (including Nitish Kumars Janata Dal-United) expected to be close to 100 seats in the Rajya Sabha in April  though still short of the halfway mark of 123  policymakers in the government say there will be greater room for passing relevant amendments to the Bank Nationalisation Act (BNA), which will be required to set up a bank-holding company.

ALSO READ: PNB fraud: Banks for raising insurance cover against fraud by staff

The intention in the past few years has been to work on setting up a holding company. However, due to lack of a majority in the Rajya Sabha, there were other important Bills and amendments that had to be pushed through first, including the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, constitutional amendments to the goods and services tax (GST), and the GST Bill itself, said a government official.

ALSO READ: Rs 114-bn PNB scam: CII for privatisation of public sector banks

After April, there could be a better chance to push the relevant amendments to the BNA, which will enable setting up a holding company, the official said. Though the person did not provide details on a timeline or the structure of a holding company, the sense in the government is of the need for a professionally-run, quasi-independent holding company in which the Centre will have a majority stake but which will operate at arms length.

It will hold the Centres entire stake in listed public sector banks (PSBs), from 87 per cent in United Bank of India to 55.5 per cent in Union Bank.

Among the big state-owned lenders, the Centre owns 57 per cent in State Bank of India and PNB, and 59 per cent in Bank of Baroda.

ALSO READ: Another PNB scam: After Nirav Modi, Rs 6.2 mn Mudra loan fraud reported

Such a company will divest stakes in PSBs as and when required, and will also recapitalise them, based on their provisioning and growth needs. Had such a holding company been in existence now, it would be issuing Rs 1.35 billion worth of recapitalisation bonds instead of the government doing so.

The bank-holding company should be run professionally and efficiently by bankers, including from the private sector, without interference from the bureaucracy or the political leadership, said the official quoted above.

The letters of undertaking scam, which hit PNB, and the case of the owners of Rotomac Pens owing Rs 37 billion to various PSBs, the calls for privatising state-owned banks have increased and the Narendra Modi government has come under criticism for not moving ahead with consolidation and privatisation of banks fast enough.

ALSO READ: PNB scam: Won't tolerate irregularities in financial sector, says PM Modi

Jaitley had said at an event on Tuesday that privatising PSBs was a challenging decision and would involve a very large bipartisan political consensus. While the formation of a holding company will not outright privatise state-owned banks, officials believe it will help the Centre deflect criticism arising out of the latest banking scams.

As reported in Business Standard earlier, the BBB could be wound up in March. So far, the government has placed the onus on banks, auditors, and the RBI to tighten vigilance and internal and external checks and balances.
SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar today said he expects PNB to clear the bank's $212 million (Rs 13 billion) dues in the case.

"I am very much confident that things will get sorted out between PNB and other banks," Kumar said in an interview to CNBC TV18.

"As far as our exposure is concerned on PNB, that number is very much confirmed, calculated and advised to PNB," Kumar said.

He said the exposure of SBI to Gitanjali Gems - one of the companies involved in the scam - has also been crystallised and there was no issue on that.

"So our numbers, our claim is clear because there are some secondary market purchases, so double counting has to be avoided," the SBI Chairman and MD told the channel.

When asked if banking sector would see more skeletons tumbling out of the closet, Kumar said it looks like the case is confined to a particular branch of PNB.

"At least for SBI, I can confirm that there is no such issue, no such problem. And I am sure that by now all other banks also would have reviewed their portfolios and would have arrived at the similar conclusion because if something was wrong somewhere, by now, I presume, it could have come out,"Kumar said.

When asked if regulator RBI has issued any other instruction to banks other than integrating the core banking solution with the SWIFT system, Kumar said he has no further knowledge on the issue.

He said RBI has instructed the banks to put in place the safety mechanism with respect to global money transfer software SWIFT and the banks are in a position to comply with that by April.

Kumar also said the PNB case is more of operational risk and not related to credit risk.

"Whatever has gone wrong, it is about the operational weakness and we have to keep that segregated from the credit risk."



Other than SBI, lenders like Union Bank of India(UBI) and Allahabad Bank also have exposure to PNB to grant loans on the basis of LoUs that were issued fraudulently to Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Allahabad Bank has an exposure of about USD 366.87 million in the case to PNB through its overseas branch in Hong Kong. UBI has exposure of nearly USD 300 million through its foreign branches.

On February 14, PNB had informed the stock exchanges that the bank was defrauded to the tune of USD 1.77 billion (nearly Rs 11,400 crore) by Modi and his associate companies by getting loans through illegal LoUs for over seven years.
Indian state-run lender Punjab National Bank, hit by a $1.77 billion fraud, promised investors on Friday it was putting in place "better checks and balances", as investigators widened the probe into the country's biggest-ever bank scam. The country's financial crime agency, the Enforcement Directorate, said it had searched dozens of locations linked to Nirav Modi, the diamond billionaire at the centre of the investigation, over the last 48 hours, seizing diamonds, gold and jewellery worth 56.49 billion rupees ($880 million). Raids were also carried out on Friday ...
The CBI has sought from the Chief Vigilance Officers of five the details of financial transactions in the Nostro accounts of Punjab National Bank on the basis of 293 fraudulent Letters of Undertaking issued by it to jewellers and Mehul Choksi, officials said.

The overseas branches Canara Bank, Bank of India, State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank had credited over Rs 114 billion into the Nostro account of Punjab National Bank on the basis of the guarantees (LoUs) given by to Modi and Choksi, they said.

The Nostro account refers to an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank overseas to enable foreign trade by its clients.

The CBI has now written to these five banks, having branches in Antwerp, Frankfurt, Mauritius, Hong Kong and Bahrain - to provide details of all such transactions to dig out a clear money trail of Rs 114 billion.
Their houses are often made of plastic sheets. Much of their food comes from aid agencies. Jobs are few, and there is painfully little to do. The nightmares are relentless.

But six months after their horrors began, the Rohingya Muslims who fled army attacks in Myanmar for refuge in Bangladesh feel immense consolation. "Nobody is coming to kill us, that's for sure," said Mohammed Amanullah, whose village was destroyed last year just before he left for Bangladesh with his wife and three children.

They now live in the Kutupalong refugee camp outside the coastal city of Cox's Bazar. "We have peace here," Amanullah said. On August 25, Rohingya insurgents attacked several security posts in Myanmar, killing at least 14 people.

Within hours, waves of revenge attacks broke out, with the military and Buddhist mobs marauding through Rohingya villages in bloody pogroms, killing thousands, raping women and girls, and burning houses and whole villages.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders has estimated that at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Myanmar in the first month of the violence, including at least 730 children younger than 5. The survivors flooded into Bangladesh.

Six months later, there are few signs Rohingya are going home anytime soon. Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to gradually repatriate Rohingya in "safety, security and dignity," but the process has been opaque and the dangers remain.

New satellite images have shown empty villages and hamlets levelled, erasing evidence of the Rohingya's former lives. And with 700,000 having fled Myanmar since August, more Rohingya continue to flee. So for now, the refugees wait. "If they agree to send us back, that's fine, but is it that easy?" asked Amanullah.

"Myanmar must give us citizenship. That is our home. Without citizenship, they will torture us again. They will kill us again." He said he would only return under the protection of UN peacekeepers: "They must take care of us there. Otherwise, it will not work. "



Buddhist-majority Myanmar doesn't recognize the Rohingya as an official ethnic group, and they face intense discrimination and persecution. On Sunday, two female Nobel Peace laureates visited refugee camps in Cox's Bazar and talked to rape victims.

Human Rights Watch has said in a report that Myanmar security forces raped and sexually assaulted women and girls before and during major attacks on Rohingya villages. Katia Gianneschi, a spokeswoman for the Nobel Women's Initiative who accompanied Yemen's Tawakkol Karman and Northern Ireland's Mairead Maguire to the camp, said in an email that the women talked to the victims and heard their stories.

Another laureate, Iran's Shirin Ebadi, will join her colleagues on Monday. The Nobel Women's Initiative, established in 2006, is a platform of six female Nobel Peace laureates. The three laureates, who are on a weeklong visit to Bangladesh to meet the refugees, especially Rohingya women, accused Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her country's military of unleashing atrocities and said the community should bring those responsible to justice.

Minara Begum, 25, who was raped and tortured by soldiers, told reporters after the laureates' visit that they hugged her and held her tightly and cried as they heard the stories of brutality and repression. "They were overwhelmed, they cried with us, they could not hold their tears," Begum said. "I was also touched by their eagerness to know our sad stories."



Karman said in an email Saturday that she and her colleagues were standing "in solidarity with displaced Rohingya women and calling for Rohingya women's voices to be heard." She said Rohingya women are twice victimised for being Rohingya and for being women and "are affected by the ethnic cleansing and are also subject to high levels of sexual and gender-based violence.""Rohingya women's unique needs are largely unmet in refugee camps in Bangladesh," she said. "Less than 20 percent of displaced Rohingya women who have survived sexual violence have access to post-rape care." Meanwhile, the children in the camps face a particularly difficult time.

The UN estimates children are the heads of 5,600 refugee families. A survey of children's lives inside the camps showed they faced an array of terrors, from girls reporting concerns of harassments near the camp toilets to fears that elephants and snakes could attack them as they collect firewood.

"We cannot expect Rohingya children to overcome the traumatic experiences they've suffered when exposed to further insecurity and fears of violence in the camps," Mark Pierce, country director for Save the Children in Bangladesh, said in a statement. The study was prepared jointly by Save the Children, World Vision and Plan

"The overwhelming message from these children is that they are afraid," Pierce said. "This is no way for a child to live." The situation will worsen soon. Seasonal monsoon rains will begin pounding the refugees' plastic-and-bamboo city in April.
Saudi Arabia has long been the dominant force in oil, leaving the world at the mercy of its ambitions and its interests. Now the kingdom must refresh its strategy to reflect a weaker hand  and in many ways, a different game. The changing nature of the energy industry  the oil production boom in American shale fields, the persistence of lower crude prices, and the rise of natural gas  has transformed the geopolitical equation. While Saudi Arabia is still a major energy producer, it must compensate for its lost revenue. And the United States, China and ...
US President has said that he is hopeful that a grand military parade can be staged in Washington on Americas Independence Day in July or on Veterans Day in November.

Earlier this month, Trump ordered the Pentagon to plan a grand parade to show "appreciation" for the armed forces, an unusual move aimed at showcasing the might of the world's most powerful military.

Trump last night said he is hopeful that a military parade with a lot of plane flypast can be staged in Washington on Veterans Day but acknowledged that the expense could be a concern.

We are talking about probably Veterans Day, it's preliminarily, you know, being discussed. But we're talking about probably Veterans Day. I like July 4 because July 4 in Washington DC would be beautiful, Trump was quoted as saying by the Fox News.

Trump got the idea of a military parade when he attended the Bastille Day Parade in France last year. The proposed parade, he said, would be up and down Pennsylvania Avenue.

A lot of it would be flypasts. I was at the Bastille Day Parade in France with the president of France, very good guy. It would just be a great representative parade. It would have a lot of plane flypast, I think it would be great for the spirit of the country, he said.

We have a great country and we should be celebrating our country. So, we'll see if we can do it at a reasonable cost. And if we can't, we won't do it. But the generals would love to do it, I can tell you, and so would I. I think it's great for our country in terms of being a cheerleader and the spirit, Trump said.

The parade Trump envisions would cost between $10 million and $30 million, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney was quoted as saying by The Washington Post earlier this month.

Trump's interest in having a large-scale military parade now is likely to receive a mixed reception, especially among those who are concerned about nationalism, militarism or the president's past praise for authoritarian leaders.

The tradition stretches back centuries, but has been typically been tied to the conclusion of wars, the daily said. The last such parade was held in Washington DC in June 1991 at the end of the Gulf War.

The parade was then held on the Constitution Avenue. Trump now wants this to be an annual feature.
Banking stocks to be under pressure Despite shedding more than nine per cent in the January series, the outlook for Bank Nifty remains bleak. Downside support for the index has moved to 24,750 with the upside capped at 25,500.

There has been a significant build-up of long positions in private sector banks, which are expected to do well, even as public sector banks' woes would continue. With the exception of State Bank of India which has seen some stability, other counters have seen a build-up of short positions, said analysts. In the past five trading sessions, shares of Punjab ...
Four Naxals including two women were killed in an encounter between security forces and Maoists in Jharkhand's Palamu district on Monday.

The encounter broke out during a special search operation by troops of 134 Battalion of CRPF and State police in Palamu's Naudiha.

As of now, the search operation in the area is underway.

On February 18, more than 20 Naxals were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

Further details are awaited.

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The Delhi police rescued a kidnapped child within 48 hours and arrested three people in connection with the same on Monday.

A two-and-half-year-old boy was kidnapped from Bawana area of Delhi.

The CCTV footage revealed that a woman was involved in the kidnapping. After the investigation, the police found that Sonia (name changed) was behind the incident as she was found missing from her house at Ishwar Colony in Bawana.

She was arrested from Anand Vihar, ISBT. During interrogation, she disclosed that she had stolen the boy Abhishek (name changed) and sold him to another lady namely Rajni for Rs 45,000. The police recovered Rs 42,000 from Sonia.

Accused Rajni and her nephew Saurabh were also arrested and the kidnapped boy was rescued from their possession. Later, Rajni disclosed that she had bought the boy for her sister Santosh, whose son had died in a fire incident in 2015.

Both Rajni and her nephew Saurabh hatched the conspiracy to buy the child for their relative Santosh without revealing the facts to her, the police said.

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A court in Bangladesh on Sunday ordered police to execute by April 24 the arrest warrant for former

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and 48 other Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders in a case involving an arson attack on a bus that left eight persons dead in 2015.

Comilla court Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Joynab Begum passed the order and fixed April 24 as the next date for hearing, Dhaka

Tribune quoted police inspector Subrata Banerjee as saying.

The court on January 2 accepted chargesheet against 69 people and issued the warrant for the BNP chairperson and others for failing to appear before it.

At least eight people were killed and 20 injured when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at a bus at Chouddagram's Jogmohanpur during the

BNP-led alliance's movement and nationwide blockade on February 3, 2015.

Two separate cases - one under the Explosive Substances Act and another for murder - were filed over the incident.

Chouddagram police Sub-Inspector Nururzzaman had filed the murder case against 77 people, including Khaleda Zia.

Another Comilla court had on October 9 last year ordered the arrest of Khaleda and 45 others in the explosives case.

Khaleda is a two-time Bangladesh Prime Minister, having ruled from 1991-96 and again from 2001-06.

In a political career spanning almost four decades, Khaleda went to the jail several times but was never convicted. She was detained several times during the anti-Ershad movement between the 1980s and 1990s.

In March 1983, she was made vice-chairperson of BNP after her husband and former Bangladesh president Ziaur was assassinated. She went on to become the party's chairperson in 1984, a position which she holds today.

Since the last three decades, Bangladeshi politics have been dominated by Zia and current Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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Maple Assist Inc. has launched the Maple Assist App, a groundbreaking mobile application designed to be a one-stop shop for all you need to know about studying in Canada.

Developed in India, the Maple Assist App is supported by four leading colleges from Ontario, Durham College, Fanshawe College, Georgian College and St. Clair College.

It is expected to reach out to over 100,000 international students desirous of studying in Canada, hailing from countries like India, China, Philippines, Japan, Brazil and Mexico.

The Maple Assist App was launched by Navdeep Bains, Canada's Minister for Innovation, Science and Economic Development. The new venture is also supported by Scotia Bank, Air Canada, HDFC Credila, and the Indo-Canadian Chamber (ICBC).

The launch began with a presentation on how the app works, how it was created and the gap that it fills in the Canadian market by directly connecting potential students with Canadian colleges and universities. Saurabh Malhotra (Manager, International Recruitment and Market Development) from Fanshawe College, the first adopter of the app, provided a detailed review of the app's features.

Keynote speeches at the launch were given by Kevin Weaver the Vice-President of International, Workforce Development and Partnerships at Georgian College, and Mark Herringer, Dean of International at Durham College. They were both enthusiastic about joining this pioneering service.

As Weaver remarked, the App would help connect the right students to the right programmes at the right colleges in Canada.

Those present included Arun Pandeya, Country Head, Air Canada, Nadira Hamid, CEO of ICBC, and Hitesh Parashar, Country Sales Manager for HDFC Credila. The High Commission of Canada in India was represented by Anuj Bhasin, Trade Commissioner for Education, and Terrie Romano, Counsellor (Economic Affairs-Ontario).

Vinay Chaudhry, Founder, CEO and the driving force behind Maple Assist shared that as an international student himself in Canada, he had experienced the stress of studying abroad and trying to settle into college life.

He said that the Maple Assist app would provide all the information necessary for a stress-free, enjoyable journey for prospective Canadian students worldwide, right at their fingertips. The Maple Assist app is expected to partner with many more Canadian colleges and universities in coming years.

This hold true for the students who have used the beta release of the App. Ananta Bhatt from Mumbai, pursuing Software and Information System Testing, has said that "all information is provided" on the Maple Assist App.

Similarly, Karthick Seshadri of Chennai pursuing Practical elements of mechanical engineering stated, "Everything is perfect and it will be a great boom to the student community.

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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said that it will reimburse the Jammu and Kashmir Government the expenditure it incurred in providing relief to people affected due to cross-border firing and ceasefire violations.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said that the decision was taken following a request made to the MHA.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to demands from the border areas.

As per the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Centre would reimburse the fund paid as compensation by the J&K state government through SRE (Security Related Expenditure).

The order further noted that the state government might consider paying relief and compensation for housing damages/losses, crop losses or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc. to those affected by cross-border firing, at the rates equal to the NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time.

Pakistan has repeatedly violated the formal ceasefire, agreed between India and Pakistan in January 2003 along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unprovoked attacks along the border on military outposts and civilian population have claimed numerous lives and have forced the army to temporarily resettle thousands of people in a safer place.

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Three security personnel were injured in an encounter with Naxals in Dantewada district on Monday.

The encounter, which took place in Dantewada's in Barsur area, was part of a joint operation between Special Task Force (STF), locally raised District Reserve Group (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"DRG & STF troops raided a Naxal hideout on a hillock between Dular Gufha and Mungari. There was a heavy exchange of fire. Three of our jawans sustained bullet injuries," said CRPF, DIG (Deputy Inspector General), South Bastar, Sundarraj P.

The injured soldiers - Samadu Aarakshak (DRG), Sunil Nag (DRG) and Ravindra Yadav (STF) - are being taken to Karli.

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China's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ma Mingqiang, who is known for boosting his country's ties with Dhaka, left without paying farewell calls on President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Dhaka Tribune quoted a government official as saying that a Chinese envoy always pays farewell calls on the president, prime minister and foreign minister before leaving Bangladesh, but Ambassador Mingqiang did not do that.

During Ambassador Mingqiang's tenure, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh and several Chinese companies were granted mega projects.

However, according to the Chinese Embassy's website, Ambassador Mingqiang paid a farewell call on State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on December 14 and on State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid on December 21.

In December, the Chinese embassy had said that Ambassador Mingqiang would leave for Beijing to attend a conference of envoys andthat he would like to pay courtesy calls on the Bangladesh president, prime minister and foreign minister since he had been given anew posting.

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Continuing his tirade against the Congress government in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Monday said the present Karnataka government has failed in all fronts.

Addressing the media here, Shah stated that corruption and Karanataka Chief Minsiter Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous.

"Karnataka government has failed in all fronts, be it law and order or development, it has failed. Corruption cases are on a rise. Corruption and Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous," Shah added.

The BJP president also alleged the Siddaramaiah government for showing insensitive attitude towards families of the farmers who committed suicide.

"The insensitive attitude of the Siddaramaiah government towards families of the farmers who committed suicide is deplorable," he said.

Shah also said that withdrawing all the cases against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has showed the unidirectional action by Siddaramaiah.

"The manner in which all cases against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) have been withdrawn, shows the unidirectional action by Siddaramaiah government," he added.

Shah also targeted Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the poor governance in his own constituency.

"If anyone wants to see the governance of the Congress, then, go to the constituency of Kharge sahab. I received feedbacks from the party workers that there is too much backwardness. There no such backwardness in any palce of Karnataka but in Kharge sahab's own constituency," he added.

Karnataka is one of the few states where the Congress is in power.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in April-May this year to elect members of the 224 constituencies in Karnataka.

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Delhi Police on Monday said the CCTV footage in the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was tampered with and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) would examine it soon.

"The meeting was not held in the camp office but in drawing room of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. The CCTV timings are different and that it's tampered," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Harendra Singh told the media here.

On February 24, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijalon met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in connection with the same case.

The meeting took place at the residence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Meanwhile, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Manoj Tiwari met Rajnath Singh to discuss the matter on the same.

On February 20, the Chief Secretary had alleged that he was beaten up by two AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal on Monday night at the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, where he had been called for an emergency meeting.

Following this incident, Secretary of Indian Civil and Administration services (IAS) Manisha Saxena conducted a meeting on Friday with the Minister of State Home Affairs Hans Raj Ahir and Union Minister Jitendra Singh. She had also demanded the Delhi government to provide security to the officers and guarantee them protection from any further instances of violence or misconduct.

As of now, the AAP MLAs have been sent to 16-day judicial custody by a Delhi Court.

Earlier the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had sought a report from Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal regarding the matter.

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Ed-Tech company, Avishkaar Box, on Monday announced that it has raised Rs 5 crores in pre-series A funding from Auxano Deals. The company intends to use these funds to strengthen its presence pan-India and for a rapid expansion in Asia.

Avishkaar Box was introduced to Auxano by Rahul Gupta of Radar Capital on this transaction. The deal values Avishkaar at around USD 4 million.

With this investment, founder and CEO, Tarun Bhalla, plans to propel Avishkaar Box to bring about a revolution in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning, not only in India but also in the Asian and middle-eastern markets, with an expansion.

"We are experiencing exponential growth, and we need to hire energetic and focused people who can drive it. Along with this, our product team is all set to launch a fabulous product range with more focus on the entry level of this market," said Bhalla.

"The company is also looking to strengthen its channel partner network especially in Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha and other parts of east and south India. We are confident that we will double company's turnover to USD 3 million within two years from USD 1.5 million in the current year," he added.

Avishkaar Box is one of the foremost players to set up Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL), a project of the government of India which includes supplies of education tinkering and robotic kits to over 2,400 schools across India.

The company has also been conducting the IRC League, a league that aims to challenge young and creative minds by giving them problems to solve and build a better world for tomorrow using tools of science and technology, since 2009.

At present, Avishkaar Box has a presence in more than 400 schools pan-India in addition to 125 Tinkering Labs set up across the country.

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Leading consultancy firm catering to students wishing to study abroad, ESS Global, on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rising Phoenix International, a Canada based one-stop platform dedicated to improving the quality of educational experiences for students and institutions.

Earlier last week, when Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had visited India, he had said that Canada should become the number one destination for Indian students wanting to study abroad. With this deal, ESS Global will become one of Rising Phoenix International's premier partners to help launch their operations in India.

The MoU between the parties was signed at the Indian Forum on February 20 2018, organised by the Indo-Canadian Chambers.

"We are excited about working with ESS Global. Their extensive reach in India and in other markets and their operating philosophy are a perfect complement to our student-centered focus. Our Canadian institutional partners are looking forward to welcoming students from India. Quebec and Canada are the ideal places to study. Canada consistently ranking in the top five systems in the world and it is our mission to share that excellence with the world," said president and CEO, Rising Phoenix International, Caroline Mastantuono.

"Montreal and Quebec are fantastic destinations for higher education, especially for Indian students. The academic excellence of Quebecois higher education, the diverse and welcoming environment of the beautiful city of Montreal, and the relative accessibility of these educational opportunities mean that Indians should be availing them more freely. We are extremely excited to be partnering with Rising Phoenix International to spread the good word amongst Indian students about in Quebec," said chairman and MD, ESSGlobal, Gurinder Bhatti.

Rising Phoenix International, which represents various higher education, professional training and secondary and primary institutions in Canada for international students, is looking to increase their presence in India through partnerships, to spread awareness about the exciting opportunities that can be found throughout Canada with major focus on the province of Quebec.

Quebec is one of the largest provinces in Canada and home to the city of Montreal, selected by QS international as 2017's best city in the world for international students.

Its multicultural and welcoming atmosphere makes for an inclusive, friendly, diverse, and affordable place to live.

Further, the Montreal is home to several of Canada's top-ranking institutions, including McGill University and the Universite de Montreal.

ESS Global, through its partnership with Rising Phoenix International, will be promoting programs in the fields of health and social services, Information Technology, and financial services, engineering and environment, beauty care and well-being, arts and design, hospitality and services alongside vocational training programs designed to help students enter the labour market.

Qualified students can apply to various prestigious institutions across Canada and Quebec such as McGill University, College Superior of Montreal and many more.

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Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday welcomed the case for "targeted sanctions" prepared by an American human rights activist, urging the European Union to impose restrictive measures on "serious human rights abusers in the Maldives".

Taking to twitter, the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party Nasheed wrote, "Welcome case for targeted sanctions prepared by Jared Genser urging the EU to move from condemnation to action by imposing restrictive measures against serious human rights abusers in response to the crisis in the Maldives."

Jared Genser, a human rights activist also serves as international counsel to former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

In a detailed report, Genser has focused on the human rights violation committed under President Abdulla Yameen and "his repressive regime".

"This report recommends the Council of the European Union adopt a Council decision and regulation imposing human rights-based sanctions in response to the crisis in the Maldives, including targeted asset freezes and travel bans, for those implicated in major human rights abuses in the Maldives," said part of the report.

The Maldives is facing political unrest since President Abdulla Yameen imposed emergency after refusing to implement a Supreme Court order of freeing imprisoned opposition leaders.

On February 2, the Maldivian Supreme Court acquitted former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and ordered the reinstatement of 12 other parliamentary members.

However, on February 20, Maldives Parliament approved the extension of the State of Emergency by 30 days; a day after President Abdulla Yameen sought the extension citing threat to national security and the constitutional crisis in the country.

The opposition leaders boycotted the session and called the extension illegal and unconstitutional.

The political unrest in the country deepened further when the police used force to crack down on the Maldivian opposition leaders, who continued to hold anti-government protests.

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TSR Subramanian, former Cabinet Secretary of the Union government passed away due to prolonged illness on Monday.

Confirming the news, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association took to Twitter and said, " Extremely shocked to hear the sad news of the demise of T S R Subramanian. He was the tallest amongst all and is a big loss for the IAS fraternity and the nation. Deepest Condolences to all family members. We hope and pray that your ideas and thoughts will continue to guide us."

The cremation ceremony of Subramanian will take place at Delhi's Lodhi Road crematorium at 5.30 pm on Monday.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed condolence over the demise of Subramanian.

"Former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanyam is no more. Saddened by the news. He was affable, full of ideas and energy.

In many a debate on TV channels, shared thoughts with him. Condolences to his family and his fraternity," Sitharaman tweeted.

Union Cabinet Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani also mourned his death. This is what she tweeted:
At least six persons were injured, of which four are battling for life, after a suspected explosion in Leicester City of the United Kingdom (UK) on Sunday night.

All four critically injured were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, tweeted East Midlands Ambulance Service, after police declared a major incident following the blast that destroyed a shop in a street in the city.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue said it received a call around 7.03 p.m. from the public who heard the blast on Hinckley Road.

Video taken at the scene shows flames billowing into the night sky.

Emergency services were rushed to help someone close to a convenience store engulfed in flames.

A hazardous area response team and ambulance crews remain at the scene in Hinckley Road, it said.

Leicestershire Police said people had been evacuated from businesses and homes in the immediate vicinity and taken to a nearby police station as a temporary measure.

A police spokesman said that "at this stage, there is no indication this is terrorist-related" incident.

A resident, who lives on the same road as the fire, said: "We are down the same street - about 500 meters from where the blast has taken place and our whole house shook.

"We checked on our children first and foremost and then we went outside," she told Sky News.

"There is just an awful lot of smoke here at the moment and the whole area is cordoned off."

Leicester Royal Infirmary tweeted: "We can confirm that four patients from the scene have been taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary via @EMASNHSTrust in a critical condition."

A spokeswoman said six fire engines had been requested and the incident was currently being treated as a search and rescue operation.

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Turns out, reports of toxicology tests done on the body of veteran actor Sridevi, can lead to further delay in sending back her mortal remains to India from Dubai, where the 54-year-old actress died on Saturday.

"The toxicology reports of tests done on blood and organs of Sridevi are expected to reveal the exact cause of her death. If the reports do not conclusively confirm a natural cause such as the reported heart attack, there will be further investigations, which would mean even more delays for sending her body home", sources told Gulf News, a leading English daily published in Dubai.

There have been reports that the cause of actor's death is a sudden cardiac arrest. However, no official authority has confirmed the news.

The forensic report is expected to reveal the exact cause of her death.

Earlier, an Indian Consulate official had shared that her mortal remains will be ready for repatriation between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (Dubai time) on Monday.

She reportedly had a fainting spell in her bathroom and was immediately rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai. The hotel, however, refused to comment on the matter.

Sources in the Indian Consulate had said that she was brought dead to the hospital.

Meanwhile, celebrities and fans have been flocking the Mumbai residence of Anil Kapoor, brother-in-law to the actress.

Director Karan Johar and designer Manish Malhotra were amongst the bevy of celebrities to reach Kapoor's residence on Monday.

Actress Tabu, filmmaker Farah Khan, choreographer Saroj Khan, actor Farhan Akhtar, along with mother Honey Irani, also visited the Kapoor family to offer their condolences.

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Hungary's ruling party lost in a local byelection, with expected challenges ahead for Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

With only weeks to go before a general election, Orban, known for his fierce anti-migrant, populist rhetoric, will seek a third consecutive term in an election on 8 April.

Marki-Zay, who ran as an independent but was backed by the full spectrum of the opposition, won 57.5 percent of the votes, against 41.5 percent for ruling party Fidesz candidate Zoltan Hegedus, with 92 percent of the votes counted, reported The Guardian.

The result was a shock for Fidesz's supporters, particularly because Hodmezovasarhely is home to key Orban ally Janos Lazar, who heads the prime minister's office. In the last local election in 2014, Fidesz won with 61 percent of votes.

The Fidesz party has been polling around 50 percent although a corruption scandal involving Orban's son-in-law, and a row over an alleged government cover-up of refugee intake numbers have provided unexpected hurdles for the government in recent weeks.

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As part of lndo-US Bilateral Defence Cooperation, the 8th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Inter-Agency Task Force Meeting was held here on Monday.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement said, the meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Vice Admiral A.K. Jain and Acting Director, International Cooperation Matthew Warren.

The DTTI was initiated as an idea by former U.S. Secretary of Defence Dr. Ashton Carter in 2012.

"The aim of DTTI is to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of defence equipment," the statement said.

"A number of joint working groups spanning varied projects have been established under DTTI on both sides, which have identified various projects for the armed forces," it added.

The MoD further said the working groups meet regularly to discuss and take forward the projects.

"The U.S. has declared India as a major defence partner under the National Defence Authorisation Act in 2017 has given an impetus to the DTTI," the MoD said.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral A.K. Jain brought out that India's defence industry was in a growing stage and looking to acquire niche technology in manufacturing defence weapons and equipment. This will also give a boost to India's flagship 'Make in India' initiative.

The US Co-chair, Matthew Warren highlighted that defence cooperation between the two countries is continuing to make progress.

"Both sides understand the importance of DTTI in this respect and it is a good forum for mutual cooperation to take ahead the defence ties between the two sides," the statement said.

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Jordan's King Abdullah II will be delivering a special address on "Islamic Heritage & promoting understanding" at Vigyan Bhawan during his visit to India.

King Abdullah II, who will be visiting India for the second time from February 27 to March 1, will lead a large business delegation.

He will also hold a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

India is Jordan's fourth largest trade partner after Iraq, Saudi Arabia and China.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Jordan, invited the King to make a state visit to India in late February for three days.

India and Jordan enjoy friendly ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1950.

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The Congress party workers on Monday staged a protest outside the Kerala Secretariat, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a party worker's murder, which took place in Kannur.

They were protesting against the alleged delay in the police action against the accused in the murder of 30-year-old Shuhaib from Kannur.

Youth Congress state general secretary Leena, along with activists Biju Antony and Sajith, attempted to enter the CM's office on the third floor of the Secretariat's North Block, but was stopped by security personnel at the ground floor entrance.

They shouted slogans against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and demanded his resignation. Soon, the police reached the spot and removed the protesters.

When the protest turned violent, the police used a water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters.

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KisanKraft Ltd, manufacturer and wholesale distributor of high quality agricultural equipment for small and marginal farmers on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Andhra Pradesh for a Rs. 75 crore multi-faceted project focused on agriculture technology.

The MoU was signed in the presence of chief minister, Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and minister of agriculture, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy.

With this MoU, KisanKraft will set up a facility in Andhra Pradesh to manufacture various machinery for small and marginal farmers, such as inter-cultivators, BIS:ISI approved engines, water-pumps, and expand it to add more products.

This project will also have R&D and testing facilities for development of new machinery, draught resistant seeds and related technology.

Additionally, KisanKraft will setup a training and demonstration center for farmers, technicians and rural youth.

This facility is expected to be spread across 20 hectares of land, and will help bring advancements in the agricultural sector and aide in improving farmers' income.

"After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, very few industries are left with Andhra Pradesh. This government is making all efforts to bring back the growth and development to the sunrise state Andhra Pradesh. We would welcome and give necessary support to the industries with credible background in the field of agriculture and biotechnology and who can contribute to the development and welfare of the farmers in Andhra Pradesh," said minister of agriculture, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy.

"We have witnessed a huge drop in number of farm laborers in the last two to three decades. Migration from rural to urban areas due to reduced incomes in agriculture is the major reasons for this acute shortage of labor. With the establishment of such a facility, we will focus on mechanization of small and marginal farmers to increase farmer's profits and further advance the development of this sector. This project will also facilitate the creation of hundreds of direct jobs across the board for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers and thousands of indirect jobs by creating village level entrepreneurs," said managing director, KisanKraft Ltd, Ravindra K Agrawal.

Welcoming KisanKraft Ltd's project, Dr. P Krishnaiah, Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC) said "Agriculture can become sustainable only when it is profitable. Profitability is possible only by adopting modern tools and knowledge relevant to small and marginal farmers".

KisanKraft will begin operations in the new facility with the manufacturing of inter-cultivators and BIS:ISI approved engines, water pumps.

The second phase of operations will be conducting R&D for machine and seed development. The company will also conduct demonstrations and training for farmers to create awareness of available machines, their suitability and cost economics.

A full-fledged service center will also be setup to service and repair machinery of nearby farmers.

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Seth Rance, who is also a station officer with the Greytown Fire Brigade besides being a New Zealand fast bowler, recently took his black cap off to don a fire helmet when a pub's roof in the town caught fire.

Better known for putting heat on his deliveries on-field, Rance helped dousing the flame that threatened to engulf Wairarapa's landmark pub, The White Swan, in New Zealand.

It was learnt that crews from across Wairarapa arrived at the blaze on main station after the fire broke out near a chimney at the back corner of the building.

Reflecting on the same, Rance said that it was quite fortunate that they received the call early, adding that there is a little bit of structural and water damage and nothing else.

"The origin of the fire was in the southern end of the building. There's a little bit of structural and water damage but it appears to have been caught in time. It's fortunate we got the call nice and early,"ESPNcricinfo quoted Rance, as saying.

Rance has appeared in two ODIs and four T20I since making his international debut for New Zealand last year.

He, however, is not the only New Zealand player who is engaged in a day job in the uniformed services.

Earlier, former New Zealand speedster Shane Bond also had a parallel career as a policeman.

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The Board of Directors of Switzerland Tourism on Monday announced hiring Martin Nydegger as the new CEO in January 2018.

The Federal Council approved this decision at a meeting held in September 2017. The selection committee of the ST Board of Directors made their decision after a multiple-step selection procedure that featured a number of highly qualified candidates.

Nydegger proved to be the candidate who best met the criteria defined for the position. His breadth of tourism experience and profound knowledge of Switzerland Tourism will in addition ensure a seamless transition and continuity in the preliminary phase.

Martin Nydegger has been a member of the Executive Board of Switzerland Tourism since 2008 and is in charge of Development. He had previously managed the ST branch office in Amsterdam for three years.

Prior to joining ST, he already held a number of positions in the tourism sector, including six years as Director of the Engadin/Scuol Tourism Board. A native of Bern, Nydegger holds an Executive MBA in Strategic Corporate Management and has repeatedly undergone further training in the field of marketing management.

"I am excited about my new role at Switzerland Tourism and build on the legacy by taking it to new heights. My journey with Switzerland Tourism has been remarkable and I look forward to further building and establishing this alluring travel destination," said Martin.

On his recent visit to India, Martin said, "India is an extremely relevant market for Switzerland Tourism and would rank 7th in terms of importance of all the countries, globally.

He added that in terms of development, Switzerland Tourism has seen an enormous growth over the years. In the last three years, it witnessed a growth of roughly 53 percent and in 2017 alone the growth rate was a good 25 percent from India and is predicted to grow further by 33 percent in the next three to four years. India and Switzerland have strong ties and we certainly intend to continue and grow strong in the future.

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Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao on Monday expressed his displeasure over the nonavailability of a Marathi translation facility during his address to the joint session of the State Legislature at Vidhan Bhavan, in Mumbai.

In a letter to Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar and Speaker of Legislative Assembly Haribhau Bagade, Governor Rao expressed his sentiments.

"During my address to the Joint Session of the Legislature in the morning today, it was observed that the Marathi translation of my speech was not taking place. I am of the view that it needs to be considered with utmost seriousness, and a strong action needs to be taken against those responsible for this serious lapse," he wrote.

Rao also requested them to inform him regarding the action taken against those responsible.

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More than 100 girls are missing after suspected Boko Haram militants attacked their school in northeastern Nigeria.

The country's Ministry for Information on Sunday informed that 110 girls have been missing after the raid on the Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State.

As many as 110 girls have been missing since Monday when armed militants stormed the school.

However, the Nigerian government is yet to release an official list of those missing.

The ministry is basing the latest number on briefings with the school principal and the Commissioner for Education, reported CNN.

On February 22, the Yobe State governor's office said that about 46 students remained missing following an attack by the Boko Haram insurgents the all-girls college.

Boko Haram militants kidnapped nearly 300 girls from a school in Chibok in April 2014, setting off global outrage. Many of the Chibok girls were freed after negotiations, but more than 100 remain in captivity, their whereabouts unknown.

The Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009 when the militants staged an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria.

Suicide attacks carried out by the dreaded insurgent group have claimed more than 20,000 lives and displaced at least two million people, according to Nigerian vice-president Yemi Osinbajo.

The group is also active in the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday declared that the family of each soldier from the state killed in action would be given an ex gratia of Rs one crore along with other benefits.

"If a son of Madhya Pradesh sacrifices his life while protecting the Indian borders, Madhya Pradesh government would give an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore to his family.We have also decided to give a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 to the parents of the martyred soldier, and a job to one member of the family," Chouhan said in his address at the inauguration ceremony of the 'Shaheed Smarak' at Morena.

Chouhan also lauded members of the army personnel who belong to Madhya Pradesh, "The youth of Morena and the adjoining areas have always been determined to protect 'Bharat Mata' at the borders."

The ceremony was also attended by Defence Minister N. Sitharaman and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

At the occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the 'Shaheed Smarak' and laid a wreath to pay tribute to the war casualties.

Chouhan also said that Madhya Pradesh was "determinedly moving on the path of progress," and owed it to the soldiers who laid their lives to ensure security.

"After becoming the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, I called a meeting of police officers in Gwalior and said it clearly, that in this state, either dacoit will live or Shivraj Singh Chouhan will leave. Both cannot live together," he added.

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The Bihar Police on Monday said that the accused has been identified in connection with the Muzaffarpur accident.

Talking to the media, Bihar DGP PK Thakur said, "The culprit has been identified, we have seized a mobile phone also from inside the car. That(if car belonged to BJP leader) I don't know yet."

Meanwhile, an FIR against the accused has been registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) including culpable homicide on the complaint of family members.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav had said the vehicle involved in the Muzaffarpur accident belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) General Secretary.

Talking to ANI, Yadav said, "It's unfortunate. We are being told the vehicle belongs to a BJP General Secretary and the driver is absconding and the administration has not been able to arrest him so far. Relatives of the deceased are saying that the vehicle has a BJP board attached to it and people in it were intoxicated."

On February 24, nine children were killed and 24 others, majority of the students, were injured when a car rammed into a government school building at Ahiyapur in Muzaffarpur.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on suspended Manoj Baitha from party's membership for six years for his involvement in Muzaffarpur accident in which nine students were killed.

Baitha is owner of the SUV that ran over nine children and injured around 20 outside their government school at Dharampur village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Modi had said strict action against will be taken against the main accused in the Muzaffarpur accident.

Speaking to ANI, Modi said that the government will adopt no leniency, irrespective of the affiliation of the accused.

Soon after the accident, the Opposition started cornering Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was the first to allege that the vehicle involved in the Muzaffarpur accident belonged to a BJP General Secretary and the driver was intoxicated.

"We are being told the vehicle belongs to a BJP General Secretary and the driver is absconding and administration has not been able to arrest him so far. Relatives of the deceased are saying that the vehicle has a BJP board attached to it and people in it were intoxicated," Tejashwi told ANI on Saturday.

The RJD leader said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi were trying to shield the culprit.

He also questioned: Where did the driver get the liquor from when there is a ban on liquor in the state?

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday also accused Nitish Kumar of shielding the accused.

Rahul tweeted: "A drunken BJP leader killed nine innocent children in Bihar where liquor is banned! Nitish ji, is it realty of your liquor ban? Your conscience is shielding whom- accused BJP leader, or reality of Bihar's liquor ban?"

On 26 November 2015, Nitish Kumar announced that alcohol would be banned in the state from April 1, 2016. Kumar officially declared the total liquor ban on April 5, 2016.

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Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Sushil Modi, on Monday assured strict action against the main accused in the Muzaffarpur hit-and-run case, in which nine children lost their lives.

Speaking to ANI, Modi said that the government will adopt no leniency, irrespective of the affiliation of the accused.

"No question of saving the person because of relations with Bharatiya Janata Party or Rashtriya Janata Dal. I called Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police yesterday and said strictest action should be taken," Sushil Modi told ANI.

Nine children were killed and 24 others were injured on Saturday when a car rammed into a government school building at Ahiyapur in Muzaffarpur.

"Innocent children were killed & there is no bigger crime than this," added Sushil Modi.

Earlier on Monday, Bihar police confirmed that the accused driver had been identified. However, they have not yet confirmed if the car belonged to a BJP leader as alleged by the state opposition leader, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav

Meanwhile, acting on the complaint filed by the victims' family members, an FIR against the accused has been registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Fatima Nafees, mother of missing Jawahar Lal University (JNU) student Najeeb Ahmed, and other students on Monday staged a protest outside the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters against the lack of progress in the case.

"I have complete hope that Najeeb will come back one day but I will continue my protest and next time you will see ten times more people with me," Nafeesa told ANI.

It's been more than a year since Najeeb Ahmed, a first-year student of M.Sc Biotechnology at JNU, went missing after a brawl with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) at Mahi-Mandvi Hostel on 15 October 2016.

An FIR was registered on 16 October 2016 for kidnapping and wrongful confinement of Najeeb at the Vasant Kunj police station based on the complaint of Najeeb's parents.

Extensive searches by the Delhi police turned up nothing. They also issued a reward of Rs1,00,000 for information about Najeeb.

The case was later handed over to a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of Delhi police and finally to the Crime Branch on 11 November 2016.

The Delhi police also raised the reward amount to Rs 5,00,000.

Finally, on March 16, 2017, the Delhi High Court transferred the case to the CBI.

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Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has contacted Interpol to issue a arrest warrant against the former ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani after he failed to appear in a court in connection with the Memogate case.

According to the Pakistan Today, the FIA contacted the Interpol after the Ministry of Interior's approval.

On February 15, Pakistan Supreme Court had issued an arrest warrant against Haqqani.

However, Haqqani said Pakistani authorities have been writing such letters to garner news.

"I have not been charged with any crime, am the target of political persecution because of views I have expressed in my books and other writings, and do not expect any action by Interpol or any other international institution," said Haqqani in a statement.

"The fate of this latest exercise will be the same as that of letters written to Interpol in the past with regard to other political cases," he added.

In 2011, a Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz had claimed that he received an 'anti-army' memo from Haqqani for the then-United States joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

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P100, Panasonic's latest smartphone launched in India, is now available on Snapdeal at a discounted price of Rs. 4999.

The phone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat for easy multi-tasking while the Duraspeed technology with 2200mAh battery allows for longer battery life.

It has 5" HD 2.5D curved display and Corning Gorilla Glass which provides durability and a high-quality finish. The inbuilt fingerprint sensor lets you unlock your phone with just one touch.

Equipped with 1.25GHz Quad - core processor and 16 GB ROM, the dual SIM phone's memory can be expanded up to 128GB.

Some of its smart features include 'Pocket Mode' which increases the ringtone of the phone if it rings while in the pocket and 'Flip to mute Mode' which can turn the phone silent with just a flip besides the smart answer, smart dial and smart wake up abilities.

Sensors on the phone include Finger Print Sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer and Ambient light sensor.

Users get 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies. It has multi-modes for editing images and zero shutter feature for clicking pictures without a delay.

The phone has OTG support to allow access to external data on phone and to connect an external mouse or keyboard.

Priced at Rs 4999, Snapdeal also offers an additional cashback of Rs 2000 on Vodafone m-pesa and Rs 2200 on Jio Money.

Axis Bank users can avail 10 percent instant discount.

Lucky P100 buyers also get a chance to win special gifts of up to 10 gram gold.

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A controversy has erupted after a question in the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) exams regraded Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as 'Azad Kashmir'.

The question read, "Jammu and Kashmir has an international border with China in the north and east, and the Line of Control separates it from the Pakistan-controlled territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in:

a) north and north-east respectively

b) south and south-east respectively

c) east and north-east respectively

d) west and north-west respectively"

Chairman of Services Selection Board Jammu and Kashmir Simrandeep Singh told ANI that the expert, who framed the question, was black-listed and the matter would be investigated.

"I was told after the exam that the term 'Azad Kashmir' has been used in some context which is inappropriate. We have subject matter experts who frame the questions. We have identified the expert and have sorted an explanation from him that how he was so casual while framing the question where he used an incorrect term in the geography section," he revealed.

"The question has been nullified from the exam. The Board has a procedure that whenever there is a question which is wrongly framed or the answers are incorrect, we expunge that question and everyone gets equal distribution of marks in that question," he added.

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The Colosseum, Rome's most famous landmark, was on Saturday lit up in red to mark solidarity with people persecuted in foreign countries, particularly Pakistan, for their faith.

The event at 6 p.m. (local time) was the initiative of Aid to the Church in Need, the Pontifical Foundation that supports suffering Christians in over 140 countries around the world, the Catholic Herald reported.

The Maronite Cathedral of St Elijah in Syria's Aleppo and St Paul's church in the Iraqi city of Mosul were also illuminated in red to symbolise the blood of Christian martyrs in the war-torn countries.

The ceremony included testimonies of two families targeted for their Christian faith -- the husband and youngest daughter of Asia Bibi from Pakistan, who received a death sentence in 2010, and Nigerian Rebecca Bitrus, who spent two years as a hostage to the extremist group Boko Haram.

Asia Bibi's daughter Eisham Ashiq said her family believed she would be released from jail soon, though they will have to leave Pakistan immediately, as her safety cannot be guaranteed.

The family has appealed to Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain for a pardon and met Pope Francis on Saturday to ask him to pray for her freedom.

Rebecca Bitrus, however, said that despite her ordeal at the hands of the extremist group, she never lost her trust in God.

Not even when her one-year-old son was killed or when she was tortured and raped, resulting in the birth of another child.

When she finally managed to escape, many people urged her to get rid of the child, but with the help of local Church leaders, she has learned to accept and love the son of her captors.

2000 years ago, Christians were tortured and killed in the Colosseum for refusing to renounce their faith.

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West Bengal's (SMC) has introduced the use of drones to check the mosquito-infested areas of the city.

The drone, made by a school student, can take pictures of stagnant water on a terrace of high rise buildings.

"We are conducting a trial run for a month. We will see how fruitful it is...After this many states are asking me about the project over dengue plan," Asoke Bhattacharjee, Mayor of

Rajiv Ghosh, the student, who invented the drone, said "Last year, there was a major dengue problem in Siliguri. It is very difficult to inspect the presence of stagnant water or dengue larvae in high rise buildings".

"Drone can help gather aerial footage to keep a check on areas that might be possible breeding spots," student added.

According to Health Department report of 2017 around 1,287 people have been infected with dengue and four lost their lives.

Many had also been admitted in Siliguri's district hospital and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) with dengue symptoms.
As the nation remains gloom following the death of veteran actor Sridevi, the 'sensational' reporting by the media post recent developments on the cause of her death has sparked a wave of criticism on social media.

On Monday, the forensic report of the 54-year-old Indian actress revealed that she had died of accidental drowning in her hotel room's bathtub, after suffering a dizzying spell. Traces of alcohol were also reportedly found in the actor's body.

Following this, several media outlets took to their channels to ponder over the reports, some even going to the extent of character-shaming the actor for allegedly indulging in alcohol.

In retaliation, twitterers expressed their dissent over the sensational twist that has been given to the actor's untimely demise, evident from the hashtag 'News Ki Maut' (death of news) on Twitter.

"#NewsKiMaut let us respect Late Mrs. Sridevi ji and not do dramatic representations and raise questions about her character," a user wrote.

Another tweet read, "It's not just #NewsKiMaut but #HumanityKiMaut. Compassion is totally missing these days."

An Indian media outlet even ran a special episode titled 'Maut Ka Bathtub' or 'the bathtub causing death' after reports surfaced of her "accidental drowning."

For the unversed, Sridevi passed away on late Saturday night in Dubai, where she was attending a family wedding.

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Shakti Kapoor on Monday joined the chorus of voices expressing condolences for late Sridevi, who died in a Dubai hotel on February 24.

"It is saddening that she could not see her daughter's debut film. My heart goes out to the entire family," Kapoor told ANI.

Jhanvi Kapoor will be making her debut in the cinema industry on July 20, with Karan Johar's movie 'Dhadak'. She stars alongside Ishaan Khatter in the movie.

The 65-year-old actor said that he had worked together with the late actress for over 10 years.

It may be noted that both the actors had shared screen space in several movies of the 80's and the 90's.

Sridevi passed away on late Saturday night in Dubai, where she was attending a family wedding.

Earlier in the day, the completion of post-mortem analysis revealed that the 54-year-old Indian actress died of accidental drowning in her hotel room's bathtub, after suffering a dizzying spell.

The body was reportedly sent for embalming and her mortal remains will depart for India after the completion of necessary paperwork.

Meanwhile, celebrities and fans have been visiting the Mumbai residence of Anil Kapoor, brother-in-law to the actress, awaiting the arrival of her mortal remains.

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In the aftermath of the demise of veteran actor Sridevi, the police recorded the statement of her husband and noted producer Boney Kapoor, the Gulf News reported on late Monday night.

As per media sources, Boney Kapoor was summoned by the Dubai Police to Bur Dubai police station for investigation. The police recorded his statement, after which he was allowed to go back to his hotel room.

Meanwhile, Indian Envoy to UAE Navdeep Suri on Monday assured that the Indian embassy is trying hard to send mortal remains of Sridevi to India at earliest.

Talking to ANI, Suri said, "Our embassy and consulate are working closely with local authorities to expedite the return of mortal remains of Sridevi and also keeping Kapoor family apprised. It is our endeavor to send mortal remains of Sridevi to India at earliest."

Following the release of the forensic report of Sridevi, who died in a hotel here on February 24, the Dubai Police transferred the case to the Dubai Public Prosecution, which will carry out the regular legal procedures which are normally followed in such circumstances.

Earlier, the completion of post-mortem analysis revealed that the 54-year-old Indian actress died of accidental drowning in her hotel room's bathtub, after suffering a dizzying spell.

Traces of alcohol were also found in the actor's body, the report added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It has come to light that veteran actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning after losing balance and falling into a bathtub full of water.

According to the forensic report, traces of alcohol were also found in the actor's body, reported the Gulf News.

The mortal remains of the India actor will impart for India after completion of necessary paperwork.

She reportedly had a fainting spell in her bathroom and was immediately rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai. The hotel, however, refused to comment on the matter.

Sources in the Indian Consulate had said that she was brought dead to the hospital.

Meanwhile, celebrities and fans have been flocking to the Mumbai residence of Anil Kapoor, brother-in-law to the actress.

Actress Madhuri Dixit, director Karan Johar, designer Manish Malhotra, actress Tabu, filmmaker Farah Khan, choreographer Saroj Khan, actor Farhan Akhtar, along with mother Honey Irani, were seen visiting the family earlier in the day.

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An Indian Consulate official has confirmed that veteran actress Sridevi's mortal remains will be ready for repatriation between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (Dubai time) on Monday.

Notably, the time difference between India and Dubai is 1 hour 30 minutes; hence the mortal remains will leave from Dubai by 3.30 p.m. Indian Standard Time.

The 'Mom' actress passed away in her hotel room in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers at 11 p.m. on Saturday, a source in the Indian Consulate in Dubai said.

She reportedly had a fainting spell in her bathroom and was immediately rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai. The hotel, however, refused to comment on the matter.

Sources in the Indian Consulate said that she was brought dead to the hospital.

Meanwhile, celebrities and fans have been flocking to the bungalow of Anil Kapoor, brother-in-law to the actress, to pour in their condolences.

Actress Tabu, director Farah Khan, choreographer Saroj Khan, actor Farhan Akhtar along with mother Honey Irani are among the celebrities who have already arrived at the Kapoor's residence to be a part of the ritual meeting.

Appropriate preparations at Pawan Hans crematorium, where the actress will be cremated, are underway.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said terrorism has increased under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule.

Addressing a rally here, the Congress President said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had curbed terrorism by 2012 but it resurfaced after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.

"See the figures of 2012-13; not a single soldier was martyred. When the BJP government departed in 2004 then there was terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress united people and curbed terrorism by 2012. But, the BJP came to power in 2014 and people start getting killed," Rahul said.

The Gandhi scion also launched attack on Prime Minister Modi over the bank frauds.

"Nirav Modi flees with Rs. 22000 crore and Modi ji did not say a single word. Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya fled to London. Modi ji, corruption is happening around you, do something," Gandhi said.

He also asked Prime Minister Modi to solve Mahadayi River water dispute.

"In the Mahadayi issue, I request PM Modi to invite the Chief Ministers of all the three states for a meeting to discuss and arrive at a solution. It's a drinking water problem, so PM Modi must stop making excuses and solve the issue," the Congress President said.

The Mahadayi river is essentially a rain-fed river shared between Karnataka and Goa. About 76 km of Mahadayi's 111-km length runs through Goa and the rest is in Karnataka. It passes through Maharashtra briefly before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

The dispute over sharing of Mahadayi waters began in the 1980s.

Earlier, Rahul paid his respects at the Murugha Math, Dharwad, Karnataka.

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A terrorist was killed on Monday in a grenade attack on a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district while trying to escape from police custody.

The terrorist identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan had dressed up as a woman while attempting to flee.

One policeman, Mehrajuddin, was injured in the grenade explosion when the terrorist was challenged by the guard while trying to escape from the police station in Tral in Pulwama.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, GOC of army's Srinagar-based 15 Corps said that terrorists have been scattered in the Valley.

"They're in groups of 30-40 in areas like Leepa valley, Mandal, Rampur and others.Whenever there's firing by Pakistan, it's certain that it's an attempt of infiltration.Whatever has happened in Kupwara and Tangdhar was an attempt of the same," he added.

The investigation is underway. More details are awaited.

Earlier there had been separate instances of firing and the use of grenades in two districts of Pulwama including Awantipora and Kakapora respectively.

A series of incidents have been reported from the Kashmir Valley in the past 48 hours. A policeman was killed after militants attacked a security guard post near Charar-e-Sharief shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Sunday.

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A top Democrat, who released a new memo on investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, which led to President Donald Trump fume over it, on Sunday defended his work, saying he is "proud to be one of the bad hombres, I guess."

Trump in a tweet on Saturday said the memo was "a total political and legal BUST".

The President also abused California Congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, who Trump said was "a bad guy" responsible for leaks that were "probably illegal", the Guardian reported.

Referring to Trump's infamous remark about Mexican immigrants, Schiff said he was "proud to be one of the bad hombres" and added that the President's anger about leaks was likely based on his discussion of Donald Trump Jr's appearance before the House intelligence committee in December.

The President's son claimed attorney-client privilege to avoid discussing the drafting of a misleading statement about a meeting with Russians offering "dirt" on the last year election's Democratic contestant Hillary Clinton at Trump Tower in June 2016.

Schiff said his discussion of Trump Jr's appearance was "not a leak, it's a fact".

The Democratic memo was published in redactions two weeks after Trump blocked its full release.

The document aims to counter a Republican narrative that the FBI and justice department conspired against Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia.

A Republican memo was made public earlier this month, with no objection from the White House. In that document, Republicans on the House intelligence panel attacked the FBI and justice department over the use of information compiled by a former British spy Christopher Steele to obtain a secret warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page.

"I'm not surprised the White House tried to bury [the Democratic] memo response as long as they could," CNN quoted Schiff as saying. "But it's important for the public to see the facts that the FBI acted appropriately in seeking a warrant on Carter Page, and that they are not part of some deep state as the President would like the public to believe."

The GOP memo included the assertion that the FBI obtained a surveillance warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without disclosing that Steele's research was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

The Democratic memo says the justice department disclosed "the assessed political motivation of those who hired" Steele, who it said was likely hired by someone "looking for information that could be used to discredit" Trump.

Trump seized on this point in a tweet and the Republican National Committee said in a statement: "Again, the fact the minority cannot outright deny that a DNC/Clinton funded document was used to wiretap an American is extremely concerning."

Schiff told CNN: "It's ironic that Republicans would attack the FBI for following procedures which require that they minimise names of Americans and American entities which are not the subject of a warrant. Even Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are referred to as candidate one and candidate two. They're supposed to mask the identities of people."

The Democratic memo asserts that FBI concerns about Page long predated Steele's work, now known as the Trump-Russia "dossier", and that the government's application to monitor Page's communications detailed suspicious activities he undertook during the 2016 presidential campaign, including a July 2016 trip to Moscow in which he gave a university commencement address.

The memo contends that the justice department provided "additional information from multiple independent sources that corroborated Steele's reporting". Most of the details of the corroborated information are blacked out, but they do appear to reference Page's meeting with Russian officials.

The memo says the justice department did not include any "salacious allegations" about Trump contained in the Steele dossier in the FISA application.

The memo also details Russian attempts to cultivate Page as a spy. It cites a federal indictment of two Russian spies suspected of targeting Page and notes that the FBI interviewed him in March 2016.

Schiff said: "The issue is, what did Christopher Steele know? What might have influenced him that might bias him? Christopher Steele did not know who was paying him, who the client was, and so the FBI properly reported what they suspected, what Christopher Steele may have suspected, and they masked it appropriately."

He added: "I've been on the [House intelligence] committee for 10 years now and this is the first time Republicans have taken issue with any FISA application. I don't think it's a coincidence that it serves the president's interests to do so here. The FBI has acted appropriately."

Four former Trump aides have been indicted by Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed by the justice department to investigate Russian election meddling after Trump fired FBI director James Comey in May.

Three of those former aides have agreed on plea deals, exchanging lighter sentences for cooperation: former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates and former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.

Former campaign manager Paul Manafort maintains his innocence on charges including money laundering and tax and bank fraud.

Trump has said the Republican memo "vindicates" him. Democrats and Republicans, including Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, who helped draft the GOP memo, have said it should not be used to undermine Mueller.

There are some points of agreement between the Republican and Democratic memos, including that the FBI did not open its investigation into links between Russian election interference and the Trump campaign because of Steele's dossier.

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The United States Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the Trump administration's appeal of a federal judge's ruling that requires the government to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme going.

Under a lower court order that remains in effect, the Department of Homeland Security must continue to accept renewal applications from the roughly 700,000 young people, who are currently enrolled in DACA programme.

The administration had intended to shut the programme down by March 5, the deadline largely meaningless, NBC News reported.

The court said, "It is assumed the court of appeals will act expeditiously to decide this case."

The denial gives Congress more time to come up with a legislative solution, though repeated bipartisan efforts have failed so far.

At a White House meeting with the US governors, President Donald Trump had said that after the court's decision, "We'd like to help DACA". The President had also criticised the lower court.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat Senator California, said, "Today's Supreme Court action shows that rescinding DACA was not only legally questionable but also unjust and cruel. The court's action is welcome news, but only Congress can provide the permanent protection our 'Dreamers' need and deserve."

The denial was largely expected as the apex court rarely accepts appeals asking them to bypass the lower courts.

According to NBC News, the programme allows children of illegal immigrants to remain here if they were under 16 when their parents brought them to the United States and if they arrived by 2007. Those who are given DACA status must renew it every two years.

A federal judge in San Francisco on January 9 ruled in favour of the University of California and its President and former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano after they sued to keep the programme going.

The January ruling followed Trump administration saying last year that it would end the programme within six months. The judge had said Attorney General Jeff Sessions had wrongly concluded that DACA was put in place without proper legal authority.

"The DACA programme - which provides work permits and myriad government benefits to illegal immigrants en masse - is clearly unlawful. The district judge's decision to unilaterally re-impose a programme that Congress had explicitly and repeatedly rejected is a usurpation of legislative authority...We look forward to having this case expeditiously heard by the appeals court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court, where we fully expect to prevail," the White House said on Monday.

The Supreme Court has agreed only about a dozen times in the past century to immediately take a case and bypass the federal appeals courts, and those case usually involve a national emergency such as nationwide strikes in the steel and coal industries.

The apex court's action leaves the DACA challenge pending before the California appeals court, where it is in the early stages. The Justice Department said it would take at least another year to get back to the Supreme Court for a decision on DACA's future.

If Congress acts in the meantime to extend the programme or provide an alternative path to citizenship for its recipients, the legal case would probably be dismissed.

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Vice President Venkaiah Naidu hailed India as the "economic hope of the globe."

Naidu, while presenting the Prime Minister's Shram Awards here on Monday, said the awards were an embodiment of the efforts put in by those working round the clock to "keep the wheels of the economy running."

"India is the economic hope of the globe and that picture is both fascinating and complex as our economy is fast expanding. Millions of workforces are working round the clock to keep the wheels of the economy running. This is the 'real GDP' festival. By this I mean, the 'Growth Driving Power' from among whom the 'Great Dedicated Persons' are being honoured today. These two GDPs are critical for the 'Gross Domestic Product', the GDP that we are all ultimately concerned with," he added.

338 workers were honoured with the Prime Minister's Shram Awards, whereby 194 prestigious awards for the years 2011-16 were presented away by the Vice President at Vigyan Bhawan here. These awards are given in recognition to those who have distinguished record of performance, demonstrated devotion towards duty of a high order, specific contribution in the field of productivity, safety, quality, proven innovative abilities, conservation of resources, presence of mind and exceptional courage. The awards are also given to those workmen, who have risked their lives or made supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives in the conscientious discharge of their duties.

Public Sector workers bagged 232 awards while 106 awards were bagged by the private sector. Awards were also bagged by a group of workmen together. Out of 338 awardees, 20 were women, while two were posthumously awarded.

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Dr Reddy's Laboratories said that United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) has maintained official action indicated (OAI) status of company's active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh after the audit. The company has received the establishment inspection report to that effect. The USFDA has asked the company for more details. The company is providing those details and continuing to engage with USFDA for resolution of pending issues. The announcement was made on Sunday, 25 February 2018.

Aster DM Healthcare is set to list on the bourses today, 26 February 2018. The issue price has been fixed at Rs 190 per share. The initial public offer (IPO) of the company was subscribed 1.31 times. Aster DM Healthcare is a Kochi-based (Kerala) healthcare service provider, with operations in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, India and Philippines.

Axis Bank will be in spotlight. With regard to media report titled "Axis Bank asks CIO Amit Sethi to Resign", the bank issued a clarification on Friday, 23 February 2018. Axis Bank said that in terms of its code of conduct and ethics, certain related matters are being subjected to internal investigation and in view of the same, it is unable to offer any comments in the matter.

Further, the said internal investigation is being conducted in the ordinary course of the business of the bank and is not material to the operations of the bank, Axis Bank said. The clarification was issued after market hours on Friday, 23 February 2018.

Idea Cellular announced the successful closure of its qualified institutions placement (QIP). The company has allotted 42.42 crore equity shares to qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), at an issue price of Rs 82.50 per share, aggregating to Rs 3500 crore. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 23 February 2018.

Nitin Spinners said that its board of directors approved issue of 6.68 lakh shares to one of the company's promoters, namely, Redial Trading & Investment at an issue price of Rs 120.50 per share on preferential basis aggregating Rs 8.05 crore. The announcement was made on Saturday, 24 February 2018.

Dena Bank said that the issue committee of the board fixed the issue price of Rs 26.89 per equity share for issue of equity share to Government of India on preferential basis. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 23 February 2018.

Bharti Airtel and Motorola Mobility India announced a partnership to offer a range of budget friendly 4G smartphones under Airtel's 'Mera Pehla Smartphone' initiative. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 23 February 2018.

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The stock is quoting at Rs 4981.75, up 0.4% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. Britannia Industries Ltd is up 52.86% in last one year as compared to a 18.72% spurt in NIFTY and a 19.25% spurt in the Nifty FMCG.

Britannia Industries Ltd gained for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 4981.75, up 0.4% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.68% on the day, quoting at 10562.5. The Sensex is at 34370.61, up 0.67%. Britannia Industries Ltd has risen around 6.17% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty FMCG index of which Britannia Industries Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 2.99% in last one month and is currently quoting at 26669.9, up 0.24% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 70922 shares today, compared to the daily average of 1.42 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark March futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 5005, up 0.35% on the day. Britannia Industries Ltd is up 52.86% in last one year as compared to a 18.72% spurt in NIFTY and a 19.25% spurt in the Nifty FMCG index.

The PE of the stock is 66.22 based on TTM earnings ending December 17.

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Heavy Water Board, a constituent industrial unit of DAE, signed a collaborative agreement with M/s Clearsynth for sale of 20 tonnes of Heavy Water in a year for development of deuterium labeled compounds, NMR Solvents, d-labeled Active Pharma Ingredients (APIs). This marks the beginning of an important era in the annals of Indian Nuclear industry leading to societal benefits for the masses. It is worth noting that during the previous years Indian industries have imported deuterated compounds and Heavy Water to the tune of 9 Million USD.

This Agreement will initiate import substitution for the deuterated compounds and Heavy Water.

Dr Sekhar Basu, Chairman, AEC emphasized the need of supporting Indian industries towards manufacturing of deuterated compounds to fulfill the mission of 'Make in India' campaign. The advantage of Indian expertise in this field will reach masses through end products developed by Indian Pharmaceutical and other Industries. This is expected to lead towards lots of R&D in the field of development of new deuterated compounds and Active Pharma Ingredients. Dr Basu also advised that the technology development in this field can be taken up by the Indian companies through Technology Transfer & Collaboration Division of BARC by entering into collaborative arrangements on various science and technology products.

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ASSOCHAM cautioned against allowing the alleged fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) to halt the entire system of corporate lending as demoralisation would set in among the top functionaries and employees of the state-owned banks, something the country can ill-afford at a time when the credit growth was about to recover and economy was set to grow at a higher pace.

While we may seek long-term solutions like privatisation of the banks, the need of this hour is to rally around honest bank officers and the honest business entities which have built trust on each other. Let one or a few black sheep not derail our financial system, which is resilient enough to withstand this kind of shocks, though ideally such jolts are better avoided and averted through systemic reforms, ASSOCHAM Secretary General Mr D. S. Rawat said.

ASSOCHAM noted that there are disturbing reports about banks clamping down certain impractical rules and procedures for trade finance, affecting both importers and exporters. The letters of credit or letters of undertaking are an internationally accepted system of global trade. While we need to ensure safe and sound functioning of the system and not allow loopholes like those in the PNB system of money or guarantee transfer, let banks not over-react and hit the trade and industry.

The January export data shows a deceleration in growth even when the global economy is on the uptick.

The prick up in the domestic economy would require higher imports. Thus, both imports and exports are key to our economy and we have come a long way in scaling up the inter-face between the government agencies and the trade over the years. It is time to correct the systems which had allowed the misuse and move on with the task of achieving higher economic growth.

How else we encourage investment and jobs if we do not infuse confidence and trust in our financial system.

The ASSOCHAM urged the Finance Ministry (FinMin) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to send strong messages across different stakeholders about the robustness of the Indian financial sector, giving, though a tough warning against offenders.

By all means, punish the offenders at a fast speed and set examples; but the business should not be allowed to halt. There is a need for vigilance among all the lenders, even in the private sector. After all, in an ever-connected world there are several common technology pathways, which can be subverted. It is about time to restore confidence and move on.

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Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA ) will reimburse all the funds spent by the Jammu & Kashmir State Government to pay compensation for damages and losses to the victims of cross-border firing. Disclosing this Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr.

Jitendra Singh said that the decision was taken following a request made to the MHA.

The Minister said that State Government should expedite the mechanism and seek prompt reimbursement of funds from the Centre. This will curb the delay and resolve the demand of the State Government about non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to the border victims.

As per the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the fund paid as compensation by the J&K State Government will be reimbursed to the State Government from the Centre through SRE (Security Related Expenditure). The order further says that the State Government may consider to pay relief and compensation for housing damages / losses, crop losses or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc. to those affected by cross-border firing, at the rates equal to NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time.

The communique also advises the State Government that item-wise claims and compensations paid by the State Government to the victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, in order to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre.

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For development of Economic City that provides affordable housing

PVV Infra has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Government of Andhra Pradesh on 25 February 2018 for development of self-sustaining Eco-city with a walk -to -work environment that provide affordable housing to EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) and LIG (Lower Income Group), create jobs under both direct and indirect employment with specified MSME activities, caters to social, educational, medical and recreational and other needs resulting in ultimate overall economic growth.

Accordingly PVV Infra will get AP State Govt. support by way of number of fiscal, tax and quantitative incentives like exemption from building license fee, Infrastructure deposit, Land Use Conversion Charges, NALA charges for land use modification, City Level Impact Fee and certain infrastructure facilities. The EWS and LIG beneficiaries will benefit from affordable housing with excellent eco-friendly infrastructure facilities and fiscal incentive by way of Exemptions of Stamp Duty, Registration Charges, and additional subsidy from AP state government in addition to existing benefits of PMAY scheme.

PVV Infra is proposing to develop Economic City on 26 acres of land located in CRDA area, in Kanchikacharla (near Vijayawada City) in Krishna Dist, AP which includes construction of 3,840 affordable houses in 28 numbers of towers with a built-up area consisting of 15,42,265 SFT over a period of 3 years with a revenue generation of Rs.387 crore and income arising from this scheme is exempted from Income tax as per PMAY scheme.

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Reliance Infrastructure gained 3.04% to Rs 468.70 at 14:38 IST on BSE after the company said that it has won an arbitration award of Rs 292 crore against Government of Goa.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 February 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 318.46 points, or 0.93% to 34,460.61.

On the BSE, 2.29 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 4.24 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 470.75 and low of Rs 454 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 630 on 12 May 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 390.60 on 15 November 2017.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 23 February 2018, falling 12.04% compared with the Sensex's 5.53% fall. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one quarter gaining 1.38% as against the Sensex's 1.65% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one year dropping 18.43% as against the Sensex's 18.17% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 262.99 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

The arbitration tribunal, in its award on 16 February 2018, has ordered Government of Goa to pay Rs 292 crore to Reliance Infrastructure by 15 April 2018. The tribunal has also ordered payment of interest at 15% per annum on the total award amount if Government of Goa fails to pay the entire award amount by the deadline.

Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission had constituted the tribunal under the new rules laid down in 2015. Starting in January 2016, the proceedings of the tribunal were held for about two years and all pleadings and arguments by both the parties were completed in 12 sittings.

The need for arbitration arose due to prolonged non-payment of dues by the Goa Government towards supply of electricity by Reliance Infrastructure from its 48 megawatts (MW) Goa Power Plant in Sancoale.

The total outstanding dues along with interest as on 31 October 2017 amount to Rs 278 crore. The tribunal has also awarded Reliance Infrastructure interest from October 2017 till the date of the award, which amounts to Rs 14 crore.

The contention of Reliance Infrastructure that the rate of energy for the period from June 2013 to August 2014 was based on the varying prices of fuel and dollar exchange rate as was agreed to by the Goa Government, was upheld by the Tribunal.

The contention of Goa Government that the rated capacity of the plant was to be downrated, right from the second year of operation, for calculation of fixed charges since the parties had already agreed against downrating in 2007, was rejected by the tribunal.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of Reliance Infrastructure declined 19.6% to Rs 301.38 crore on 1.7% rise in net sales to Rs 5659.34 crore in Q3 December 2017 over Q3 December 2016.

Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) is one of the largest infrastructure companies, developing projects through various special purpose vehicles (SPVs) in several high growth sectors such as power, roads and metro rail in the infrastructure space and the defence sector.

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Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) is taking up redevelopment of around 600 major Railway stations across the country. In this mega exercise, assistance and involvement of all stakeholders i.e. railway passengers, urban planners, architects, engineers is important. Towards this objective of stakeholders' consultation, an idea competition for development of 635 stations on Indian Railways, 'SRIJAN' (Station Rejuvenation Initiative through Joint ActioN) has been launched at MyGov portal since 26.01.2018. The last date for submission of entries in this competition is 26.03.2018. The winners will get certificates and worthy ideas will be incorporated in the designs.

IRSDC has also launched competition through Mygov portal for IRSDC logo and tagline. The winner for logo competition will get cash prize of Rs 75,000/-and for tagline also will get Rs 75,000/-. The last date of submission of entries is 26.3.18.

IRSDC has carried out one round of empanelment and 11 firms have been empanelled in A, B and C category. However, for more number of architectural firms required to simultaneously work on all stations, hence second round of Request for Empanelment (RFE) is already called which will be a continuous exercise henceforth.

Further, for all professionals, an open invitation for developing concept and master plans for redevelopment of stations has been given at the website https://www.irsdc.com/images/Invitation%20Concept%20Plan%20120218.pdf .

The last date for submission for their interests for stations is now 09.03.18. An 'Architect-Samvad' has been planned to be held shortly in March'18 in which Minister of Railways shall also interact with architects to discuss strategy to take the program forward.

First round of International Design Competition for three stations i.e. Gwalior, Nagpur and Bayappanhalli has been completed and the second stage will be completed by 31.03.2018. After the same, Engineering Procurement Contract (EPC) tenders for these stations will be called. For five stations, i.e. Chandigarh, Anand Vihar (Delhi), Secundrabad, Bangalore and Pune, tenders for Integrated Station Management through private parties has been called. Through these contracts, integrated management of stations will be done through private parties. Tenders for redevelopment of Chandigarh, Anand Vihar, Bijwasan and Surat stations are expected in March'18.

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Sterlite Technologies has been awarded a Rs 3500-crore Advance Purchase Order to design, build and manage the Indian Navy's communications network. This will give the Indian Navy digital defence supremacy at par with the best naval forces globally.

This is the first time that an integrated naval communications network at such a scale is being built in India.

The Navy's communications network has been envisioned as a smarter network infrastructure with enhanced throughput, high-quality secure services and ease of network management. The scope requires Sterlite Tech to design, build and manage the communications network for over a decade through its system integration capabilities.

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Strides Shasun announced that it will launch Ranitidine Tablets USP, 150 mg (OTC) in the US markets. Strides is already a key player in the US Ranitidine Rx market with 32% market share through its approval for Ranitidine Tablets USP, 150 mg and 300 mg. The new launch will further strengthen company's Ranitidine franchise.

According to IRI data, the US OTC market for Ranitidine Tablets, which is the generic form of the popular brand Zantac, is approximately USD 200 Million.

This is the first product approval from company's 50:50 JV with Vivimed Labs. The product will be backward integrated and will be manufactured at the JV's Oral dosage facility in Chennai. Strides will have exclusive marketing rights for the product in the US. The product will be launched immediately.

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Thomas Cook (India) gained 1.63% to Rs 240 at 12:27 IST on BSE after the company said that it has entered into a three year strategic agreement with Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 February 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 241.79 points, or 0.71% to 34,383.94. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 144.40 points, or 0.87% to 16,706.43, outperforming the Sensex.

A spurt in volume was witnessed on the counter. On the BSE, 8.78 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 33,893 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 244.90 and a low of Rs 235.20 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 274.15 on 15 January 2018. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 185.85 on 28 February 2017.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 23 February 2018, falling 6.07% compared with the Sensex's 5.53% fall. The scrip had, however, outperformed the market over the past one quarter gaining 2.43% as against the Sensex's 1.65% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market over the past one year rising 22.9% as against the Sensex's 18.17% rise.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 36.71 crore. Face value per share is Re 1.

Thomas Cook (India) has entered into a 3 year strategic agreement with Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) an organization dedicated to the management of world-leading zoological institutions - Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo.

Thomas Cook India's internal data has revealed a strong and significant growth of Indians travelling to Singapore with a 20% yearly growth. Additionally, WRS reveals that India is one of the top five countries in terms of visitors across its four parks.

Hence, in a focussed initiative to leverage this high potential growth segment, Thomas Cook India and WRS have entered into a strategic agreement and via this three year plan, both companies will focus on a multipronged engagement that includes product development, joint consumer promotions and MarCom to showcase Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

Thomas Cook's consolidated net profit spurted 1188.4% to Rs 59.78 crore on 51.2% rise in net sales to Rs 3005.45 crore in Q3 December 2017 over Q3 December 2016.

Thomas Cook (India) is the leading integrated travel and travel related financial services company in the country offering a broad spectrum of services that include foreign exchange, corporate travel, MICE, leisure travel, insurance, visa & passport services and e-business.

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Thomas Cook (India) has entered into a 3 year strategic agreement with Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) an organization dedicated to the management of world-leading zoological institutions - Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo.

Thomas Cook India's internal data has revealed a strong and significant growth of Indians travelling to Singapore with a 20% YoY growth.

Additionally, WRS reveals that India is one of the top five countries in terms of visitors across its four parks. Hence, in a focussed initiative to leverage this high potential growth segment, Thomas Cook India and WRS have entered into a strategic agreement and via this three year plan, both companies will focus on a multipronged engagement that includes product development, joint consumer promotions and MarCom to showcase Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

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UPL gained 2.22% to Rs 715.65 at 13:45 IST on BSE after the company said that its wholly-owned subsidiary, UPL Corporation approved the proposal to launch an offering of US dollar denominated senior unsecured notes.

The announcement was made during market hours today, 26 February 2018.

The notes are proposed to be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 290.18 points, or 0.85% to 34,432.33.

On the BSE, 82,103 shares were traded in the counter so far compared with an average volume of 1.56 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 716.10 and a low of Rs 706.50 so far during the day. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 902 on 1 August 2017. The stock had hit a 52-week low of Rs 675.10 on 22 February 2018.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 23 February 2018, falling 13.22% compared with the Sensex's 5.53% fall. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one quarter declining 6.58% as against the Sensex's 1.65% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market over the past one year dropping 2.55% as against the Sensex's 18.17% rise.

The large-cap company has an equity capital of Rs 101.67 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

UPL's consolidated net profit rose 25.3% to Rs 579 crore on 7% rise in net sales to Rs 4194 crore in Q3 December 2017 over Q3 December 2016.

UPL is the largest Indian multinational agrochemical company and is engaged in research, manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of agrochemicals and specialty chemicals across the globe.

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The stock is quoting at Rs 344.25, up 1.88% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. Vedanta Ltd is up 34.71% in last one year as compared to a 18.74% jump in NIFTY and a 30.91% jump in the Nifty Metal index.

Vedanta Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 344.25, up 1.88% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.7% on the day, quoting at 10564.2. The Sensex is at 34370.29, up 0.67%. Vedanta Ltd has slipped around 0.22% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 1.65% in last one month and is currently quoting at 4028.8, up 1.08% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 59.35 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 116.41 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark March futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 336.05, up 0.39% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is up 34.71% in last one year as compared to a 18.74% jump in NIFTY and a 30.91% jump in the Nifty Metal index.

The PE of the stock is 14.06 based on TTM earnings ending December 17.

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The seventh round of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations began in Mexico City with hopes of finalising more sections.

Negotiators from Canada, the US and Mexico held a closed door meeting on Sunday at a hotel in the city's upscale Polanco neighbourhood, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mexico said the first day of talks will see 27 different working groups hold discussions on agriculture, good regulatory practices and rules of origin, among others.

Mexican Economy Minister and head negotiator Ildefonso Guajardo said this round will conclude on March 5 and could see up to seven sections or chapters finalised.

"It is a matter of making the necessary decisions, of which there are not too many, to close topics that have not been updated in 22 years," Guajardo said.

Also on the table are labour issues, pharmaceutical transparency, financial services and intellectual property rights.

Among the issues, the three NAFTA partners have been unable to agree on is rules of origin in the automotive sector, which stipulates what percentage of a vehicle should be regionally manufactured.

The US has proposed raising it to a minimum of 85 per cent within the NAFTA region, and at least 50 per cent from the US. However, Mexico and Canada want the rate to remain at 62.5 per cent.

--IANS

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A week after Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was allegedly attacked by two ruling AAP MLAs, the Delhi government is planning to live stream all official meetings, an official said on Monday.

The official told IANS that the government was planning to make available live feed of meetings on a website, which can be viewed by everyone.

"People will know who spoke what in the meeting, be it the elected representative or officials," the official said.

If the plan is approved, the upcoming budget will have allocation for its implementation.

Last week, Chief Secretary Prakash alleged that he was beaten up by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and another AAP MLA on February 19 night in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the CM's residence here, where he had been called for a meeting.

--IANS

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Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in force in Jammu and Kashmir should be amended.

"There is a need to amend the AFSPA if you cannot repeal it. The law and order duties should be entrusted to the Jammu and Kashmir Police and not paramilitary forces," the Rajya Sabha member said here.

Congress leader Chidambaram, Chairman of a parliamentary panel on home affairs, said deployment of paramilitary forces in the state should be curtailed, which would lower violence in the militancy-hit state.

--IANS

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An AirAsia flight made an emergency landing on Monday in Japan's Okinawa prefecture due to problems in the engine, the Transport Ministry said here.

According to the ministry, none of the 379 passengers and crew members aboard the flight bound for Kuala Lumpur were injured, reports Xinhua news agency.

The plane's right engine indicated problems, forcing the captain to shut the troubled engine down and declare an emergency landing.

The plane touched down at Naha airport. The plane had initially departed from Tokyo's Haneda airport, the ministry added.

--IANS

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The Andhra Pradesh government signed MoUs worth Rs 4,39,765 crore at the CII Partnership Summit 2018 which concluded here on Monday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the government signed 734 MoUs with various companies. The investment is expected to create 11,02,125 jobs.

During the first two days, agreements worth nearly Rs 3 lakh crore investment were signed while on the last day, more companies came forward to sign the documents expressing their willingness to invest over Rs 1 lakh crore.

The MoUs signed in the energy sector alone expected to realize in investment of over Rs 1.11 lakh crore.

Addressing the valedictory function of the three-day event, he said the state received investment commitments from several major companies including Reliance, Adani Group, Lulu Group and Google.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and its partners had on Saturday announced Rs 55,000 crore investment in energy, electronics and other sectors in the state.

Naidu said RIL signed MoUs for three projects. These include a unit at Tirupati to manufacture one million mobile phones. He said the company will also create best ecosystem for innovation incubation, and startups with venture capital.

United Arab Emirates-based Lulu Group signed a MoU to build a convention centre, hotel and shopping mall in Visakhapatnam.

India Gas Solutions Private Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture company of RIL and BP International Ltd (BP) in the business of marketing gas and LNG in India, signed a MoU to develop offshore gas discoveries in Block KGD6 in the Krishna Godavari basin, through three projects with investments up to Rs 40,000 crore.

The Adani Group has announced investment of Rs 9,000 crore including the development of a port at Bhavanapadu.

Naidu said Anantapur will emerge as the automobile hub. He said the first car from Kia Motors's unit will roll out next years. The company will also export cars manufactured in this facility.

The Chief Minister also said he would personally monitor the progress of the projects and assured the investors that all clearances will be granted within 21 days.

"If you have any problem you can bring it to my notice. I am only a call away," he said.

Naidu expressed satisfaction over the successful conduct of the third consecutive Partnership Summit here. This year's event saw the highest ever participation. As many as 4,253 delegates including 280 delegates from 50 countries participated in the summit.

In the industries sector, the state signed 129 MoUs, which is expected to bring Rs 58,337 crore investment and generate 1,31,682 jobs. In mining sector, 31 MoUs worth Rs 12,227 crore were signed.

The MoUs inked in Information Technology, Electronics and Communication sectors will fetch Rs 30,050 crore investment to the state.

Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board signed 144 MoUs with investment commitment of Rs 1,51,400 crore.

The investment expected in food processing sector is Rs 3,100 crore.

Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), which is developing new state capital Amaravati, entered into 37 MoUs with various firms to attract investment of Rs 4,964 crore.

--IANS

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Actress Adah Sharma says that actors are judged constantly by everyone and in the world where social media is so popular, it is necessary to get used to the judgment as well.

Adah, who recently shot a select edit from KOOVS SS'18, titled California Grunge, told IANS: "As an actor you are judged constantly by everyone. I think with social media... you have to be okay with people saying good and very ugly things too."

Speaking on actors being influential when it comes to fashion, Adah, who would "love to launch her own clothing line" sometime says that with fashion what is in today is out tomorrow and "what is a disaster today is a fashion statement in a week.

"I think it's very important how one carries themselves despite and in spite of the clothes they wear," she said.

"Actors do have an influence... I know people who have had their hair coloured like mine the red ombre when I did it first for the song in 'Commando 2'".

"The cons for an actor are that when you are stepping from the car onto a red carpet back to the car or shooting for a movie, with people on set looking out for you... in real life sometimes it wouldn't be wise to wear the same stuff...but then why live wisely? Have fun with fashion," she added.

Vouching for the colour yellow to be the hue this summer season, the "Hasee Toh Phasee" actress said: " From mustard yellow to lemon yellow... yellow it is".

"Fashion statements will be quirky, floral, fun and fresh stuff, sexy swimwear with shorts will be the next fad. My favourite pieces would be jumpsuit dress. It's a cute look that can be styled in so many ways," she said.

--IANS

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An Australia TV interview with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in which she was called "attractive" has been widely criticised as "creepy" and inappropriate, a report said on Monday.

In an interview on current affairs show 60 Minutes, veteran reporter Charles Wooley said he was "smitten" by Ardern, reports the BBC.

The interview was a profile of Ardern, who at 37 became New Zealand's youngest Prime Minister in over a century in October 2017.

"I've met a lot of prime ministers in my time, but none so young and not so many so smart, and never one so attractive," said Wooley in his opening.

He also focused much of the interview on Ardern's pregnancy.

"One really important political question that I want to ask you, and that is what exactly is the date that the baby's due?" he asked Ardern and her partner, Clarke Gayford.

"It's interesting how much people have been counting back to the conception date," he then added.

Ardern responded by saying the baby was conceived when the "election was over", but that they did not "need to get into those details".

Ardern announced her pregnancy in January It will make her the second elected world leader to give birth while in office. She will be taking six weeks of maternity leave before going back to work.

The interview was slammed by many on social media, with some calling it "creepy", reports the BBC.

"The 60 Minutes Jacinda Adern puff piece is just ick. Charles Wooley has already called her the most attractive PM he's ever met and asked about when she had sex to fall pregnant," a Twitter user posted.

Another user said: "Why did 60 Minutes send its creepiest interviewer to do its segment on Jacinda Ardern? Eww!"

--IANS

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A 60-year-old man died and his wife was critically injured when a swarm of honey bees attacked them in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, police said.

The deceased, Satnam Munjwani, was standing outside his house along with his wife when bees attacked them in Ratanlal Nagar area.

Their relative Prakash was also injured.

By the time the neighbours rushed to help, Munjwani had collapsed. He was declared brought dead at the hospital.

His wife, Gauri, has been admitted to a hospital in Saket Nagar where her condition is critical.

--IANS

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Bollywood personalities like Karan Johar, Tabu, Saroj Khan and Madhuri Dixit-Nene gathered at actor-producer Anil Kapoor's residence here on Monday to offer condolences to the family of actress Sridevi, who breathed her last on Saturday.

Amidst tight security, paparazzi and fans, veteran actress Sarika was among the ones to arrive early with her daughters Shruti and Akshara Haasan. Their father and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan is expected to meet the Kapoors soon.

Right after the news of her sudden demise got viral on Sunday, Kamal, her co-star from "Sadma", tweeted: "Have witnessed Sridevi's life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificent lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. Sadma's lullaby haunts me now. We'll miss her."

While Sarika and her daughters, actress Jaya Prada and director-writer Shashank Khaitan chose white outfits, some donned black to express grief.

Karan turned up in a grey sweatshirt and black ripped jeans with white sneakers. Choreographer Saroj Khan who had worked with Sridevi in films like "Judaai", "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja" and "Lamhe", walked in in a black and white suit.

Madhuri also arrived at the venue in a black, white and blue outfit surrounded by guards who made way for her.

Ace designer Manish Malhotra was also one of the celebrities who seemed to be greatly affected by Sridevi's death.

"Sridevi and I first met in 1990 when she was already a superstar and I was beginning my career. Working with an icon I always called 'Ma'am' was a turning point in my career, as it was the beginning of many associations and a longstanding friendship beyond work," Manish said in a statement.

Manish dressed the actress a number of times in his creations.

He added: "We have seen each other grow professionally and personally -- it was amazing to see the roles she blossomed into, her passion for painting, and the doting wife and mother she was. I met Sridevi very recently in Dubai and we just had so much to share."

Actress Ameesha Patel, choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, producer Ritesh Sidhwani, actor Venkatesh Daggubati wore black tops and blue jeans. Actress Tabu had her hair tied in a bun and sported a black and beige suit.

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar also showed up in black fitted T-shirt, shades, head band and bottoms.

Veteran actor M. Nassar was also seen entering Anil's residence to pay tribute to the late actress, where even politician Amar Singh was spotted.

A Dubai Police forensic report stated that the 54-year-old had passed away due to accidental drowning in the bathtub in her hotel room in Dubai.

According to reports, her body will be flown to Mumbai later on Monday.

--IANS

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At least one passenger was killed and 32 others injured on Monday when a bus rolled down the hill in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, police said.

Most of the victims were from the area and enroute to Sundernagar town when the bus skidded off the road near Galuhar.

The injured were admitted to a government hospital in Sundernagar.

Eyewitnesses said the administration had a tough time recuing the victims from the badly-mangled bus.

The accident seems to have occurred due to negligent driving, a police official told IANS.

People in the area began rescue operations even before the authorities reached the spot.

--IANS

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Actress Charlize Theron is happy that she got a chance to work with Australian director Nash Edgerton with "Gringo", and says she has been a fan of his work since long.

Theron discovered Edgerton's dark humour through his 2007 short film "Spider".

"I was so impressed when I saw it I asked to meet him, just as a fan," Theron said in a statement.

"We hit it off straight away and became friends. For a while now, we've been looking for something we could do together," she added.

"Gringo" revolves around mild-mannered businessman Harold (David Oyelowo) who is assigned the task of delivering the formula of a new weed pill to a lab in Mexico and all the obstacles he faces.

The film, also starring Amanda Seyfried and Joel Edgerton, combines dark humour with dramatic intrigue. Theron will be seen essaying role of a shrewd businesswoman Elaine Markinson.

It is being brought to India by PVR Pictures, and will release on March 9.

--IANS

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Southeast Asia today presents an anomalous situation with widespread economic progress but also widening disparity, apparent stability in all its countries which, however, face a range of challenges from ethnic insurgencies to terrorism, and most worryingly, democracy losing ground, says a leading regional specialist.

And India, which is increasing linkages with the region, must play a greater role to shore up democracy in Southeast Asia, citing its own role in managing diversity democratically, American journalist, writer and "private diplomat" Michael Vatikiotis, who has been working in and studying the region for over three decades, told IANS in an interview.

"There is incredible economic growth in Southeast Asia but also wealth disparity is increasing, so is the inequality in social and economic access for its people.

"Then, despite the apparent stability, the region is beset by protracted conflicts -- between Buddhists and Muslims, Shias and Sunnis. Thailand and the Philippines are facing insurgencies that have been going on as long as they have been independent countries," he said.

Referring to the case of the Philippines' Marawi city that was overrun by an Islamic State (IS)-affiliated group, which held it for nearly five months in mid-2017, before the army won it back, he says it looks like it is somewhere in war-ravaged Syria.

"There are now rising levels of intolerance between religions. Islam here was a 'tropical' form accommodating minorities but has become more conservative and orthodox. It is a particular problem in Indonesia," he said.

Buddhism, especially in Myanmar, was no less, with the Rohingya issue making for the largest humanitarian crisis Asia has faced since the Vietnamese boat people, he added.

But Vatikiotis, a former editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review and now Asia Regional Director of the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, said that the most worrying fact was that after three decades of political reforms in the region, democracy was in retreat.

There is a military junta in Thailand and no announcement about when elections will be held, Cambodia's ruler is increasingly autocratic and so is the leader of the Philippines, while the army plays a big role in Myanmar due to its serious security situation, he said.

"I tried to understand why this is happening by talking to diplomats, politicians, rebels... it's most perplexing why Southeast Asia which is graceful and pleasant, is economically prospering, sees so much violence and suffering every year.

"It is different from the other places where democracy is in retreat... the region had all the advantages... its countries had functioning institutions, well-run economies, no debt, community spirit among the people. But all these have been squandered," said the expert, who focuses on this aspect in his recent book "Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia" (2017).

Vatikiotis, who was in the country for a literary event, contends that it seems this trend is fostered by a section of the people's desire for "tradeoffs" for a comfortable and secure life where democracy is less of a priority. "They only want their children to be safe, the neighbourhood to be secure... while the ruling elites are undermining democracy."

Vietnam, he said, was an outlier, since it was more influenced by China, and though it was a one-party state, its recent anti-corruption drive was popular and showed that the system can continue.

Malaysia was most analogous to India, in so far as it was multi-racial and had strong institutions of governance bequeathed to it -- but these institutions were now "deteriorating" and thus its ruling party leaders were now playing the "race card", he said.

Vatikiotis, noting that the region was surrounded by rising giants China and India -- which are contesting for influence --, however expressed his "deep disappointment" that India has not played more of a role in Myanmar and the region in support of democracy and rights.

"India is successful in managing diversity, including ethnic, in economic inclusivity, in governance... I can't understand its reluctance. Perhaps it is following its traditional policy of focusing on the immediate neigbourhood. It's a missed opportunity," he said.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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Michael McCormack, a former regional newspaper editor, was elected as Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister on Monday.

He replaces Barnaby Joyce as leader of the Nationals, the governing coalition's junior partner, reports the BBC.

Joyce stepped down on Friday following questions over his relationship with media adviser Vikki Campion, and an allegation sexual harassment by another woman. He called the latter complaint "spurious and defamatory".

As leader of the Nationals, he automatically becomes deputy to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - who heads the Liberal Party.

McCormack said Joyce had been an "outstanding leader", the BBC reported.

"His service to our party and to our nation will never be diminished. His legacy will endure," he told the media.

McCormack had attracted criticism over a controversial editorial he wrote 25 years ago as editor of the Daily Advertiser, a small newspaper based in the town of Wagga Wagga, in which he described homosexuality as "sordid".

"Unfortunately gays are here and, if the disease their unnatural acts helped spread doesn't wipe out humanity, they're here to stay," he wrote in 1993.

McCormack has since apologised for the piece and said his views have changed.

Although long opposed to same-sex marriage, he voted in line with the majority of his constituents to support its legalisation in Australia last year.

--IANS

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Global travel gear and luggage maker Samsonite expects its sales to grow 18-20 per cent in India to touch Rs 1,600 crore by the end of 2018.

"For the year 2017, we did around Rs 1,250 crore in sales. Our goal is that we want to grow around 18-20 per cent in 2018, and we should be touching around Rs 1,600 crore," Anushree Tainwala, Executive Director, Marketing, Samsonite South Asia told IANS over a telephonic interaction.

The Samsonite official said the company comprises around 38-40 per cent market share of the Indian market, adding that: "In the next two years we want to achieve 45 per cent of market share here."

Leading with enhancing the capacity of its Nagpur facility, the company would invest significantly in design and development in the country, she added.

"Currently, we manufacture around 80,000 pieces (per month) in that facility, our goal is that by June we enhance it upto around 1 lakh pieces and by the end of the year we want to touch 2 lakh pieces," Tainwala said.

For the year 2018, the company's highest focus would be on the Kamilant brand (low cost suitcase), which was launched in late 2016, according to the executive director.

"In its first year itself we have crossed a Rs 100 crore in sales and we want to double its (Kamilant) sales every year, for the next few years," she said.

Talking about investments in India, Tainwala said: " Kamilant is a small value segment brand competing at a similar price point as a Skybag, a VIP or a Safari. That honestly is the bulk of the Indian market... So, Kamilant is where we are going to put in a lot of our investments, as well as American Tourister."

"For American Tourister specifically we got Virat Kohli on board last year as a brand ambassador. In 2018 we have also got Christiano Ronaldo on board," she said.

On the region-wise sales in India, Tainwala said: "The biggest region is south...with around 28 per cent of our sales coming from the south, 24 per cent coming from north, 15 per cent from west, around 11 per cent from east and 14 per cent fom e-commerce sale."

Although with the introduction of e-commerce, sales in the brick-and-mortar shops have not seen a dip, but "of course, the growth rate we see in e-commerce surpasses the growth rate we see in other channels today," she said.

"So, a lot of market shares may be e-commerce is taking from other shares," she added.

(Rituraj Baruah can be reached at rituraj.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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Spelling huge embarrassment for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tendered an unconditional apology in the legislature after a Gujarati translation audio of Governor C. V. Rao's speech was played in the House, here on Monday.

As the matter came to light, Fadnavis got up and tendered an unconditional apology to the House and the members for the gaffe which he termed as "a very serious issue."

The incident, ironically, occurred a day before the Marathi Language Day (February 27) and on the opening day of the Maharashtra Legislature's Budget Session on Monday when Governor Rao got up to make his customary address before a joint sitting of the members of the assembly and council.

Barely a few minutes into the speech in English which was delivered by Rao, most members were startled to hear a Gujarati translation on their headphones instead of Marathi.

Irate Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party members created a ruckus, flaying the government for the Gujarati audio and vociferously demanded a Marathi translation audio.

"This is a very serious issue.. it cannot be taken lightly," said Congress Leader of Opposition in the assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

His counterpart in the Council, NCP's Dhananjay Munde said "the government has failed the 12 crore citizens of Maharashtra.. We did not hear the speech in Marathi, but in Gujarati language."

Led by the two leaders, the main opposition members boycotted the Governor's remaining speech and staged a noisy walkout.

Education Minister Vinod Tawde said when he heard the Gujarati translation audio, he rushed to the Legislature Control Room to personally check and later read out the Marathi translation of the Governor's speech, but it was not clear if it was a technical glitch or something else.

On his part, Fadnavis got up and tendered an apology to the House, and requested the Speaker Haribhau Bagade to initiate stringent action against the people responsible and punish them by Monday evening if possible.

"It is indeed a very grave mistake. This is indeed a serious matter. I am requesting the Honourable Speaker to look into this immediately and take stringent action against those responsible. In fact, if possible by this evening, they should be shunted home. I also hereby unconditionally apologise for this," Fadnavis said.

This is described as an 'unprecedented' incident in the state's history and happened on the eve of the Marathi Language Day -- to commemorate the birth anniversary of litterateur and Padma Bhushan awardee, V. V. Shirwadkar when the government organises a series of programmes in the state to popularise the state's official language.

--IANS

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Four Maoist guerrillas were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Jharkhand's Palamau district on Monday.

According to the police, based on intelligence inputs on the presence of members of Maoist organisation Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) at Kala Pahad, a police team along with Central Reserve Police Force personnel headed to the area.

The TPC members started firing at the security forces resulting in the gun battle. A search operation is on in the area following the gunfight.

The Maoists are active in 18 of the 24 districts in Jharkhand.

--IANS

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The head of the UN on Monday demanded that a 30-day ceasefire in Syria drafted by the Security Council should come into effect and called for an end to the "hell on earth" in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held Damascus suburb that has been the target of an intense bombing campaign in recent days.

Opening a Human Rights Council at the UN's Geneva office, Antonio Guterres commended the adoption of the resolution but warned that it would only serve its purpose if it was properly implemented, particularly with regard to Eastern Ghouta, Efe news reported.

Last week, over 500 people were killed by airstrikes and shelling conducted by forces loyal to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

"Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth," Guterres told the Council, pleading for a facilitation of humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuations of sick and wounded from the besieged network of small towns and satellite cities mere kilometres from Damascus, where roughly 400,000 people are estimated to live.

The UN's Security Council adopted the ceasefire resolution late Saturday evening, but intense hostilities in Eastern Ghouta continued unabated.

--IANS

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South Korean prosecutors on Monday raided the home and office of former President Lee Myung-bak's son-in-law for alleged bribery charges.

Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office stormed the home and office of Lee Sang-joo, who is married to Lee Myung-bak's eldest daughter and works as a senior executive for Samsung Electronics, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lee Sang-joo was suspected of receiving bribes from an unidentified third party on behalf of the former president.

The prosecution's investigation into Lee Myung-bak has been underway over corruption allegations involving DAS, a domestic auto parts manufacturer.

Lee Si-hyung, the son of the former leader and a DAS executive, was summoned and grilled on Sunday by prosecutors as part of the prosecution's probe into the corruption allegations.

Prosecutors have planned planned to summon the former president early next month.

--IANS

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Iran on Monday asked the US to drop "psychological and propaganda war" against Tehran.

The US pursues this policy to prevent the global community and the Europeans from forging closer relations with Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

However, "the Americans policy vis-a-vis Iran has been exposed to everybody and the global community decides based on their own interests," Qasemi said in his weekly press conference, Xinhua reported.

The US reiteration of their anti-Iran rhetoric is a sign of defeat in its policies, said Qasemi.

"We are in negotiations with a number of countries for the expansion of economic ties," he said, adding that in the meantime "we advise the Americans to drop such (hostile) policies and incorporate wisdom in their policy-making."

Trump has constantly criticized the nuclear pact inked between Iran and Russia, Britain, France, China, the US and Germany in 2015, which promised to relieve sanctions on Tehran in exchange for a halt in Iran's efforts to develop nuclear programme.

US President Donald Trump has laid out areas where he wants cooperation with the Europeans to put together a united front on demanding what he has called "the change of behaviour of the Iranians".

The areas include alleged human rights violations, cyber threats and financial activities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

Trump had earlier demanded the nuclear deal be altered to eliminate sunset clauses for some of the restrictions it places on Iran, and harden the inspection rules and to limit development of Iran's long-range missiles.

On Sunday, Iranian foreign minister rejected as "improper" the conditions set by the United States for upholding Iran's international nuclear agreement.

The US as a party to the multilateral 2015 agreement cannot reset conditions for the deal, Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

"They have previously set some conditions that were improper. Their new conditions are improper as well," Zarif said.

The US is attempting to elude its commitments through making such demands, Zarif said.

Iran said it would not take any measures beyond its commitment to the JCPOA (or the nuclear deal), nor will it accept changes to this agreement.

Iran has threatened to likely withdraw from the nuclear deal if it cannot receive economic benefits.

--IANS

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An aggrieved Reliance Jio on Monday said the press statement issued by Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) has failed to furnish the public apology that was demanded by Jio earlier in the ongoing war of words agitating the telecom sector.

In a letter to COAI Director General Rajan S. Mathews, Jio asserted that "Rather than take the requisite remedial action, the media statement not only fails to include a public apology for the injury to Reliance Jio's reputation occasioned by the Press Release, but extends the campaign of falsehood and defamation that COAI and you have maintained against Reliance Jio".

"By way of its legal notice, Reliance Jio had demanded that COAI and yourself issue a public apology and appropriate clarification in regard to false and defamatory statements contained in the Press Release," Jio said in the letter dated February 26.

A copy of the letter is available with IANS.

The COAI had on Saturday asserted that its differences were with the telecom regulator and not with any operator in particular.

Responding to Reliance Jio's 48-hour ultimatum for a public apology for its "defamatory statements" wherein COAI had said it is likely to drag the telecom regulator to the court following its recent Telecom Tariff Order (TTO), COAI maintained that "Our differences are with the orders of the Regulator and not with any specific operator. Our intention is not to aggrieve any particular operator".

Reliance had earlier termed COAI's comments "defamatory" and in a letter to COAI on February 22 said: "COAI and Rajan Mathews (Director General, COAI) are hereby called upon to issue a public apology and issue appropriate clarification expressly regretting their callous and defamatory statements through a separate press release issued no later than 48 hours from receipt of this notice."

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Amit Shah on Monday vowed to get Mahadayi river water to drought-prone districts of Karnataka if his party wins the state assembly election, due in April-May.

"I guarantee the people of Karnataka that we will resolve the Mahadayi water issue with Goa if we win the ensuing assembly election. We will find a solution soon after coming to power in the state," claimed Shah at a presser here, about 630km north of Bengaluru.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region since Sunday, asserted that his party would rule the state after the upcoming assembly election.

"The Mahadayi issue would have been resolved if the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had a pro-active approach to the decade-old inter-state river water dispute with neighbouring Goa and Maharashtra," he asserted.

The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state has "completely failed" in the past five years with respect to law and order and situation, Shah alleged.

"Siddaramaiah has become synonymous with corruption," he reiterated.

Pending the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal ruling, Karnataka has sought 7.6 tmcft (thousand cubic feet) of the river water from Goa to meet the drinking water needs in its four drought-prone districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag in the north-west region, about 400-550km from Bengaluru.

The 77-km-long Mahadayi originates at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats in Belagavi district and flows into Goa and joins the Arabian Sea off the west coast.

Though the river flows 29km in Karnataka and 52km in Goa, its catchment area is spread over 2,032 km in the southern state as against 1,580 km in the western state (Goa).

Karnataka plans to build two canals across Kalasa and Banduri tributaries of the river in the state, to divert and supply water to the four districts.

The Tribunal, headed by J.N. Panchal, on July 28, 2016 rejected the state's petition for releasing the water, citing various grounds, including ecological damage the twin canal projects may cause.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two days after the Kerala government said it was open to any probe, even one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the murder of a Youth Congress worker in Kannur, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said there was no need for an investigation by the central agency.

Unhappy with Vijayan's statement in the assembly on the murder of 30-year-old Shoaib in Kannur on February 12, the entire opposition went into protest mode, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

As the Kerala Assembly began its session on Monday at 8.30 a.m., the Congress-led opposition walked into the House wearing black badges.

When question hour began, the party demanded suspension of House proceedings and a debate into Shoaib's murder that took place at an eatery near Mattanoor -- four persons in a car hurled bombs and then fatally injured Shoaib, slashing at him with a sword.

But Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan was in no mood to relent, worsening the situation as angry opposition members trooped near the Chair's podium and shouted slogans.

Sreeramakrishnan was then forced to adjourn the House.

When the House resumed at 9.30 a.m., Sunny Joseph, senior Congress legislator from Kannur district, moved an adjournment motion and said that the CPI-M has delivered "the unkindest of all cuts" on Shoaib -- an active Congress worker.

"It took six days for you (Vijayan) to react on it. The Director General of Police has already gone on record to say that the accused are CPI-M workers.

"The first and second accused in this murder case are already accused in another murder case, but you (Vijayan) were silent on it.

"Instead, you pointed out Sohaib was arrested in a street fight case. The pictures of Shoaib that have come out now show how brutally he was butchered," said Joseph.

Vijayan, replying to Joseph, pointed out that no murder can be justified and said that the overall situation in the state has improved compared to the previous years.

"The police have been doing a smart job and have arrested five people, and the probe is going in the right direction. So, at the moment there is no need for a CBI probe," said Vijayan.

Soon, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also stepped in and said that it was just two days back that, at an all-party meeting in Kannur, Minister for SC/ST and Culture A.K. Balan had categorically said that the state government was open to any probe, even a CBI probe.

"Now, you (Vijayan) say the CBI probe is not needed. The smell of blood on the hands of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in this murder will not be washed away even if you use all the perfume in the world.

"The very fact that you have gone back on your assurance of any probe clearly indicates that you have things to hide. This is not acceptable and we will protest till you announce a CBI probe into this murder," said Chennithala.

Following the speech, angry opposition members stepped up their protest, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

In Kannur, Shoaib's father told the media that it's imperative to know why his son was killed.

"He (Shoaib) did not know any of the five accused who have been arrested and hence it is very clear that this was a planned one. We want to know the reason why my son was killed," said Shoaib's father.

Senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, whose fast in Kannur demanding a CBI probe entered the eighth day, said that the "cat is now out of the bag and Vijayan knows that if the CBI is entrusted with the job of probing the case, then the law will catch up with the Kannur district leadership of the CPI-M, which is alleged to have masterminded this murder".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, accompanied by a business delegation, will come on a three-day visit to India starting on Tuesday, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Monday.

This will be his second visit to India after his visit along with Queen Rania in 2006.

According to an External Affairs Ministry statement, King Abdullah will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra during the course of which the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The two sides are expected to sign a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation.

President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honour of King Abdullah while Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary.

On Wednesday, the King will visit IIT Delhi to explore collaboration with Jordan technical institutes.

During the day, the King will also participate in a CEO Round-table followed by India-Jordan Business Forum jointly organised by Industry bodies Ficci, CII and Assocham.

India-Jordan trade stood at $1.35 billion in 2016-17, according to figures provided by the External Affairs Ministry.

On Thursday, the King will deliver a special address on "Promoting Understanding and Moderation", organised by the India Islamic Centre at Vigyan Bhawan.

Earlier this month, King Abdullah hosted Modi at his residence in Amman. Jordan had facilitated Modi's transit to Palestine in what was the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to that West Asian nation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Police on Monday rescued a two and a half-year-old boy who was kidnapped in North West Delhi last week and arrested three persons involved in the crime.

The minor was missing since February 23 and was kidnapped by a woman from Bawana town in Delhi's North West district.

According to the police, the 28-year-old woman, who was arrested from Anand Vihar, confessed to having kidnapped the boy and selling him to another woman for Rs 45,000.

The police have recovered a sum of Rs 42,000 from the procession of the accused.

"The lady's nephew Saurabh (27) was also involved in the case," police said.

All the three accused are from Delhi's Bawana town.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked US President Donald Trump for deciding to move the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, Israel's Independence Day.

Netanyahu on Sunday said this will be "a great moment for the citizens of Israel, and this is a historic moment for the state of Israel", Xinhua news agency reported.

"On behalf of the entire government and people, I would like to thank President Trump for both his leadership and his friendship," he said.

The US announcement on Friday (February 23) followed Trump's declaration on December 6, 2017, to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and order to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking away from a long-held US policy that considered the Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem an occupied territory.

"This will have significant and historic long-range implications," Netanyahu said. "We will celebrate it together, all citizens of Israel."

Israel annexed East Jerusalem along with the rest of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has claimed East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians regard as the capital of its future independent state, as part of its "indivisible capital," in a move never recognized internationally.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After visiting refugee camps in Bangladesh, three Nobel Peace laureates on Monday denounced the international community's silence regarding the persecution of Muslim minority Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman and Mairead Maguire, members of the Nobel Women's Initiative, on Sunday began a visit to refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, to where some 688,000 Rohingyas have fled since violence broke out against them in Myanmar last year.

"The international community disappeared and its shame on all of us and on the international community that they are silent against all this genocide," Yemen's Karman, who founded the group "Women Journalists Without Chains" and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, said Efe reported.

Northern Irish activist Maguire said she heard accounts of women who had been raped and their families murdered, and blamed the Myanmar government of an "orchestrated attempt" to remove the Rohingyas and their history from Myanmar.

"We demand the international community, the United Nations and every single body to take this matter now," said Maguire, who received the Nobel prize in 1976 for her efforts to end violence in Northern Ireland.

"And as members of the international community we have to do our utmost to make sure this is taken to the international court. And we are paving the way for that," said Iranian lawyer Ebadi, who in 2003 became the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The mass exodus started after the military carried out a campaign in retaliation against an attack by a Rohingya rebel group on August 25, 2017, in a province inhabited by around one million members of the minority.

The United Nations and human rights organisations have repeatedly said that there is clear evidence of rights violations in Rakhine, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called the violence an example of "ethnic cleansing."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Monday expanded his cabinet inducting four new ministers including the Minister for Finance and Home Affairs, taking the number of ministers to seven.

Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-appointed ministers at a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace -- Sheetal Niwas in the capital, amidst the presence of top government officials and leaders from different political parties, Xinhua reported.

The new ministers sworn in include Ram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Home Affairs; Yubaraj Khatiwada, Minister for Foreign Finance; Matrika Yadav, Minister for Industry; and Ishwar Pokharel, Minister for Defence.

Of the newly appointed ministers, Thapa and Yadav belong to the CPN (Maoist Center), a partner under the Oli-led coalition government. Newly-appointed Defence Minister Pokharel is a leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist - UML).

The new Finance Minister is a veteran economist of Nepal, who had served as the Governor of the central bank and the vice-chairman of National Planning Commission in the past.

The Prime Minister had formed a small cabinet on the day of his election on February 15 inducting Lal Babu Pandit as the Minister for Environment and Tham Maya Thapa as the Minister for Women and Social Welfare. Pandit and Thapa both belong to the CPN (UML) party.

Nepali President Bhandari appointed Oli, the chairman of the CPN (UML) party, as the 41st Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation, on February 15. Oli succeeded Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress Party, who had been in power since June 7, 2017.

This is the first government elected in Nepal after the CPN (UML) emerged as the largest political party in the landmark elections held in November and December last year, which were billed as a turning point for the country.

An electoral alliance of the Oli-led CPN (UML) and the CPN (Maoist Centre) had trounced Deuba-led Nepali Congress party in last year's polls, the first under the country's new constitution promulgated in 2015.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 85 per cent of electors cast their votes at the six polling stations where re-polling was held on Monday after the Election Commission (EC) declared void the polling at these centres on February 18, a senior EC official said.

"Out of the 5,582 voters in six polling stations, over 85 per cent cast their votes today (Monday) in the re-polling at these polling stations," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti told IANS.

According to him, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the six polling station areas spread across six assembly constituencies.

One such polling station falls in Dhanpur segment (in western Tripura's Sepahijala district), from where Chief Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Manik Sarkar is contesting.

The CEO said the Commission has also issued order that during the counting of votes on March 3, the slips of VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails) of seven polling stations in seven Assembly constituencies also be counted, since their Presiding Officers did not get clearance from EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) control units for the votes cast during the mandatory mock poll before the start of actual polling on February 18.

The EC has also told the Tripura CEO that in four other polling stations in four Assembly seats, the total number of electorate did not match with the total number of votes recorded.

"The Election Commission has also asked the Returning Officers of these four Assembly constituencies not to declare results without prior permission, if the winning margin is one vote," Taranikanti added.

CPI-M Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar earlier criticised the Election Department for what he called "criminal negligence" regarding polling on February 18 in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats.

"Due to technical problems in EVMs-VVPATs, the voters suffered inordinate delays in casting their ballots...(in some cases) till February 18 midnight. This happened because of the incompetence and apathy of election officials," Dhar said.

Dhar said he came to know of technical glitches in EVMs-VVPATs at around 520 polling stations through his party's polling agents, and demanded a probe.

The CEO earlier said that 191 (6 per cent) VVPATs and 89 (5 per cent) EVMs malfunctioned across the state during the polling on February 18.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Vice President Tapas Dey, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the officials of Election Commission and the state Election Department were biased in favour of a particular party.

Over 92 per cent of Tripura's 2,536,589 voters cast their votes in Sunday's peaceful elections in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats, setting a new record in the electoral history of India.

In the 2013 and 2008 assembly polls, Tripura registered 92 per cent and 91 per cent voting, respectively.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 90 per cent of electors cast their votes at the six polling stations where re-polling was held on Monday after the Election Commission (EC) declared void the polling at these centres on February 18, a senior EC official said.

"Out of the 5,582 voters in six polling stations, over 95 per cent voters cast their votes today (Monday) in the re-polling at these polling stations," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti told IANS.

According to him, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the six polling station areas spread across six assembly constituencies.

One such polling station falls in Dhanpur segment (in western Tripura's Sepahijala district), from where Chief Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Manik Sarkar is contesting.

The CEO said the Commission has also issued order that during the counting of votes on March 3, the slips of VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails) of seven polling stations in seven Assembly constituencies also be counted, since their Presiding Officers did not get clearance from EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) control units for the votes cast during the mandatory mock poll before the start of actual polling on February 18.

The EC has also told the Tripura CEO that in four other polling stations in four Assembly seats, the total number of electorate did not match with the total number of votes recorded.

"The Election Commission has also asked the Returning Officers of these four Assembly constituencies not to declare results without prior permission, if the winning margin is one vote," Taranikanti added.

CPI-M Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar earlier criticised the Election Department for what he called "criminal negligence" regarding polling on February 18 in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats.

"Due to technical problems in EVMs-VVPATs, the voters suffered inordinate delays in casting their ballots...(in some cases) till February 18 midnight. This happened because of the incompetence and apathy of election officials," Dhar said.

Dhar said he came to know of technical glitches in EVMs-VVPATs at around 520 polling stations through his party's polling agents, and demanded a probe.

The CEO earlier said that 191 (6 per cent) VVPATs and 89 (5 per cent) EVMs malfunctioned across the state during the polling on February 18.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Vice President Tapas Dey, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the officials of Election Commission and the state Election Department were biased in favour of a particular party.

Over 92 per cent of Tripura's 2,536,589 voters cast their votes in Sunday's peaceful elections in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats, setting a new record in the electoral history of India.

In the 2013 and 2008 assembly polls, Tripura registered 92 per cent and 91 per cent voting, respectively.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In wake of an alleged Rs 11,300 crore fraud on state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said there was no use of blame game as the banking system in the country was going through a systemic falure.

"There have to be some regulations and those regulations must work effectively. If there is a systemic failure, we have seen what will happen like in the banks. Systems have to be rectified. There is no meaning and no use of blame game," Naidu said after giving away the Prime Minister's Shram Awards to over 300 workers here.

"The solution can be found only by understanding the reason behind the systemic failure and trying to correct it... would go on," he said.

The Vice President said that India was the economic hope of the world and that the picture was both "fascinating and complex as our economy is fast expanding".

He also called for improving the education level of labour force and improving their access to quality training.

"A small difference in annual productivity growth can add up to a bid difference in standards of living of a generation. It was pointed out that a productivity growth of 2 per cent per year can double the living standards in about 35 years," he said.

"But if productivity growth is slower, say at 1 per cent every year, it means doubling of average standards of life only every 70 years.

"So, it is essential that all necessary initiatives and interventions are undertaken to improve the productivity of our workforce by ensuring an enabling environment both at workplace and home," Naidu added.

The Vice President also called for evolving a political consensus on reforms in labour laws.

"We can not live with rules which come in the way of creating more job opportunities. Rules that make running of an enterprise difficult need to be relooked at.

"There is widespread acknowledgement that present labour laws are coming in the way of increased investment flows. If that is the case, should they not be examined to find solutions?" he asked.

Naidu asked the government and private sector to address the concerns, needs and aspirations of the work force by ensuring an appropriate ecosystem.

"At the same time, we need to create enough opportunities for those aspiring to join the ranks of workforce," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An upbeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that the ruling party would win the Karnataka assembly poll and return to power again.

"The Congress will win the assembly election in Karnataka again and return to power as our government fulfilled all the promises it made and lived up to the people's expectations," said an elated Gandhi at a public rally near Ramdurg in the state's northwest border district.

Resuming his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Gandhi said though they both have money and media with them, the Congress had the people with it because of its good governance in the state.

The Congress returned to power in the southern state in the May 2013 assembly election a decade after it lost power in 2004 state poll.

Gandhi was on a three-day visit to the state since Saturday to seek the people's blessings in the assembly poll, due in April-May, through the Jan Aashirwada Yatra, organised by the party's state unit.

Exuding confidence of the Congress being re-elected, Gandhi hinted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would lead the poll campaign with the party's state leaders to develop Karnataka into a model state for others to follow.

"Siddaramaiah and I will take the state forward after winning the upcoming election," reiterated Gandhi though the party had not projected its next chief minister in the event of winning the assembly poll.

Urging Modi to learn from Siddaramaiah how to deliver promises and govern the state, the party chief decried the former for dubbing the Congress government being corrupt and taking 10 per cent cut in its projects.

"Modi talks of fighting against corruption but records show that he did not bother to set up the anti-graft body (Lokayukta) even when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister for lover 12 years or Lokpal in New Delhi since he became the Prime Minister in May 2014," recalled Gandhi.

Accusing Modi of failing to keep promises made in the 2014 general elections, Gandhi said Siddaramaiah, however, walked the talk and delivered what the party promised the people in its poll manifesto five years ago.

"Whatever Modi does benefits only the people like diamond trader Nirav Modi who fled the country after siphoning Rs11,000 crore from the Punjab National Bank's Mumbai branch over a period since 2011," added Gandhi.

Terming Modi a self-proclaimed "chowkidar" (watchman) of the country, the party chief expressed dismay over his failure to check a smart trader duping a state-run bank of crores of rupees and went away scot free.

The self-proclaimed "chowkidar" of the nation is shockingly silently while crores of public money is looted right under his watch.

"Will Modi speak up and inform the nation how fraudsters manage to get away while the 'chowkidar' silently watches," thundered Gandhi.

Winding up the second leg of his visit to the state a fortnight after the four-day tour of the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region, the party chief interacted with the rural people, farmers and women from self-help group.

Besides Siddaramaiah, party's state unit president G. Parameshwara, party's state in-charge K.C. Venugopal, party's opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders accompanied Gandhi on the tour.

He also visited Hindu temple Saundatti, Renuka Yellamma temple in the district, about 500 km from Bengaluru.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France and Germany have said they are ready to work with Russia and their European partners to realise the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

This was said in a joint statement on Sunday, issued by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angel Merkel following their telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xinhua reported.

In this context, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will visit Moscow on February 27, according to the statement issued by the French presidency.

Macron and Merkel called during the talks to Russia "to exert maximum pressure" on the Syrian government to stop immediately bombing and to implement without delay the UN resolution adopted on Saturday with the implementation of a robust surveillance mechanism, the French presidency said.

It added that all those with influence on the ground should contribute to this implementation, especially the countries of the "Astana" format, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Macron stressed that France "will be extremely vigilant" so that the resolution adopted Saturday at the UN "does not remain a dead letter", according to the French presidency statement.

Macron and Merkel welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of the resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities in Syria to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded and sick, the statement said, adding that this is a first step that responds to a major humanitarian emergency, especially in Eastern Ghouta.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Income Tax Department on Monday said it has filed six cases for the prosecution of Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari in connection with the Rs 3,695 crore bank loan default case involving Bank of Baroda.

A senior I-T official told IANS: "We have filed six prosecution cases against Vikram Kothari, owner of the Rotomac group, on Saturday under the Income Tax Act, 1961."

The action comes in the wake of the registration of a case against Kothari, his son Rahul and wife Sadhna by the Central Bureau of Investigation following a Bank of Baroda complaint.

Kothari is Chairman and Managing Director of Rotomac while his wife and son are Directors.

Kothari had obtained loans from Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Indian Overseas Bank, Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Commerce, the FIR said.

On Thursday, Kothari and his son were arrested for alleged loan default after four days of questioning.

On Saturday, a CBI court in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow handed over their custody to the agency for 11 days.

A CBI official told IANS that both had since been brought to Delhi for further questioning.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A high level committee on Monday approved a central assistance of around Rs 6,000 crore for nine states which suffered from natural calamities last year, an official said.

In a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the committee approved assistance of Rs 1,711.66 crore for Bihar, which was affected by floods during 2017-18, an official statement said.

The committee also approved assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) amounting to Rs 1,055.05 crore for Gujarat, Rs 420.57 crore for Rajasthan, Rs 420.69 crore for Uttar Pradesh and Rs 838.85 crore for West Bengal, all of which were affected by floods.

It also approved central assistance of Rs 169.63 crore for Kerala (affected by cyclone Ockhi), Rs 133.05 crore for Tamil Nadu (affected by cyclone Ockhi and North East Monsoon), Rs 395.91 crore for Chhattisgarh (affected by kharif drought) and Rs 836.09 crore for the state of Madhya Pradesh (affected by kharif drought).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also attended the meeting.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a follow-up to the recently held "Advantage Assam" Global Investment Summit, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday held a meeting with Air Asia officials and discussed the detailed modalities of starting direct flights between Guwahati and Asean countries.

In a meeting held here with Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Asia Amar Abrol, the Chief Minister discussed Air Asia's plan of making Guwahati its principal hub for the company's South East Asia operations.

The CEO submitted a proposal to Sonowal on Air Asia's expansion plan in Guwahati and to connect the city through frequent direct flights with Chennai, Hyderabad, Vizag, Bagdogra etc., besides the Asean countries.

Sonowal said the state government is working very seriously to make Guwahati the nerve centre of the central government's Act East Policy and therefore wants to start direct flights with Asean and other countries.

He also informed the Air Asia CEO that his government, in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, is in constant touch with Asean countries to persuade them to set up their consulate offices in Guwahati.

He also said that the construction work of the new terminal building of Loka Priya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is going on in full swing and very shortly the airport will be transformed into an integrated airport with state-of-the-art facilities for the passengers.

Sonowal assured to provide all government help to Air Asia and requested the company to materialise international flight services before the festive occasion of Rongali Bihu this year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actress Sridevi, 54, was getting ready at a hotel room in Dubai for a dinner date with her producer-husband Boney Kapoor before she suffered a cardiac arrest which led to her sudden demise, a media report said on Monday.

Boney flew back from Mumbai and went to her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel at around 5.30 p.m., on Saturday to "surprise" her with the dinner, a source close to the family told the Khaleej Times.

He woke her up and the couple chatted for about 15 minutes before he invited her for dinner.

The "Mom" star then went to the washroom. After 15 minutes had passed and Sridevi did not come out, Boney knocked on the door to check on her.

When he got no response, he forced open the door to find the legendary actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water, the source said.

"He tried to revive her and when he could not, he called a friend of his. After that, he informed the police at 9 p.m.," he added.

The police and paramedics rushed to the site, but she was pronounced dead.

Her body was taken to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

Sridevi, Boney, and their younger daughter Khushi Kapoor were in Ras Al Khaimah last week to celebrate the wedding of her actor-nephew Mohit Marwah.

Boney had returned to Mumbai after the wedding, but decided to return to Dubai to "surprise" his wife.

The autopsy was completed on Sunday evening and the body is expected to be flown back via a private plane to Mumbai on Monday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kerala High Court on Monday rapped the counsel of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal Mar George Alencherry for pointing out to the court that as far as the Cardinal is concerned, the appellate authority is the Pope.

Taking a strong view of the Cardinal's counsel's contention, the court told him that it is strange to hear that the law of the land is not applicable to the Cardinal and said the court is looking if there was a breach of trust in the land deal.

The court made this observation when a petitioner sought a probe into the land deal done by the Cardinal which came under severe attack from the laity and even from a section of priests attached to the dioceses headed by the Cardinal.

The Ernakulam archdiocese in 2016 sold a three-acre piece of land in Kochi to repay a Rs 60 crore bank loan it had earlier taken to construct a medical college. The agent appointed by the church to facilitate the deal had estimated the value of the land at Rs 27.30 crore, but priests and local people claimed that the property's real value was at least Rs 80 crore.

The Cardinal's counsel told the court that as per the Canon Law, the Pope is the appellate authority to take action against a Cardinal.

The counsel also told the court that despite a few petitions against this land deal and the demand for a detailed probe into it being raised with the Vatican, no action has been initiated by the Pope against the Cardinal.

The petitioner urged the court to order a probe to find out if there was any wrong-doing in the sale of land by the Cardinal, which has caused a loss to the Church.

--IANS

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Thousands of students and parents poured into the school in Florida where a mass shooting nearly two weeks ago claimed 17 lives.

The students accompanied by their parents on Sunday returned to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where the February 14 massacre took place.

The students walked past police cruisers and memorial flowers to gather the backpacks and books they had left behind as they fled, the New York Times reported.

They hugged their classmates, teachers and friends they hadn't seen since the massacre.

"It actually felt good to be in the building," said 17-year-old student Briana Valli. "We're all going through this together."

Another student, Ryan Senatore, said: "It makes you feel kind of empty inside."

"Walking back in where 17 lives passed -- it's a disgusting feeling. It's never going to be the same. Never," said the 15-year-old.

Teachers and the rest of the staff were expected to return to work on Monday and Tuesday. The students will be back for classes from Wednesday.

Some students said that they dreaded returning and that wandering around the school again felt "surreal". The school was now a place filled with grief counsellors, comfort dogs and posters of solidarity.

The three-storey building, where most of the shooting occurred, remained fenced off and closed. It will not reopen for classes, said the daily.

School officials, parents and students have called for it to be demolished, with a memorial built in its place.

Meanwhile, new details emerged about the 19-year-old school shooter Nikolas Cruz that revealed a disturbing photo about his home life.

Cruz watched his adoptive father die of a heart attack in 2004 when he was just five years old. Years later, the teen reportedly tried to kill himself by guzzling gasoline just days before turning 18, according to Sun-Sentinel daily.

He was bullied relentlessly by his younger brother through his teens, reports said.

Cruz was diagnosed with developmental disorders when he was three years old and was described as "lost", "lonely" and "violent" by people who knew him.

He was also reported to the state for posting a video of himself cutting his arms on the mobile app Snapchat.

While he was a student at the Stoneman Douglas school, he was once seen in 2017 clutching a dead bird to his crotch during reading class, Cruz's former classmate told the Sun Sentinel.

He is currently booked into Broward County jail after confessing to the shooting.

--IANS

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Three Maoist guerrillas were arrested in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district on Friday, police said.

The three owing allegiance to Jharkhand Prastuti Committee (JPC) were arrested during a raid in Bendi forest on a tip-off.

One AK-56 assault rifle, a pistol, magazines of AK-56 rifle and pistol ammunition, eight mobile phones, and a walkie-talkie were among the items seized from them.

Police said more than 400 cartridges were seized in Gumla district in an unrelated case.

Maoists are active in 18 of the 24 districts in the state.

--IANS

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The US Supreme Court on Monday said it will not hear a case on the DACA programme, which protects about 690,000 young people brought into the country illegally by their parents from deportation.

In a brief order, the high court announced its decision not to try the case and so rejected the request of the US Justice Department and thwarted President Donald Trump's wish to have the future of DACA decided by March 5, Efe reported.

In practice, the decision means that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme remains in force and that the Department of Homeland Security must continue to accept applications for renewal of this immigration document that blocks deportation of undocumented youths and serves as a work permit.

The issue was the ruling of a federal court judge in California, who in January determined that Trump cannot completely revoke DACA while there are cases pending on the matter in courts around the country, because its beneficiaries could suffer irreparable harm.

In response to that ruling, the US Justice Department filed an appeal directly with the high court, without waiting for a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

An unusual move, because the courts of appeals generally judge cases before they are sent to the Supreme Court.

Monday's decision represents a small victory for defenders of immigrants, because until the California appeals court reaches a verdict on the case - which could take a year - the ruling of the San Francisco judge plus a similar one by a New York judge to block the demise of DACA will remain the law of the land.

The White House and Congress have not been able to agree on the future of DACA, so now the hopes of Dreamers depend on the courts.

--IANS

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Airstrikes by the US-led anti-terror coalition on an area in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour have killed 25 civilians, a monitor group reported on Monday.

The airstrikes targeted the last Islamic State (IS) pocket on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The London-based watchdog group said half of those killed were children.

Meanwhile, Syria's state news agency SANA said 29 people were killed and many were injured in the US-led airstrikes on the towns of Shufeh and Zahrat Aloni in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour.

Last week, SANA said 15 civilians were killed by US-led airstrikes on Deir al-Zour.

The US-led coalition has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their push to dislodge the IS from the eastern bank of the Euphrates, where major oil and gas fields are located.

In the process, dozens of civilians have been killed by the US-led coalition airstrikes in northern and eastern Syria.

--IANS

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Is it incumbent on an American company to turn over data to law enforcement agencies when demanded even if such data are stored overseas? This issue is at the core of a case involving Microsoft that the the US Supreme Court is set to hear on Tuesday.

The case could have far reaching implications with regard to privacy concerns of international customers of American technology companies on the one hand and law enforcement access to digital data on the other.

The litigation turns on a 1986 law, the Stored Communications Act, passed long before American companies began storing massive amounts of data outside US borders, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The case began in 2013 when federal agents conducting a drug investigation obtained a warrant for a suspect's emails.

But the emails that they were stored in Dublin, Ireland, and Microsoft argued that the warrant could not reach beyond US borders.

Microsoft says it stores emails close to their owner in order to make retrieval faster and, according to the tech giant, the Government did not suggested that the concerned individual resided in the US.

Microsoft has framed the case as one of digital privacy.

E. Joshua Rosenkranz, who will argue Microsoft's case, called the government's position "a recipe for global chaos," the Post reported.

"If ever there were a step that is sure to stoke international tension, it is sidestepping the treaties that were negotiated by countries precisely to protect their sovereignty, and instead unilaterally obtaining reams of personal letters....If another country did this to us, we would be outraged at the most basic level," Rosenkranz was quoted as saying.

Microsoft reportedly has the backing of major US technology giants including Google and IBM.

The case centres on the Stored Communications Act's (SCA) territorial reach, and the government argues that the SCA focuses on the emails' "disclosure" and that Microsoft employees could retrieve them "without leaving their desks in the United States," the Post reported.

--IANS

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Having done films as different as chalk and cheese like "London, Paris, New York", "Bhoomi" and "Padmaavat", actress Aditi Rao Hydari says versatility is very important for her.

Asked why she's majorly done multi-starrer projects, Aditi told IANS in a recorded response: "I have done a mix of different kinds of cinema. I have done films like 'London, Paris, New York' or 'Murder 3' where it's just about one person or two people or 'Bhoomi' for that matter... I have done lots of those and I have also not shied away from films which are multi-starrers because for me a film is all about the director and the team that makes a film and about the script and character I am playing."

Aditi says she is inspired by the way international artists work.

"Like people in the West, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman or Brad Pitt and all the amazing actors... they also do a mix of different kinds of cinema. So, here even I am inspired with that way of working and I also do a sort of mix of different kinds of films.

"I think versatility for me is very important," she added.

The "Wazir" actress stresses that cinema is a director's vision.

"And I completely surrender to the director's vision and I am like putty in their hands and they mould me. So, that's the way I work and I like to be challenged," she added.

Aditi has also worked in the south Indian film industry. She was seen in "Prajapathi", "Sringaram" and "Kaatru Veliyidai".

Talking about working in the south Indian film industry, she said: "Films are about feelings... Feelings don't have a language... they are universal. So, I consider myself blessed that pan-Indian audiences are watching my films and I am being given these opportunities to work with some of the greatest directors of our country."

The "Murder 3" actress considers herself blessed for getting all the opportunities as an "actor who does not have any backing and who has come into the industry just because I love being in front of the camera".

Aditi, who was in Chennai last week to unveil the Summer-Spring 2018 collection of the watch brand Swatch, says it is not about the region, boundaries or language.

"It is about the director and the team that makes the film. It's their vision and I give myself completely to that vision. So I don't want language to ever come in my way. Whether it is in India or abroad... If there is a director I am dying to work with I will work extra hard and do that film," she added.

After the success of her latest release "Padmaavat", Aditi is now gearing up for her next film with filmmaker Mani Ratnam.

The actress considers herself lucky to work with the filmmaker for the second time.

"I can't tell you anything about the film. But I consider myself very blessed to be working with Mani sir again. Mani sir and the Madras Talkies team is like family... and to be picked the second time to work with him is really more than what I ever imagined," she said.

Aditi says she really loves working with Mani Ratnam as he challenges her.

"I am always up for the challenges and I look forward to beginning work. It is a multi-starrer and there are some amazing actors in it. I am a little nervous but also looking forward to working with them. I think with amazing people on set, hopefully my performance will also be better. It's going to be tough but I am looking forward," she added.

(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Central government is working on different new technologies, including fuel, for maritime transport to cut costs, said Union Shipping and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari here on Monday.

"We are working with lot of new technologies nowadays. We are planning to use methanol as a fuel for all our maritime transport, which is highly cost effective and less polluting in comparison to diesel," he said after laying the foundation stone for the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IITM).

The NTCPWC will work towards modernising India's ports and fast track waterways, said Gadkari.

The Centre will be a strategic and innovation-oriented initiative tasked with bringing cutting edge technology to India's ports, waterways and maritime sector, he said, adding that the Central government is extending a financial support of around Rs 70 crore initially and later the centre will become self-sustaining.

However the event had its share of controversy over charges that the Central government trying to impose Sanskrit after the students sang the invocation song in the classical language without playing the "Tamizh Thai Vazhthu (Invocation for Mother Tamil)".

In a statement issued here, PMK founder S. Ramadoss condemened the act of not singing "Tamizh Thai Vazthu" while singing an invocation in Sanskrit.

However IITM Director Bhakar Ramamurthi clarified that it was the students who came forward on their own to sing the invocation song in Sanskrit.

He said IITM does not have the practice of playing a recorded song and added that there is nothing wrong in singing "Tamizh Thai Vazhthu" and it could be sung in the future.

--IANS

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The crisis in public sector banks is the result of many factors. The finance minister has rightly stressed the role of auditors, regulators, bank managements themselves, and, of course, businessmen.

What is missing in this list is the government itself, which is the primary shareholder in these banks, as well as the authority that appoints and dismisses bank managements. Public sector banks therefore have a dual regulatory structure, coming as they do under the supervision of the government (specifically the department of financial services in the finance ministry) and the Reserve Bank in ...
Let me begin with an admission: Im not sure what to make of the facts I intend to draw to your attention but I find them disturbing. But then Im not a police officer or politician whose role is to prosecute or pin responsibility. Im a journalist whose aim is to raise questions.

If that raises doubts in your mind Ive achieved my purpose. Because such doubts are the cause of my concern. The UP police has revealed that since March 2017, when the Yogi Adityanath government took charge, it has engaged in 1,142 encounters resulting in 34 deaths and 265 injuries. ...
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Sunday said the government of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going to sink after state assembly elections result.

"In upcoming elections result, the boat of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah government is going to sink. By 2022, not only poor of Karnataka but every poor of India will have a 'pucca' house. This is a promise by Narendra Modi government," Shah said while addressing a public gathering here.

Shah claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always been concerned about the sugarcane farmers

"Prime Minister Modi has always been concerned about the sugarcane farmers and the first thing he did after coming to power was to stop the import of raw sugar. Also, whatever raw sugar was imported for industrial purposes, an import duty of 40 percent was levied on it," he said.

He also said the BJP will restart the local sugar mills which are closed at the moment after winning the Karnataka assembly elections.

"The very first thing that the BJP government would do after winning Karnataka assembly elections is that it will restart the local sugar mills which are closed at the moment," he said.

He also offered prayers at Sri Manikeshwari Matha in Kalaburagi's Sedam Taluka.

Shah also interacted with sugarcane farmers in Humnabad and said, "I assure our farmer brothers that the next government in Karnataka will be of the BJP which will be fully committed to the welfare of farmers."

Shah and BJP state Chief Minister candidate BS Yeddyurappa visited Sharana Basaveshwara Temple in Kalaburagi.

Karnataka is one of the few states where the Congress is in power.
Senior Nationalist Party on Sunday claimed that the Prime Minister has been selling the dreams of 2022 forgetting that he has to face the general election in 2019.

The Narendra government has projected a vision for a 'New India' that would be free of poverty, corruption, communalism, casteism and terrorism by 2022, three years beyond the NDA government's tenure.

"The PM is showing the dream of 2022 to the people, but he must understand that there will be a new mandate in 2019 itself," Anwar told reporters.

Both the central and state governments have lost popularity and support base among the people, the NCP general secretary claimed.

Anwar also claimed that by-elections for three seats in the state next month will follow the pattern.

The had won all three by-polls in and snatched Ajmer and Alwar seats and Mandalgarh Assembly seat from the BJP by huge margins earlier this month.

Similarly, the ruling JD(U)-BJP coalition would lose the by-elections for Bhabhua and Jahanabad Assembly seats, and Araria constituency to be held on March 11.

Anwar demanded that Joint Parliament Committee be set up to investigate the bank scam.
Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria have been transported to South Africa to recover from physical and psychological trauma at a big cat sanctuary.

Fiona Miles with animal welfare group Four Paws says the male lions have arrived in Johannesburg on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan yesterday.

The lions arrived emaciated, dehydrated and psychologically scarred in Jordan last year.

Now 4-year-old Simba and 2-year-old Saeed are headed to the Lionsrock facility near the town of Bethlehem.

Some of the 80 lions at the facility came from a German circus and zoos in France, Romania and Congo. Others are from South African captive-bred lion operations that often earmark the predators for "trophy" killings by customers.

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Delhi Congress today accused the AAP government of cutting down the number of beneficiaries of welfare schemes for the poor and marginalised sections.

The Delhi government is anti-minorities and against the marginalised sections, alleged senior Delhi Congress leader and former minister Haroon Yusuf.

"The AAP government has drastically cut down the number of beneficiaries under schemes meant for the welfare of the poor and the marginalized sections of society," he claimed.

He also charged that AAP government of putting in "cold storage" several schemes launched by previous Congress government in the city.

Ever since the AAP came to power in Delhi three years ago, all welfare schemes for the poor and the marginalised, initiated by the previous Congress government have been put in cold storage, he alleged.

During the 15-year Congress rule in Delhi, many welfare schemes were initiated, particularly in the education sector, to help the poor and the marginalised section, claimed chief spokesperson of Delhi Congress Sharmistha Mukherjee.

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The Delhi police today said it had rescued a two-year-old boy, who had been abducted by a woman and sold to another, who apparently wanted the child for her sister whose son had been killed in a fire.

The police said three people, including the abductor and the buyer, had been arrested.

The police found the boy yesterday, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Rohini, Rajneesh Gupta, said.

After a case of kidnapping was registered at the Bawana Police Station on Friday, the police formed teams and inspected CCTV footage from the area around the child's house.

They spotted a woman picking up the boy. Further investigations revealed the woman, Sonia, was a resident of Indraj colony here, Gupta said.

Though she was not found in her house and kept changing her location, the police managed to trace the woman with the help of electronic surveillance.

Raids were conducted and Sonia (28) was arrested from the Anand Vihar inter-state bus terminus (ISBT), the DCP said.

During interrogation, Sonia confessed to picking up the boy and selling him to a woman identified as Rajni, 37, a resident of Ishwar colony in Bawana. Rajni apparently paid her Rs 45,000 for the child, the police said.

The police said it had recovered Rs 42,000 from Sonia. Rajni and her nephew, Saurabh (27) were arrested and the boy was recovered, it said.

Rajni told the police she wanted the boy for her sister, Santosh, whose son had died in a fire in 2015. Santosh was not aware of the plot, the police said.

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Terming the non-availability of Marathi translation of his address to Maharashtra legislature today as a serious lapse, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has sought action against those responsible for it.

Opposition parties boycotted the governor's address to the joint sitting of the two houses of the state legislature on the opening day of the Budget Session, as they could not listen to the Marathi translation of his speech.

In a letter to Legislative Council chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar and Legislative Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade, the governor asked them to view the matter with "utmost seriousness" and take appropriate action.

"During my address to the Joint Session of the Legislature in the morning today, it was observed that the Marathi translation of my speech was not taking place. I am of the view that it needs to be considered with utmost seriousness and a strong action needs to be taken against those responsible for this serious lapse," the Governor wrote.

"I request you to kindly take appropriate action and inform me about the same," the letter said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis apologised over the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible for the lapse.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that army recruitment rallies, which were discontinued in the state's Chambal region six years ago due to law and order problems, could be restarted provided order was maintained.

She said that the Chambal region had given a large number of soldiers to the defence forces of the country including 15,000 serving personnel.

While addressing a function to inaugurate the 'Shaheed Smarak' at Morena, Sitharaman said "Army recruitment rallies were discontinued in the Chambal area after a law and order situation cropped up during one such rally about six years ago."



She added that if the local government maintained law and order, the rallies could be restarted.

Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked the defence minister to restart the recruitment rallies and assured that law and order would maintained.

Sitharaman said that employement opportunities for local youth would increase as a defence research centre was being opened at Sabalgarh tehsil in Morena district.

Sitharaman informed that an army school would also be opened here from the 2018-19 academic session. She said that the defence ministry would initiate action to convert the cantonment area in Gwalior into a civil one.

Chouhan said that the state government was preparing a pension scheme for widows of martyrs.

Addressing the gathering, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that Chambal, which was portrayed in films as a dacoit-infested area, was actually one of brave soldiers and martyrs.

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Even as the Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature got off to a stormy off today, the assembly witnessed banter between the opposition and treasury benches.

The BJP-led government appeared to be on back-foot over a goof-up in translation during Governor Vidyasagar Rao's address.

During the governor's customary address to the joint sitting of the two houses on the opening day of the session, Marathi translation was not available, triggering protest by the opposition members.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisapologised over the episode.

However, the incident did not stop members from both sides from indulging in some light-hearted exchange of words.

Jayant Patil (NCP) said the government had "murdered" the Marathi language.

Even before Patil could complete his sentence,Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar countered him, saying the language is not so small to be "murdered" by a "small" incident.

After this, Patil quietly sat down but before that he asked Mungantiwar to take care of his throat since he has to present the budget next week.

Ajit Pawar (NCP) stood up and looking in the direction of Fadnavis, remarked, "Mungantiwar was unable to attend the winter session in December due to a surgery of his vocal cords. He was speaking so loudly now.

"What will happen to the budget if something happens to his voice. Is there a conspiracy to cut him down to size."



Pawar's witty retort evoked laughter from Fadnavis and Mungantiwar.

Mungantiwar underwent a surgery reportedly for removal of tumour in his vocal cords and was advised to speak softly.

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Culling of chicken has begun and sale of poultry banned in this port town following the detection of H5NI avaian influenza, official sources said today.

Poultry farms were also shut as a precautionary measure after samples were collected from different farms and dead crows in and around the town tested positive for H5N1 virus, collector in-charge of Jagatsinghpur district, Sachinanda Sahu said.

More than 500 chicken have been culled since the decision was taken yesterday, said Paradip municipality health officer Rajendra Nayak.

Nayak, who is monitoring the situation along with Jagatsinghpur chief district veterinary officer Ramesh Behera said that the culled birds are being buried in deep pits after adopting all required safeguards.

Blood samples of chicken were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for examination, were tested positive positive for H5N1, Behera said.

Ten rapid response teams were formed and sent to the affected area by the administration.

The teams comprising 40 members have been constituted to sanitise the area, Behera said adding the culling operation would continue.

As a precautionary measure, all poultry firms and outlets have been shut in and around the port town and sale of chicken and eggs was banned. Necessary steps have been taken to prevent transportation of the poultry products out of the district, Sahu said.

He said over 20 crows were found dead in Naugaon and Biridi areas of the district today.

Sahu, who visited Paradip to review the situation, said restrictions on sale of poultry and farming would remain in force for for three months.

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A court in Bangladesh today extended the bail of imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia until March 13 in a graft case, a day after the High Court deferred the judgement on a separate bail plea in a corruption case, media reports said.

The 72-year-old three-time former prime minister was jailed for five years on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

The Dhaka Special Judge's Court-5 set March 13 as the date for the next hearing of arguments in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and extended the bail of Zia, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief, until then, bdnews24 reported.

"The court has set March 13 and March 14 for the next two days of arguments. Zia's bail has been extended until March 13," her lawyer Nuruzzaman Tapan was quoted as saying in the report.

Yesterday, the High Court deferred the judgement on her bail petition, saying it would decide after receiving necessary papers from the lower court which sentenced her to five years in jail this month.

The Zia Charitable Trust graft case, filed in August 2011, accuses four persons including Zia of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The three others are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of then prime minister Zia between 2001 and 2006; Ziaul Islam Munna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia, who has been a rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.

The charges against Zia had led to her boycotting polls in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.

Currently, 34 cases are pending against Zia in various courts across the country, including the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases, the report said.

The BNP has claimed that the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief out of the national elections, set for December.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik today said the state government has been able to achieve sustained growth and significant improvement in law and order despite various constraints.

Provision of civic amenities and basic infrastructure had also improved considerably, the governor said on the opening day of the budget session.

Addressing a joint session of the state legislature, the governor said the growth rate in 2016-17 was 14.8 per cent.

The per capita GDP and per capita income during the year were Rs 38,586 and Rs 35,590 respectively which is 13 per cent higher than in the previous year, he said.

The planned expenditure during the year increased by 11 per cent to about Rs 87,000 crore, he said adding that the state was expected to net a tax revenue of Rs 32,000 crore during 2017-18 compared with Rs 23,000 crore in the previous year.

With good financial management, the fiscal deficit was expected to be 2.87 per cent of the GDP, he said.

The governor also said the top priority of the state government had been to establish rule of law and to create a fearless society.

He said after the implementation of prohibition, crimes like murder, dacoity, loot, riots and kidnapping for ransom had registered an appreciable decline.

The number of cognizable crimes in Bihar during the year was 157.4 per lakh of population as against the national average of 233.6, Mallik said.

He said after the implementation of prohibition, crimes like murder, dacoity, loot, riots and kidnapping for ransom had registered an appreciable decline.

The state government has now launched another campaign against evil practices like dowry and child marriage, the governor said.

The government was committed to empowerment of women and had provided 50 per cent reservation to them in elections to village panchayats and urban local bodies as also in appointment of primary teachers, he said.

Besides, 35 per cent reservation had been provided to women in all government jobs, including in the appointment of sub-inspectors and constables, the governor said.

Under the 'Jeevika' scheme for women of poor and deprived sections, 7.47 lakh self help groups have been formed across the state, Mallik said.

He said the state had achieved the target of connecting even the remotest parts to the state capital in six hours and is making endeavours to further reduce it to five hours.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, 2,300 kilometre of roads had been built and under the Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana 1,195 km of roads and 41 bridges had been constructed.

The state government was making all possible efforts to link even outlying localities of villages with



As regards power availability, the governor said 4,535 MW of electricity had become available by October, 2017 and efforts are being made to increase it to 4,800 MW.

The governor said under the government's policy of zero tolerance for corruption, cases have been filed by its different units against those guilty of bribery, possession of disproportionate assets and money laundering.

Properties of seven public servants have been seized while proposals have been sent to the Enforcement Directorate for seizure of property worth Rs 242 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP today suspended party worker Manoj Baitha, who has been accused of mowing down nine children while driving an SUV in an inebriated state in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar on Saturday.

At least nine children were killed and about 20 injured when the speeding vehicle lost control and ploughed through them outside a government school building on the outskirts of Muzaffarpur on Saturday.

"Manoj Baitha, a district level worker of Sitamarhi, has been suspended from the primary membership of the party for a period of six years," BJP's Bihar unit vice-president Devesh Kumar said.

Muzaffarpur district president Subodh Singh has sent a communication to this effect to the party's state headquarters here, Kumar told PTI.

About reports that a banner fixed on that vehicle described Baitha's designation in the party as state secretary general of Mahadalit Prakoshth, Kumar said, "No such post exists in the organisation. The worker appears to have fabricated it."



The police have registered an FIR against Baitha on the complaint of a local who lost his granddaughter in the incident.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has said the police were directed to take "sternest possible action" against Baitha irrespective of his political affiliations.

The opposition RJD has accused the Nitish Kumar government of trying to shield Baitha and alleged that the BJP worker was "drunk" while behind the steering wheel even though sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah today said the party would solve the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute with neighbouring Goa if it is voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls.

"I assure the people of the state that if BJP is voted topower, it will solve the Mahadayi river water dispute betweenKarnataka and Goa," he told reporters here.

Shah blamed the Siddaramaiah government for the delay in finding a solution and added that it would have been settled if the chief minister had cooperated with the central govermment.

"The issue would have been solved if Siddaramaiah had cooperated with us earlier. There are some people, even now, trying to create obstacles. Hence there has been a delay," he said.

Replying to a query on whether former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa would get a ticket to contest the polls, Shah said the central parliamentary party will decide.

"Why are you worried about whether Eshwarappa will get the ticket or not? Eshwarappaji is the most respected leader our party. Taking care of interests of party leaders is my job. The central parliamentary party will announce the list of candidates," he said.

Eshwarappa and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa were at loggerheads before the central leadership stepped in to end it.

Eshwarappa has recently expressed apprehensions about attempts to deny him the ticket to contest the polls.

Replying to another query, Shah said the party would certainly field a Dalit chief ministerial candidate if somebody of that stature comes up in future.

"Even an ordinary party worker in BJP can become chief minister. Even a Dalit can be a chief minister if the partycomes to notice such a dalit chief ministerial candidate,"he said.

On Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's statement on changing the Constitition, Shah said, "It is a dead issue. Hegde has already apologised.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dubai police today recorded the statement of Boney Kapoor, husband of Bollywood actor Sridevi who died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, according to a media report.

Kapoor reportedly discovered Sridevi unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was taken to a hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

Dubai Police called in Kapoor today to Bur Dubai police station for investigation. Police took his statement after which he was allowed to go back to his hotel room, sources were quoted as saying by the Gulf



The Dubai government said in a tweet the police had transferred the case to the "Dubai Public Prosecution" which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases.

"Dubai police headquarters today stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness," the Dubai government's media office said on Twitter.

There could be a further delay in Sridevi's body being brought back to India, with the Dubai police informing the Indian Embassy that another "clearance" was awaited before the body could be released.

Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but returned to Dubai to surprise her.

The of her death, first reported at around 3 a.m. IST on Sunday, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how the star, who was present at several wedding functions in Dubai last week, could suddenly breathe her last.

Her family has not commented beyond their initial statement yesterday to announce the death, and has requested the media not to contact them as they grapple with the tragedy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission today told the Delhi High Court that a complaint case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was pending before a Goa court for his alleged bribery remarks during the January 2017 assembly polls there.

The submission came in pursuance to the court's earlier direction on whether any FIR has been lodged, as the EC had previously stated that such an action has been taken.

Justice Rekha Palli was informed by the counsel for EC that a complaint case was filed in pursuance to the poll panel's letter of January 29 last year directing the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa to take legal action or lodge an FIR against Kejriwal for his bribery remark at poll rallies in the state on January 7-8 last year.

Addressing a series of rallies in Goa, Kejriwal had reportedly asked voters to "accept money from the Congress and BJP candidates but vote for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)."



EC's counsel P R Chopra said no FIR has been lodged against the AAP leader and the complaint case has been listed before the Goa court for March 1 and the complainant has been asked to appear.

Kejriwal's lawyer had earlier told the court that according to information received under the RTI Act, no FIR has been lodged against him anywhere in Goa in connection with the remarks.

During the day's hearing, advocate Manish Vashisht, appearing for Kejriwal, contended that the actions of EC were in violation of his right to freedom and free speech.

This was opposed by Chopra who sought time to file counter affidavit. He also argued that the AAP leader's petition was not maintainable and said such statements went against the model code of conduct.

The court noted that despite opportunity, the EC has not filed its response, but granted it time while listing the matter for further hearing on May 25. The bench also said it has not expressed any view on the maintainability of the petition.

Kejriwal's lawyer contended that such statements did not fall in the category of instigating somebody and referred to an order of a Delhi trial court which had dismissed a petition making similar allegations. Kejriwal, in his plea, has alleged that the poll panel's January 29, 2017 order had curtailed his right to free speech.

The BJP had filed two complaints against Kejriwal seeking his prosecution under various sections of Indian Penal Code for asking voters to accept money. Congress too had condemned his statement.

The poll panel had, thereafter, directed that a complaint be lodged against the AAP leader under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act dealing with bribing voters and relevant sections of the IPC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lawyers associations at the Calcutta High Court today extended till March 5 their ceasework to press for immediate appointment of judges to fill up vacant posts, leaving litigants in the lurch.

Claiming that the Centre is yet to respond to their demand for filling up the vacancies for judges in the high court, three lawyers bodies took separate resolutions to extend the ceasework which they had launched on February 20.

"The Supreme Court collegium has cleared five names for appointment as judges, but the Union law ministry is yet to clear these," Bar Association president Uttam Majumdar said.

"We also want appointment of a permanent chief justice to the high court, which has been headed by acting chief justices for the last three years except for just three months when Justice Girish Gupta was elevated to the post," he said.

Justice Gupta, a judge of Calcutta high court, was the acting chief justice when he was made a permanent chief justice three months before his retirement, Majumdar said.

"We are astonished that there has been no reaction or response from the Union law ministry despite a five-day ceasework at one of the premier high courts in the country for the legitimate demand of appointment of judges," High Court Bar Library Club president Jayanta Mitra told PTI here.

He said that the lawyers bodies had sent representations for a meeting with Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad but are yet to receive any communication.

"As such we have decided to extend the ceasework till March five, on which date we will meet again to decide on the future course of action," Mitra, a former advocate general at the high court, said.

Incorporated Law Society, another lawyers' forum at the high court, also took a separate resolution to extend the ceasework along with the other two bodies.

"We hope that the Union law ministry will respond to our demand soon given the huge shortage in the number of judges at the high court, which is delaying dispensation of justice to the litigants," its secretary Paritosh Sinha said.

The high court at present has 30 sitting judges out of a sanctioned strength of 72.

Out of the 30, two judges are permanently on rotation at the Andaman and Nicobar Circuit bench of the high court.

Over 2.22 lakh cases were pending before the high court as on December 31, 2017, as per official data.

Hundreds of litigants, who had come to the court hoping that the ceasework would be lifted today, were left disappointed due to the uncertainty over when their petitions would be taken up for hearing.

''While the vacancies in the judiciary are delaying hearing of our cases, the ceasework is also leading to piling up of pending cases,'' said one of the many petitioners who had turned up at the court from across the state hoping that their cases would be heard.

Judges sat in the court rooms in the morning as usual. But as no lawyer appeared to argue the petitions which were called for hearing they retired to their respective chambers.

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Funds spent by the Jammu and Kashmir government in paying compensation to victims of cross-border firing will be reimbursed by the Centre, Union minister Jitendra Singh said today.

The minister said the J&K government should expedite the mechanism and seek prompt reimbursement of funds from the Centre.

This would prevent delays and address concerns of the state government "about non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to border victims", the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to the demands from the border areas.

According to a home ministry order, the funds paid as compensation by the Jammu and Kashmir government will be reimbursed by the Centre through security related expenditure (SRE).

The J&K government may consider paying "relief and compensation for housing damages/losses, crop or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc." to those affected by cross-border firing at rates equal to NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time, the order read.

Item-wise claims and compensations paid by the state government to victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre, it read.

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China today sought to dismiss the worldwide concerns over the prospect of President becoming the "emperor for life", saying a strong and consistent leadership is needed for the country at this crucial stage of the country's modernisation.

The Communist Party of China, (CPC), which is in power since 1949, yesterday proposed to amend the country's Constitution to remove the two term limits for the President and Vice President, potentially allowing Xi to rule for life.

The CPC move triggered concerns as 64-year-old Xi would remain a single leader doing away with collective leadership system followed by the party to prevent a dictatorship of an individual emerging from the ranks.

The party opted for two term rule of the leadership after extensive deliberations over some of the disastrous policies pursued by party founder Mao Zedong like the infamous decade-long Cultural Revolution in 1966 in which millions of people were killed.

Asked about the global concerns over the spectre of authoritarian rule returning to haunt China with the elimination of the two-term rule for the top leader, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the media should stop guessing and speculating and put the constitutional amendment in proper perspective.

He said China's Constitution evolved "little by little" since it came into force in 1954.

"We hope that you can put the revision of the Constitution in perspective in the context of development of China," he said.

The global concerns also arise from Xi's ambitious modernisation of military, expansion of Chinese naval power into the disputed South China Sea, acquisition of naval logistic bases including in Sri Lanka, Djibouti and Gwadar in Pakistan under his first term.

Last October, Xi started his second five-year-term with a focus on transforming China, now the world's second largest economy, into "a mighty force" that could lead the world on political, economic, military and environmental issues.

Since he took over in 2013, Xi launched the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which also included the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which traverses through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to expand China's influence worldwide.

In China too, the removal of the two-term rule is seen as perpetuation of Xi's rule.

Deng Yuwen, former editor of the Study Times newspaper affiliated with the Central Party School of the CPC, said the proposed change was a strong signal that Xi planned to stay on.

"This is a very clear sign that the president will remain in office beyond the existing term limit. We dont know if it could be life tenure at this stage," Deng told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who is the author of a 2015 biography of Xi, said that Xi is susceptible to making big mistakes because there are now almost no checks or balances.

"Essentially, he has become emperor for life," Lam was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

While the official media harped on the need for strong leadership for China's rise as global power, the party's theoreticians defended the move to transform the one-party rule into one leader rule by saying that such a move is the need for CPC's rule.

Party theoreticians say as the CPC set to celebrate its seven decades in power next year, the fall of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and disintegration of the powerful Soviet socialist empire weighs in heavily in the minds of party leadership.

Removing the constitutional restriction to two terms is a significant decision made by the CPC to serve its historic mission in the new era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC, told the Global Times yesterday.

"Especially in the period from 2020 to 2035, which is a crucial stage for China to basically realise socialist modernisation, China and the CPC need a stable, strong and consistent leadership. So removal of the section of the clause about the presidency in the Constitution is serving the most important and fundamental national interest and the Party's historic mission," Su said.

"The decision has been made after careful consideration, and this is an adjustment to serve China's current situation and future development, which is consistent with Chinese political characteristics and goals," an unnamed Chinese scholar told the Global Times.

The trinity of Xi being the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the president and chairman of the Central Military Commission has positive meaning, he said.

"In order to achieve the great goal from 2020 to the middle of the 21st century, China needs a centralised and unified leadership; otherwise the decentralisation of authority will impact realisation of the great goal,"CPC's official newspaper the People's Daily said in its editorial.

The choice of when to leave for Xi to make. "He will be judged not by how long he stays but by how well China does while he is at the top," a commentary in the Post said.
China today criticised Interpol's decision to lift a red notice against Dolkun Isa, a rights activist of Uyghur Muslim community in Xinjiang, whom Beijing accuses of being a terrorist.

China's reaction came after London-based rights group Fair Trials said Interpol had deleted a wanted alert, known as a red notice for Isa, who is the President of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress.

A red notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition. China has been pressing countries visited by Isa to extradite him based on the Interpol's red notice.

"We said that the person mentioned by you is suspected of committing crimes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing today when asked about Interpol's move to drop the notice against Isa.

The lookout notice was issued by Interpol following a request from China.

"As for the decision by Interpol we are dissatisfied with it. We hope the international community can follow the principle of mutual respect to enhance international cooperation. We will stay in close communication with the Interpol on this issue," Lu said.

Xinjiang has been restive for several years over protests from Turkic-origin Uygur Muslims over the massive influx of Han Chinese from other areas into the resource-rich province.

China blames East Turkistan Islamic Movement, an al-Qaeda linked militant group, for the large scale violence in the province and other parts of the country.

Reacting to China's comments, the World Uyghur Congress spokesman Dilxat Raxit said the accusations against Isa were purely political.

"China is unable to produce any actual evidence of its accusations against him, he said in a statement.

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The Jerusalem church built at what many consider the holiest site in Christianity remained closed for a second day today to protest Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law, leaving disappointed pilgrims locked outside.

Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday at noon in a bid to pressure Israeli authorities into abandoning the measures.

They said the church, a major pilgrimage site, would be closed until further notice.

Church officials said Monday it was not clear when it would reopen, depending on discussions with Christian leaders and Israeli authorities.

"We closed the church for specific reasons and for an unlimited period of time," one church official said on condition of anonymity.

"It is a move supported by all the churches."



The church is built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Disappointed tourists gathered Monday in front of its large wooden doors hoping they would have the chance to visit the site.

"We were told it's political. It is disheartening -- it is such a holy place," said Aleana Doughty, a 35-year-old dental hygienist visiting with a group from the United States.

She said they were only scheduled to stay for one more day, so they were not hopeful they would be able to see the church.

Christian leaders are angry over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching.

They also say legislation being considered by Israel's government would allow church property to be expropriated.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat says the city is due 650 million shekels (USD 186 million, 152 million euros) in uncollected taxes on church properties.

He stresses the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt from the taxes, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches.

Christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work, which includes not only religious but also social services to those in need.

A separate bill seeks to allay the fears of Israelis who live in homes on lands previously held by the Greek Orthodox Church and which were sold to private developers, according to the lawmaker proposing the legislation.

Recent land sales by the Greek Orthodox Church -- a major landowner in Jerusalem -- to unknown buyers have drawn fire from both Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinians fear the sales will favour Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem, while Israelis are concerned over private developers' intentions for the land.

The bill would allow certain lands sold by the Greek Orthodox Church to be handed over to the state, which would then compensate those who bought it from the church.

"This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during a dark period in Europe," Christian leaders said in a statement on Sunday.

They also said recent Israeli measures seemed to be "an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem".

The Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the Holy Sepulchre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister Raman Singh today lashed out at the Congress accusing it of practising "shortcut" by spreading lies to regain power in Chhattisgarh.

Answering the debate on the Appropriation Bill worth Rs 87,463 crore, which was passed by a voice vote in the Assembly, Singh said the Congress was practising "shortcut politics" by spreading lies among the people.

He claimed that in the state was tarnished first when the Congress tried to lure 15 BJP legislators and then when it circulated a fake sex CD of a minister.

He added that the first incident ensured that the Congress was out of power in Chhattisgarh for 15 years and the CD case would do the same for another 15 years.

Singh said that the amendment to the Land Revenue Code was done to benefit people but the misleading environment created around it by the Congress had made the government repeal the Amendment Bill.

He claimed that development and peace came to the state after the BJP came to power in 2003.

He said that the Congress was now limited to just seven per cent of the country and it was seeking alliances with other parties to fight the BJP.

Singh, who was presenting his 12th consecutive budget, called it a historic opportunity and said that the budget was aimed at every section of society.

In the last 14 years, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) had increased by seven times and reached Rs 2,91,681 crore and the states budget had grown by nine times, he said.

Earlier, speaking on the debate, the Leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo said that the country was undergoing an Emergency-like situation worse than the one in 1975.

He alleged that the state government had failed to provide drinking water to the 168 municipalities in Chhattisgarh.

After the discussion, the Assembly passed the Appropriation Bill worth Rs 87,463 crore by a voice vote.

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A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court would hear on March 6 a contentious issue that had cropped up after a three-judge bench had raised concern over "judicial discipline" and propriety arising due to conflicting views of different benches of the apex court in matters relating to land acquisition.

The issue had came to fore on February 21 when a three-judge bench had virtually stayed the operation of a verdict delivered on February 8 by another three-judge bench of the top court, which had held that compensation not availed within a stipulated five year period would not be a ground for cancellation of land acquisition.

On February 21, the three-judge bench had observed that perhaps there had been a tinkering with judicial discipline in arriving at a conclusion as the issue should have been to referred to a larger bench in case of difference of opinion, as a 2014 verdict passed by another three-judge bench had held that non-payment of compensation would be a ground to cancel the land acquisition.

The very next day when another matter on the land acquisition issue came up for hearing before a two-judge bench, it had referred the case to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for constituting an "appropriate bench" to deal with the "piquant" situation that had arisen after the February 21 order.

Now, a five-judge constitution bench has been set up by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra to deal with the issue.

Besides the CJI, Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan are part of the bench, which would hear the matter on March 6.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur had on February 21 referred to the February 8 judgement and observed that if "judicial discipline" and propriety were not maintained, the institution will "go forever".

"Taking all this into consideration, we are of the opinion that it would be appropriate if in the interim and pending a final decision on making a reference (if at all) to a larger bench, the High Courts be requested not to deal with any cases relating to the interpretation of or concerning Section 24 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013," the bench had said and posted the matter for hearing on March 7.

In its February 8 judgement, the apex court with a 2:1 majority view, had held the 2014 verdict of another three-judge bench in Pune Municipal Corporation case was passed without due regard to the law (as per incuriam), saying that the land acquired could not be quashed due to a delay on part of land owners in accepting compensation within five years due to litigation or other reasons.

The court had held that once the compensation amount for land acquired by a government agency has been unconditionally tendered but the land owner refuses to accept it, this would amount to payment and discharge of obligation on part of the agency and it would not be open to the person, who has refused compensation, to raise the point that since the amount has not been deposited in court or paid to him, the acquisition has lapsed.

The 2014 verdict was rendered unanimously by a three-judge bench which had held that "the deposit of compensation amount in the government treasury is of no avail and cannot be held to be equivalent to compensation paid to the landowners/persons interested".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Many senior officers of the city administration today abstained from a meeting chaired by Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

The minister had called a meeting of State Road Safety Council for a discussion on proposed road safety policy at the Delhi Secretariat today, but most of bureaucrats, including Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi and PWD Principal Secretary Renu Sharma, who are members of the Council, skipped it.

IAS and DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service) have been boycotting meetings with AAP ministers including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by ruling AAP MLA at the CM's residence last week.

The officers are only maintaining written communication and even not attending calls made by any of the Delhi ministers in solidarity with the chief secretary.

"In view of the decision of joint forum of Delhi government employees, I did not attend the meeting of Delhi Road Safety Council today. Other bureaucrats abstained from the meet," a senior official, who did not wish to be named said.

According to a notification of the Transport department dated July 7, 2017, DTC's chairman, PWD principal secretary, transport commissioner, secretary (health & family welfare), chairman (NDMC), commissioners of all three MCDs are among the members of the 'State Road Safety Council'. All these posts are held by IAS officers.

Representatives of other organisations such as Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and Institute of Road Traffic Education are also members of the Council, the notification stated.

According to the Delhi government, there was "wide-ranging" discussions on the draft road safety policy for the national capital in today's meeting.

The discussion was part of the second meeting of the reconstituted Delhi Road Safety Council, and was attended by officials, academicians and experts from organisations, the Delhi government said in a statement.

It stated that Delhi figures as among the most unsafe cities in India for road users. In 2016, 7,375 fatal road crashes occurred in Delhi in which 7,154 people were injured and 1,591 people lost their lives.

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The row over the alleged attack on Delhi chief secretary by AAP MLAs today intensified with government employees demanding action "as per law" against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case, even as the AAP dispensation mulled live streaming of all meetings of its ministers.

Digging their heels in, the officers, including those from IAS and DANICS, said they will continue to communicate with ministers only in writing until Kejriwal and Sisodia give a public apology over the alleged incident at the chief minister's residence on the intervening night of February 19 and 20.

In a resolution, the Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees also rejected mediation by Delhi minister Rajender Pal Gautam, the peacemaker" appointed by the AAP government, who said the attitude of officers "is not correct" and "they should show a positive response to government efforts to end the current crisis".

Meanwhile, the AAP, which has alleged that its minister Imran Hussain and Delhi Dialogue Commission's Vice Chairman Ashish Khetan were assaulted, sent a delegation to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to demand "justice" for its leaders and action in the cases.

The delegation, which included AAP leader Ashutosh and party MP Sanjay Singh, told reporters that they gave Patnaik "video evidence" of the "assaults" that took place on February 20 at the Delhi Secretariat.

Ashutosh claimed that police were prompt in taking action against AAP MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan -- for allegedly assaulting chief secretary Anshu Prakash - though there was no evidence against them.

"The AAP MLAs were arrested though he (Prakash) produced no evidence. What about the life threatening attacks on Delhi minister Imran Hussain and DDA vice-chairman Ashish Khetan, who enjoys the rank of cabinet minister," Ashutosh asked.

Amid the standoff with the bureaucracy, the Delhi government today said it is now mulling live streaming of all meetings of its ministers.

A senior government official said that as per the plan, live feed of meetings with audio output will be available on a web site, and if the proposal is passed, funds will be allocated for it in the upcoming budget.

"Through live streaming of official meetings, people will be able to know who spoke what in the meeting, be it the elected representative or officials," the official said.

With no end to the stalemate in sight, Gautam, who is the social welfare minister, said that trust building is not the work of political executive only.

"Government is taking an initiative to end this problem and now the (agitating) officers should come forward in a bid to build trust and have a dialogue so that governance does not affect," he told reporters here, while asserting that there is also a plan to put all file movement and notings online.

However, the employees forum appealed to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Police Comissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action against Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisoida in the chief secretary assault case.

Its resolution claimed that instead of apologising and admitting their mistake, the chief minister and and the deputy chief minister are in a "denial mode" which shows that they were a "part of the conspiracy".

"This shows that they were a part of the conspiracy and since they are specifically identified in the FIR, we appeal to LG and the Commissioner of Police to take action as per law against CM & Dy CM," the resolution said.

In such a situation, communication between the political and permanent executive can only continue through formal written means and no talks are possible, it said.

"Therefore, the Joint Forum resolves that all Delhi Government employees will continue to work through formal written means of communication," the resolution said.

"The Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees demands that the prerequisite to any dialogue with the political executive is a specific written and public apology from Honble Chief Minister & Honble Dy. Chief Minister regarding the criminal act of physical assault on the Chief Secretary," the resolution stated.

Bureaucrats of the Delhi government have earlier decided to boycott all meetings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government today said the attitude of its officials was not "correct" and they should show a positive response to its "efforts" in ending the crisis arising out of the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some AAP MLAs.

Prakash was allegedly assaulted by some AAP MLAs in front of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia at the CM's residence on the intervening night of February 19-20.

To show solidarity with Prakash, all employees of the Delhi government has been boycotting meetings with ministers, including Kejriwal, and have been observing five-minute silence at 1.30 pm outside their respective offices every day.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said the government has not received any communication from the agitating employees regarding their demand.

Earlier in the day, a joint forum of Delhi government employees appealed to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action as per law against Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of alleged assault on the top bureaucrat of the city administration.

The forum said all officers would continue to boycott meetings with AAP ministers till the chief minister tenders a written public apology.

The social welfare minister said, "All of us need to understand that it would not work like this and hence, they (officers) should show a positive response to government's efforts to end the current crisis."



"The government has been rejecting wrong things, I think such attitude (of officials) is not correct," Gautam said here.

Asserting that public work should not be affected, he said, "If there is some issue in our house, we try to resolve it through discussion. We all are like a family. We should work together. Trust building is not the work of political executive only, it should be from both sides."



The forum of government's employees today passed a resolution in its meeting, stating that until Kejriwal and Sisodia give "a specific written and public apology", and steps are taken to ensure the personal safety and dignity of officers, they will continue to work with AAP ministers through written communication only.

The resolution claimed that instead of apologising and admitting their mistake, the chief minister and and the deputy chief minister are in a "denial mode" which shows that they were a "part of the conspiracy".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has signed an MoU with the Indian Ocean Rim Association's Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer for designating Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Lucknow as the coordinating centre on medicinal plants.

The MoU was signed by Director CSIR-CIMAP Anil Kumar Tripathi and Director IORA-RCSTT A Sedrpousan, in the office of Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran Morteza Sarmadi in Tehran in the presence IORA Secretary General Nomvuyo Nokwe.

CSIR director general and CSIR Secretary Girish Sahni, who led the Indian delegation, invited scientists and business houses to visit CSIR labs in India to explore possibilities of partnerships between them and the Iranian industry.

The IORA Center at CSIR-CIMAP will establish a database on the important medicinal plants, their value added products, related experts and industries of the IORA member states and organise meetings and training programmes to promote trade, commerce and scientific exchanges to complement the strength and limitation of the member states.

The IORA is an association of 21 countries and 7 dialogue partners which have identified 6 areas of cooperation including medicinal plants.

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The Delhi government is mulling live streaming of all official meetings following the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the chief minister's residence last week.

Prakash was allegedly assaulted by AAP MLAs and others during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on February 19.

A senior government official said that as per a plan, live feed of meetings with audio output will be available on a website.

If the plan is passed, funds will be allocated for it in the upcoming budget, he said.

"Through live streaming of official meetings, people will be able to know who spoke what in the meeting, be it the elected representative or officials," the official said.

There is also a plan to put all file movement and notings online, he said.

"Plan is also to put all file movement and file notings online for people to see who was working on a file for how long, who cleared it and who wrote what on a particular file, be it the elected government or officers," the official said.

In the past, the AAP government had alleged that some officers created hurdles in the works of city administrations.

Since the alleged attack on the chief secretary, officers have not been attending meetings of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, demanding that Kejriwal apologise for the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court today exempted the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) from paying Income Tax, saying it was not carrying out any commercial activity with any profit motive.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Pratibha M Singh allowed the plea of the GNIDA seeking to set aside a 2015 order of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) rejecting its application for grant of exemption under Section 10 (46) of the Income Tax Act 1961.

Section 10(46) of the IT Act deals with the exemption of 'specified income' of certain bodies or authorities. It says that any specified income arising to a body or authority, constituted by or under a central or state Act with the object of regulating or administering an activity for the benefit of general public and which is not engaged in any commercial activity, shall be exempted.

The authority had contended before the high court that the CBDT had on June 8, 2015, arbitrarily rejected its plea to declare the income of GNIDA under 'specified income' on the ground that it was making huge profits out of its activities, which are commercial in nature.

The GNIDA had said that it was established for the development of certain areas in the state of Uttar Pradesh as an industrial and urban township, and thus discharged sovereign functions as an arm of the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Healthcare services in Odisha's premier SCB Medical College and Hospital continued to be affected, as more doctors joined the ongoing ceasework against a senior professor.

Senior Residents and House Surgeons of the hospital joined the strike today, boycotting their duties.

The 450-strong Junior Doctors Association has been agitating since February 19, demanding immediate transfer of the professor.

The junior doctors have alleged that the professor was "forcing them to work in his private hospital and take care of his personal work".

Hospital Superintendent Shyama Kanungo said the situation inside the hospital was "grim" but "under control".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a fresh twist to the hearing on 20 AAP MLAs' pleas against their disqualification in an office-of-profit case, the Election Commission of India (ECI) today produced before the Delhi High Court some confidential documents, saying these cannot be shared with the legislators.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar was informed by the ECI counsel that they were handing certain documents including "personal notings" related to proceedings held in the poll panel.

"We are claiming privilege over these confidential documents, so we cannot supply them to the petitioners (20 AAP MLAs)," poll panel's counsel Amit Sharma said, while producing the papers in a sealed cover before the bench.

The bench asked the ECI counsel to take instruction whether the documents can be supplied to the legislators after concealing the privileged portions.

The documents were produced by the poll panel during the hearing on the pleas of the disqualified MLAs, found guilty of holding office-of-profit as parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the AAP government after it came to power in 2015.

The MLAs had approached the high court challenging their disqualification after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to the ECI recommendation.

Backing their recommendations to the President for AAP MLAs' disqualification, the poll panel today also submitted that the legislators cannot claim that they were not holding office-of-profit.

"They were involved in the day-to-day administrative functions of the ministers, with whom they were attached. They were not entitled to look into the executive works of the ministers," the ECI's counsel claimed.

The arguments on behalf of the ECI and other parties, which remained inconclusive, will resume tomorrow.

The high court had on January 24 refused to stay the Centre's notification disqualifying them, but had restrained the poll panel from taking any "precipitate measures" such as announcing dates for by polls to fill the vacancies. The ECI had recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs on January 19. The President had accepted the ECI's opinion the very next day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Punjab National Bank's Managing Director and CEO Sunil Mehta in connection with with the Rs 11,400 crore PNB scam allegedly involving diamantaire Nirav Modi and owner of Gitanjali Gems Mehul Choksi, officials said today.

The ED today also examined the state-owned bank's Executive Director K V Brahmaji Rao to understanding how the alleged fraud was detected and other banking procedures.

Mehta, officials said, will be asked similar questions when he meets ED officials this week. They said the two officials are not being examined as an accused.

The CBI had examined the two senior PNB officials last week in the same case.

Meanwhile, beleaguered diamond merchant Modi, his wife Ami and his uncle Choksi today skipped their scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai.

It was not immediately known if the agency will issue fresh dates to them.

If it does not issue them fresh summons, it is understood, the ED is expected to move a special court in Mumbai seeking non-bailable arrest warrants against them.

The agency today also obtained the court's nod to issue six Letters Rogatories (LRs), judicial requests for obtaining information from overseas locations, pertaining to its probe against Modi.

The agency is expected to obtain more such LRs in this case.

The LRs issued today will be sent, through the Union home ministry, to Hong Kong, the US, the UK, the UAE, South Africa and Singapore.

The attempt of sending these judicial requests for exchange of information is aimed at obtaining the details of the overseas financial holdings of Modi and Choksi and also their bank accounts, assets, partnerships, showrooms, trusts and other assets, the officials said.

These assets and their sources of income will be investigated and if necessary would be attached under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) if it is found that they have been created using tainted funds or the proceeds of crime of the alleged bank fraud, the sources had said.

The total assets seized by the ED in this case is now over Rs 6,393 crore, officials had said, adding that this was being independently valued.

Modi, Choksi and others are being investigated by the ED and other probe agencies after the fraud recently came to light, following a complaint by the PNB that they allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each to probe the case. Both Modi and Choski are said to have left the country before criminal cases were lodged against them.

The ED, a central probe agency under the Union finance ministry, is investigating if the allegedly defrauded bank funds were laundered and proceeds of crime were subsequently used by the accused to create illegal assets and black money.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight people were killed and over a score injured today after their jeep was hit by a speeding truck near Kundla village in Vijaynagar taluka in Sabarkantha district, police said.

An official from Vijaynagar police station said that the jeep, carrying 31 farm labourers on their way to work at a potato farm, was going from Khedbrahma to Idar.

A speeding truck, coming from the opposite direction, rammed into the jeep killing three people instantly, the official said.

Five others died while undergoing treatment at hospitals in Khedbrahma and Himmatnagar, he informed.

All the eight who died are from Navabhaga village, the official said. He added that the truck driver had fled the scene and a search was on for him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A joint forum of Delhi government employees today appealed to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Police Comissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisoida in the case of alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.

The forum passed a resolution in its meeting today, stating that until Kejriwal and Sisodia give "a specific written and public apology" and steps are taken to ensure the personal safety and dignity of officers, they will continue to work with AAP ministers through written communication only.

The resolution claimed that instead of apologising and admitting their mistake, the chief minister and and the deputy chief minister are in a "denial mode" which shows that they were a "part of the conspiracy".

The forum also rejected the mediation of Social Welfare Minister Rajender Pal Gautam to find out a solution to the current crisis between the AAP dispensation and the bureaucracy.

"The Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees demands that the prerequisite to any dialogue with the political executive is a specific written and public apology from Honble Chief Minister & Honble Dy. Chief Minister regarding the criminal act of physical assault on the Chief Secretary," the resolution stated.

Reading out the resolution at a press conference here, Pooja Joshi, member of the forum, said, "Instead of apologising and admitting their mistake of assault on the Chief Secretary at midnight, CM and Dy CM are in denial mode.

"This shows that they were a part of the conspiracy and since they are specifically identified in the FIR, we appeal to LG and the Commissioner of Police to take action as per law against CM & Dy CM," the resolution said.

It expressed "deep concern" that not only has the political executive "failed" to condemn or regret the above incident, but also more incidents of public representatives misbehaving with and threatening government servants have taken place in the intervening period



The resolution alleged that an open "threat" by an MLA was given in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal who has made no statement condemning the same.

In such a situation, communication between the political and permanent executive can only continue through formal written means and no talks are possible.

"Therefore, the Joint Forum resolves that all Delhi Government employees will continue to work through formal written means of communication," the resolution said.

The employees said that they will continue their protest "in the form of five-minutes silence at 1.30 pm (lunch time) in all government offices till such time a specific written and public apology is tendered by CM and deputy CM and steps are taken to ensure the personal safety and dignity of officers while they discharge their official duties," resolution stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The EU has warned that it will consider targeted measures on Maldivian officials if the situation does not improve, prompting Maldives to reassure the 28-member bloc of its commitment to resolve the political crisis as it invited all political parties for dialogue.

The Council of the EU adopted a number of conclusions on the Maldives situation today, and called on the authorities to immediately lift the state of emergency, and restore all constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The EU said it will consider 'targeted measures' on Maldives officials, 'if situation does not improve'



Maldives, in response, reassured the EU of its commitment to resolve the current situation and has invited all Political Parties for dialogue.

"Maldives appreciates the European Union for standing with the Maldives during this difficult period and calls to help facilitate the ongoing efforts to resolve the current Constitutional Crisis, and to return to normalcy," the Maldives government said in a statement.

"Maldives will continue to work with the European Union and its member countries and appreciates the continued support and cooperation that the European Union is continuing to extend in strengthening the electoral, governance and democratic structures and framework.

The EU had also expressed concern over the security of "foreign residents and visitors, including tourists" to which the Maldives reiterated its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of foreign nationals residing in the country, as well as tourists visiting the Maldives on vacation.

There has been international condemnation of the Maldivian governments moves, including the imposition of the emergency.

Male, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos last Thursday when the Supreme Court ordered the release of nine imprisoned Opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed".

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has refused to obey the court orders and declared a state of emergency in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An organisation of ex-servicemen staged a rally here today demanding withdrawal of an FIR registered against Army personnel in Shopian recently and deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals from Jammu and Kashmir.

They also demanded stern action against stone-pelters and a provision to allow Army and paramilitary personnel to settle in the state by amending Article 370 of the Constitution.

Dozens of members from different parts of the country assembled under the banner of Voice of Ex-servicemen Society and took out a rally from Kachhi Chawani to Civil Secretariat, the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government in the heart of the city.

However, they were stopped by police near the secretariat and dispersed off peacefully after the submission of a memorandum to a senior police officer.

The memorandum highlighted the sacrifices being rendered by the security forces in the service of the nation in the state and raised various important issues that need immediate attention, national co-ordinator of the society, Bir Bahadur Singh, a former para trooper from Uttar Pradesh, told PTI.

He said the rally was staged to press for unconditional withdrawal of an FIR against an Army unit in Shopian district of south Kashmir.The FIR was lodged against the Army after three youth were killed when the troops opened fire after their convoy came under stone-pelting last month.

Singh, who retired from service in 2015, said the participants of the rally had come from various states and demanded amendment in the Article 370 of the Constitution, giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, to allow soldiers to settle in the state.

Terming the presence of Rohingya and Bangladeshis in Jammu as a threat to the national security, he demanded their immediate deportation.They are illegal refugees and have settled near security camps. They should be immediately evicted and deported to their countries, he said.

Singh demanded stern action against the youth indulging in stone-pelting on security forces during counter-insurgency operations in the valley.If the government failed to act on their demands, over one lakh members of the society will fill the streets in Srinagar to carry forward their campaign, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Water was today released to Kerala from the Aliyar Dam in the district, triggering opposition by farmers in Pollachi who claimed it would affect their irrigation requirements.

Officials here said 450 cusecs of water was being released to Kerala from the dam to meet the immediate irrigation requirements of farmers in the neighbouring state.

The decision to release water was taken after talks between officials of the two states held in the wake of protests by farmers in Kerala in the past few days.

There was tension in the areas bordering the two states in and around Pollachi as vehicles from Tamil Nadu were either stopped or allegedly stoned in the last couple of days by Kerala farmers seeking water from Aliyar dam, which is part of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project.

Later, Kerala allegedly resorted to drawing 'excess' water from Siruvani dam, the main drinking water source of Coimbatore, officials said. Siruvani dam is located in Palakkad district of Kerala.

Protesting the release of water to Kerala from Aliyar dam, farmers and political parties in Pollachi today submitted a memorandum to the sub-collector seeking to stop release of water.

Stating that the storage in the dam was already low, they said if water was released to Kerala it would affect their irrigation needs.

Meanwhile, DMK MLA N Kathik, representing Singanallur constituency in the city, today said a team of officials along with leaders of political parties from Tamil Nadu should be deputed to inspect Siruvani dam to ensure that Kerala was not drawing excess.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Election in Meghalaya is quite a family affair. The political heavyweights, along with their spouses and scions, are fighting it out to retain power in tomorrow's Assembly elections in the hill state.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who is contesting from Ampati and Songsak seats, has three family members in the fray from the Garo Hills region.

NPP candidates and relatives of former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma are also fighting the polls from four seats in the region.

"For a very long time, former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) Purno A Sangma dominated the election scenario in the state. He was once a mentor for many tribal political leaders, including chief minister Mukul Sangma," political analyst Sumar Sing Sawian told PTI.

P A Sangma's exit from the Congress in 1999 and the subsequent political moves on the national and regional fronts led to the emergence of Mukul Sangma as his successor in the grand old party, he said.

In 2013, along with Mukul Sangma, his wife DD Shira and his brother Zenith Sangma won the election, bagging Mahendraganj and Rangsakona seats.

Both Shira and Zenith Sangma are seeking a re-election from their respective seats.

This year, Zenith's wife Sadhiarani M Sangma is also making her electoral debut from Gambegre seat.

A source close to Mukul Sangma, however, said the CM does not consider election to be a family affair.

"It is not a family affair in here. Each one of us has dedicated time and efforts for uplifting the society," he quoted the CM as saying.

As for Mukul's rivals, the National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K Sangma, his brother James and their sister Agatha K Sangma, a former Union Minister in the UPA-II government, are also force to reckon with.

Conrad K Sangma, son of P A Sangma, had won the 2016 by-elections from Tura parliamentary seat with a thumping majority after his father's demise. He is currently a sitting MP in Lok Sabha.

His sister is contesting from South Tura constituency while his brother is seeking re-election from Dadenggre seat.

Boston Marak, a cousin of Conrad K Sangma, is also contesting the election on a Garo National Council ticket from Salmanpara seat.

Sanjay A Sangma, Conrad's brother-in-law, is taking on the CM's wife from Mahendraganj.

Dynastic has also made its way to Khasi Jaintia Hills region as several families have entered the fray for the February 27 elections.

The Dhar brothers - whose combine wealth is over Rs 350 crore - are contesting on NPP tickets in the region.

While Ngaitlang Dhar is seeking a re-election from Umroi, his brother, Sniawbhalang, is trying his best to retain Nartiang seat.

Ngaitlang Dhar's 25-year-old son, Dasakhiatbha Lamare, is in the fray from Mawhati seat and Sniawbhalang's brother-in-law, Wailadmiki Shylla, from Jowai constituency in Jaintia Hills region.

The Assembly election will also witness a father and his daughter vying for two seats. Former MLA P M Syiem and his daughter Teilinia Thangkhiew are contesting on Hills State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) ticket from Mawphlang and Mylliem constituencies respectively.

Veteran legislator Rowell Lyngdoh and his son-in-law Sounder Cajee are contesting the fray on NPP tickets from Mawkyrwat and South Shillong constituencies.

Adding to the legacy of family politics, former MLA Donkupar Massar and his wife Grace Mary Kharpuri are also fighting the polls on Peoples Democratic Front(PDF) tickets from Ranikor and Pynursla constituencies respectively.

The counting of votes for the Assembly elections has been scheduled for March 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours:



FGN11 SRIDEVI-REPORTS



Necessary reports awaited to start process of repatriating Sridevi's mortal remains: OfficialsDubai: Indian officials and family members of Bollywoood star Sridevi are still waiting the necessary certificates from the Dubai authorities to start the process of repatriating her mortal remains, at least two officials confirm.

FGN4 SRIDEVI-LD BODY



Sridevi's body to reach India by afternoon



Dubai: Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will be flown back to India from Dubai today, her family says in a statement.

FGN7 UK-4THLD EXPLOSION



Four dead in UK building blast; Police rules out terror angle



London: A powerful explosion and subsequent fire at a three-storey building killed four people in the English city of Leicester, police say but rule out a terror link to the blast. By Aditi Khanna



FGN8 SAFRICA-INDIAN-LD ARREST



ISIS-linked Indian-origin woman, partner held in SA for abducting UK couple



Johannesburg: A 27-year-old Indian-origin woman and her partner, both allegedly linked to the ISIS terror group, have been arrested and charged with abducting a British couple, according to South African special police unit Hawks. By Fakir Hassen



FGN9 BANGLA-ZIA



Bangladesh court extends bail for Zia until March 13



Dhaka: A court in Bangladesh extends the bail of imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia until March 13 in a graft case, a day after the High Court deferred the judgement on a separate bail plea in a corruption case, media reports say.

FGN10 UN-SYRIA



UN chief calls for Syria ceasefire to be 'immediately implemented'



Geneva: The United Nations secretary-general demands the immediate implementation of 30-day ceasefire in Syria as the Damascus regime continued its deadly bombardment of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. (AFP)



FGN12 SYRIA-LD ISIS



Strikes on east Syria's last IS pocket kill 25 civilians



BEIRUT: Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor says.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) today said it has won an arbitration award of Rs 2.92 billion against the Goa government for non-payment of electricity dues.

It said the need for arbitration arose due to prolonged non-payment of dues by the state government towards supply of electricity by RInfra from its 48 MW Goa Power Plant in Sancoale.

"RInfra has won an arbitration award of Rs 2.92 billion against Government of Goa. The Arbitration Tribunal, in its award on February 16, 2018, has ordered Government of Goa to pay Rs 2.92 billion to Reliance Infrastructure Limited by April 15, 2018," the company said in a statement.

The Tribunal has also ordered payment of interest at 15 per cent per annum on the total award amount if the government fails to pay the entire award amount by the deadline, it said.

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission had constituted the Tribunal under the new rules laid down in 2015.

"Starting in January 2016, the proceedings of the tribunal were held for about two years and all pleadings and arguments by both the parties were completed in 12 sittings," it said.

RInfra said the total outstanding, along with interest as on October 31, 2017, amount to Rs 2.78 billion The Tribunal has also awarded interest from October 2017 till the date of the award, which amounts to Rs 140 million



"The contention of RInfra that the rate of energy for the period from June 2013 to August 2014 was based on the varying prices of fuel and dollar exchange rate as was agreed to by the Goa Government, was upheld by the Tribunal," the company said.
A government doctor allegedly committed suicide today by shooting himself with his licenced gun at his residence here, a police official said.

The doctor, K K Uniya, was suffering from throat cancer and posted in Narsinghgarh town of Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh, said Koh-e-Fiza police station in-chagre Anil Vajpayee.

The 62-year-old used his licenced gun to kill himself, he said.

Initial investigations revealed the physician had lost his 23-year-old son around four years back. Since then he had been upset and probably took the extreme step because of this reason, Vajpayee said.

Police did not find any suicide note from the spot, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Will your vote be safe this year from foreign adversaries working to undermine US democracy? Some of the nation's governors aren't so sure.

State leaders of both parties worried aloud yesterday about the security of America's election systems against possible cyberattacks ahead of this fall's midterm elections, aware that Russian agents targeted more than 20 states little more a year ago, and the Trump administration has taken a mostly hands-off approach to the continued interference.

US intelligence leaders report Russian hackers are already working to undermine this November's elections, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and in statehouses across the nation.

"In my lifetime, I've never seen anything like this. It's scary," Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said.

"The biggest concern is when you have a president and an administration that denies the problem and doesn't acknowledge the existence of the problem, it's hard to believe that they're going to be offering any real solutions or funding to make our system more secure."



Election security has been overshadowed by a near-constant string of chaos and controversy out of the White House over the last year. As most of the nation's governors gathered in Washington for a weekend conference, issues like gun violence, Trump's leadership and the economy dominated most hallway conversations.

Yet non-partisan experts and both Democratic and Republican elected officials suggest there is no issue more critical to American democracy than the integrity of the nation's elections, which are facing unprecedented cyberattacks.

The Trump administration has so far done little to help secure the mishmash of 10,000 local voting jurisdictions across the nation that mostly run on obsolete and imperfectly secured technology.

Russian agents targeted election systems in 21 statesim ahead of the 2016 general election, the Department of Homeland Security says, and separately launched a social media blitz aimed at inflaming social tensions and sowing confusion. The search for a solution has been shaped by partisan



While Democratic governors lashed out at the Trump administration for ignoring the threat, some Republicans, such as Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin insisted the media are overstating the problem. Several other Republicans, however, were openly concerned about outside interference but declined to criticize the Trump administration's inaction.

"There's obviously nothing more important than protecting the mechanism of democracy, and they've shown that they can at least meddle if not directly influence," Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who leads the Republican Governors Association, said of Russian hackers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Gujarat Assembly was adjourned for one hour after Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani was prevented from speaking on the death of Dalit activist Bhanubhai Vankar.

Vankar had set himself ablaze outside the Patan collector's office while protesting against the delay in allotting land to a Dalit family. He died of burn injuries on February 16.

Speaker Rajendra Trivedi adjourned the House for an hour when Congress MLAs started shouting slogans against the BJP government after Mevani was prevented from speaking on the issue by Trivedi.

Congress MLA from Patan, Kirit Patel, along with senior party MLA Shailesh Parmar and Mevani, today sought the state government's response on Vankar's death under Rule 116 of the Assembly, which deals with 'matter of urgent public importance'.

In his opening remark, Kirit Patel asked the government to explain the reasons behind a non-functional fire tender deployed outside the Patan Collector's office, which according to Patel, led to the death of Vankar.

In his reply, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, put the onus on the opposition party, as he claimed that the fire tender belonged to Patan municipality, which is ruled by the Congress.

"Since Patan municipality is under the Congress rule, only they can tell us why it failed to work" said Jadeja.

Hitting back, Parmar said the fire tender belonged to the BJP-ruled Mehsana municipality.

Jadeja responded by stating that adequate police personnel as well as fire extinguishers and an ambulance had been deployed outside the Patan collector's office to prevent any incident.

"On duty policemen doused the flames in just 41 seconds. Even two of the policemen received injuries while trying to save Vankar. We have not only registered an FIR as demanded by Dalit activists, we have also suspended two police constables" Jadeja said.

Speaking on the issue, Mevani slammed Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's government, following which, the Speaker ordered that Mevani's mike be turned off.

"We need to go deeper into the issue, as to what forced Vankar to take such an extreme step. After this incident, 50 lakh Dalits in the state have lost faith in the Rupani government" said Mevani.

Before he could make any further comments, the Speaker interrupted Mevani and asked him to stop. When Mevani continued speaking, Trivedi orderd that the mike be turned off.

This led to sloganeering from Congress members and the Speaker adjourned the House for one hour.

When the House met after recess, Mevani raised the issue of compensation to Vankar's family, claiming that no compensation had been given so far.

Responding to Mevani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel informed the House that a cheque of Rs 4.12 lakh had been handed over to Vankar's wife on February 19. He alleged that Mevani was trying to project himself as a Dalit leader by using this issue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A traders' association led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother has threatened an indefinite strike from March 1 to press for various demands, including higher commission from foodgrain sales.

Prahlad Modi, president of the Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners' Association, said today that the association had submitted a list of demands to the Gujarat government including a rise in commission from foodgrain sales to bring it at par with states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa.

"While the commission given to fair price shop owners in Gujarat is Rs 85 per quintal, it is Rs 200 in Rajasthan and Delhi, Rs 220 in Kerala, Rs 150 in Maharashtra and Rs 230 in Goa. We want parity in commission rates," he said.

"We will go on an indefinite strike from March 1 if the government does not meet our demands by tomorrow. We have given them an ultimatum as the government has failed to meet our demands, several of which we had raised in May last year," he added.

He said that the association wanted the software currently being used to operate the Annapurna Yojana at fair price shops to be replaced as it had glitches.

"The software sometimes fails to read the fingerprint and Aadhaar card details of the beneficiaries, forcing them to return without their monthly quota of subsidised food grains," Modi said.

The association also wants fair price shops to be allowed to sell gas cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which aims to provide free LPG connections to women from BPL households, he said.

Modi said that shop owners had been deprived of income due to the policy of the Central and state governments to reduce the use of kerosene, and instead supply gas under the Ujjwala Yojana.

Fairprice shop owners also want the government to provide financial assistance for the education of their children, Modi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court today closed an anticipatory bail plea filed by self-styled godman Nithyananda following a complaint after prosecution informed it that no FIR had been registered against him.

Nithyananda, founder of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam at Bidadi in Bengaluru, apprehended arrest by Salem cyber cell crime police and moved the court.

When the matter came up, the prosecution informed Justice AD Jagadish Chandira that no FIR has been registered against him.

Recording the submission, the judge closed the plea and said if required, the petitioner may appear before the police whenever the necessity arises.

According to Nithyananda, he received a notice from the Cyber Crime cell at Salem asking him to appear before it on February 22 following a complaint from Piyush Sethia alias Manush.

The complaint refers to certain abusive remarks posted on Facebook sent through a mobile phone.

Stating that the names mentioned in the complaint or the mobile number therein were not his or any official numbers that were allocated to any resident of his ashram, Nithyananda submitted that a number of persons came to his ashram daily.

He submitted that it would not be possible to exercise control over "use or abuse" of mobiles of visitors to the ashram.

The petitioner feared that he may be arrested as one of the alleged offences had been registered under Sec. 67 of the Information Technology Act, which was non-bailable.

He claimed that he was innocent and that a case had been foisted against him.

If arrested and sent to jail, he would suffer great humiliation and dishonour in the eyes of the general public, more particularly his followers, for no fault of his, he contended.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said today that India is the economic hope of the world and the picture is both fascinating and complex.

He said millions of people are working round the clock to keep the wheels of economy running.

"India is the economic hope of the globe and that the picture is both fascinating and complex as our economy is fast expanding," Naidu said.

He was speaking at a function to give away Prime Ministers Shram Awards to 338 workers, according to a statement issued by the Labour Ministry.

"This is the real GDP festival. By this I mean, the Growth Driving Power from among whom the Great Dedicated Persons are being honoured today and these two GDPs are critical for the Gross Domestic Product, the GDP that we are all ultimately concerned with," he said.

On this occasion, Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar reiterated that the commitment of the government to protect workers rights and their welfare.

He said the initiatives of Ministry of Labour and Employment directly affect more than 50 per cent of the Indian population whereas indirectly it caters to almost the entire population.

He listed the labour reform initiatives undertaken by his ministry, particularly the Code on Social Security, which proposes to universalise social security cover for all workers.

Minimum Government and Maximum governance was the guiding principle of his ministry in its policy discourse, Gangwar said.

Public Sector workers bagged 232 Awards while 106 Awards were bagged by Private Sector (PRS). Awards were also bagged by group of workmen together. Out of 338 Awardees twenty were Women and two were posthumously awarded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indonesian Ambassador to India Sidharto Reza Suriyodipuro today called on Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami and discussed strengthening of ties between Tamil Nadu and Indonesia.

According to the official Twitter account of the Indonesian Embassy, the Ambassador accompanied by his wife Dewi R Suryodipuro met Purohit at the Raj Bhavan.

During the meeting, the envoy spoke about the need to work on discovering the closed historical and cultural links between Indonesia and Tamil Nadu through a series of cultural activities in Chennai.

Later, the Ambassador along with his wife and embassy officials called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Secretariat.

During his brief interaction with Palaniswami, the Ambassador explored the opportunities to enhance trade and investments, particularly on coal, palm oil, connectivity and education.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has ordered an inquiry into the death of a tiger which apparently succumbed to injuries and starvation.

On February 21, a team of forest officials spotted the tiger near a pond adjacent to village Bhansuli in the district. The next day, they found the tiger was wounded, said Chief Conservator of Forests (Chandrapur Division) Vijay Shelke.

According to Shelke, the feline needed to be tranquillised for treatment for which permission was sought from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife Warden).

"A proposal was sent to the officials concerned, but the tiger died yesterday," Shelke said, adding, the animal appears to have died due to starvation.

According to a release from the district information office here, Mungantiwar has ordered an inquiry into the big cat's death.

As per the release, Special Executive Officer (Revenue and Forests) Swapnil Deshbhratar has written a letter over the tiger's death.

In the letter addressed to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Nagpur, Deshbhratar has demanded an explanation for laxity on part of the forest officials that resulted in delay in providing treatment to the injured tiger.

The minister, expressing his displeasure over the incident, has demanded an explanation as to why there was a delay in providing treatment to the injured tiger and the exact reason for its death, the release said.

The Principal Chief Conservator has been directed to submit a report to the forest ministry by February 28, it added.

Chandrapur distrct in Vidarbha houses the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leading leather companies from Japan and Italy joined over 70 Indian companies to showcase quality products at three-day International leather fair starting today to give a fillip to potential leather markets of West Bengal and North-Eastern states.

The objective of the fair is to promote leather markets of West Bengal and North-East as part of the Union government's key "Act East Policy".

The International Leather fair and its concurrent event 2nd Tex-Styles India, 2018 is organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), with its headquarter at Pragati Maidan in the New Delhi with support of Indian Leather Products Association (ILPA).

West Bengal minister for Finance, Industry and Commerce Amit Mitra inaugurated the fair at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata, the venue where Bengal Global Business Summit 2018 was held on 16th & 17th January this year.

Counsel General of of Italy Damiano Francovigh and his German counterpart Michael Feiner graced the occasion.

ITPO Executive Director Deepak Kumar, Mukhtarul Amin, Chairman Council for Leather Exports, Adhar Sahni, President Indian Leather Products Association (IIPA) and Ramesh Kumar Juneja, Chairman CLE (Eastern Region) were present in the function.

The aim of the fair is to make the region of West Bengal and North-East a trade and business hub of South-East Asia, a ITPO statement said.

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Mitra said they have already submitted a Rs 350 crore project for Bantala leather cluster that aims to strengthen, modernise and expand the existing Calcutta leather Complex located in eastern fringes of the city.

"We have already sent a proposal to centre with DIPP for co-funding in the Rs 350 crore project. Meanwhile, we are also not waiting but going ahead with some of the components of the project," Mitra said.

He, however, did not reveal about the amount of co-funding the project.

In the past several years, tanners in the Bantala Leather Complex had complained about inadequate infrastructure which was earlier entrusted on the city based Dalmia group.

However, now the state government has the come forward to support the complex and intends to modernise and expand it further as leather sector is one of the key job providers in the state.

"Already, five lakh people are associated with the sector and I hope additional two lakh more employment would be generated once the project is complete," Mitra claimed.

Among the other components in the project include renovating four effluent treatment plants and building another new four such units.

Desilting of a canal, developing 60 acres for new footwear park in the same location.

Mitra said about 300 fresh applications from Kanpur, Chennai and Kolkata expressing interest in setting up new units here.

Currently, Bengal leather and leather products exports account for about USD one billion out of aggregate exports of 8.5 billion in 2016-17, Mitra said.

He expected the export figure to double over the next few years.

IILF and Tex-Styles India would end on February 28.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rendering a Sanskrit invocation song at an event attended by two union ministers in IIT Madras, has generated a controversy as a Tamil one is traditionally sung at state government functions.

The students sung 'Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smarami',penned by late poet Muthuswami Dikshithar as the invocation song soon after arrival of dignitaries for the foundation stone laying ceremony of National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts, to be set up along with IIT Madras.

At government functions in the state, only "Tamil Thaai Vazhthu" (invocation song of mother Tamil), penned by Manomaniam Sundaram Pillai, is played in the beginning and the national anthem towards the end of the events.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan participated at the function.

Director of IIT-M Bhaskar Ramamoorthy, who was also present at the event, said the institution does not issue any directions to students for a particular song to be sung.

"We do not issue any directions to the students. It is they who choose the invocation song and render it on such occasions", he said.

Meanwhile, MDMK Chief Vaiko condemned rendering of the Sanskrit song and said it was not acceptable to 'impose' it at the function. He demanded that stringent action be taken against those responsible for the incident."



"Both Nitin Gadkari and Pon Radhakrishnan, who were at the function, should publicly tender an apology for the incident, as singing of the Tamil invocation song is the usual practice in any government function," he told reporters at Coimbatore.

He alleged that the Centre was trying to impose Sanskrit and Hindi by various means.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 27-year-old Indian-origin woman and her partner, both allegedly linked to the ISIS terror group, have been arrested and charged with abducting a British couple, according to South African special police unit Hawks.

The missing Cape Town couple, whose names have been withheld by authorities, are understood to have been kidnapped while on holiday in near the Bivane Dam in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, on February 12.

Fatima Patel and Safydeen Aslam Del Vecchio also face charges of robbery and theft after they went on a spending spree using the couples credit cards, building up a stash of jewellery, camping equipment and electronic devices which were found at a remote location where an ISIS flag was being flown.

Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said that during surveillance of Patel and her partner, operatives had gathered information allegedly linking them to the British couple from Cape Town.

But police declined to provide any further information due to the sensitive nature of the case as the search continues for the couple whose vehicle was found abandoned over 300 kms away from where they were last seen on February 9.

The incident had prompted the British government to issue a travel advisory about possible terrorist attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.

The weekly Sunday Times, quoting a charge sheet after their court appearance on February 19, reported that Patel and Del Vecchio, 38, also stand accused of hoisting an ISIS flag at a modest homestead in a rural area.

Del Vecchio also faces another terrorism-related charge for allegedly participating in extremist web forums that support ISIS and offering to supply phone numbers and SIM cards that are not traceable.

Yousha Tayob, the lawyer representing Patel and Del Vecchio, confirmed that the pair had appeared in the court and were remanded in custody at Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Patel and her brother Ebrahim Patel were previously arrested at their home in Azaadville in 2016 during police raids that also led to the arrest of Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, twins accused of planning terrorist attacks at the behest of the Islamic State.

The Patel siblings appeared in court at the time on charges of possession of unlicensed ammunition and explosives. They were released on bail, news24.com reported.

Meanwhile, reacting to the UK government's travel advisory, local Muslim organisations have dismissed this as an "overreaction".

Ebrahim Deen of the Afro-Middle East Centre told the weekly that South African Muslims posed no threat to travellers and that the incident was more related to crime than an ISIS attack.

"Muslims are largely integrated in (South African) society, are not disillusioned and they face little discrimination like in Europe and elsewhere," he said.

Martin Ewi of the Institute for Security Studies said South Africa was regarded as a "logistics base" for terror cells in transit, and is not traditionally a target for attacks, although the arrests of Patel and Del Vecchio confirmed the presence of an active terror cell in South Africa.

"We in the counter-terror fraternity suspected that they were working as members of an active cell, and the kidnapping will confirm the presence of an active IS cell," Ewi said.
Italian luxury kidswear brand Monnalisa is set to enter India later this year with its first outlet in Delhi.

The brand, which is entering India through a franchise route, plans to open its first store by September this year.

"Monnalisa plans to open seven stores in India in top metro cities in the next five years. Monnalisa has inked a pan-India contract with expansion plans in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Kolkata with FranGlobal with total deal size of more than Euro 4 million," FranGlobal CEO Venus Barak told PTI.

FranGlobal is representing the brand and has appointed PING Global Services as the master franchisee for Monnalisa in India. The products will be fully imported and sold in India



"We plan to open first Monnalisa store in Delhi by September this year. Euro 4 million investment will go in setting up stores, inventory and marketing of the brand," PING Global services Director Chitresh Lather said. Lather is also the CEO of PDM University.

Lather said the brand will also tap in the fast growing e-commerce channel to push sales in India.

"We will use both -- our site as well as third party e-commerce sites -- to grow sales," he added.

This is the second attempt of Monnalisa to make inroads in the Indian market. In 2006, it had signed a licence agreement with an Indian company, but the deal did not go through.

Monnalisa is spread across 65 countries and is a leader company in the childrenwear high market segment. It competes with Armani Jr., Burberry etc. They have products that caters infants to teenagers for both boys and girls with average ticket size of Rs 8000-10,000.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In Italy, the fight against measles has moved from the doctor's office to the political battleground. The nation is facing one of its worst epidemics of measles in recent years, reporting a six-fold increase in cases last year that accounted for a quarter of all the cases in Europe. And yet the government's response a new law requiring parents to vaccinate their kids against measles and nine other childhood diseases has become one of the most divisive issues going into March 4 general elections. Public health authorities are incredulous that the small but loud anti-vax movement has gained traction during an entirely preventable measles outbreak, thanks to an election campaign where prominent politicians have questioned the safety of shots and denounced obligatory inoculations. It's just one example of how anti-establishment politics has upended even the most basic facts of life and death in Italy, and how a now-discredited Lancet article that linked autism to the MMR vaccine published 20 years ago this week but subsequently retracted has had lasting impact. "Politics shouldn't enter into questions about health, otherwise we'll start debating using antibiotics for infections," Dr Roberto Ieraci, vaccine coordinator for Rome's district No 1, said between administering shots to his squirmy, tiny patients. "Let's be clear: Vaccines save lives," he said. "They improve quality of life. They diminish health costs, both for the individual and collective." But Italy's mainstream medical community is up against a rising tide of populist, anti-establishment politicians, who have jumped on the vaccine-skepticism bandwagon. Many have criticized the new law spearheaded by the Democratic Party requiring parents to inoculate their children against 10 diseases before they can enroll them in school. "Vaccine yes, obligation no," has become the mantra of Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing, euroskeptic League party who is running alongside Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party on the center-right coalition that leads the polls. Salvini has vowed to scrap the law if the center-right wins next week. At an anti-vax rally Saturday in Rome, more than 1,000 people turned out in the rain to denounce the new law and demand "freedom of choice" for their children. They carried banners reading "Science: Doubt it to improve it," and "The risks connected to vaccines are negligible until it happens to your child." "We want to be free to choose ourselves what to do with our children who were born healthy," said Milena Muccioli, a mother of a 1-year-old from the seaside city of Rimini. "We don't want to introduce in their bodies medicines or other things that could damage their body." The law goes into effect next month and noncompliance can result in fines of up to 500 euros (USD615). The law was passed over the objections of both the League and the populist 5-Star Movement, whose founder Beppe Grillo has cast doubt about vaccines, mammograms and parents' obligations to vaccinate, part of his overall distrust of pharmaceutical companies and the health industry. The 5-Stars insist they're not anti-vaccination, just against obliging parents to inoculate. But until recently, their official programme "Vaccinate yes, vaccinate no, Let's have clarity" posed the question of whether to vaccinate. It highlighted possible side effects, said parents had lost faith in science, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and politicians, and called for a reduction in the number of obligatory inoculations. One 5-Star candidate for the northern Veneto region, Sara Cunial, once called vaccines "genocide." So Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin, architect of the law and leader of a small party in the center-left coalition, has spent most of her campaign time defending it. "Too many vaccines? And who decides, Salvini?" Lorenzin said in Rome, denouncing the anti-vax campaigners and noting that France requires 11 vaccinations. "Let's let mothers and fathers do their jobs, doctors do theirs, and politicians step aside and stop talking about things they don't know." Prior to the new law, parents in Italy were only obliged to vaccinate children against four diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, polio and hepatitis B. But enforcement was uneven and a certain vaccine-skepticism grew, thanks in part to the doubts cast by the Lancet article, since retracted, linking autism to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. By 2015, Italy's overall vaccination rate among 2-year-olds fell to 93.4 per cent, well below the 95 per cent threshold set by the World Health Organisation as the minimum benchmark to prevent epidemics. For some individual vaccines like MMR, Italy's inoculation rate in 2015 fell to 85.3 per cent, creating ripe conditions for the epidemic that last year led to 5,006 cases and four deaths. "85.3 per cent is simply not good enough," said Robb Butler, European program manager for WHO's division of vaccine-preventable diseases. "That places Italy in the bottom handful of countries of the 53 in our region." Italy's measles cases were second only to Romania's 5,562 cases, and the two together accounted for half the measles cases in Europe last year. Romania, however, has a large population of Roma, also known as Gypsies, who face discrimination and often can't access health services, which is not the case in Italy, where health care is universal and free, Butler said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today condemned the killing of two policemen in an attack on police posts in the state.

Two policemen were shot dead by militants yesterday in two separate attacks on police posts, one near the revered Chrar-e-Shareef shrine and another outside the residence of a Hurriyat leader, in the Kashmir Valley, officials said.

The chief minister conveyed her heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved families of the slain constables and prayed for their eternal solace.

A group of militants yesterday fired upon a police post near the shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani in the Chrar-e-Shareef area in Budgam district, killing a policeman, Kultar Singh.

In the second incident, another policeman, Farooq Ahmed, was killed when militants attacked a police post set up to protect the residence of Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, in Soura area of the summer capital of the state, a police official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today reviewed the security situation along the LoC and held discussions with the chiefs of central intelligence agencies here, an official said.

"In the context of recent developments and certain reports received by him, Governor Vohra spent almost whole day with senior echelons in the security apparatus," an official spokesman said here.

The governor received an extensive briefing from General officer Commanding of 15 Corps Lt Gen A K Bhat about the situation along the entire LoC and activities of the various terrorist groups in the hinterland.

"Vohra received similar briefings fromIGP Kashmir S P Pani and IG CRPF Ravideep Singh Sahi," the spokesman said, adding Vohraalso held discussions with the chiefs of central intelligence agencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jain Irrigation Systems today said its subsidiary has acquired Belgium-based Innovafood N V and its affiliated firms.

The company, however, did not disclose the deal amount but said no government regulatory approvals are required to complete the transaction.

Jain Farm Fresh Foods Ltd (JFFFL) has acquired 100 per cent stake in Innovafood through its Belgium-based subsidiary, , it said in a regulatory filing.

"We are delighted to be able to make this investment in a very dynamic, growth-oriented company. Innovafood and Jain have enjoyed a very close relationship in the past. We are looking forward to see Innovafood become much larger entity under Jain umbrella," JFFFL Chairman Anil Jain said.

For last 15 years, Jain has been one of our key supplier from India, Innovafoods Founder and CEO Michel Driessens said and added, "Now this relationship has been further strengthened."



Jain Irrigation said that the acquisition aligns with another similar strategic investment in the UK by JFFFL into a similar business covering British Isles seven years with very impressive performance till date.

Innovafood has been exclusive distributor of JFFFL for last 15 years in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg as well as France markets for some of the key food ingredients supplied.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special address on Islamic heritage and promoting moderation will be a major highlight of Jordanian King's three-day visit here beginning tomorrow during which both sides will look to expand ties in a range of key areas including defence and security.

King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, a 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, is known for his global initiative to fight radicalisation and terrorism. He is also the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

India considers Jordan an "oasis of stability and harmony" in conflict-ridden West Asia and New Delhi would like to deepen bilateral ties with the country during the King's visit, official sources said, adding both sides will also look to finalise a framework for defence cooperation.

They said the King is particularly appreciative of India's plurality, diversity and the way it has tackled radicalization and extremism, and he is likely delve on this facet.

In a statement, the external affairs ministry said the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The Palestinian issue and ways to deal with terrorism, radicalisation and extremism are likely to figure, apart from key bilateral and regional matters, in talks between the King and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, the sources said.

They said PM Modi, diplomats, representatives from Islamic institutions of all denominations, academicians, think-tanks and representatives from across the country are expected to attend the special address by the Jordanian king at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday.

The topic -- 'Islamic heritage; Promoting Understanding and Moderation' -- has been selected by the king himself, the sources said.

A number of representatives from a number of Arab countries may also attend the lecture.

A translation of a book "A Thinking Person's Guide to Islam -- the Essence of Islam in 12 versus from the Quran" will also be released at the event, being organised by the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

The influential leader's India visit comes nearly three weeks after the prime minister visited Jordan as part of his recent trip to West Asia, including to Palestine. Modi's visit to Jordan was the first bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister in three decades.

"We attach great importance to our ties with Jordan as it is an oasis of stability and harmony in an area of conflict," said a source, reflecting on the significance of the Jordan king's visit.

The sources said both sides are expected to ink a number of agreements to expand cooperation in several key sectors including health care, IT, customs and will look to firm up a framework pact for defence and security cooperation.

They said the King, who had served the Jordanian armed forces, was particularly keen on having defence and security cooperation with India.

In their talks, Modi and the king are also likely to explore ways of deepening trade ties. Twenty textile industries from India have invested around USD 300 million in Jordan.

On Wednesday, the King will visit IIT Delhi to explore collaboration with Jordan technical institutes. During the day, the King will also participate in a CEO Round-table followed by India-Jordan Business Forum being jointly organised by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM.

Giving an example of the warmth in ties between the two countries, the sources said the King was travelling abroad and came back to Amman to receive Modi. He received Modi at his residence despite it being a holiday in Jordan.

He had appreciated Modi for undertaking a "stand alone" visit to Palestine through Amman and also for India's strong support to the Palestinian cause.

Asked whether India would like to be part of the negotiation process on the Palestinian issue, the sources said there was "no thinking" to get involved in it.

Jordan's royal helicopters had flown Modi and his delegation from Amman to Ramallah and back during the visit.

The Jordanian King, who will be accompanied by a high-level business delegation, will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday and he will host a banquet for the visiting leader.

On whether the issue of 39 missing Indians will be discussed during talks between Modi and the King, sources said it had figured during the prime minister's parleys with Palestinian leadership in his recent trip to Palestine.

About the Kashmir issue, the sources said Jordan has a very neutral position over it since 1970s.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special address on Islamic heritage and promoting moderation will be a major highlight of Jordanian King's three-day visit here beginning tomorrow during which both sides will look to expand ties in a range of key areas including defence and security.

King Abdullah II, a 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, is known for his global initiative to fight radicalisation and terrorism and is also the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

India considers Jordan an "oasis of stability and harmony" in conflict-ridden West Asia and New Delhi would like to deepen bilateral ties in diverse areas during the King's visit, officials said, adding both sides will also look to finalise a framework for defence cooperation.

The Palestinian issue, ways to deal with terrorism, radicalisation and extremism are likely to figure, apart from key bilateral and regional matters, in talks between the king and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, they said.

The officials said PM Modi, diplomats, representatives from Islamic institutions of all denominations, academicians, think-tanks and representatives from across the country are expected to attend the special address by the Jordanian king at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday.

The topic -- 'Islamic heritage; Promoting Understanding and Moderation' -- has been selected by the king himself, the sources said.

A number of representatives from a number of Arab countries may also attend the lecture.

A translation of a book "A Thinking Person's Guide to Islam -- the Essence of Islam in 12 versus from the Quran" will also be released at the event, being organised by the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

The influential leader's India visit comes nearly three weeks after the prime minister visited Jordan as part of his recent trip to West Asia, including to Palestine. Modi's visit to Jordan was the first bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister in three decades.

"We attach great importance to our ties with Jordan as it is an oasis of stability and harmony in an area of conflict," said a source, reflecting on the significance of the Jordan king's visit.

The sources said both sides are expected to ink a number of agreements to expand cooperation in several key sectors including health care, IT, customs and will look to firm up a framework pact for defence and security cooperation.

They said the king, who had served the Jordanian armed forces, was particularly keen on having defence and security cooperation with India.

In their talks, Modi and the king are also likely to explore ways of deepening trade ties. Twenty textile industries from India have invested around USD 300 million in Jordan.

Giving an example of the warmth in ties between the two countries, the sources said the king was travelling abroad and came back to Amman to receive Modi. He received Modi at his residence despite it being a holiday in Jordan.

He had appreciated Modi for undertaking a "stand alone" visit to Palestine through Amman and also for India's strong support to the Palestinian cause.

Asked whether India would like to be part of the negotiation process on the Palestinian issue, the sources said there was "no thinking" to get involved in it.

Jordan's royal helicopters had flown Modi and his delegation from Amman to Ramallah and back during the visit.

The Jordanian king, who will be accompanied by a high-level business delegation, will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday and he will host a banquet for the visiting leader.

During his stay here, the king will also visit the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to explore collaboration in areas of science and technology, and will address a congregation of industry tycoons.

On whether the issue of 39 missing Indians will be discussed during talks between Modi and the King, sources said it had figured during the prime minister's parleys with Palestinian leadership in his recent trip to Palestine.

About the Kashmir issue, the sources said Jordan has a very neutral position over it since 1970s.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special address on Islamic heritage and promoting moderation will be a highlight of Jordanian King Abdullah II's three-day visit beginning tomorrow.

The king, a 41st generation direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, is known for his global initiative to fight deradicalisation and terrorism and is also custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

India considers Jordan an "oasis of stability and harmony" in conflict-ridden West Asia, official sources said.

During the King's visit, both sides will aim to further boost ties in several key areas and look to finalise a framework for defence and security cooperation, they said.

The Palestinian issue, ways to deal with terrorism radicalisation and extremism are likely to figure, apart from key bilateral and regional matters, in talks between the king and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, the sources said.

Modi, several senior dignitaries and representatives from leading Islamic institutions from across the country are expected to attend the special address by the Jordanian king at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday.

The topic -- 'Islamic heritage; Promoting Understanding and Moderation' -- has been selected by the king himself, the sources said.

A translation of a book "A Thinking Person's Guide to Islam -- the Essence of Islam in 12 versus from the Quran" will also be released at the event, being organised by the India Islamic Cultural Centre.

The influential leader's India visit comes nearly three weeks after the prime minister visited Jordan as part of his recent trip to West Asia, including to Palestine. Modi's visit to Jordan was the first bilateral trip by an Indian prime minister in three decades.

"We attach great importance to our ties with Jordan as it is an oasis of stability and harmony in an area of conflict," said a source, reflecting on the significance of the Jordan king's visit.

The sources said both sides are expected to ink a number of agreements to expand cooperation in several key sectors including health care, IT and will look to firm a framework pact for defence and security cooperation.

In their talks, Modi and the king are also likely to explore ways of deepening trade ties. Twenty textile industries from India have invested around USD 300 million in Jordan.

Giving an example of the warmth in ties between the two countries, the sources said the king was travelling abroad and came back to Amman to receive Modi. He received Modi at his residence despite it being a holiday in Jordan.

He had appreciated Modi for undertaking a "stand alone" visit to Palestine through Amman and also for India's strong support to the Palestinian cause.

Jordan's royal helicopters had flown Modi and his delegation from Amman to Ramallah and back during the visit.

The Jordanian king, who will be accompanied by a high-level business delegation, will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday and he will host a banquet for the visiting leader.

During his stay here, the king will also visit the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, to explore collaboration in areas of science and technology and will address a congregation of industry tycoons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court today sent Karti Chidambaram's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, arrested in the INX Media money laundering case, to 14-day judicial custody.

Special judge N K Malhotra sent the chartered accountant (CA) to Tihar Jail after he was produced from the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), whose special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana had sought three more days of custodial interrogation.

Bhaskararaman was arrested from a five-star hotel in the heart of the capital on February 16.

Karti's name had cropped up in the case which relates to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media when his father and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was the Union finance minister during the previous UPA regime.

The ED had earlier claimed that during the course of investigation, it was revealed that Bhaskararaman, a qualified CA, had been assisting Karti to manage his "ill-gotten wealth" in India and abroad.

The agency had said the investigation required the presence of Bhaskararaman for collecting vital evidence and other information which was within his special knowledge and exclusive domain.

It had alleged that INX Media had deliberately and in violation of the conditions of the approval made a downstream investment of 26 per cent in the capital of INX News Pvt Ltd without specific approval of FIPB, which included indirect foreign investment by some foreign investors, and generated Rs 305 crore foreign direct investment in INX Media Pvt Ltd against the approved foreign inflow of Rs 4.62 crore.

To wriggle out of the situation without any punitive action, INX Media entered into a criminal conspiracy with Karti, the ED has alleged.

The FIPB unit of the finance ministry had not only granted illegal approval but also misinformed the investigation wing of Income Tax Department, it had alleged.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said today the NDA government's decision of interlinking the Godavari and Cauvery rivers was taken with an eye on the ensuing Karnataka Assembly polls.

He also criticised the Modi government for "neglecting" farmers.

Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said his ministry has decided to transfer surplus water from the Godavari river to Krishna, to Pennar river (Karnataka) and finally to Cauvery.

Addressing a conference of the mandal level Farmers Coordination Committee here, Rao said his government is all set implement a scheme under which cultivators would get Rs 4,000 per acre as farm input from April.

"They (the Centre) could not clearly spell out our share in the Godavari river. They appoint tribunals for that (for river water sharing). See neighbouring China. They are taking water from the Yangtze river up to Mongolia and North China, about 1,400 km away," he said.

"Have they (the Centre) got tired doing such things? No. Now have they started Godavari-Cauvery interlinking. What is the drama and conspiracy behind that move?



"Karnataka is going for elections. So, drama began. Why the BJP didn't attempt this (Godavari-Cauvery interlinking) soon after they came to power (in 2014)?," the chief minister asked.

The CM questioned why the Union Budget, which was pegged at Rs 24 lakh crore, failed to provide Rs 2 lakh crore exclusively for farmers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not announce additional Rs 2,000 towards minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, he said.

"The way salaries of employees are rising and rates of all goods are increasing, in the same way paddy rates (selling prices from farmers), too, should increase.

"The Centre is completely neglecting farmers. They should not be allowed to rest peacefully," he said, lashing out at the BJP-led government.

He said farmers of the country will benefit only when they unite and fight for their rights. The Telangana farmers would lead such a movement if necessary.

Meanwhile, Rao said his government was mulling to establish food processing units at the mandal level.

He said the Farmers Coordination Committees would see that agriculturists get MSP for their agricultural produce.

"The main motto of these committees is to provide quality seeds and ensure MSP for farm produce. The Telangana government is ready to (financially) help the committees at the state level to ensure their smooth running," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The recent killing of a Youth Congress (YC) activist, allegedly by the ruling CPI(M) workers, rocked the Kerala Assembly today, with the opposition UDF members disrupting the proceedings after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected their demand for a CBI probe into it.

The Congress-led opposition members, who had come to the House wearing black badges to protest the killing of Shuhaib by a gang at Mattannur in Kannur district on February 12, started raising slogans, demanding a CBI probe into the incident, as the proceedings began.

Holding placards, with photos of the mutilated body of the YC activist, they trooped to the Well of the House and placed a banner in front of Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's podium, forcing an early adjournment of the House.

Earlier, the Question Hour was also suspended following the opposition's protest.

During the Zero Hour, the opposition took up the issue as an adjournment motion and said the family of the slain YC worker had no trust in the ongoing investigation by the state police.

Replying to the notice of the motion, moved by Sunny Joseph (Congress) on the issue, Vijayan rejected the demand for a CBI probe and said the state police was conducting an efficient, impartial and scientific inquiry.

Five persons were already arrested and if any more were involved, they would also be brought to book, the chief minister said, adding that the conspiracy angle would also be probed by invoking section 120(b), IPC (criminal conspiracy).

"The investigation by the state police is going on in the right direction. So, there is no need for a CBI probe," he said.

Stating that Shuhaib's killing was "highly condemnable", the chief minister said it could not be justified in any manner.

He added that the state government was of the view that individual and ideological differences should not lead to violence.

Vijayan also made it clear that the CPI(M)-led LDF government would initiate stringent action against the perpetrators of political violence, whoever they might be.

He also rejected the opposition's allegation that political violence had increased in the state after the LDF government came to power in May, 2016.

Taking a dig at the Congress for claiming that they never indulged in violence, Vijayan listed out various incidents of political violence and killings in Kannur, in which Congress workers were allegedly involved.

Turning the table at senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran, who is staging a hunger strike in Kannur demanding a CBI probe into Shuhaib's killing, Vijayan said he (Sudhakaran) himself was an "instigator of violence" when he was the president of the Congress' Kannur district unit.

However, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala maintained that the government and police were not sincere in arresting the "real" culprits behind the crime.

Alleging that local CPI(M) leaders in Kannur had a role in Shuhaib's killing, he said not only those directly involved in the crime, but the conspirators should also be brought to book.

The Congress leader wanted to know why the government was shying away from ordering a CBI probe into the case and charged that efforts were on to mislead the police investigation.

The opposition would pursue the legal options if the government did not concede to the demand, he added.

Meanwhile, the fast by senior Congress leader and former MP K Sudhakaran and Youth Congress leader Dean Kuriakose, in Kannur and in front of the Secretariat here respectively, entered the eighth day today.

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Anirban Lahiri dropped a double bogey on either side of the turn for a three-over 74 card, finishing in Tied-59th place at the Honda Classic, here.

It was his highest score of the week as he finished at nine-over 289, dropping 13 places from his overnight position.

As Justin Thomas won a play-off over Luke List, Tiger Woods was 12th showing that he is slowly but steadily getting into shape to contend.

Lahiri had three birdies, the first of which came on the third. He dropped a double on fifth followed by a bogey on sixth and another on ninth and turned in three over. On the back nine, he birdied 12th, but once again had a bogey and double bogey on back-to-back holes 14th and 15th and not even a birdie on the tough 17th could better his day.

At the top, Thomas beat List on the first extra hole Sunday to win event. Thomas, who rises to No. 3 with this win, nearly holed a wedge that got him into a playoff. In the play off he hit a 3-wood over the water and onto the 18th green for a two-putt birdie for the win.

Thomas and List finished at 8-under 272. It was the seventh playoff in 15 PGA TOUR events this season. Thomas closed with a 2-under 68 and won for the second time this season. He also won in a playoff at the CJ Cup in South Korea last fall.

Thomas and List matched birdies and tough pars over the final eight holes, and List appeared to have a big advantage on the par-5 18th when he hit a big drive that left him a 4-iron he hit onto the back of the green. Thomas was in the left rough and had to lay up instead of taking on the water.

He hit a wedge from 117 yards that landed a few feet in front of the hole and rolled some 6 inches to the side of the cup, settling 2 feet away.

List, going for his first PGA TOUR victory, erred first in the playoff by missing his drive well to the right amid palm trees. He blasted that out left and against the grandstand, and then watched Thomas take on the water and hit the green in two.

Thomas tapped in a 4-footer for is birdie and the eighth win of his career. He is now No. 1 in the FedExCup standings.

Alex Noren was tied for the lead playing the 18th and caught an awkward lie from the side of a bunker. He made par for a 67 and finished one shot behind.

Thomas five bogeys were second-fewest in the field and he also made one double-bogey.

Three years ago, Thomas had something like nine penalty drops in 36 holes while missing the cut. He finished third here in 2016, but missed the cut again last year.

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A large number of terrorists are waiting at launching pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to crossover into Indian territory in Kashmir and ceasefire violations by Pakistan are also an attempt to push infiltrators according to inputs received by security forces, a top Army commander said here today.

"We have inputs of many infiltrators waiting at the launching pads and we think infiltration will start sooner this year because of less snow. But we are taking counter measures. One reason for the firing can be this (to push infiltrators). Whenever there is firing by Pakistan, it is certain there is an attempt to push infiltrators. The same thing happened in Kupwara and Tangdhar," general officer commanding of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, told reporters on the sidelines of a passing out parade at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Centre here.

The militants waiting across the LoC were in groups of 30-40 at many places from Lepa valley to Mandal area, near 161 brigade, Rampur, and other areas, he said.

Asked about reports of announcements made by Pakistan asking villagers to evacuate, Lt Gen Bhatt said they were not for the villagers on this side of the LoC. They advised a few of the villages there to vacate for safety reasons and my input is that those villages have also not vacated completely, he said.

"The cease fire violations, initiated by Pakistan, have been appropriately responded to. But I would also like to tell you it is more of a local affair where due to their actions we have reacted at specific places. We do not intend to open the entire front. Our only thing is that we will retaliate if Pakistan indulges in any aggressive action or pushes infiltrators across," he said.

An attempt by a Border Action Team (BAT) of Pakistan to sneak in Kupwara was foiled and such attempts will always be dealt in the same manner, he emphasised.

On the use of heavy artillery along the LoC in Uri sector, the Army commander said specific situations determine the kind of artillery used.

Referring to the killing of two policemen in separate attacks yesterday, Lt Gen Bhatt said militants were looking for easy targets.

"Firstly, my condolences to the two brave policemen we lost yesterday. Any loss of life is a loss to us. You know, they would look at the easiest target they can find and these are small posts where security personnel are less in number. But, we will take all actions to ensure that they are appropriately taken care of," he said.

He said the security forces would continue to target the militant leadership and there is complete synergy and coordination between all the agencies.

On the Shopian firing incident, the Army commander said forces do not fire until extreme provocations.

"The matter is sub judice and I will not go into details. But, the basic thing I want to tell you is that our jawans will not fire till extreme provocation and till there is no danger to life and property. If our jawans fired that day, it was because the situation was such. There were apprehensions of lynching and loss of life and property. I want to tell you that we have never opened fire on civilians and we will never do so," he said.

On local youth joining militancy, Lt Gen Bhatt said the youth should join armed forces and other jobs to strengthen the country. My primary aim is to ensure that there is peace and prosperity in Kashmir. My primary focus will be to carry out people friendly operations so that Kashmir, which is moving towards mainstream, continues doing so, he said.

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Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya today expressed confidence that the BJP would sweep the March 11 bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats.

The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats respectively, following their election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

"The lotus (BJP's poll symbol) will bloom in both the seats. I have no doubt about this. The very fact that people are talking mostly about the BJP's winning margin is itself an indicator that the party is going to win.

"You can be rest assured that we are going to improve our margin in both the seats," Maurya told PTI in an interview here today.

Taking a jibe at the opposition, he said, "As soon as the bye-elections were announced, the opposition parties started discussing the victory margin. This is a clear indication that the lotus will bloom in Gorakhpur and Phulpur."



The deputy chief minister, a former president of the state BJP, said as far as the vote-share was concerned, "60 per cent is ours and the rest is for the others to share".

On whether he wanted one of his family members to contest from Phulpur, Maurya said, "Party workers, owing to their affection towards me, floated the idea that someone from my family should contest the bypolls.

"However, I am a kaaryakarta-waadi (workers-centric) person, and not a parivaar-waadi (believer in dynastic politics). I am a member of the BJP's big family."



Referring to the BJP's winning show in the 2014 general election and 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, he expressed confidence that the "lotus will bloom in 2018 (bypolls) and it will lay a strong foundation for the 2019 Lok Sabha election".

The bye-elections are expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress.

The saffron party has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur and Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against the SP's Pravin Nishad and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel respectively.

Sureetha Kareem is the Congress candidate from Gorakhpur. The party has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur.

"Voters are very clear as regards which party can usher in development, provide jobs, ensure safety and a robust law-and-order situation in the state. They know that it is the BJP, which is a pro-poor political party, is working to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person, and also that it can take a tough stand against corruption," Maurya said.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur is significant as it is the bastion of the chief minister, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Adityanath, the seat was thrice represented in Parliament by his mentor Avaidyanath.

Phulpur, on the other hand, was once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It had, for the first time, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Maurya won the seat.

Voting for the bypolls will be held on March 11 and the results will be declared on March 14.

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The Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL petition seeking to restrain a section of government teachers from resorting to protest in the city, pressing for their demands, without obtaining permission from the competent authority.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose dismissed the petition by S Sirgeth Naina Mohamed.

It observed that the teachers should be role models for students and should also realise their responsibilities and act accordingly.

Noting that the Court cannot interfere if the agitation was held in their office premises or in private places, the bench hoped that the Joint Action Council of Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTO-GEO) will not hold any protest causing inconvenience to the public.

Referring to their February 21 protest, the petitioner submitted that normal life was affected in Chennai.

Alleging that the common man was put to hardship due to the stir, the petitioner prayed for a direction to forebear JACTO-GEO from resorting to illegal strike without getting permission from the Commissioner of Police, Chennai.

JACTO-GEO members went on an indefinite strike in September last year to press for their demands, including restoration of the old pension scheme.

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The Supreme Court has termed as "unfortunate" that in a number of cases, magistrates across India are not guided by concrete precedents set by it in exercising caution while applying their judicious mind.

Talking about the maxim that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done, the top court said the magistrates are expected to apply their independent mind while taking cognisance of a matter and such a view, should be reflected in the order.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana and S Abdul Nazeer termed it as "unfortunate" that a number of cases which are brought before the top court, reflect otherwise.

"We may note that the magistrates across India have been guided on a number of occasions by concrete precedents of this Court to exercise utmost caution while applying their judicious mind in this regard. Unfortunately, we may note that number of cases which are brought before us reflect otherwise," it said.

"It is wrought in our constitutional tradition that we imbibe both substantive fairness as well as procedural fairness under our criminal justice system, ... in the making of decisions which affect rights, interests and legitimate expectations, subject only to the clear manifestation of a contrary statutory intention," the bench said.

The bench set aside the order of Madhya Pradesh high court on a land dispute by which it had set aside the order of a magistrate saying that cognisance should not have been taken of the complaint in violation of law.

After setting aside the order of high court, the top court remanded the matter back to the lower court for adjudicating the issue afresh.

The case related to a fraud and forgery complaint filed by a man under various provisions of IPC and SC/ST Act with a first class judicial magistrate at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh alleging that a piece of land was falsely mutated and threats were extended to belittle his caste.

The magistrate on April 21, 2012 dismissed the criminal complaint on the ground that there was no sufficient evidence on record to prove that the complainant belonged to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe and the dispute between the parties was of civil nature.

The magistrate's order was challenged in the Sessions Court which on December 7, 2012, set aside the magisterial order and held that the man belonged to the scheduled caste community and the facts indicated that the land was transferred in an illegal manner. The sessions court had then remanded the matter back to trial court for further enquiry.

When the matter was remanded back, the magistrate on January 23, 2013, took cognisance and lodged the complaint.

However, the high court on July 8, 2014, quashed the order of cognisance passed by the magistrate and the Sessions Court order of remanding back the matter to trial court.

After perusing the order, the top court said "the observations made by the Sessions Court were only a justification for a remand and the same did not amount to taking cognisance. In view of the above, the High Court clearly misconstrued the Sessions Court order and proceeded on an erroneous footing," it said.

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The upcoming budget of Maharashtra will indicate whether the ruling BJP wants to hold the state assembly polls along with the Lok Sabha elections, a senior Congress leader has said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been pressing for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies to help save time and the country's resources.

Several opposition parties are against the idea saying holding the polls simultaneously was not realistic in the present situation.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, today said the Congress would closely monitor the state budget, to be presented next week, to ascertain the BJP's intentions about simultaneous polls.

"This (Maharashtra) budget will indicate the intentions of the BJP on whether the general and the assembly polls will be held jointly or separately. We are closely watching what's going to be in the budget," he told PTI.

Another Congress leader said if the state budget offers a lot of sops and concessions, it would naturally mean that the BJP is keen on contesting the elections to the Maharashtra assembly along with the Lok Sabha polls.

A leader of the opposition NCP said technically, the Lok Sabha and the assembly polls can be advanced or postponed by six months.

"The BJP is trying to use it to hold the Maharashtra elections along with the general polls to gain maximum out of it," he claimed.

If voters have a soft corner for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, a similar sentiment can be helpful in the assembly polls as well, if both are held together, he noted.

The BJP may be pointing at the expenses and waste of time in holding separate elections, but in reality, it is a political decision, the NCP leader added.

The country's general elections are due in the first half of 2019, while the term of the present Maharashtra assembly will end in the second half of next year.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha and 288 assembly seats.

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A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly siphoning off money from bank accounts through e-wallets by getting credit and debit card details from unsuspecting victims, Delhi police said today.

Gaurav Sharma was arrested by police on the complaint of a woman, from Noida, said Chinmoy Biswal, DCP (south).

In her complaint, the Lajpat Nagar resident alleged that Rs 19,576 were transferred in two unauthorised transactions from her ICICI bank account to two e-wallets, on January 11.

She stated that the transactions were made after she received a call from her bank's corporate office in Mumbai.

An FIR was registered in Lajpat Nagar on her complaint.

A police team probing the case zeroed down on the suspect's IP address used for the unauthorised transfer of the amount into the e-wallets.

Further, identity of the suspect was confirmed from his digital profiling and intelligence gathering, he said.

A raid was conducted at the residence of the accused in Sadarpur Colony, Sector-45 of Noida on February 21. He was found at his home. He admitted his guilt when confronted by the police.

In a search of the premises of the accused, 55 mobile phone SIM cards, 22 empty packets of mobile SIM cards, five mobile phones, two WiFi routers, eight credit/debit cards, six passbooks and eleven chequebooks and other incriminating material were seized, Biswal said.

"Details collected from concerned bank accounts so far has revealed the credit entries of suspected transaction aggregating more than Rs 75 lakhs. More information are being collected from various agencies and banks," he said.

The accused named his younger brother Saurav Sharma as a co-accused in the offence.

"The duo had developed the skill to call the targeted victims by posing as bank executives and in getting the one time password (OTP) from them which used to be generated by them by initiating the transfer to e-wallets created on different mobile phones.

"In many cases Gaurav Sharma admitted they even successful in replacing the registered mobile number of the customer in the bank database with their own mobile number and generate OTP to e-wallet and do the transaction," the officer said.

Search for co-accused Saurav and their associates is on. Efforts are underway to determine the number of victims, he added.

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A 25-year-old man was stabbed to death while his wife was injured when the couple tried to catch pickpockets near Pragati Maidan here, police said today.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening and three accused have been arrested, a senior police officer said.

The deceased, identified as Amarjeet, was returning back to his home in outer Delhi's Nilothi along with his family including wife Manju.

They boarded a bus and the mobile phone of the deceased was taken out by a pick pocket as it reached near Pragati Maidan.

Police said Amarjeet and his wife Manju followed the pickpocket. They managed to catch two of the four pickpockets who had boarded the bus.

The pickpockets tried to escape by knifing the couple who had caught hold of them. Amarjeet was stabbed in the chest while his wife was slashed in the arm, police said.

A crowd gathered as people saw the couple struggling with the pickpockets. Police also reached there and two pickpockets were caught, said the officer.

Injured Amarjeet and his wife were rushed to RML hospital where he succumbed to his wounds early this morning, the officer said. Manju was said to be out of danger.

The duo arrested were identified as Suraj, 20, and Sumit, 25, while their associate Ajit , 24, was later caught from Shahdara. Efforts were being made to nab the fourth accused.

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A terrorist was today killed after his accomplices lobbed a hand grenade at a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in a bid to free him, police said.

Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan, who was killed in the attack, tried to escape from Tral police station wearing a burqa. In the incident constable Mehraj Din was also injured, a police spokesman said.

The incident took place at 12:30 pm. The terrorist hurled the grenade when Chopan was near the main gate of the police station, he said.

"At 12:30 pm, Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mushtaq Chopan tried to escape from the police station wearing a burqa.

"When he was near the main gate, someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention (of police personnel) so that he could escape conveniently," the spokesman said.

The grenade exploded inside the police station, near Chopan, resulting in his death, he said.

The spokesman said that a magisterial enquiry has been initiated under Sec 176 CrPC. "The circumstances under which he was escaping are being looked into," he said.

Chopan was arrested from Baramulla district's Sopore area, but his custody was transferred recently to the police station in connection with a militancy-related case, he said.

"A terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan died in grenade explosion when challenged by sentry while trying to escape from Police Station Tral," Director General of Police SP Vaid said in a tweet.

This is the third attack on the police in the past 24 hours.

Two policemen were killed in separate attacks by militants in the Chrar-e-Sharief area of Budgam district and the Soura area of the city yesterday.

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Creating independent telecom network or 'netcos' would be key to connecting the unconnected, GSMA Chairman said on Monday, but admitted to "levels of resistance" among those who see owning networks as their competitive edge.

He also cautioned against wasting billions of dollars on building parallel, subscale networks and said India's experiment with having a dozen telecom operators had gone "completely wrong" and the market is consolidating to four players.

"...if you can bring an independent 'netco', which is again like a tower or a submarine cable consortium where no one person has influence, I think you will be able to cover the last billion, which is struggling to be covered," Mittal said addressing the keynote at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018.

He was responding to a question on whether or not his concept of 'netcos' which could be run by a third parties, independent of the telecom companies, was gaining any ground.

Mittal said that while "progress" had been made in terms of the industry coming together for submarine cable and tower infrastructure consortiums, telecom networks are still perceived as a competitive advantage.

"Yesterday, a very significant player in the industry... a CEO of a large company... said I still want my network advantage and if I have a common network, where is my advantage? I still feel that there are levels of resistance...," he said.

Mittal, who also heads India's largest telecom company Bharti Airtel, noted however that the concept is now being "discussed" and he will continue to push the agenda in his role as GSMA (GSM Association) Chairman.

"People have to come together and form common networks and out of that you bring bells and whistles to serve customers. I would still like to push that as one of the agendas as the chairman... I mentioned it last year. I won't say we have made great progress but the topic is being discussed now," he added.

Mittal also emphasised the importance of consolidation saying billions of dollars could not be "wasted" on building parallel and subscale networks.

"In India, where we have experimented with a dozen operators... I think we had gone, completely gone wrong... has now finally come down to four operators or will do so in the next few months," he said.

Mittal added: "Consolidation in this industry is important. You cannot waste billions of dollars...we are spending far too much money building parallel, subscale networks".

The combination of 5G and new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) will pave the way for applications that are currently only in the realm of science fiction, he noted.

Mittal further said the advent of 5G had marked a fundamental shift and that coming generations will be "amazed" and how societies lived or even thrived before technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), came up.

"Coming in of 5G makes that generational, transformational and fundamental shift in how societies have lived prior and post 5G. Future generations, to my mind, when they look back, will be amazed at how societies lived much less thrived with not having networks and associated technologies like AI, AR, VR and Internet of Things (IoT)," said Mittal.

Highlighting the use of big data in healthcare reforms, climate change, environment and other areas, he said Big Data and technology interventions are being harnessed to solve "critical world problems".

"I am optimistic, the human mind is such that they will keep finding solutions to problems that are thrown at us," he said.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel said today the state has been at the forefront in implementing the flagship schemes of the Modi government and is committed to establishing social harmony.

In her address to the assembly on the opening day of the budget session, she said the state has been recognised by the Centre for its achievements in the agriculture sector.

The Governor, whose address was marred by slogan shouting and remarks by the opposition Congress MLAs, listed the various achievements of the BJP government.

This would be the last budget session of the assembly in Madhya Pradesh, where polls are due by the year-end.

"My government undertook 'Ekatm Yatra' in all the districts of state to strengthen social harmony and cultural unity of the country," Patel said.

The yatra was part of the government's plan to install a 108-feel tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya, a renowned philosopher and theologian, at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district, the Governor said.

"The state has been leading in implementing the flagship schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.

She said the state created awareness about sanitation, environment and river conservation during its 144-day long Namami Devi Narmade Yatra.

The government has signed MoUs with organisations like the Art of Living (Bengaluru), Initiatives of Change (Pune) and Isha Foundation (Coimbatore) for holding "Anand Shivir" (happiness camps) in the state, Patel said.

Patel said the government has reduced the value added tax (VAT) on diesel from 27 per cent to 22 per and on petrol from 31 per cent to 28 per cent.

Highlighting the government's agriculture schemes, including the newly launched 'Bhavantar' and increase in irrigation capacity, Patel said Madhya Pradesh received 'Krishi Karman Award' from the Centre for five successive times for agri production.

Under the Prime Minister's Awas Yojana, the state has set a target to construct 10 lakh houses by 2022, she said, adding all the urban areas in the state have been declared open defecation free.

Patel said the government is in the process of setting up seven new medical colleges - at Ratlam, Khandwa, Vidisha, Shahdol, Datia, Shivpuri and Chhindwara.

The Congress members made repeated remarks during her speech and shouted slogans when the Governor mentioned about issues related to farmers and no new liquor shop opening in the state in the last seven years.

The main opposition demanded a farm loan waiver and said the VAT on petrol was still high.

"Despite the reduction, the VAT on petrol and diesel is the highest in Madhya Pradesh in the country," said Bala Bachchan, Deputy Leader of Opposition.

The government has also imposed a cess of Re 1 per litre on petroleum products, he said.

Bachchan said the Congress wants these products to be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The opposition members displayed a placard in the House demanding loan waiver for farmers.

Earlier, Speaker Sitasharan Sharma said the Governor would read out select parts of her speech and not the full text.

Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said the government's achievements were "a bundle of lies" and criticised the Governor's "lacklustre" speech.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madhya Pradesh assembly's budget session began today with Governor Anandiben Patel's address, even as the opposition Congress demanded waiver of farmers' loans and criticised the high VAT on petrol.

Patel mentioned in her address that the state government has reduced the value added tax (VAT) on diesel from 27 per cent to 22 per and that on petrol from 31 per cent to 28 per cent.

However, the Congress members, including Mukesh Nayak, Sunderlal Tiwari, Dr Govind Singh, Bala Bachchan and Jitu Patwari, protested over it.

"Despite the reduction, the VAT on petrol and diesel is the highest in Madhya Pradesh across the country," said Bachchan, who is the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.

The government has also imposed a cess of Re one per litre on petroleum products, he pointed out.

He said the Congress wants these products to be brought under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

When Patel highlighted the government's achievements in the agriculture sector, specially getting the 'Krishi Karman Award' for maximum agriculture production in the country, the opposition members raised the farmers' concerns and demanded that their crop loans be waived off.

They also displayed a placard in the House demanding loan waiver for farmers.

When the governor said that the government has not opened any new liquor shop in the state, the Congress members again raised their concerns over the issue but their words were inaudible amid the noise.

Earlier, assembly Speaker Dr Sitasharan Sharma mentioned in the House that Governor Patel would only read out some select parts of her speech and not the full text.

In her address, Patel highlighted the state government's various welfare schemes, including for crop insurance, the 'Bhavantar' scheme for farmers, encouragement given to cashless transactions in various sectors and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Ajay Singh, alleged that the government's achievements were "a bundle of lies" and criticised the governor's "lacklustre" speech.

On the governor not reading out her complete address, Singh said, "It is not a good tradition."



"Even the ruling party members are not happy with it, leave alone the opposition," he claimed.

Earlier Singh, state Congress president Arun Yadav and party MLA Jitu Patwari led a cycle march from Peer Gate to Vidhan Sabha in support of various farmers' demands and the government's alleged apathy towards them.

Patwari had yesterday launched the cycle march from Indore and arrived in the state capital last evening.

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A special tribunal in Pakistan will resume on March 8 the hearing of treason case against former military dictator Pervez Musharraf for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007.

Musharraf, 74, who left the country for Dubai in March 2016 , was declared a proclaimed absconder by the court in May 2016. The court also asked the government to confiscate his properties, including a farm house in suburbs of capital Islamabad.

The former president was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

A three-member bench headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahyah Afridi will now resume the hearing in the case.

During the last hearing in the case, the court ordered the Interior Ministry to reverify Musharrafs properties and provide details of his current assets and bank transactions.

The court, during the proceedings, had also expressed dissatisfaction over the details of the former dictator's properties, saying that the details are only up till 2008.

A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

An official said that the decision to resume the hearing was taken after Musharrafs wife and daughter approached the court about the attachment of his properties.

His family members asked the court to release their share in the property which is not entirely owned by Musharraf.

The court while fixing the date for hearing also asked Musharraf to appear before it and ordered authorities to provide fool proof security to him.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008. He is wanted in Pakistan in several criminal cases including in the killing of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

It is not sure if he would return to face the case on March 8. In May 2017, he conveyed to the court that he was ready to come back and face the high treason case if he was provided armys protection and allowed to return to Dubai after hearing.

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The House of the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) today passed a resolution condemning the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by some AAP MLAs and sought Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation.

Prakash was allegedly assaulted by a few AAP lawmakers during a meeting at Kejriwal's residence recently.

"This House of the NDMC strongly condemns the assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on the night of February 19, by AAP MLAs," Leader of House in NDMC, Jayender Dabas said.

The resolution passed by the House, also read, it demands Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia resign from their posts and tender public apology for the incident.

Since the alleged attack on the chief secretary, officers have not been attending meetings of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, and also demanded that Kejriwal apologise for the incident.

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Indian officials and family members of Bollywoood star Sridevi are still waiting the necessary certificates from the Dubai authorities to start the process of repatriating her mortal remains, at least two officials today confirmed.

Sridevi, 54, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah.

"We need forensic certificate, death certificate and embalming certificate before the process of embalming the body begins. Unless these processes are completed, we will not be in a position to give a firm time for the repatriation of the body," an official from the Consulate General of India told PTI here.

According to him, things cannot proceed further until the Dubai authorities hand over all the reports.

"We have been transparent since yesterday that we are waiting for the aforesaid clearances and things cannot proceed further until that happens," the official said.

Meanwhile, the Gulf quoted sources as saying that the Dubai Police have released the forensic report on Sridevi's death to her family and the Indian Consulate representative.

Uncertainty over when the body would arrive in Mumbai and the many questions surrounding her sudden death in Dubai intensified as the day progressed.

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Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today said it is time to amend the Armed Forces Special (Powers) Act now in force in Jammu and Kashmir and other places.

"There is a need to amend the AFSPA if you cannot repeal it. The law and order should be entrusted to the Jammu and Kashmir police and not on the paramilitary forces," Chidambaram, former union minister, said at a programme here.

The act gives the security forces special rights and immunity in carrying out various operations in disturbed areas. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in J&K and the Northeast to withdraw it.

Chidambaram, also chairman of the panel on home affairs in the RS, said the presence of paramilitary forces in the northern state should be stepped down drastically and this would lower the graph of violence there.

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

There could be a further delay in Sridevi's body being brought back to India, with the Dubai police informing the Indian Embassy that another "clearance" was awaited before the body could be released.

Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri told PTI the embassy had been informed that the Dubai police could only release the body after another "clearance". He, however, did not say what type of a clearance was awaited.

"It is their internal process. We do not know," he said.

The Dubai government said in a tweet the police had transferred the case to the "Dubai Public Prosecution" which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases.

"Following the completion of post mortem analysis, Dubai police headquarters today stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness," the Dubai government's media office said on Twitter.

The body was likely to be embalmed tomorrow at noon (Dubai time), Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times reported.

The delay in the release of the body and the latest report of the accidental drowning have added new layers to the mystery surrounding Sridevi's death at the age of 54.

It is not clear what caused the actor to lose consciousness, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds.

The of her death, first reported at around 3 a.m. IST on Sunday, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how the star, who was present at several wedding functions in Dubai last week, could suddenly breathe her last.

Her family has not commented beyond their initial statement yesterday to announce the death, and has requested the media not to contact them as they grapple with the tragedy.

Sridevi is survived by her husband, film-maker Boney Kapoor, and two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.

Dubai-based Gulf said in a report the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added.

However, this could not be independently confirmed.

Gulf also attached a copy of the UAE government's forensic report on its Twitter handle. The report, citing accidental drowning as the cause of death, has a stamp of the "Ministry of Health UAE" and the director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.

The report mentioned the actor's full name, Sreedevi Boney Kapoor Ayyappan, her passport number, date of the incident (February 24, 2018) and the cause of death.

"The investigation is still going on to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident as the forensic report only says that she drowned, Gulf News quoted an official as saying.

Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding and had stayed back after the ceremonies.

Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times.

He was reportedly in the room when Sridevi went to the bathroom before getting ready for dinner, according to daily. It said Kapoor discovered her unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was taken to a hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

Sridevi, who started acting at the age of four, ruled Bollywood in the 1980s and 1990s with her electrifying presence, expressive eyes, comic timing and dance moves.

The mystique around her, heightened by her guarded nature, continued to persist even after she took a 15-year-long break from films.

She was a fashion icon for many, who closely followed her sartorial choices on social media, a platform she was active on.

Just two days before her death, Sridevi's Instagram pages were full of pictures from the wedding celebrations where she was seen in a green Manish Malhotra lehnga, happily posing with daughter Khushi and the newlyweds, nephew Mohit and Antara Marwah.

In a video from the wedding, which has since gone viral and is thought to be her last appearance at a party, Sridevi is seen dancing to the Bollywood song 'Kaala Chashma'. When Boney Kapoor joins her on the dance floor, the two hug each other.

In Mumbai today, many Bollywood celebrities visited the home of actor Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor's brother. Sridevi's two daughters are staying at the house.

Among those who visited to condole Sridevi's death were Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Saroj Khan, Rekha, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Aumpam Kher, Shekhar Kapur, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.

Sridevi, who acted in scores of Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films before striking it big in Bollywood, made her debut appearance as a heroine in Solva Sawan in 1979. But it was Himmatwala in 1983 that catapulted her to stardom.

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Three NGOs working for the welfare of Dalit women in the country have recommended training sessions for police and pubic officials for a better understanding of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The NGOs -- Sisters For Chnage, National Dalit Movement for Justice and Dalit Shree Sakthi -- have prepared a report on crimes against Dalit women in India.

The report was released by Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam at the "National Convention on Violence Against Dalit Women" today.

"Violence against Dalit women is a social mechanism aimed at maintaining their subordination to reduce their capacity to participate in society and restrict their rights," the report read.

The NGOs called for dedicated training on the the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to "ensure that all police and public officials understand the scope of the Act and their duties under it in terms of timely probe, prosecution and payment of compensation".

Director generals of police and district magistrates should work together to increase the number of convictions for crimes of sexual violence against Dalit women and girl children, the NGOs suggested in the report.

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A plea alleging encroachments on the Sikanderpur natural drain in Gurgaon has prompted the National Green tribunal to seek responses from the state government and others.

bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore issued notices to Haryana government, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and sought their replies in three weeks.

Issue Notice to the respondents. Notice made returnable within three weeks," the plea said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by filed by RTI activist Harinder Dhingra who has claimed that there were large-scale encroachments around the natural drain which starts from Sikanderpur Ghosi to the metro Line in Sikanderpur resulting in water-logging during every monsoon.

The petitioner said that Haryana government has permitted transfer stations, processing facility and landfill site on the said drain.

"Permitting such a facility at the said land would further deteriorate and destroy the said drain. The said processing facility and landfill site which is proposed to be built on Khasra number 482 does not have mandatory No Objection Certificate from Haryana State Pollution Control Board," the plea said.

The plea, filed through advocate Ayush Arora, has sought appointment of a committee of expert members to investigate the role of respondent organisations' officers behind the alleged illegal encroachments on Sikanderpur Ghosi natural rainwater drain.

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The programme has not undergone any fundamental change, a senior US diplomat said today, seeking to allay the apprehension among Indians that amendments to it would harm their interest.

There is no change in the processing of H-1B visas from the (US) Consulate (in Mumbai), USA' Mumbai-based Consul General Edgard D Kagan told reporters.

"There is a sense in India that the changes in H-1B can have a big impact in India. We understand that and we have heard that message from the Indian government and recognized that it is important here," he said.

"We would ask Indians to recognize that this is not about India and it is not about US-India relationship. This is about a broader policy that affects countries around the world from American perspective and therefore it is very important to get it right," he added.

The H1-B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The Trump administration last week announced a new policy that makes very tough the procedure of issuing H-1B visas to those to be employed at one or more third-party work sites, a move that will hugely impact Indian IT companies and their employees.

Under the new policy, a company would have to go the extra mile to prove that its H-1B employee at a third-party worksite has specific and non-qualifying speculative assignments in a speciality occupation.

"Clearly, India is the largest single beneficiary of the programme. But I think when Indians look at H-1B and look at the changes of the programme they believe this is about US- India relationship. But I can assure you from an American perspective that is not the case," Kagan said.

The American Consul General was responding to a query regarding concerns over changes in the programme.

"There is a misconception about H-1B programme. People in India believe that H1B programme is about India. For America, it is a global programme. So H-1Bs are not just for Indians, it is a programme accessible and open to people from around the world," the diplomat said.

He said the H-1B programme in the US is viewed as a global programme and the concerns are about making it sure that the companies do not abuse people who receive H-1B visas.

"So tightening of some of the procedures to make sure the people who receive the H-1B visas are being treated as they are supposed to by the companies. And also making it sure the programme is working as it was intended to work," Kagan said.

"To be fair, we have always looked very closely and made sure that there is no fraud and that the people meet the right qualification for the H-1B.

"There have been adjustments on how the programme is implemented and designed to ensure that there is no fraud and abuse in US. But what media has focused is on changes having to do with how the petitioning process has been handled in the US.

"However,we are not having details about it as we do not handle it at the consulate. But the continuing goal of the programme is that it works as it was designed to address the real needs in the US," the Consul General said.
Not giving reasonable opportunity to the authorities to discharge their function would amount to judicial overreach, the Delhi High Court said today.

In an emergent situation, it was open to a socially committed citizen to approach the court in public interest without waiting for the executive to act, but in other cases, reasonable time should be granted to the executive to act on the grievance of a person before he knocks the doors of the court, a high court bench said.

"Assumption, by a writ court, of a function which statutorily vests in the executive, without allowing the executive a reasonable opportunity to discharge the same, would result in judicial overreach, which can be perilously counter-productive in the long run, bound, as it is, to instill in the authorities concerned, a sense of complacency," the bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said.

The order came as the court disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) by Delhi resident Ajay Gautam, seeking a ban on the use of photos of persons holding constitutional posts, including the President and the Prime Minister, in private advertisements.

The bench, however, said the cause espoused by him merited consideration but did not have such urgency as would justify cognisance by the court when the Press Council of India (PCI) is already seized of the matter.

The petitioner had arrayed a national daily as a party to the petition and alleged that newspapers or broadcast agencies had offended the standards of journalistic ethics.

The bench, however, said it was not inclined to pass any directions on the grievances against the newspaper as the matter was pending before the PCI.

"We hope and trust, however, that the PCI would dispose of the said proceedings as expeditiously as possible, keeping in view the grievances urged by the petitioner and bearing in mind the purpose and import of the Press Council of India Act and the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950," it said.

Regarding the petitioner's grievance against Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) which had issued an advertisement of its product 'JIO' by using the name and photograph of the Prime Minister, the court said it would not be proper to pass any direction as he had not approached any competent authority and the RIL was not made a party.

Central government standing counsel Anil Soni had told the court that as a matter of policy, the government does not prefer to interfere with the working of the media and Norms of Journalists Conduct have been issued by the PCI which empower it to take cognisance of any infraction of these norms by the media.

Citing various newspaper advertisements of private companies, Gautam in his plea had said the use of pictures of the President, the Prime Minister, Governors and Chief Ministers in classified advertisements misguided the public at large.

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The lawyers of Orissa High Court today decided to continue their ongoing cease-work and relay hunger strike till March 5.

The high court's Chief Justice Vineet Saran, who is on leave now, is likely to join on March 5.

"The general body of the High Court Bar Association met here and unanimously resolved to continue the agitation till March 5. We will decide on further action after meeting the chief justice," Association secretary Satyabrata Mohanty said.

The lawyers are boycotting courts since February 12 and are on relay hunger strike from February 19 demanding filling up of judges' positions lying vacant in the High Court.

More than 40 percent of the posts are now vacant and there have been no appointments here since May 2015.

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The opposition parties today boycotted Governor C Vidyasagar Rao's joint address to the Maharashtra legislature on the opening day of its budget session, as they could not listen to the Marathi translation of his speech.

The angry opposition members then walked out of the Central Hall in protest.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later apologised over the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible for the lapse.

As soon as the governor started his address in English, the members put on their headphones but could not listen to the Marathi translation due to technical glitches.

The opposition members were seen complaining that they were unable to hear the Marathi translation of the governor's speech.

They then shouted slogans, charging the government with insulting the Marathi language.

Even BJP members Ashish Shelar and Raj Purohit were seen objecting to the absence of the Marathi translation of the governor's address. They were joined by the Shiv Sena legislators as well.

State Education Minister Vinod Tawde, who is also in-charge of the Marathi language department, then went to the translation room and read out the Marathi translation of the governor's address.

As the opposition members were still shouting slogans, Fadnavis and Purohit told them that the translation of the speech could now be heard.

But the opposition members were in no mood to listen and staged a walkout.

Later, when the Assembly convened for the month-long budget session, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil condemned the "insult" to the Marathi language.

He demanded that the responsibility be fixed and action taken against those responsible for the glaring lapse.

Taking a dig at the Shiv Sena, he said the members of the party quietly sat through, despite the insult to the Marathi language.

"The Centre has already declined to grant 'abhijat' (classical) language status to Marathi and now the language is being insulted in such a manner," he alleged.

Fadnavis condemned the incident as well.

"This is serious and condemnable. I demand strict action against those responsible for this lapse. Even though this is in the legislature's domain, on behalf of the government, I apologise," he said.

Speaker Haribhau Bagde said the matter would be investigated and action would be taken accordingly.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the chief minister could not wash his hands off the incident saying the matter was in the legislature's domain.

"The parliamentary affairs minister should take the responsibility," he said.

In his 40-minute speech, Rao said the government had a vision to catapult the state into a one trillion dollar economy by 2025.

This will be achieved by accelerating the growth in sectors such as agriculture, textile and tourism, he added.

Later, senior NCP MLA Ajit Pawar told reporters outside the House that when the governor started his address, he had put on his headphones to listen to the Marathi translation.

"I waited for 10-15 minutes but all I could hear was the speech in English. There was no one to translate it.

"We walked out of the House in protest. This is unacceptable that the Maharashtra government is insulting the 12 crore Marathi people," he said.

Pawar wondered why the Shiv Sena members remained silent and did not protest the insult to the Marathi language.

"I saw some Shiv Sena legislators standing in protest but they later sat down. The party always talks about Shivaji Maharaj and 'Marathi manoos' (Marathi people), but today they kept silent on the insult of Marathi language," he said.

Leader of Opposition in the state legislative council, Dhananjay Munde claimed that the governor's speech was heard in Gujarati, instead of Marathi.

"The speech was heard in Gujarati and not in Marathi. The government's approach towards the Marathi language is disappointing," he said.

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The Gujarat government today admitted in the Assembly that over 5.37 lakh youth were registered with employment offices across the state, while just over 12,000 got government jobs in the last two years.

Responding to queries during the Question Hour on employment, Labour and Employment minister, Dilip Thakor, said that data made available by district employment offices showed that 5.37 lakh unemployed persons were registered with it as on December 31, 2017.

He also informed the House that over 7.43 lakh persons got jobs, private as well as government ones, in 2016 and 2017. Of these, 12,869 managed to land government jobs while over 7.30 lakh were placed in the private sector, he said.

District-wise data tabled in the House showed that Ahmedabad topped in the number of unemployed youth as well as those who got jobs.

While over 62,000 unemployed persons were registered in Ahmedabad as on December 2017, over 99,000 also got employment in the last two years.

The data revealed that no one from Navsari, Panchmahal and Kheda districts landed a government job. On the other hand, Narmada, Banaskantha and Gandhinagar districts provided 2,576, 1,611 and 1,460 government jobs respectively in the last two years, it stated.

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The Hindu community in Pakistan's Khyber Pakthunkhwa is protesting against the planned oath taking ceremony of a member of the provincial assembly accused of murdering a Sikh lawmaker.

Baldev Kumar, who is in jail in the murder case of Sikh lawmaker Sardar Soran Singh, was to be produced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly today.

Speaker Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) Assembly Asad Qaisar today withdrew the Assembly Secretariat letter dated February 23 regarding production order of Kumar in the assembly today. Now he will take oath tomorrow.

Coordinator KP chif minister on Minorities Ravi Kumar described the oath taking of Kumar as a sad day for the minorities of the province.

Haroon Sarab Diyal, the leader of Hindu community in the province, said that the Hindus would protest if he was administered oath.

Singh, a lawmaker from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was shot dead in April 2016 in Buner district of the province. Singh was elected to the provincial assembly on a minority seat.

His son Ajay yesterday appealed the provincial government not to bring the killer of his father in the provincial assembly for obtaining his vote for PTI Senate candidate in the upcoming Senate elections due for March 3.

Kumar, the second in the list of Tehreek-e-Insaf party's candidates for a reserved seat for minorities, has been facing a trial in the case.

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Pakistan will develop a strategy to avoid being put on a global terror financing watchlist, the finance minister said today, after China and Saudi Arabia deserted Islamabad over the issue at a recent meeting in Paris.

Members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an anti money-laundering watchdog based in the French capital, voted last week to place Pakistan on its grey list of nations which are not doing enough to combat terror financing in June, a diplomatic source told AFP.

That gives Pakistan three months to make enough changes to avoid being listed, which could hamper some foreign investment and further strain relations with Washington, where officials have put increasing pressure on Pakistan over its alleged support for militant safe havens.

"We will start meeting on the issue of FATF after March 1 to see what can we do on this and what strategy we can devise," finance minister Rana Afzal Khan told AFP, adding that Pakistan has not yet received a list of actions it needs to implement.

Observers are doubtful that Pakistan can meet the requirements in time, however.

The move, which was not announced in FATF's statement at the close of the six-day meeting, came after members had initially been unable to reach a consensus, with Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia holding out, the diplomatic source said.

That saw Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Asif confidently tweet last week that Pakistan had avoided being grey-listed.

But amid a flurry of diplomatic activity a second vote was held, with the US convincing Riyadh to change its vote and Beijing staying silent, the source said.

The decision is a diplomatic blow to Islamabad's relationship with its "all-weather" friend China, which has invested billions in the country's infrastructure, and Saudi Arabia, to which Pakistan sent some 1,000 troops earlier this month.

"It shows that the people who are concerned about terror financing are pretty broad," the diplomatic source told AFP.

Pakistan was previously on the list from 2012 until 2015.

Two diplomatic sources in Islamabad told AFP it was targeted again this year over its lack of action against Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and his charity Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).

JuD is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the militant group blamed for the Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and brought Islamabad and Delhi to the brink of nuclear war.

Saeed, who operates freely in Pakistan, has denied involvement.

This month Pakistan began seizing JuD assets and quietly amended its anti-terror laws to bring them in line with the UN, a move observers said was in anticipation of the FATF decision.

Rumours of the move have rattled officials and businesses across Pakistan.

But there should be "no major impact" to the economy, said Yaseen Anwar, the former central bank governor who help get the country off the list three years ago.

FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to help combat money-laundering and financing for extremists.

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A group of people today assaulted a pastor and those accompanying him in Bihar's West Champaran district after alleging that he was indulging in religious conversion, the police said.

The pastor and his companions had left for Bettiah from Bagaha in the district in a bus to participate in a special prayer meeting at the Protestant church James Saint Paul's here, Superintendent of Police Jayant Kant said.

After it reached the bus stand here, a person in the vehicle attacked the pastor claiming he converts people. The accused also rang up others asking them to reach the bus stand, the police said.

These people too assaulted the pastor and his men, Kant said adding the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

However, the attackers managed to flee.

An FIR has been registered and further action would be initiated if the pastor or anyone of his group registers a complaint, the police officer said, adding those involved in the attack would not be spared.

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Eminent Australian cinematographer Tom Cowan says India and Canada are some of the countries where watching films is not a mere pastime, but it is a passion.

The 75-year-old filmmaker recalled the time when he had come to India to shoot for 1970 Kannada film, "Samskara".

He said he was thrilled to see people waiting eagerly to watch the next movie, especially because film industry was largely non-existent in his home country.

"India was a much more developed industry when it comes to films in that time. Such intensive production. It was interesting for me to be in a country where people were dying to see the next film. That wasn't the case with Australia. We weren't making anything.

"I was enthralled with Canada, where people were just waiting for another film. They might have made good films at the time. They were pretty terrible but they were entertaining the people," Cowan said at a Q&A session today at the ongoing Bengaluru International Film Festival.

Cowan was here to deliver Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winner - V K Murthy Memorial Lecture.

This year marks the 50th year of the making of "Samskara", directed by Pattabhirama Reddy on which Cowan worked as the principal cinematographer.

The film was based on UA Ananthamurthy's novel of the same name.

"Samskara" was a path-breaking movie, which is said to have kick-started the parallel cinema movement in Kannada film industry.

The movie, which won the National Film Award for best feature film in 1970, was initially banned by the Madras Censor Board as its strong anti-caste undertones were feared to spark tensions among the masses.

Cowan said one needs to tell a story that comes from the heart and not worry about the genre.

"We never get tired of a good story," he added.

The DOP said his expertise in the craft was an added advantage for him when he went back home to work in Australian cinema.

"I have been very lucky. Whatever money I had earned back home, it was due to the work I had done overseas. And when the industry started in Australia, I had an advantage of having worked in films in England, India, America, Canada, etc. I was in demand. I got a lot of work," he said.

Cowan said the best method to avoid ego on the sets of a film is to first control one's own.

He said it is important for the DOP to be calm as he/she is the "leader of the technical crew"



"Cinematographers should not forget that they are employed to serve the interests of the director, not their own," Cowan said.

"Best way to control the egos on the sets of a film is to try and control your own. Because if you get upset and start arguing, it shows inexperience and lack of confidence. You are, to some extent, a leader... A leader of the technical crew. So you have to show by example," he added



Cowan has also worked as a director on seven films. His 1972 film "The Office Picnic" was screened at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.

Borrowing from his experience as a director, he added, "Communication is only other thing that you can do. A lot of the ego (hassles) are also because people are worried about their next job.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the National Nutrition Mission (NNM) in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on March 8, the International Women's Day, according to a government official.

In December last year, the Cabinet approved the NNM with a budget of Rs 9,046.17 till 2020, and the government aims make the benefit of this mission reach 10 crore people.

The mission has a target to reduce under-nutrition and low birth weight by 2 per cent each per annum.

It also aims to bring down anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls by 3 per cent per year until 2020 as well as strive to reduce the prevalence of stunting from the current level of 38.4 per cent (according to the National Family Health Survey 4) to 25 per cent by 2022.

The International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) or another multilateral development bank will contribute 50 per cent of the total budgetary allocation. The rest will be shared between the states and the Centre in 60:40 ratio.

The total contribution of the Centre will be Rs 2,849.54 crore and nearly Rs 1,700 crore will be contributed by the state governments.

Fund allocation for National Nutrition Mission in the Union Budget for the next fiscal has seen a threefold increase from Rs 950 crore last year to Rs 3,000 crore.

The prime minister will also be inaugurating the pan-India expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme, up from the existing 161 districts to 640 districts in the country.

Last year, the cabinet had okayed focused multi-sectoral action under the BBBP programme in 405 districts and advocacy and media campaign in all 640 districts.

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Nepal's newly-elected Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today inducted four new ministers, increasing the strength of his cabinet to seven.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu.

Oli appointed Ishwar Pokharel (CPN-UML) as Defense Minister, Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada (CPN-UML) as Finance Minister, Ram Bahadur Thapa (CPN-Maoist Centre) as Home Minister and Matrika Yadav (CPN-Maoist Centre) as Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Khatiwada, a former governor of Nepal's Central Bank, should be the federal parliament member within six months after being appointed as the minister.

After his appointment as Prime Minister early this month, Oli had formed a small Cabinet by appointing Lal Babu Pandit as Minister for Population and Environment and Tham Maya Thapa as Minister for Women Children and Social Welfare.

This time, no one has been made Deputy Prime Minister.

Earlier, there were speculation that Pokharel from UML and Thapa from Maoist Centre would get the portfolio of deputy Prime Minister.

In the next round of expansion, ministers from other parties such as Federal Socialist Party are expected to include in the cabinet.

The Left alliance of the CPN-UML, led by Oli, and CPN-Maoist Centre, led by Prachanda, had in December secured 174 seats in the 275-member Parliament in the historic provincial and parliamentary polls that many hope will bring much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.

It had also secured an overwhelming majority in the upper house of Parliament with 39 out of the 59 seats.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels that the just concluded UP Investors Summit was "better" than the first such event organised by the Gujarat government in 2003, according to UP Governor Ram Naik.

"I asked the prime minister to share his thoughts on the UP Investors Summit after the inaugural ceremony. He said - To be honest, this summit has become better than Gujarat's (Vibrant Gujarat 2003) and Uttar Pradesh's fortunes will change," Naik said at an interaction here last night.

"Prime Minster Narendra Modi acknowledged that the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit was better than the first such event organised by the Gujarat government in 2003," he added.

The UP Investors Summit got a very good response. For several years, not much was done as far as development of industries in the state is concerned, but things have started changing under the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, Naik said.

"Business tycoons including Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Gautam Adani attended the UP summit and signed 1,085 MoUs with the promise of bringing investment of over Rs 4.28 lakh crore in the state," Naik said.

If these projects are implemented successfully, it will lead to creation of 40 lakh new jobs, he said.

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Gitanjali Gems, embroiled in the Rs 11,400 crore PNB loan scam, today said Independent Director Anil Umesh Haldipur has resigned from its board citing personal reasons.

He is the second independent director to quit the company's board after the alleged fraud surfaced this month.

Already, two top level executives -- compliance officer Pankhuri Warange and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Chandrakant Karkare -- have resigned.

In a regulatory filing, Gitanjali Gems submitted Haldipur's resignation letter dated February 14, 2018.

In the letter, Haldipur said: "Last month, my wife has undergone a major spine operation at Pune. The post operation recovery is not up to the expected level. This has resulted in restrictions on my movement. Hence travelling for board meetings at Mumbai will be very difficult for me in future.

"Taking this factor into consideration I would like to step down as an independent director with immediate effect from the board and other companies," he said.

During his tenure as an independent director, Haldipur said he received some legal notices from lawyers as well as a senior civil judge in connection with the dues from the company.

"You are aware as an independent director, I don't have a role to play in the internal working of the company and the company will take proper steps to resolve these matter," he added.

On February 14, Punjab National Bank (PNB) disclosed that it detected some fraudulent transactions with financial implication of about Rs 11,400 crore and the matter has been referred to law enforcement agencies for recovery.

While billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi, the alleged perpetrator of this fraud, is not directly linked to any listed company, his relative and business associate Mehul Choksi's Gitanjali Gems is a listed firm.

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The CBI has sought from the Chief Vigilance Officers of five the details of financial transactions in the nostro accounts of Punjab National Bank on the basis of 293 fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by it to jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, officials said on Tuesday.

The agency has also collected documents related to Nirav Modi from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, a leading law firm, at the start of the investigation, they said.

During the course of the searches after registering the FIR against Nirav Modi, the CBI felt that some files could be with the law firm, officials said, adding a team went to the office of the firm early this month and collected those documents.

The agency on Tuesday questioned three General Managers of the Punjab National Bank(PNB) who have handled the -International Banking Division and Treasury department of the bank, officials said without revealing their identity.

The General Managers handling these departments get daily reports of the transactions taking place in the nostro accounts of the bank, they said.

The CBI has written to Canara Bank, Bank of India, State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank seeking financial transactions into the nostro accounts of the Punjab National Bank on the basis of the LoUs, they said.

The overseas branches of these in Antwerp, Frankfurt, Mauritius, Hong Kong and Bahrain had credited over Rs 114 billion into the nostro account of Punjab National Bank on the basis of the guarantees (LoUs) given by to Modi and Choksi, they said.

The agency has now written to the vigilance officers seeking details of these transactions to unearth the money trail of Rs 114 billion.

A nostro account refers to an account that a bank holds in a foreign currency in another bank overseas to enable foreign trade by its clients.

The agency is trying to figure out the circumstances in which transactions to the tune of Rs 114 billion, almost nine times the profit of the PNB reported in 2016-17, went unnoticed by the chain of officials in the public sector bank, they said.

The CBI also continued questioning of Executive Director of the bank K V Brahmaji Rao for the third day on Tuesday.

Rao, who started his career in banking 35 years ago as a probationary officer in Vijaya Bank, handled among other assignments the Mumbai zone of the bank where the crime was allegedly detected, they said.

Meanwhile, the agency has so far issued over 10 Look Out Circulars against senior executives of the companies of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to restrict their movement, they said.

The circular alerts all ports of entry to restrict the movement of the person against whom the notice has been issued and report any such attempt to the issuing agency. The circular may seek detention of the accused at the port of entry too.

The top brass of the agency has now issued clear instructions to the investigation teams to complete the probe in the cases of bank fraud in timely manner.

The instructions have been issued after reports that in some cases the agency waited too long before filing the FIRs.

"CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma has directed the officers in-charge of these investigations to take all necessary steps to ensure that the bank fraud cases are concluded with a given time frame. He asked the officers not to spare anyone found involved in these scams," CBI Spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

One of the biggest financial scams of the country surfaced when company officials of billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi approached the PNBs Brady House branch, Mumbai, in January this year seeking LoUs in favour of their companies for payments to their suppliers.

The official handling the case sought 100% cash guarantee before it could be issued to which the company officials said no such guarantee was sought in the past.

The official checked the records which did not show past LoUs to their companies which led to suspicion.

It is alleged that an official of the bank Gokulnath Shetty (now retired), for the last seven years, was bypassing core banking system of the bank and issuing LoUs fraudulently.

The LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to credit giving bank along with accruing interest.

Shetty and another bank employee Manoj Kharat allegedly sent messages of these LoUs using an international messaging system for banking systems called SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds but the messages were not updated in bank's internal software thus evading scrutiny, CBI has alleged.

Six officials of the bank including Shetty (now retired) and Kharat and a GM-ranked officer are in CBI custody for allowing fraudulent issuance of the LoUs to the companies of Modi and Choksi, they said.

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A 26-year-old woman, wife of a police officer posted in the chief minister's security, today died allegedly after receiving a bullet injury at her residence here, police said.

Inquest proceedings have been initiated into the death of Neha Basson, who succumbed to bullet injuries at Government Medical College hospital, a police officer told PTI.

It appeared the woman had received the bullet injury from her husband's service revolver, he said. The woman's husband, Inspector Vivek Basson, who is posted in CM security, he added.

Information was received that a young woman was hit by a bullet at her residence near Ustad Mohalla in the heart of the city this afternoon and was rushed to GMC hospital by her relatives, a police officer said.

It was not immediately clear how the woman received the bullet injury, he said. The autopsy of the deceased is being conducted at the hospital and the body would be handed over to legal heirs later, the officer said.

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The body of a policewoman was found on rail tracks here today, a senior GRP official said.

The woman, Pratiksha Shinde (26), was a constable attached to the Local Arms Unit of the Mumbai police and originally hailed from Solapur, he said.

Her body was found on the tracks between Sion and Kurla stations on the Central Railway line at around 1.20 pm, the official said.

Prima-facie, it appears Shinde was knocked down by an express train while crossing the tracks, he said.

However, police are probing her death from all angles and not ruling out suicide, the official said.

The Kurla GRP has registered an accidental death case, he added.

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The Supreme Court has asked the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to look into the issue of overcrowding of prisons and furnish figures before it regarding the population in the jails where occupancy was over 150 per cent as on December 31 last year.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur also asked an advocate, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, to look into the issue of rehabilitation and welfare of women prisoners as well as their children, including the aspect of education of such kids.

The bench, which also comprised Justices Kurian Joseph and Deepak Gupta, asked NALSA Director Surinder S Rathi to ascertain through the member secretaries of the state legal services authorities, the number of vacant posts lying in major prisons in all states and union territories.

"For the time being, we request Surinder Rathi, Director, NALSA to look into the issue of overcrowding as highlighted by the amicus and furnish figures of the population in the jails where occupancy is more than 150 per cent as on December 31, 2017," the bench said.

The apex court said the issues related to standard operating procedure for Under Trial Review Committees (UTRCs) and responses received from states and union territories on open jails would be dealt by it on the next date of hearing on March 27.

A UTRC, set up in every district, deliberates and recommends the release of undertrial prisoners and convicts who have undergone their sentences or are entitled to be released from jail due to bail or remission granted to them.

Semi-open prisons or open prisons allow convicts to work outside the jail premises and earn a livelihood and return in the evening. The concept was brought in to assimilate the convicts with the society and reduce their psychological pressure as they faced lack of confidence in leading normal lives outside.

The top court is hearing a matter relating to inhuman conditions prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country.

It had earlier expressed shock at the large number of people languishing in jails in "complete violation" of their rights despite recommendations for their release by the legal services authority and had termed the situation as unacceptable.

In September last year, the apex court had also passed an order on the issue of custodial deaths and said this was a crime and such incidents indicated the "apparent disdain" of the state to the life and liberty of prisoners.

It had also passed a slew of directions over unnatural deaths and on prison reforms across India.

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Ahead of Season 6 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), the popular leagues organisers and the All India Kabaddi Federation have decided to conduct a pan-India talent hunt covering 18 cities to unearth new players ahead of the auctions.

The joint initiative of PKL organisers, Mashal Sports, and AKF commenced here today. This would be followed by the scouting for talent in the cities of Chennai, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Thrissur, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Patna, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Indore, Imphal, Jaipur, Bhubaneshwar and Ahmedabad, said a media release here.

The cities have been chosen based on expert assessment of kabaddi talent spotted in local tournaments held there in the past, the release said.

The phase one of the "Future Kabaddi Heroes" programme would be conducted over 2-3 days per city.

Last year a similar programme received a response from over 4,600 participants and post a three-stage selection process, 133 players finally made it to the players auction pool, the release stated.

This year five new cities - Imphal, Thrissur, Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad and Patna have been included in consultation with the AKFI and state kabaddi associations, the release added.

Former India skipper Anup Kumar welcomed the initiative, wishing such a programme had existed during his younger days.

"I personally see the Future Kabaddi Heroes programme as an ideal platform that will take young aspirants much closer to their dream of playing professional kabaddi.

"It is an ideal opportunity for deserving candidates, who lack access and the support system, to demonstrate their potential and eventually have the chance to be recognised in the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League," Kumar said.

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Profits from 12 major ports in the country was expected to touch Rs 70 billion this year, up from Rs 30 billion in 2014, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said here today.

"The first year, when I took charge as Minister (in 2014) profits from these ports was Rs 30 billion. Next year, it was Rs 40 billion. Third year, it was Rs 50 billion. This year, we are expecting profits upto Rs 70 billion".

He noted that the role of all ports was very important as it creates a lot of jobs and boosts the economy.

He made the comments after unveiling a plaque commemerating the foundation stone laying ceremony of National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts in collaboration with IIT Madras.

Gadkari said the ministry expects Rs 15 trillion investments under the ambitious 'Sagarmala' infrastructure development programme.

"Abour Rs four lakh crore investment we are expecting to be made in road connectivity, port-rail connectivity, modernisation and mechanisation of ports. Already, work worth Rs 2.80 trillion" has commenced, he said.

Under this progarmme, the ministry planned to develop Special Economic Zones, coastal development zones, industrial, petroleum and automobile clusters.

"In Mumbai, we plan on having an SEZ where we expect investments of Rs 400 billion. It will create about 125,000 jobs", he said.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of three riparian states to solve the state's Mahadayi river water sharing row with neighbouring Goa.

"I request Modiji, you call the three chief ministers, make them sit together and find some solution," Gandhi said.

Addressing a Congress rally here, he said, "Stop giving excuses, it is the issue of drinking water, try and solve it at the earliest. Call the three Chief Ministers, stop giving excuses, do the work and show."



Karnataka has for long been demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in resolving the inter-state Mahadayi river water sharing dispute by calling a meeting of Chief Ministers of riparian states that includes Goa and Maharashtra.

Recently, 'Kannada Okkuta', an umbrella organisation of various pro-Kannada organizations along with farmers groups, had called for dawn-to-dusk Karnataka bandh on January 25, demanding the Prime Minister's intervention.

Karnataka, which has locked horns with neighbouring Goa on sharing Mahadayi River water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The project is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, tributaries of Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc ft to Malaprabha which meets drinking water needs of the region.

The issue is also pending before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

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In a significant judgement, the Delhi High Court today directed the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDA) to have a re-look at the exclusion clauses in the insurance contracts to ensure that claims were not rejected on the basis of exclusions relating to "genetic disorders" like cardiac conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Observing that the availing of health insurance was an integral part of the 'Right to Health and healthcare' under the Constitution, Justice Pratibha Maninder Singh held that the clause in the insurance policy excluding a person with "genetic disorder" from availing its benefit was "discriminatory" and contrary to public policy.

The judge also left it to the lawmakers to take necessary steps in this regard, saying there was an urgent need for a proper framework against genetic discrimination.

"The IRDA is directed to re-look at the Exclusionary clauses in insurance contracts and ensure that insurance companies do not reject claims on the basis of exclusions relating to genetic disorders," the 47-page verdict said.

"The exclusion of genetic disorders in all forms would be contrary to public policy. Several of the prevalent medical conditions which affect a large mass of population, including cardiac conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes in all forms, could be classified as genetic disorders.

"The entire purpose of taking medical insurance would be defeated if all genetic disorders are excluded," the High Court said in the judgement, holding that the law and norms of 'genetic disorders' in the insurance policies in India were "too broad, ambiguous and discriminatory" and hence violated the constitutional provisions.

It said the insurance companies were free to structure their contracts based on reasonable and intelligible factors which should not be arbitrary and "in any case cannot be exclusionary".

The judge said discrimination in health insurance against individuals based on their genetic disposition or genetic heritage, in the absence of appropriate genetic testing and laying down of intelligible differentia, was unconstitutional.

"The broad exclusion of genetic disorders is thus not merely a contractual issue between the insurance company and the insured but spills into the broader canvas of Right to Health. There appears to be an urgent need to frame a proper framework to prevent against genetic discrimination as also to protect collection, preservation and confidentiality of genetic data.

"Insurance companies are free to structure their contracts based on reasonable and intelligible factors which should not be arbitrary and in any case cannot be exclusionary. Such contracts have to be based on empirical testing and data and cannot be simply on the basis of subjective or vague factors. It is for lawmakers to take the necessary steps in this regard," Justice Singh said in the order.

The high court considered at length the scope of genetic disorders, laws and norms in various foreign jurisdictions and the Indian position and concluded that "the exclusionary clause of 'genetic disorders' in the insurance policy, is too broad, ambiguous and discriminatory - hence violative of Article 14 of the Constitution".

The verdict was rendered in an insurance claim by one Jai Prakash Tayal against United India Insurance Company Limited.

Tayal, who was suffering from Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, was denied his insurance claim on the ground that the said condition was genetic, and genetic diseases were not payable as per the policy.

The trial court had ruled in favour of Tayal, holding that there cannot be a discriminatory clause against persons who suffered from genetic disorders and they were entitled to medical insurance. The insurance company had appealed against the trial court's in August 2017 order.

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Environmentalist and Grammy winner Ricky Kej performed 'Music for the planet', accompanied by five Grammy award musicians and a host of other stars at an event over the weekend.

"Through these concerts it's encouraging to see more and more people understand the cause better.And it's fulfilling to know that my music will be on the right side of the history," he said in a statement here today.

Grammy winners, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Wouter Kellerman, Rocky Dawuni, Lonnie Park and many more artists performed at the concert, he said



Ricky performed music from his latest album 'Shanti Samsara World Music for Environmental Consciousness. These concerts, he said, were uniquely designed and curated with 'Music for the Planet'.

Over 2,000 people, including politial leaders, senior bureaucrats, businessmen, artists, environmentalists, forest officials and conservationists attended the event, he said.

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The Income Tax Department today said it has filed six charge sheets against Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari for alleged tax evasion.

The prosecution complaints were filed in a special court in Lucknow under various sections of the Income Tax Act, they said.

The taxman had earlier attached four immovable assets of the Rotomac group and its promoters in this case.

It had attached 14 accounts of the group in various bank branches in Uttar Pradesh.

These assets were attached to "recover outstanding tax demands" of about Rs 106 crore from the group, they said.

The Kanpur-based group is being probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged swindling of Rs 3,695 crore of loan funds advanced by a consortium of seven banks.

The CBI had filed a criminal case against Rotomac Global Pvt Limited, its director Vikram Kothari, his wife Sadhana Kothari, son Rahul Kothari and unidentified bank officials based on a complaint from Bank of Baroda and conducted raids against them.

The ED also registered a money laundering case against them.

It will probe if the allegedly defrauded bank funds were laundered and the proceeds of crime subsequently used by the accused to create illegal assets and black money.

This is the second major financial scam to break out after the sensational Rs 11,400-crore fraud allegedly committed by billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, who is a promoter of Gitanjali group of companies.

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The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here has awarded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the family of an engineer killed in an accident in January, 2002.

The member of the MACT at Kalyan, S P Gogarkar, ordered the respondents -- the erring lorry's owner and The New India Assurance Company Limited -- to jointly and severally make the payment, along with an 8 per cent interest per annum, from the date of the filing of the claim.

The order was passed earlier this month.

The claimants, residing in the Ulhasnagar township of Thane district, informed the tribunal that the deceased, Vinod Ramashankar Pandey (32), was a self-employed civil engineer earning Rs 72,851 per annum.

On January 13, 2002, Pandey and a friend were going towards Hazira from Thane in a car. Near Andhel village at Duwada in Gujarat, where the highway was single-tracked due to some ongoing road work, a lorry came from the opposite direction and to avoid potholes, its driver suddenly swerved right and collided head-on with the car.

Pandey and his friend died on the spot in the accident, the claimants told the tribunal.

Pandey's family, including his 31-year-old wife, aged parents and three minor children, had initially lodged a claim forRs 12.5 lakh, but later sought an enhanced compensation of Rs 31.75 lakh.

They submitted that Pandey earned sufficiently, enjoyed an active life and would have continued to earn to support his family for years.

The owner of the lorry did not appear before the tribunal and hence, the matter was decided ex-parte against her.

But the insurance company contested the claim, saying the deceased was negligent and that it was a case of contributory negligence. It also said the claim was exorbitant.

After hearing the arguments, MACT member Gogarkar said the evidence adduced about the deceased's earning capacity appeared to be genuine and acceptable.

Considering the evidence on record, supported with the police papers, the claimants had proved that the alleged incident took place due to the rash and negligent driving of the lorry driver, he added.

The defence of contributory negligence was not sustainable as the opponent insurance company had failed to adduce a convincing evidence on that point, Gogarkar observed.

Taking into account the claimants' future loss, mental shock and pain, loss of estate, funeral expenses, transportation charges and the compensation for love and affection, the MACT ordered the lorry owner and the vehicle's insurer to pay Rs 20 lakh to the claimant.

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Russia vetoed today a UN draft resolution presented by Britain that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The text, strongly supported by the United States, won 11 favorable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia's veto.

China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure. Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran.

Britain had sought to include in its measure an expression of "particular concern" from the council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen.

The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

After hours of negotiations to try to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them.

"We cannot concur with uncorroborated conclusions and evidence which requires verification and discussions within the sanctions committee," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

After the Russian veto, US Ambassador Nikki Haley released a statement accusing Russia of protecting "the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran" and warned of further action targeting Iran.

"If Russia is going to use its veto to block action against Iran's dangerous and destabilizing conduct, then the United States and our partners will need to take actions against Iran that the Russians cannot block," said Haley, who was traveling to Honduras.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a war that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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An SAD-BJP delegation today met Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore and urged him to direct the state government to scrap the Ludhiana municipal corporation poll process and hold elections afresh.

The delegation was led by senior SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Dinesh Kumar and Rajinder Bhandari.

They accused the Congress of resorting to "unprecedented violence" along with "booth capturing and rigging" and alleged that democracy had been "murdered".

Polling to 95 wards of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation took place on February 24 with stray incidents of violence including vandalism and firing incident marring the elections.

The SAD-BJP delegation demanded that polling be held again.

They alleged that Congress leaders "misused" police personnel deployed there, indulged in "booth capturing and bogus voting", as well as intimidating SAD-BJP workers.

The delegation urged the governor to direct the Ludhiana administration to register cases against Congress' Ludhiana MP Ranveet Singh Bittu and MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

It is also requested that the governor directs the administration to withdraw all false cases registered against SAD-BJP workers immediately.

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The National Green Tribunal today appointed court commissioners to verify allegations made in a plea regarding illegal sand mining in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.

A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim appointed advocates Gaurav Bansal and Rahul Khurana as court commissioners in the case and directed them to submit the inspection report by March 30.

"The report shall state the extent of illegal mining, if any, and it should also ascertain whether the area is supplied electricity for domestic purposes only or commercial use," the bench said.

The tribunal directed the District Magistrate of Jodhpur and the police commissioner to provide assistance to the court commissioners during the visit to village Mandore in Jodhpur district.

It fixed Rs 25,000 as remuneration to the advocates which would be paid by the state government. The matter is listed for next hearing on April 6.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by local resident Ram Ji Vyas, alleging illegal mining going in Beri Ganga Forest Block at Khasra No. 1405, 1259, 1262, 1294, 1298 and 1307 of village Mandore in Jodhpur.

The plea had alleged that large scale mining was being carried out with the help of mechanical excavators in connivance with the authorities without obtaining requisite permission.

The Rajasthan government had however refuted the allegation and said there was no illegal mining and the authorities were taking requisite action to stop such activity.

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Rendering of a Sanskrit invocation song at an event attended by two union ministers at the IIT Madras today triggered a controversy with some opposition parties questioning why the Tamil anthem was not sung.

'Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smarami', penned by late composer Muthuswami Dikshithar was sung at the start of the foundation stone laying ceremony of National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts, to be set up along with IIT Madras.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan participated at IIT-M function.

Vaiko claimed it was the usual practice at the start of any government function in Tamil Nadu to sing the Tamil anthem and alleged that the Centre was trying to impose Hindi and Sanskrit by various means.

As the controversy surfaced, IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamoorthy, who was present at the event, clarified the institution does not issue any directions to students for a particular song to be sung.

"We do not issue any directions to the students. It is they who choose the invocation song and render it on such occasions," he said.

He was reacting to questions from reporters on the rendering of the Sanskrit song instead of the Tamil anthem penned by Manomaniam Sundaram Pillai, sung during functions in the state.

Normally, the Tamil anthem "Tamil Thaai Vazhthu" (invocation song of mother Tamil) is played at the start and the national anthem towards the end of state government events.

Vaiko condemned rendering of the Sanskrit song and said it was not acceptable to 'impose' it at the function.

He demanded stringent action be taken against those responsible for it.

"Both Nitin Gadkari and Pon Radhakrishnan, who were at the function, should publicly tender an apology as singing of the Tamil invocation song is the usual practice in any government function," he told reporters in Coimbatore.

He alleged that the Centre was trying to impose Sanskrit and Hindi by various means.

CPI-M and PMK also condemned overlooking of the Tamil invocation song.

CPI(M) State Secretary K Balakrishnan charged that it was another form of 'imposing' Hindi and Sanskrit.

PMK Leader S Ramadoss said the state government should take steps for making singing of Tamil anthem mandatory in all the functions of IIT, Madras.

"The Government of Tamil Nadu should take steps to ensure that IIT Madras tenders an apology. It should also be made mandatory that only Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu is played in functions held within its premises", he said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi-led air strikes killed at least six allied Yemeni soldiers today in friendly fire attacks on their base 50 kilometres east of Sanaa, a military source said.

"Erroneous strikes by coalition warplanes killed six troops -- one officer and five soldiers," a government military source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Saudi Arabia in 2015 launched a military coalition in Yemen aimed at supporting the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and rolling back Huthi rebels from the capital Sanaa.

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A court here today remanded to police custody Peace International school Director M M Akbar, arrested in connection with a case of allegedly spreading animosity among religious communities.

Akbar was detained by intelligence bureau officials when he arrived at Hyderabad airport yesterday for onward journeyabroad and was handed over to Kerala police, sources said, adding, there was a lookout notice issued against him.

He was brought to Kochi last night and was today produced before the First Class Judicial Magistrate court which remanded him to police custody till March 3.

The case against him was that the school run by the organisation used textbooks with contents that went against the country's secular fabric.

The state government had in January ordered the closure of the school at Kochi.

The government order for the school's closure under the Right to Act, had said it was highly necessary to stop the operation of such institutions "to prevent the Muslims from joining IS (Islamic State) activities."



The order said enquiries revealed that the textbooks at the Peace International school were aimed at propagation of ideas contradicting the country's secular policy besides trying to spread propaganda against its policies.

The school at Thammanam in Ernakulam came under the scanner in October 2016 after the district educational officer filed a complaint against it on the contents of the textbooks.

Akbar was made an accused in the 'controversial textbook case' in 2016 and has been abroad since then, police said.

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The Centre has recommended amendments to Delhi's Master Plan 2021, including shifting of pubs, clubs and restaurants from residential areas, Union Urban Development Minister H S Puri said today amid a huge furore in the national capital over the sealing issue.

The recommendations include uniform Floor Area Ration (FAR), shifting of pubs, clubs and restaurants from residential areas and augmentation of infrastructure services such as water and sewage by concerned service providing agencies.

"Outdoor unit of air-conditioning shall in no case extrude from the plot line/or to be placed on the rooftop. Exhaust duct shall not open directly towards the public lane or face the other residential plot. Restaurants, clubs, pubs shall not be allowed in the residential premises as part of mixed use," Puri said.

The recommendations finalised after deliberations with the traders, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and other stake holders will come for discussion in a crucial Delhi Development Authority (DDA) meeting tomorrow, following which the Lt Governor will approve the same, Puri said.

The approved amendments to the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 (MPD-2021) will be then presented before the Supreme Court.

The move aims to bring relief to the traders from a sealing drive, which was initiated late December from the Defence Colony market in south Delhi, at the instance of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

The AAP and the Congress have also been attacking the BJP-led Centre for not finding a solution to the problem.

We are very serious about finding solution to the problem. The disruption caused to the citizens of Delhi will be minimised, Puri told reporters with DDA vice-chairman Udai Pratap Singh, BJP MLA and DDA member O P Sharma and officials of the Urban Development Ministry by his side.

Later speaking to reporters, Sharma said it is likely that DDA will give its approval tomorrow so that it could be sent back to the Urban Development Ministry, which can then file an affidavit before the apex court. This is likely to give relief to the people from the sealing drive.

Elaborating on the recommendations, Puri said uniform FAR on shop-cum-residence plot/complex of pre-1962 and post 1962 shall be permitted.

The FAR is the ratio of a building's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land on which it is built. This means the FAR for 100 sq mtr was earlier variable, ranging from 180 to 225, but now it is recommended to be a uniform 350 for 100 sq mtr.

There will also be uniform norms for utilisation of basement in all the shop-cum residential plots/complexes.

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Experts from a host of countries hope to capture strains of classical music being practised in India and other parts of the world at an international conference that opens here tomorrow.

The two-day seminar on 'Indian Classical Music: Teaching and Performing Abroad' will see an exchange of ideas between propagators of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music forms in India and other countries.

The sessions, which include talks on teaching of Hindustani classical instrumental music and Carnatic classical music abroad, will conclude on both days with evening concerts by well-known artistes.

"Here in India, the teaching of Indian classical music follows a conservative pattern. However, in foreign countries the teaching style is totally different. We would like to discuss different styles followed in different countries," said TV Manikandan, associate professor at the Department of Music, University of Delhi.

Among those attending the conference will be experts from countries such as the USA, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Organised by the Music Department, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts (Delhi University) in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the seminar at the University's Conference Centre ends on February 28.

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Sabujkali Sen is discharging the responsibility as vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati as the ministry of human resources development is yet to appoint a full-term VC of the institution.

Sen told PTI today that she was still discharging responsibility and had no intimation about who will be the next VC of the central university.

"I am discharging my responsibility as of now till a new VC is appointed."



As per the University Act and Statute, the seniormost principal of a Visva-Bharati institution will automatically take charge as officiating VC.

But the HRD ministry's letter of February 3 had assigned Sen the charge of VC and stated that she would be at the helm till the appointment of a new VC.

Sen's term as the director of 'Studies Educational Innovations and Rural Reconstruction' of Visva-Bharati had expired on February 24.

To a question whether there would be any technical hurdle due to the expiry of her term as the director of a department of Visva-Bharati two days ago, Sen declined to comment.

A senior Visva-Bharati official said the institution is yet to nominate two members to a Search Committee for selecting a new vice-chancellor for the varsity as asked by the HRD ministry on February 23. The HRD ministry sent the mail after the President of India disbanded the previous Search Committee for appointing the VC.

The Executive Council and Court (another university body) will nominate one name each in their respective meetings to the Search Committee, which will forward the same to MHRD for selecting one name, the official said adding the meetings were yet to take place.

The central university has been functioning without a fulltime VC for the last two years after the then Vice-chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta was dismissed from the central university in February 2016.

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The Shiv Sena has geared up to strengthen the party for the general elections next year and will contest the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa in alliance with the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), a senior leader said today.

The Sena had earlier also aligned with the GSM, led by former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar, for the Goa assembly polls last year but failed to win a single seat.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has given his nod for the party's alliance with the GSM for polls to the two Lok Sabha seats in the state, Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut said.

"The Shiv Sena has decided to contest both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa in alliance with the GSM. The approval for the same has been given by the Sena chief," Raut said here at a press conference.

Thackeray will visit Goa next month to strengthen the party base, the Rajya Sabha member said.

He claimed that the Sena has emerged as one of the key political opponents in the coastal state.

"People from all sections are joining hands with the Sena," he said.

The North Goa and the South Goa Lok Sabha seats are presently held by the BJP.

Meanwhile, Raut wished a speedy recovery to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is admitted in a hospital.

"Parrikar should take rest for some time and then return to active political life," he said.

Many a times, political leaders ignore their health while working overtime during their career, Raut said.

Parrikar was yesterday admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital following complaints of uneasiness.

He was earlier discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on February 22, a week after he was admitted there and treated for a pancreatic ailment.

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South Korea's president today said that the United States should lower the threshold for talks with North Korea and that the two countries should start a dialogue soon. President Moon Jae-in made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong one day after a senior North Korean official told Moon that his country is willing to open talks with the US. The officials were in South Korea for the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics yesterday. According to his office, Moon asked for China's support for US-North Korea talks, and Liu responded that China would help facilitate them. Moon also said that North Korea should show a commitment to denuclearisation, something it has refused to do. Earlier, the US said the international community needs to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons development. "We will see if Pyongyang's message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearization," the White House said in a statement. Moon yesterday met with a North Korean delegation led by Kim Yong Chol, a former general whom South Korea has accused of being behind two attacks on the South that killed 50 people in 2010. Kim told Moon that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wanted to improve ties with Washington and had "ample intentions of holding talks," according to the South Korean president's office. The North Korean delegation met with Moon's national security chief today. Moon's office said the two sides agreed that the Olympics had been a meaningful stepping stone toward restoring inter-Korean ties, and to continue to collaborate to seek a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. South Korean protesters burned a North Korean flag and used a knife to slash a portrait of Kim Jong Un near a hotel where the North Korean delegation was staying.

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BJP chief Amit Shah today hit out at the Congress over an alleged bank fraud case in which Amarinder Singh's son-in-law has been booked, saying it is shameful that the Punjab chief minister's relative pocketed the money meant for hardworking farmers.

Shah questioned why the Congress deleted a tweet about a news report on the alleged bank fraud.

"Punjab CMs son-in-law pockets money meant for Indias hardworking farmers. What can be more shameful than this ! #CongressLootsFarmers," he tweeted.

"Why delete this tweet highlighting the loot of @capt_amarinders son-in-law. Congress has always been at the forefront of highlighting their own robberies such as the NPA mess, bad loans, the free hand they gave to Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi," Shah wrote on Twitter.

The BJP chief shared the news story about the alleged bank fraud at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) on the microblogging website.

The CBI had on February 22 registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its Chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore at the bank.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country. Gurpal Singh is the son-in-law of the Punjab chief minister.

Searches were carried out at eight premises including the residences of directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida in connection with the case yesterday.
BJP president Amit Shah hit out at Karnataka's Congress government today for celebrating the birth anniversary of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan instead of focusing on developing backward regions.

Shah also asked the other backward classes (OBCs) to vote out the Siddaramaiah government in the upcoming elections.

"Hyderabad-Karnataka region lies between Hyderabad and Mumbai. It is so located that if an industrial corridor is made, it will provide jobs to lakhs of youths from the region. But they (Congress leaders) won't do it," the BJP chief said.

The BJP leader claimed the previous B S Yeddyurappa government of the BJP worked for the development of the region.

"...They (Congress) don't do anything, but just Tipu Sultan, Tipu Sultan, Tipu Sultan....now they are even talking about celebrating Bahmani Samrajya (Bahmani Sultanate)..I don't know what has happened to them. They don't see anything else,"



Shah said as he attacked Congress leaders from the area including Mallikarjuna Kharge and Dharm Singh.

He said the two leaders did little for the welfare of the region despite getting elected several times. "They did nothing other than supporting their sons (in politics)," he alleged.

The state government's reported plans to celebrate the Bahmani Sultanate era art and culture has come under attack from the BJP, whose leaders dubbed the Bahmani rulers as "killers of Hindus" and "destroyers of temples".

While Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Sharan PrakashPatil has maintained it will be a one-day celebration, chief minister Siddaramaiah said he was notaware of any proposed celebrations.

Bahmani Sultanate was a Muslim kingdom that ruled parts of the Deccan region in 1347-1527, with what is now known as Kalaburagi and Bidar as its capital. Its rulers constantly fought with those of the Vijayanagara empire for supremacy.

Shah, who is on a three-day visit to north Karnataka region, was interacting with leaders of OBC communities.

The state assembly polls are expected in April-May this year.

Noting that the OBCs constituted a large part of the state's population, the BJP chief urged their leaders to usher in "parivartan" (change) by uprooting the Congress government.

"The OBC community is the largest group in Karnataka...hope you understand me...So, the bigger responsibility for bringing in the change rests on whom? Please tell me.

"Once the OBC, the backward community decides, no one can save this Congress government. OBC community will have to root out the Congress government," he said.

Terming the Narendra Modi government a "huge factory" that generates electricity called development, Shah said the new dispensation in Karnataka should act like a transformer to access that electricity efficiently.

"Here that transformer is burnt and that is the reason development is not reaching the masses and villages," he said.

"Now, tell me what will you do if the transformer is burnt....don't just change it? root it out? Root out this government, and bring in a government in its place with lotus flower, the BJP government that will make Karnataka the best within five years," he said.

Shah said constitutional status to the OBC Commission has been a long-standing demand of the community but the Congress opposed the bill to confer that status on the panel.

"In Rajya Sabha, Congress showed its true face and did not allow the bill to get passed."



"Siddaramaiah speaks about AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits). Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah have to be questioned on what they have to say about Congress party stalling the bill," he said.

He accused the Congress of having double standards on the issue.

On the one hand, the Congress speaks about the uplift of the backward communities, but when it comes to providing constitutional status to the Commission, they stall the bill in Rajya Sabha, Shah said.

Targeting chief minister Siddaramaiah, the BJP chief said he spoke about the backward classes, but when it came to doing things for them, he catered to only the minorities.

He also accused the Congress government of creating hurdles in the way of the benefits of the Centre's initiatives for OBCs from reaching them.

"It is not reaching people on ground in the state because there is no BJP government here. Those in power here are always in the confrontation with Narendra Modi, sitting on the shoulders of Rahul baba (Rahul Gandhi)," Shah said.

Bring a chief minister who works shoulder-to-shoulder with Narendra Modi to solve all issues faced by the OBCs in Karnataka, Shah said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab province chief minister and brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is set to become the new chief of Pakistan's ruling party, with a senior minister indicating that he was the "most competent" person to hold the post.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been forced to announce a new head after the Supreme Court last week also disqualified Nawaz Sharif as the president of the party.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said the will announce the name of its new party president tomorrow, state-run Radio Pakistan quoted her as saying.

"Shahbaz Sharif is the most competent and appropriate person for the slot", she told reporters.

Shahbaz Sharif, 66, is the Chief Minister of Punjab province since June, 2013. He is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, who had to resign as prime minister in July last year in the high-profile Panama Papers scandal.

If appointed, Shahbaz will lead the in the 2018 parliamentary polls.

She said the Central Executive Committee and Central Working Committee of PML-N will meet tomorrow to deliberate on electing the next party president following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.

Last week, the Supreme Court had ruled that an individual disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution cannot serve as head of a political party.

The apex court's verdict was in response to 17 petitions challenging the controversial Elections Act 2017, which had been bulldozed through parliament last year to pave the way for Nawaz Sharif's return to the PML-N's helm as party president.

The minister said, "Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is the most competent and appropriate person for the slot [of party president] given his political acumen and performance in Punjab province."



Nawaz Sharif had earlier been declared unfit to hold public office in the landmark Panama Papers judgement, in which a five-member bench of the Supreme Court had unanimously ruled that the former prime minister had not been 'honest' and 'truthful' in discharging his obligations as a lawmaker.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today flayed "attempts to politicise" the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) case with "unsubstantiated" charges against his son-in-law, who he claimed was being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.

Gurpal Singh was a only a minority shareholder with a mere 12.5 per cent share in Simbhaoli Sugars, the chief minister said.

In a statement issued here, Amarinder Singh said that as per information available with him, the alleged fraud, which was at the centre of the case, was the subject matter of court proceedings before the DRT in a recovery suit filed by the bank, which was settled between the company and OBC, and was recorded by DRT Lucknow by way of a consent order dated March 16, 2015.

The chief minister said his son-in-law was a law-abiding citizen, and according to his information had even refused to sign any documents to give any personal guarantee against the loan in question, forcing the OBC to amend the loan document on February 12, 2015, thus waiving the requirement of Gurpal Singh's signature on any guarantee documents.

Political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were targeting Gurpal Singh only because of the OBC director's personal relationship with him, claimed Amarinder Singh.

He claimed baseless allegations were made just to secure political mileage.

Gurpal Singh had actually been litigating against Simbhaoli Sugars, for his rights as director and shareholder, before the National Company Law Tribunal, as he was kept out of all major decisions and the working of the company, which was reportedly a matter of court record, said the chief minister.

Given these facts, the political attack on his son-in-law was ludicrous, the chief minister claimed, adding that even a cursory check of the case background would have revealed that Gurpal Singh had no role in the entire affair.

It was evident that the issue was being deliberately sought to be politicised, with the farming community also being unnecessarily dragged into the whole affair, he said.

All the vital facts would emerge before the courts when the CBI case is taken up by them, said the chief minister, urging the political parties and the media to stop indulging in baseless statements and reporting.

Yesterday, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, deputy managing director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore.

Gurpal Singh is the son-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country. The company's chief executive officer, GSC Rao, CFO Sanjay Tapriya, Executive Director Gursimran Kaur Mann and five non-executive directors were also booked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Puducherry, a former French colony, and Dali city in China are keen on joining hands to establish cooperation in the fields of art, culture, education and trade, Chief Minister V Narayanswamy today said.

He said, the two cities "have similarities" and the Puducherry government would soon approach the Ministry of External Affairs, for signing of an agreement, to cement the ties.

"Both the sides (Puducherry and Dali Prefecture) have had talks in this regard for the past several months. In fact, a top official from Puducherry government had also visited the city. We want to sign an MoU as sister cities, that will enhance exchange in cooperation in various sectors," Narayanswamy told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

Dali is a city in China's southwestern Yunnan province, on the shores of Erhai Lake. Its history stretches back to the kingdom of Nanzhao in the eighth century.

The city is one of Yunnan's most popular tourist destinations and is home to some of the most ancient temples and landmarks, and Dali University.

Chen Jian, Secretary of the CPC Dali Bai Prefectural Committee said, "We are also very keen to sign an MoU with Puducherry to facilitate cooperation in the fields of art, architecture, education and trade."



"We also feel the two cities have similarities. Education is one area where, we think, the sides can cooperate the most. Both are historic places with beautiful architecture. Tourism will also be boosted on both sides," he said.

A delegation, comprising members from both the Dali administration and the business sector, is currently visiting India. They held a business to business conference today which was attended by the Puducherry chief minister.

A senior official accompanying the delegation, said, "About 1,000 Indian students are currently in Dali for pursuing different courses or as part of exchange programmes."



"About 10 people are from the government and 30 from different companies are in the delegation. We arrived in India on February 20. We visited Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi," she said.

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In a case of possible mistaken identity, an assistant professor of a private engineering college was hacked to death by a gang, which was targetting his realtor father-in-law, at his home at a nearby town today.

The father in-law had allegedly encroached on some land.

Police said the elderly man suffered minor injuries and was discharged from hospital after first aid.

They said the gang entered the home at Palyamkottai this morning,hurled country bombs and sprinkled chilli powder and attacked Senthilkumar and his father-in-law with sickles.

While the father-in-law escaped with minor injuries, Senthil Kumar suffered serious cut injuries and died at Palayamkottai government hospital without responding to treatment, police said.

They said a special team had been formed to nab the gang.

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Spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan,currently on a 10-day visit to India, reached here this afternoon and will address his community people tomorrow, a senior official of the Telangana government said.

Aga Khan visitedQutub Shahi Tombs after reaching the city, the officialsaid.

Aga Khan, who arrived here by a special plane, is expected to meet Governor E S L Narasimhan and Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali tomorrow, the official said.

"Aga Khan will be meeting his community people tomorrow and leave the city on February 28. He will hold meetings with his community people and followers tomorrow and the day after at Nizam College grounds," the official said.

Aga Khan's India tour is part of a series of visits globally in commemoration of his diamond jubilee, marking 60 years of his leadership of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community," the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)hadsaid in a statement.

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bath tub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

The Dubai government said in a tweet that the police have transferred the case to the "Dubai Public Prosecution" which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases.

"Following the completion of post mortem analysis, Dubai police headquarters today stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bath tub following loss of consciousness," the Dubai government's media office said on Twitter.

It is not clear what caused Sridevi, 54, to lose consciousness, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds. Her death, which was first reported at around 3 a.m. on Sunday in India, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how she could have suffered cardiac arrest at such a young age.

The latest report of accidental drowning only deepens the mystery surrounding her death. Her family has not commented beyond their initial statement yesterday to announce the death, and has requested the media to not contact them as they deal with the tragedy.

Sridevi is survived by her husband, film-maker Boney Kapoor and two daughters.

The Dubai-based Gulf said in a report that the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added. However, this could not be independently confirmed.

Gulf also attached a copy of the UAE government's forensic report on its Twitter handle. The report, citing accidental drowning as the cause of death, has a stamp of the "Ministry of Health UAE" and the director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.

The report mentions the actor's full name, "Sreedevi Boney Kapoor Ayyappan", her passport number, date of the incident (February 24, 2018) and cause of death.

"The investigation is still going on to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident as the forensic report only says that she drowned, Gulf quoted an official as saying.

Her body has been sent for embalming, the newspaper said. It is not clear when the body will be brought back to India.

Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding, and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but he had returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times.

He was reportedly in the room when Sridevi went to the bathroom to get ready for a dinner, according to Khaleej Times. It said Kapoor discovered her unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

In Mumbai today, many Bollywood celebrities visited the home of actor Anil Kapoor, the brother of Boney Kapoor. Sridevi's two daughters, Khushi and upcoming actor Jahnvi are staying at the house.

Among those who visited to condole Sridevi's death were Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Saroj Khan, Rekha, Rani Mukherji, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra and Aumpam Kher.

Police officials at Anil Kapoor's house said as many as 150 people from Karnataka came to pay homage to Sridevi, while another group from Telangana gathered outside the actor's Lokhandwala residence. Fans from Rajasthan and other parts of India had also arrived.

Before making it big in Bollywood in late 1970s, she was already an established star in South India with many hits in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies.

At Kapoor's house, police have increased security and cordoned off the area to keep fans at a distance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As anxious crowds milled around her Mumbai home and stars visited the family to pay their condolences, a Dubai paper today reported that Bollywood superstar Sridevi was getting ready for dinner with husband Boney Kapoor when she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Uncertainty over when the body would arrive and the many questions surrounding her sudden death in Dubai late Saturday intensified as the day progressed.

Boney and Sridevi, 54, were in Dubai to attend nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding.

While most of the extended family as well as Boney and younger daughter Khushi had returned, Sridevi decided to stay back. The elder daughter, Jahnvi, was in Mumbai to complete a shooting schedule.

Some details of what may have happened were pieced together by the Khaleej Times newspaper, which quoted sources as saying that the matter was under police investigation.

According to the newspaper, an Indian Consulate official and a family member were called inside the morgue today afternoon.

On Saturday, Boney, who produced "Mr India", which gave Sridevi one of her most remembered roles, flew back to Dubai to surprise his wife with a dinner, the paper reported.

He reached the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel around 5.30pm (Dubai time) and woke her up and they chatted for about 15 minutes, the report said.

Sridevi then went to the bathroom to get ready. When she didn't come out for 15 minutes, Boney knocked on the door. He did not get any response and forced open the door, to find her lying motionless in the bathtub that was full of water.

"He tried to revive her and when he could not, he called a friend of his. After that, he informed the police at 9 pm," Khaleej Times quoted a source as saying.

The police and paramedics rushed to the site, but she was pronounced dead. Her body was taken to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

The body of the late actor, who embodied superstardom in the 1980s and 1990s in what was a hugely male dominated industry, is expected to reach Mumbai late today after authorities in Dubai conclude all the formalities.

Back home, fans, family and friends were still trying to come to grips with what had happened.

While crowds hung around Boney and Sridevi's empty Lokhandwala home, many celebrities visited Boney's brother, Anil Kapoor's residence, to offer their condolences.

The couple's daughters, Khushi and Jhanvi, are at Anil Kapoor's home, waiting for some



Amongst those who visited Anil Kapoor's bungalow were Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Saroj Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani and Honey Irani.

Sridevi's stepson Arjun Kapoor as well as Rekha, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty, Nikhil Dwivedi, Anupam Kher and Ishaan Khatter, co-star of Sridevi's daughter Jhanvi's debut film "Dhadak", also called on the Kapoors last night.

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Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will be flown back to India from Dubai today, her family said in a statement.

Sridevi's body could not be repatriated yesterday as the final investigation reports from Dubai Police were not ready last evening.

Reliance Communications (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani has reportedly offered to fly her remains back home in his private jet.

Sridevi, 54, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai's Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

The actress and family were in town after attending the wedding of her nephew and actor Mohit Marwah which took place in Ras Al Khaimah.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, Indian Consulate representatives were coordinating with Dubai Police and other authorities concerned. However, the procedures to sent her body to India could not be completed yesterday before office hours in local departments here.

The Kapoor family in a statement



issued last night said that her body will arrive in India today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will be flown back to India from Dubai today, her family said in a statement.

Sridevi's body could not be repatriated yesterday as the final investigation reports from Dubai Police were not ready last evening.

Reliance Communications (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani has reportedly offered to fly her remains back home in his private jet.

Sridevi, 54, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai's Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

The body will be ready for repatriation by 1 to 2pm, Dubai time, Khaleej Times reported.

Indian Consulate officials reveal that that after receiving the Police Clearance and forensic report, the other procedures including, immigration and embalming would be completed in the next 3 to 4 hours, a source told the publication.

The actor and family were in town after attending the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah which took place in Ras Al Khaimah.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, Indian Consulate representatives were coordinating with Dubai Police and other authorities concerned. However, the procedures to sent her body to India could not be completed yesterday before office hours in local departments here.

The Kapoor family in a statement



issued last night said that her body will arrive in India today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The stage is set for tomorrow's crucial Assembly elections in the two north-eastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

The two states have a 60-member House each, but voting will be held for 59 constituencies in both.

In Meghalaya, the election has been countermanded in Williamnagar in the wake of the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast in East Garo Hills district on February 18.

In Nagaland, NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

The results of the polls in the two states, along with that of Tripura, will be declared on March 3.

A high-decibel campaign for the polls in the two states came to an end last evening.

Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is making a determined bid to expand its footprint in the north-east.

For the Congress, the poll outcome in Meghalaya is particularly significant as it has been ruling the state for the last 10 years.

But this time, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to throw the Congress out of power and add Meghalaya into its kitty.

Political observers are keenly watching the BJP's push in the north-east, a Congress stronghold, where the saffron party has traditionally been a marginal player.

In Meghalaya, the Congress and the BJP are pitted against each other. While the former has fielded 59 candidates, the latter has put up nominees in 47 constituencies.

Though they are contesting the polls separately, in Meghalaya, the National People's Party (NPP) of Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, is the BJP's partner in the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).

In Nagaland, BJP's hope hinges on its alliance partner NDPP (the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party) of Neiphiu Rio, which is contesting from 40 seats. The saffron party has fielded candidates from the remaining 20 seats.

The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland since the state's inception in 1963, is contesting from only 18 seats, two less than the BJP, an emerging entity in the north-east.

There are 370 candidates in the fray in Meghalaya. A total of 18.4 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 3,083 polling stations in the state.

Meghalaya's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) F R Kharkongor said for the first time, 67 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations were set up in the state.

He added that 32 women candidates were in the fray, the highest ever in the state.

In Nagaland, a total of 11,91,513 voters -- 6,01,707 (50.50 per cent) men and 5,89,806 (49.50 per cent) women -- will exercise their franchise tomorrow. There are also 5,925 service voters.

Voting will be conducted in 2,156 polling stations as 40 polling stations fall under the Northern Angami-II seat, from where Rio has been declared elected unopposed.

Over 15,000 government employees will be on poll duty and there will be 177 all-women polling stations across 25 constituencies in the state.

The election process in Nagaland had started on a difficult note.

Following a no-election diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO), advocating "solution (to the Naga political issue) before election", the political parties had initially kept away from the poll process.

Though the process of nomination-filing had started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their candidature only on the penultimate day on February 5. There was a heavy rush of nominees filing their papers on the last day.

After the scrutiny and withdrawal, a total of 227 nominees are left in the field in Nagaland.

As many as 281 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), beside the state police force, are deployed throughout Nagaland to ensure a peaceful election.

Nagaland's CEO Abhijit Sinha said all the polling stations would be manned by the CAPF personnel, while the state police would also be assisting them.

Of the 2,156 polling stations in Nagaland, 1,100 were declared critical, 530 vulnerable and 526 normal, he added.

The Meghalaya CEO told PTI that six of the 10 additional companies of CAPF were deployed in the troubled East and South Garo Hills districts.

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Drug firm Strides Shasun today announced that it will launch Ranitidine Tablets USP, 150 mg, used to treat peptic ulcers of the stomach and intestines, in the US markets.

Strides is already a key player in the US Ranitidine Rx market with 32 per cent market share through its approval for Ranitidine Tablets USP, 150 mg and 300 mg. The new launch will further strengthen companys Ranitidine franchise, the company said in a statement.

The company said, "the US OTC market for Ranitidine Tablets, which is the generic form of the popular brand Zantac, is approximately USD 200 million."



This is the first product approval from companys 50:50 JV with Vivimed Labs. The product will be backward integrated and will be manufactured at the JVs oral dosage facility in Chennai, it said.

Strides will have exclusive marketing rights for the product in the US. The product will be launched immediately.

The company has 82 cumulative ANDA filings with USFDA (including its JV with Vivimed), of which 50 ANDAs have been approved as of date and 32 are pending approval.

Shares of Strides Shasun were trading 2.52 per cent higher at Rs 710.35 apiece on BSE.

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A Pakistani court today ruled that suspension of mobile phone service for security purposes was against the law.

Justice Athar Minallah of Islamabad High Court after hearing multiple applications by mobile phone companies and others had reserved the judgment on September 21, 2017.

He issued the verdict and decided against the practice of suspension of mobile service on religious occasion like 'Ashura' or mass protests by opposition group by declaring it against the legal rights of the citizen.

The applicants had contended that the service suspension was a violation of citizens' basic right as well as the provisions of Pakistan Telecommunication Act 1996.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on behalf of the government tried to justify the practice in the name of security but the court rejected the plea.

The mobile companies had been pressing the government to stop the practice of suspending the mobile service, as it caused financial loss but authorities always rejected it.

According to government, militants used the mobile to detonate bombs and other militant activities during big religious or political gatherings.

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Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said today.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said the air strikes were carried out by the US-led coalition.

"Twenty-five civilians, including seven children, were killed in the village of Al-Shaafah and in surrounding desert areas in coalition strikes all through Sunday," he said.

"This village is in the last pocket controlled by IS in the east of Syria," he said of Al-Shaafah, which lies on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Air strikes against jihadists forces holding out in remote areas of Deir Ezzor province have killed dozens of civilians in recent weeks, many of them relatives of the fighters.

Coalition-backed Kurdish-led forces have been trying to flush out IS from the east bank of the Euphrates, while Russian-backed regime and allied forces are stationed west of the river.

Abdel Rahman could not say how many IS combatants were taken out by the latest wave of air strikes.

"IS now holds less than three percent of Syrian territory," he said.

The self-styled "caliphate" IS proclaimed over swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014 effectively died when anti-jihadist forces retook its de facto capital Raqa and other strongholds such as Albu Kamal late last year.

However the US-led coalition has continued to carry out strikes against small pockets of IS fighters hunkering down in and around small villages in Deir Ezzor province.

Small groups of IS-affiliated fighters are also still active in other parts of Syria.

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BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Katiyar has said the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed on the spot where "Ram Lala" is resting.

"I will not comment on how long will it take for it to be decided as the issue is now being heard by the Supreme Court," Katiyar, who was on a private visit to the district, told reporters, while replying to a query last night.

"We are waiting for the court verdict, but I will like to say that our Ram temple, for sure, will come up at the place where Ram Lala is resting...he (Ram idol) will continue (to remain) on the spot," he said, adding, "That land belongs to Lord Ram."



To a question, Katiyar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were together working dedicatedly for the country and the state.

"Criminals are surrendering before the police on their own under the Yogi government," he added.

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Tension grips Sataun village in Sirmaur district here following a clash between Tibetans and locals, leaving seven people injured, police said today. The problem started brewing late last night after some Tibetan youths allegedly thrashed two local boys and damaged their motorcycle after some altercations at a local dhaba here, DSP Paonta, Pramod Chauhan, said. Enraged by the incidents, some local youth entered the Tibetan settlement in the vicinity of the village and thrashed one youth. Later, some more villagers armed with lathis joined them, the DSP said.

The injured were admitted in a hospital here, he said. Police have been deployed in strength to prevent any further clashes and the situation was under control, he said, adding cross FIRs have been registered by the rival groups and investigations are in progress. A local resident Mohan Lal told PTI that tension between the locals and the Tibetans was already brewing for the past few weeks after a spat. Paonta MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhary visited the injured people in the hospital and appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony.

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Dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today mocked the Narendra Modi government for blaming auditors and regulators for the multi-crore PNB fraud saying, "Thank God they spared the peon".

Sinha's remark was an obvious reference to a recent statement by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley blaming the multiple layers of auditing system which "chose to either look the other way or do a casual job" for the fraud.

The actor-turned-politician, who has been critical of his party and its government, said, "Taali kaptaan ko to gaali bhi kaptaan ko (the captain has to receive both bouquets as well as brickbats)"



"Our learned people, after blaming everyone from Nehru regime to Congress misrule, said that auditors are to blame for PNB scam. Thank God they spared the peon,'' he tweeted.

''The moot question is, as actual owners of PNB, what was the government doing for at least four of those six years,'' Sinha said referring to the irregularities that began in 2011 when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre.

"Do we have any answers Sir. With due respect, as they say taali kaptaan ko to gaali bhi kaptaan ko," he tweeted.

Sinha, who is known for his colourful oratory and wit, wrote an Urdu couplet to underscore his point.

"Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar ye bata ki qafila kyun luta mujhe rahzanon se gila nahin teri rahbari ka saval hai (Do not beat about the bush, tell me why the robbery took place. I have do not have much a of complaint against the robbers, but the credibility of your leadership is at stake)," he wrote on the microblogging site.

Sinha, who is also a member of the BJP national executive, had recently questioned the presence of Nirav Modi, the prime accused in the fraud, among the delegates who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the World Economic Summit in Davos.

He has also been sharply critical of the prime minister for blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for the partition and previous Congress governments for various problems currently being faced by the country.

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Three security personnel were injured today in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, a senior police official said.

The gun-battle took place this afternoon on a hillock between Mungari and Dulargufa under Barsoor police station limits of Dantewada, Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) raided a Naxal hideout on the hillock, about 18km from Barsoor, he said.

Barsoor is around 450km from here.

"During the raid, there was a heavy exchange of fire. The troops fought back bravely and destroyed the hideout," the DIG said.

"Three jawans sustained bullet injuries in the gunfight," the IPS officer said.

After getting information about the encoutner, reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured jawans were evacuated, Sundarraj said.

Details about any loss to Maoists in the gunfight would be known only after the completion of the ongoing search operation, he said.

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Three Venezuelans were shot dead in northeastern Colombia today in an attack blamed on the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerilla group, official sources said.

The three were killed by suspected rebels traveling by motorcycle in Tibu, near the Venezuelan border, police said in a statement.

The suspects had earlier attacked a police station in the same area, but nobody was wounded, the statement added.

The Norte de Santander department, where Tibu is located, is one of Colombia's biggest areas for coca growing, and several drug-trafficking factions operate in the area.

The ELN began peace talks with President Juan Manuel Santos's government a year ago in the Ecuadoran capital Quito, but he suspended negotiations at the end of January and ordered a stepped-up military response after bomb attacks blamed on the guerrillas.

Santos, who will leave power in August after two four-year terms, is looking to reach a deal with the ELN similar to that agreed with FARC rebels, who have since disarmed and transformed into a political party.

Relations between Colombia and Venezuela, which share a 2,200 kilometer border, are tense as Colombia deals with the arrival of thousands of Venezuelans fleeing the country's economic and humanitarian crisis.

According to Colombian immigration authorities, around 550,000 Venezuelans are in the country -- a figure it said could rise to one million by mid-2018.

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A 24-year old post graduate medical student hailing from Tamil Nadu allegedly committed suicide in Chandigarh today.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami condoled his death and directed officials to make swift arrangements to bring his body to his hometown Rameswaram. He also announced a solatium of Rs three lakh to his family.

Dr Krishna Prasath R, who doing his PG course at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his hostel room, police said.

He was a junior resident in the Department of Radio diagnosis and Imaging, at PGIMER, and hailed from Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.

A report from Rameswaram said, Krishna Prasath was the son of a priest of a Lord Hanuman sub-temple in the famous Lord Ramanathaswamy temple complex in the island town.

Quoting temple officials, the report said the family members of Krishna Prasath were informed about his death over phone and they have immediately left for Chandigarh.

"Considering the family situation of the student, I have ordered a solatium of the Rs three lakh to the family of Krishna Prasath from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," Palaniswami said in a statement in Chennai.

"Prasath was found hanging from the ceiling of his room. He used a rope to commit suicide," Station House Officer at Sector 11 Police Station, Inspector Lakhbir Singh, said, adding the reason behind the extreme step was not known.

A case had been registered, Singh said, adding further investigations were under progress.

This is the second death of a PG medical student from Tamil Nadu since last month.

28-year-old Sharath Prabhu, hailing from Coimbatore, was found dead at his rented flat in northeast Delhi's Shahdara area on January 17.

Prabhu was a first-year post graduate medicine student at the University College of Medical Sciences, affiliated to the Delhi University.

Police had then said they were probing whether he died due to drug overdose.

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Top security officials today reviewed the security situation including intelligence gathering and operations in north Kashmir, an Army official said.

A high-level joint meeting of the Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the CRPF was held at Kilo Force Headquarters at Sharifabad.

Senior officers of the respective services interacted with the functional level officers and reviewed the security situation in north Kashmir," the official said here.

The meeting was co-chaired by Kilo Force Commander Major General A K Singh and IGP Kashmir S P Pani and attended by various sector commanders, commanding officers, and SSPs of all the districts of north Kashmir.

Besides sharing ideas, the IGP Kashmir assured everyone of total support and continued synergy among the security forces, he said.

The IG CRPF also gave valuable insights and assured full support during all operations, he added.

Maj Gen Singh emphasised that the entire north Kashmir is well geared to fight against the militants and exhorted everyone to continue working towards bringing peace and harmony in the region, the official said.

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Top stories from the south at 2130 hrs.

MDS4 'KA-SHAH-OBC'



Kalaburagi: BJP president Amit Shah hits out at Karnataka's Congress government for celebrating the birth anniversary of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan instead of focusing on developing backward regions.

MDS3 KA-SHAH



BJP president Amit Shah takes on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the prime minister over the PNB scam, saying no other government had acted as promptly and taken stringent action against frauds as the Narendra Modi government.

MDS7 TN-2ND LD SONG



Chennai: Rendering of a Sanskrit invocation at an event attended by two union ministers at the IIT Madras triggers a controversy with several opposition parties led by DMK questioning why the Tamil anthem was not sung.

BES10 TL-RATION-AADHAAR (CORRECTED)



Hyderabad: Nearly three crore fake and duplicate ration cards have been cancelled during the three years of the NDA government, says CR Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

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The Trump Administration today announced a $40 million initiative to counter propaganda and initiatives from foreign countries.

To be led by the Department of State, the announcement of such an initiative comes in the wake of the massive anti-US campaign on various social media platforms and other platforms by countries like North Korea, Russia and China.

The Pentagon, which under the Trump Administration has seen substantial increase in its budgetary allocation, has transferred $40 million to the Department of State to bolster operations to expose and counter foreign propaganda.

"This funding is critical to ensuring that we continue an aggressive response to malign influence and disinformation and that we can leverage deeper partnerships with our allies, Silicon Valley, and other partners in this fight," Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein said.

"It is not merely a defensive posture that we should take, we also need to be on the offensive," Goldstein said, adding that the transfer of funds reiterates the US' commitment to the fight.

One of those initiatives is the creation of an Information Access Fund to support public and private partners working to expose and counter propaganda and disinformation from foreign nations, the State Department said.

Under the Information Access Fund, civil society groups, media content providers, non-governmental organisations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies, and academic institutions will be eligible to compete for grants from the Global Engagement Center (GEC) to advance their important work to counter propaganda and disinformation.

The State Department said it plans to award an initial $5 million in grants from the Information Access Fund.

In consultation with Congress, this funding will include $one million in initial seed money from the Department of State's public diplomacy account in order to kick-start the initiative quickly.

The fund will be a key part of the GEC's partnerships with local civil society organizations, NGOs, media providers, and content creators to counter propaganda and disinformation. The fund will also drive the use of innovative messaging and data science techniques, it said.

Separately, the GEC will initiate a series of pilot projects developed with the Department of Defense that are designed to counter propaganda and disinformation. Those projects will be supported by Department of Defense funding, the State Department said.

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President Donald Trump says the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.

Under pressure to act to stem gun violence on school grounds, Trump planned to solicit input from the state chief executives during meetings Monday at the White House.The governors are in Washington for their annual winter meeting.

But socializing was the focus Sunday night as Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted the governors for an annual black-tie ball.

In brief remarks before dinner beneath dimmed lights in the State Dining Room, Trump said the governors are "very, very special people." "The job you do is really incredible. It's not easy, but we're very proud of you and we're very proud to have you here," he said as tall candles flickered and bouquets of hydrangeas adorned an assortment of round and oblong dinner tables.

Previewing today's talks, Trump said they would also discuss the economy "and many other things." Seventeen students and teachers were killed in a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, sparking a public outcry for new gun-control measures as well as action to improve school safety.

"We'll be talking about Parkland and the horrible event that took place last week," Trump said. "That will be one of the subjects. We'll make it first on our list." Trump thanked Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a close political ally who attended the ball, and told everyone he's "doing a great job."



The president also boasted about the economy, saying numbers that weren't so good under his predecessor are improving under his leadership.

"You're going to see some numbers coming up over the next year, the likes of which we haven't seen in our country for many, many years," Trump said. He briefly mentioned his efforts to eliminate regulations, saying that because of his administration "people are building and farming and doing lot of things that they were having a very hard time doing."



Trump's session with the governors will be the latest in which he solicits ideas for stopping gun violence at schools as the White House works to finalize an expected legislative proposal.

Trump spent several days last week hearing emotional pleas from parents and students, including some who survived the Parkland shooting, and others who suffered through school shootings in Connecticut and Colorado. He also solicited input from state and local officials.

Trump has floated numerous ideas since the shooting, including raising the minimum age for the purchase of assault-style weapons, improving background checks for gun purchases, arming educators and paying them bonuses, and re-opening mental institutions.

Trump's daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, expressed uncertainty when asked whether arming teachers would make children safer.

"To be honest, I don't know," the mother of three said in an interview with NBC from South Korea, where she attended the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

"Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in our school. But I think there is no one solution for creating safety." The National Rifle Association, which backed Trump for president, opposes increasing the minimum age for assault-style weapons purchases but favors arming teachers.

"I think we're going to have a great bill put forward very soon having to do with background checks, having to do with getting rid of certain things and keeping other things, and perhaps we'll do something on age, because it doesn't seem to make sense that you have to wait until you are 21 years old to get a pistol, but to get a gun like this maniac used in the school, you get that at 18," Trump said during a late Saturday telephone interview with Fox Channel. "That doesn't make sense.

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President Donald Trump today responded to an overture from North Korea for talks with the US, saying that will happen only "under the right conditions."



Trump raised North Korea at an annual White House meeting with the nation's governors after a North Korean envoy sent a message through South Korea on Sunday. The envoy said the North has "ample intentions" of holding talks with the US. The White House said in response that it would take a wait-and-see approach. Trump followed up Monday. "We want to talk only under the right conditions," Trump said. The administration's position is that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs before any talks can take place. The U.S. has applied a series of sanctions, including a fresh round on Friday, in what it says is a "maximum pressure campaign" to force North Korea to disarm. The Trump administration says it's open to talks with North Korea, primarily to explain how America will maintain its pressure on the country until it takes steps toward eliminating its nuclear weapons. U.S. officials differentiate talks from negotiations. For those to occur, they first want Pyongyang to accept that its nuclear program will be on the table. Speaking to the governors, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for bolstering his country's sanctions against the North and warned that Russia is "behaving badly" on the issue of sanctions. "Russia is sending in what China is taking out," Trump said. During Sunday's closing ceremony for the Olympics Games, the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced that a North Korean delegate to the Olympics said his country is willing to hold talks with the US. The move comes after decades of tensions between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic relations, and a year of escalating rhetoric, including threats of war, between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The North has "ample intentions of holding talks with the United States," Moon's office said. The North's delegation also agreed that "South-North relations and U.S.-North Korean relations should be improved together," the statement said. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday that the U.S., South Korea and the international community "broadly agree" that denuclearization must be the outcome of any dialogue with North Korea. She said North Korea has a bright path ahead of it if it chooses denuclearization. "We will see if Pyongyang's message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearization," she said in a written statement. "In the meantime, the United States and the world must continue to make clear that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are a dead end." Trump once scolded Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who favours diplomacy with North Korea over military confrontation, for "wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," which is Trump's derisive nickname for North Korea's leader. At the Olympics opening ceremony earlier this month, the North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo Jong, shared a VIP box with Moon and Vice President Mike Pence, who led a separate US delegation, creating some awkward moments.

Though Pence stood to cheer the entrance of the US team, he remained seated when athletes from North and South Korea marched together behind a "unification" flag, leaving Moon to instinctively turn around and shake Kim's sister's hand.

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Turkey has submitted documents to the Czech authorities formally requesting the extradition of the former leader of a Syrian Kurdish party, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said today. Salih Muslim, former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, was detained in the Czech capital of Prague on Saturday under an Interpol red notice based on a Turkish request for his arrest. Turkey considers the PYD a "terrorist group" linked to outlawed Kurdish insurgents fighting within Turkey's own borders. Muslim was put on Turkey's most-wanted list earlier in February with a USD1 million reward. Today, Turkish prosecutors issued a new warrant for his detention, accusing Muslim and about 30 other people of being behind a bomb attack on a tax office in Ankara earlier this month. Nine people suspected Kurdish militants were detained in connection with the attack, which caused damage to the tax office but no casualties. Bozdag said during a live television interview today that Turkey's Justice Ministry had sent a "file" formally requesting his extradition. Muslim was expected to appear before a Prague court tomorrow, which would then decide if he will remain in detention, Turkish Ambassador in Prague Ahmet Necati Bigali told Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. The PYD is the leading political Kurdish force in northern Syria, and Muslim remains highly influential in the party, even after stepping down as co-chair last year. On January 20, Turkey launched an incursion into northern Syria, seeking to rout the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units or YPG, from the enclave of Afrin. The YPG is the armed wing of the PYD.

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Britains Opposition Labour Party today set out its Brexit strategy in an attempt to pile pressure on the Theresa May-led government to soften its stance on certain issues linked with the UK's exit from the EU.

In a major policy speech in Coventry, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said leaving the EU "does not inevitably spell doom for our country" as he backed staying within a customs union with the EU and pledged to allow the EU to continue to negotiate trade deals on behalf of the UK after Brexit.

He said this would avoid the need for a "hard border" in Northern Ireland and ensure free-flowing trade for business.

He committed to negotiating a "new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tariff-free access".

Labour would negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tariff-free access and a floor under existing rights, standards and protections," he said.

The speech came days before British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to lay out her plans for Britains future relationship with the EU as a non-member state in a much-anticipated speech on Friday.

The prime minister has insisted that the UK would leave both the single market and the customs union, allowing it to negotiate its own post-Brexit trade deals.

"The government will not be joining a customs union. We want to have the freedom to sign our own trade deals and to reach out into the world," May's spokesperson said.

Corbyn sought to set the Labour party apart from the Tory stance.

"We will also seek to negotiate protections, clarifications or exemptions, where necessary, in relation to the privatisation and public service competition directives, state aid and procurement rules and the posted workers directive," Corbyn said.

"Every country that is geographically close to the EU without being an EU member state, whether it's Turkey, Switzerland, or Norway, has some sort of close relationship to the EU, some more advantageous than others," he said, adding that Britain will need a bespoke relationship of its own.

He said the "new relationship" he would negotiate with the EU would ensure Labour could deliver on its plans to nationalise public utilities, invest in industry and curb the outsourcing of public services, which some fear would have been incompatible with EU membership.

Labour has previously said it wants to retain the "benefits" of the single market and customs union after Brexit without saying how that would be achieved.

UK Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said on Sunday that while Britain may leave the customs union in March 2019 Labour would seek to negotiate a new treaty that will "do the work of the customs union".

Labour MP Frank Field, who backed Leave and said Corbyn was once more Eurosceptic than him, warned the Labour leader not to "rat" on the millions of Labour voters who backed Brexit in the referendum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN chief Antonio Guterres today called on world leaders to step up humanitarian efforts and show solidarity with millions of people in strife-torn countries like Syria to bring global peace and stability.

Addressing the first Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum (RIHF) , the UN Secretary General said conflicts in Syria and Libya had led to horrendous crises.

"Humanitarian efforts work and I call on global leaders to show solidarity and bring stability in these countries, Guterres said in a video message.

His remarks came as more than 500 people were killed since February 18 in heavy shelling by Syrian army in eastern Ghouta., which is controlled by Islamist and jihadist fighters.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the two-day Riyadh conference.

A galaxy of global heads and professionals from 65 organisations, including the UN, are particiapating in conference that seeks to formulate new practical and efficient responses to changing humanitarian needs.

Sponsored by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), the event will help build on the conclusions of previous international forums and generate commitments to reduce suffering and deliver assistance more efficiently to those in need, a statement said.

King Salman participated in the event and felicitated the organisers of the KSRelief, but did not address the gathering at the sprawling conference hall at the intercontinental complex.

He launched the electronic edition of KSReliefs international humanitarian journal during the forum. The journal highlights the humanitarian work of the Saudi Kingdom.

The conference would have some 25 sessions and will be attended by several heads of UN agencies including the UN and the WHO.

Earlier, Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSRelief said that the organisation had implemented 328 humanitarian projects in 38 countries.

The majority of our programs have focused on Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Somalia. KSreliefs 119 humanitarian partners include UN member agencies as well as many other international and national NGOs, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Samina Baig, Pakistan's first woman to climb Mount Everest, was today appointed as the goodwill ambassador of the UN Development Programme, the UN agency said.

Baig, 27, will lead efforts to build national awareness and partnerships around the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

"Welcoming Pakistani Mountaineer Samina Baig as the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP in Pakistan's National Goodwill Ambassador," the UNDP said on its Facebook page.

She is the first Pakistani woman to have climbed Mount Everest and will lead efforts to build national awareness and partnerships around the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, it said.

Baig, on her Facebook page, thanked the UNDP and promised to try her best to raise awareness on climate change, protection of environment,Youth and women empowerment,



"There is no mountain too high...nor too easy. I believe we all can achieve the highest in our field of work and contribute in the development of our country," she said.

Baig, at the age of 22, became the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest in 2013. By the time she turned 23, Baig had climbed the highest mountain on each of the world's seven continents.

Awarded the 'Pride of Performance' by Pakistan, she presides over the Pakistan Youth Outreach Foundation to encourage youth, especially women, to participate in outdoor activities.

As a mountaineer, she bears witness to the critical importance of preserving Pakistan's fragile ecosystems and preparing for the effects of climate change.

"Scaling Peak in Antarctica and the seven highest peaks of the seven continents, in some of the most harsh conditions, my entire climbing purpose was to empower women through these adventures and encourage gender equality," she was quoted as saying by the Pakistani local media.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly was today adjourned till March 5 after paying tributes to BJP MLA from Noorpur Lokdendra Singh, who died in a road accident last week.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informed the House about Singh's death in a road accident in Sitpaur on February 21.

Condoling his death, the chief minister termed it a loss not only for the government and the party but also of the people.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhury, BSP and Congress legislative party leaders Lalji Verma and Ajay Kumar Lallu respectively, and others also condoled the untimely death of the legislator.

Later, Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit adjourned the House till March 5.

Singh and four others were killed in an accident in Sitapur when he was coming to Lucknow to attend a summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condoled Singh's death by tweeting, "Anguished by the demise of BJP MLA from Noorpur, Shri Lokendra Singh Ji due to an accident. His service towards society and role in building the BJP in UP will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief."



The chief minister had also visited Alampur village in Bijnor and had met Singh's family and offered his condolences.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Young leaders from Nepal, Bangladesh and eastern India took part in a three-day workshop aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

In the workshop, the participants were told how to use cultural and digital tools to counter violence and extremism.

The workshop was held from Wednesday to Friday, an American Center press release said.

The workshop preceded the Peaceniks Music Festival organised by the US Consulate General here and an NGO Banglanatak.com, a social organisation working in the spheres of art and culture, the release said.

Music bands from Nepal and folk groups from Bengal performed at the music festival which was held on Saturday.

In August, the Peacenik participants will reconvene at the American Center here to report on how they have implemented their newly acquired tools, the release said.

The Deputy Director of American Center Jay Treloar said in the press release, "The American Center will continue our partnership with the 'Peaceniks' and work with them to create an online regional youth alliance for peace."



Treloar said, the US government is committed to promote regional peace and stability in this region to ensure prosperity, cross border trade and regional connectivity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police lobbed teargas shells and used lathies to disperse a violent crowd of Youth Congress workers in front of the state secretariat, who were demanding a CBI probe into the murder of a YC worker, even as the government rejected the plea in the state assembly today.

Violence erupted as Youth Congress workers were stopped by police near the Secretariat and they hurled stones at them.

Police used tear gas shells and lathies to disperse them.

Shuhaib, a Youth Congress worker, was hacked to death on the night of February 12, allegedly by some CPI(M) workers.

Five CPI(M) workers have so far been arrested in connection with the murder.

Meanwhile,the fast by senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran and Youth Congress President Deen Kuriakose in front of the Kannur Collectorate and state secretariat here respectively, entered the eighth day today.

They are demanding the arrest of all accused and a CBI probe.

The issue rocked the state assembly also today, with the opposition Congress led UDF disrupting proceedings after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected their demand for a CBI probe.

The Chief Minister said the state police was conducting an efficient, impartial and scientific enquiry.

Five persons have so far been arrested in the case and more accused, if any, would also be brought to book, he said condemning the killing.

"The investigation by the state police is going on in the right direction. So there is no need for a CBI probe,"Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister also said the state government was of the view that individual and ideological differences should not end in violence.

Vijayan also rejected the opposition charge that the political violence in the state had increased after the LDF government came to power in May, 2016.

The Chief Minister also listed out various incidents of political violence and killings in Kannur in which Congress workers were allegedly involved.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded to know why the government was hesitating to order a CBI probe and said they were also looking into legal options in this regard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Michael Nienaber, Edward Taylor and Arno SchuetzeBERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Automaker Geely's purchase of a $9 billion stake in Mercedes maker Daimler rekindled fears in Germany on Monday of its highly-prized expertise falling into Chinese hands.Economy minister Brigitte Zypries stuck to Berlin's position that Geely's swoop was a business matter, but said Germany's openness must not be not exploited by other countries.Geely, which owns rival Swedish carmaker Volvo, is pushing Daimler for access to know-how in electric and autonomous cars.On Wednesday, a German parliamentary committee ...
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's industrial production grew more than expected in January helped by a jump in electronics output, data showed on Monday. Manufacturing output in January rose 17.9 percent from a year earlier, data from the Singapore Economic Development Board showed. The surge in output comes after its biggest decline in two years the previous month.The median forecast in a Reuters survey predicted an 8.2 percent expansion.On a month-on-month and seasonally adjusted basis, industrial production rose 6.7 percent in January. The median forecast was for an expansion of 4.7 ...
By Paul Sandle and Douglas BusvineBARCELONA (Reuters) - Vodafone's CEO Vittorio Colao said Deutsche Telekom's opposition to its plan to buy some assets from Liberty Global was surprising, and he contested its assertion that Vodafone wanted to shut down competition.Vodafone said this month it was in early-stage talks about buying Liberty Global's cable assets in some continental markets where they both operate, the main one being Germany.Colao said Britain, where Liberty's Virgin Media is the leading cable operator, was excluded from the talks because Vodafone was not as advanced in combining ...
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  Thousands of people from all walks of life  including a former president  filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

A light drizzle greeted mourners on hand at 8 a.m. when the doors opened to Grahams boyhood home, but it had tapered by the late afternoon when former President George W. Bush arrived with his wife, Laura. The viewing was expected to last late into the night for the famed evangelist, who died Wednesday at age 99.

Mourners of all races, young and old, some in suits and some in T-shirts and flip-flops, walked through the parlor where Grahams closed casket lay on a black pedestal. They walked past family photos and a cross made of white lilies to see the simple plywood container made by prison inmates. At the door for the first few hours was Grahams grandson, Roy, shaking the hand of every person who came to see his grandfather.

I just wanted to tell them how much I appreciated the love for my family, Roy Graham said.

And they responded with stories. Roy Graham said what moved him the most Monday were the dozens who paused and told him the exact moment and place Billy Graham came into their lives through his hundreds of crusades around the world.

Cecily Turner is one of them. Her mother was at Billy Grahams 1957 New York crusade and she said he led her mother to salvation that day.

I know she is in heaven thanking him right now, she said.

Mother passed her faith on to daughter, and Turner said she passed it down to five children and four great-grandchildren.

Thats an amazing thing, she said.

Grahams funeral is Friday, and President Donald Trump said he will attend. Invitations were sent to all ex-presidents of the U.S.

Bush has said he chose Monday because he had a scheduling conflict with the funeral. He was greeted by Grahams son Franklin and spent about 30 minutes with the family during a private viewing.

Laura and I are honored to be able to come and pay our respects to the Graham family and, more importantly, to be able to say goodbye to a person who was influential in our lives and influential in the lives of millions, Bush told reporters afterward.

He also brought condolences from his father, George H.W. Bush, whom he described as a great friend of Grahams.

I know he wished he could come too, but hes not moving around much these days, Bush said.

Former President Barack Obama is not planning to attend memorial services for Graham this week, his office said. Obama tweeted last week after that Graham was was a humble servant who prayed for so many  and who, with wisdom and grace, gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans.

Public viewing was to continue Monday and Tuesday until 10 p.m. at Grahams Charlotte library on the campus of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His body will then be taken to the U.S. Capitol, where Wednesday and Thursday he will be the first private citizen to lie in honor there since civil rights hero Rosa Parks in 2005.

The funeral will be held in a giant tent as a nod to Grahams 1949 Los Angeles crusade. That revival, which Graham said propelled him to worldwide fame, was held in a circus tent dubbed the Canvas Cathedral. The man called Americas Pastor would eventually preach to an estimated 210 million people in person and many more through his pioneering use of prime-time telecasts, network radio, daily newspaper columns, evangelistic films and satellite TV hookups.

Billy Wayne Arrington was a boy when he first encountered Graham on a TV screen in Kingsport, Tennessee. He now does Christian theater. Arrington wiped tears from his eyes as he exited after saying a prayer for Graham and for the world he leaves behind.

Im just overwhelmed, not by sadness  just overwhelmed to see so many lives touched, Arrington said.

Graham will be buried beside his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007, at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway at Grahams library in Charlotte.



Online: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: http://www.billygraham.org

Billy Graham Center archives: http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/archhp1.html



Follow Jeffrey Collins <a target=blank href=https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP>on Twitter</a> and see his work <a target=blank href=https://apnews.com/search/jeffrey%20collins>on apnews.com</a>
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A committee of lawmakers in Utahs House of Representatives voted Monday to ban reporters from the House floor five minutes before lawmakers meets there for floor sessions.

Rep. Jim Dunnigan, who pushed for the change, said some of his colleagues need a few minutes to prepare for the day without journalists approaching them at their desks for interviews.

The Taylorsville Republican originally sought to ban reporters from the floor 45 minutes before floor sessions start but dropped it to five minutes after objections from news organizations and some lawmakers. His change would still allow journalists to access the area after floor sessions.

The change, which must still be approved by the full House, has a broader effect of cutting the public out of the Democratic process, flying in the face of transparency and accountability, according to the Utah chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Journalists and lawmakers here are working toward the same purpose and that is serving the public, the chapter president, McKenzie Romero, said. When access is restricted to lawmakers that is essentially restricting the public from having access to the people whove been elected to represent them.

Reporters are currently allowed to enter the floor of the House chamber and interview lawmakers before and after the hours-long sessions when lawmakers conduct business on the floor.

During the floor sessions, reporters can interview House representatives in hallways outside the chamber or watch proceedings from an upstairs gallery.

Utahs Senate has similar rules and reporters sometimes conduct interviews on the Senate floor, but Dunnigan said Monday that the Senate rules are actually more restrictive and do not permit any interviews near the lawmakers desks on the floor.

Senate officials did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarification Monday.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Salt Lake City, was one of two House lawmakers to vote against the proposal Monday. She said there are all sorts of people on the floor at that time, including lawmakers family members and school children touring the building, but reporters are unobtrusive.

We need to be accessible to them and the public has a right to know, she said.
JUBA, South Sudan (AP)  One year after South Sudan briefly declared a famine, more than half of the people in the worlds youngest nation face extreme hunger amid civil war and famine could return, a new report says.

More than six million people, up about 40 percent from a year ago, are at threat without aid, according to the report released Monday by the United Nations and South Sudans government. It says 150,000 people in 11 counties in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Western Bahr el Ghazal states could slip into famine this year.

These are unprecedented levels of food insecurity, Ross Smith, senior program officer for the U.Ns World Food Program, told The Associated Press. He said a political solution in South Sudan is needed so that its people can rebuild their lives.

Five years of fighting have devastated the East African nation. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have fled the country.

A year ago South Sudan declared famine in two counties where 100,000 people faced starvation. After a rapid aid response, further crisis was averted and the famine declaration was lifted in June.

The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine, said Serge Tissot, representative of the U.N.s Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan. The projections are stark. If we ignore them, well be faced with a growing tragedy.

One in three people in South Sudan have been forced from their homes by the civil war, resulting in the worst production of the countrys staple grains since the conflict began in late 2013, the FAO said.

While supportive of the aid response, South Sudans government worries that it is crippling the nation.

If a country relies on aid itll develop a dependency syndrome, said Hussein Mar Nyot, minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management. People will forget their skills the longer they arent able to cultivate the land, he said.

I just move from one place to another looking for food, one resident, Chol Makuey, told the AP in one of the worst-affected areas, Ayod County, in December.

Cradling her severely malnourished 1-year-old daughter, Makuey said the fighting has prevented her from farming, instead forcing her to wander through villages begging friends and family to share their rations.

Aid workers warn that if the situation persists, even with food aid, more than 30 counties in South Sudan could face severe hunger by May, requiring large-scale assistance.

The U.N. humanitarian response plan for South Sudan has received less than 4 percent of its funding for 2018, with a gap of more than $1.7 billion.

Last year President Salva Kiir ordered unrestricted access for aid groups, but aid workers say the situation hasnt changed and the current dry season could make it worse.

Continued human rights violations, including blocking of civilian access to food by both the government and opposition forces, have led to severe food insecurity, said Alicia Luedke, South Sudan researcher for rights group Amnesty International.
PARKLAND, Fla. (AP)  The Latest on the law enforcement response after a deadly school shooting in Florida (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School ice hockey team won the Florida championship, 11 days after a gunman killed 17 of their classmates and staff members.

The fourth-seeded Eagles upset top-ranked East Lake 3-1 in the Sunday morning semifinals at a minor-league rink near Fort Myers, then routed Tampa Jesuit 7-4 in the afternoon finals.

Ice hockey in Florida is a club sport sponsored by Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida.



4:45 p.m.

Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and staff members were fatally gunned down have gotten their first chance to return to the school.

Thousands of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students and their parents were able to pick up book bags and other belonging left behind after the Feb. 14 shooting. They were able to see their friends again Sunday as they continue to seek recovery from the shooting.

The students had to walk past the three-story building where the massacre took place. It is now cordoned off by a chain link fence that is covered with banners from other schools showing their support.

Freshman Francesca Lozano says seeing the building where the shooting happened was scary, but seeing her friends made her feel better.

The school is scheduled to reopen to students on Wednesday.



4:10 p.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says he has spoken to House Speaker Richard Corcoran regarding his request to suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel over his response to the Parkland school shooting.

Scott said in a statement Sunday that he understands Corcorans concerns, but clarified there must be an independent investigation.

Like me, he wants the families to have answers and for there to be full accountability. Thats what the victims and their families deserve, Scott said.

Corcoran and 73 other Republican lawmakers are asking the governor to suspend Israel for his actions leading up to and in response to the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stone Douglas High School.

The sheriffs office is under scrutiny for assigning a deputy who did not go in to confront suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz and failing to file reports after tipster calls before the attack.



3:40 p.m.

Thousands of students and their parents are returning to a Florida high school to find out what will happen when they return to school on Wednesday.

The meeting Sunday with teachers and administrators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is expected to last a couple of hours.

Junior Sebastian Pena said before going in that he was looking forward to seeing his friends and teachers again.

The school has been closed since Feb. 14, when authorities say former student Nikolas Cruz killed 14 students and three staff members.

Parent Joel Fuller, whose daughter is a junior at the school, expects students will be given plenty of time to talk about what happened and embrace each other.



3 p.m.

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and 73 other state lawmakers have asked Gov. Rick Scott to suspend a sheriff for incompetence and neglect of duty in the aftermath of this months high school massacre.

In a letter sent Sunday, Corcoran wrote that Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel failed to maintain a culture of alertness, vigilance, and thoroughness among his deputies.

Corcoran says that a result of Sheriff Israels failures, students and teachers died.

Israel is being scrutinized for his offices actions leading up to and during the Feb. 14 shooting that resulted in 17 deaths in Parkland, Florida. Israel has said he will not resign.

Corcoran says the sheriffs office ignored signs about the shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz reported in more than a dozen tipster calls. He also said he did not properly train Scot Peterson, an armed sheriff deputy who was assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the time of the shooting. Peterson stayed outside the school instead of confronting the shooter.



2 p.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says that he ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting.

Scotts office confirmed on Sunday the commissioner will immediately launch a probe.

Israel is facing backlash because of the missed red flags leading up to the Valentines Day attack that left 17 people dead. He has vowed not to resign, saying he has shown amazing leadership.

Israel said on Sunday that a deputy who responded to a Nov. 30 call referring to Cruz as a school shooter in the making was being investigated by internal affairs for not filing a report. The employee was placed on restrictive duty.



11:30 a.m.

NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch has told ABCs This Week with George Stephanopoulos that critics shouldnt blame her organization, gun owners or semi-automatic weapons for the shooting. She says the blame is on the shooting suspect for his own actions and the Broward Sheriffs Office and the FBI for failing to stop him despite warnings that he was a potential school shooter.

Loesch told Stephanopoulos on Sunday that the firearm did not walk itself into the school. The Broward County Sheriffs Office allowed that firearm to go into that school.

The FBI has acknowledged that it failed to investigate the tip about suspect Nikolas Cruz that the agency received on Jan. 5. Sheriff Israel says his office is investigating why a deputy did not file a report after a November call that referred to Cruz as a school shooter in the making.



10 a.m.

A Florida sheriff has defended his leadership in the aftermath of a school shooting while insisting that only one of his deputies was on the scene as the gunman killed 14 students and three staff members.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has told CNN that investigators are looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed. He said Sunday that so far the investigation has pointed to only one deputy being on campus while the killer was present.

Israel labels as absolutely untrue reports that the deputies waited outside even though children were inside the building needing urgent medical treatment.

Israel and the sheriffs office have come under scrutiny after last weeks revelation that deputy Scot Peterson did not go in to confront suspected shooter Nikolas Cruz during the Valentines Day attack. It is also facing backlash for apparently mishandling some of the 18 tipster calls related to the suspected shooter.
HOUSTON (AP)  The American Civil Liberties Union accused the U.S. government on Monday of unlawfully separating a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter by holding them in different immigration facilities, two time zones apart, after they sought asylum four months ago.

The ACLU said the familys case is one example of the practice of President Donald Trumps administration to target immigrant families who are seeking asylum through processes established under U.S. law.

Trump has not announced a formal policy to hold adult asylum seekers separately from their children, but top administration officials have said they believe the asylum process is overwhelmed and challenged by people making frivolous claims.

The woman is being held at a detention center in San Diego, while her daughter is being held in a facility for unaccompanied minor children in Chicago, about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away.

The mother and daughter entered the U.S. together in California in November and turned themselves into U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Initially, the two were kept together. But about five days after they entered the U.S., the child was taken away screaming and crying, pleading with guards not to take her away from her mother, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in San Diego.

The woman and her daughter have spoken around six times by phone since their separation.

The ACLU is asking that the woman and her daughter be released to a shelter that serves asylum seekers from African countries or be placed in a family detention center run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The U.S. government is bound to release immigrant children from custody if possible and otherwise hold children in the least restrictive setting available, according to the 1997 Flores settlement, which ended a long-running lawsuit over the treatment of immigrant children, and later court rulings. The Trump administration has called for ending the Flores settlement as part of its demands for changes to immigration laws.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, said Monday that the woman is from a village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and speaks little English.

The woman passed the initial screening to determine if she had a credible fear of returning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lawsuit said. Gelernt declined to name her or discuss her case in detail, saying she could be in danger if shes ultimately denied asylum and has to return to Congo.

For now, Gelernt said, she is worried sick about her daughter, whether shes ever going to see her again.

Under previous administrations, immigration authorities charged thousands of people with illegally entering or re-entering the U.S., holding them in jail and at times separating them from their children. But Gelernt and other immigrant advocates say the Trump administration is detaining more adults seeking asylum and separating them from their children than in previous years.

Advocates have also accused border agents of unlawfully turning away people who are seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Trump administration has broadly cracked down on people who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without legal permission. In a January interview with The Associated Press, Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said there have been some separations done, particularly in cases where parents have been accused of paying smugglers to bring their children across the border.

Homan said he believed many families that seek asylum are making weak claims that are ultimately rejected by immigration judges.

Id be a fool to say that none of them have a case of credible fear. Theyre really escaping danger, Homan said. But I can tell you  many of them are taking advantage of a low threshold.



Follow Merchant on Twitter at <a target=blank href=http://www.twitter.com/nomaanmerchant>http://www.twitter.com/nomaanmerchant</a>
BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union is weighing whether to impose sanctions on senior officials in Cambodia over the erosion of democracy and a crackdown on the opposition and media there.

EU foreign ministers on Monday urged Cambodia to restore democracy and the government to engage in a constructive dialogue with the elected opposition.

They said they may consider specific targeted measures if the situation does not improve.

The ruling party of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for three decades, claimed a sweeping victory in Senate elections on Sunday. It assured the win by eliminating any serious opposition from the contest.

The poll was seen as a foretaste of a scheduled July general election for the National Assembly that is expected to affirm Hun Sens rule.
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Frightened students on Monday stayed away from the school in northern Nigeria where Boko Haram extremists seized 110 girls in a raid a week ago, while the military said it had handed over the towns security to police ahead of the attack because it was relatively calm.

The mass abduction from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi has reminded many of Boko Harams kidnapping of 276 girls from a boarding school in Chibok in 2014.

Anger has been growing as the government struggles to respond to the latest attack. Teachers resumed classes a day after Nigerias government for the first time acknowledged the number of girls missing, but students were absent.

They are too frightened to go there. We parents are equally frightened to see our daughters go there, said Mohammed Mele, who has two children in the school. Many other parents are not likely to send their children back, another parent, Mohammed Ibrahim, told The Associated Press.

The school will reopen when frayed nerves cool down, Yobe state education commissioner Mohammed Lamin said.

The fate of the 110 girls is not known, but witnesses have said the Islamic extremists specifically asked where the girls school was located. Some witnesses reported seeing young women taken away at gunpoint. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said 906 students were in the school at the time.

The military rejected reports that its recent withdrawal from Dapchi caused the Boko Haram attack, but in a <a target=blank href=http://defenceinfo.mil.ng/re-alleged-military-withdrawal-from-government-girls-science-technical-college-dapchi-aided-terrorists-attack/>statement</a> it confirmed having handed over security of the town to local police on the premise that Dapchi has been relatively calm and peaceful. The military has not said when that handover occurred.

The Bring Back Our Girls movement that brought the Chibok mass abduction to world attention has embraced the cause of the Dapchi families, though with some astonishment that the tragedy has happened again. As the fourth anniversary of the Chibok kidnappings approaches, the movement says 112 of those schoolgirls are yet to be found.

It is terribly EXHAUSTING but WE SHALL STAND. WE SHALL, one of the movements organizers, Oby Ezekewsili, said on Twitter of the Dapchi attack.

The latest mass abduction is a major challenge for President Muhammadu Buhari, who has called the Dapchi kidnappings a national disaster and vowed that no effort will be spared to locate the girls.

Buhari won elections in 2015 while making the fight against Boko Haram a priority. His government has repeatedly claimed that the extremist group has been defeated, but it continues to carry out deadly suicide bombings in the north, often using women and children who have been kidnapped and indoctrinated.

In a reminder that some of those kidnapped have been freed, Buhari on Monday met with three University of Maiduguri lecturers and 10 police officers who were seized in June by Boko Haram extremists and recently released.

The government remains unrelenting towards rescuing all those abducted, the president said, adding that he has ordered all security agencies to immediately ensure that every effort is directed to ensure the safety of our schools and students.

Many fear the girls seized last week were abducted to become brides for Boko Haram extremists. Some of the schoolgirls taken in the Chibok mass abduction were forced to marry their captors. About 100 of the Chibok girls have never returned to their families.

Nigeria faces another presidential election next year.



Associated Press writer Ibrahim AbdulAziz in Yola, Nigeria contributed.



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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Monday that Serbia must solve its dispute with Kosovo and implement a series of reforms before it can join the European Union.

Juncker said following talks with Serbias President Aleksandar Vucic that the Balkan country is on the right path, but that the EU cannot accept any new members with unresolved territorial issues.

Serbia has already covered an impressive part of the (EU) path, Juncker said, before adding that a number of problems still have to be solved.

He singled out the need for judicial reforms and improvements in the rule of law before Serbia and others can join the EU.

Juncker is visiting Serbia as part of a tour of the Western Balkans nations aspiring to join the bloc at a time Russia is looking to bolster its influence in the region, particularly in Serbia.

The visit comes after the EU drafted a new expansion strategy that envisages Serbia and Montenegro could be the next to join the bloc in 2025.

Vucic said hes urging compromise with predominantly-ethnic Albanian Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence following a 1998-99 war Belgrade does not recognize.

We need a compromise or we will continue to live in the past, Vucic said.

Juncker said the EU is seeking a legally-binding agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, but that the scope of the deal is up to the two nations. The EU is helping out in the talks on normalizing ties between the two.

Juncker has already visited Macedonia and Albania. He will travel to Montenegro before proceeding to Kosovo and Bosnia. His trip ends with an EU summit with regional leaders in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 1.
BEIRUT (AP)  The Latest on the war in Syria (all times local):

11:25 p.m.

The White House is renewing its call for an immediate end to offensive operations in Syria.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Syria is terrorizing hundreds of thousands of civilians with air strikes, artillery, rockets and a looming ground attack.

She adds that, The regimes use of chlorine gas as a weapon only intensifies this.

More than 500 people have been killed since last week in the eastern Ghouta region, where activists on Sunday reported a suspected poison gas attack.

A U.N. Security Council resolution for a 30-day cease-fire across Syria has failed to stop the carnage.

The U.S. last year bombed a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack against civilians.

Sanders said that Trump put the Assad regime on notice some time ago.



9:35 p.m.

The Russian military says the Syrian government has arranged a safe exit route for residents of the besieged rebel-held suburb of Damascus.

Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, the head of the Russian militarys Center for Reconciliation in Syria, said Monday that Syrian government forces will maintain daily cease-fires in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. He said the Syrian authorities set up a humanitarian corridor for civilians exit and would distribute leaflets with specifics about the evacuation.

Yevtushenko said the al-Qaida-linked militants and some rebel groups in eastern Ghouta are preventing civilians from leaving and using civilians there as shields while continuing to shell Damascus.

The announcement of the cease-fires comes two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved of a resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria.



6:20 a.m.

Britains deputy U.N. ambassador says Russias order of daily five-hour humanitarian pauses in a rebel-held Damascus suburb is not compliance or implementation of the Security Council resolution which Russia voted for on Saturday.

Jonathan Allen told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday that Russia and all other council members are obliged to do everything possible to implement the resolution, which demands a 30-day cease-fire throughout Syria without delay.

Responding to the Russian announcement of five-hour daily pauses in eastern Ghouta, Allen says: that is not compliance, that is not implementation of the resolution passed on Saturday, but it does show that it can be implemented.



5:40 p.m.

Irans foreign minister has welcomed the U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria.

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Serbia on Monday the resolution will bring about the reduction of hostilities and an end to activities by terrorist organizations as well as reduction of hostilities both in Damascus and in other parts of Syria.

He says Iran along with Russia and Turkey have tried and succeeded in bringing down the level of hostilities in Syria over the past year. We continue to believe that Syria requires a political solution and there is no military solution in Syria.

On Saturday, the UN Security Council adopted the resolution to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the affected people in Eastern Ghouta and other hotspots across the country.



4:10 p.m.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says President Vladimir Putin has ordered daily humanitarian pauses in the besieged rebel-held eastern Ghouta in Syria.

Shoigu said in a statement on Monday that the cease-fire will be arranged for the suburb of the capital Damascus between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day starting Tuesday. He also said Russia will help set an evacuation route for civilians in the area.

The announcement comes two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved of a resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria.

Eastern Ghouta has been under intensive bombing by government forces for weeks. At least 10 people have been killed on Monday as airstrikes and bombing resumed, according to local activists.



3:40 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his strong concerns over ongoing airstrikes by the Syrian regime targeting civilians and hospitals in the rebel-held area of eastern Ghouta.

In a phone call Monday with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Macron stressed the absolute need to fully and immediately respect the U.N. cease-fire resolution.

Macron said the humanitarian truce must apply to the whole Syrian territory, including the city of Afrin, a Kurdish-held enclave where Turkish police and paramilitary special forces have shown signs of preparation for a possible offensive.

Macron also said Russia, as a permanent member of the U.N. security council, must take all its responsibilities toward the Syrian regime.

Frances foreign affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will travel to Moscow on Tuesday.



3:35 p.m.

The European Union has hit Syrias industry and information ministers with sanctions, freezing their assets and preventing them from traveling in the 28-nation bloc.

EU foreign ministers made the move Monday. The Syrian ministers were only appointed last month.

It means 257 people are now under EU sanctions for being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, benefiting from or supporting the regime, and/or being associated with such persons.

A further 67 entities  mostly companies and organizations  have had their assets frozen.

The EU has an oil embargo in place too and restricts certain investments. It also bans the export of equipment or technology that might be used to crack down on civilians or to intercept online or telephone communications.



3:20 p.m.

Syrias state news agency and an opposition monitoring group are reporting that a Turkish airstrike in northern Syria has killed five people.

The SANA agency and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say the airstrikes occurred early on Monday in the northern Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

The Observatory says the five were killed in the village of Yalan Quz, adding that the dead include two children. It says the death toll could still rise since some of the wounded are in critical conditions.

Turkey launched an incursion into Afrin on Jan. 20 to drive out a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia it considers to be a terrorist group, allied with its own Kurdish insurgents fighting within Turkeys borders.



3:15 p.m.

Syrian state media and a monitoring group say an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on an area held by the Islamic State group in the countrys east has killed more than two dozen people.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that 25 people, including seven children and six women, were killed in the area of Dahra Allouni in the province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq.

Syrian state news agency SANA said 29 people were killed and dozens wounded in Sundays airstrike.

The U.S.-led coalition has been targeting IS in Syria since 2014 and there have been reports that those airstrikes have killed hundreds of civilians.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition.



12:40 p.m.

Turkish officials and media say Turkish police and paramilitary special forces have crossed the border into a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave, signaling preparations for a possible offensive to capture the enclaves main city, Afrin.

The state-run Anadolu Agency reported the special forces crossed from the Turkish border provinces of Kilis and Hatay on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said the deployment comes as the operation moves from rural regions of the enclave toward residential areas.

He said its in preparation of a new combat.

Turkey launched an incursion into Afrin on Jan. 20 to drive out a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia it considers to be a terrorist group, allied with its own Kurdish insurgents fighting within Turkeys borders.

A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted over the weekend calls for a cease-fire across all of Syria but Turkey maintains that since fighting terrorists such as Islamic State militants and al-Qaida is exempt from the resolution, Ankara is free to pursue its offensive against the Kurdish terrorists.



Noon

The U.N. human rights chief has expressed caution about whether a cease-fire across Syria that was sought by the Security Council will hold, noting that airstrikes continue over Damascus rebel-held suburbs.

Zeid Raad al-Hussein spoke on Monday at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, echoing calls for a full implementation of the truce sought in a U.N. resolution that passed unanimously over the weekend.

Zeid says that however, we have every reason to remain cautious and decried seven years of failure to stop the violence, seven years of unremitting and frightful mass killing in Syria.

The Jordanian prince is not seeking a new five-year term when his current one ends in August.



11:15 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says its high time to stop this hell on Earth in Syrias embattled eastern Ghouta region.

Guterres also appealed on the warring sides to abide by a 30-day cease-fire called for by the U.N. Security Council. He spoke at the start of a session Monday of the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council.

The remarks were Guterres first to a U.N. body since the 15-member council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding a 30-day truce across Syria over the weekend.

Guterres says he welcomes the resolution but added that council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented.

He says he expects the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained. Guterres also called for safe, unimpeded and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and services, and evacuations of the sick and wounded.



11 a.m.

A Syrian monitoring group and paramedics say that despite the U.N. cease-fire resolution, new bombardment of the rebel-held suburbs east of Damascus killed 10 people as airstrikes and bombing resumed.

Syrian state TV broadcast live footage showing the Harasta suburb being pounded by airstrikes and artillery.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the oppositions Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, said nine died in an airstrike shortly after midnight on the suburb of Douma and one person was killed in Harasta on Monday morning.

The new deaths bring to 24 the two-day death toll in eastern Ghouta, on the edge of Damascus, despite U.N. Security Councils unanimous approval on Saturday of a resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria. On Sunday, 14 people were killed.
BEIRUT (AP)  The office of Lebanons Prime Minister says he has received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia from an envoy of the Gulf monarch.

Its the first such gesture following tension between the two countries in the wake of the now-reversed resignation of Saad Hariri.

Hariris office said the Saudi envoy visited the prime minister at government offices Monday where he extended the invitation. In a statement, Hariri said he will visit the kingdom as soon as possible and described the talks with Nizar al-Aloula as excellent.

Relations between Hariri and his Saudi backers appeared to have been strained since late last year. Hariri resigned in a televised speech from the Saudi capital Riyadh, only to reverse it when he returned home following intense diplomatic mediation to prevent a political vacuum in Lebanon.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Koreas president said Monday that the United States should lower the threshold for talks with North Korea and that the two countries should start a dialogue soon.

President Moon Jae-in made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong one day after a senior North Korean official told Moon that his country is willing to open talks with the United States.

The officials were in South Korea for the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Sunday.

According to his office, Moon asked for Chinas support for U.S.-North Korea talks, and Liu responded that China would help facilitate them. Moon also said that North Korea should show a commitment to denuclearization, something it has refused to do.

Earlier, the U.S. said the international community needs to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons development.

We will see if Pyongyangs message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearization, the White House said in a statement.

Moon met Sunday with a North Korean delegation led by Kim Yong Chol, a former general whom South Korea has accused of being behind two attacks on the South that killed 50 people in 2010. Kim told Moon that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wanted to improve ties with Washington and had ample intentions of holding talks, according to the South Korean presidents office.

The North Korean delegation met with Moons national security chief on Monday. Moons office said the two sides agreed that the Olympics had been a meaningful stepping stone toward restoring inter-Korean ties, and to continue to collaborate to seek a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean protesters burned a North Korean flag and used a knife to slash a portrait of Kim Jong Un near a hotel where the North Korean delegation was staying.
GENEVA (AP)  The Latest on the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council (all times local):

7:35 p.m.

Japans top envoy to the U.N. in Geneva says it was totally unacceptable for South Koreas foreign minister to bring up the issue of wartime comfort women at the Human Rights Council.

Before and during World War II, Japan forced many Korean and other women in Asia to work in brothels for the Japanese military in what was known as the comfort women system.

Ambassador Junichi Ihara says he took up the matter with his South Korean counterpart after the South Korean minister, Kang Kyung-wha, spoke of recent concerns about sexual violence, particularly in wartime, and said: We must remember and learn from the past, including the comfort women issue.

Ihara, speaking at a quickly convened news conference, said terms of a 2015 accord between Japan and South Korea that involved a settlement for comfort women included not bringing up the issue at U.N. bodies.

He said South Korea had not done so in the past two years at the council.



1:15 p.m.

Hungarys foreign minister has called for the resignation of the United Nations human rights chief for referring to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as one of the xenophobes and racists seeking ethnic, national or racial purity.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Monday in Geneva that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein was unworthy of his position.

Orban, a staunch opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, has often said he wants to prevent Hungary from becoming a mixed society.

Speaking at a meeting of the U.N.s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Szijjarto said it was wrong for Zeid to compare Hungary to the worst dictatorships of the last century.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, has said he wont seek another four-year term when his current one expires in August.



12:45 p.m.

The U.N. human rights chief has accused the veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council of being second only to criminals who kill and maim when it comes to responsibility for some of the worlds most egregious rights violations.

Zeid Raad al-Hussein delivered one of the strongest denunciations yet from a top U.N. official about improper use of the Security Council veto, which gives extraordinary powers to the five countries that wield it: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, he didnt specify cases when it was used improperly.

Zeid instead spoke more broadly and decried some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times in Syria, Congo, Yemen, Burundi and Myanmar.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, leaves office in August.
SANAA, Yemen (AP)  A Yemeni minister accused the United Arab Emirates of trying to fragment his country by creating separate regional and tribal armies in the south and called upon the government to take action.

Yemen has been engulfed in a civil war since 2015, with a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE fighting Shiite rebels known as Houthis to restore the internationally recognized government to power.

But the government, now based in the southern port city of Aden, is at odds with the UAE forces based there, their official allies against the Houthis.

The UAE has trained and financed Yemeni troops who only answer to the Emiratis and has also backed a newly formed pro-secessionist Southern Transitional Council. Supporters of the council battled in the streets of Aden last month, calling for the Yemeni governments resignation.

Yemeni transportation minister Saleh al-Gabwani, said the UAE-backed troops cut off his convoy on Sunday while he was en route to inaugurate a new port in Balhaf, a town that hosts the largest natural gas plant in Yemen and a major terminal, now occupied by the UAE forces.

He said the so-called Shabwa Elite Force, one of several units that only answer to the UAE forces, told him that the Emiratis ordered that he be stopped from reaching the port.

There are tribal and regional armies set up by the Emiratis, al-Gabwani later told a gathering of local and government officials. We as a state cant accept continuation of this situation.

Meanwhile, an airstrike suspected to have been launched by the Saudi-led coalition killed at least seven troops, including high-ranking officers loyal to the internationally recognized government, and wounded 16 others, military officials said Monday.

The strike targeted a military post by mistake in the district of Naham, on the fringes of Sanaa province where fierce fighting is ongoing between government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition and the rebels.

The military officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Yemens war has also triggered the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, with over 2 million people displaced and millions living on humanitarian assistance.



This story has been corrected to show that the transportation minister was en route to the port in Balhaf, not Aden when he was stopped.
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Bar owner arrested for wildlife trafficking

A wildlife trafficker has been arrested in Betare-Oya by the officials of the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife during a crackdown operation carried out in the town.

The 42-year-old man was found in front a bar witha bag containing 40kg of pangolin scales, 6 hippopotamus teeth and 2 boa skins during the operation that was carried with the collaboration of the gendarmerie legion and with technical assistance from wildlife law enforcement support body LAGA (EAGLE Cameroon).

On arrival at the scene, law enforcement officers quickly recognized the man who is alleged to be a notorious trafficker in the area, dealing in several illegal products including gold. Shortly before his arrest, he is suspected of having sold two leopards skins. His links include international clients and had a suspicious contact with a Chinese national who was equally based in the town and had since left the country.

After the operation that took place in front of the bar where the bag of scales and other contraband had been parked visibly for transportation, the suspect was immediately taken to the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife were legal proceedings against him were initiated. Eyewitnesses say he owns the bar. He had been using it for cover to carry out several illegal activities including trafficking in minerals and wildlife products. The combination of boa skins, hippopotamus teeth and pangolin scales is indicative of his profile that seemed very broad based. According to sources involved in the operation who accepted to speak on condition of anonymity, he is alleged to be heavily involved in ivory trafficking.

The same sources said that he works in close collaboration with a junior brother who was tracked last year with pangolin scales in Yaounde shortly before he disappeared. He was being targeted for pangolin scales trafficking and an operation team was just about to move in for his arrest. The suspect is presently behind bars waiting for the trial whose first hearing has been scheduledfor March 2 atBertoua court of first instance.

The arrest happened shortly before February 17, 2018 whenthe country celebrated the 7th edition of the World Pangolin Day. The pangolin has been the object of incessant capture to supplyushmeat and most dangerously the illegal trade in scales that is mostly destined for Asian countries. According to statistics for the last two years from thewildlife law enforcement support body LAGA, over 7000kg of pangolins scales have been seized during crackdown operations carried out by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife within the framework of its wildlife law enforcement programme started in 2003 with the support of LAGA.

The present state of the pangolin is not flattering and in view to tackling such a calamitous situation, some conservation organisations (WWF, TRAFFIC, ZSL and LAGA) met in Yaounderecently and carried out activities aimed at celebrating the 2018 World Pangolin Day. They worked under the theme Save the Pangolin. The pangolin indeed needs to be saved in earnest because of all the species threatened with extinction, none has faced indescribable neglect and abandonment like the pangolin. The tide may soon be turning as conservationists mount an attack on some of these threats. They say it starts with sensitization of the public whose knowledge about the pangolin is severely limited to just bushmeat.
| BY Ricki Green |

Conga Foods has today announced the launch of Moros new Those who know use Moro campaign via Publicis Melbourne.

The campaign communicates Moros rich heritage, passion and expertise, and celebrates why Those who know great olive oil, use Moro.

The campaign will be fronted by a TVC that offers an insight into the Spanish origins of the brand. It tells a story of premium olive oil creation in Spain, the home of olive oil, to meal creation and enjoyment in Australian homes. It expresses Moros dedication to quality and taste and shares with viewers an idea of what is behind Australias most consumed olive oil brand. The TVC forms part of a wider integrated campaign and reinforces Moros leadership position with the headline Australia pours more Moro than any other olive oil.

As part of a multi-million dollar media investment, the campaign spans TV, online catch-up TV, Magazine, OOH and digital. Displayed prominently across screens nationally, the TVC will air during primetime programs across Seven, Nine and Ten networks, as well as an SBS food network sponsorship.

Also included within the marketing campaign is a multi-faceted, influencer and social media program which sees the launch of Moro-driven, consumer facing events; all designed to provide product education and usage inspiration to assist consumers in navigating the category.

Says Nicolett Butchard, marketing and innovation manager at Moro: With a string of successful new product developments (NPD) in market, now is the right time for Moro to launch a full media calendar. Our campaign is leveraging the strengths of the Moro brand and focusing on what quality means to consumers.

To gain a solid understanding of what consumers need from their olive oil, we commissioned a segmentation study which provided us with compelling insights to create a campaign that would best communicate our story.

What we want to demonstrate with this campaign is our passion is the driving force behind delivering exceptional quality Moro is known for and is the why behind everything that we do.

Once people know our story, once they know the passion, quality and authentic flavour in every bottle of Moro, they know Moro is the only way to go.

Creative Agency  Publicis Melbourne

Research Agency  IPSOS Connect

Media Agency  Wave Maker

Social Media  Communicado
| BY Ricki Green |

Adobe and Econsultancy have today released their annual Digital Intelligence Briefing: 2018 Digital Trends report, which provides insights into the state of digital marketing and the trends shaping the industry. This years report uncovered that Asia Pacific (APAC) marketers are leading the way in regard to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the level of investment in digital skills training when compared to their North American and European counterparts.

Investment and integration of technology is key to business success

Adobes 2018 Digital Trends report found that globally, top-performing companies are more than twice as likely to be using AI for marketing (28% vs. 12%). This aligns with Adobes Future of Work: APAC Study which found that organisations investing in workplace technology are more likely to be successful. Despite this, the Digital Trends report found that less than one in five global respondents (15%) said their companies are pushing forward with AI and nearly half of global respondents (48%) said their organisation has inconsistent integration between technologies.

While half (51%) of North American marketers see no perceived need for AI, only a third (38%) of APAC marketers share this sentiment. Furthermore, APAC respondents (16%) were more likely to have an integrated, cloud-based technology stack, compared to their North American (10%) and European (9%) counterparts. This indicates that APAC marketers are ahead of their global counterparts when it comes to leveraging the power of new technologies to automate the delivery of personalised content, empowering them to work smarter and faster.

Says Paula Parkes, senior director, APAC Enterprise Marketing: Rapid economic development and unprecedented growth have positioned APAC at centerstage of the disruption being created by new, digital technologies. In the current Experience Business era, smart organisations are investing in disruptive technologies to drive productivity and deliver compelling experiences for customers.

Personalised experiences continue to drive quantifiable uplift for companies

Optimisation of the customer experience is the top priority for marketers in 2018 according to Adobes 2018 Digital Trends report, with a fifth (19%) of global respondents saying it is the most exciting opportunity currently. APAC marketers are focusing on making the experience as personalised and relevant as possible, whereas North American and European respondents said their main focus is on making the experience as valuable as possible.

Organisations with well-designed user journeys that facilitate clear communication and a seamless transaction are 57% more likely to be exceeding their business goals. Meanwhile, organisations with a cross team approach with the customer at the heart of all initiatives were nearly twice as likely to exceed their top 2017 business goal. Yet, over a third (38%) of global respondents still do not have a cohesive plan, long-term view and executive support for the future of their customer.

Says Parkes: Our research reveals a clear opportunity gap for businesses looking to set themselves apart from their competitors. Producing engaging and personalised content at an ever-increasing velocity has now become a business mandate. To help businesses adapt to the evolving expectations of their customers, Adobe supports seamless workflows between creatives, marketers and data analysts in Adobe Experience Manager, empowering brands to consistently deliver outstanding digital experiences.

Investment in digital skills and education pays dividends

Adobes 2018 Digital Trends report revealed companies that are combining digital marketing skills with technology, are nearly twice as likely to have surpassed their 2017 business goals by a significant margin (20% vs. 11%). However, the intended level of investment in digital training for 2018 differs greatly by region. APAC marketers are more than twice as likely than their North American counterparts to invest in digital skills and education (34% vs. 16%), while those in Europe fall in the middle (25%).

Adds Parkes: Significant investment in digital skills and training is directly linked with high business performance. While investment in technology is crucial, organisations must also invest in the skills and education to ensure their employees are capable of using these new tools to create outstanding customer experiences.
| BY Ricki Green |

Southern Cross Austereo has announced that Chris Derrick, head of digital strategy will be leaving the business.

Derrick joined SCA in 2015 and was instrumental in SCAs successful on-boarding and management of the Vevo relationship in 2016 through to Vevos recent decision not to renew any international sales partnerships.

Says John Kelly, chief operating officer, SCA: Chris has made an enormous contribution to the future strategy of SCAs digital business.

Most recently, Derrick negotiated commercial agreements with Google, Amazon and other companies with home connected devices, to see SCA be the first commercial radio company in Australia to launch services on smart speakers.

He also represented SCA as co-chair on the IABs audio council and on the CRAs app committee.

However with the Vevo relationship ending, both parties have agreed now is the appropriate time for Derrick to pursue new opportunities.
| BY Ricki Green |

Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne has ranked #1 most effective agency in the world in WARCs results of the 2018 WARC 100, an annual global index of the worlds top marketing campaigns and companies based on their business impact.

Clemenger BBDOs Meet Graham campaign for Transport Accident Commission has ranked in at #4 in the worlds top 10 effectiveness campaigns and its Hungerithm work for Snickers has nabbed the #5 slot and Leo Burnett Melbournes Reword campaign for Headspace has ranked #9.

Australia has ranked #3 top country for effectiveness behind the USA and UK.

BBDO Worldwide has ranked as the #1 agency network for effectiveness.

Says Paul Rees-Jones, executive planning director, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne: Many things go into making work the gets noticed for the right reasons, and achieving this result in this years WARC 100 is real testament to great, accountable thinking working with our clients, all focused on getting results that matter.

WARC 100 tracks the performance of campaigns, brands and agencies in more than 70 of the most important global, regional and national marketing effectiveness and strategy competitions around the world. Now in its fifth year, the WARC 100 is based on a rigorous methodology developed in consultation with Douglas West, professor of marketing at Kings College London.

The top-ranked campaign, Dads #ShareTheLoad by BBDO India for Ariel Matic, Procter & Gambles premium laundry detergent brand, built on its previous Share the Load campaign by persuading dads to do more laundry in order to promote gender equality. Ariel Matic generated a 42% increase in unaided brand awareness, $12.3 million in earned media coverage, and conversations on social media and sales growth exceeding previous campaigns.

In second place is The Swedish Number by INGO Stockholm for The Swedish Tourist Association, which manages hotels and hostels across Sweden. The purely PR-driven approach saw more than 32,000 Swedes sign up to take more than 200,000 calls from abroad helping STF boost its renewal figures and attract new members.

Ranked third is the Care Counts campaign for Whirlpool by DigitasLBi Chicago. The appliances manufacturer installed washers and dryers in schools to give disadvantaged students access to laundry facilities, resulting in 90% of the participants increasing their school attendance rate. The programme has been expanded to nearly 60 schools across the US.

Three themes have emerged from the worlds top effectiveness campaigns:

Purpose is effective when brands have a credible role. Three purpose-driven campaigns appear in the top 10. Dads #ShareTheLoad for Ariel, Whirlpools Care Counts and Imagine the Possibilities for Barbie are all examples of the commercial success that can be driven when a brands purpose is intrinsically linked to its product.

Three purpose-driven campaigns appear in the top 10. Dads #ShareTheLoad for Ariel, Whirlpools Care Counts and Imagine the Possibilities for Barbie are all examples of the commercial success that can be driven when a brands purpose is intrinsically linked to its product. Strategies with PR baked in are becoming the norm. Three campaigns in the top ten used a PR-led strategy to drive brand awareness and increase sales: Meet Graham for Australias Transport Accident Commission, Burger Kings The McWhopper Proposal and Van Gogh BnB for the Art Institute of Chicago.

Three campaigns in the top ten used a PR-led strategy to drive brand awareness and increase sales: Meet Graham for Australias Transport Accident Commission, Burger Kings The McWhopper Proposal and Van Gogh BnB for the Art Institute of Chicago. New takes on long-term ideas. Several of the highly effective initiatives ranked, such as Dads #ShareTheLoad, Hungerithm for Snickers, the John Lewis Christmas campaigns and Always Girl Emojis, show how blockbuster ideas can be intelligently followed up with brands investing in long-term strategies rather than quick wins for immediate gain.

Australias Clemenger BBDO Melbourne tops the creative agencies for effectiveness table for the first time having produced two top 10 campaigns: Meet Graham and Hungerithm. New Zealands Colenso BBDO follows in second place with work for DB Export contributing to their score.

Starcom Chicago has returned to the top of the media agencies for effectiveness ranking with almost triple the points of the second-placed agency.

Eight of the top digital/specialist agencies for effectiveness are from the US, with Chicago-based agencies making up the top three. DigitasLBi Chicago takes poll position.

BBDO Worldwide remains the most awarded network for the fifth year in a row, having retained this rank since WARC 100 began in 2014. Its agencies contributed to four of the top 10 campaigns and 19 of the top 100.

Says Andrew Robertson, president and chief executive, BBDO Worldwide: Smarter thinking unleashes the power of creativity to make greater impact. Thats why leading the WARC 100 is so meaningful.

For the second time Omnicom Group is the most awarded holding company, having previously held top position in 2014. Omnicom Group owns four of the top 10 agency networks.

Says John Wren, president and CEO, Omnicom Group: Producing great work that drives results for our clients is why we come to work every day. It is especially gratifying to see Omnicom recognized by WARC as having five of the top ten individually ranked agencies, three of the top five networks, and being the top-ranked holding company. I could not be prouder of our teams.

Burger King improved its ranking by 30 places to reach the top brand for effectiveness, with the McWhopper Proposal campaign in the top 10 and Backyard Burger King in the top 100. The continuing performance of Ariels Share the Load campaign has contributed to the brand retaining its second place.

Unilever was the most effective advertiser for the third time, having previously held this top position in 2015 and 2014. Unilever has four campaigns in the top 100  Lifebuoys #HelpAChildReach5, Knorrs Love At First Taste, The Vaseline Healing Project and The radicalisation of Persil  with a further 50 campaigns across all competitions contributing to its tally.

Says Keith Weed, chief marketing and communications officer, Unilever: Its a great honour to be recognised by WARC as Most Effective Advertiser again. Im hugely proud of our marketers, working hard to drive campaigns with purpose that cut through to consumers and make a real impact.

USA retains its place as the top country in the world with 36 of the top 100 campaigns, compared to 12 from the UK and 12 from Australia.

The most highly ranked campaigns and companies in WARC 100 are:

The WARC 100 is now part of Gunn Report, which recently published Gunn 100, a

ranking of campaigns and companies based on creativity.

Commenting on WARC 100, Emma Wilkie, Managing Director, Gunn Report, says: This years WARC 100 once again confirms that creative approaches to marketing translates into marketplace success, with nearly all the top 10 campaigns also recognised in Gunn 100. Long-term strategies continue to be an important element to long-term success but were also seeing a significant number of purpose-led and PR-led campaigns doing particularly well in achieving commercial objectives.

The full WARC 100 rankings  including the worlds top 100 campaigns for effectiveness, top 50 creative, media and digital/specialist agencies for effectiveness, agency networks, brands, advertisers, countries and top holding companies as well as commentaries, the work and credits  is available by subscription on www.warc.com/gunnreport.
Chorney-Booth: Jolene's Tea House carries on Rocky Mountain tea traditions

Tea drinking, like many food and drink rituals, is often misunderstood by those who dont partake. Talk about a proper cup of tea often involves jokes about dainty bone china and upturned pinkies when, in actuality, tea has long been the drink of people from all walks of life around the world. Prized for its effects on both mental and physical well-being, a nice cup of tea tastes just as good out of a rugged thermos as it does from a Royal Doulton teacup.
Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 9:47PM

Following reports that the February security update for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL seems to be causing battery drain issues for the two Google phones, the company decided to address the issue saying the patch isnt the cause of the issue. But it is hard to pinpoint whats been causing the problems. There have been varying degrees of the issue affecting users differently. And it isnt even limited to battery drain, some report that the phones are heating up, while others claim it takes them longer to charge. Some even report random Wi-Fi disconnections. These problems have been complained about enough that it gets a dedicated thread on Googles Issue Tracking website. The company has confirmed it will privately reach out to users affected by these issues.

Source: Android Authority
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Sangay Yeser was working on his assignment when his housemate rushed into his room alerting him to their flooded apartment block. Mr Yeser, an international student from Bhutan, was one of hundreds cleaning up on Monday after more than a month's worth of rain brought the city to a standstill on the weekend. "I didn't know there was a flood until my housemate came in and by then all my apartment was underwater," Mr Yeser said. "My brain - it was blank, there was nothing there, I was trying to focus on my assignment but after a few minutes I composed myself." As of midday on Monday, the ACT Emergency Service Agency responded to 299 requests for assistance, with the main area affected between Belconnen and the Inner North suburbs. The top five suburbs affected by storm activity over the weekend were: Mr Yeser said the water in his ground-level apartment in O'Connor had risen to knee height. He said the water lifted the refrigerators off the ground and ruined the food in the pantry. Outside, he said the water in the carpark was waist high and the cars submerged. Mr Yeser said the brand-new car he bought on Saturday was filled with water and now had a flat battery. The unit on David Street is near Sullivans Creek which the Bureau of Meteorology said received the most rain. Duty forecaster Rob Taggart said in the 48 hours from 10am Saturday, the Sullivans Creek weather station recorded 164.8mm, while Woolshed Creek had 95.4mm, the boat harbour on Lake Burley Griffin 74.8mm and Oaks Estate crossing 77mm. He said most of that rain fell within a couple of hours. "The Sullivan creek catchment copped the most rainfall and all of the rain was channelled to O'Connor and the ANU area because of the way the creek catchment runs," Mr Taggart said. He said the northern suburbs of Canberra were hit hardest with heavy rainfall due to thunderstorms over the region. The Australian National University was forced to close on Monday after Sullivans Creek burst its banks. "Down in Tuggeranong there weren't thunderstorms at the time when the front went through. That really intensified the rainfall rate substantially [in the north]." Canberra Metro is assessing areas of the light rail project to identify any damage and/or potential safety hazards. A spokeswoman said the rain impacted different areas of the light rail project to "varying degrees". "There has been little impact on the northern section of the light rail corridor, from Sandford Street to Gungahlin, and work has already recommenced in those areas," the spokeswoman said. The southern sections, from Flemington Road towards the city, were flooded and require an assessment before safe works can resume, she said. No significant construction delays are expected as a result of the heavy rain. Deputy Chief Minister and Minster for Housing Yvette Berry said the government was assessing any damage to government assets, including housing ACT buildings. "The government is making sure that people who are living in housing ACT properties are well supported and are in accommodation if needed, while the clean up is done in their residence," Ms Berry said. Seven public housing tenants were significantly affected with three requiring temporary relocations as a result of the flooding. Following the rain, the Canberra Liberals requested an urgent briefing from the government, claiming damage from the storm could have been exacerbated by a "neglect of Canberra's essential stormwater assets". An Auditor-General's report into the systems released late last month found many established areas had not been reassessed for flood risk mitigation, despite there being known risks in some areas. Some of those areas were also unable to cope with major rain events, according to advice from Transport Canberra and City Services. "[Infill] developments such as multi-unit high rise developments...reduce the amount of open space to help absorb stormwater so leading to more concentrated flows," the report said. A spokesperson for Minister Meegan Fitzharris said the events on Sunday were extreme and the kind of rainfall experienced would "place pressure on any stormwater network no matter how much infrastructure is in place." "Some parts of Canberra received their February monthly average rainfall in one morning, with a huge amount of freak rain falling in a very short period of time," the spokesperson said. "The Canberra Liberals are simply overreaching here." The spokesperson said the report made a number of recommendations which the government was considering. Mr Yeser, whose assignment was due next week said he was thankful his laptop was not damaged during the flood and managed to retrieve most valuables. Friends of Mr Yeser and his wife have offered them alternate accommodation. "This is a very unforgettable experience for us," Mr Yeser said. - With Sherryn Groch.

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Good morning, Canberra. Welcome to Tuesday. We're in for a partly cloudy day with light winds and a top of 26 degrees. Grab your coffee - here's what's making news. ACT MP Gai Brodtmann has called for one of the first decisions by new Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack to be to scrap the APVMA move to Armidale. The decision to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to the regional NSW city was made by former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce. Another article from Sally Whyte here. Yep - you read right. Workers in the ACT earn more than any other state or territory, with women in the capital outstripping their counterparts around the country by a significant margin. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the median weekly pay in Australia was at $1019, but in the ACT it's at $1281 per week. Read more of Sally Whyte's story here. The University of Canberra has accidentally sent some staff the personal details of every employee, including their birth date, classification, average hours and salary. Vice-chancellor Deep Saini said an "administrative error" led to 24 employees receiving the email with searchable data on all their colleagues attached. The first batch of emails was sent Thursday but the university was unaware of the data breach until Friday afternoon. Emily Baker has the story. ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher failed to take reasonable steps to renounce her British citizenship and is not protected by findings that kept Queensland Liberal National Party senator Matt Canavan in Parliament. At least that's what the federal government has told the High Court. The Attorney-General has argued Senator Gallagher should vacate her seat. Read Doug Dingwall's story here. The ACT government may not be able to terminate its contract to sell a block of land in Dickson to the Tradies Club, even if a proposed Coles development and second carpark is not built by December. Changes to the original request for tender were detailed in a scathing report last week from the ACT's Auditor-General, which revealed the government had negotiated away up to $2.6 million in potential revenue for taxpayers. Read Daniel Burdon's story here. Architect, prankster, artist and long-term owner of design studio Quantum Ideas, Frank Arnold is hands down one of Canberra's favourite characters. But, where has he been? Bree Winchester caught up with Frank on his favourite prank from the 1980s, the work he's most proud of in the capital and how he'll swap life in quiet Forrest for a small Greek island this year. Read the interview here.

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Marist College Canberra continued to display the picture of former headmaster Brother Christopher Wade, a convicted paedophile, up until this week. Wade, also known as William Henry Wade, was the Canberra headmaster between 1993 and 2000. Damian De Marco and Mike Desmond, both former students, criticised the Canberra college for keeping up the picture since Wade first faced court in 2016. "It's an honour wall, they're honouring a guy who had been given the ultimate level of trust and has breached it completely," Mr De Marco said. Wade was jailed by a Sydney court for a minimum of 9 months in November last year for sexually abusing young boys at Marist schools in NSW. Wade was released on bail that month after he lodged an appeal against his conviction, which has yet to be heard. He was found to have performed sex acts on young boys who reported ill to his office in Newcastle in 1976, and in Sydney in 1980. His picture was on display at Marist College Canberra with other former headmasters until Thursday this week after inquiries by the Sunday Canberra Times. Do you know more? Contact finbar.omallon@fairfaxmedia.com.au. Mr De Marco said it showed the Catholic church had learned nothing from The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. "I mean how many thousands of people have walked past that photo since [Wade] was found guilty of abusing children [in June last year]," he said. Mr Desmond said many of the college's old boys were "furious" the picture had remained. "Anytime there's a name or a photograph of someone who's abused children, it's got to be taken down," he said. Mr Desmond said Marist heads needed to go through their schools across Australia to see if anything else remained that honoured Wade. Marist College Canberra was contacted on Wednesday and admitted Wade's photograph was still on display but would not be removed until a review process on Thursday. The college's headmaster Matthew Hutchison, who began his job a fortnight ago, since confirmed the picture was removed following Thursday's review. "Discussions commenced at the end of last year [to remove the photo], but it became a priority in my first week at the college," he said. "To suggest that the school has been dismissive of the [royal commission's] findings could not be further from the truth." Marist College Canberra was the worst Catholic school in the nation when it came to child sex abuse, with 63 claims of sexual abuse made at during the royal commission. "[The college] reiterates our enduring and unreserved apology, to former students and their families, whose trust was so betrayed. We will continue to do what we can to help repair the damage of the past and openly accept and live with such a shameful part of our story," Mr Hutchison said. Hetty Johnston, the founder of child advocacy group Bravehearts, said the college should have its funding cut. "It feels like a slight against every child in the country," Ms Johnston said. "There's so much hope that finally these institutions would get it, they would finally take their place as a moral guiding post. They're failing again and again and again." When Wade first faced the abuse charges in 2016, former Marist College Canberra pupils were frustrated the college had failed to even inform the current school community. Wade is not known to have committed any child sex abuse when he was Canberra headmaster. The college has previously acted on similar concerns regarding the then-Othman House, named after senior Marist Brother Othman Weldon, who helped move and protect child sex abuser John William Chute, also known as Brother Kostka.

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It was a Christmas the Chittick family would never forget. In 1993, Narrandera resident David Chittick arrived home to find someone had broken into his house. It didn't take long for him to realise an old tobacco box passed on by his mother, Shirley, and filled with jewellery and war medals awarded to his great uncle and father, had been stolen. But memories of the stolen war medals faded over the years  until now. About 25 years later and 345km away, leading senior Constable Matthew Johansen was on duty on the Federal Highway near Yarra. It was about lunchtime on February 8 when Constable Johansen, along with a member of highway patrol, searched the vehicle of a male driver who triggered the police's automated number plate recognition system. The pair found a bag behind the driver's seat. In it were war medals. The driver admitted none of his family served in the war. After a quick Google search, Constable Johansen discovered the engraving "T C Harward" stood for Thomas Charles Harward. Hours on multiple archive sites taught Constable Johansen that Thomas Charles Harward (1884-1964) was issued a British War Medal and United Kingdom Victory Medal for his services in World War 1. His nephew, James Ernest Chittick (1928-1984), was also awarded the 1945-1975 Australian Service Medal for his services in World War 2. It took two days for the constable to join the dots, with the help of Lieutenant-Colonel Glyn Llanwarne who reunites lost medals to families. On February 19, David Chittick, who now lives in Canberra, collected the four orphaned medals and coin from the Goulburn Police station. He was 10 when his great uncle died. "When we received the phone call we thought it was some sort of hoax. Mum was just so surprised it showed up ... it was gone for so long, no one knew where they'd been," Mr Chittick said. "I'm gobsmacked I've got to say, it's quite unusual the medals showing up 25 years later. [Constable Johansen] went above the call of duty. I'm extremely impressed." Constable Johansen played down his effort in finding Mr Chittick. "What those guys went through to be awarded those medals  I can't even begin to imagine. I had a chance to repay their services by getting the medals back to the family," he said. "What we did was nothing compared to what those guys did." Hume Police District officer in charge John Sheehan described Constable Johansen's work as "exceptional". Now the family medals are housed in a safe with Mr Chittick. "To have them back, now they have a lot more significance," he said. "I'd love to know where they've been  if only the medals could talk." Goulburn Post

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There is a split in opinion over whether the boardwalk at the Kingston Foreshore should be fenced following the dramatic rescue of an eight-year-old girl who fell into the waters of Lake Burley Griffin last weekend. The ACT Government says safety reviews of the boardwalk have found a fence is "not warranted". Basil the rottweiler was praised as a hero for hearing the girl splash into the lake and then insisting his owner, Jarrad Houghton, go down to the water's edge to investigate. The girl slipped off the boardwalk into the water last Friday evening and no one had noticed her go in - only Basil. Mr Houghton grabbed her out as the girl was scrambling to hold on to something and keep afloat. Her parents were at a nearby restaurant. Also last Sunday, as The Canberra Times was taking photographs of Basil and Mr Houghton, a dog being walked by its owner became startled and dove into the water at the same spot. Mr Houghton said a fence could be a solution. "Even just a hand rail closer to the water surface would be a good compromise," he said. Anne O'Donoghue, of Macgregor, was meeting friends for lunch at the Kingston Foreshore on Friday with her two-year-old son Liam. She would usually let Liam walk but at the foreshore he was always in a pram, due to the proximity of the water. "I do think a fence would be a good idea or some sort of barrier to stop kids jumping in," she said. "You can do all kinds of cool things [architecturally] with fences these days. "If the intent is to make this area family-friendly, then I think they do need a fence. If that's not the intent, well, maybe not." But Sid Mahabal, who owns the Movenpick ice cream store at the Kingston Foreshore, said a fence would never be as good as parents watching their own children. "I think it's more a case that parents have to be responsible for their children," he said. "Parents have to stop being complacent and keep policing their children. "If you have a fence all the way around, what is the point of being near the water? "If you have a fence, kids will just climb the fence." Mr Mahabal said his five-year-old son was often in the shop and was not allowed near the water. "I think if I can run my business and look after my son, other parents can look after their children," he said. A decision about a fence is down to the ACT Government. A spokesman for the Suburban Land Agency said safety design reports formed part of what was then Territory and Municipal Services' approval of the design for the promenade. "Further risk assessments have been undertaken. The reports recommended controls as a substitute for fencing," he said. "It was considered that with the following controls in place, a fence around the Kingston Boardwalk was not warranted." Those controls included:  Provision of throwable lifebuoys  Barriers between the promenade and boardwalk (stairs, ramps and handrails)  Provision of grab rail and ladders to aid water rescue  Information signage  Toe boards fixed along the length of the wooden boardwalk at the waters edge "Fencing has been provided in those locations which were identified in the reports to be high risk areas to the public falling into the harbour. These areas are at the bottom of the stairs which lead from the promenade to the boardwalk and along bridges," the spokesman said.

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Revelations about the Tradies Club's Dickson land swap deal with the territory government are 'prime candidates' for referral to the ACT's proposed anti-corruption commission, the ACT Greens leader says. An audit into the tender processes surrounding the controversial deal was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, revealing the club was given "significant concessions" by the government worth up to $2.6 million. The Assembly's public accounts committee also held what some described as an 'emergency meeting' on Thursday night to discuss establishing an inquiry into the issues raised, which is expected to be announced next week. The audit detailed a series of weaknesses and failures in the tender process to sell a block of land to the club as part of the deal, failures in record-keeping and significant concessions given to the club that meant the government failed to complete an open, transparent and contestable sale. It also comes as the Legislative Assembly awaits the government's response to a tripartite committee report urging an ACT anti-corruption commission be set up and operating by the end of this year. Greens leader and former chairman of that committee Shane Rattenbury said on Friday that he believed that some of the matters exposed in the auditor's report "would be prime candidates for that sort of consideration". While he said the minor party would consider taking such action, he expected he would be "beaten to the punch" by the Opposition, in officially referring the report to the proposed commission. Opposition leader Alistair Coe also said he believed it could be worthy of such a referral, while the only Labor MLA to front any questions on the issue, planning minister Mick Gentleman, instead said it "puts the matter to bed". The audit also highlighted a government solicitor's office warning to two senior public servants involved that going ahead with the concessions risked being "so divergent from the request for tender that it was a direct sale". The government solicitor, the audit showed, told those public servants that going ahead created a risk the transaction may breach the ACT's planning laws requiring executive approval for such direct sales. The audit also showed the CFMEU-linked Tradies had applied in January 2010 and August 2010 to buy the block housing the Dickson carpark at the centre of the deal, Block 30, Section 34, Dickson, both applications rejected by the department. A third application in November 2010 gained the department's support, as the club offered to swap another block it owned [Block 25, Section 72 Dickson], which could have helped the government build more affordable housing. But the then-Chief Minister Katy Gallagher's Cabinet, in October 2011, also rejected that in favour of the tender process roundly criticised in the audit. Mr Rattenbury said that the audit had found serious failings in the LDA and changes in the past year including abolishing the agency had helped to address those failings, though it was an "ongoing cultural change". He said the report, had not found "hard evidence" of political involvement, and absent such evidence, he was not prepared to support a no confidence motion against the government, should one arise. But he said that the Greens, with the Liberals, had the numbers to ensure the proposed integrity commission would not be "half-baked", should Labor not back the committee's recommendations. A key such recommendation, Mr Rattenbury said, was that it should be able to investigate some 'retrospective' issues, such as the Dickson land swap, if the commission saw the need. "This report also highlights the fact that as we develop the integrity commission we need to think quite carefully on what are the pathways [for referral] from the Auditor-General to the commission," he said. While planning minister Mick Gentleman has said the report found no evidence of wrong-doing by politicians or public servants, that is not the role of the audit office, a point both Mr Coe and Mr Rattenbury made on Friday. Mr Coe also cited former NSW Auditor-General Tony Harris' on ABC Radio on Friday saying that the issues exposed by Dr Cooper's report were the sort of thing that in NSW would warrant a referral to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption. While Mr Harris was also aligned with the Canberra Community Voters party, Mr Coe said irrespective of that fact, his experience in such issues should be taken into account. Mr Coe also said he believed the "Dickson scandal" needed further investigation, particularly into any potential political involvement in the deal. He said while he had hoped the public accounts committee would hold an inquiry into the issues, the Canberra Liberals were also separately examining the "legal issues" the audit raised. But he did not rule out a further no confidence motion against Chief Minister Andrew Barr, despite a similar motion he brought on last year failed on the floor of the Assembly.

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APS Commissioner John Lloyd has defended an email to his former IPA colleagues about Labor Senator Penny Wong, saying it was a "natural" reaction to do so. In a heated Senate estimates hearing on Monday, the public service boss said that as the comments were not about policy or made publicly, they were appropriate. In the email in question, between Mr Lloyd and an un-named staff member at the IPA in February 2015, Mr Lloyd said Senator Wong "takes a swipe" at two former IPA directors in an earlier press conference. "When someone goes publicly and casts critical comment about your appointment it's normal to share it with family and friends, you know, you don't go 'Gosh the senator has said it and I can't talk about it with anybody'," Mr Lloyd said. Pushed by Senator Jenny McAllister on whether the comment in the email was standard for other public servants, Mr Lloyd said he expected it would be. "It's not traversing policy, this has been a public comment made which cast aspersions on the circumstances of my appointment and I naturally share my reaction to that, sometimes with family and friends," he said. "I don't think there's anything unusual about that and I would expect other public servants would do the same thing, I anticipate." Ms McAllister quoted the APS social media policy published last year, asking Mr Lloyd if the comment was consistent with the need for public servants to "ensure their actions don't provide grounds for a reasonable person to conclude that they can't serve the government of the day impartially". Mr Lloyd replied "yes". The Institute of Public Affairs is a free market think tank based in Melbourne, where Mr Lloyd previously was director of the work reform and productivity unit, before being appointed to his current role by then prime minister Tony Abbott. Also in Senate estimates on Monday, Mr Lloyd was asked why he had previously told the committee that it was an unreasonable diversion of the APSC's time to provide contact between himself and the IPA and the HR Nicholls Society. Mr Lloyd and the group manager of the corporate division, Clare Page, told the hearing it was not possible to simply search Mr Lloyd's inbox for the word "IPA" because of IT issues preventing them from accessing archived emails. Mr Lloyd said his contact with staff at the IPA was infrequent, and he mainly kept in contact with John Roskam, although he did not confirm if it was Mr Roskam who received the email about Senator Wong.

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Photo: Contributed

Last week, I shared some of my favourite programs and asked what you liked. I got plenty of feedback. You folks rock!

Heres some of the best stuff.

Malwarebytes

Mentioned by several readers, Malwarebytes is also one program Id have a hard time doing without. Long-time reader Rudy wrote:

My favourite program is Malwarebytes. With the new version 3, it has an anti-virus and malware all in one. I was able to get rid of my anti-virus program and just use it. It is wonderful now just having the one program to look after all my security.

Ron, also a long-time reader, mentioned:

FYI , for some strange reason the " web protection " on my Malwarebytes Premium wouldn't turn on ( just out of the blue this morning ) in desperation I re-installed the program and all is well. Just a note to your readers if this happens to them.

Yes. There was a glitch with a Malwarebytes update that caused problems with Web Protection. Then, there was a glitch with the patch for that problem. It took several updates to get that sorted out.

If you have the paid version of Malwarebytes, open the program to the Dashboard and make sure your Web Protection is turned on. If not, click on Update get the newest version.

If that doesnt work, click on Settings | My Account and make a note of your licence. Then, uninstall and re-install Malwarebytes. If it doesnt already know your licence, put that in and you should be good to go.

Notepad ++

Austin recommends this utility to replace/supplement built-in Windows program Notepad:

Its just 1 program, but can do it all. From scripting to editing program ini or mostly any type of text files, but would preserve the layout of the file.

It's notepad++ portable. I have it with me and make and edit files with it.

Learn more about the program here, and use the safe download link here if you want to try it. Ive never used it, but it comes highly recommended by many colleagues. I guess I need to give this a try.

Image Resizer for Windows

Yet another wonderful utility I use often. Keith wrote about it:

I take hundreds of photos at high res. I use them at this resolution, but like to keep a copy in my archive.

I use image resizer for windows  Reduces a 3500 kb photo to 100 kb in a flash. FREE

This is the safe download link.

Want to do something good for someone?

Many of you have sponsored me on charity bike rides in past years. This year, Im going to do the 50K Ride Dont Hide to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The Kelowna ride, on June 24, is one of many rides that day all over Canada. The goal is to raise $1.7 million for essential programs and services in communities, workplaces and schools, and to end the stigma of mental illness.

Im excited to be part of Ride Dont Hide 2018, and I hope that youll join me as a rider, fundraise as a virtual rider, volunteer at the event, or sponsor my ride.

If youd like to sponsor me, please use this link to make your secure online donation. To learn more about the event, visit http://ridedonthide.com/.

Thank you all for your feedback on programs you like, and please keep it coming. Email me at [email protected] if you have something youd like to share with other readers.
Photo: BC Gov't

The B.C. government says it's giving a financial break to young adults who have spent time in government care.

Those young adults will now get more support for rent, child care and health care, while they go back to school or attend a rehabilitation, vocational or approved life skills program.

The changes come as part of a $7.7-million expansion of the Agreements with Young Adults program and they take effect April 1.

As part of the expansion, the upper age limit for young adults who want to apply for the provincial tuition waiver program has been raised to 27 years old.

The needs-based monthly support rate has also been raised by up to $250 to a new maximum of $1,250.

The provincial government says financial support is now available year round, instead of the previous eight-month limit, so young people can continue to receive supports while on summer holiday or other program breaks.
Photo: Contributed

He's active, happy and loves life  and he's also struggling with an aggressive kidney cancer at just seven years of age.

Penticton local Wills felt poorly in the days leading up to Jan. 24, when his family took him to Penticton Regional Hospital. There, they learned he has a Wilms Tumour, a rare kind of kidney cancer that mostly affects children.

Wills was transported to Vancouver Children's Hospital, where he remains in treatment, undergoing chemotherapy following a surgery at the beginning of February.

His family started a GoFundMe page to support Wills' parents and 2-year-old sister during treatment, which has raised $4,725 of their goal of $30,000 to date.

Wills is described on the page as being "active, fun" and "loving," as well as being a big fan of watching Chelsea FC and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.

Those wishing to help Wills' family while he fights cancer can visit the GoFundMe page here.
Chelsea Powrie

Critteraid is looking for friends to help socialize their shy resident cow.

China is the only cow at the Summerland sanctuary, and according to animal director Jess Byer, she relies on human interaction to feed her social needs.

"She got here in October, she had a best friend who passed away so there's been a lot of change in her life," Byer said. "It's hard on cows to be alone. That's why we're really looking for friends for her."

Byer said helping China is as simple as coming to the fence and just talking to her, and maybe bringing her some of her favourite treats like apples.

"Young volunteers who are interested in learning about cows, older volunteers, anybody who's got time," Byer said.

China takes a little while to warm up to new people, but Byer said she'd make sure to help any volunteers who wanted to get to know her.

"She's one of the most loving angels you'll ever meet," Byer said. "She just needs to know that you're not here for scary purposes."

For more information on how to visit China, contact Critteraid here.
Photo: Penticton Vees

The Penticton Vees took it all the way to double overtime in the last game of their regular season, but couldn't hang on to a win.

The 2 p.m. game against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at home in Penticton was close the whole time, with the Silverbacks just managing to tie up the score 4-4 with five minutes remaining in the third period.

After one full overtime period, Vees forward Jackson Keane got called for tripping, leading to a power play goal by the Backs' Tanner Campbell to take the win 5-4.

The loss doesn't affect the Vees' standing for their season, however. The team already clinched a first place finish in the BCHL  their seventh straight Interior Division title  after a 5-1 win over Wenatchee Saturday night.

That means the Vees will have home ice advantage in game one of the playoffs, Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will present the Youth Photography Showcase Awards Program on Tuesday, March 20. The Showcase is a culmination of the Youth Photography contest for local high school students.

A slide show of the entries will be presented, and the winners will be recognized and receive awards.

The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary at the St. John United Methodist Church, 3921 Murray Hills Dr.

The Youth Photography Showcase is an exhibition recognized by the Photographic Society of America, and local winners will go on to compete in the PSA contest.

For more information call 344-5643 or e-mail Ed Laughlin at president@chattanoogaphoto.org. For more information about the Photographic Society of Chattanooga, visit http://chattanoogaphoto.org.


Advance Financial continues its expansion in the Southeastern Tennessee market Monday with the opening of a store in Ooltewah. The opening marks the 85th location for the company.The Ooltewah store opens today at 9232 Lee Hwy. As with all other Advance Financial stores, this location will remain open to customers 24/7 thereafter. This is the companys ninth location in the Chattanooga region.At Advance Financial, we are committed to serving more residents in Southeast Tennessee, said Tina Hodges, the companys chief executive and chief experience officer.Thats why we decided to open our first store in Ooltewah, and why we are looking forward to becoming a part of the community here. Were excited and ready to start assisting local residents in securing their financial futures."Advance Financial offers a range of financial services including prepaid cards, electronic wire services to anywhere in the world, check cashing, free bill-payment services and free money orders. The companys loan product is not just a small dollar loan, but a flexible line of credit  called a FLEX Loan  that offers customers the freedom of access to funds on their schedule with no late fees or early payoff penalties."Founded more than 20 years ago, Advance Financial is a family-owned company based in Nashville that has expanded its footprint throughout Tennessee in recent years. Its first locations outside of Middle Tennessee were in and around Chattanooga and Knoxville. The company recently entered the West Tennessee market with a new location in Jackson," officials said.
Recurrence can be demonstrated by balls in a box: when they start out in an ordered state, they will become more disordered. But at some point, they will return to the initial state - it just might take a while.

At some point, complex systems return almost exactly to their initial state. For the first time, this recurrence theorem has now been demonstrated with complex quantum many-body systems at TU Wien (Vienna).

It is one of the most astonishing results of physics: when a complex system is left alone, it will return to its initial state with almost perfect precision. Gas particles, for example, chaotically swirling around in a container, will return almost exactly to their starting positions after some time. This Poincare Recurrence Theorem is the foundation of modern chaos theory. For decades, scientists have investigated how this theorem can be applied to the world of quantum physics. Now, researchers at TU Wien (Vienna) have successfully demonstrated a kind of Poincare recurrence in a multi-particle quantum system.

An Old Question, Revisited

At the end of the 19th century, the French scientist Henri Poincare studied systems which cannot be fully analysed with perfect precision  for example solar systems consisting of many planets and asteroids, or gas particles, which keep bumping into each other. His surprising result: every state which is physically possible will be occupied by the system at some point  at least to a very good degree of approximation. If we just wait long enough, at some point all planets will form a straight line, just by coincidence. The gas particles in a box will create interesting patterns, or go back to the state in which they were when the experiment started.

A similar theorem can be proved for quantum systems. There, however, completely different rules apply: In quantum physics, we have to come up with a completely new way of addressing this problem, says Professor Jorg Schmiedmayer from the Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics at TU Wien. For very fundamental reasons, the state of a large quantum system, consisting of many particles, can never be perfectly measured. Apart from that, the particles cannot be seen as independent objects, we have to take into account that they are quantum mechanically entangled.

There have been attempts to demonstrate the effect of Poincare recurrence in quantum systems, but until now this has only been possible with a very small number of particles, whose state was measured as precisely as possible. This is extremely complicated and the time it takes the system to return to its original state increases dramatically with the number of particles. Jorg Schmiedmayers team at TU Wien, however, chose a different approach: We are not so much interested in the complete inner state of the system, which cannot be measured anyway, says Bernhard Rauer, first author of the publication. Instead we want to ask: which quantities can we observe, that tell us something interesting about the system as a whole? And are there times at which these collective quantities return to their initial value?

The team studied the behaviour of an ultracold gas, consisting of thousands of atoms, which is kept in place by electromagnetic fields on a chip. There are several different quantities describing the characteristics of such a quantum gas  for example coherence lengths in the gas and correlation functions between different points in space. These parameters tell us, how closely the particles are linked by quantum mechanical effects, says Sebastian Erne, who was responsible for the theoretical calculations necessary for the project. Our everyday intuition is not used to dealing with these quantities, but for a quantum systems, they are crucial.

Recurrence Discovered  in Collective Quantities

By measuring such quantities, which do not refer to single particles, but characterize the system as a whole, it was indeed possible to observe the long-sought quantum recurrence. And not only that: With our atom chip, we can even influence the time it takes the system to return to one particular state, says Jorg Schmiedmayer. By measuring this kind of recurrence, we learn a lot about the collective dynamics of the atoms  for example about the speed of sound in the gas or about scattering phenomena of density waves.

The old question, whether quantum systems show recurrences, can finally be answered: Yes, they do  but the concept of recurrence has to be slightly redefined. Instead of trying to map out the complete inner quantum state of a system, which cannot be measured anyway, it makes more sense to concentrate on quantities which can be measured in quantum experiments. These quantities can be observed to drift away from their initial value  and to return to their initial state eventually.
Guest Commentary Fair maps for our children, for our Hispanic communities, for our futures My son will vote for the first time next year. And for his first time, the state of Indiana will have brand new legislative and congressional districts. It should feel like a clean...

Voice of the People During the 13 years I have called Chesterton my home, there are few small-town activities I have come to enjoy quite like the high schools homecoming parade. It is always a beautiful moment of celebrating our students, gathering for an afternoon of fun and seeing...

Voice of the People I find it hard to believe that the majority of Town employees will put their self-interest over the GREATER GOOD which is, the viability of the Town of Chesterton by not getting vaccinated. Our town tried to save money by self-insuring itself. We could be...

Guest Commentary Local coalition aspires to achieve smokefree air for all More than 1 in 5 Indiana adults smoke cigarettes (21.5%), one of the highest rates in the nation, while the number of youths using vaping products remains a concern for anti-smoking advocates. Secondhand smoke is estimated...
Not everyone favors this aggressive tack. On Monday, billionaire investor Warren Buffett suggested companies should tread lightly with controversial political stances because they alienate too many paying customers. It would be ridiculous for a conglomerate, like his Berkshire Hathaway, not to do business with gun-makers, he said during a CNBC interview.
About three-quarters of Illinois hospitals are nonprofits like Loyola, and by state law they are exempt from having to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes so long as the value of their charitable services is equal to or greater than their estimated tax liabilities. Thats a controversial policy, as many nonprofit hospitals are run like businesses and make handsome profits. The Illinois Supreme Court is set to begin oral arguments soon in a case over whether nonprofit hospitals should have to pay property taxes.
The egg foo young origin story is said to go back to the southern Chinese coastal province of Guangdong, formerly known as Canton. The dish can now be found as a Cantonese hybrid not only in this country, but across Asia too.
I think their part 2 is kind of focusing on more of an update of whats happened since. I dont think theyre going to retread the original case against Steven Avery, which I think ours is going to get more detail-oriented about the underlying crime and more of the facts, he said.
While tinkering in the studio on other peoples projects comes secondary to his own material, Wilson concedes he wasnt in a rush to follow up Fanfare after a globetrotting fantasy tour left him in debt. I was waiting for the right songs and the right vibe. Its a do-or-die thing for me at this point, he says. The only way you can do it is if you have the right songs  that are coming from my  for lack of a better word  my soul, my essence, my true expression to the world. Otherwise its just a vanity project that costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So what exactly are we being mindful of -- carpal tunnel syndrome, tendon inflammation, joint impingement? It is more likely to be inflammation or an impingement in the wrist joint, Dacus says. Carpal tunnel syndrome is less likely if the pain is felt on the back of the wrist, he says, as the condition usually expresses itself with pain in the palm side of the hand and wrist.
"Those are very worrisome signs because they indicate you've developed a tolerance and you're investing a lot of time and effort overcoming that tolerance," Lembke said. "Essentially, you're taking it not to help with your sleep or anxiety but to treat the withdrawal from the last pill that you took."
Rolling Stone drew on expertise from 250 artists, writers, and industry figures to make its list of the 500 best songs ever. Of the top 100, 23 were written or performed by women, including the song in the No. 1 spot.
The Freedom Riders who went to Mississippi during the civil rights movement to register blacks to vote included lots of white students from the North whose rights never had been violated. But they fought on behalf of African-Americans in the South anyway, because they understood that our country could not thrive with one set of protections for one race and another set of rules for another.
According to IPRAs report of its investigation, Gaeta and Matheos said Golatte drove toward them before the two fired their service weapons at him. Gaeta, an 18-year department veteran, fired three times, and Matheos, on the force for 22 years, fired twice. IPRAs analysis of the bullet trajectories from the officers' guns showed both opened fire while standing next to Golattes vehicle instead of in front of it, according to the report. That proved to be crucial evidence in IPRAs determination that the two violated departmental policy that prohibits officers from shooting at moving vehicles if the vehicle is the only weapon being used in the confrontation.
The U.S. surgeon general, the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have long said no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy and advise pregnant women to abstain from drinking. Two years ago, the CDC went a step further and issued a controversial recommendation that all women who could get pregnant and are not using birth control also avoid alcohol because of the frequency of unintended pregnancies, and because some women do not realize they are pregnant in the early weeks that are crucial for a developing fetus.
The two got into a struggle, police said. Kimbrough ran away, but was shot at least three times near the front of his home, prosecutors said. Boyd shot him once inside the home, and multiple times outside, then fled, Mobley said. An autopsy later showed that Kimbrough died from multiple gunshot wounds, according the medical examiners office.
In the homicide, a man was shot in the neck, abdomen and back in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side late Sunday, police said. The man, 58, was walking in the 8000 block of South Michigan Avenue when someone started shooting about 10:50 p.m., police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was identified as Hubert Eddings, who was killed in the block where he lived, according to the Cook County medical examiners office.
When the officers directed the occupants to get out of the vehicle, one man pushed an officer and started running toward an area where several tractor-trailers were parked. The officers followed and one of them fired a weapon, striking the man, police said.
The latest gun violence brings the number of people shot in the city this year to at least 348, according to data kept by the Tribune. There have been at least 76 homicides. The numbers continue a trend of fewer shootings and fewer homicides this year than in the last two years, when violence hit record levels in the city. Shootings are still substantially higher than other recent years.
The robber is said to have taken keys from the woman, 24, officials said. He did not take her vehicle, according to a statement from police.
The governor arrived in Washington on Sunday and marked what he called his first meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House Governors Ball hosted by the president. Rauner has kept Trump at arms length in the past and at times has declined to use the presidents name. He said his talks with the president at the White House were not extensive, calling them more a social opportunity.
This to me seems to open us up to any type of action that somebody says, Well, you all didnt discipline this person here because he did x, and now all of the taxpayers are liable for his private actions, said Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th. Thats, I cant go for that. Thats a huge leap youre asking us to take here.
"I don't think we should just put an abstract, theoretical referendum on the ballot. I think we ought to give people a real choice," Biss said said Sunday on WGN AM-720.



"I think we ought to pass a law that says here's what the tax rates should be if the constitution were to be changed. Here's what the budget would look like if the constitution were to be changed. Here's how our property tax system would get fixed if the constitution were to be changed," he said.



The top Democratic candidates for governor support a graduated income tax. Biss hasn't come out with proposed tax rates under the graduated income tax proposal because it should be based on an overall budget plan for the state, he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 22, 2018. A rising official in the agency disappeared Feb. 12 and hasn't been seen since. (David Goldman / AP)
Donald Trump, right, at a joint news conference with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto after their Aug. 31, 2016, meeting in Mexico City. A scheduled meeting between the two leaders ultimately was canceled after a tense phone conversation between them. (Xinhua / Tribune News Service)
Policemen stand guard at the crime scene where Slovak investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend Marina Kusnirova were murdered in Velka Maca on Feb. 26, 2018. (Vladimir Simicek / AFP/Getty Images)
But in recent weeks, federal judges in San Francisco and New York have made Trump's deadline temporarily moot for people who have sought and been granted renewals; the rulings do not extend to people who are applying for the first time. Judges issued injunctions ordering the administration to keep DACA in place while courts consider legal challenges to Trump's termination. As a result, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services resumed accepting and processing DACA renewals in January, just as it had before Trump's September announcement.
Wallenberg was a Swedish architect and businessman who served as Swedens special envoy in Budapest. The then-32-year-old Wallenberg issued Swedish passports to thousands of Hungarian Jews, protecting them from the Nazis. In the days before Budapest was liberated, Wallenberg persuaded the Nazis to cancel plans to kill 70,000 Jews living in the citys ghetto. Wallenberg was taken into Soviet custody near the end of the war and his fate has never been firmly established, although evidence suggests he died in the late 1940s.
I spoke with Dr. Abdallah Alzeir, the director of one of the few remaining hospitals in the region. He has nine family members who disappeared in the regimes prisons including his 79-year-old mother and two sisters. His hospital treated hundreds of the victims of sarin gas attack in August 2013. He lost two doctors due to exposure to the nerve gas from their patients in addition to the 861 patients who died that night. He told me horror stories about the current ordeal. The operating rooms in his hospital dug underground for protection and worked nonstop to save the lives of the human flood of children, women and men injured during the airstrikes. He did not sleep for three days. Two doctors had just been killed.
This is disappointing, because there are concrete steps we can take to try to tackle gun violence  and perhaps even some that could be accepted on both sides of the aisle. At National Review, for instance, David French has offered a substantial proposal for gun-violence restraining orders, which would stop people like Cruz from getting weapons in the first place. Could we discuss it without yelling or booing or heckling or immediately dismissing it out of hand, in the grand style of Twitter dot com?
The good news is that OHare is getting the attention it requires. Runway modernization is happening, which should help with congestion, especially during bad weather. Now, according to exclusive reporting by the Tribunes Bill Ruthhart, Emanuel and Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans are in final negotiations with the two major carriers on an eight-year plan to shine up the shabby flying experience. Terminal 2 will be torn down and replaced with a Global Terminal for United, American and their international partners. Terminals 1, 3 and 5 will get renovated, and there will be additional concourses and several dozen more gates.
Now youd think the NRA would be mad about this plan, but the organizations power stems wholly from its ability to keep gun owners in a constant state of paranoia, fearful that at any moment the government will come and take away their guns. If the government actually does come and take away their guns, donations to the NRA will skyrocket and the group will have enough fear-inducing material to keep it busy for generations.
It's clear to me that much of the current negativity is essentially a knee-jerk reaction to the the unwelcome fact that the source of the proposal is President Donald Trump, with no evidence that careful thought is being otherwise given to it. Let me make clear that I did not vote for the president in 2016, but  like it or not  he sits in the Oval Office and deserves to have his proposals given fair consideration rather than unthinking rejection. Especially when, as in this instance, they could be a possible useful option to weigh as we seek how to cope with this issue.
You can leave your best table manners at home, and dig in  literally  with your hands during the utensil-free movie night (doors open at 7 p.m., screening starts at 7:30 p.m.). The dinner tray includes a smoked turkey leg, an Elven Lembas bread baguette, potato soup and Hopewells Prancing Pony ale, which youll enjoy right in your theater seat.
Batavia police said Hunter, 27, allegedly shot at the teen and at least two others in the same car during a conflict stemming from how long the teen had been parked in the drive-thru lane. People inside the teen's car said it had been parked for less than a minute before police believe the shooter's car entered the drive-thru lane behind it to place a food order.
Kennedy looked to Pritzker in the audience and demanded that he address the Berrios tax assessment issue. Berrios is seen as vulnerable in the wake of "The Tax Divide" series published by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois. That series concluded that his office's assessments, which are used to calculate property tax bills, favor wealthier owners of residential and commercial properties at the expense of poorer owners, who end up picking up more of the overall tax tab as a result.
"I just appreciate our local authorities that we work with and the patience of our parents as they're home wondering what's going on," Leden said. "(We) just want to try to do our best to reassure that we're doing everything we can to keep our students safe and communicate as much as we can while these events are occurring."
White had a contract for an additional two years. However, he and the District 181 Board signed a separation/settlement agreement in October 2017 for his early departure. That came on the heels of White being blamed by some board members for mistakes related to delays in building a new Hinsdale Middle School, not disclosing the mistakes to the board and not accepting responsibility for the error.
The driver reports that the truck is a silver grain hauler with Mack-brand mud flaps. She estimates that the driver is speeding at roughly 70 miles per hour in the left lane. She later calls back to give the name on the side of the trailer as Smith Trucking.
"This is an opportunity to reach new audiences Sometimes it is not super accessible to get folks downtown," said Milkert of the display she hopes will be viewed by both adults and schoolchildren throughout the neighborhood.
The stars of the show were Bubba the trained alligator, which posed for photos while kids waited in line to sit on his back, and Stitch, a seven-month-old joey that proved to be irresistible while it napped and snuggled in the fur of a simulated kangaroo pouch. Creatures great and small offered a rare opportunity to get up close and personal and learn a bit about them.
The Highland Park ordinance, which is based on the Cook County ordinance, prohibits the sale, purchase or possession of semi-automatic weapons that can hold more than 10 rounds in a magazine. It also bans semi-automatics equipped with a folding, telescoping or thumbhole stock; a shroud attached to the barrel; a muzzle brake or muzzle compensator; a protruding pistol grip; or a pistol grip with a stock attached. It also prohibits the sale and possession of magazines that fire more than 10 rounds.
The play is about the relationship between an adult grandson and his four grandparents, according to director Catherine Davis. She said the story is also about love and family with a lot of laughter and a few tears sprinkled in between.
Camacho, who is studying to be an ultrasound technician, is working to master Blackboard App, a basic tool that allows students to download course files and keep connected even when offline. She stopped in with her niece, Kaelyn, a fourth-grader at the school, for a "Tech Check" demonstration to get a look at the Chromebooks coming the students' way.
Korus said the main fundraiser to help send students to these programs will be held May 12 at the American Legion in Franklin Park. Those interested in applying for Girls State should contact Zito at 847-560-0459. Those interested in Boys State should contact Korus at 630-327-1224.
Other comedic moments were supplied in tying in scenes from the famous "If you build it, they will come" line from the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams" and then placing in pictures of the newly renovated Melvin Berlin Park. In another spoof, there were scenes from "Baywatch" mixed in with pictures of Glencoe's beach.
Courtesy University of New England(BOSTON) -- A first-year medical student stabbed to death at a Massachusetts library this weekend was a domestic violence and mental health awareness advocate who "showed great promise as a student doctor," the University of New England president said.



Deane Kenny Stryker, 22 was sitting at a table at the Winchester Public Library Saturday morning when she was attacked by a man with a 10-inch hunting knife, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.



Jeffrey Yao is accused of coming up behind her and stabbing her unprovoked, prosecutors said. Stryker managed to get up and try to run away, but the attack continued, prosecutors said.



A man who tried to intervene was stabbed in the arm and survived, prosecutors said.



Stryker suffered about 20 wounds, prosecutors said in court today.



Stryker, a first-year student at the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine, "was just beginning her journey toward becoming a physician and showed great promise as a student doctor who was passionate about medicine and helping others," university President James Herbert said in a statement.



"She was an advocate for domestic violence and mental health awareness, and an active member of her college community," Herbert said. "She served as an orientation leader and was part of a student organization that provides confidential peer support to other students who need a place to turn when they are struggling."



Cantor Beth Levin of Temple Shir Tikvah, who knew Stryker for about 10 years, told reporters she was heartbroken and soul-sick, the Boston Globe reported.



Deane was full of love and gentleness, and she was part of our community as a babysitter and as a spirit that just made everyone feel good wherever she went, Levin said, according to the Globe. She just represented all that is good in each of us. Kids felt it; adults felt it. She was trusted; she was responsible.



Herbert said, "We send our deepest condolences to Deanes family and friends, who are facing an unthinkable tragedy,"



Counseling will be available at the university, Herbert added.



Yao, 23, who was known to police, was arrested and charged with murder and armed assault with intent to murder, prosecutors said.



Yao appeared in court Monday morning and was ordered held without bail. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.



Yao's defense attorney told reporters today that his client has a long history of mental illness including hospitalizations, adding that Yao's parents are devastated for the victims family, ABC affiliate WCVB-TV reported.



The motive remains under investigation, prosecutors said.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Florip said that all four of the stabbing victims were men in their 20s, and that all were transported to area hospitals by Waukegan Fire Department rescue personnel. Castaneda died during emergency surgery, authorities said.
Speaking of his previous work and record, Pritzker told the audience, "There are thousands of children that have quality preschool and child care because of the work that I've done for more than 20 years to expand those programs and make preschool universal."
But the training only works if police are ready to take down the shooter, which apparently didn't cross the minds of the Florida deputies. The school's resource officer resigned after officials in Broward County, known for its posh resorts, began looking into his response to the crisis. Florida's governor has called for an investigation into the Sheriff's Office actions.
Both individuals have been cooperative during the course of the investigation and indicated there was never any intent of harm meant towards anyone and that this was a matter of poor decision making on their parts, police said in a statement Monday afternoon.
Kim said a new program could draw districts more fairly by grouping demographics evenly, however, he said that would violate Section II of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or language. He said the law would need to be revised to allow for positive use of demographic information.
"The recent tragedies perpetrated by a few unstable individuals should not reflect negatively or detract from the rights of millions of law abiding citizens. We support common sense gun laws that keep those that may harm someone from owning or accessing a firearm," the statement goes on to say.
Less than one year after the memorial was installed, an illuminated glass section shattered. In the school's outdoor courtyard, the memorial's dark base is still in place with inscribed names visible of three deceased Ridgewood High School students. The memorial was created in honor of Donald Warren Bollman (Class of 1964), Neil Joseph Cacciottolo (Class of 1965) and James Chris Shukas (Class of 1966), who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.
Hosting weekly storytimes, organizing book fairs and bringing books to area residents via book bike are just some of the library staff's outreach efforts, and there is still plenty more to do, she said. More than that, Wittmann wanted to tap into her community's "tradition" of offering compassion and service to those in need and acknowledged the many established local groups, including the rotary club. She said the addition of the Kiwanis of Norridge/Harwood Heights would be another opportunity to "do good in the community."
"I wish we could do more," she said. "And that's what we talked to the students about: Being involved in the future. But this is just one thing we can do [now] to let them know the country's behind them."
In addition to safety, monitoring weather can also help with the "financial stability of these events," Chambers said. By tracking what was approaching the area, organizers for Leon's Triathlon in Hammond were able to adjust their schedule events in the past, keeping the triathlon going so people would return in the future, according to Chambers.
Trump speaking on the Parkland shooting:"I really believe I'd run in there, even if I didn't have a weapon. And I think most of the people in this room would've done that, too." Just like he went to Vietnam, right?
"This is about celebrating the contributions of African Americans to this country and to our world," said Niles West High School Gospel Choir Director Matthew Hunter. "It's not about rivals. It's not about West versus North, but it's about us coming together as one district to lift our voice and sing and celebrate the contributions to this country."
The woman was hit in the crosswalk at the northwest corner of the intersection as she attempted to cross Green Bay Road going east. Interim Police Chief Marc Hornstein said that the vehicle proceeded north as the traffic signal changed.
Judge calls mistrial after jury split on alleged child sex assault

A hung jury forced a mistrial Wednesday in the case of a 44-year-old former youth church group leader accused of sexually assaulting a child.
A farmers' art festival was held in Beijing's remote Pinggu district on Sunday, with hundreds of farmers performing folk dances.



The event, including a farmers' art festival and a folk dance contest, was held at the Tai Chi Square at the foot of Yaji Mountain of Liujiadian town. Thousands of local residents, tourists and guests thronged the site, applauding the various events and performers.

Liu Xiaodong, the town chief, said the event marked the 21st celebration of the festival, designed to promote folk arts and create a festive atmosphere for the coming Lantern Festival, which is the last day of the annual Chinese Spring Festival.

Liu said the event also launched a "folk art year" for local residents, who will enjoy more cultural activities and cultural life in the coming months.

Twenty-three teams from 14 villages took part in the folk-dance contest. Some of the performers were from folk art groups that have existed for more than 100 years and are treated by the Beijing city government as an intangible cultural heritage.

Liujiadian town has rich culture of folk arts and has been holding a traditional cultural temple fair at the Spring Festival for more than 400 years. Currently, the town has 46 art groups, 13 Yangge dance teams, one township-level art troupe, seven village-level troupes and five municipal-recognized intangible cultural heritage entities. More than 2,000 farmers in the area can go on stage and perform as a relaxation from their regular rural jobs.
"Shaolin" is the most popular Chinese words for people from eight English-speaking countries, according to a survey released by China International Publishing Group (CIPG).

According to the report at cankaoxiaoxi.com, among the top 100 Chinese words, over 40 percent relate to traditional Chinese culture, such as Wushu, a type of martial arts, Qigong, and Yin-Yang.

"Dumpling" is the most well-known Chinese food for people from the English speaking countries surveyed, with "jiaozi" even appearing in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Chunjie, the Chinese word for Spring Festival, was the number one Chinese word searched online by people outside China. Other words related to Spring Festival also caught the attention of foreign netizens. These words include Hongbao, the red envelopes stuffed with cash given as gifts during the holiday, Chunyun, the Spring Festival holiday travel rush, and Chunwan, the Spring Festival gala.
You are here: China

A law league in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing plans to file a public interest lawsuit against two men for posing in front of war ruins in Japanese army uniforms.

The law league said Sunday that the move aims to speed up local legislation against behaviors that deny the Nanjing Massacre and profane the war martyrs and sites.

The league was established earlier this year to "safeguard the truth of the Nanjing Massacre."

On Tuesday, a user on microblogging site Sina Weibo posted a picture of the men, surnamed Tang and Zong, at the site of a fort used during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945).

They both wore the war-era uniforms of the Japanese army, and their actions stoked anger and caused strong public backlash.

Police soon launched an investigation, detainig Tang and Zong in the provinces of Sichuan and Jiangsu, respectively. Police said the men's behavior was "severely profane," hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and caused a "very bad influence."

The two would be held in detention for 15 days.
On February 4, 2018, China releases a package of policies in the "No. 1 Central Document."





On February 4, 2018, China released a package of policies in the "No. 1 Central Document," which calls for greater-than-ever attention to rural vitalization, put forward by President Xi Jinping at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year.

Without doubt it can be said that focusing on modernizing China's rural and agricultural sectors is quite forward thinking for rural well-being in order to reduce China's growing inequality between rural and urban areas. It is also expected that the No.1 Central Document will encourage people to live in rural areas rather than migrate to big cities, which will boost the livelihoods of rural farmers who produce sustenance for their urban counterparts.

Seen as an indicator of policy priorities, the No. 1 Central Document is the name traditionally given to the first policy statement that the CPC Central Committee and China's State Council release each year. This has been the 15th consecutive year that the No 1 Central Document has been devoted to agriculture, farmers and rural areas. Undoubtedly, the 2018 document will play an important role in modernizing and rejuvenating the whole of China.

Han Jun, director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said that the 2018 document was "problem-oriented" and a "top-level design" for the country to achieve prosperity in rural areas. It's a fact that China's vast rural population has not fully enjoyed adequate development opportunities in comparison to urban China. The Chinese Dream cannot be realized without realizing the dreams of the Chinese farmers. There is a lot to be accomplished in rural areas where opportunities for development have arisen as the country enters a new era, according to the document.

Chinese leaders are pragmatic enough to set reasonable goals, which make sure that the rural poor will at least have food to eat, clothes to wear, and places to live in by 2020. The 2018 document has provided a comprehensive roadmap for the reform and development of China's agriculture involving hundreds of millions of farmers.

Notably, the importance of timetabling is stressed in the latest document aiming at a strong agricultural sector, a beautiful countryside and well-off farmers. The document states that by 2020, there will be an institutional framework established for rural policy. By this time, poverty will be eliminated, and rural productivity as well as agricultural supply will be enhanced. By 2035, China will have embarked upon modernization of the agricultural and rural areas, and that both urban and rural residents will have access to basic public services. By 2050, farmers will be well off and rural areas will enjoy a strong agricultural sector.

According to the rural vitalization strategy, more capital will be channeled into rural areas through steadily rising public finance inputs, broadened financing, and providing better financial services. The package of policies also includes better education and medical services, green development, improved infrastructure and facilities such as toilets, and more training and incentives to build a workforce to support rural development.

Victor Gao, chairman of China Energy Security Institute and vice president of Center for China and Globalization rightly pointed out: "Chinese farmers will become new farmers, with greater empowerment and incentives; better training and education; higher income and more benefits; greater protection of their legitimate rights. Their voices will be better heard, and their dreams become more and more within reach."

It is planned that villages will be clean and tidy with better garbage sorting, sanitation facilities, residential sewage treatments and village management that will ensure farmers' basic quality of life. It is anticipated that the rural vitalization program and the ongoing land reform will contribute mightily to raising the standard of living in rural China.

Rabi Sankar Bosu, secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Putuo Mountain, sitting on a small island of Zhoushan Archipelago, is one of the greatest Buddhist mountains in China. As it is a sacred place of Avalokitesvara, or Bodhisattva Guanyin, travelers can easily absorb the unique culture through the sculpture, books, drawings, stone carvings and architecture style which can be found there. There are more than 200 temples on the mountain, with Puji, Fayu and Huiji being the largest and most famous. Every year on the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth months (believed to be the Birthday, Bodhi Day and Leaving Home Day of Guanyin) in the traditional Chinese calendar, thousands of believers and visitors go to Putuo to celebrate and pray.[China.org.cn/vcg]




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A new tourist route on a Spanish-administered archipelago off the west coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean will soon be opened for Chinese travelers in commemoration of the late writer Sanmao, according to local tourism authorities.





The route, located on the Canary Islands and available from March, is dedicated to Sanmao, a female writer from Taiwan who lived there during the latter half of the 20th century.





The announcement was made recently by Alicia Vanoostende, tourism adviser to La Palma, one of the seven main islands of the archipelago.





Born as Chen Maoping and also known as Echo Chan in the English-speaking world, the writer adopted her pseudonym "Sanmao" from the name of the protagonist of a famous Chinese comic series created by caricaturist Zhang Leping in the 1930s.





Sanmao married a Spaniard named Jose Maria Quero Y Ruiz in 1974 and the couple lived on the La Palma and Gran Canaria islands between 1976 and 1979.





The newly opened tourist route is also aimed at promoting the places in which the couple had lived.





One of Sanmao's most celebrated works is about her love story and adventures with her husband, who died in a diving accident in 1979 in La Palma, where he was later buried.





In 1991, Sanmao hanged herself at a hospital in Taipei after a cancer scare and the shock of losing a Hong Kong movie award for her script for the film Red Dust.





Quero Ruiz's grave as well as the couple's residences on both islands are preserved and are open to the public.





The sites have attracted a growing number of Chinese tourists in recent years, which is why local authorities have decided to design the route.





"At first I was curious because I always saw a lot of Chinese travelers visiting a normal house on our island, (and) many of them left letters in front of the house," Vanoostende says.





"I asked them why and they told me that is where Sanmao had lived, a writer," she says.





Ines Jimenez Martin, the counselor of tourism of Gran Canaria, says that since "millions of Chinese people know the Canary Islands through Sanmao's work, we want them to be able to relive and experience the life of Sanmao in Gran Canaria".








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The Nigerian government on Sunday said that 110 schoolgirls are unaccounted for following an attack by terror group Boko Haram on an all-girl college in the northeastern state of Yobe.



The figure was confirmed by Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed after a meeting with parents, security agencies and local government representatives, who gathered in the Yobe State capital Damaturu to discuss last Monday's incident at the Government Girls Technical College, in the state's Dapchi area.

"Out of the total register of 906 students in the school that day, 110 students are unaccounted," Mohammed said.

The official said no stone will be left unturned as the government is determined to rescue every missing student.

In a statement on Friday, Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari described the incident as a "national disaster," saying "the entire country stands as one with the girls' families."

The tragedy of the missing girls has brought back memories of a similar occurrence four years ago in Africa's most populous country when more than 200 schoolgirls, also from an all-girl college, were abducted by Boko Haram in the northeastern town of Chibok.

The outlawed Boko Haram group has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. They have killed some 20,000 people and displaced millions of others.
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The campaigning for Egypt's 2018 presidential election continued Sunday for the second day, as incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to score an easy win in the polls late March.



The campaigning officially started Saturday for the two-candidate election, which will be held on March 26-28. The result will be announced on April 2, according to the National Election Authority.

Since the start of the campaigning, main streets and squares in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, have been decorated with signs, banners, posters and placards supporting Sisi's re-election.

Sisi's sole rival in the race is little known politician Moussa Mostafa Moussa, chairman of liberal Ghad Party, after a couple of possible strong challengers have either withdrawn or disqualified for violations.

In downtown Cairo, Sisi's posters and banners of different sizes could be seen everywhere on the streets, squares, buildings, store fronts, main bridges and bus stations.

They are all accompanied by slogans in support of the incumbent president, such as "Think it right, Sisi is right," "With all love, we support Sisi's reelection," and "Egypt's workers support Sisi to continue development projects."

However, posters and signs in support of Moussa, if any, could hardly be seen anywhere.

Sisi came to office in mid-2014, a year after he, then army chief, led the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in response to mass protests against Morsi's one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Last December, a pro-Sisi non-official campaign called "So That You Can Build It (Egypt)," launched by some politicians and lawmakers, said it collected over 12 million signatures from Egyptians who support Sisi's reelection for a second term.

Later in January, the majority of Egyptian parliament members signed a recommendation form urging Sisi to run again for a four-year term, the last one for him according to the Egyptian constitution.
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sunday urged Japan to prevent assault on a pro-Pyongyang Korean residents association's headquarters in Tokyo from taking place again.

A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC) Sunday issued a statement on the attack on Friday by two Japanese right-wingers on the headquarters of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).

The attackers fired several bullets at the hall of the Chongryon headquarters in the Japanese capital, the first time for such an assault to have taken place, according to media reports.

"The Chongryon Central Standing Committee speaks for the dignity, right and interests of Chongryon organizations and Koreans in Japan and is playing the role as a diplomatic mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea under the present situation that the diplomatic ties have not been established between the DPRK and Japan," said the spokesman.

This is the first time for the right-wingers to fire gunshots at the Chongryon headquarters, said the spokesman.
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sunday warned the United States of its "own way of counteraction" if a maritime blockade and more sanctions are imposed as threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK issued a statement saying that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics are successfully coming to an end due to efforts by DPRK and collaboration by South Korea, while the process of an inter-Korean detente has been launched since the beginning of the year.

"However, on the eve of closing of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the United States is running amok to bring another dark cloud of confrontation and war over the Korean peninsula by announcing enormous sanctions against the DPRK," said the spokesman.

Trump on Friday announced what he called the "heaviest sanctions" on the DPRK. The new sanctions, the "largest-ever" package on the DPRK, will target 56 vessels, shipping companies, and trade businesses.

"Trump has announced new sanctions, the core of which is to completely block the DPRK's maritime trade with other countries," said the spokesman.

The spokesman said the DPRK has stated on numerous occasions that it will consider any type of blockade an act of war.

"If the U.S. ignores all of our sincere efforts for improving inter-Korean relations and for preserving peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, as desired by the nation, and doggedly persists instead in provocation against us, we will have a tight grip on the U.S. and deal with it with our own way of counteraction," said the spokesman.

He also warned that if tension on the Korean peninsula again escalates into a brink of war, "all the catastrophic consequences resulting therefrom will be borne by the United States."
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Thousands marched in Moscow on Sunday to commemorate slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead near the Kremlin three years ago.

Authorities gave permission for the memorial rally, but for many it was also a protest against the ruling party, just weeks before presidential elections.

More than 7,000 people filled the streets, commemorating one person.

The outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin was murdered late at night in central Moscow in 2015.

"He was an icon of democracy," march co-organizer Sergei Kusmin said. "He was our teacher, and an example of how we should proceed."

Nemtsov supporters march every year in his honor, carrying flowers to lay at the spot where he died.

The procession is much more than a memorial march, however. Attendees believe Nemtsov was killed because he was too critical of those in power. This year, with presidential elections just weeks away, they say they are standing up for democracy itself.

Putin is widely expected to win next month's vote easily, but with his main challenger barred from running for office, some feel these protests are their only platform.

"I wanted to protest our government and its policies," one marcher said. "I think they are leading our country in a totally wrong direction."

"Nobody cares but us," according to another. "It is very important for our political life, our political future, and our civil future."

Five men were convicted last year of killing Nemtsov, though the question of who ordered the killing remains.




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SKOPJE, Macedonia - Authorities on Saturday began altering signs at an airport and a highway after a dispute with Greece.

Macedonia decided this month to rename the country's national highway from "Alexandros the Macedon" to "Friendship Motorway" while Skopje's airport will be changed from "Alexander the Great International Airport" to "Skopje International Airport" as part of government plans.

Skopje Airport was named Alexander the Great Airport in 2006 under the administration of Nikola Gruevski but the move has been contested by Greece, which considered the placement of this name as a sign of Macedonia's plan to reclaim lost territory.

The Greek authorities also considered the placement of Alexander the Great monument and Philip II in Skopje as inappropriate.

The name issue between the two countries started in 1992, a year after the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia and chose the name Macedonia, which is also the name of a northern Greek province.

Greece worries the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.

To Macedonia, solving the name issue with Greece is important as it is considered the main obstacle to starting talks for European Union and NATO accession.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev said after a meeting with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras in Switzerland that his government would alter the signs to show its neighbor that Skopje had no such territorial ambitions.

Both countries consider Alexander the Great as their hero. Greece has a northern province called Macedonia, also the cradle of ancient Macedonia and its most famous leader, Alexander the Great.

Macedonia considers Alexander as part of its local identity.

The Macedonian government also decided to remove Alexander's monument from the capital's main square, saying that the monuments have caused great damage to the country and the citizens in terms of relations with neighboring countries.

But the opposition VMRODPMNE party has condemned the removal of the monuments, including that of the Macedonian revolutionary, Andon Qose, placed in front of the Supreme Court in Skopje.

Xinhua

(China Daily 02/26/2018 page11)
MADRID - A new tourist route on a Spanish-administered archipelago off the west coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean will soon be opened for Chinese travelers in commemoration of the late writer Sanmao, according to local tourism authorities.

The route, located on the Canary Islands and available from March, is dedicated to Sanmao, a female writer from Taiwan who lived there during the latter half of the 20th century.

The announcement was made recently by Alicia Vanoostende, tourism adviser to La Palma, one of the seven main islands of the archipelago.
Money, money, money, money! Kylie Jenner is definitely rolling in it. The lip kit maven from Los Angeles launched a cosmetics empire (you can check out what she made off it here) and is reaping the rewards for this with her life steeped in luxury.

She cant even legally drink, but she can spend her money! So what exactly does she blow all her dough on? Lets take a look below!

Over $50,000 In Puppies

@kyliejenner

Its no secret purebred puppies are expensive, and Kylie has four. Three of her dogs (Bambi, Sofia, and Norman) are Italian Greyhounds and probably cost her at least $1,000. Thats a lot of money to spend on dogs, especially when you can adopt for such a small fee.

The real kicker though is that he recent four legged addition Rolly, a merle tri-colored English Bulldog, reportedly cost $50,000 alone. Can you believe that?! Dont get me wrong, Rolly is absolutely adorable, but you could buy a luxury car for that price!
A Pennsylvania church will host an assault rifle blessing on Wednesday, Feb. 28, and has invited worshippers to bring their AR-15s to the service or purchase the gun if they still do not own one. The planned rites have raised concerns from parents whose children attend the Wallenpaupack South Elementary School, which is just half a mile away from the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, also known as the Sanctuary Church.

The Sanctuary Church officially posted the details of the assault rifle blessing on its site. The invitation extended to heterosexual couples only, who must present a $700 gift certificate if they cannot purchase or transport the rifle on the day of the ceremony.

Church director of world missions Tim Elder told the press that the AR-15 rifle was symbolic of the "rod of iron" that was spoken of in the Bible. He explained that they had scheduled the ceremony months before the tragic Florida school shooting, thus they will not be cancelling the blessing.

A gunman used an AR-15 rifle to attack the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last Wednesday, Feb. 14, which killed 17 people.

However, Richard A. Panzer, the Sanctuary Church president, stated in an email that there was no ill intent behind the event after parents of children who went to a nearby school expressed their concerns. Some have considered letting their children skip school on the day of the assault rifle blessing, which will take place at 10:00 a.m.

"All of the weapons in the ceremony will be checked to make sure they are unloaded, with a zip tie so that no bullets can be inserted," Panzer stated. "We are inviting local and state police to be on the premises, so that everything goes safely."

The Moon family from South Korea, led by Rev. Hyung Jin Moon, runs the Sanctuary Church. Moon is the son of Sun Myung Moon, the Unification Church's founder.
The National Library of Israel has given the public online access to a George Washington "thumb Bible." The rare 200-year-old sacred writ contains paraphrased texts from the Old and New Testaments.

The Bible measures 2 by 1.375 inches, and on its pages are woodcut illustrations of key scenes and figures from the Scriptures. Only a dozen copies or less of this miniature book exist today since its printing in 1813 to 1815.

John Taylor, an English poet from the 16th-17th century, created the miniature Bible which also had a dedication to Washington. The inscription on the first page reads: "To his Excellency G. Washington, President of the United States of America. Most hopeful George, into thy hands we give, The sum of that which makes us ever live. And tho' the volume and the work be small, Yet it contains the sum of all in all."

Thumb Bibles were popular in the early 19th century as way to teach children to read and appreciate literature. The George Washington thumb Bible is part of the Valmadonna Trust Library that consists of over 13,000 Hebrew books and manuscripts.

The National Library of Israel acquired the collection in 2017 with the help of avid collectors David and Jemima Jeselsohn, as well as the Haim and Hana Solomon Fund. The library will eventually showcase the whole collection once its new building opens its doors to the public in Knesset, Jerusalem, in 2021.

Other notable items from the Valmadonna collection include a Pentateuch scroll from the 12th century, which has been written in Samaritan alphabet; a Hebrew Bible from 1189; a Pentateuch from Constantinople that dates back to 1547; a prayer book from Fez in Morocco that dates back to 1516; and a newspaper article from 1666 about Sabbatai Zevi, who was believed to be the Messaiah.

Meanwhile, the online version of the George Washington thumb Bible can be read online at the library's website.
Administrators of Harvard sanctioned a Christian club for urging a female member to resign as a student leader after she began dating a woman.

The group Harvard College Faith and Action, which was apparently the largest Christian club at the university, has been placed under a year-long "administrative probation." University heads informed the HCFA of its decision in an email last Wednesday, Feb. 21.

"After a thorough review and finding that HCFA had conducted itself in a manner grossly inconsistent with the expectations clearly outlined in [the Office of Student Life's] Student Organization Resource and Policy Guide, OSL has placed HCFA on a one year administrative probation," university spokesperson Aaron M. Goldman confirmed.

Goldman additionally stated that the Office of Student Life "will require updated materials demonstrating that they are in compliance with the University's nondiscrimination," should the HCFA re-apply for recognition as a student organization in the spring.

Last fall, a bisexual member of the HCFA, who was its Bible course leader who mentored other members, had to forcibly resign. Email and text correspondents between her and the HCFA leadership implied that she revealed she had been dating a woman who was also an HCFA member.

Text messages between the female student and ministry fellows from the Christian Union, which is aligned with the HCFA, indicated that they met to discuss the nature of her relationship. The ministry fellows then asked her to resign from her role as Bible course leader. Several students, including friends of the person at the center of the controversy, corroborated that the meetings took place.

The Christian club leaders, however, expressed surprise over the school's sanction. A spokesperson for the HCFA, Molly Richmond, stated that the club does not "discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation."

The spokesperson, however, did not clarify whether the female member was asked to resign. Instead, Richmond cited that they had a theological disagreement.

The HCFA has been active on the campus for over 10 years.
The Catholic Church has officially declared a French nun, who experienced the healing of her severe back problems that had disabled her for decades, the 70th Lourdes miracle.

Sister Bernadette Moriau's nerve pain on her back resulted in her confinement to a wheelchair for the last 40 years. Following a trip to the Marian shrine at the Lourdes site in the Pyrenees mountain ranges last July 2008, however, the nun attested that she has been cured. She is now 79 years old.

Doctors in France, along with the International Medical Committee of Lourdes, examined the nun and confirmed that they could not explain how Moriau's chronic sciatica, also known as pinched spinal nerve, disappeared.

After a diagnosis at the age of 27, Moriau actually went through four spinal operations that did not alleviate her condition. She was diagnosed as fully disabled by 1980 and relied on morphine for her constant pain.

Moriau, like millions of devotees, sought for a cure from the holy spring at the Lourdes site. Upon her return home, she said she experienced a miracle while praying at her convent.

"She experienced an unusual feeling of relaxation and heat in the whole of her body (and) heard a voice telling her to take off her equipment, the corset and the leg brace," the Catholic parish spokesperson in Beauvais in France stated. Nicolas Brouwet, the Bishop of Lourdes, officially declared the miracle during a mass held at the basilica at the shrine.

Over 150 years ago, a peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirou witnessed the appearance of the Virgin Mary in the mountains. Over decades, the site has since received 200 million pilgrims and at least 7,000 visitors claimed they experienced healing following their visits, reports stated. Not every claim, however, go through a thorough investigation to be officially declared as a miracle.

The last officially declared Lourdes miracle was in 2013. Danila Castelli, then 34, suffered from high blood pressure after undergoing hysterectomy and annexectomy. Doctors also discovered she had a tumor in her bladder and underwent further surgeries but her condition did not improve.

Instead of going to the Mayo Clinic in 1988, Castelli and her husband visited the Lourdes site and Castelli felt "an extraordinary feeling of wellbeing" after emerging from the hot spring. Investigations into her healing, which took place from 1989 to 2010, cited her case as "prodigious-miraculous."
An upcoming Netflix show is gaining controversy and leaving viewers enraged. "The Push" is a reality TV program that has an unusual premise, as it is a social experiment on pressuring people to commit murder.

The series features Derren Brown, a mentalist and a psychological illusionist from England, as he aims to answer how easy or hard it is to manipulate a person to take someone else's life.

"Brown exposes the psychological secrets of obedience and social compliance," the Netflix press release underscored. "He expertly lifts the lid on the terrifying truth that, when confronted with authority, our natural instinct is to unflinchingly obey without questionato such an extent that even the most moral people can be made to commit the most horrendous acts, simply because they are told to do so."

No person actually kills in the series, which will launch on the streaming platform on Feb. 27. Brown and the production staff composed of at least 70 actors and crew, however, follow an unsuspecting person, who becomes the show's actual victim. He or she will be subjected to scenarios where they are manipulated to feel that the only way out is to commit murder.

Brown explained the show's concept in the trailer for "The Push." The short preview, however, has gained negative responses among netizens. Some were appalled that the series did not seem to value human life. Others threatened to drop their Netflix subscription.

The illusionist's experiment followed a similar concept from the 1960s, where a Yale psychologist, Stanley Milgram, manipulated people into torturing someone via electric shock. The victims were actually actors pretending to scream in pain but the experiment saw two thirds of the participants giving in to Milgram's cues.

Milgram wanted to see and understand how far people would obey an authority figure, as in the case of German soldiers during World War II. Psychologists, however, frowned upon the experiment for its deception and psychological harm to the participants.
Update (Feb. 27): Israel has suspended Jerusalems tax collection effort, so the famous church will reopen.

In an action not seen in more than a century, the leaders of Jerusalems churches closed the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday in a show of united protest. The dramatic decision comes in response to moves by Jerusalem authorities to begin collecting tens of millions of dollars in taxes from churches, as well as proposed legislation to confiscate church-owned land.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchreconsidered by many Christians to be the site of Jesus crucifixion, tomb and resurrectionis jointly managed by a cadre of Orthodox and Catholic churches. It is one of the most-visited sites in Israel, and its closure came as a sudden shock, especially with Easter celebrations approaching.

In a defiant statement released at the time of the closure, church leaders called the municipalitys new policy a systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Recently, this systematic and offensive campaign has reached an unprecedented level as the Jerusalem Municipality issued scandalous collection notices and orders of seizure of church assets, properties and bank accounts for alleged debts of punitive municipal taxesa step that is contrary to the historic position of the churches within the Holy City of Jerusalem and their relationship with the civil authorities, the church leaders stated. These actions breach existing agreements and international obligations which guarantee the rights and the privileges of the churches, in what seems as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.

In a dramatic about-face earlier this month, the municipal authorities of Jerusalem announced their intention to collect back taxes on property owned by churches in the city, totaling 650 million shekels (US$186 million).

The city property tax, called arnona, targets businesses and offices belonging to the historic churches in Jerusalem. Houses of worship will be exempt from taxation, but all other church properties will be fair game.

The unexpected proclamation came at a time when the city of Jerusalem faces budget shortfalls and mounting debt.

The Jerusalem Municipality has excellent and respectful connections with every church in the city, and it will continue protecting their freedom of religion, stated city leaders, according to the Post. However, it cannot accept the situation in which hotels and business are exempted from paying property tax only because the property is owned by a church.

The announcement, made the first weekend of February, blindsided ecclesial leadership in the Holy Land, who accuse Nir BarkatJerusalems mayor and a primary force behind the changeof betraying international treaties and centuries of precedent. Neither traditional legal interpretations nor historic precedent has quelled the movement of Barkat and his administration to force the churches to pay.

Authorities in Jerusalem already seized hundreds of thousands of dollars from the largest churches in the city, including the Greek Orthodox, the Catholics, the Anglicans, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. More seizures are on the way.

According to Haaretz, the Anglican Church in Jerusalem confirmed its bank accounts had been frozen by the city, which claimed to freeze the accounts of other major churches as well.

Jerusalem to Churches: No More Free Lunch

In its initial statement, the municipality rebuked the idea that commercial landsuch as hotels, banquet halls, and other businessesshould be free from taxation when owned by religious institutions. These are not houses of worship, which are exempt by law from paying arnona, but properties that are used for commercial activities, stated city leaders, according to Haaretz.

But the new collection strategy marks a serious shift. Never before have church properties, commercial or not, come under the arnona tax.

That changed after Gabriel Hallevy, a law professor at Israels Ono Academic College, provided his legal opinion asserting religious tax exemptions are exclusive to assets intended for worship or religious education. Citing Hallevys opinion, Barkats administration started its campaign to collect back taxes on 887 properties owned primarily by churches and the United Nations.

Previously, the state of Israel disallowed Jerusalem from collecting such taxes. But equipped with Hallevys new legal pronouncement, and facing massive debt, which Barkat blames in large part on inadequate state funding, the municipality has vowed to end what it sees as a free lunch.

We will no longer agree to have residents of Jerusalem fund these enormous sums, said Barkat, according to The Times of Israel. The state needs to face the consequences of its decisions. Either the state will compensate us and return the money that is meant to develop the city, or we will collect it as required by law. We intend to conduct administrative and legal enforcement, and if need be, we wont hesitate to take the matter to the High Court of Justice.

Especially since President Donald Trump announced his administrations game-changing public recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital last Decembermanifested in plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, now by MayIsraeli authorities have taken increasingly forceful action to tighten control over the city at the center of global religious and regional ethnic disputes.

Christian Unity Comes to the Holy City

Jerusalems churches have never had to pay municipal property taxesnot under Ottoman, British, or Jordanian rule stretching back hundreds of years. Despite the new measures, the churches intend to keep it that way.

In a united front, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalema group of 13 of the holy citys top ecclesial leaderspenned a letter in opposition to the municipality's announcement.

We, the heads of churches in Jerusalem, declare that such a statement is contrary to the historic position between the churches within the Holy City of Jerusalem and the civil authorities across the centuries, reads the February 14 letter. The civil authorities have always recognized and respected the great contribution of the Christian churches, which invest billions in building schools, hospitals, and homes, many for the elderly and disadvantaged, in the Holy Land.

Some church representatives assert the matter is rooted not in new legal revelations, but in the feud between Jerusalems mayor and Israels Finance Ministry. Barkat accuses the ministry of withholding promised funding as part of a scheme of the finance minister, Moshe Kahlon, to target Barkats administration.

Barkat has argued for greater funding, pointing to the unique financial challenges facing Jerusalem. To make budgetary ends meet, Barkat has conducted a campaign that has included threatening to fire thousands of municipal workers and pressuring the Finance Ministry for larger grants via billboards and newspaper ads.

The state played a game at the expense of the residents of Jerusalem and illegally exempted the churches and the UN from paying property taxes in parts that are not places of worship without legal basis, reads a statement from the municipality, according to the Times. The financial damage caused over the years to Jerusalem due to the states stance is almost NIS 1 billion [shekels].

But without a deal from the state, it will be churches and international organizations like the United Nations that foot the bill.

Wadie Abunassar, a spokesperson for the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was quoted by Haaretz as calling Israeli authorities to do what is necessary for guaranteeing respect of old understandings between civil authorities on one hand, and church and international bodies on the other hand.

The Anglican Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem said the new tax threatened its ability to maintain its many social care initiatives in the city, along with its numerous schools, training centers, and health care facilities. Likewise, the Vaticans Notre Dame of Jerusalem hotel, restaurant, and conference center (among many other such enterprises) are set to face fines, stretching the Roman Catholic Churchs resources in the ancient city.

Representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church, which owns approximately 30 percent of the Old City of Jerusalem and claims the largest stake of any denomination in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, condemned the new tax standard, as did key stakeholders across Jerusalems Christian denominations.

Liens placed on church accounts have already stunted their daily operations in Jerusalem.

All of our assets are frozen, a representative of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate told the Times. We cant pay for food, salaries, administration, nothing.

The church leaders boycotted their annual meeting with the mayor that was supposed to happen last week in protest of the tax.

In their ecumenical letter, the churches say with one voice that the new status quo cannot stand. Such a measure both undermines the sacred character of Jerusalem, and jeopardizes the Churchs ability to conduct its ministry in this land on behalf of its communities and the world-wide church.

The churches request Jerusalem retract its decision.

Echoing the February 14 letter, the letter issued by the churches today concludes, as a measure of protest, we decided to take this unprecedented step of closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Together with all Heads of Churches in the Holy Land, we stand united, firm and resolute in protecting our rights and our properties.
Our firstborn got married this past July, and we are overjoyed for him and his wife. Theyd dated long-distance for two years. After hours-long Skype conversations and scads of money spent on air travel, they were more than ready to tie the knot and start their life together.

All four of us newly minted in-laws are in full support of this marriage. We have watched our children bloom within this relationship. We see them bring out the best in the other. We know they are earnestly following Christ.

And they are very young: He is 20, and she is 21.

These details have garnered more than a few raised eyebrows. Surely they would have been best served by his finishing his undergraduate degree before they married. He may want to attend graduate school. Isnt it a bit early for marriage?

Weighing the Risks

We live in a highly educated area with several universities just down the road. My husband and I both have graduate degrees. The truth is, we dont come from a demographic that generally supports marriage at this point in a persons life.

Marrying this young isnt just odd for our demographicits countercultural across the board. Men have typically waited until their mid-to-late-20s for marriage, and the common marrying age for women has been on the rise for a century. According to The New York Times, the median age for marriage in 1890 was 26 for men and 22 for women. By the 1950s, it had dropped to 23 for men and 20 for women. In 2004, it climbed to 27 for men and 26 for women.

Then in 2013, the Knot Yet Report revealed that those averages are higher still: Couples now are postponing marriage to age 29 for men and 27 for women. The delayed marriage trend appears to come with some excellent effects, including decreased divorce rates and increased incomes for college-educated women.

Why, in light of this, would we not merely acquiesce to this very young marriage, but wholeheartedly encourage it? What of the risks? The potential for divorce? The unavoidable struggles of navigating early adulthood compounded by this life-changing decision? As parents, we are hard-wired against risk. For two decades, we have tallied the potential perils in schools, sports, and organic milk. We want the very best for our children, so why would we support this countercultural choice?

The prevalent message in our culture is that young adulthood is the time to build a foundation for a healthy life. Those in their early 20s are encouraged to pursue education, travel, and gain life experience, all unhindered by wedlock. Marriage is viewed by many as something that comes only after adequate time to develop personal identity and establish a strong financial footing.

But inherent in this delay is a reality we as parents are very cognizant of: Young adults, like all of us, are sexual beings. When marriage is delayed, so is the opportunity to experience sexual intimacy within Gods parameters of a marriage covenant.

Our son and his wife found each other early in life. They desired true intimacy, with all of its difficulties and privileges, including sexual expression. Obedience to God, then, for them meant marriageand trusting that God will be faithful to them in the risks and challenges they may face as a young married couple. As parents, we believe that, in the case of our son and his wife, early marriage was their best, healthiest, and only faithful optionone that stands in stark contrast with the prevalent trends of sexual expression among young people today.

Playing the Field

While there are certainly young adults, Christian and non-Christian, who choose sexual abstinence, many today are sexually active long before marriage looms. A 2015 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that approximately 41 percent of high school students report having had sexual intercourse. This is actually a downward trend from recent decades; in 2009, nearly 50 percent of all high school students were sexually active and almost 70 percent would be by the time they were 18. While a smaller percentage of teens are sexually active today, the number that are is still significant. One can expect that a sexually active teenager will continue this activity into young adulthood, married or not, while many others who were not sexually active as teenagers will become soagain, married or not. This gives rise to a variety of sexual experiences among young adults, one of which is the casual sexual encounters within hookup culture.

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A hookup is a conflicted concept from the start. Perhaps best defined by author Donna Freitas as unattached intimacy, it doent necessarily assume intercourse, but the interaction between partners is sexual and is, by definition, free and unassociated. In The End of Sex, Freitas clarifies that a hookup requires unattachment and the active suppression of emotion. Partners must drain themselves of feeling.

At best, the concept of unattached intimacy seems an oxymoronand yet, according to both Freitas and Lisa Wade, author of American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus, this is the social currency on most college campuses today. Further, in her Atlantic article Boys on the Side, Hanna Rosin lauds hookups as empowerment for young adult women, who through them can enjoy sexual adventure ... and temporary relationships that dont get in the way of future success. While I wholeheartedly endorse the future success of women, a hookups potential emotional tollfor both women and menis more than concerning.

But hooking up is not the only option available to young un-marrieds; others pursue sustained, quasi-committed dating relationships that may flounder, eventually lead to marriage, or that may continue in limbo indefinitely.

Not long before our sons wedding, a 20something colleague of my husband asked if it was wise for our son to marry when still a virgin. How could he decide whom to marry before hes had sex with heror anyone else? Before making that commitment, before permanently hitching their wagons to one anothers stars, shouldnt they at least try living together?

Closer to Home

Cohabitation has increased by more than 900 percent in the past 50 years, according to the Council on Contemporary Families. In April 2017, the Pew Research Center reported that 8.9 million adults ages 18 to 34 lived together in 2016, an increase of 29 percent over 2007, when 7.2 million adults in this age range lived together.

Doing so can be seen as both convenient and practical: shared rent and living expenses enable both partners to save money at a time when, as young adults, those expenses loom large. Yet in a 2016 survey from Barna Group, the most common reason given for cohabitingat 84 percentwas its power to foretell partner compatibility.

An accurate prediction here has great appeal. Despite some counterarguments, many people still believeand the American Psychological Association still statesthat 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorcea deeply painful experience, full of complex and hurtful realities that can last a lifetime. Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group, explains that many young people today recognize marriage as risk: They want to make sure they get it right and to avoid the heartbreak they witnessed in the lives of their parents or their friends parents.

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So, rather than making a firm commitment, couples simply live together. In May 2016, the Huffington Post sifted new research that claims living together provides as much emotional contentment as marriage. Problems arise, according to Happily Unmarried author John Curtis, when couples fail to discuss their expectations for living together, as partners often have different visions for the relationships future.

But the same article also notes some of the risks. Author Terry Gaspard cites more research from the Rand Corporation, which finds that cohabiting partners report lower levels of complete commitment than those who are married ... especially if they are males. Moreover, she says that cohabiting relationships are associated with lower levels of reported closeness, love, and satisfaction in the intimacy dimension.

Perhaps this is due to that lack of commitment. Is it possible to be fully emotionally intimate with someone who leaves the proverbial door propped open, maintaining their means to leave? As Claire Cain Miller observed in The New York Times in September, American couples who live together but dont marry are generally less likely to stay committed.

Abiding Ties

Christs words in Matthew 19:56 are striking. He quotes that famous sentence about marriage from Genesis 2 and goes on to amplify it: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.

I believe that Jesus is not merely commenting here on marriage but on the emotional bond that comes with sexual intimacy. Separating two after they have become one is nothing short of a rending, with pain and loss that extend far beyond the tangible. Promoting sexual satisfaction absent commitment or encouraging personal and practical achievement above emotional well-being means that many experience that rending repeatedly and with multiple partners throughout their young-adult and adult lives.

By contrast, early marriage (should one find the right partner) can provide the emotional nexus foundational to a healthy adulthood. My husband and I know this from experience. He was 23 and I was 20 when we married; I still had another year of college ahead of me. We traveled, went to graduate school, lived on little money, learned how to fight and resolve arguments. And when financial disaster hit in our 30s and early 40s, we already had a decade of life and experience together.

We could have asked our children to wait in the interest of gaining life experience and hoped-for security. But none of us can safeguard our lives from disaster. And our greatest safety will come in obedience to our loving heavenly Father, whose law takes into compass every aspect of our selves, from our sex drive to our bank accounts to our emotional health.

We blessed and encouraged our son and daughter-in-laws young marriage because we believed it was best for them. Sociologist Bradford Wilcox said it well here in Christianity Today: We are more likely to flourish when we live lives marked by generosity and by deep and abiding ties to other people. And of course these two things are more likely to happen in the married context as compared to other contexts.

In July 2017, we watched our children form an abiding tie between themselves and God. We know the road ahead of them will be good. We also know it will be difficult. And we couldnt be happier for them.

Rebecca Brewster Stevenson writes in Durham, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and children. She is author of the novel Healing Maddie Brees.
Pope Francis has called for a day of prayer and fasting for South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo on 23 February in response to the ongoing social-political tension and violence in the two nations.

According to World Council of Churches (WCC), which welcomed pope's call, 4.3 million people are displaced the DRC and 13.1 million people will be in need of humanitarian aid this year.

In South Sudan, 2 million people have fled the young nation as refugees during the last four years of war, and about 1.9 million people are internally displaced. Of the remaining population of the country, 7 million people need humanitarian assistance.

Following pope's call for a day of prayer and fasting, WCC has urged the churches to observe the day.

In a letter, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said that children, young men, and women have been among the most affected.

"Millions of women and girls are exposed to gender-based violence in these crisis-affected areas," he wrote.

"We acknowledge the courageous and hopeful work that carries on each day to serve the people in need," he added.

Christians, together with those belonging to other faiths, may join this initiative in the forms they deem to be appropriate, said Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in a letter to Tveit.

"The prayer of all Christians on that day for the gift of peace would be an authentic sign of solidarity and closeness to those suffering in these nations and above all to the many Christians from different churches who live there, and moreover would be a tangible step in the shared witness to the Gospel of peace, of which the world is in such need," he added.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - The goal of a newly formed Great Lakes Hyperloop consortium is to get a Cleveland-Chicago route up and running in three to five years.

"In three to five years, we might have a Hyperloop here; that's the goal," said Andrea La Mendola, chief global operating officer for Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, also known by its initials, HTT.

La Mendola set a timeframe for the Hyperloop project as one of a dozen speakers Monday during a press event at the Great Lakes Science Center organized by HTT and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency.

HTT and NOACA used the occasion to formally launch a $1.2 million public private partnership exploring the feasibility of a Cleveland-Chicago route.

First envisioned by inventor and business magnate Elon Musk, Hyperloop is a technology that could speed passengers or cargo at nearly the speed of sound in specially designed capsules or "pods" through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum.

The capsules would employ passive magnetic levitation technology licensed from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, HTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn said in an interview during Monday's event.

A promotional video produced for Monday's event said that a Cleveland-to-Chicago run would take 28 minutes and could carry 54,720 passengers a day. Such a line could make 525,600 trips a year.

Foundation grant

NOACA's Executive Director, Grace Gallucci, announced that the Cleveland Foundation had contributed $200,000 toward the $600,000 the transportation planning agency has pledged to contribute toward the feasibility study.

At Monday's event, HTT and NOACA announced the names of 18 businesses and nonprofit or academic organizations that have joined their partnership to explore a potential Great Lakes Hyperloop link between Cleveland and Chicago.

The list includes: Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems, Corp., Ohio State University, ZIN Technologies, Ohio Aerospace Institute, Jobs Ohio, America Makes, Oak Ridge National Labs, Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Council, Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Technology Committee, Wright State Research Institute, The Gateway Group, Additive Engineering Solutions, Eureka Ranch, The University of Akron, The University of Akron Research Foundation, University of Cincinnati SpaceX Hyperloop Competition Team, The Greater Akron Chamber, and the City of Akron.

Possible network

HTT and NOACA also unveiled a map of a proposed Hyperloop network that would link nearly two dozen American and Canadian cities including Toronto and Windsor.

The green-colored "Phase 1" illustrated on the map showed a Cleveland-Chicago route with stops in Sandusky and Toledo.

HTT officials said they expect the feasibility analysis to be completed in six to nine months after an engineering team is chosen through a request-for-proposals process to undertake the study.

Speakers at the gathering included U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Tim Ryan of Youngstown, along with Gallucci, Ahlborn and others. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson welcomed the audience of about 75 attendees.

The HTT Hyperloop project is not to be confused with a different route being explored by Virgin Hyperloop One, based in Los Angeles.

Monday's event was the latest in a series of tit-for-tat announcements in which HTT, based in Playa Vista California, is vying for attention along with the Hyperloop One proposal, which calls for a Columbus-Chicago route that would exclude Cleveland.

Columbus proposal

Last week, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) said it was launching a $2.5 million Rapid-Speed Transportation Initiative to explore routes that could use either traditional passenger rail and/or Hyperloop technology to link Chicago, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

The MORPC announcement said it would conduct a feasibility study of Hyperloop technology for the corridor, followed by an environmental study.

The map of the network unveiled in Cleveland showed a Columbus-Chicago route that would swing through Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and not go directly to from Columbus to Chicago. The Hyperloop One proposal would skip Indy and Cincinnati.

"I don't think it's a competition," HTT's Ahlborn said in an interview when asked about the Hyperloop One Columbus-Chicago project.

Creating a movement

"When we started out we realized that we had to create this movement. They [Hyperloop One] are part of the movement," Ahlborn said. "It's important to move the technology forward. Ideally everybody would work together. That's not always possible, but that would be the ideal case."

When asked whether Hyperloop One would be using the same technology as HTT, Ahlborn said he didn't know.

"I don't know their technology," he said. "Unfortunately, we've seen very little. From what we can see there's not too much information out there."

Asked whether one company would have an advantage over the other if it got a Hyperloop connection finished first, Ahlborn said: "I think the world is big enough to have many different companies."

Hyperloop One did not respond to an email seeking comment on Monday's event in Cleveland.

Keeping Cleveland in the game

Gallucci said she believes Hyperloop will become a reality, and she wants Northeast Ohio to participate not just through supply chain industries and jobs, but with an actual route.

And she said she believes a Cleveland Chicago route that would parallel interstate highways on public rights-of-way makes sense as part of what could become a national network.

"There was no doubt in my mind that the connection should be through Chicago and Cleveland," she said, "because when you look at [Interstates] 80 and 90 from the West Coast to the East Coast, they both intersect at those two points."
BROOK PARK, Ohio -- Reduced operating hours for the United States Postal Service's Cleveland Airport Mail Center has become the catalyst for Brook Park Mayor Mike Gammella to push for a post office for his city.

Gammella opposed recently announced limited airport post office hours through a City Council resolution discussed at the Feb. 20 caucus. The legislation passed unanimously at the regular council meeting that followed. It urges the USPS to reinstate its prior operating hours.

The airport facility, located at 5801 Postal Road, is now open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It had been open until 11 p.m. before the Feb. 17 change. Previous weekend operations have been reduced to just 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Brook Park has more than 18,000 residents.

"A lot of our businesses and residents really don't care for that (change)," Gammella said. "They use it from the period of 4 to 11 p.m. We need to keep it open when it is convenient for our residents."

He went on to say his "end game is to bring a post office back to Brook Park."

"We need one, and we deserve one, and our residents do, as well," Gammella said.

Councilman Jim Mencini said he spoke recently to a postal service employee who said there needs to be increased resident "foot traffic ... to keep it a productive facility."

That basically reflected what USPS corporate communications spokesman David Van Allen told cleveland.com on Feb. 23.

"Retail hours at post offices are periodically reviewed and adjusted based on customer usage," Van Allen explained. "We generally consider establishment of an independent or new post office when present postal facilities fail to meet the needs of the community. Post offices are not really established for the primary purpose of providing community identity."

He added that the City Council resolution "will be responded to" by USPS officials.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kevin Smith, the director behind films like "Clerks," "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma," nearly lost his life last night.

Smith took to Twitter early Monday morning to post a picture of himself in the hospital connected to tubes after suffering a "massive heart attack."

After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka the Widow-Maker). If I hadnt canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I wouldve died tonight. But for now, Im still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018

Smith, 47, was scheduled to perform two shows in California Sunday as part of his latest comedy tour, which is set to stop in Cleveland in April.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Are you Team "Three Billboards" or Team "The Shape Of Water"? Team Frances McDormand or Team Sally Hawkins? You've made your predictions, and now it's time to see which of your cinematic favorites take home the ultimate prize.

No matter where your loyalties lie - or how much money you've placed your bets on - it all comes down to one night. The Academy Awards return 8 p.m., Sunday, March 4, on ABC with host Jimmy Kimmel.

So, the big question is where are you going to watch it all unfold? We've rounded up five watch parties around town where you can follow all the action.

Edwins, 13101 Shaker Sq., Cleveland

7 p.m.-Midnight

At Edwins in Shaker Square, the French restaurant is celebrating a victory of its own. This year, "Knife Skills," a film about the Edwins culinary training program that employs people who were formerly incarcerated, is nominated in the documentary shorts category. They'll be partying in style at their home base as guests are served hors d'oeuvres and enjoy an open bar. If you're feeling lucky, try your hand at the Oscar ballot competition.

Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival at re:bar, 2130 E. 9th St., Cleveland

6:30-10 p.m.

Staff, volunteers and fans of the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, which returns Sept. 20-28, will gather for this watch party at re:bar, where the red carpet show kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served as the DJ, Mark Mathews of The WhatKnot Bowtie Co. and the monthly Sanctuary dance night, spins tunes.

Jukebox, 1404 W. 29th St., Cleveland

7-10 p.m.

The cozy Hingetown bar, Jukebox, is typically all about the music. It even has an old-school jukebox filled with local music and touring acts that are traveling through Cleveland. But this Sunday is a cinema take-over. They'll have a red carpet happy house from 7-9 p.m. and serve up $6 Prosecco all night. Place your bets on the winners for a chance to win prizes after the show. Jukebox is at 1404 W. 29th St, Cleveland.

The Side Quest, 17900 Detroit Road, Lakewood

6:30 p.m.-Midnight

Are you the type that feels like they should be in bed fast asleep before the Oscars come to a close? You're in luck. Turn in your red carpet looks for PJs at Lakewood geek bar, The Side Quest. They'll serve specialty themed cocktails as you watch the event on the big screen, and the kitchen will be open 4-11 p.m.

McCarthy's Downtown, 1231 Main Ave., Cleveland

6 p.m.

Cleveland-based actor and Screen Actors Guild member Christopher Butler will host this bash at McCarthy's. It will be co-hosted by Shuyler White of Ohio Burn Unit, the 13-time Guinness Book of World Records breaker for fire-related feats who recently starred in the Netflix original movie, "Little Evil." Ohio Burn Unit will also have apprentice try-outs. To celebrate the occasion, McCarthy's will have champagne specials throughout the night. They'll also have an Oscar ballot contest with prizes.
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Who is interested in mobile jammers?There are a lot of people interested in potential mobile jammers. Aren't welcome no matter where in the use of mobile phones, will be in the absence of a ban on rapidly build such jammer: school, church, cinemas and theatres, but there are some companies and employers want back cell phone jammers. Companies may prevent customers from making online price comparisons in their stores.

Cell phone jammer is a crime service.

Mobile phone jammers related to crime are also popular. The jammer not only interrupts the connection to the mobile network, thereby preventing the interruption of emergency calls, but also interferes with the wireless connection and the wireless alarm system. Criminals can take advantage of this, for example, by making it easier to attack cash carriers or buildings that are protected by alerts.

Great. Do you want something like that? It's not easy. Cell phone jammers are banned in the country's private and many other countries, as well as in other countries across the European Union. Part of the reason is that cell phone jammers not only prevent private radio communications, but also prevent the radios of police, fire brigades and other important institutions. In addition, emergency calls cannot be sent again.

It is widely reported that in December 2016, cell phone jammers thwarted attempts to assassinate Pakistani President pervez musharraf. When President bush visited London in November 2004, it was reported that British police had seen the protection of the President of London with the help of a purr. In the hostage situation, the police can control when and where the prisoner dialed.

The company uses purrs to block voice transmission and take photos from the camera phone to stop corporate espionage. At one end of the spectrum of legitimacy, rumour has it that hotel chains are installing jamming devices to stop the use of mobile phones and force them to work at high prices on their cell phones. Such an excellent mobile jammer application.

If you want to buy a GPS jammer, you may be aware of its function, which is to interfere with GPS signals that might interfere with GPS tracking. We'll explain it in detail here.The uav needs GPS to provide accurate positioning for it, so it is very simple to target the uav, and the use of the drone jammer can cause it to lose its direction.

Before I explain my convenience, it's best to explain how GPS works. GPS represents the system used by GPS, individuals, commercial entities and armies, especially for navigation purposes.

GPS global positioning system uses a series of earth-orbiting satellites that emit radio signals. The signal reaches the GPS receiver to determine the location by triangulation. GPS can be found in personal handheld devices and mobile phones, vehicle navigation and positioning systems, and small GPS tracking devices.

By triangulation, three separate points can be found to calculate the position. In the vehicle's navigation system, the position of the vehicle is measured by three satellites. By triangulation, GPS can transmit the position to the receiver with only a few inches of precision.

A GPS signal is a radio signal with a certain frequency. GPS actually has two main frequencies, one for public, non-military (1575.42 MHz), and the other for the U.S. military (1227.6mhz). Since GPS is only a faint radio wave, these waves can be interfered or distorted by using a GPS jammer.

Car GPS jammer were originally created by governments, military organizations and spy agencies. Its application involves the confusion of where the enemy is located or where the enemy's GPS missile or bomb falls.

Now, civilians have been looking for these devices to protect their privacy in the growing GPS tracking world. There are several civilian ways to prevent the major privacy related GPS signals, including the ability to hide themselves or vehicles under the GPS receiver. A convenient application is the sales staff or drivers, they may want to eat lunch at outside their territory, or go home to get a project, without much explanation for vehicle GPS tracking. Most civil GPS jammers are enough to cover even the largest vehicles that can protect users' privacy.

https://www.jammer-buy.com/GPS-for-defense-vehicles.html

https://www.jammer-buy.com/will-wifi-be-replaced.html
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Market Outline: Latin America Capnography Devices Market

Capnography is the process of monitoring partial pressure or concentration of carbon dioxide in respiratory gases by using capnogram. It is majorly used as a monitoring tool during intensive care and anesthesia. Capnography helps to anesthesiologists to prevent the hypoxia and help to determine the situations that can lead to hypoxia and may cause irreversible brain damage. Due to these advantages, capnography is widely used in endoscopic suites, emergency rooms, x-ray rooms, and on-site emergency and trauma centers. In healthy individuals, difference between the arterial blood and expired CO 2 partial pressure is very small however, in presence of lung disease, and some congenital heart disease the difference is increased and can exceed 1 kPa.

Market Dynamics: Latin America Capnography Devices Market

Increase in the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COPD in Latin American Countries such as Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela, technological advancements in the capnography devices, advances in economic growth, and expansion of businesses by the market players are anticipated to fuel the capnography devices market. Moreover, wide range of applications of capnography devices such as hypoventilation, esophageal intubation, and endotracheal tube placement along with its minimally invasive nature, ease of usage are expected to propel the capnography devices market over forecast period. However, alternative devices availability for capnography such as pulse oximeter, new clinical studies restraining the usage in non-intubated individuals, and issues associated with capnography usage are anticipated to impede the growth of capnography devices market.

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Market Scope: Latin America Capnography Devices Market

Capnography devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, and end user

Based on product type, the market is segmented into the following:

 Capnographs

o Micro-Stream Capnographs

o Side-Stream Capnographs

o Main Stream Capnographs

 Disposables

Based on technology, the market is segmented into the following:

 Hand-Held Monitors

 Stand-Alone Monitors

 Others

Based on application, the market is segmented into the following:

 Anesthesia

 Procedural Sedation

 Intensive Care

 Pain Management

 Emergency Medicine

 Others

Based on end user, the market is segmented into the following:

 Hospitals

 Clinics

 Ambulatory Surgical Centers

To view TOC of this report is available upon request @

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Country Analysis: Latin America Capnography Devices Market

Geographically, Latin America capnography devices market is segmented into Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America. Brazil capnography devices market expected to witness significant growth due to increase in the prevalence of COPD and other respiratory disorders (approximately 4,241 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people in Brazil), increase in number of plastic surgeries, and rise in medical tourism in the region. Uruguay capnography devices market is projected to grow at a significant rate attributed to recommendations by The Uruguayan Society of Anesthesiologists and American Society of Anesthesiologists for capnography devices usage during anesthetics & sedation, and high prevalence of COPD disease in Uruguay (approximately 5,031 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people) are expected to bolster the market over the forecast period.

Competition Assessment: Latin America Capnography Devices Market

Some of the players in the Latin America capnography devices market include:

 Covidien plc (Medtronic, plc. (Ireland))

 Masimo Corporation (U.S.)

 Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan)

 Smiths Medical, Inc. (U.S.)

 Nonin Medical, Inc. (U.S.)

 Welch Allyn Inc. (U.S.)

 Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany)

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Key Features of the Report:

 The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, and forecast from 2017-2023

 The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, key findings, and their key strategies

 The report outlines drivers, restraints, challenges, and trends that are currently faced by the industry

 The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and start-ups details that are working in the industry

 The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario

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Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Country Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market: By Product Type (Capnographs, disposables), By Technology (Hand-Held Monitors, Stand-Alone Monitors, Others), By Application (Anesthesia, Procedural Sedation, Intensive Care, Pain Management, Emergency Medicine, Others), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Ambulatory Surgical Centres), and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Market Outline: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market

Capnography is the process of monitoring partial pressure or concentration of carbon dioxide in respiratory gases by using capnogram. It is majorly used as a monitoring tool during intensive care and anesthesia. Capnography helps to anesthesiologists to prevent the hypoxia and help to determine the situations that can lead to hypoxia and may cause irreversible brain damage. Due to these advantages, capnography is widely used in endoscopic suites, emergency rooms, x-ray rooms, and on-site emergency and trauma centers. In healthy individuals, difference between the arterial blood and expired CO 2 partial pressure is very small however, in presence of lung disease, and some congenital heart disease the difference is increased and can exceed 1 kPa.

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Market Dynamics: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market

Increase in the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as COPD and asthma in Middle East and Africa region majorly in Israel, South Africa, and GCC countries and adoption of newer technologies are anticipated to fuel the capnography devices market. Moreover, wide range of applications of capnography such as hypoventilation, esophageal intubation, and endotracheal tube placement, growing geriatric population coupled with minimally invasive nature and ease of usage are expected to propel the capnography devices market over forecast period. However, alternative devices availability for capnography such as pulse oximeter, new clinical studies restraining the usage in non-intubated individuals, and issues associated with capnography usage are expected to impede the growth of capnography devices market.

Market Scope: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market

Capnography devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, technology, application, and end user

Based on product type, the market is segmented into the following:

 Capnographs

 Micro-Stream Capnographs

 Side-Stream Capnographs

 Main Stream Capnographs

 Disposables

Based on technology, the market is segmented into the following:

 Hand-Held Monitors

 Stand-Alone Monitors

 Others

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Based on application, the market is segmented into the following:

 Anesthesia

 Procedural Sedation

 Intensive Care

 Pain Management

 Emergency Medicine

 Others

Based on end user, the market is segmented into the following:

 Hospitals

 Clinics

 Ambulatory Surgical Centers

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Country Analysis: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market

Geographically, Middle East and Africa capnography devices market is segmented into South Africa, Israel, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and Rest of Middle East and Africa. Israel capnography devices market is rising due to increase in the prevalence of COPD (approximately 3,195 COPD cases observed per 100,000 people), expansion of business by the market players, and rise in awareness about usage of capnography devices among healthcare professionals are expected to propel the market. Moreover, launching of newer products into Middle East region also anticipated to upsurge the revenue of capnography devices market. For instance, in January 2015, Viamed launched new capnograph monitor technology VersaStream to Middle East regions at Arab Health 2015.

Competition Assessment: Middle East and Africa Capnography Devices Market

Some of the players in the Middle East and Africa capnography devices market include:

 Medtronic, plc. (Ireland)

 Masimo Corporation (U.S.)

 Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan)

 Smiths Medical, Inc. (U.S.)

 Welch Allyn Inc. (U.S.)

 Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands)

 Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany)

 Viamed Limited (England)

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As J-beauty and K-beauty square off in beauty aisles around the world, a recent Mintel blog post took a closer look at what exactly is driving beauty products from Japan to rival those of its South Korean neighbor.

The answer? An emphasis on hydration.

The blog post stated that...

In Japan, essences and harsh toners are replaced with lotions that focus on hydration, an example Mintel gave was Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion;

When it comes to UV protection, products such as Kao Biore Sarasara UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+/PA++++, not only protect against UV rays but also leave skin moist while hyaluronic acid to boosts hydration; and

Acne is often battled with gentle, natural ingredients such as vitamin C, tea extracts and essential oils.

For the full blog post, please visit: www.mintel.com
The International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR) and the International Associations Collaboration (IAC) initiated a preservative defense project to address the continued reductions in the number of preservatives and preservative systems used in cosmetics.1 For instance, numerous manufacturers have used methylisothiazolinone (MIT) at its upper limit, which likely caused rapid increases in the number of contact allergies, prompting the European Union to prohibit its use in leave-on products.24 Experts within the Japanese Cosmetic Industry Association (JCIA) have also been discussing the challenges of cosmetic preservation.

As such, it is vital to design formulations with maximum microbe protection using minimum preservative quantities. By actively pursuing minimum preservative use, the industry will defend todays available preservative solutions against more stringent restrictions and worsening reputations. This strategy is thus referred to as an offensive defense. In relation, it is important for manufacturers to understand strategies to establish appropriate preservative systems, as well as their aggressive use, and to be knowledgeable about the overarching preservative defense project.

The general properties of preservatives and their uses have been reported.5, 6 However, this paper aims to describe the basic theory and essence of preservative systems, as well as methods for determining appropriate preservative levels in formulations as a primer for the larger offensive defense strategy.

Microbial Control in Cosmetics

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Since the middle of the 20th century, cosmetics have been known to be susceptible to contamination by organisms such as Gram-negative bacteria. At that time, eye-area products contaminated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused eyesight loss,710 which highlighted the necessity to initiate urgent action, and various efforts were subsequently undertaken.

As one major response, the International Organization for Standardization/Technical Committees 217 (ISO/TC217) was initiated in 1997, and discussions on microbial issues began in 2001 with working group 1 (WG1) in a review titled, Microbiological Standards and Limits. Eleven total ISO documents have since been published, and experts from various countries have continued the discussion for more than 10 years. Furthermore, since test methods, microbiological limit standards, preservative efficacy standards and risk evaluations have been completed, test methods and standards for microbial control have been established.11

The Need for Preservatives and Oversight

Cosmetics are repeatedly used over long periods and therefore differ from food, which is typically consumed before it decays. For this reason, preservatives are added to cosmetics to prevent microbial growth and ensure product quality and consumer safety; except for cosmetics that are inherently microbiocidal or microbiostatic.

However, since preservatives kill microorganisms or prevent their growth, they can also affect the human skin. As such, many countries regulate preservative types and limit their quantities to avoid safety issues caused by their excessive use. For instance, Europe has Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 Annex V,12 the United States has a positive Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) list13 and Japan has a positive list for preservatives in Standards for Cosmetics (see Table 1).14

Effective Preservation

As stated, countries regulate preservative types and upper limits. However, these regulations do not necessarily ensure their safe use. The rapid increase in cases associated with MIT sensitization provides an example.3

EU cosmetic regulations had permitted MIT at 0.01% in leave-on and rinse-off products, and 100-ppm MIT formulations were easy and affordable in many countries. Increasing numbers of manufacturers used it at this upper limit, which is probably what caused the increase in contact allergies. Subsequently, the EU was prompted to prohibit the use of MIT in leave-on products and limit its use in rinse-off products to 0.0015%.

As Figure 1 illustrates, no ideal, safe and effective preservative suitable for cosmetics or effective against all microorganisms has yet been developed. Therefore, to control microorganisms that deteriorate the quality of cosmetics, it is important to understand preservative characteristics in given formulations, and to give an indication of appropriate types and formulation volumes, rather than establishing upper limits for one preservative.

In addition, recently, preservative alternatives such as caprylyl glycol, ethylhexylglycerin and hexylene glycol have demonstrated efficacy at low concentrations and are being used more frequently. Preservative boosters such as alcohol and dihydric glycol are also used with preservatives. As such, safer preservative systems can be developed since combining these materials reduces the amount of actual preservatives required.

Since preservatives kill microorganisms or prevent their growth, they can also affect human skin. As such, many have usage limits.

Preservation in Practice

Not all cosmetic products require preservatives with similar efficacies, and the choice will depend on factors such as product category, use, container, volume and sales region. In addition, the effect of preservatives or antimicrobial compounds can vary in different formulations; e.g., some raw materials such as ester oils can reduce their effectiveness. As described, the safety of preservative systems should also be critically considered.

In addition, note that since preservative systems differ among companies, it is difficult to draw general conclusions. However, knowledge of the basic properties of preservatives and antimicrobial compounds, and their usage requirements, must be shared among cosmetic chemists. Reference information on frequently used cosmetic preservatives is thus provided here.

Preservatives

Parabens

Attributes include:

Effective at pH 3-8; hydrolyzed at  pH 8;

Longer chain parabens are more effective: methyl < ethyl < propyl < butyl. However, they have lower water solubility;

It is necessary to consider their precipitation;

Short-chain parabens may be more effective in combination than when used individually; and

There are restrictions on branched, aromatic and long-chain parabens due to potential endocrine disruption concerns.



Phenoxyethanol

Attributes include:

Useful in various products due to its water solubility;

Effective at wide pH ranges;

Less effective than parabens, especially for mold;

Volatile material, exercise caution; and

Carries some odor.



Acid-based Preservatives

Attributes include:

Effective under acidic conditions but weakened at neutral pH ranges since the undissociated form is active (see Figure 2 ); and

); and Effective pH range differs according to product type.



Benzoic Acid and its Sodium Salt

Attributes include:

Effective under acidic conditions and loses effectiveness at neutral pH;

Effects are reduced by complex formation with cationic components;

Often used for relatively acidic shampoos.



Dehydroacetic Acid and its Sodium Salt

Attributes include:

Effective under acidic conditions and at neutral pH;

Often used for mascara and eyeliners due to low adsorption to film-forming materials and brushes;

Effects are reduced by complex formation with cationic components; and

May cause discoloration due to reaction with metal salts.



Salicylic Acid and its Sodium Salt

Attributes include:

Effective under acid conditions and less effective than benzoic acid at neutral pH;

Effects are reduced by complex formation with cationic components;

Used as a stratum corneum softener and for acne control; and

Legally permitted upper limits of acids and salts differ in some countries.



Quaternary Ammonium Salts

Attributes include:

Effective at wide pH ranges;

Strong effects at low concentrations; benzalkonium chloride is effective at < 100 ppm;

Effects are reduced when combined with anions due to cationic properties; and

Must be combined with other preservatives since some microorganisms can adapt to it and develop resistance.



Chlorphenesin

Attributes include:

Used for water-based products, powders and solid productse.g., makeup powders and eye shadowsdue to broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, similar to paraben; and

Adsorption to nylon and other fabrics is less than paraben.



MIT/Methylchloroisothiazolinone Mixture

Attributes include:

Highly effective at low concentrations (on the order of just a few ppm);

Mainly utilized for in-bath formulations having the potential for water immersion during use;

Unstable in alkaline pH and degrades at high temperatures; and

Avoid its isolated use in formulations as microorganisms easily adapt to and resist it.



Alcohol Compounds

Ethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol

Attributes include:

Considered low risk (ISO 29621) 16 at  20%;

at  20%; Surfactants increase its effects;

Bacterial resistance does not readily develop; and

Volatile in nature; exercise caution with temperature and packaging.



Benzyl Alcohol

Attributes include:

High versatility with aqueous products due to its relatively high water solubility;

Effective against various microorganisms at a wide pH range;

Peculiar smell can be unpleasant; and

Categorized as a preservative in the EU.



Diol Compounds

1,2-Pentanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol(1,2-Octanediol)

Attributes include:

Act as moisturizers with antimicrobial effects;

Often used for paraben-free and preservative-free product claims since legally, they are not preservatives;

Longer chain diols have stronger effects than shorter chains; e.g., caprylyl glycol is effective at < 1% and 1,2-pentanediol is generally used at 15%; and

Esther oils reduce the effects of caprylyl glycol due to its low aqueous solubility.



1,3-Butylene Glycol, 1,3-Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol

Attributes include:

Combinations of preservatives with high percentages of these glycols have synergistic effects and can reduce the amount of preservatives required (see Figure 3 ); 15 and

); and Can prevent the development of resistant bacteria.



Added Defenses

Ethylhexylglycerin

Attributes include:

Invented as an antimicrobial agent that prevents osmidrosis; and

Effective at < 1% depending on the formulation; e.g., ester oils reduce its effectiveness.



Chelating Agents

For example, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA); attributes include:

When used individually, effective against Gram-negative bacteria, as they chelate metal ions from microbe membranes;

May inhibit microbial resistance, adaptation or both to preservatives when combined with preservatives and/or other antimicrobial compounds; and

Effective concentration range depends on the formulation.



Factors Affecting Preservative Efficacy

While some products have properties that enable their use without the addition of antimicrobial compounds, as described in ISO 29621,16 many do not. Therefore, to ensure the success of the offensive defense strategy, it is important to consider several additional factors and interactions that can impact preservation in given formulations.

pH: The approximately optimal pH levels for microbe growth are as follows: for bacteria, pH 68; for mold, pH 46; and for yeast, pH 57. Preservative requirements will be lower in pH ranges other than these, which are not optimal for microbe growth. To ensure low risk for pH effects, ISO 29621 would be helpful (see 5-4).16

Water activity (Aw): Water activity refers to the amount of water used by microorganisms, not the water content. If the Aw is low, < 0.75, the risk of microbial growth is low (see ISO 29621).16 However, a low Aw does not actively kill microorganisms. Therefore, preventing microbial contamination during manufacturing and optimizing preservative formulation designs are important. Note that it is also necessary to prevent increased Aw for water-absorbent products.

Extracts: Some extracts have added antimicrobial effects. However, other extract components (e.g., amino acids, disaccharides and minerals) may increase microbial tolerance. In the latter case, it is necessary to establish stronger preservation efficacy by combining preservatives, preservative alternatives, preservative boosters or any combination of these.

Fragrances: Consider that many fragrances also have antimicrobial effects.

Powdered materials: Some powders, such as zinc oxide and flowers of zinc, also have antimicrobial effects. In contrast, some powdered materials, such as nylon, tend to adsorb preservatives and inhibit their effectiveness. When the latter materials are used, preservatives that are not adsorbed should be used, or preservative system levels should be increased to compensate for the expected adsorption.

Oil/water distribution: Also be sure to consider oil/water distribution, to ensure effective preservative use. For example, long-chain parabens are difficult to dissolve in a water phase and lose their efficacy when considerable amounts of ester oils, UV absorbers or both are used.

Package, Applicator and Use Considerations

Also crucial to the offensive defense strategy is choosing packaging that can prevent and reduce contamination. Dispensers, pumps and one-way discharge tubes can prevent contamination during use. In addition, single use packaging is effective for preventing contamination. When using such applicators and packaging, it is possible to reduce the need for preservatives.

In contrast, preservative efficacy is reduced by paraben adsorption on nylon brushes and nitrile rubber. Preservative deactivation or decomposition also may occur due to UV exposure, depending on the transparency of the container material. Thus, the packaging and applicator should be composed of material that does not bind, deactivate or decompose preservatives.

For an offensive defense strategy, the cooperation of formulators and microbiologists is essential.

Refillable products also pose a higher risk of microbial contamination than those intended for one-time use. If products are to be refilled, it is important to provide consumers with clear instructions; for example, washed containers should be dried well.

Finally, the mode of use is an important variable. For instance, products used in-bath are easily contaminated by water, which may reduce preservative efficacy. This risk must be considered.

Furthermore, the use environment can impact preservative efficacy. Caution must be exercised, for example, with sheet and tube products due to the volatility of preservative components such as alcohol and phenoxyethanol in hot and humid environmental conditions. Once again, close attention should be paid to potential microbial growth caused by moisture uptake by low-Aw products.

Summary

Preservative systems depend on the formulation design; therefore, the efficacies of individual formulations differ. The various points described here must be considered, or the formulation efficacy will not meet expectations. Failure to apply this knowledge will cause the excessive use of preservatives, leading to the utilization of maximum quantities; which as described, is an undesired scenario.

It is critical for researchers to acquire this fundamental knowledge and these technical skills. Applying this knowledge will enhance the efficacy of the accumulated data and the proficiency of each manufacturer, and thereby ensure safe and effective formulas. Therefore, the cooperation of formulators and microbiologists is essential. This will elevate the level of preservative system design and maintain the diversity of the preservative palette.

This activity by researchers may appear defensive in nature, but it will work offensively and proactively toward a more successful future. How? This offensive defense strategy will help to maintain the preservative and preservative booster palette.

References

https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/17203/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native (Accessed Feb 2, 2018) R Urwin, K Warburton, M Carder, S Turner, R Agius and SM Wilkinson, Methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone contact allergy: An occupational perspective, Contact Dermatitis 72(6) 381-386 (2015) doi: 10.1111/cod.12379 MD Lundov, C Zachariae and JD Johansen, Methylisothiazolinone contact allergy and dose-response relationships, Contact Dermatitis 64(6) 330-336 (2011) doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2011.01901.x http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2016.198.01.0010.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2016:198:TOC (Accessed Aug 1, 2017) ES Abrutyn, Optimizing formula preservation, Cosm & Toil 125(3) 22-28 (2010) SP Denyer and RM Baird, Antimicrobial preservatives and their properties, Guide to Microbiological Control in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, second edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL USA 324-344 (2006) C Ishizeki and H Kurata, Problem on the microbiological control for cosmetics, Frag J 41 12-18 (1980) WH Spencer, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of the eye, Calif Med 79(6) 438-443 (1953) FR Reid and TO Wood, Pseudomonas corneal ulcer. The causative role of contaminated eye cosmetics, Arch Ophthalmol 97(9) 1640-1641 (1979) doi:10.1001/archopht.1979.01020020208002 LA Wilson, JW Kuehne, SW Hall and DG Ahearn, Microbial contamination in ocular cosmetics, Am J Ophthalmol 71(6) 1298-1302 (1971) https://www.iso.org/standards.html (Accessed Jul 1, 2017) https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/cosmetic-ingredient-database-list-of-preservatives-allowed-in-cosmetic-products (Accessed Nov 1, 2016) http://www.cir-safety.org/ingredients (Accessed Nov 1, 2016) http://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11120000-Iyakushokuhinkyoku/0000032704.pdf (Accessed Nov 1, 2016) M Ookawa, et al., in progress ISO 29621:2010, CosmeticsMicrobiologyGuidelines for the risk assessment and identification of microbiologically low-risk products, available at iso.org/standard/45592.html (Accessed Jan 29, 2018)
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Pistorius suffered from locked-in syndrome. His body was paralyzed, but his mind was still active and unable to communicate with the outside world. He was trapped like this for eight mothergoddamning years. So how do you stay sane when the rest of the world thinks you're comatose? Well, you eavesdrop on conversations and watch a crapload of TV. 9/11, Princess Diana's funeral, the dancing baby meme -- you name the historic event, Pistorius witnessed it from his hospital bed. That is, when he wasn't stuck watching hours upon hours upon hours of Barney And Friends. It was like this, but like, forever:

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Oh, and to make matters worse, Pistorius was trapped with a brain determined to remind him not of how badly he was going to kick ass at trivia competitions when he recovered, but of the thought that he was never going to recover, and that he was nothing more than a drain on his parents. This feeling certainly didn't pass when his mother stared him in the eyes and, not knowing what we know, wished that he'd died. That alone would have been enough to drive us insane and despondent. But we aren't Martin MindMaster Pistorius.

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Realizing that his best hope of survival lay in keeping his mind active, he fell into a regular routine of activities, such as telling the time by tracking the movement of sunlight in his room and, of course, wishing that Barney would get headshotted by a meteor. We're not joking. When Pistorius eventually recovered, he credited, in absence of any medical explanation, watching that clappy-happy junk all day with fortifying his mind until it was strong enough to punch through his paralysis and escape. See? In a way, he does love you, Martin.
The shocking revelations of sexual misconduct by key figures in the charity industry has led to concern about the close links between organisations such as Save The Children and the political establishment.

Justin Forsyth quit UNICEF after complaints of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff while in his previous job as head of Save The Children. Prior to that, hed been at Oxfam, now embroiled in controversy in Haiti. He is one of many people in the charity sector who worked closely with the Blair and Brown governments.

Then theres Sir Alan Parker, the public relations guru whos president of the international wing of Save The Children. Hes a chum of David Cameron, who, after being forced to leave No 10 in a hurry, stayed at Parkers 3.8 million home for a time.

Andrew Pierce asks why do so many of David Cameron's (pictured in 2016) friends have charity jobs?

Also, until recently, the charitys vice chairman was Camerons fellow Old Etonian, Mark Esiri.

Black belt sees red If Iain McNicol  whos just quit his job as Labours general secretary following claims that Momentum wanted to oust him  decides to fight back, things could get messy. Hes a karate black belt. Advertisement

The financier invested in upmarket stationers Smythson in a deal that led to Camerons wife, who was creative director of the firm, getting just over 437,000. Esiri is also an investor in her fashion label.

Another Cameron crony on the charitys board is Sebastian James  an Old Etonian who featured in that notorious Bullingdon Club photo with the young PM. James is the outgoing chief executive of Dixons Carphone whose founder, Lord Kalms, is a long-time Tory donor.

Meanwhile, Fiona McBain, vice chairman of Save The Childrens trustees, is a non-executive director of Dixons Carphone.

Another trustee is Princess Dora Loewenstein, who chaired the organising committee of the Cameron Tories controversial Black and White parties, where lobbyists and oligarchs paid to dine with government ministers.

A charity with Princess Anne as its patron deserves better than this chintzy carousel of Cameron chums.

The performance of Thames Valley Police has been officially rated as inadequate. Labour MP Matt Rodda, whose Reading constituency is covered by the force, complains that there are 357 fewer officers than eight years ago.

Another Thames Valley MP hasnt been so vociferous about this staffing shortfall ... Maidenheads Theresa May, who was Home Secretary (and thus responsible for policing) for most of that time.

Tory MP Nadine Dorries, the author of several novels (such as The Angels Of Lovely Lane, about a group of trainee nurses in Liverpool in the 1950s) has received a 50,000 advance for her next book. Out-selling fellow Liverpudlian scribbler Edwina Currie, Dorries is the most successful Tory author since Jeffrey Archer.

Alastair Campbell, pictured, has taken a DNA test which shows he's a Celt ahead of Anglo-Saxon

Tony Blairs gobby former spin doctor Alastair Campbell has taken a DNA test which, he says, shows hes a Celt ahead of Anglo-Saxon.

Having once said hed rather live in Nicola Sturgeons Scotland than the England of Boris Johnson, and advised the Albanian government, hes now pondering whether, post-Brexit, he should try to get an Irish passport. How very patriotic!

Having seen off a petty attempt to stop her becoming the new head of the Charity Commission, Tory Baroness (Tina) Stowell says shell place a life-size cardboard cut-out of George Clooney in her office. The never-married Stowell says shes had a soft spot for the actor ever since seeing him in the TV hospital series ER.

Oh my lord, not another vote!

Euro-fanatic ex-Labour minister Lord Adonis not only wants a second referendum on the Brexit deal, but is now urging Labour members to have their own, separate referendum to help clarify party policy.

Saying that Labours membership is overwhelmingly pro-European, including Jeremys Praetorian Guard of young, adoring Momentum activists, he says such a vote would be a further dose of democracy. This is pretty rich coming from an unelected peer whose last personal exposure to democracy was more than 25 years ago as an Oxford councillor.
Until I read the front page of Saturdays Mail, I had no idea that Geoffrey Robinson (pictured) was still one of the nations legislators

Until I read the front page of Saturdays Mail, I had no idea that Geoffrey Robinson was still one of the nations legislators.

This is the multi-millionaire businessman who gave Tony Blair and family free holidays in his Tuscan palazzo, was more than once reprimanded by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee, and finally quit as Paymaster General (what an appropriate title) when it emerged that hed given a secret loan of 373,000 to his fellow cabinet minister Peter Mandelson  who also had to resign.

That was 20 years ago and most of us will not have thought about Mr Robinson since  until he popped up again on the front page of Saturdays Mail.

This time there is no taint of scandal, at least in the financial sense. The 79-year-old Labour member for Coventry North West has tabled a Private Members Bill which will overturn the entire basis of organ donation in England.

Under Robinsons proposal, every adult in the country would be presumed to have offered his or her organs for transplant, unless they had specifically opted out.

Remarkably  or, at least, I think it is remarkable  on Friday, his bill was given an unopposed Second Reading by MPs. It seems most likely to become the law of the land.

Emotional

A succession of MPs made emotional speeches in favour of Robinsons Bill  and Mrs May had earlier named it Maxs Law, after a ten-year-old heart transplant recipient whose mother, Emma Johnson, had campaigned for an opt-out system.

Useless to point out, I suppose, that Max got his new heart in August last year under the existing system.

And no MP made the case put eloquently by the then Health Secretary John Reid when a similar measure came before the Commons in 2004: This decision over ones own body is for the conscience  the conscience of individual citizens in this country.

It is not for Parliament to impose on individuals a requisition of their bodies after death for the use of the State.

Astonishingly, the Conservative Party leadership is now more in favour of an effective nationalisation of our bodies than the former communist Reid had been when Labour was in charge.

Doubtless Mrs May and her colleagues think this is the way the publics mood is going  and they may be right.

It is a simple argument to put. Hundreds of people die each year through lack of a suitable organ donor. So lets boost the number of available hearts, lungs, kidneys and livers by presuming the right to remove them from those whose brain-dead forms are themselves kept breathing only through machines. After all, what use are the organs to them?

Doubtless Mrs May and her colleagues think this is the way the publics mood is going  and they may be right

Yet this purely utilitarian approach entirely misses the moral power  and point  of the existing system.

A donation is just that: a gift. And this is the most beautiful one it is possible to provide  a point that was made with breathtaking emotional power yesterday by Nadine Marshall.

Appearing on BBC1s The Big Questions, Nadine told how organs from her 18-year-old son, Conner, had been used to save the lives of three people.

Conner had been the victim of a murderous assault; but, unusually, for one so young, he had taken out an Organ Donor card and told his mother that he was serious about it.

With tears in her eyes, but smiling, Nadine told the presenter Nicky Campbell: I am immensely proud that Conner made that decision.

And this is the point: it was a gift that he volunteered. Indeed, what is not volunteered is not a gift.

Two other women intimately affected by this issue also told Campbell that they did not approve of presumed consent.

Cookery writer Sally Bee, who has been diagnosed with a rare condition and will require a new heart

One was the 44-year-old cookery writer Sally Bee, who has been diagnosed with a rare condition and will require a new heart. Another was Ellie Lacey, 31, who last year received a liver transplant. She had been 48 hours from death and had, as she related, resigned herself to it.

Also tearful, she looked across to Nadine and declared that she was completely unable to express the extent of her gratitude to the person who, like Conner, had given her the gift of life. (There are no words that can describe it.)

Opposed

But, she emphasised, it had to be a gift. The donor had to want to give, just as much as she wanted to receive.

Dont assume the medical profession is united behind presumed consent: it is deeply divided. When the PM indicated her support for such a radical change last October, the NHS National Clinical Director for Transplantation from 2008 to 2011, Professor Chris Rudge, declared that he would opt out if that happened.

No one knows better than me the problems of thousands of people waiting for a transplant, he said. [But] I am horribly opposed to a change in the law. Changing the system may take away peoples faith and trust in organ donation.

And his wife, Mary, a former nurse, said that under a rule of presumed consent, she would refuse to give permission for her husbands organs to be donated. That, for a family that has been rooted in transplantation for 40 years, is just terrible, she said.

What Professor and Mrs Rudge know is that there is no clear evidence that presumed consent would even improve chances for those awaiting organs.

In Wales, where health policy is a devolved matter, the law was changed to presumed consent in 2015. But a study published in December showed that Wales had not increased its numbers of donations since the legislation was implemented.

Indeed, there was a drop in organ transplants from 214 to 187. And in Brazil, a new policy of presumed consent had to be scrapped after public revulsion caused a drop in organs being made available.

If this problem is to be addressed (though the transplant waiting list has been steadily declining in recent years), it should be at the point where life-and-death decisions are made: when someones life has ended tragically young.

Bedrock

In other words, hospitals should devote more to counselling the bereaved relatives when asked to assent to the ultimate gift at a time of extreme grief. Currently, relatives block one in seven transplants in cases where the dead family member was on the national organ donor register.

But I fear we are inexorably moving towards a state which arrogantly overrides family and increasingly intrudes on territory which it never did before  and didnt for good reason.

For example, in the wake of a proposal in the Icelandic parliament to ban infant male circumcision, a similar measure is being mooted here. It purports to be on human rights grounds but is motivated by an aggressive secularism (as Jewish and Muslim families circumcise their male children as part of a religious rite).

When the PM indicated her support for such a radical change last October, the NHS National Clinical Director for Transplantation from 2008 to 2011, Professor Chris Rudge (pictured), declared that he would opt out if that happened

The fact that three-quarters of all male babies are circumcised on hygiene grounds in the U.S., the most litigious and health-conscious country on Earth, strongly suggests that this is the opposite of a public health problem (uncircumcised men are 22 times more likely to be afflicted with penile cancer than those circumcised).

But imagine if this were to be banned. As the barrister Matthew Scott warns: Loving parents would be forced either to abandon a sacred part of their religion or to emigrate. Traditional Jewish life would become impossible. It would be a civilised, well-meaning and quite possibly a human-rights-compliant pogrom.

This illustrates just why the State should tread with immense care in matters best left to families  which, after all, are the bedrock of society.

To enforce Whitehall-directed compulsion in areas of the greatest sensitivity to families is a recipe for discontent and dislocation between society and the State. That can only be dangerous and destructive.

So I hope when Geoffrey Robinsons bill to enforce presumed consent for organ donation returns to the Commons for its third reading, there will be enough MPs with the moral courage to reject it.
A second grade teacher went above and beyond to ensure that her students had a unique outlet for their creativity.

Haley Curfman, 25, of Blackwell, Oklahoma, is a teacher at Blackwell Public School and last year she bought a plain white dress, which she set up at a station in her classroom for her students to decorate, encouraging them to go and draw on the dress whenever they had free time, or had finished an assignment.

She said she uses the dress as an incentive for the children to behave well, while giving them a chance to exercise some of their creativity without fear of getting it right or perfect.

Best teacher: Oklahoma teacher, Haley Curfman, bought a white dress for her students do draw on during their free time

Blue ribbon: This is the second year in a row she has done this and last year, her class won the blue ribbon for their masterpiece (pictured above)

Hayley set up a station at a table with the dress and some colored markers so that her students can draw on it whenever they have free time or finish their work, having first seen the idea on Pinterest.

After the kids had finished the design, she then surprised them all by wearing the dress to class, sharing images of herself in it on Facebook in a post that has since gone viral, with over 200,000 shares.

The post read: 'It's the second year in a row I've brought a white dress to school and my students have filled it with their artwork. This is one of my favorite things to do in my class!'

She added: 'This is something I'd seen on Pinterest a few years ago and I fell in love with the idea. I think every teacher should do this! It's a great project and an even better keepsake.'

For teachers looking to do something similar for their own students, Hayley revealed that she bought the cotton/spandex dress off Amazon for less than $20 about six months ago and pre-washed the dress before she started the project.

She used fabric markers from Walmart and usually only wears the dress for a class and then puts it on display afterward.

Happy artwork: Haley said she tells her students to draw things that make them happy

Creative release: Haley wanted her students to have a creative release because there isn't an art program where she teaches

She said: 'To do the project, I set up a station at a table with the dress, markers and piece of cardboard to put between the fabric. It takes anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete as we just work on it here and there when time allows.'

'Teachers have been sharing their dresses, aprons, quilts, T-shirts, etc. with me that they've been creating since the 1950's with the same concept. Which is awesome, and I love that you are sharing them with me! Thank you all so much for your kindness and support,' she wrote on Facebook.

Haley wanted her students to have a creative release because the school where she teaches doesn't have a an art program.

She told Scary Mommy: 'We don't have art in our school, so, I always try to do little creative projects when possible.'

She added: 'When the dress is finished, I surprise my students and wear it to a party.'

Last year, she showed her students their finished masterpiece at the class Christmas party and this year she showcased her student's work at the Valentine's Day party.

She also entered last year's dress in the county fair and got a blue ribbon.

Dressed to impress: Haley donned a Founding Father costume for Constitution Day in September

Cat in the Hat: She also dressed as Cat in the Hat for Dr Seuss week

She said: 'I think I will do that again this year, so all the students can see it proudly hanging at the fair.'

Haley said she tells her students to 'draw things that make them happy and to not X things out'.

'I teach second grade and they like to mark things out and start over,' she told Scary Mommy.

'Having that rule is also why last year's dress has a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man that takes up the whole back. That's what makes them great.'

Haley has dressed up for her students before and shared adorable images of her costume to her Instagram account.

Last September, she celebrated Constitution Day and dressed as a Founding Father and months before that wore a Cat in the Hat ensemble to celebrate Dr Seuss Week at her school.
There are few women who haven't suffered the indignity of a sudden gust of wind blowing their skirt up into the air.

But an ingenious device, which is now available in the UK for the first time, promises to save women from flashing more than they intended.

Billed as the 'first reusable dress weight', Dress Downs weigh down the wearer's skirt, dress or even blouse to help avoid any sudden underwear-flashing.

The $12 (8.60) adhesive strips work by sticking to the inside of your hemline and are designed to put an end to 'unfair and embarrassing' wardrobe malfunctions for good.

The inventor, Simone Magee, from Chicago, Illinois, said she was inspired by 'Marilyn moments' suffered by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge as well as her own personal experiences, and has seen her business go global over the past three years.

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The Duchess of Cambridge suffered a wardrobe malfunction when a sudden gust of wind blew up the skirt of her dress during a visit to Yellowknife, Canada in 2011

The end of knicker flashing? Billed as the 'first reusable dress weight', Dress Downs weigh down the wearer's skirt or dress to help avoid any sudden wardrobe malfunctions.

She hopes the weights will 'allow for women to feel more confident and assured that at any given time they won't be left feeling exposed'.

Kate has suffered more than her fair share of Marilyn moments in the past - including a 2011 tour of Canada and a 2014 visit to New Zealand.

Stars including Elizabeth Olsen and Chrissy Teigen have also flashed a little more than intended thanks to perilous gusts of wind on the red carpet.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the strips, Magee explained: 'About three years ago, after work, I was crossing a major intersection downtown to reach my bus stop.

The inventor, Simone Magee, from Chicago, Illinois, said she was inspired by 'Marilyn moments' suffered by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured in New Zealand in 2014)

'My hands were full and the dress I was wearing (one of my favorites, too!) could fly up with the slightest bit of wind. Typically when wearing this dress outside, my hands are always by my side holding it down, or grabbing the edges.

'I thought, Its fine, Ill walk fast and pray mother nature will just wait 20 seconds for me to cross the street.

'Of course, she didnt, and before I could even react my dress was up over my waist and every human on earth got a full view  or at least it felt like it!'

Magee added: 'Windy wardrobe malfunctions are so common that I now ship globally and even expanded into Australia creating a dedicated website for women there.'
For some, the idea of living in a high glamour mansion like Kris Jenner's is simply a pipe dream.

But one Kardashian-loving couple have transformed this dream into a reality after forking out $200,000 to have their living room fitted out to look just like the reality star's.

Aaron Wong, the winning designer of Best of Houzz 2018 and the principal interior designer for decorating firm, Alexander Pollock Interiors, was given the challenge by the middle-aged couple and their two teenage children from Eaglemont, Victoria.

A Kardashian-loving couple have transformed their dream into a reality after forking out $200,000 to have their living room fitted out to look just like the reality star's (pictured is the end result)

The client was a big Keeping Up With The Kardashians fan, adored Kris Jenner's home, and wanted their 50 square metre living room decorated to look 'lush, smart and trending' like Jenner's

Pictured is the entrance to Kris Jenner's home - the decor and palette both heavily influencing the interiors of the new living room

How did he do it? Colour palette: Black and white with accents of red and cool and warm metals - inspired by a man's tuxedo Materials: European oak floors, mohair, velvet, wool, cerused-oak funiture, black marble, brass, perspec and crystals Key pieces: Large pieces imported from Europe and the US Advertisement

The client was a big Keeping Up With The Kardashians fan, adored Kris Jenner's home, and wanted their 50 square metre living room decorated to look 'lush, smart and trending' like Jenner's.

'Get rid of everything except for my portrait above the fireplace,' Mr Wong recalled the client as saying.

Wong began by picking out the perfect colour palette.

'Black and white with accents of red with cool and warm metals. I think of it like a man's tuxedo,' he said.

'Get rid of everything except for my portrait above the fireplace,' Mr Wong recalled the client as saying

'Black and white with accents of red with cool and warm metals. I think of it like a man's tuxedo,' he said

'The materials palette included European oak floors, mohair, velvet, wool, cerused-oak furniture, black marble, brass, perspex and crystals,' he said

'The materials palette included European oak floors, mohair, velvet, wool, cerused-oak furniture, black marble, brass, perspex and crystals.'

When it came to the furniture, Mr Wong imported pieces from Europe and the US.

'There is a general symmetry with the large pieces of furniture but the accessorising was deliberately more haphazard to create an organic feel,' he said.

Pictured is decor from Kris' living room and kitchen space

The colours in the Melbourne home are strongly-inspired by many of Kris' famous rooms like above

'The incredibly high ceilings did not allow me to use a specific sheer curtain that I wanted to use so I had to settle for a sheer drape within the limited options available,' he added.

In 2017, Mr Wong's work was the most popular among more than 40 million monthly users on Houzz.

You can check out the rest of his work and hire him to transform your home here.
Most of us lead busy lives so it's often the simple things, like getting your hair done, that can make you feel most relaxed.

Now Sydney salon, Christopher Hanna, wants to take the luxury and relaxation a step further with their bar and salon hybrid.

The concept of having a drink while you get a blow-dry certainly isn't new, but they have taken it to a whole other level  with caviar, oysters and cocktails also on offer.

'This idea has been done before but I thought we could re-imagine it and make it even more opulent,' the salon's Managing Director, Sam Badawi, told FEMAIL.

Sydney salon, Christopher Hanna, wants to take the luxury a step further with their bar and salon hybrid

Although the salon has been open since 2006, a new premises in a heritage building in Sydney's CBD was launched recently.

'We wanted it to stand out from the rest so aimed to make it an entirely blown up bar and make it a full experience,' he said.

'You can get the pamper package, which is where you have your hair done and have a high end bar service where you have access to a full list of wine, cocktails, champagne and canapes.'

Hair cuts cost up to $140 but with $100 dollar bottles of champagne and $5,000 bottles of whisky on offer, clients who splash out are sure to enjoy their experience.

The concept of having a drink while you get a blow-dry certainly isn't new, but this hair salon has taken it to a whole other level

Sam said you can get the pamper package, which is where you have your hair done and have a high end bar service with access to a full list of wine, cocktails, champagne and canapes

Although the salon has been open since 2006, a new premises in a heritage building in Sydney's CBD was launched recently

You can also order an espresso martini with a side of caviar, which costs between $145 and $250.

If this is a tad out of your price range, they also offer a selection of Australian, New Zealand and French bottles that cater to most budgets.

There is a hand-selected menu that provides nibbles including a selection of cheeses, charcuterie and chicken liver parfait.

Owners Guy Binder and Sam Badawi enlisted the guidance of hospitality consultant Mikee Collins and Sydney designer Melissa Collison to create the bar.

'You're set in a really grand heritage building with heritage floors, marble walls, an installation from 1969 and a big marble staircase,' Sam said

Owners Guy Binder and Sam Badawi enlisted the guidance of hospitality consultant Mikee Collins and Sydney designer Melissa Collison to create the bar

'We've been thinking about it for 10 years now. We started working on the idea three years ago and we found the place two years ago,' Sam said.

'We also own a design and construction company which was a great advantage.'

Sam explained that it isn't only their hairdressing experience that makes them stand out from the crowd as he thinks the location adds something extra.

They have certainly gone all out, with plush velvet seating lining the walls and the curved bar, which took six months to build, featuring copper and black marble.

Sam explained that it isn't only their hairdressing experience that makes them stand out from the crowd as he thinks the location adds something extra

They offer caviar and oysters to nibble on and $100 dollar bottles of champagne and $5,000 bottles of whisky

Above, there's tiered shelving displaying a vast spirit selection and magnums of Champagne.

'You're set in a really grand heritage building with heritage floors, marble walls and an installation from 1969 and a big marble staircase,' Sam said.

'The wallpaper is from England, there are handmade black steel mirrors, heritage timber walls and exposed cement beams.

'We wanted to create a space where people could relax and treat themselves when they needed it.'
A Utah university has issued a statement after a flyer distributed on campus advertising a 'Women in Math' panel with only male speakers sparked an online backlash.

Brigham Young University became the target of online anger this week after a student, Stephanie Driggs, shared an image of the flyer on Twitter.

The blue-colored page appeared to be thumb-tacked to a board in the school, and bore the words in bold, bright white: 'Women In Math.' Pictured above that were the photos of four male professors.

Can't be: Brigham Young University student Stephanie Driggs went viral after sharing this poster spotted on campus

Not hitting the mark: The poster advertised an event for 'Women In Math' that only featured male speakers

The rest of the advertisement encouraged 'all women who love math' to 'come learn about research done in data science, topology, number theory, and dynamical systems from four BYU math professors.'

The student, flabbergasted by the tone deaf flyer, shared the image of it online and captioned it with: 'Is this satire?'

The tweet, which has since been deleted, quickly went viral. It in turn sparked a massive backlash against the school.

It turns out that the event was being staged by a student-led organization rather than the university itself. It was this club that put up the posters around campus.

On Wednesday, the BYU math department responded to the controversy on Facebook, saying that 'poor judgement' led to the flyer.

'The poster featured the pictures of four of our department faculty. It was done with good intentions but with poor judgment and was not meant to be satire, though we did all get a good laugh here at the department,' the department said.

'The posters have been replaced with a more appropriate message. We very much value the Women in Math organization.'

Coming back: The BYU math department responded to the controversy, saying that the flyer was done with good intentions

Jumping in: The student claiming to have made the poster also apologized for the offense it had caused

The student who originally posted the tweet wasn't impressed by the statement, writing: 'Im confused. Do they really think that the poster was the main issue here?'

Speaking to Fox 13 Salt Lake City, adviser for the club behind the flyers, Martha Kilpack, explained that the outcry was a surprise to the group, and was the result of an unfortunate placement of words and pictures.

'It was an honest mistake kind of poster,' she explained. 'It wasn't meant to be a political statement. It wasn't meant to be anything other than encourage female students to come to an activity.'

The event being advertised was organized by female undergrads, who chose the speakers themselves. Martha stressed that the all-male panel wasn't representative of all the group's activities and events.

'Its a chance to see different research that they do, and we let the students pick the presenters,' she said. 'This time, they happened to pick four male presenters.'

The student who claims to have made the poster, Bryn Balls-Barker, also apologized for the offense caused, writing on Facebook: 'I chose to ask professors that weren't already affiliated directly with the club so that members of the club would have more opportunity to meet other faculty members.'

As soon as they were alerted to the uproar caused by the posters, Martha and the other members of the group made sure they were removed from campus.
In many families, children will forget to do their chores and homework on a daily or weekly basis.

This usually leads to yelling and nagging from parents but according to new research, setting reminders and visual cues for forgetful children could be a better solution.

Researchers from The University of Queensland's School of Psychology found children were unlikely to set themselves reminders to compensate for their anticipated memory failures until around nine years of age or older.

According to new research, setting reminders and visual cues for forgetful children could be a better solution than nagging (stock image)

A computer game was used to ask children aged between seven and 13 to remember to perform a number of simple actions.

The children were then given the option to set reminders if they wanted to.

UQ PhD student Adam Bulley said when asked, children of all ages realised that their performance would be worse when there was more to remember.

'However, only older children around nine and above set more reminders when they thought their memory would be worse,' Mr Bulley said.

UQ PhD student Adam Bulley said encouraging and helping children to set reminders to improve their memory performance could prevent chores and homework falling by the wayside

'That suggests simply telling young children "not to forget" is unlikely to make any difference to memory performance.'

Mr Bulley said encouraging and helping children to set reminders to improve their memory performance could prevent chores and homework falling by the wayside.

'For example, placing a timetable of weekly household chores on a child's bedroom door would alleviate their need to remember these actions by themselves,' Mr Bulley said.

'Leaving key items by the front door can also activate the memory to pack their school bag with the things they need for the day ahead.

Children were unlikely to set themselves reminders to compensate for their anticipated memory failures until around nine years of age or older, the research found

'Young children, who are forgetful at the best of times, may be among the most likely to benefit from these strategies.'

But what happens if children do forget to make their bed or practice their timetables?

Leading Australian parenting expert and father of six girls, Justin Coulson, said it pays to be patient and avoid criticising your child.

Australian parenting expert Justin Coulson, (pictured) said it pays to be patient and avoid criticising your child

'I love the story in Between Parent and Child. Haim Ginott offers a simple comparison. A friend comes to your home and it is raining. When they leave, the rain has stopped and they inadvertently forget their umbrella,' he said on his website.

'Do you chase them outside, shouting about how forgetful they are, and shove the umbrella into their hands, annoyed at the ten seconds of inconvenience they've caused? Not usually. We are far more polite to our friends.

'By avoiding criticism and contempt, showing humility, kindness, and unconditional positive regard, we make our relationships with our children healthy and positive, and we make our families happy.'

The study was published in Child Development.
Most women all yearn for beautiful, radiant skin and perfect complexions.

And the Australian beauty industry has always shone a light on all skin woes and the different treatments on the market to fix, plump, rejuvenate, repair and clear skin.

From laser peels to LED light therapy, the non-invasive treatments promises anti-aging, anti-acne and everything else in-between.

So how does it work and is it really safe for our skin?

Here, FEMAIL rounds up of beauty's most illuminating skin treatments - needles not included!

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The beauty industry has always shone a light on all skin woes and the different treatments on the market to fix, plump, rejuvenate, repair and clear skin (stock image)

LED Light Therapy (pictured) is a non-invasive skin treatment designed to target deep into the skin cells to amplify their natural functions, simply healing from the inside out

LED LIGHT THERAPY

LED Light Therapy is a non-invasive skin treatment designed to target deep into the skin cells to amplify their natural functions, simply healing from the inside out.

Australian Skin Clinics' national training manager Darlene O'Gara said the treatment helps people light their way to great skin in just than 20 minutes.

'The beauty of this treatment is that it is so time-efficient, it can be done on your lunch break,' she said.

'The therapy can take just 10 to 20 minutes depending on your individual treatment plan.

'This treatment is based on your personal skincare goals, but several treatments spread across a select period of time delivers long lasting results.

'However, you do see immediate results after the very first treatment.'

From laser peels to LED light therapy, the facial treatments are said to be anti-aging, anti-acne and everything else in-between (stock image)

The treatment costs $89 per session.

She explained there are two types of benefits to the treatment - depending on the colour of the LED light you choose - blue or yellow.

'Yellow light is an excellent treatment to increase the overall health of the skin. It targets skin rejuvenation, wound healing (think acne scarring) and decreases signs of fine lines,' she said.

'Blue light works to eliminate acne-producing bacteria on the skin, improving inflammatory or hormonal acne and targets active acne.'

So is there any downtime?

'None at all,' Ms O'Gara said.

'If you choose to have an LED Light Therapy as a standalone treatment, there is no downtime and no redness.'

HOLLYWOOD LASER PEEL

If you're looking for that 'Hollywood' glow, then the carbon spectra peel is for you.

Dr Natasha Cook's Darlinghurst Dermatology clinic offers the 'Hollywood Laser Peel' - an anti-ageing treatment that has instant results, zero post-treatment downtime and celebrity fan base.

PR queen Roxy Jacenko (pictured) is one of the biggest fans of the Hollywood laser peel

Dr Natasha Cook (pictured) said the carbon spectra peel promises a 'Hollywood glow'

Loved by stars such as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, the treatment, stimulates collagen production, combats acne and even out skin tone.

The facial treatment, which costs $250 per session, builds collagen, refines pores and improves skin elasticity.

The carbon is applied to the skin to increase absorption to the deeper layers and work on the collagen.

Perfect for Red Carpet events, the second pass instantly lightly 'peels' or exfoliates off the outer epidermis leaving an instant painless glow.

It tightens pores, reduces scars and pigmentation and significantly reduces wrinkles, leaving your face plumped and glowing.

Dr Cook told Daily Mail Australia the 30-minute procedure was not painful but there's a slight relaxing heat sensation as the laser pulse over the skin'.

'It is a true laser not light therapy,' she explained.

Results? Smoother plumper clear and even toned skin, fades marks and mild acne scars. There is an immediate glow with long term improvement in collagen, elasticity and pores.

Patients can get more improvement with more treatments weekly, monthly, fortnightly or a one off session.

If you're looking for that 'Hollywood' glow, then the carbon spectra peel is for you (stock image)

THE PELLEVE

Sydney's cosmetic surgeon Naomi McCullum offers 'The Pelleve' treatment - an effective treatment to smooth and tighten the skin with minimal pain and no downtime.

The hand piece safely delivers radio frequency energy to the skin. It gradually delivers energy throughout the epidermis to the dermis.

The dermal layer is heated initiating growth of new collagen. At one to three days after the procedure you will notice a 'post treatment glow'.

At four to 15 days after treatment your body's healing reaction begins, the fibroblasts arrive and the rebuilding of collagen starts.

Sydney's cosmetic surgeon Naomi McCullum offers 'The Pelleve' treatment - an effective treatment to smooth and tighten the skin with minimal pain and no downtime

SCITON BBL

Dr McCullum uses Sciton BBL, which is the best Intense Pulsed Light on the market.

The device targets the ageing caused by sun damage, including redness and pigmentation.

There is minimal downtime, although there is some swelling and redness and the pigmented areas may go darker and flake off.

After healing, which takes about seven days, the skin is clear and glowing.

Sciton BBL targets the ageing caused by sun damage, including redness and pigmentation

QSWITCH LASER

At Dr McCullum's clinic, clients can also pick the Qswitch laser - a treatment that refreshes the skin without downtime.

The laser does not affect the outermost layers of skin and instead passes through the upper layers of skin to stimulate collagen deep below.

The treatment promises to improve pores, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, evens out skin tone, removes skin pigmentation and firms skin.

GENESIS SKIN REJUVENATION

Sydney's Face Plus MediSpa offers a genesis skin rejuvenation procedure , which is the go-to-complexion laser for treating fine lines and the signs of ageing.

This ground breaking laser is the only 'complexion laser' that is guaranteed to stimulate and increase dermal collagen production for refreshing your entire face, neck and decolletage.

It's perfect for women with the first signs of sagging skin around the jaw line in particular that want it looking a little tighter. No needles, just laser.
Thrifty mothers with an eye for a bargain have once again turned to Kmart for a quirky way to create a crafty gift.

The unique 'hack' uses an ice-tray, retailed at $1.50, and a box of Crayola crayons - $10 for a pack of 96 - and both are readily available from the discount giant.

By placing small pieces of broken crayon into the silicon moulds, you will have unicorn-shaped crayons after they are baked in an oven for 10 minutes.

Sharing the creation on social media, the mothers have been praised for their one-in-a-kind crayons that will sure make art is more enjoyable at home for the kids.

Colourful crayons like these were made using broken crayons that were placed into silicon molds then baked

Kmart are selling a box of 96 crayons for $10 which would give you an ample supply for the colourful creations - should you need it

The crayons are a simple formula. First pieces are broken up and added to the moulds, then baked in a fan-forced oven set to 100 degrees. The crayons can be popped out from the trays once they are completely cooled.

A couple of creative mothers who have tried out the inexpensive crayon craft-hack have posted their results on the popular Facebook group Kmart Mums Australia.

One woman, Susan shared how her daughters and made the crayons as unique gifts to put in party bags.

Mum-of-two Susan Shepherd revealed she and her daughters made the one crayons as unique gifts for party bags

Kmart's silicon ice-cube molds come in a range of shapes including unicorn, cactus and pineapple

How to make your own crayons: Break up a box of crayons into small pieces or use old crayons lying around - make sure you take off the paper covering first Put coloured sections into silicon ice cube moulds Fan bake in an oven heated to 100 degrees for 10 minutes Leave to cool, then press out of the mould Advertisement

While the ice cube moulds come in a variety of shapes including pineapple and cactus, Susan used the unicorn mould for her crayon creations and said how easy they were to make.

In response to Susan's post, many commented how excited they were by the possibility of trying out the crayon-craft hack themselves.

'I've got crayons going back to when my kids where at school and that was years n (sic) years ago. This will be my next project with the grandkids,' wrote Gail.

Another member of the Facebook group, Heidi also shared her crayon creations.

As well as using the unicorn mould, Heidi branched out and created quirky crayons with the cactus and pineapple shapes.

One mum branched out with crafty creations and made crayons using the entire silicon ice-cube tray range

Her post was also met with an outpouring of enthusiasm, with some going as far as to say how well the $1.50 ice cube trays stood up to being used in a hot oven.

'The silicone moulds work really well for these. We do it pretty frequently (homeschooling with a toddler means lots of broken crayons) so we re-purpose them too. Need some more ice molds though. Getting sick of all the fish,' Rebecca wrote.

'Pretty impressed though for the cheap Kmart silicone ice trays to hold up that well. We do it on 100 degrees too and it only takes about 10 or so minutes per batch.'
A woman is set to marry her childhood friend - more than 30 years after they first met as babies.

Andy Ducrow, 33, from Epsom, Surrey, has known Laura Nice since she was born and even went to her christening - and the pair recently welcomed a child of their own.

The couple fell in love after reconnecting in their twenties, after drifting apart in their late teens, thanks to their fathers' lifelong friendship.

Laura, 31, a pattern designer who lives with lorry driver Andy, said of their relationship: 'It's a real generational love story. I can't remember a time when Andy wasn't in my life.

Andy Ducrow and Laura Nice as children. Andy, now 33, has known Laura since she was born and even went to her christening - and the pair recently welcomed a child of their own

Reunited: The couple fell in love after reconnecting in their twenties, after drifting apart in their late teens, thanks to their fathers' lifelong friendship

She added: 'Our dads fight over our son, Chase, like they might have scrapped in the playground when they met 55 years ago.'

Their fathers, Gary Nice and Dave Ducrow, both 60, became friends when they met as schoolboys in Birmingham, West Midlands, in 1963.

Gary moved to Cambridge a few years later, with his parents, but they stayed in touch and, over the years, became best friends.

Then, after Gary married Laura's mum Jane, now 57, in 1984, and Dave married Andy's mum Jackie, they often spent time together as couples.

The granddads, who are still best friends, now cannot wait to become father-in-laws when Laura and Andy tie-the-knot.

Hopefully, their forthcoming nuptials will be more straightforward than they were for Laura's parents.

The couple with their son, Chase, who was born in 2017. Laura said of their relationship: 'It's a real generational love story. I can't remember a time when Andy wasn't in my life'

Laura explained: 'They were going to marry in June 1984, but Andy's mum would have been heavily pregnant with him by then.

'Dave was my dad's best man, so they moved the wedding in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, forward, to ensure they could safely attend.'

Luckily, Andy stayed happily in his mum's tummy for long enough not to upstage the bride.

Instead, he arrived safe and sound at hospital in Birmingham at the end of June, 1984 - meaning he was nearly two when Laura was born at Hinchinbrook Hospital in August 1986.

'I think I was a matter of weeks old when I met him for the first time,' said Laura. 'Of course, I can't remember. I do know when I was Christened in Ashbourne at just a few weeks old, he attended.'

Lifelong friends: The couple's fathers, Gary Nice and Dave Ducrow, both 60, became friends when they met as schoolboys in Birmingham, West Midlands, in 1963

Meant to be: The couple briefly lost touch when Gary moved to Cambridge with his parents, but they stayed in touch and, over the years, became best friends

The pair then spent every summer holiday and Christmas together throughout their childhood.

'I was living in Cambridge and Andy was in Birmingham, so we would go to each other's homes,' said Laura. 'I can remember us spending endless Christmases together. It was brilliant.'

But, as they got older and started secondary school, they drifted apart - although their parents were still best friends.

'Andy left school at 16 to become a lorry driver, while I stayed on, doing my A-levels,' said Laura, who heard through her parents that Andy, by then in his late teens, had married.

'Aged 18, I travelled around Greece and lost touch with him, except on social media,' she explained.

Then, when she was around 22 and he was 24, she received a message from him on Facebook.

Love story: The pair (pictured here after getting engaged) spent every summer holiday and Christmas together throughout their childhood

When hen Laura was around 22 and Andy was 24, she received a message from him on Facebook (pictured here during Laura's pregnancy)

'He just said hello,' Laura recalled. 'Then the messages flew back and forth. We had a lot to catch up on.'

Still living in Birmingham, Andy - who broke up with his wife after a few months, long before he reunited with Laura - offered to drop in on her in Cambridge, en route to London.

Soon, catching up on childhood memories, they realised their friendship had blossomed into something more.

Visiting each other more regularly over the coming months - using a National Rail railcard to get a third off their trains between Cambridge and Birmingham - they fell in love.

Laura recalled: 'One day, I got a call from my dad. He said, "Where are you?" Flummoxed, I told him I was with Andy.

'I had to confess we were an item and he was over-the-moon. He'd always treated Andy like a son.'

The couple together at Laura's graduation. Last December the couple moved in together in Epsom, and in November 2015 Andy proposed

Speaking about their love story, Laura said: 'Now it's come full circle. We're set to get married next year. Our dads are delighted!'

Immediately, her dad invited his daughter's new boyfriend over for Sunday dinner.

'Andy was so nervous,' laughed Laura, who is currently on maternity leave. 'Even though he'd met Dad hundreds of times, he suddenly became all shy.'

Last December the couple moved in together in Epsom, and in November 2015 Andy proposed.

'I couldn't believe it,' said Laura. 'To think that those little boys, who met at school in 1963, led to us getting together all those years later.'

And, four months ago on October 17, 2017, at Epson General Hospital, 8lb 6oz Chase was born.

'Now it's come full circle,' said Laura. 'We're set to get married next year. Our dads are delighted!'

For more information about Railcard or to read more rail related love stories visit railcard.co.uk/lovestories
A happily married dominatrix has revealed how she charges clients 200 an hour to fulfill their most off the wall fantasies - from being treated like a dog to being used as a human ashtray.

Bliss Theadora, 31, who operates professionally under the name Mistress Bliss, works from dungeons she rents out across London, where she caters to clients seeking BDSM, erotic domination, and 'toilet games'.

Former fetish model Bliss, who moved to the UK from Melbourne in Australia two years ago, explained that she does not provide a 'sexual service', and that she draws the line at anything illegal.

Aside from that, she's 'happy to discuss anything' with her clients, many of whom will pay up to 1,500 for an overnight session.

Former fetish model Bliss Theadora, who moved to London from the UK two years ago, is a professional dominatrix operating under the name Mistress Bliss

Bliss, who is happily married, says she is 'happy to discuss anything' with her clients

She said: 'I don't provide a sexual service, or intimate body worship and I won't do anything illegal  for obvious reasons.

'I do not switch or provide a space which will harm a client mentally or physically. I'm happy to hurt but not to harm, because at the end of the day, the industry is all about consensually reliving a fantasy, that both my client and I can entertain.

'I get many requests for erotic domination and toilet games but I do a range of things and I'm happy to discuss anything with my clients.'

Charging anything from 200 for one hour to 1,500 for an overnight session, Bliss says she is constantly busy working with clients, either in person or online.

She continued: 'Every day is different. In the domme industry it all depends on whether you have clients, personal errands, personal projects or are simply taking self-care days to rest  which in this industry, is incredibly important. I can spend a full day in a dungeon or a full day in bed.

'Nothing is ever the same.

No two days are ever the same in the 'domme' industry, says the married 31-year-old

Bliss, who charges from 200 an hour, says she will continue in her line of work for another decade

'I intend on enjoying a career as a professional dominatrix for probably the next 10 years.

'But, since settling in London, I now have the time to dedicate to working on projects such as vastly improving sex education in schools, creating safer and realistic environments and rights for sex workers and ensuring a safer reproductive freedom-based system for women. Hopefully, this will in-turn create an example for countries which are suffering in this area.'

With a dramatic appearance and a tiny 24-inch waist, Bliss first launched her career as a lingerie model in her 20s, in time, becoming increasingly involved in the sex industry - stripping, escorting, web-camming and doing porn work.

While her dominatrix work interested her most, she says it was working in a restaurant where the servers wore lingerie that first exposed her to a world of 'hustler' men.

She explained: 'It exposed me to wealthy men and the hustler mentality.

'I began non-sexual escorting with a patron and, shortly after that, ended I attended my first topless bartending/waitressing event with a girl I worked with from the restaurant. That was where it all began and I stayed in the topless bartending/waitressing industry for about 5 years thereafter, working across Victoria, Australia.

While Bliss says she enjoyed exploring different kinds of work, she found her calling in BDSM - or erotic practices involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism.

Bliss works from her domestic space in London's East End, or at dungeons she rents out across the capital

Mistress Bliss, 31, is seen preparing for one of her sessions with clients at a dungeon

The former fetish model went from non-sexual escorting to discovering her true passion lay in BDSM

She said: 'I discovered that BDSM was where my true passion lay.

'My time in the kink scene spanned over 10 years before I began holding professional Dominatrix sessions - which began half a year into my life in London. My business has been soaring ever since.'

Away from work, Bliss - who lives with her husband, who she does not want to name - enjoys travelling and modelling.

It is very different to her work agenda, where she offers to fulfil a range of fetishes, from enforced exercise to treating the client like a dog during 'puppy play,' financial domination, where clients fantasise about spending money on her, to treating them as a human ashtray. But she is very clear about she will not do - including having sex with clients.

'I enjoy taking my clients on a journey beyond the realms of day-to-day reality, diving into and exploring their fantasies and desires,' she said.

'I allow people to let go of their "normal" selves and indulge in their "true" selves - playing with aspects of what would be considered "dirty, perverse, naughty," which is hard to do in our 'vanilla' world.

'BDSM is founded on principles of communication, consent and care, which people rarely get to experience and this is profoundly positive and mentally nourishing.'

Bliss issues clients with a list of gifts they can buy her, and sells her own items - from her shoes to her used stockings

Bliss is an advocate of better conditions and more relaxed laws to help protect sex workers

Many women in her field work from home, which heightens risk, Mistress Bliss says

As well as frequent sessions with clients, Bliss also has a wish list of gifts that clients can buy her and sells intimate items like used shoes, heels, socks, stockings and sex toys, to help fulfil her clients' fantasies.

But for Bliss, life in the sex industry isn't always easy.

She explained: 'Running your own business, of any kind, is at times difficult, time consuming and stressful. There are no guarantees, paid sick days, insurance policies, or set work hours. It takes a specific type of person to manage all these aspects, not to mention that it is within the sex industry.

'Safety should always be somewhere in your mind - safety for yourself and your client.

'Whether it's security, safety during a session, nurturing personal relationships, managing mental health, or even giving a helping hand.

'I have methods for vetting and screening clients in place but - like in any job - if someone is to act out, you just have to be prepared, as you can never control what everyone is going to do regardless of the context, situation or state of mind.'

Even with her strict approach to business and safety at work, Bliss admits she has had some hairy moments.

Bliss is adamant that there should be better conditions and more relaxed laws for sex workers, in order to afford them greater protection.

She continued: 'Current prostitution laws state that owning and operating a brothel is a criminal act.

'This leaves sex workers vulnerable, due to the lack of security and continued isolation caused by the lack of community protection.

'Because of the legalities, I cannot own or operate a dungeon in which various women can work at once, whereas in Switzerland, for example, this is perfectly legal - dramatically reducing the risk of assault, rape and murder.

'Women in my field are known to work from their homes, which also heightens risk.

'This is the reality and the unglamorous side of the job. Creating laws to protect sex workers, instead of isolating them, is the way forward. While prostitution is in itself legal, a string of laws criminalise activities around it.'

Despite the restrictions, Bliss loves her work and remains an outspoken and positive voice in favour of greater tolerance.

She added: 'I like to challenge people's perceptions that society has spoon-fed them in hopes of invoking even a little bit of change in people's thought processes. And when this is met with anger and aggression, it only pushes me further.'
Bright lights from the worlds of art and fashion descended on Oaxaca in Mexico to see Danish collector Nicolai Frahm marry model Mariana Herrera in a jaw-droppingly extravagant celebration.

The couple exchanged vows in the awe-inspiring surroundings of the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, watched by guests including the hotel heiress Lydia Forte, Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, British entrepreneur and collector Frank Cohen, and a former Miss Mexico, Ana Girault.

The bride wore a dramatic, tiered gown with a voluminous train that filled the aisle of the picturesque Mexican building, which she later swapped for a fitted gown to dance into the small hours.

The groom, who is the co-founder of Frahm & Frahm and the Dairy Art Centre, a non-profit contemporary gallery in London, switched between a classic tux and a traditional charro style suit for the festivities, which lasted three days.

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Nicolai Frahm, a Danish art collector based in London, exchanged vows with Mariana Herrera in Oaxaca, Mexico

The party lasted several days, with the bride swapping the chic white mini dress by the Mexican designer Kris Goyri at a pre-party, for a dramatic bridal gown for the ceremony

The bride and groom also hosted a colourful party in an agave fields for their guests

The couple's love of art appeared to inspire much of the lavish festivities, which featured a colourful party in an agave field, stilt walkers and balloons to greet the wedding party as they exited the cathedral, and an alfresco meal complete with life-sized sculptures of the bride and groom that floated over guests' heads as they ate.

Photographs and video footage shared on social media by those at the wedding, which took place last week, offer glimpses of personalised bottles of tequila, dancing against the striking backdrop of rows of agave plants, a traditional mariachi band and jaw-dropping firework displays.

Bride and groom sculptures floated over the heads of guests at an al fresco party in an agave field during the festivities

After the ceremony, dancers in traditional dress and stilt walkers greeted the wedding party as they spilled out of the elaborate church

Millionaires and models looked on as Nicolai and Mariana exchanged vows in the beautiful Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman in Oaxaca

The ceremony was held in the awe-inspiring surroundings of the Mexican church and former monastery

The bride's dramatic gown featured voluminous layers of lace and she wore a cathedral veil

Happy couple: A moment of celebration as the newlyweds left the building as man and wife

The bride swapped her dramatic gown for a form-fitting dress to take to the dance floor with her new husband after the ceremony

The spectacular setting for the reception, where guests ate alfresco under hanging lanterns

Many of the guests were as visually appealing as the surroundings, with the model Ana Girault, a former Miss Mexico, and Mexican actor Erick Elias among those in Oaxaca for the festivities.

Also upping the glamour quotient was Lydia Forte, daughter of Sir Rocco Forte and heiress to the Rocco Forte hotel group, which includes Browns Hotel in London and the Hotel Savoy in Florence.

Hotel heiress Lydia Forte, daughter of Sir Rocco Forte, was among the guests in Oaxaca

Hundreds of guests were invited to join the couple's lavish celebrations in Mexico

Guests were entertained by a traditional Mexican mariachi band at the reception

High profile guests included the Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, seen left at the party in an agave field

Glamorous guests congregated outside the church in the Mexican sunshine last week

Businesswoman Sara Galindo poses with fellow guests outside the Oaxaca wedding venue

Contemporary art collector Nicolai Frahm, who was born in Copenhagen, owns pieces by acclaimed artists including Cindy Sherman, Ai Weiwei, Julian Schnabel and Richard Prince.

He founded the art exhibition production company Frahm & Frahm with his brother, Michael, and later the Dairy Art Collective with his fellow influential collector Frank Cohen, who was also in Mexico for the celebrations last week.

He is a patron of the Arken Museum of Modern Art in his native Denmark, and a trustee of Blenheim Art Foundation at Blenheim Palace.

Guests partied among the agave plants in the Mexican desert ahead of the ceremony
A team of fashion experts have identified the five key pieces of clothing every woman should have in their wardrobe.

Designers at Winser London - who have dressed the likes of Yasmin Le Bon and Emma Watson - spent months examining trends from the last nine decades to reveal the five items.

The essentials consist of a smart white shirt, a confidence-boosting dress, a 'boyfriend' jumper, a sophisticated pencil skirt and a pair of wide-leg trousers.

The ultimate list of wardrobe essentials was put together by the fashion house (winserlondon.com) who famously created the 'Miracle' dress, inspired by Grace Kelly.

So how many do you own?

1. The dress

Do you own a classic fitted dress? Designers at Winser London spent months examining trends from the last nine decades to reveal the five items every woman must own in 2018

Winser London's design director, Jayne Cady, said: 'A dress is an outfit in its own right - the easiest and quickest way to get dressed and look on point.'

Since the 1800s, black was seen as a colour only worn for mourning, but in the 1920s, the 'little black dress' was born - and perfected by Coco Chanel.

Her 1926 version of the dress, often worn with a string of pearls, was described by Vogue as 'the frock that all the world will wear.'

2. The white shirt

Fashion staples: The essentials consist of a smart white shirt (pictured), a confidence-boosting dress, a 'boyfriend' jumper, a sophisticated pencil skirt and a pair of wide-leg trousers

Also inspired by the classic cuts of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, a plain white shirt is a staple for both the office and evening-wear.

And when paired with a neat pencil skirt, it creates an outfit guaranteed to get results, according to Jayne.

3. The pencil skirt

Do you own a classic pencil skirt? This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby is a fan of the tried-and-tested pencil skirt and white shirt combination when presenting in front of the camera

The pencil skirt was first introduced by Christian Dior in 1954, and is as relevant today as when it was first revealed to stunned fashion experts.

This one, from Winser London, was based on the silhouette of Marilyn Monroe, and is one of the first building blocks women will use to create a simple, smart wardrobe, according to design director Jayne.

This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby is a fan of the tried-and-tested pencil skirt and white shirt combination when presenting in front of the camera.

4. The boyfriend jumper

A cosy 'boyfriend' jumper also appears on the list, which was was put together by the fashion house who famously created the 'Miracle' dress, inspired by Grace Kelly

Coco Chanel's influence can also be felt in the classic boyfriend jumper.

Prior to the 1920s, knitwear and jersey was seen as strictly for military or agricultural use.

But the visionary designer once again bucked trends, and reworked the material into dresses, twinsets and jumpers.

And in ready-to-wear lines, the 'boyfriend' term is affixed to any item of women's clothing which has been adapted from a corresponding men's garment.

5. The wide-leg trousers

A pair of wide leg trousers is a wardrobe essential according to Jayne Cady - who insists the right cut can make you feel 'relaxed, confident and sexy'

The fifth and final item every woman needs in her wardrobe is a pair of wide-leg trousers.

Jayne Cady said: 'Wearing a glamorous pair of trousers allows you to feel relaxed, confident and sexy.

'For those women who are not body confident, this cut is much easier to wear than a skinny design.'

'With these five staple items, women will be able to mix and match to create dozens of stunning outfits, each one with its own chic elegance.'
Bitterly cold temperatures have hit the UK, but the Dutch royals also looked to be feeling the chill as they hit the slopes on their annual ski holiday in Austria.

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander are enjoying their traditional break with their three daughters Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, 14, - who goes by Amalia, Princess Alexia of Orange-Nassau, 12, and Princess Ariane of Orange-Nassau, 10.

The family huddled together for warmth as they posed for photographers on the sloes in Lech where it's currently a frosty -13C.

Queen Maxima, 46, was her usual impeccably co-ordinated self even in sportswear, rocking a purple padded ski jacket and matching trousers with an indigo patterned scarf.

Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, Queen Maxima, Princess Ariane and King Willem-Alexander of The Netherland are enjoying their annual winter break in Lech, Austria

Queen Maxima cut a glamorous figutre in a purple patterned scarf and tortoiseshell shades

King Willem-Alexander, 50, looked every inch the proud father as he posed with his wife and three girls

A smiling Queen Maxima, 46, looked typically flamboyant in a purple ski outfit

She completed her cosy but stylish look with a pair of tortoiseshell glasses.

At one point the Queen could be seen throwing her arms around a chilly Princess Alexia, who seemed to be particularly feeling the cold.

King Willem-Alexander, 50, looked every inch the doting father as he posed proudly with his four girls on the slopes.

The monarch matched his eldest daughter, who will one day be Queen of The Netherlands in cheerful red ski jackets.

Queen Maxima was seen throwing her arms around Princess Alexia, 12, who seemed to be really feeling the cold

The Quene proudly posed with her three lookalike daughters ahead of hitting the slopes

The King proudly posed with his eldest daughter who will one day be Queen of The Netherlands

The royal family has holidayed in Lech every year since the end of the Second World War.

It was a favourite with Princess Diana, while King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan are also regulars on the slopes.

Princess Caroline of Monaco has a chalet in Zurs and visits every February with her daughter Princess Alexandra of Hanover.

The king and his eldest daughter Catharina-Amalia were matching in bright red ski jackets

The family is holidaying in Lech, which was a favourite spot for the late Princess Diana

Princesses Ariane, Catharina-Amalia and Alexia are growing up fast
You probably to pick up a take on the latest catwalk trends alongside your bread and milk at the supermarket, but Heidi Klum's latest clothing collaboration with Lidl contains some very convincing designer duplicates.

The third esmara by Heidi Klum collection, will arrive in stores on 4th March and the #LETSDENIM range, inspired by Southern Californian style, and is packed full of designer replicas.

The rainbow trend shows no sign of dying down after dominating the Burberry catwalk at London Fashion Week, and Heidi's range boasts a 9.99 striped jumper that could be mistaken for a much pricier version costing 215.

After Burberry and Chanel both championed the designer plastic mac, Heidi's collection has one for just 14.99 - but can you tell the supermarket buy from the designer version that costs?

The third esmara by Heidi Klum collection, will arrive in stores on 4th March and features a surprising number of designer dupes

Return of the mac! If the plastic coat trend is one you're unsure of then it's probably wise to try Lidl's 14.99 version (left), rather than investing in Burberry's 1,495 version

Lidl's 9.99 jumper is a budget-friendly way to invest in the rainbow trend (left). Or you could invest in this cashmere jumper number by Orwell + Austen (right)

Alberta Feretti's day of the week jumpers, 405, are hugely popular with celebrities from Gigi Hadid to Amal Clooney (left). Now, you can snap up a version from Lidl for just 9.99 (right)

Can you tell the difference between a 79 denim hoodie from Hollister (left) and an 11.99 jacket from Heidi's Lidl range (right)?
Royal fans are eagerly awaiting the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge's third child, but there's already a new tiny royal on the scene in the form of Prince Ernst August Jr. of Hanover's newborn daughter.

The stepson of Princess Caroline of Monaco and his Russian fashion designer wife Ekaterina Malysheva welcomed their first child, a baby daughter Elisabeth, at the Henriettenstifts hospital in Hanover on 22nd February.

'With my whole family I am very happy and grateful for the birth,' he told Hannoversche Allgemeine. 'My wife and I would like to thank the Henriettenstifts team for the friendly and competent care.'

The couple who have relocated to Hanover after a long stint in London were married in a lavish ceremony at Hanover Market Church in July 2017.

Prince Ernst Jr's father, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, 64, married Princess Caroline of Monaco in 1999, while she was pregnant with their daughter Alexandra, and she became stepmother to his two sons from his first marriage Ernst Jr and Christian.

Prince Ernst August Jr of Hanover, 34, welcomed their first child - a daughter, Elisabeth - last week at the Henriettenstifts hospital in Hanover

The couple were wed in a lavish ceremony at the Hanover Market Church in July 2017

After 10 years, press reports emerged that the couple were living separately and Prince Ernst went on to strike up a relationship with a beauty queen, 27, from Romania, which has since ended.

He and Princess Caroline remain legally married to each other.

Banker Prince Ernst Jr, 34, and his 32-year-old bride Ekaterina, have been together for seven years and lived together in London before relocating to Hanover

Ekaterina also runs her own clothing line, EKAT, which counts stars including Sienna Miller and Rita Ora among its fans.

Princess Caroline with her brother Prince Albert and estranged husband Prince Ernst August of Hanover (right) at Monaco's Roes Ball in 2007

The Princes and his pregnant wife Ekaterina Malysheva attending a wedding in September 2017

The talented creative was born in Russia but grew up in Prague.

She moved to the UK at the age of 19 to study at the London College of Fashion before going on to start her own business.

Prince Ernst-August V reportedly refused to give the union his blessing after Prince Ernst proposed to Ekaterina during a family holiday in Greece.

The older Prince was said to want properties and titles he gifted to his son signed back over into his possession, including the iconic Marienburg castle, where the wedding dinner was held.

The Prince heads up the royal House of Hanover, which provided monarchs to Great Britain from 1714 to 1901. His mother-in-law was the famed Hollywood icon Grace Kelly.

However the Prince also has a chequered past. In 1999 he allegedly assaulted a journalist as he returned from a charity gala. And in 2000 he caused a public row by urinating on the Turkish Pavilion at the Expo 2000 event in Hanover.
A young couple have revealed their plans to circumnavigate the world in a boat - despite having almost zero experience.

Laura Fuller, from Colchester and her boyfriend Robert, from Riga, Latvia, say they'll sail around the world in a 30ft vessel despite their hours in a boat being limited to teaching themselves to sail on a lake in New Zealand - and a short adventure off the country's coast.

The couple, who've already been left seasick and stranded after their first recce trip, say they realise some may consider their worldwide journey dangerous but that they love sailing and are willing to take the risk.

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Laura Fuller, from Colchester, and her boyfriend Robert, from Riga, Latvia, plan to sail around the globe in June, despite neither of them having significant experience at sea

The plucky amateur only took up sailing after buying a 22ft boat, 'Nauti Lass', on a whim and spent three days with her boyfriend Robert self-learning to sail on New Zealand's Lake Taupo

Laura, who gave up a job in a shop in Clacton-on-Sea to move to New Zealand in 2017, started learning to sail on a 22ft sailboat named 'Nauti Lass' that she bought with the proceeds of two-months' work in retail.

Along with her 23-year-old boyfriend, Laura embarked upon a self-teaching session on Lake Taupo.

The pair now have a YouTube channel documenting their journey, which they hope will inspire others to do something extraordinary.

A clip of the 22-year-old navigating one of the most dangerous stretches of water in New Zealand, the French Pass, sees a green-looking Laura emerging from below deck.

Admitting the sea was a little unrulier than she'd hoped it would be, she says: 'I had to lie down to compose myself. I've only been on the sea a few times before.'

Brave or foolish? The 22-year-old gave up a job in a shop in Clacton-on-Sea to live in New Zealand and now plans to make the ambitious journey around the globe in a 30ft boat

Early adventures have seen Laura blighted by sea sickness as she's got used to life on the ocean

Laura and Robert plan to sell Nauti Lass, their first boat and upgrade to a bigger vessel ahead of their planned adventure in June

Later, despite hoping to reach Wellington with a tow from friends, the couple saw their plans changed after a storm, the first they'd experienced, saw them stranded in the port of Picton instead.

Our first trip involved crossing one of the most dangerous pieces of water in the world and being towed by a bigger boat through the French Pass...twice! Laura Fuller

However, their early adventure - some 800km covered in less than four weeks - haven't seen the plucky amateur deterred.

She explains: 'I bought a 22ft sailboat with the money that I had saved from two months of full-time work.

'I had absolutely no idea how to even put up a sail, let alone anything more to do with sailing or boats in general.'

She continues: 'We taught ourselves how to sail in three days on the biggest lake in New Zealand, Lake Taupo.

'One month later, in February, 2018 we decided to go on our first trip out at sea (after having only three days of sailing experience).

Try and stop us! The couple say they've had mixed reactions to their forthcoming trip, with some calling them crazy

Ready to go! The young couple appear unfazed by a potentially dangerous journey

The tiny boat has so far given the couple their only sailing experience: How will they fare on a bigger vessel?

'Our first trip involved crossing one of the most dangerous pieces of water in the world and being towed by a bigger boat through the French Pass...twice.'

The couple are now in the process of buying a 30ft boat and say they'll be ready to go around the world by June, with around just four weeks' worth of sailing experience under their belts.

The couple, now based in Wellington, are appealing to fans of sailing to help support them through the trip, including financially.

To read more on Laura and Robert's sailing expedition, visit World's Corner Sailing on YouTube.
From a racy policewoman to a topless shop worker, these vintage sketches reveal the risque costumes worn by hostesses at London's most exclusive cabaret club.

Murray's Cabaret Club, in Soho, was a venue where senior Establishment figures like Sir Winston Churchill sipped Champagne with Hollywood actors and the infamous Kray twins, while scantily-clad showgirls entertained them from the floor.

Among the club's most famous performers was teenage dancer Christine Keeler, who was thrust into the spotlight following her infamous affair with then Secretary of State for War John Profumo in 1961.

It was at Murray's that she met Dr Stephen Ward, a high-flying London osteopath and fixer who procured women for leading members of the Establishment and later introduced Christine, then 19, to Profumo at a party.

The costume sketches, which will go on public display for the first time next month, help conjure an image of what took place inside the members-only establishment during its heyday in the Fifties and Sixties.

Double trouble: The artist imagines two showgirls in stockings, black silk - and very little else

Exotic entertainment: This carnival-inspired creation includes the note 'South American'

Favourite number: This showgirl would only have a miniature violin to cover her modesty

The majority of the illustrations are by costume designer Ronald Cobb who worked for the club's owners, the Murray family, for 15 years immediately following the Second World War.

Vintage poster dealer Charlie Jeffreys, 58, of south London, purchased the entire collection of over 300 costume drawings five years ago from the family of the late Elsie Birchmore, who was the head seamstress at Murray's.

They offer a unique insight into what it was like inside the club.

Star of the show: Christine Keeler, pictured in a Murray's costume in 1962, was among the showgirls at the club. There she met the man who introduced her to politician John Profumo

Infamous: Keeler, then 19, had an affair with Secretary of State for War John Profumo, who was 27 years her senior, in 1961. Pictured, Profumo with wife Valerie Hobson in 1959

Tucked away: The entrance to Murray's Cabaret Club in Beak Street, Soho

Cabaret girls: Edith King, of Liverpool, and Sheila Shaw of Blackpool, left. Right, Doretta Moore, 18, of Manchester, were all members of the cast of Murray's Cabaret Club

Historic: The former entrance to the club, which closed its doors for the final time in the 70s

Exclusive: A poster advertising the club and featuring images of two of its '30 lovely showgirls'

Mr Jeffreys said: 'In the 50s [Murray's Club] was where you went whether you were a bishop, a judge, an aristocrat or a gangster - everyone rubbed shoulders.

'The girls who worked there like Christine Keeler were very young and often came down from the Midlands or Manchester.

'Many of them went on to dance with the Royal Ballet after their time at the club and some married the well to do men who frequented the establishment. Theses costumes injected a rare sparkle into a West End blighted by austerity in the 50s.'

Sumptuous: The costume notes detail a brocade-effect for the fabric of this regal costume

Blooming beautiful! These old-fashioned get-ups were created by a performer named 'Virginia'

Quick spritz? A perfume shop girl is given a very racy makeover with this green bow look

Among the most eye-catching costumes is a topless creation that shows a woman clad in fishnet tights and an elaborate flower headdress.

Another shows a woman wearing a feathered turban and carefully-placed pasties.

Murray's was originally opened as a jazz and cabaret club in Beak Street, Soho, in 1913 by American entrepreneur Jack Mays and his English business partner Ernest Cordell.

Kiss me! Suggestive red lips adorn the performer in this costume sketch, titled 'Pandora's Box'

Baring all: Two ideas for costumes include a string of pearls, left, and a pair of fishnet tights

Sheer magic: This entirely sheer brassiere and skirt leaves little to the imagination

Touch of the tropics: This intricate sketch provides details of the fabrics of the vibrant designs

In its 1950s and 1960s heyday, the club had a well-heeled membership of thousands who sipped vintage champagne and enjoyed burlesque performances.

Keeler began working at Murray's Cabaret Club in 1958 where she was spotted by osteopath Stephen Ward, becoming one of 'Ward's girls'.

She was introduced by Ward to Profumo and they embarked on a brief affair in 1961.

A bit of all white! This relatively modest costume accentuates her figure with ruching

Women in uniform! These plunging necklines allow the performers to show off their assets

Sinister: A woman clad all in black is sent out to seduce the members at Murray's Cabaret

Attention to detail: Fringing, flowers and fans bring a flirty feel to these cut-out creations

Spring shower: This nude outfit uses clouds to preserve the performer's modesty on stage

When the affair was first revealed two years later, public interest was heightened by reports she may have been simultaneously involved with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet spy, creating a security risk.

Profumo initally denied the affair but admitted it weeks later and resigned from his position.

The scandal contributed to the Conservatives' defeat by the Labour Party in the 1964 general election.

Cabaret queens: Crowns and puffed sleeves bring a regal feel to these two glamorous looks

Bustier Bo Peep! A corset and short skirt offer a very adult take on a children's book character

Extravagant: A nymph, left, and a graphic black, white and red costume worn without a bra

The sketches will go on display at the Century Club in Soho, London from March 22.
Aubrey Plaza has called out the Academy for never awarding the Best Actress Oscar to a Latina performerand pledged to take matters in her own hands by becoming the first one to earn the gong.

The actress, 33, was an honoree at the National Hispanic Media Coalition gala on Friday in Los Angeles. Alex Nogales, the coalition's CEO, has planned a protest before the Oscars to denounce the lack of representation of Latino actors in speaking and lead roles.

Aubrey took home an award for outstanding performance in a motion picture for her performance in Ingrid Goes West, a black comedy in which she plays a mentally unstable young woman obsessed with social media.

Speaking out: Aubrey Plaza, 33, was an honoree at the National Hispanic Media Coalition gala on Friday in LA (pictured) and called out the lack of representation of Latinx performers

Role: Aubrey took home an award for outstanding performance in a motion picture for her performance in Ingrid Goes West (pictured)

While accepting her award, Aubrey, whose father David Plaza is Puerto Rican, addressed the under-representation of Latinx actors and actresses in Hollywood, using her trademark sarcasm.

'I'm going to accept the leading best actress award on behalf of the Oscars ceremony because I heard a fun fact tonight that I never knew before, which is that no Latina actress has ever won best actress at the Oscars. Ever.' she said, according to Variety.

'So I'm going to accept that tonight to manifest that energy.'

Aubrey, who rose to fame playing April Ludgate in Parks And Recreation, joked that her part in Ingrid Goes West might not get her that Oscar just yet, but she didn't seem discouraged.

'I'll play some kind of psychotic character, some kind of criminal lunatic, those complicated characters I'm good at, and I'll do that for you. And I'm going to win that award,' she added.

Making a point: The actress pointed out that a Latina actress has never won the Best Actress Oscar, and pledged to become the first one to earn the distinction

Family: Aubrey attended the gala with her father David Plaza (pictured with her), who is Puerto Rican. Her mother, meanwhile, is of English and Irish descent

Since the first Academy Awards ceremony 89 years ago, only three Latina actresses have ever been nominated for the Best Actress in a leading role category.

The last time was in 2005, when Catalina Sandino Moreno earned the nomination for her part in Maria Full Of Grace. Hilary Swank ended up winning the award for her role in Million Dollar Baby.

Prior to that, Salma Hayek was nominated during the 2003 ceremony for her part in Frida, but lost to Nicole Kidman, who won the gong thanks to her performance in The Hours.

Fernanda Montenegro became the first Latin-American actress to ever be nominated in the Best Actress category during the 1999 Oscars, thanks to her role in Central Station.

Six Latina actresses have been nominated for the Best Actress in a supporting role distinction, and two have won the award.

Reunited: On the day before Valentine's Day, Aubrey posted a photo of herself with her Parks And Recreation co-stars Kathryn Hahn, Rashida Jones, and Amy Poehler

Lupita Nyong'o, who was born in Mexico City to Kenyan parents and once called herself a 'Mexi-Kenyan' during an interview, took home the gong during the 2014 Academy Awards for her performance in 12 Years A Slave, while Rita Moreno earned it in 1962 for her part in West Side Story.

Aubrey, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, has opened up in the past about growing up as the child of a Puerto Rican father and a mother of English and Irish descent.

'I was like the only diverse kid in my high school, and I'm half-Puerto Rican.

'But yeah, I have a huge family and tons of cousins in Puerto Rico,' she told Latina in a previous interview.

'We actually hung out with them last summer, and it was awesome. But I wish my grandfather had taught my Dad Spanish when he was younger so he could've taught me when I was younger, and sometimes he does, too. It's a shame.'
Before sleepless nights and nappy changes take over, pregnant former jailbird Michaella McCollum is determined to make the most of her freedom.

The 24-year-old, from Northern Ireland was spotted enjoying a day at the beach in Alicante and took time out to catch up on some reading as she soaked up the sun.

Michaella was seen enjoying Rhonda Byrne's famed self-help book The Secret, which details how the 'law of attraction' can help you fulfill your dreams, simply by putting positive thoughts into the universe.

After taking in some sage life advice, Michaella enjoyed a relaxing stroll on the beach, showing off her blossoming figure to full effect in a skimpy red bikini.

The expectant mother left her blonde locks fall loosely around her shoulders as she

Pregnant Michaella McCollum, 24, of Peru Two fame from Northen Ireland showed off her blossoming figure in a red bikini on the beach in Alicante

The mother-to-be covered up in a black sun dress and long duster coat ahead of her day at the beach

Michaella was spotted reading Rhonda Byrne's famous self help manual, The Secret

The mother-to-be confirmed her pregnancy last month by posting an image of her stomach on Instagram.

McCollum shot to notoriety in 2013 when she and her friend Melissa Reid were arrested in Lima for smuggling drugs and were dubbed the Peru Two by the Press.

She has since become something of a public figure, attending events and escaping the chilly British weather on holiday.

It is not yet known who the father is but a mystery man appeared in the Instagram post announcing the pregnancy last month.

Bumping along nicely! Michaella announced her pregnancy on Instagram last month, but is yet to reveal who the father is

Making plans! The expectant mother looked deep in thought as she took a stroll along the sand

Brushing up on the law of attraction! Michaella looked fascinated by the book, which reveals how to achieve anything you want by using the power of positive thinking

Michaella let her blonde locks fally loosely around her shoulders as she went for a paddle

The mother-to-be is looking forward to the birth of her first child and bringing out a book about her experiences as a drugs mule

Wearing black and white Calvin Klein underwear, McCollum was pictured nestling between the legs of an unseen man, who was resting one hand on her bump.

Captioning the post, Michaella wrote: 'Wow had some crazy dreams... guess that's what happens when your dreaming for more than one.'

McCollum's agent later confirmed the pregnancy revealing that she was looking forward to motherhood.

Speaking to the MailOnline they said: 'Michaella is pleased to announce her pregnancy, her journey since being back home has been life changing experience.

Making the most of her free time! Michaella made sure to soak up the sun as she enjoyed a 'babymoon' ahead of the birth of her first child

While the UK is braced for freezing temperatures, Michaella was enjoying much sunnier weather

Preparing for a big change: Michaella is set to welcome her first child and bring out her debut book this year

'Michaella is looking forward to her journey into motherhood. Couple this with the excitement of her book release and 2018 is set to be an amazing year for Michaella.'

Last month McCollum was spotted shopping for baby clothes and was also seen leaving ultrasound specialist, babybond in Belfast.

McCollum, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was photographed leaving the clinic alongside a male companion whom sources have confirmed to be Patrick Mone.

Mone, who is reported to own a hair salon Monet Hair in Belfast, has been spotted with McCollum on several occasions recently - though the pair are not thought to be romantically connected.

Michaella is keeping mum about the father of her unborn child thus far

The pregnant 24-year-old has become something of a public figure since her release from prison

The former model has been spotted on several shopping trips since her agent confirmed that she is currently working on a documentary about life in prison.

She is also due to publish her first book, which is set to hit shelves this summer.

It was previously reported that she had been offered a 250,000 deal for the book, detailing her criminal exploits and time behind bars in Lima.

Since returning to the UK, Michaella's lifestyle has been a stark contrast to former accomplice Melissa Reid, who has landed a charity job at Citizens Advice.

Melissa applied for a job at the charity after she was released from the South American jail last June.
A 27-year-old woman has become the first American TV reporter to work in front of the camera while wearing a hijab full-time.

Tahera Rahman, now works as a reporter for WHBF-TV, a CBS affiliate based in Rock Island, Illinois, which serves the Quad cities. The journalist, from Naperville, Illinois, has worked at the station as a producer for two years and never lost sight of her 'dream' of stepping in front of the camera one day.

When another reporter position opened last year, Tahera, who was once told by a colleague that America wasn't 'ready' for a hijabi TV reporter, applied. Her reel proved to be the best out of the pool of applicants, and Tahera started her new full-time position earlier this month.

Making history: Tahera Rahman, 27, has become the first American TV reporter to work in front of the camera while wearing a hijab full-time

Position: The journalist, from Naperville, Illinois, now works as a reporter for WHBF-TV, a CBS affiliate based in Rock Island, Illinois, which serves the Quad cities

Tahera, who told The Des Moines Register she is 'living her dream', is the first female reporter to wear a hijab while working full-time for a mainstream TV station in the US, the Muslim American Women In Media group said.

The reporter decided to start wearing a hijab full-time when she was in the fifth grade, and initially faced resistance from her mother, who thought Tahera was too young to make such a choice.

'I remember the first day I decided to wear it full-time, because I wouldn't wear it outside of school or anything,' Rahman told the newspaper. 'I walked out of the house and I was like, "Oh my God, no, I'm starting to wear it now," and I ran back in and put it on.'

By wearing the hijab, Muslim women can manifest their faith and abide by the principle of modesty.

Putting in the work: Tahera has worked at the station as a producer for two years and never lost sight of her 'dream' of stepping in front of the camera one day

Choices: The reporter decided to start wearing a hijab full-time when she was in the fifth grade, and initially faced resistance from her mother, who thought Tahera was too young

Statements: After graduating college, Tahera sent her reel around, looking for their feedback. This is when one person told her the country 'wasn't ready' to have a hijabi reporter on TV

Tahera went on to attend Loyola University Chicago, a Catholic college, where she joined a sorority.

'I knew there was no one who looked like me who rushed Greek life, but I did because I wanted to,' she said. 'I would show up to formals and Panhellenic events and I would be the only one who wore a headscarf, but it never stopped me, and I still had fun and I still studied abroad and I still traveled with my sorority sisters to Spring Break.'

After graduating college, Tahera, who already had her eyes set on journalism, sent her reel to managers and professors, looking for their feedback. This is when one person told her the country 'wasn't ready' to have a hijabi reporter on television.

'It's those subtle statements that actually have a big impact,' Tahera said. 'It's those little things, those little pebbles that keep pelting you and saying, "Hey, it's not going to work."'

Inspiration: After her colleague's remark, Tahera saw a news story about a fellow hijabi, the first Somali-American legislator to be elected, which gave her hope

Reaching out: Tahera's pioneering career has earned her international support, with people sending her touching messages from Eastern Europe and Sweden

Tahera grew up noticing there was a lack a lot of people looking like her on TV and came of age in the post-9/11 era, when she noticed a shift in the public discourse about Muslim people.

The narrative, she recalled, came to revolve around 'who (Muslims) really are and what they really believe in and whose side they are on?

'That's when I realized they are talking about us, but there is no one who looked like us who can speak to it truthfully,' she said.

Tell me again about how America is not ready for this

After her colleague's remark, Tahera saw a news story about a fellow hijabi, the first Somali-American legislator to be elected.

Ilhan Omar, a former refugee and mother of three, became a DemocraticFarmerLabor Party member of the Minnesota House Of Representatives in November 2016, and Tahera read everything she could about her, thinking: 'Tell me again about how America is not ready for this.'

Tahera's pioneering career has earned her international support, with people sending her touching messages from Eastern Europe and Sweden.

However, she has also faced hateful backlash, which came just a few days after she made her debut on air.

Precaustions: The reporter has also faced hateful backlash, which came just a few days after she made her debut on air. Her station has taken measures to ensure her safety

On the job: Tahera now intends to keep reporting while wearing her hijab, and hope her work and talent, rather than her headscarf, will soon become the story

An anti-Islam website wrote a post about her new job at the station, prompting people to share vicious comments such as 'Just take the rag off your head and be a good American and enjoy your job.'

Others declared their intention to write letters asking WHBF-TV to take Tahera off the air.

The station has taken measures to ensure the reporter's safety.

Her colleagues have given her a warm welcome with a special segment introducing her to viewers and retracing her journey so far, also commending her for her 'great' work as a producer.

Meanwhile, Tahera has received supportive notes, including from viewers in Raleigh, North Carolina, who sent her their 'encouragement' and hoping she would continue her 'successful journey'.

'We know it is hard sometimes to be different from what other people consider "the norm" but we have found that being different is a strength,' the couple added.

Tahera now intends to keep reporting while wearing her hijab, and hope her work and talent, rather than her headscarf, will soon become the story.

'I want to be like I was born and raised here and I wear it, so I am where I belong,' she added. 'And you have to deal with it because this is my America, too.'
For most workers, stress is just a hazard of the job.

But a psychologist is now shedding light on the difference between manageable job related stress and career burnout, likening the latter to a form of mental illness.

Speaking to Popsugar, psychologist Dr Sherry Benton who is also the founder of online therapy service TAO Connect, shared that while depression is a diagnosable disorder, managed by medication and treatment, career burnout can contribute to low mental health that often goes undiagnosed.

According to research conducted by Career Builder in 2017, 61 per cent of American workers reportedly feeling burnt out by their current job, and over a third have admitted to high or extremely high levels of work related stress and anxiety.

'Too often we think about mental health and mental illness as a single dimension, but the two are separate constructs,' she suggested.

'You can have a high level of mental health or a low level of mental health, and you can have more severe symptoms of mental illness or no symptoms.'

Insight: Psychologist Dr Sherry Benton has detailed how career burnout can contribute to low mental health that often goes undiagnosed

1. Insomnia and exhaustion

Disrupted sleep patterns are a clear sign of career burnout according to Dr Benton. She suggests that working should leave a person feeling energized and that getting a job done should feel rewarding at the end of the day.

2. No support

Bad management or not having enough support staff can also contribute to burnout in the workplace. And although working long hours may be inevitable in some jobs, 'professional workaholics' are doing more damage than good in the long run.

3. No sense of pride

While overworking if often the most influential factor when dealing with career burnout, Dr Benton explained that often people can experience burnout when they work in a job that isnt meaningful or doesnt give a person a sense of pride - a 'lifestyle mismatch'.

4. Trying to be perfect

Dr Benton also revealed that striving for perfection and feeling frustrated when this cannot be achieved can quickly lead to burnout.

Expert opinion: Dr Sherry Benton detailed the five different signs to look out for when trying to diagnose career burn out

'When that's your mindset, you arrive to the point of diminishing return,' she explained.

'Your concentration falls apart, it's hard to focus, and every task you do becomes more difficult and more complicated. It affects your entire brain's memory system to try to work in a burnout state in a long period of time.

'You actually become far less effective, and you're making yourself less competent by not having that balance in your life.'

5. No downtime

Having time for friends and family or a creative outlet not associated with work is the key to achieving work life balance according to Dr Benton, citing 'multiple sources of well-being' as essential to avoid career burnout.
She is known for her signature sunglasses and frosty demeanour, but Anna Wintour let both slip as she attended a Vatican event on Monday.

The American Vogue editor offered a rare glimpse of her eyes as she joined designer Donatella Versace at the launch of an exhibition celebrating religious fashion, hosted by the Vatican's culture minister at a formal Papal residence in Rome.

The magazine chief, 68, showed her respect by removing her dark shades, which she wears everywhere from the Vogue offices to the catwalk.

Last week she drew criticism over her decision to keep her sunglasses in place as she sat front row with the Queen at London Fashion Week.

Rare glimpse: American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who is renowned for her frosty demeanour, removed her signature sunglasses and flashed a rare smile as she attended the launch of an exhibition on religious fashion at a formal Papal residence in Rome on Monday

Fashion heavyweights: Donatella Versace, left, and Anna Wintour with Vatican culture minister Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, right, at the event at the grand palace on Monday

Controversial: Last week Wintour drew criticism over her decision to keep her sunglasses in place as she sat front row with the Queen at London Fashion Week, pictured

Wintour and Donatella, 62, were invited to a sneak preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring exhibit of the Costume Institute, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, which will feature 40 vestments and liturgical accessories from the Vatican.

The fashion heavyweights were able to view some of the treasures, including bejwelled miters, Papal tiaras and a golden-threaded papal cape, before they are carefully packaged and transported to New York.

The pieces will sit alongside masterworks of medieval art in The Met collection and garments from desingers including Simone Rocha, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld. The exhibition will be on view from May 10 to October 8.

It is preceded by the annual Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, on May 7, which will be co-chaired by Wintour, Versace Amal Clooney and Rihanna.

Wintour and Donatella were invited to a sneak preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's spring exhibit of the Costume Institute, which will feature vestments and liturgical accessories

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi addresses the audience, including Wintour (left) and Versace

Dame Anna, who was given the title in last year's New Year's honours list, appeared to draw on the red and black of a Cardinal's robes for her own look today, opting for a sumptuous velvet dress in similar shades.

Meanwhile Versace donned a piece from her own label featuring graphic colour blocks and text.

Commenting on the exhibition, Wintour said: 'Part of the power of the church has been how they look, and how they dress. They have this extraordinary presence.'

Tiara of Pius IX on display, boasting lavish gold work and glittering precious stones

Mitre of Pius XI on display at The Met's Heavenly Bodies preview event in Rome

Last week Dame Anna joined the Queen as the monarch made her Fashion Week debut at the Richard Quinn show in London.

The monarch sat next to the uncharacteristically nervous US Vogue boss, along with British Fashion Council chief Caroline Rush, before the pair eventually relaxed in her presence.

Grant Harrold, an etiquette expert who worked in Prince Charles' household, said Anna's actions had broken royal protocol.

Ornate: Donatella Versace poses next to one of the Tiara (1877) of Pope Pius IX in Rome
Anna dello Russo is cleaning out her closet.

For the 55-year-old fashion editor  a street style favorite who has been sitting front row at Fashion Week for decades  this is no ordinary task. Currently an editor-at-large for Vogue Japan, Anna's wardrobe is more extensive  and expensive  than most, and can't exactly be dropped off at the local Goodwill store.

So this weekend, Anna auctioned off 32 amazing lots from her archive to a room full of celebrities and fashion elite  and then put an additional 124 pieces on Net-a-Porter for everyone else to snatch up.

Pictured: Anna dello Russo walks in a fashion show kicking off an auction of items from her own closet this weekend

Walk, walk: The 55-year-old fashion editor held the star-studded event during Milan Fashion Week

Hot outfit: Christie's auctioned off 32 lots, mostly of multiple items like coats and bags or dresses and hats

Over it: Anna selected many items from her wardrobe to auction off at the end

Editing: This isn't the first time she has donated or given away clothing, but it was the biggest event she hosted to do so

There were plenty of pieces to choose from. Speaking to the New York Times, she admitted she has spent 'crazy amounts of money' on designer clothing over the course of her career, and once paid for an entire second apartment to put her clothes in.

'Everyone says I'm mad, but if you're a librarian, what do you spend your money on?' she asked. 'Books. My clothes were my books, my alphabet.'

Of course, this isn't the first time she's given away or donated pieces, but it was the biggest event she's held for such a giveaway.

The kickoff was held this weekend during Milan Fashion Week, in conjunction with the release of her book AdR: Beyond Fashion.

She partnered with Nadja Swarovski for the Chrstie's auction, which included 32 lots (with some lots containing multiple pieces) from her own fashion vault.

A-list: Hailey Baldwin was one of several models to show off the pieces up for grabs

Raised: All in all, the auction brought in a whopping 147,000 ($181,019)

Cause: Earnings are being donated to the Swarovski Foundation scholarship program

Intense: Anna admitted prior to the event that she once rented a second apartment for her wardrobe

Away: She decided it was time 'to organize something to mark the end of an important phase of my life'

'I've always been extremely jealous of my clothes, which I collected as vestiges  actually I still love them, they are still so interesting to me, they will always be, fashion will always fascinate me.

'But this is the moment for me to open my collection and donate to other people, from the young fashion assistant to the most important photographer,' she said, according to WWD. 'It's just the right time to donate.

'Last year, I lost two people who were so important for me and I realized it was time for a change. I wanted to organize something to mark the end of an important phase of my lifeIts a karmic moment for me.'

The swanky party included a fashion show, in which A-list models including Izabel Goulart, Caroline Vreeland, Maria Borges, and Hailey Baldwin walked the runway in the pieces that were up for grabs.

Wow: Anna is pictured at a Vogue party in 2010 wearing a feather Gareth Pugh mask  which, along with a Prada black astrakhan ensemble, sold for a total of 12,000 ($14,782)

Glitzy and glam: She went on to sell an additional 124 pieces on Net-a-Porter, including this Moschino jacket for 500

Shelling out: This Prada suit is one of many items to sell out quickly. A buyer paid 550

While the pieces were pricey, the editor probably only wore each one a couple of times, tops (pictured left: 450 Manish Arora outfit; right: 700 Celine wool cape)

Snatched: This Lanvin dress, which she likely only wore this once, sold for 350

Once was hers... Anna modeled several pieces for the site, including a 550 Gareth Pugh dress (left) and a 650 Dolce & Gabbana kimono (right)

Donated: All proceeds, including the 500 paid for this Junya Watanabe faux leather and suede-paneled tulle top and skirt, went to the British Fashion Council Education Foundation

Then the bidding began  all in all fetching 147,000 ($181,019), which Anna is donating to the Swarovski Foundation scholarship program.

According to Vogue, bidding started at just 50 ($62) a piece  but quickly skyrocketed above that. The highest bid went to Burberry by Christopher Bailey trenchcoat and Hermes Birkin bag 13,000 ($1,6014).

Also sold off were a feather Gareth Pugh mask with a Prada black astrakhan ensemble, which sold for a total of 12,000 ($14,782).

Among the buyers were Swiss heir Carl Hirschmann and designer Neil Barrett, while also in attendance were Olivia Palermo, designer Fausto Puglisi, former Cavalli and Pucci creative director Peter Dundas, and Natasha Poly.

But the spending didn't end there. At the close of the auction, Net-a-Porter opened up sale on an additional 124 pieces from Anna's collection, as well as her book.

Each had a set price, ranging from 50 ($70) to 850 ($1,187)  with all proceeds being donated to the British Fashion Council Education Foundation.

Gone: Up for grabs were a 550 Balenciaga jacket and a 450 dress by the same designer

Must: One buyer shelled out 350 for this Prada dress, which Anna wore in 2014

Not only did she sell these coats (left, by Sonia Rykiel, and right, by Comme des Garcons) with accessories she also sold

Wanted: This Miu Miu suit sold for 500 and was one of two printed suits by the designer up for grabs

This Givenchy bomber went for 550  pricey, but a bargain compared to retail

Sure: These hats (left: Elstinko and right: Disney) went for 50 each

Pieces included dresses and coats by Moschino, Givenchy, Alexandra McQueen, Prada, Giambattista Valli, Miu Miu, Balenciaga, Celine, Alaia, Comme des Garcons, Dolce & Gabbana, and Saint Laurent.

There were more classic items, like a leopard Saint Laurent skirt suit and a Louis Vuitton trench.

But there were also several that represent the editor's more envelope-pushing style, like a Junya Watanabe faux leather and suede-paneled tulle top and skirt and a Manish Arora patent leather-trimmed crepe jacket and mini dress set.

This treasure trove went quickly, too, and is nearly entirely sold out, with $60,812.78 worth of merchandise sold so far.

Once all of the pieces have been sold, the total collection will have raised about $245,750.
Kitchen appliances traditionally aren't the most stylish of accessories - but that's all about to change as Dolce and Gabbana's debut collaboration with high-end appliance brand Smeg is finally available to order online.

Featuring vivid floral motifs and bright patterns, the range of funky designs was announced last year but until now, foodie fashionistas have been unable to get their hands on the colourful gadgets.

They're now available to pre-order online - but make sure you have deep pockets before you do, as even a toaster will set you back $600.

For now, only three Dolce & Gabbana Smeg appliances are available to pre-order online, including this kettle, which will set customers back $600

The Italian luxury brand began its partnership with Italian appliance manufacturer Smeg in April last year and together they created a line of small kitchen appliances called Sicily Is My Love.

But now a few of the items are finally available to pre-order online via Neiman Marcus's website for US customers only, as the site does not allow for UK shipping at this time.

However in the UK you can pick up the items at Harrods, Selfridges and at Smeg's flagship London store in person - though none of the items are available online in the UK as yet.

The other two items available to pre-order are the juicer, and the toaster, both of which cost $600. The toaster, like the other products in the range, features a bright hand-painted design

They are only for die-hard Dolce fans as the only three items currently available to order, a kettle, toaster and juicer, cost $600 each in the range.

Harrods put the gadgets - which all feature colourful, flowing designs - on display over Christmas and now sells them in store.

Smeg states on its website that the range will be available online 'soon'.

Both Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have strong ties to Sicily. In addition to the fact that Dolce was born and raised in the area, both designers continue to frequent the famous island and reference it in their collections.

The brand describes the collaboration as being 'intrinsically tied to Sicily and the important aspects of the aesthetic of [the designers].'

Sicilian fruits, flowers, beaches, and animals are all present in the collection.

There are other products in the range which aren't yet available to pre-order including Smeg's iconic retro food mixer and a blender, both in the new Dolce & Gabbana designs

Soon, your counter tops sing with joy as they become home to the Dolce & Gabbana x Smeg toaster, juicer, blender, espresso machine, kettle, or stand mixer.

This is not the first time the strange bedfellows have collaborated on designer appliances. Last year, Dolce & Gabbana x Smeg produced a highly-exclusive line of hand-painted refrigerators.

Each of the 100 custom refrigerator reportedly retailed for $34,000 - though Neiman Marcus sells a handful for a whopping $50,000.

A normal Smeg refrigerator sells for approximately $2,000, making the D&G versions a whopping 17 times the normal amount at least.
Almost all known cases of female genital mutilation carried out in the UK are legal piercings, official figures show.

The Department of Health controversially decided all intimate piercings should be included in new statistics collected by the NHS to record cases of FGM.

But out of 5,391 newly recorded cases of FGM found by GPs and NHS trusts in the year to March 2017, only 57 were performed in the UK of which 50, or 87 per cent, were in the category for piercings, and all the women whose ages were known were over 18.

The figures suggest almost all girls who undergo the shocking FGM procedure, which has been illegal for more than 30 years, are taken abroad.

But out of 5,391 newly recorded cases of FGM found by GPs and NHS trusts in the year to March 2017, only 57 were performed in the UK of which 50, or 87 per cent, were in the category for piercings

But campaigners argue the true picture is hidden as the practice and scale of the child abuse remains out of sight from health professionals in the UK.

A spokesman for childrens charity the NSPCC said: We know from calls to our dedicated helpline that female genital mutilation is still affecting hundreds of girls in the UK. For far too long female genital cutting has been cloaked in secrecy so the true picture of how many girls are affected is unknown.

We need more people in communities to join forces to ensure this dangerous and illegal practice is ended and urge young people and any adults worried about them, to speak out and get help.

Police chief knew key witness in court case that fell apart DCI Leanne Pook is a trustee of Integrate UK, it has emerged For the past six years DCI Leanne Pook has fronted Avon and Somerset Polices efforts to combat FGM. She led the investigation that ended with a taxi driver being prosecuted for child cruelty to his daughter and took key witness Sami Ullahs statement. However, it has emerged that DCI Pook, 46, is a trustee of Integrate UK, the anti-FGM charity Mr Ullah was working for, and has known him personally for several years. She has described him online as a lovely fella, the greatest and a champion. Two weeks after the unidentified Somali taxi driver was charged in June last year, Mr Ullahs charity is said to have sent DCI Pook a large chocolate cake to say thank you. She posted a photo on Twitter with the caption: From our gorgeous friends @_IntegrateUK who want to say thanks to the cops. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed DCI Pook took Mr Ullahs initial statement and was the senior investigating officer. Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger told The Mail on Sunday that letting the detective head the case involving a friend was a total conflict of interest. Advertisement

Last week the latest attempt to secure the first court conviction for FGM collapsed at Bristol Crown Court and questions are now being asked about the role of the senior police officer involved in the case.

The inquiry began when a 29-year-old Uber driver was said to have told a passenger and anti-FGM campaigner that his daughter had undergone the procedure. The conversation was reported to police and experts were sent to examine the drivers daughters at their Bristol home.

Doctors found a small mark on the youngest girl but noted the seven-year-old  who denied being harmed  appeared happy and well looked after.

A decision was made to prosecute after an investigation led by Detective Chief Inspector Leanne Pook, the Avon and Somerset Police lead officer investigating cases of FGM.

Passenger Sami Ullahs account of the taxi chat in March 2016 was branded inconsistent by the judge when the case came to court after two years.

Directing the jury to find the father not guilty of child cruelty, Judge Julian Lambert said: There is no evidence put by the prosecution as to when or how any alleged mutilation is said to have taken place. The evidence in this case is deeply troubling.

And now personal links between DCI Pook and Mr Ullah and his charity have added to concerns over the way the case was handled.

Campaigners have also accused prosecutors of wasting public money and have questioned why Avon and Somerset Police trusted Mr Ullahs inconsistent evidence.

The Government has pledged 35million to eradicate FGM and in 2015 it was made a requirement for medical staff, teachers and social workers to report cases.

Last year, Eurostar passengers at Londons St Pancras were grilled by officials about where they had been in a bid to root out FGM offenders.

But the first attempt to bring charges  against London doctor Dhanuson Dharmasena  ended in farce as he was acquitted in only 25 minutes.
Nearly 30 percent of teenagers under 18 have received a sext, new research has revealed.

The new study of more than 100,000 teenagers around the world also found that one in seven teens have sent sext messages themselves, while 12 percent said they have forwarded a sext without consent.

Sexting is becoming more prevalent among teens, and previous studies have found underage teens who share sexually explicit images are more likely to have underage sex.

The recent study, conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary, highlights the importance of including the issue as part of children's sex education.

One in eight teens forwarded a sexual image or message without the sender's consent, a new study revealed

'We weren't surprised by the findings because the exploration of sexuality is a normal part of adolescence,' Dr Sheri Madigan, assistant professor in the department of psychology at the University of Calgary, told Daily Mail Online.

'What was most surprising, is that we found that approximately one in 10 teens are reporting that they have forwarded sexts without the consent of the sender,' she added.

Dr Madigan and her colleagues conducted a literature review of 39 studies involving 110,380 children between the ages of 12 and 17 years old.

She said the prevalence of sexting in the 39 studies analyzed varied dramatically - from three percent to 65 percent.

'By synthesizing this body of research, we can more accurately estimate that one in seven teens are sending sexts, and 27 percent are receiving sexts,' Dr Madigan said.

In addition to finding that 12 percent of teens have distributed sexts or messages without consent, researchers also found that 8.4 percent of teens have had their naked selfies or sexual messages circulated without permission.

Researchers said relationships between tweens are often short-lived, which make them more vulnerable to having sexts forwarded without their consent.

They said that given tweens' 'naivete,' they are also vulnerable to having their sexts used as blackmail.

'An important area of future inquiry will be the identification of variables associated with non-consensual sexting, as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of educational campaigns and legal policies striving to mitigate non-consensual sexting in youth,' researchers wrote.

The study also revealed more sexting occurs on smartphones than computers.

'Smartphone ownership among teens is near universal,' Dr Madigan told Daily Mail Online. 'So the fact that [sex and smartphones] are colliding did not surprise us.'

Previous studies have linked sexting among teens to an increased likelihood of participating in risky behaviors.

A 2014 study published in Pediatrics found teens who admitted to sharing nude pictures of themselves were 32 percent more likely to report that they've had sexual intercourse a year later when compared to those who haven't sexted.

Furthermore, a 2012 study published in Pediatrics found teens who sexted were seven times more likely to be sexually active, and nearly two times more likely to have unprotected sex.

'From a public health perspective, we wanted to study this topic because teen's on and offline behaviors are completely intertwined,' Dr Madigan said.

'So this is a pressing issue for most parents who are wondering what teens are doing on their phones,' she added.

Dr Madigan urged parents to 'be proactive, not reactive' about sexting, and to talk to their kids often about sexuality, sexting, peer pressure, and online versus offline relationships.

'These are not "one and done" conversations, they should be ongoing throughout the tween and teen years,' she said.

Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Englander, of Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, reviewed the findings for the journal and said they were an important step forward in understanding the prevalence of sexting - including the unauthorized distribution of sexual images.

'Sexting is a new behavior that is evolving rapidly, as technology changes and awareness increases,' she said. 'The accuracy of our understanding about it defines our prevention and intervention efforts.'
Victims of so-called Aussie flu this winter may be at risk of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.

Trials on mice revealed the H3N2 virus can trigger memory damage that may raise their risk of the neurological disorder.

It is the same strain that wreaked havoc in Australia, UK and the US this winter, and was partly to blame for the worst outbreak in recent years.

In the first experiment of its kind, German scientists also discovered that a form of bird flu, H7N7, caused the same problems to the mice.

They can enter the central nervous system, changing the structure and function of the hippocampus - a brain region involved in learning and memory.

However, charities have dismissed the findings and warned those who suffered from the flu should not be concerned by the results.

Both H3N2 and H7N7 were also found to alter genes that are thought to boost the risk of depression, autism and schizophrenia.

However, swine flu, or H1N1, had no effects on the brain, found the researchers from Braunschweig University of Technology.

Trials on mice revealed the H3N2 virus can trigger memory damage that may raise their risk of the neurological disorder

Professor Martin Korte, who led the study, said all the evidence shows that flu can cause neurological complications in humans - who are similar to mice.

He said: 'A comparison revealed that infection with H1N1 did not lead to any long-term alterations in spatial memory formation and neuron morphology.

'The infection with the non-neurotropic H3N2 subtype and neurotropic H7N7 caused long-lasting cognitive deficits in infected animals.'

Professor Korte added 'evidence now accumulates' that chronic neuroinflammation - as seen in the mice - may be a 'central mechanism' to Alzheimer's disease.

He warned that flu in humans 'may also trigger neuroinflammation and associated chronic alterations in the CNS'.

But Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer's Research UK, dismissed the study and said 'it does not tell us anything about the risk of Alzheimer's'.

WHAT FLU STRAINS ARE IN THE UK IN 2018? There are many different types of flu circulating around the world, but four main types are being seen in Britain this winter. H3N2 - Dubbed Aussie flu after it struck Australia hard last winter, this strain is more likely to affect the elderly, who do not respond well to the current vaccine. This is one of the most common strains seen so far this winter, with at least 63 confirmed cases seen in official laboratories. H1N1 - This strain  known as swine flu - is generally more likely to hit children, who respond well to vaccination. This has been seen nearly as often as H3N2 so far this year, with at least 50 cases confirmed in labs. In the past it was commonly caught from pigs, but that changed in 2009 when it started spreading rapidly among humans in a major global pandemic. B / Yamagata - This is known as 'Japanese flu'. Only people who received the four strain vaccine - which is being slowly rolled out after it was introduced for the first time last winter - are protected against the Yamagata strain. Those who received the normal three strain vaccine are not protected. This strain has been seen in at least 63 lab cases so far this winter. B / Victoria - This strain is vaccinated against in the normal three strain vaccine, but has hardly appeared so far this winter, with just around four confirmed cases. Advertisement

He added: 'There is no reason to think that a bout of the flu increases a person's risk of dementia.'

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, involved infecting female mice with three different flu strains H1N1, H3N2, H7N7.

H1N1 was the virus that caused the swine flu outbreak in 2009 and was also behind the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed 50 million.

Scientists feared H3N2 would also pose a threat to humanity, with some warning it could claim more than one millions live across the world.

The killer strain has rocked the US, UK and large parts of Europe this winter, after gripping Australia and triggering an unusually large outbreak.

And H7N7 is a strain of bird flu that can be deadly if it passed from birds to humans, and is believed to have last been seen in humans 15 years ago.

The study found H3N2 and H7N7 caused memory impairments that were associated with structural changes to neurons in the hippocampus.

The infections also activated the brain's immune cells in this region for an extended period.

And they altered the expression of several genes implicated in disorders including depression, autism and schizophrenia.

It took the mice 120 days - the equivalent of 26 human years - to fully recover from the neurological side effects.

Dr Reynolds said: 'While this study in mice suggests that flu may be associated with changes to areas of the brain involved in memory, it does not tell us anything about the risk of diseases like Alzheimer's.

'There is increasing evidence that the immune system plays a key role in Alzheimer's but, while researchers are exploring how long-term inflammation might affect this, there is no reason to think that a bout of the flu increases a person's risk of dementia.

'Only by continuing to unravel these complex molecular processes will we understand how inflammation could contribute to Alzheimer's and how this damage may be stopped.

'We need to see long-term commitment to ensure that all areas of dementia research get the investment they need and take us closer to finding answers for people affected by these diseases.'
Im in my mid 70s and have suffered from dry coughs for years, which now occur regularly every day.

I have visited my GP several times over the years and each time hes examined my throat hes said there was no infection, and it was nothing to worry about.

However, it does affect my quality of life. Over-the-counter cough remedies have little or no effect. Please can you advise?

P. Hudson, Wolverhampton.

At any one time 10 per cent of the population has a persistent cough  we call it chronic if it lasts for more than eight weeks. I am not surprised your doctor has ruled out an infection, given that the cough has lasted for many years.

The first diagnosis to consider and exclude is so-called upper airways cough syndrome, or what we used to call a post-nasal drip. Here the cough is caused by abnormalities in the nose and sinuses, typically as a result of an allergy. The standard treatment is with a steroid nasal spray: this should be tried for at least two weeks, and if effective, treatment can continue for three months.

At any one time 10 per cent of the population has a persistent cough  we call it chronic if it lasts for more than eight weeks (file photo)

If the cough does not improve on this regimen, another possibility is that its a problem in the lower respiratory tract  in other words, asthma. The proof of this diagnosis also lies in trialling a treatment  in this case, a steroid preventer inhaler, or a short course of oral steroids (lasting one or two weeks).

The third common possibility is gastro-oesophageal reflux, when acid produced by the stomach is refluxed up the oesophagus: sometimes this doesnt cause any other recognisable symptoms apart from a cough (caused by the acid irritating the throat). Diagnosis is confirmed by trialling a treatment  typically a months course of an acid suppressant medication (omeprazole, 40mg once daily).

If this doesnt help but its still thought that the cough is due to acid reflux then further investigations may include pH monitoring (using a flexible probe placed in the oesophagus for 24 hours to detect acid reflux).

Where there is no obvious cause the cough is put down to hypersensitivity syndrome: essentially the throat has, for some reason, become super sensitive.

There are treatments for this, essentially drugs that act on whats known as the central cough centre in the brain: these include dextromethorphan (a type of sedative) for which there is evidence of modest effectiveness; codeine has also been shown to work in some patients. However both are forms of opioids and potentially addictive.

You mention in your longer letter research showing that theobromine, a constituent of chocolate, had a small but positive effect on reducing cough severity, by inhibiting the vagus nerve (that runs from the skull to various organs in the abdomen).

The thinking is that this sends faulty messages to the cough centre. In a study published last year in the Journal of Thoracic Disease, patients were given either 300mg theobromine twice daily (equivalent to about two ounces of unsweetened dark chocolate) or a placebo.

It might be worth trialling an ounce or two twice daily of dark chocolate for two to four weeks (the only potential side-effect being minimal weight gain).

One final thought. Researchers have discovered a receptor in the cells of the airways thats important in the cough reflex.

It also seems to be involved somehow in cough hyper-sensitivity syndrome.

Be reassured that science has not abandoned you and those with this life-disrupting complaint; there is more yet to learn, it is an area of interest and valid research.

Last year I was taken to hospital after an accident when I fractured my skull. I was given a blood transfusion. Later I needed another transfusion but the doctor said I couldnt have one as I had antibodies in my blood, so I was given iron intravenously instead. What are antibodies?

D Hartwell, Telford.

I hope that you have now recovered fully from such a significant injury. A blood transfusion is effectively a transplant and for this reason, the decision to give one is only recommended when there is some danger to life.

The possible complications include acute reactions when the immune system in the recipient attacks the donated cells. This seems to have happened in your case.

Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to fight off infection.

Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to fight off infection, one patient was told he was unable to have a second blood transfusion due to their presence in his blood stream

In general they protect us from any infective illness. However, following a blood transfusion your body can create antibodies to certain factors, such as proteins or fats, in the donor blood, which the immune system identifies as foreign.

Before your transfusion you would have had a blood test called type and crossmatch to determine your blood group and the presence of various factors in your blood, including antibodies.

You were then given donated blood that matched your blood profile. The problem is that the type and crossmatch test only checks the main blood groups, ABO and Rhesus, but there are many, many others.

That means in practice there may be a small degree of incompatibility with donor blood, which can lead to the recipients immune system making antibodies to the donated blood.

This means that should you need another transfusion, finding a future blood match for you will be more difficult.

Thats because the antibodies are likely to target a number of factors in any new blood.

This is why instead of a second transfusion they decided to boost your iron levels. Iron is needed to make red blood cells and the thinking here is to allow your own bone marrow to make them rather than engage in a search for suitable blood.

If there was another emergency in the future, it would not be impossible to give you a transfusion, though it may be more complex to find compatible blood. But do not fear that this imperils you.

Iron supplementation is safe and effective, albeit a slow process. And if need be, there are options for transfusion.

IN MY OPINION: GOOD NEWS ABOUT MIGRANES

As a migraineur since the age of three, long having given up hope of being one of the lucky ones who eventually grow out of regular attacks, I keep a close eye on all migraine research.

So it was with a little concern that I read the latest study, published this month, which found that migraine is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

A recent study has suggested that migraines are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke

The Danish researchers had looked at data from 50,000 patients with migraine over 19 years, comparing their health outcomes with half a million people who didnt suffer migraine.

The message to be drawn from this is not to worry, but those with migraine  around 15 per cent of the population  do need to be meticulous in their attention to the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

These include a family history, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and high cholesterol levels.

As well as modifying these risk factors, you need to stick to the lifestyle advice that everyone with migraines is given anyway: get enough sleep (seven to eight hours) but not sleeping in excessively, take regular daily exercise, drink enough water and take care not to miss meals.

The good news is that if you are assiduous about the migraine triggers, youll be fitter and less at risk of heart attack and stroke than people who dont have that ever present incentive to modify their behaviour  a really bad migraine.

Every cloud can have a silver lining.

CHOC HORRORS

Cadburyss chocolate bars have been banned from hospitals across the country. Quite right you might think  chocolate can hardly be labelled a health food.

Yet managers have taken this move not to preserve patients health, it seems, but to preserve profit.

The supplier was trying to charge more: the NHS makes money from each chocolate bar sold, so either the NHS takes a profit cut, or charges the customer more.

This comes in the same week we learn that millennials are set to be the fattest generation ever  little wonder when chocolate bars have been sold so enthusiastically even by institutions that are supposed to preserve our health.

WHY I'M WORRIED ABOUT...

This week we learn that just a single unit of alcohol a day can put you at significant risk of dementia, according to Oxford and Cardiff university researchers.

This may come as a surprise to those of us who last week read about super-agers  and how many of them enjoy a daily tipple.

Exasperated by such contradictions in health news, many take the attitude: I dont know what to believe so I shall just do as please, yet common sense must always prevail and that means moderation in all things.
Rachel Hardy, 38 was given a long list of food allergies she had developed despite being free of them throughout her childhood

Offer Rachel Hardy a fruit salad and she will have to decline. Its not that she doesnt like fruit  for years they were among her favourite foods  but these days a bite of a juicy peach or nectarine could make her seriously ill; even kill her.

After experiencing numerous frightening reactions, at the age of 38 Rachel has recently been told there is a list of foods to which she is so highly allergic that they could trigger a potentially fatal anaphylactic attack: as well as peaches and nectarines nuts and figs are off limits for her.

For years she had eaten these without a problem  but that changed during Christmas ten years ago when she helped herself to a handful of nuts.

Id only eaten a couple when suddenly my mouth felt strange, recalls Rachel. My throat started itching madly and my mouth felt as if it was swelling. I can only describe it as if I had an entire boiled egg in my throat and couldnt shift it.

Rachel ran to the kitchen to drink some milk. I then ran upstairs and brushed my teeth frantically. As I did, the swelling seemed to subside. I was so relieved, but it was very scary.

A few weeks later, Rachel, who runs her own cleaning business in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, had another reaction after eating a nut.

I didnt understand it, says the mother of three  aged 17, 14 and eight. Id never been allergic to nuts in my life. Id been asthmatic as a child and still had an inhaler. Id also had hay fever.

But food had never caused me any problems. So why was it happening to me as an adult?

Her GP gave her antihistamines and told her to avoid nuts. Then she reacted after eating a peach and, a few weeks later, after shed given birth to her third child, Rachel was eating a fig when she felt her throat tighten and itch.

For years she had eaten all sorts of foods without a problem  but that changed during Christmas ten years ago when she helped herself to a handful of nuts (file photo)

This was worse than any other reaction, she says. I felt my airways close, as if I couldnt breathe. I felt dizzy and had to lie down. I felt my blood pressure plummet.

Rachel is one of an increasing number of people who develop a food allergy as an adult, not as a child, as people tend to think happens.

New research by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that almost half of the 40,000 adults with a food allergy surveyed said one or more of their allergies started in adulthood.

Holly Shaw, nurse adviser at the charity Allergy UK, says that it has had an increase in the number of adults ringing its helpline with adult-onset allergy symptoms and concerns.

An allergy occurs when the body mistakes something harmless  such as a nut protein  as harmful, prompting the immune system to produce antibodies and other chemicals such as histamine that tries to rid the body of the perceived invader by, for example, prompting the production of mucus, triggering symptoms such as sneezing, or by increasing blood flow to the affected area, leading to a rash or the urge to itch, depending on the area affected.

However, food allergies have the potential to cause anaphylaxis  which rather than affecting just one area, affects the whole body, and can lead to a dramatic drop in blood pressure as blood vessels swell. It can be fatal.

Some allergies start in childhood and are often outgrown, typically with egg and milk allergy, says Dr Zoe Adhya, a consultant in immunology and allergy at Kings College Hospital, London.

It may be that a higher level of exposure to these foods leads to a tolerance. Reactions such as peanut allergy normally start in childhood and persist into adulthood in about 80 per cent of people

But there are other allergies  such as seafood  that are more likely to develop in adulthood.

In fact, about two per cent of adults  or one in 50  have a food allergy, (although some will have had these from childhood).

Quite why more adults should be developing food allergies is unclear. Having asthma or hay fever, as Rachel did, puts you at increased risk of developing a food allergy at any stage in life, as does having eczema.

One theory why adults specifically develop food allergies is that in our clean environment the immune system that once would have been fighting off frequent infections switches to causing allergy, says Dr Adhya  the immune system needs ongoing exposure to parasites and other bugs in order to work properly.

Another theory is that its due to a lack of vitamin D because we spend so much time inside  or slather ourselves in sunscreen when outside. The vitamin is known to have a role in regulating the immune system and a lack of it could trigger an allergy.

Exposure to new foods and air pollution such as diesel fumes may also be implicated.

In most cases it is unknown why a previously healthy adult will suddenly start making allergic antibodies against a particular allergen, says Dr Adhya.

Rachel is one of an increasing number of people who develop a food allergy as an adult, not as a child, as people tend to think happens (file photo)

However, there are rare cases that can illustrate how the immune system gets primed.

One example, says Dr Adhya, is where a tick bite can cause a meat allergy. The tick bite primes the immune system to make antibodies against alphagal, a carbohydrate found in the cells of mammals we eat, such as cows and pigs, which is also present in the tick from feeding on mammals blood. The person then has an allergic reaction the next time they eat red meat.

After Rachel reacted to the nuts and peach, her doctor gave her a list of foods to avoid and prescribed her an EpiPen  an adrenaline injection to use if she ever got a reaction. I felt at last he was taking me seriously. But there was still no official reason why I was suddenly allergic to foods Id eaten all my life, says Rachel.

EpiPens cause the blood vessels to constrict, which helps to raise blood pressure during a severe reaction. Yet Rachel was still finding more and more things she was allergic to.

One day, in 2015, I took my youngest child and her friend on a picnic. We sat outside and ate cherries. I love cherries and had eaten them all my life. I suddenly felt my throat tighten and my blood pressure plummet. I hurried the kids into the car, raced home and took some antihistamine. It was terrifying.

Nine years after Rachel first had food allergy symptoms, this latest attack prompted her GP to send her for skin prick tests at the local hospital. There, tiny amounts of typical allergenic substances are tested on the skin, the gold standard for diagnosing food allergies.

Testing can be done by scratching the surface of the skin with a tiny amount of the food and looking for a skin reaction such as hives or rashes, says Dr Adhya.

When we think someone has outgrown their allergy we may introduce them to that food by giving them a small amount to eat.

Rachels tests showed she was highly allergic to fruits, including peaches, figs, cherries, nectarines apples, cherries, honeydew melon, kiwi and also nuts.

It was a relief to have a diagnosis, but also terrifying. I was at risk of anaphylaxis from so many everyday foods.

Even with a diagnosis and an EpiPen, Rachel still encountered difficulties. I cant eat anything thats even been near fresh fruit as it can still affect me.

Ive had to tell my eight-year-old that if I give her a sign, it means Im having an anaphylactic shock and she should call an ambulance. Its a huge responsibility for a young child.

And when her children eat fruit, she makes sure she goes to a different room.

The good news, says Dr Adhya, is that, just as children can outgrow allergies, so can some adults.And, she says, that the type of allergy Rachel has  Oral Allergy Syndrome  is one of the types of allergy that can be outgrown.

She says: Pollen allergy, which causes hayfever, and oral allergy syndrome  an allergy to fresh fruit and vegetables linked to the pollen allergy  often peak when adults are in their 20s and declines when patients reach their 40s and 50s.

Meanwhile, Rachel lives in fear of having a potentially deadly anaphylactic reaction. If its something I can outgrow, I hope it happens soon, she says. Because at the moment it rules my life.

FLY IN THE OINTMENT

The amazing discoveries found using fruit flies. This week: body clock rhythms.

The discovery of the gene in fruit flies that regulates the biological clock in all living things won the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine last October for three U.S. scientists; Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young.

The gene, called period, has proved crucial to our understanding about how the light from computer screens can damage our health  increasing the risk of illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. This is because the light knocks our body clock out of synch.

Research on fruit flies found that light entering their eyes sets the body clocks rhythm so that it accords with night and day  but tests have shown that even brief pulses of light during the night can wrongly reset the clock.
Nearly 14 percent of America's youngest children  those between two and five years old  are now obese, according to newly-released data.

Researchers at Duke University analyzed data from the CDC's National health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that, contrary to prior claims, childhood obesity is not subsiding in the US, and there are worrying increases in its prevalence in some age groups.

The findings come months after the Trump administration introduced new school lunch guidelines, relaxing Obama-era nutritional requirements.

Obesity continues to plague more than one third of adults in the US, and the new study suggests that that proportion will only grow as younger generations do.

Nearly 14 percent of children in the US are obese, and the sharpest increases are among the youngest and most severely overweight children, a new national study found

Over the last two decades, the US has implemented countless awareness programs to try to combat the obesity epidemic.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama became a mascot for healthier children while her husband was in office, spearheading the 'Let's Move' campaign, designed to motivate children to eat healthier and stay active in an effort to promote overall health.

But in December of last year, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that it would relax the school lunch guidelines she championed  requiring more fresh fruits and vegetables and low-sugar dining options  in favor of new rules that would allow sweetened milk and sodium rich entrees.

Some optimistic studies have suggested that, at least among children, the epidemic may have stabilized in recent years.

But it seems the larger the data set examined, the more evidence there is that the problem remains pervasive, according to the new research, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Led by Dr Asheley Skinner of Duke University, the researchers analyzed data on a large, nationally representative sample from between 1999 and 2016.

They looked specifically at data filled out for people between two and 19 years old, and found that as children got older, more and more were overweight or obese, with 41.5 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds falling into one of the two categories.

Overall, 18.5 percent of children between two and 19 were found to be obese by 2016, up significantly from the 14 percent who were in 1999.

The Duke report comes at the same time that a UK study deemed millennials the 'fattest' generation. Taken together, the two reports describe an international epidemic far from subsiding among younger generations.

THE WESTERN DIET EXPLAINED The Western diet is loosely defined as one full of fatty and sugary foods, such as burgers, fries and soda. People often eat foods that are high in Saturated fats

Red meats

'Empty' carbohydrates

Junk Food And low in Fresh fruits and vegetables

Whole Grains

Seafood

Poultry Health effects have been linked to things such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, colorectal cancer and dementia. Advertisement

But the starkest increase was among two- to five-year-olds. That group went from being nine percent obese in 1999 to 14 percent by 2016  nearly double the rate reported 18 years prior.

Obesity during childhood significantly increases the risks that these individuals might suffer lifelong from high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, breathing and joint problems, and will be more likely to develop heart disease and fatty liver disease in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new report did not find major changes in overall obesity in the most recent data sets  including those gathered since 2013  but Dr Skinner and her team found more substantial changes in subsets of children.

They divided the condition into three groups, or classes I, II, and III, with class III consisting of the most severely obese children.

Worryingly, the study found 'a significant increase in severe obesity among children aged 2 to 5 years since the 20132014 cycle, a trend that continued upward for many subgroups,' the authors wrote.

'Most kids that are overweight are still going to be healthy kids,' Dr Skinner told Daily Mail Online.

'They might have long-term effects, but these kids that have severe obesity are the ones I worry about today.

'Diabetes is rare, but not as rare things like sleep apnea, asthma, and pain in their joints' are likely from a young age, plus 'if they have already developed obesity in pre-school, their obesity is going to be worse and worse the older they get,' Dr Skinner says.

African American and Hispanic children are still at the greatest risk of obesity, with consistently higher rates across all obesity classifications, age and sex groups.

'Despite intense clinical and public health focus on obesity and weight-related behaviors during the past decade, obesity prevalence remains high,' the researchers wrote.

Dr Skinner says that these have been 'large efforts, but sort of narrow ones.'

She says that changing approaches to school lunches, the produce covered by food stamps or 'are not going to address all the issues.

'We have to address everything.'

They added that there is 'scant evidence that these efforts are counteracting the personal and environmental forces that contribute to excess weight gain in children, at least on a national scope.'

Instead, she suggests that efforts like putting sidewalks in more neighborhoods help to fill in a larger picture.

These are things that 'we don't do because we want to reduce obesity, or just because it's good for health.

'It looks inviting, property values go up...when we think about it from a global perspective, addressing a lot of these factors does seem feasible more so than when it is something just in the context of obesity' Dr Skinner says.
We round up the Sunday newspaper share tips. This week, Midas considers events company Arena, the Sunday Times looks at Saga, and the Sunday Telegraph assesses G4S.

MAIL ON SUNDAY

Arena is one of very few companies to offer a comprehensive events service, says Midas in the Mail on Sunday.

In the past it primarily provided large marquees and similar structures, but has recently branched out.

At Cheltenham, it erects a permanent-looking 400ft triple-decker marquee, complete with lifts, a glass hand-railed staircase, attractive interiors, as well as tables, chairs, soft furnishings and even cutlery.

It means event planners just need to organise food, drink and guests.

Arena hopes to expand its presence in different areas around the globe to ensure its busy all year round, including regions where it is warm in the winter  such as Dubai and Kuala Lumpur  and expanding its presence in music festivals and cold-weather activities such as skating.

Results for 2017 will be announced in April and analysts expect revenues of 100 million, profits of 4.5 million and a 1.4p dividend, says Midas. This year, sales are set to rise to 107 million, with profits up 31 per cent to almost 6 million and a hike in the dividend to 1.8p.

Chief executive Greg Lawless is highly ambitious and has a well though-through expansion plan. He owns more than five per cent of the company, and a further 32 senior executives are tied in with shares and options.

At 60p the shares are a buy, says Midas.

>>>Read the full Midas column here

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

G4S is a contentious investment for some and rarely out of the headlines, says James Ashton in the Sunday Telegraphs Questor column.

However, judging it on a purely financial basis it is well worth buying, he says.

The outsourcing company has developed a system called Cash360, which lets retailers outsource their after-hours cashing up process.

Installation of machines in Walmarts American stores should be complete by July this year, and analysts at Deutsche believe the market under values the margin benefit of that contract.

Jefferies has also pencilled in a five per cent increase in the final dividend, he says.

G4S still has its issues. Shares are down 22 per cent since August, and it pulled down its annual revenue target in November after slow trading in the Middle East and India.

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Sagas move to a more profitable future will require patience, says John Collingridge in The Sunday Times column Inside the City.

On the plus side, Saga has managed to cut its debt pile from 700million to 460million since it listed.

However, boss Lance Batchelor stunned investors with a profit warning late last year and shares are yet to recover after crashing 25 per cent.

It has a long way to go to modernise and move to capital-light broking for its motor insurance customers.

Its realised on the late side that it must advertise heavily, while its new cruise ship will not enter service until summer next year.

It remains to be seen whether its new membership scheme will be enough to lure more customers and encourage existing ones to spend more.

Avoid, says Inside the City.
The owner of budget fashion chain Primark has said it expects sales of clothing will be down in its full results after taking a hefty hit from unseasonably warm October weather last year.

Like for like sales are expected to drop 1 per cent in the last six month period up to March 3 said the owner, Associated British Foods, but it added it was expecting better margins in the second half of the year.

However, Primark sales lifted 7 per cent for the 24 weeks to March 3 as it reaped the rewards of more retail selling space.

Primark owner Associated British Foods said it was expecting better margins in the second half of the year

Despite the autumn slump, Primark sales should push 1 per cent higher for the 16 weeks to March 3, bolstered by record sales in the week before Christmas and 'encouraging' trading for its new spring and summer range.

Updating the market, AB Foods said: 'Primark is performing very well in the UK with sales 8 per cent ahead of last year and a strong increase in our share of the total clothing market.

'This was driven by a 4 per cent growth in like-for-like sales, an increase in selling space and the breadth of our consumer offering. Our business in the US continues to make progress.

'We expect an acceleration in Primark profit growth in the second half as a result of an improvement in margin over the same period last year.

'This will be driven by better buying and some benefit of the recent weakness of the US dollar on purchases which will more than offset an expected return to a more normal level of markdowns, compared to the very low level achieved last year.'

It added profit growth would accelerate thanks to a boost from the weak US dollar and a better buying performance.

The wider group is said to be performing well, but the FTSE 100 group said it is pencilling in a drop in revenue and profits at its sugar arm, as it grapples with a hit to its UK and Spanish business caused by 'significantly lower' EU sugar prices.

Operating profit in its grocery business is expected to be 'well ahead' of last year for the 24-week period, despite UK sales at Twinings tea taking a hit from 'strong competition in green teas and infusions'.

Despite suffering on home soil, Twinings is set to improve its performance across the US and Italy, while Ovaltine chalks up strong growth in Switzerland, Germany, South Asia, Nigeria and Brazil.

Shares were up more than 1.55 per cent in morning trading at 2,686.
La Perla has been bought by the investment house owned by entrepreneur Lars Windhorst

La Perla has been bought by the investment house owned by entrepreneur Lars Windhorst as losses at the luxury lingerie retailer continue to mount.

Windhorst's firm, Sapinda Holdings, did not disclose how much it paid Italian entrepreneur Silvio Scaglia for La Perla.

According to its accounts, La Perla's losses rose by 35 per cent to 103million in 2016.

The deal comes after talks between La Perla and Chinese conglomerate Fosun broke down over plans to move manufacturing to China.

Sapinda has pledged to keep La Perla's manufacturing in Italy and Portugal. Windhorst, 41, said: 'We are prepared to further invest, to improve the performance of the company and to continue implementing Silvio's vision for La Perla.'

La Perla is best known for its lacy and silk underwear, with bras selling for up to 500.

More recently it launched womenswear and menswear ranges.
DIAMOND BOSS The chief executive of Lucara Diamond Corp, William Lamb, is retiring and will be replaced by co-founder and director Eira Thomas.

MINING DEATH Following an accident during the night shift on February 23, Caledonia Mining has announced the death of a worker at its Blanket Mine in Zimbabwe.

SALES RECORD Engineering firm Senior has announced a 12 per cent boost in revenue to more than 1billion, an all-time high. But profits fell 13 per cent to 52.2million.

OIL LOSS Texas-based oil firm Kosmos Energy made an 87million loss during the final quarter of 2017. But chief executive Andrew Inglis said the firm is stronger than ever.

TAKEOVER BOOM Private equity firms are snapping up businesses at the fastest rate since the financial crisis, with 128billion of deals in 2017  nearly double the level a year earlier.

FRANKFURT FLOAT Struggling German lender Deutsche Bank is forging ahead with a 1.8billion float of its asset management arm DWS next month on the Frankfurt exchange.

BANK BILL The big banks were last year forced to set aside an extra 3billion to compensate victims of payment protection insurance mis-selling, a study by think-tank New City agenda has revealed.

FINANCE FIRST Online finance firm Revolut broke even for the first time in December thanks to growing customer numbers, bosses said.

TECH BOOST Reforms which help customers share their bank details with tech firms could boost the UK economy by 1billion, according to a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Trustpilot.

ACCOUNTS PROBE South Africas accounting watchdog is launching an in-depth inquiry into Deloittes work for scandal-hit retailer Steinhoff.

EXPANSION DRIVE Shared office provider Mixer has won an extra 28.6million of funding, which the Israel-based firm will use to help expand in Europe and the US.

AIRPORT VOTE The Government has been urged to kick off expansion of Heathrow Airport by scheduling a Parliamentary vote before the summer. The airport said the expansion is vital in establishing key trading routes after Brexit.
Karon Council, 18, was arrested Sunday night in Pompano Beach after he fatally shot a 10-year-old boy and injured his mother at their home in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Wednesday

An 18-year-old boy was arrested Sunday night in Pompano Beach after he fatally shot a 10-year-old boy and injured his mother at their home in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Wednesday.

Authorities say Karon Council, 18, was trying to hit someone else when he opened fire on Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, and his mother, Lilia Merino, 38.

Council is currently being held in Broward County jail pending extradition to New Jersey to face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to The Miami Herald.

Monmouth County prosecutors say the shooter's intended target was a man who lived in the same home as the victims.

Yovanni died shortly after the shooting, while Merino was treated at a hospital for undisclosed injuries.

Authorities say Karon Council, 18, was trying to hit someone else when he opened fire on Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, and his mother, Lilia Merino, 38

US Marshals Assistant Chief Manny Puri said in a statement: 'Council was a very dangerous fugitive with no sense of value for life and could have easily continued his violent behavior in South Florida,' the New York Post reported.

Council is currently being held in Broward County jail pending extradition to New Jersey to face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a weapon

Police believe that Council was an accomplice to someone else. They previously arrested 16-year-old Neptune High School student Jah-Del Birch in connection with the shooting.

The boy was held at the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center. He was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office wrote on their official Facebook page: 'BREAKING NEWS: 18-year old Karon Council, the alleged killer of a 10-year old Asbury Park boy, has been apprehended in Pompano Beach, Florida.'

'Council will be housed at Broward Sheriff's Office County Jail, then extradited to New Jersey to face charges.'

'A very special thanks to all who made this apprehension possible including the US Marshals of Florida, Regional Fugitive Task Force, West Palm Division with the assistance of US Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, Trenton Division.'

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Yovannis funeral and his bodys flight to Mexico has raised more than $15,000 of a $30,000 goal.

Yovanni Banos-Merino, 10, died shortly after the shooting, while Merino was treated at a hospital for undisclosed injuries, pictured here
Garrison Keillor said several sexually suggestive emails exchanged with a former researcher on his A Prairie Home Companion radio show were 'romantic writing' that never led to a physical relationship.

In one of his first extended interviews since Minnesota Public Radio cut ties with him over the woman's sexual harassment claims, Keillor told the Associated Press that he rejected the idea that his status as the woman's boss meant he could have committed sexual harassment.

MPR terminated Keillor's contracts on November 29, after receiving allegations of 'inappropriate behavior' against him in October.

Garrison Keillor (pictured February 23) said that several sexually suggestive emails exchanged with a former researcher on his A Prairie Home Companion radio show were 'romantic writing'

Minnesota Public Radio terminated Keillor's (pictured in 2016) contracts in November 2017 after investigation allegations of 'inappropriate behavior' made against him in October

Keillor said he wasn't really the boss around the radio show and had no control over the woman.

The woman, however, said in an emailed response via her attorney that Keillor had power over her job assignments and opportunities, and she feared saying no to him would hurt her future.

The woman's claims referred to actions which allegedly occurred while Keillor, 75, was hosting the popular radio program, A Prairie Home Companion, which he created in 1974.

After he retired as host in 2016, the show was renamed Live From Here, with Keillor staying on as an executive producer until MPR ended his contracts in November 2017.

After an investigation of 'excerpts of e-mails and written messages, requests for sexual contact and explicit descriptions of sexual communications and touching,' MPR decided that Keillor's alleged actions constituted improper behavior towards the woman who filed the claims.

Keillor's attorney, Eric Nilsson told The Star Tribune that the woman, who has not been named, is asking for a financial settlement in the 'high six figures' from both Keillor and his production company.

Keillor gave The Star Tribune access to hundred of emails between himself and the female employee, who is said to have been a freelance researcher on A Prairie Home Companion for more than 10 years.

He noted that some of the emails exchanged between them were so personal, that it would be easy to 'assume that these two were sleeping together,' although he noted that 'We were not, and never even came close.'

In 2005, the woman wrote Keillor calling him 'the smartest man I've ever met' and said that she loved working with him.

Over the years, the two wrote to each other about their hopes and fears, medical issues and familial difficulties.

They also comforted each other during stressful periods and gave each other advice.

Their emails frequently ended with the words, 'I love you.'

The woman who reported Keillor for harassment is said to have been a freelance researcher who worked with him for more than a decade on A Prairie Home Companion

In one 2014 email, Keillor wrote, 'I wish we would lie down on the sand and listen to the waves and the gulls and if we did, I would kiss you. As many times as I could.'

At one point, the woman wrote in response, 'If we were on the beach, I would want you to tell me a story about summer when you were young, and I would tell you one, and I would kiss you back.'

In 2015, Keillor wrote to tell her that he was imagining them in his hotel room, naked in bed together.

She wrote back that 'the image of us lying together is sweet. I wish I were there, too.'

Other emails between them included sexual banter using 'language that your newspaper cannot print,' he told the Star Tribune reporter.

The most explicit of their exchanges were via iPhone text messages, though, which Keillor said are unrecoverable despite the efforts of a forensic team.

'It was utterly embarrassing, adolescent, utterly bad taste, and it was utterly mutual,' he admitted.

However, Keillor insisted that despite the intimate nature of their communications, he was not attempting to seduce the woman. In fact, he said, he 'leapt backward about 15 feet' after she complained about his behavior in 2015.

'She wrote to me and said, "I cherish your friendship but I think we need to draw boundaries." And boy, I couldn't establish boundaries fast enough,' Keillor said.

'I leapt backward about 15 feet.  You know, I am from Minnesota, and you don't have to tell me twice. When you say, "Take your romantic writing and send it to somebody else," I hear you.'

The woman's attorney, Frances Baillon, didn't argue that the emails were accurate, but did say that Keillor's assertion that he backed off was untrue.

Keillor (pictured in 1986) said that he and the woman exchanged hundreds of emails while working together, some of which included sexual banter.

The woman has accused Keillor (in 2017) of touching her inappropriately on three occasions.

Baillon told The Star Tribune that her client had told both Keillor and her Prairie Home Companion managers that his overtures were unwanted back in 2011.

She made four additional reports by October 2015.

In a 2011 email, the woman wrote a coworker to say, 'I have sent an e-mail to GK just now.

He will understand, upon reading it, that I want nothing to do with him apart from a working friendship.  I feel sad and nervous.'

And in 2014, she wrote a coworker saying, 'No intervention needed at this time.'

She went on to say that she didn't 'want to have sex with him or blackmail him or entice him. None of that. I love when we can have good writerly conversations and I think I help him and he helps me.'

In that email, she identified her feelings for Keillor as being akin to those for an 'older brother.'

Once, Baillon said that the woman claimed that Keillor 'seemed upset' when she told him not to come over and that she didn't want to have a sexual relationship with him.

In addition to the improper communication between them, the woman complained that he had touched her inappropriately on three occasions.

She said that in 2011, during a visit to the Prairie Home Companion's production office, Keillor had 'trailed his fingers up and down her left thigh' and that during a car ride in 2015, he had 'put his hand on her leg.'

Keillor said that he doesn't 'remember every knee I have touched, or every hand I have shaken.'

But, he did confirm her third touching complaint.

Keillor said that he and the woman rarely met in person because she frequently worked from home, although he recalled meeting her for lunch twice and it was during a 2015 lunch that he said he his hand 'slipped under the leading edge of her blouse' when he put his hand on her bare shoulder while he tried to console her.

'She winced ... and I said I was sorry,' Keillor said.

In one of their final email exchanges, in July 2016, following Keillor's farewell Prairie Home Companion broadcast, he wrote, 'I am very very sorry about the time I impulsively put my hand under your shirt. I have felt bad about it. I wish I could take it back. It was done out of honest impulse, but still. I am sorry.'

'I forgive you,' she responded. 'I forgave you. You can let it go. I'm glad you wrote me. I thought I might never hear from you again. Thank you.'

MPR said it stands by its handling of Keillor's case 'based on facts confirming unacceptable behavior in the workplace.'

Keillor and MPR had been in negotiations since January over payment of unfilled contractual obligations regarding his broadcasts, in addition to financial damages related to the negative publicity surrounding MPR's decision to end his contracts.

The negotiations stalled out on February 20, following 'completely unreasonable' terms, according to Nilsson, Keillor's attorney.

The Star Tribune has identified several other woman who claim that Keillor sent them inappropriate messages over the years.

One of the woman was a longtime staffer who had an affair with Keiller from 2007-2008, following their exchange of emails that that had sexual overtones.

Keillor admitted to the affair and said that: 'It was one of those interesting friendships that is not exploitative. It's mutual, and it comes to an end. But you are still friends.'
Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and teachers were killed returned on Sunday to gather the belongings they threw down in panic during the shooting nearly two weeks ago.

Thousands of students joined their parents in walking past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the February 14 massacre took place.

It is now cordoned off by a chain link fence that was covered with banners from other schools showing their support.

'Just seeing the building was scary,' freshman Francesca Lozano said as she exited the school with her mom. Still, she was happy to see her friends. 'That made it a lot better.'

Students and their parents are pictured on Sunday as they went back to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School nearly two weeks after a gunman killed 17 students and teachers

A man signs a banner as people pay tribute at a memorial for the victims of the shooting

Seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels stood by a makeshift memorial outside the school before moving near the entrance

Seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels stood by a makeshift memorial outside the school before moving near the entrance. Organizer Terry Decarlo said the costumes are sent to mass shootings and disasters so the survivors 'know angels are looking over them and protecting them.'

Many of Sunday's angels were survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 people died, Decarlo said.

The school reopens Wednesday and administrators said families would get phone calls about details later. Sunday was a day to ease into the return.

'Two of my best friends aren't here anymore,' said freshman Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped as he saw the accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, begin shooting. 'But I'm definitely going to school Wednesday. I will handle it.'

Junior Sebastian Pena said the gathering was a chance to see friends and his teachers, and to 'come together as a family.'

Survivor David Hogg appeared on ABC television's This Week, comparing returning to school to a plane crash.

He said: 'Imagine (being) in a plane crash and then having to get on the same plane every day and fly somewhere else - it's never going to be the same.'

Earlier Sunday, Florida Governor Rick Scott's office said he had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting. The agency confirmed it would start the investigation immediately.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has come under withering scrutiny after the revelation last week that deputy Scot Peterson who was on the scene did not go in to confront Cruz during the attack.

Many of Sunday's angels were survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 people died

Organizer Terry Decarlo said the costumes are sent to mass shootings so the survivors 'know angels are looking over them'. Pulse survivor India Godmanis, left, hugs Wendy Garrity

The school reopens Wednesday and administrators said families would get phone calls about details later. Sunday was a day to ease into the return

The gathering comes as the state's law enforcement agencies face scrutiny over the mishandling of tips about shooter Nikolas Cruz

His office is also facing backlash for apparently mishandling some of the 18 tipster calls related to the suspected shooter. The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed warning signs that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat.

Israel defended his leadership on Sunday and said investigators were looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed. To date, the investigation has pointed to only one deputy being on the grounds while the killer was present, he told CNN.

Israel also labeled as 'absolutely untrue' reports that the deputies waited outside even though children were inside the building needing urgent medical treatment.

State Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican from Boca Raton, has called on Scott to remove Israel from office because of the missed red flags.

'Two of my best friends aren't here anymore,' said freshman Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped as he saw the accused gunman begin shooting

'Junior Sebastian Pena said the gathering was a chance to see friends and his teachers, and to 'come together as a family' Mourners are pictured paying tribute to the victims

Israel vowed not to resign, saying Hager's letter 'was full of misinformation' and 'shameful, politically motivated.'

House Speaker Richard Corcoran stepped up the pressure Sunday, calling on Scott to suspend the sheriff.

'In the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz,' Corcoran said in a letter signed by more than 70 lawmakers.

Israel insisted that lapses were being investigated. He told CNN that a deputy who responded to a November 30 call referring to Cruz as a 'school shooter in the making' was being investigated by internal affairs for not filing a report and had been placed on restrictive duty.

Earlier Sunday, Florida Governor Rick Scott's office said he had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting

'There needed to be report. And that's what we are looking into - that a report needed to be completed, it needed to be forwarded to either Homeland Security or a violent crimes unit,' Israel said.

The FBI has acknowledged that it failed to investigate the tip about Cruz that the agency received on January 5.

The Associated Press obtained a transcript of the more than 13-minute phone call. During the call, the woman described a teenager prone to anger with the 'mental capacity of a 12 to 14 year old' that deteriorated after his mother died last year.

She pointed the FBI to several Instagram accounts where Cruz had posted photos of sliced-up animals and rifles and ammunition he apparently purchased with money from his mother's life insurance policy.

'It's alarming to see these pictures and know what he is capable of doing and what could happen,' the caller said. 'He's thrown out of all these schools because he would pick up a chair and just throw it at somebody, a teacher or a student, because he didn't like the way they were talking to him.'

Speaking out: On Sunday, survivor David Hogg addressed a community rally for common sense gun legislation at held at a synagogue in Livingston, New Jersey
Thousands of people were left stranded in freezing temperatures and police had to be called after trains were cancelled and an inadequate number of buses were sent to carry the passengers.

Engineering works yesterday meant trains from Redhill Station to Gatwick were cancelled, leading some passengers to miss flights.

Melany Dominguez was among those who missed their flights and blamed poor planning and crowd management by the rail service.

Southern Rail users say they have missed flights as an overcrowded rail replacement service caused crowds to bottleneck at Redhill station

An overcrowded rail replacement service caused crowds to bottleneck at the station in Surrey

She said she saw three police officers trying to manage the crowd which she estimated numbered in the thousands: 'People were getting agitated.'

By the time she managed to get onto a bus it took her to the wrong terminal, she said.

'I and a few young guys were running all the way to the airport to the terminal  I think they just made it. I was on the 5pm to Madrid so I just missed it.'

She checked the next mornings flight on the bus, and it was 80, but by the time she missed her flight and went to rebook it was 95.

Police were called to the scene where frustrated people trampled on children and old people according to a witness

Passengers trapped in freeing conditions at Redhill reportedly broke down in tears when they realised they had missed their flights from Gatwick

Ms Dominguez said she would be sleeping in the airport overnight, as the cost of the new flights left her unable to afford a hotel.

She hoped travellers who missed their flights would be compensated by the rail company.

'That would be ideal Im not really optimistic but Im going to try. But if maybe all those people in there stick together we could say you need to sort this situation out".'

Cory Acasio told of witnessing chaotic scenes of frustrated commuters tripping over and pushing one another as the crowds grew.

'I stopped at the very front entrance to try and let an elderly person on, but no sooner did I make the gap that someone just barged right through, literally pushing me against the entrance.'

He also saw passengers nearly trampling one another.

'Not sure if there were injuries as I was focused on moving forward, but I did look back and saw the people who tripped get up and some people did help, but most were just aggravated and focused on getting in the bus.'

The crowds were a 'nightmare' for passengers travelling with children, he said.

'I also saw a child screaming because she lost her mom, but luckily a stranger grabbed her and alerted her mom who was battling with getting through with a pram.'

Passengers were pictured crammed outside the station as they struggle to secure places on inadequate replacement buses

Disgruntled passengers took to twitter at the Surrey station to complain and post photos of the chaos.

One Twitter user said that only three members of staff from Southern Rail were present and also tweeted: 'trying to manage thousands of passengers, including children, disabled and elderly, on tight stairways and lifts. Sort it - or someone going to get hurt.'

The chaos comes as Southern Rail shut the line between Redhill and Gatwick for planned engineering works, but later stated they had received a higher than expected number of passengers.

A spokesman for Southern Rail said: 'Very sorry about this, there has been a higher than expected footfall resulting in the bus replacement services being very busy.'

Police were drafted to help control the scrums, and extra buses were also sourced, another tweet said: 'Questions should be asked about why police have to get involved, they are over stretched and have better things to do than crowd control for a commercial business.'

One woman said when she finally got on the bus it took all the way to Gatwick - only to drop her off at the wrong terminal

One traveler tweeted: 'Questions should be asked about why police have to get involved, they are over stretched and have better things to do than crowd control for a commercial business.'

Another wrote: 'We've lost our Easy Jet flight from Gatwick Airport after waiting 2h in Redhill and now we have to pay for our new flights. NOBODY warned us in Victoria Station that 3 HOURS from London to Gatwick wouldn't be enough??'

A spokesman for Southern Rail said: 'Due to overcrowding between London Victoria and #Redhill services are subject to disruption. We have sourced additional bus replacement services to help ease the volume of passengers.'

Frustrated crowds continued to swell into the evening as they waited for buses.

Southern Rail had advised during the week that it would be operating a bus replacement service for the Gatwick Express between Redhill and Gatwick Airport while 'essential maintenance work' was carried out.

The rail services Twitter account responded to some customers, saying they could apply for a refund for their Gatwick Express tickets.

National Rail and British Transport Police have been approached for comment.

The travel chaos marks the first of three Sundays where the track modernisation work on the Brighton Main Line will halt all Gatwick Airportand South Coast-bound passengers.

The Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users Association chairman Stephen Trigg said the group had written to Southern weeks ago warning themto book enough replacement buses for the planned works.

He said a poorly-designed new platform access point had contributed to the bottleneck, and added: 'I believe they should suspend the works until they work how to do it properly.'

A British Transport police spokesperson said four officers were sent in before 2pm to manage overcrowding and queuing at the station. By 8pm, officers were still on scene.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: 'RMT has been warning for years that SouthernGTR arent fit to run a bath let alone a railway and the terrifying pictures from Redhill today show why it is such a scandal that the union has been ignored.

'This is a company that has shown repeatedly that public safety is of little or no concern to them, and that is why our members on Southern have been engaged in a fight with GTR for nearly two years now.

'GTR should be stripped of this franchise and the public sector brought in before theres a major tragedy.'

NHS worker Laura Knight said it was evident little planning had gone into the day, despite the works being planned. The rail operator had not prepared queuing gates, and staff seemed to be relying on police to control the crowds, with some people pushing to get onto the few buses available.

'People were missing their flights,' she said. 'I saw blokes crying because they had missed their flights, saw really little old people, children, families getting stomped on.'
This is the heart-stopping moment a driver allegedly high on drugs is sent skidding across a country highway after pulling out directly in front of a truck.

The driver, a 27-year-old man, had called NRMA roadside assistance after running out of petrol on the M1 motorway near Minmi, north of Sydney.

But when the NRMA technician arrived and filled his car with fuel, allegedly advising him he was in no state to be driving, he lurched suddenly onto the road.

Dashcam footage shows the Kia four-wheel-drive, with a female passenger and dog inside, flying across the two-lane highway as the truck screeches to a halt.

A truckie's dashcam footage showed the moment a Kia (pictured) lurched suddenly into the path of an oncoming truck on a country New South Wales motorway

The NRMA technician claimed the Kia driver had been acting 'erratically'.

Remarkably, police say neither of the occupants of the Kia nor the dog were seriously hurt.

The driver was taken to hospital and submitted to a blood test to check for illegal drugs and police say they are anticipating further action.

Both vehicles were towed away and the road was closed.

The driver was taken to the John Hunter Hospital and suffered impact injuries and damage caused by his seat belt, police from Lake Macquarie Highway Patrol said.

The truck driver remained in hospital.

His mother has said the driver 'remains in hospital unable to move,' on a Facebook post shared by Traffic and Highway Patrol Command.

Police said the driver appeared to be under the influence of drugs, but the results of blood tests won't be available for 'weeks'.
President Donald Trump curiously retweeted a four-year-old tweet from a radio show host who believed the Sandy Hook shooting was a 'hoax' and insinuated that some of the Parkland, Florida shooting activists were gay.

On Saturday, Trump wrote, 'So true Wayne, and Lowest black unemployment in history!' calling attention to right-wing host Wayne Dupree who had tweeted back in November 2014, 'This is what it's all about! It's ok 2 b black, conservative and love America and not vote Democrat! Freedom exists!'

While the president has often touted the black unemployment numbers, the left-leaning ThinkProgress pointed out a number of objectionable things Dupree had said this week, and in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting, that would give any normal politician pause before spreading an individual's message.

President Trump, seen Sunday during the Governors' Ball at the White House, has once again retweeted a conspiracy theorist, this time a radio show host who labeled Sandy Hook parents 'crisis actors' and suggested teen activists were gay

President Trump retweeted an almost four year old tweet from radio host Wayne Dupree on the heels of Dupree criticizing some of the student activists calling for stricter gun control laws in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida shooting

Wayne Dupree had tweeted about being a black conservative back in November 7, 2014. Trump used his tweet to make a boast about black unemployment numbers, which the president has taken credit for

For one, Dupree called the parents mourning the deaths of their children at Sandy Hook Elementary School 'crisis actors' back in January of 2013, long before that term was applied to the children of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this month.

President Trump retweeted radio host Wayne Dupree (pictured) on Saturday

More recently, on February 19, Dupree shared photos of some of the kids speaking out from Marjory Stoneman Douglas suggesting they were shedding crocodile tears when the news cameras were on, but smiling and posing for photos with journalists when the cameras are off.

'Silence on the set......3......2......1..... Action!' he wrote, insinuating the kids were actors.

The Washington Post found that Dupree had gotten increasingly angry at the Florida kids' political activism in the wake of the Valentine's Day shooting that rattled their Parkland, Florida community, and left 17 dead.

'Listen, I am really trying to give these students spokespeople a chance,' he wrote last Sunday on Facebook, four days after the massacre. 'I know they are still grieving & emotions are still high but this misinformation on gun control and blaming Trump is making my mercury rise.'

Radio host Wayne Dupree labeled parents mourning in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting 'crisis actors' amid a shooting 'hoax' and blasted victims of the Florida massacre as actors

On Monday, he wrote his post suggesting the kids were just acting.

Then, on Tuesday, Dupree suggested that two of the most vocal students, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, were gay.

'Unfortunately, you can already tell these kids are going to be card-carrying leftists,' Dupree wrote beneath an image of Gonzalez and Hogg on CNN. 'I hate to be blunt despite what tragedy they went through, but both those kids look like they are going to be future members of the LGBTQXYZ movement.'

On Friday, the Post noted, Dupree attended the Conservative Political Action Conference being held just outside of Washington, D.C.

President Trump was the main speaker at the conference that day,

During his speech, the president spoke of his support for the Second Amendment and floated the idea of arming teachers to prevent a school shooting, like the one in Parkland, from happening again.
Australian home buyers are spending less than an hour inspecting potential properties according to new research, less than the time they spend inspecting a new car.

National President of the Builders Collective of Australia Phil Dwyer spoke with 3AW News Talk and said he would certainly do the due diligence twice over before deciding to buy a house.

'It's the biggest investment of a lifetime, why on earth wouldn't you check it out,' he said.

Research has shown that new home buyers are spending less time inspecting potential properties than they would inspecting a new car despite the huge difference in the cost of each

'People seem to spend more time on checking out a car than a house, ones a million (dollars), ones 50 grand.

'You certainly need to run the tape over and find out whether it's stable, a good property or a bad property.'

Some people may not even check the stability of the home's foundations which is a huge oversight on their part.

Mr Dwyer said modern houses were not built to last like they may have been in past generations.

Expert builder Phil Dwyer said he would do the due diligence twice over and recommends that other potential buyers do the same, and if the house has stood for 100 years it's 'probably a good property'

'These days we dont build a house that stays there 100 years,' he said.

'Were lucky if we build a house that is there for 10 years because of the monetary pressures and such put on builders these days.'

When it comes to knowing what to look for when inspecting a home Mr Dwyer said a common sense approach was the safest way to go.

Real Estate groups provide checklists that buyers can use to ensure they are inspecting a property correctly, looking at the right things and not missing out on small but important details before purchase

Tips for inspecting a home before buying 1. Check the ceilings are not sagging. Look at the ceilings to see if they are fixed firmly. 2. Check for any water stains or corrosion to the walls against showers or baths. 3. Also check inside all cabinets near wet areas such as showers, baths and sinks to detect any smells, mold or mildew. 4. Check the walls for cracks, any over 2mm should be cause for concern. 5. Also check the internal wall plastering for cracks, if they are in one spot they will tend to be in others throughout the property. 6. Check the external roof lines to make sure they are straight. 7. Plumbing, check taps and sinks for leaks and drainage. And toilets for flushing. 8. Ensure doors and windows are all fitted well and seal properly. Source: www.realestate.com.au. Advertisement

'There are pitfalls everywhere, how you can cover the whole lot is always difficult,' he said.

'A house that has stood the test of time is probably safe to buy, the worst that may have happened is with the internal foundation, stumps and such.

'But if the walls have stood for 100 years it's probably a good property.'
The body of a man was found in his inner Sydney housing commission apartment on Sunday after a 'loud night of drinking and yelling', neighbours claim.

Mark Russell, 53, was discovered at 11.30am on Sunday in his flat on Clisdell Street, Surry Hills.

Mr Russell, known on the streets as 'Sharky Mark', had been living inside the grungy housing block for less than two years.

Homicide police were seen searching a nearby light rail construction site and neighbouring letterboxes for a possible murder weapon on Monday morning.

The body of Mark Russell, 53, was found in his inner apartment on Clisdell Street, Surry Hills

The Daily Telegraph interviewed Mr Russell for a profile in a collection of stories on Sydney's 'forgotten' people in 2016.

Mark was born in Goulburn and grew up in a broken family. He was abandoned by his dad and his mum was hospitalised after a nervous breakdown when he was very young.

He and his sister lived between orphanages and he was later sent to a foster family.

Mark ran away from home at 16 and resorted to smoking marijuana and drinking, according to the publication.

Neighbour Mike told the Daily Telegraph there was often 'yelling, screaming and drunken parties' at Mark's flat.

'He had a drinking problem and was quite loud,' he added.

The Surry Hills apartment block has been cordoned off and homicide police are investigating at the scene.
Two men have been arrested after the shocking alleged assault on a man which left him fighting for his life on the side of the road.

Police charged a 26-year-old man and a 27-year-old man with grievous bodily harm, and they are expected to appear in Beenleigh Magistrates Court Monday morning.

Gold Coast concreter Brock Prime, 29, was left for dead on the side of M1 between Pimpama and Yatala on Saturday following a road rage attack on a motorway and could be in a coma for weeks.

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Brock Prime is 'in a bad way' at Gold Coast University Hospital following a shocking road rage attack on the M1. He will require a second operation on Monday

He had recently survived a stabbing, and he could be in a coma for weeks following the attack

Mr Prime was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after he was allegedly bashed with an unknown weapon on Saturday night

Police are yet to provide a description of Brock's attackers and have appealed with anyone in the vicinity of the M1 between Pimpama and Yatala between 9.30pm and 9.45pm on Saturday night to come forward

Lawyer Campbell MacCallum told Daily Mail Australia he 'felt sick' when he received the news about his long standing client and friend on Sunday morning.

'He's in a bad way,' Mr MacCallum told Daily Mail Australia.

'From the information his mum has told me, he was attacked from behind with a tyre iron. He has lost 20 per cent of his brain function and will be operated on again on Monday. He is expected to be in a coma for a number of weeks and is at risk of suffering a significant brain infection.'

Mr Prime's mother Donna said his left side will be like a stroke victim and will be in coma from anywhere between four days to three weeks, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

'His left side will be like a stroke victim because he'd already had to take a quarter of his brain,' Ms Prime said.

'Five centimetres of his skull was crushed into his brain with dirt and concrete so they removed all of that to clean it out so they know it's already damaged.

'The quicker he gets out of a coma, which depends on the infection and swelling, gives him more of a chance of surviving.'

Brock's mother says the quicker he gets out of a coma gives him more of a chance of surviving

Five centimetres of Brock's skull (right) was crushed into his brain with dirt and concrete

Brock's family (pictured) made a desperate plea for information from the public to find the alleged attackers

Police were called to the M1 near the Gold Coast about 9.45pm after reports of an altercation between a man and the occupants of a white van or mini bus on the side of the motorway between Pimpama and Yatala on the Gold Coast.

Investigations suggest the van may have had up to 13 occupants.

Detective Inspector Mark Thompson told reporters on Sunday that a deadly game of cat and mouse began in the northbound lanes of the M1 at Yatala.

He said the chase came to an end near the 'Frosty Boy' warehouse at Yatala and witnesses reported the men who got out of the white van appeared to be aged in their 20s.

Mr MacCallum believed it was a random attack, and said it followed the recent death of Mr Prime's father Darren.

He said in the past 12 months Mr Prime had also been the victim of a stabbing.

'Since then he has certainly shied away from any violence,' he told the ABC.

Brock Prime (pictured left) had been working 60 hours a week to support his younger siblings and mother following the recent death of his father Darren

Family and friends took to social media on Sunday to appeal for help so police can track down his attackers

Brock's family made a desperate plea for information from the public on Sunday.

'Our family is asking that anybody that has any information about the incident comes forward to help us get some answers and justice for this cowardly act,' they said.

'What was done last night could have only been done by a psychopath and a gang of disgusting people.

'Our boy was left for dead on the side of the road and is now fighting for his life and will be permanently injured as a result of this attack.'

Brock's sister also made a teary appeal for information, saying the attack came at a terrible time for the family.

'My family needs all the help we can get as my family passed away 5 weeks ago, and my brother Brock was working 10 hour days 6 days a week just to put a roof over our head and dinner on the table,' she said.

'So we'd really appreciate any information that we can get.'

Mr MacCallum described Brock as outgoing, adventurous and someone who loved to smile.

'The family are very distressed as they tragically lost her father six weeks ago,' Mr MacCallum told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's been a difficult time for everyone. Brock was working 60 hours a week to help support the household. He has two younger siblings going through university and had taken on the responsibility of supporting them.'

Family friends have set up an online crowd-funding page, which raised $11,285 within 21 hours.

'The back of his skull was caved in and significant brain damage has been done. His femur has a compound fracture and needs massive surgery,' the page states.

'Donna (Brock's mum) is currently out of work trying to deal with the loss of her life partner and father of her children and now will be facing extreme costs, medical bills and the general expenses of life.

'Donna herself has refused to ask for help but this family needs and deserves all the support they can get and the gratitude can't even be explained with words.'

Brock Prime was left for dead on the side of the M1 freeway between Pimpama and Yatala on Saturday night

Family and friends took to social media on Sunday to appeal for help so police can track down his attackers.

'Please share this around so we can find the cowards that did this to my brother,' Jonty Prime posted on Facebook on Sunday.

Jonty told the Courier Mail: 'I'd like everyone to know his character as well as he is a very loving hard working man who gives up everything to take care of my sister, mum and I as my dad recently passed just last month, Brock has done his best to take up his role.'

Queensland Police spoke to Daily Mail Australia and have confirmed no new arrests have been made since Sunday but are investigating a number of leads.

Detectives have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have dash cam footage taken in the vicinity of the M1 between Pimpama and Yatala between 9.30pm and 9.45pm to contact them.
The birthday girl who was stretchered of her own party boat after being pushed down the stairs during a drunken brawl has broken her silence about the 'unforgettable' night.

Lana Marie Bettaglia was celebrating her 21st birthday on Saturday night when a fight broke out on the boat - leading to four women and two men being arrested.

'Thankyou to everyone who made my night memorable,' she said in a post on Instagram.

'I definitely will never forget my 21st for the good and unfortunately for the not so good.'

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The birthday girl who was stretchered off her own party boat after being pushed down the stairs in a wild drunken brawl has been named as Lana Marie Battaglia (pictured)

This is the moment the birthday girl was stretched off the boat with hip injuries after being 'pushed down some stairs'

The young woman posted this photo of her stay in hospital online

The young woman also posted a picture from the hospital on her Instagram story showing her hooked into what appeared to be a drip.

'Now that's a story.. on a positive note I was drugged up for free. Endless endones and morphine,' she wrote on the photo.

She told Daily Mail Australia the 'people who started the fight were in a different group on the boat.

'They weren't my friends, I don't know who they were,' she said.

On Sunday, family friend Rose Carambano, 57, said Ms Battaglia was out of hospital but 'still in a lot of pain' after the punch up at the party attended by 50 people.

'It was terrible. When I heard last night, I thought 'she's never going to forget this birthday'. It was just awful,' Ms Carambano told the Daily Telegraph.

She said a group of boys who had been drinking 'ruined the night for everyone.'

The fight broke out at about 11pm as the boat docked at the wharf to let some 'sick' passengers off.

There was a fight happening on the dock which appeared to have lead to a woman jumping into the water. She was rescued and taken to hospital for assessment.

The party turned into a chaos when police were forced to break up the fight between a large group of revellers on the boat

The brawl erupted during a 21st birthday party on a boat in Sydney's popular Darling Harbour

Police were seen pinning a man to the ground in the ugly brawl at Sydney's Darling Harbour

Seven people were injured in the brawl, six were arrested and charged.

A 25-year-old woman was charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest, while another 25-year-old was charged with hindering police.

A 23-year-old woman, 24-year-old man and 26-year-old man were charged with affray and a 23-year-old woman was charged with assault.

The revellers had been cruising on the Constellation Party boat since 5.30pm.

Lana Marie Battaglia (left and right) was celebrating her 21st birthday in Sydney's popular Darling Harbour on Saturday night when police were forced to board the boat to break up a fight in which her friends were 'punched in the face'

A Constellation Cruises spokeswoman called the fight 'absolutely disgusting'.

'Two girls were not feeling the best and so they got off the boat with their friends... one of them didn't want to get off and her partner was telling her she had to,' she said.

'Because she was screaming she didn't want to get off... it looked like she was chucking a tantrum. We were trying to leave and a big brawl happened and there were people everywhere.'

She added: 'It's the first time we've ever been involved with anything like this so it's really upsetting.'
A Facebook account appearing to belong to the brother of Florida high school shooter Nikolas Cruz has posted a thank you message.

The post made by the account under the name of 'Zachary Cruz,' has led to speculation that the 18-year-old has broken his silence, following his 19-year-old brother's admission to shooting and killing 17 people.

'Appreciate all the positive messages [heart emoji],' the post read, which was published on Saturday at 11.06pm Eastern.

The profile photo for the account was posted on Sunday at 4.24am ET, and appears to show a young Zachary Cruz with his half-brother.

The features of the two children in the photo appear very similar to a picture taken between November last year and January which shows them holding the ashes of their adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz.

There's no way to tell through public access when the Facebook account was created. DailyMail.com messaged the account, but did not receive a reply.

A social media account listed as belonging to 'Zachary Cruz,' which is the name of the brother of Florida high school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, has published a post on Saturday; This is the profile picture used by the account, published early on Sunday morning

The features of the two children in the profile's default photo appear very similar to the features of this verified photo of the real Zachary Cruz and his half-brother, taken some time between November and January, as they are holding the ashes of their deceased adoptive mother, Lynda Cruz

Zachary Cruz was previously reported as having been held for psychiatric evaluation in Palm Beach, Florida since February 16.

If this account does, in fact, belong to him, the post may mean he has been released from the mental health facility.

The post was made viewable to the public, and has been collecting all sorts of comments from other Facebook users.

One user recommended that the owner of the account, which apparently the user assumed to be the real Zachary Cruz, should write a letter to the Florida high school shooter.

Florida high school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, faced court briefly on February 15 as he was officially charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder over the massacre

'Appreciate all the positive messages [heart emoji],' the post read, which was published by a Facebook account purported to belong to a 'Zachary Cruz' on Saturday at 11.06 pm Eastern

Another user, listed as 'Amber Morris' wrote: 'Praying for you, your brother, and your community. Love and support from SC.'

That particular comment prompted two replies, seemingly taking issue with the user's inclusion of prayers for the shooter.

'Gil Anderson' wrote: 'How about praying for the 17 victims and their grieving families? Wow!!!'

'Rebecca Alexa' made that point more clear, writing: 'Pray for HIM [apparently, Zachary] and pray for the dead. No one else deserves prayers.'

A user listed as 'Amber Morris' wrote: 'Praying for you, your brother, and your community. Love and support from SC,' to which 'Rebecca Alexa' replied: 'Pray for HIM [apparently, Zachary] and pray for the dead. No one else deserves prayers'

Several users made comments to the effect that they were praying for the real Zachary Cruz, who this account may or may not belong to, and his shooter brother

One user recommended that the owner of this account, which apparently the user assumed to be the real Zachary Cruz, should write a letter to the Florida high school shooter

To these comments, 'Amber Morris' replied: 'Gil Rodriguez when I say community, I'm referring to the families, friends, and the community as a whole, everyone effected. I'm praying for all involved. If you came to hate thee are plenty of pages and posts for that.'

Other shared sentiments of support for the poster, as well.

'Benajmin Scot Arnesty' wrote: 'You have so many allies out here! The truth never dies! Stay strong.'

This was confusing for some, like user 'Rebecca Alexa', who replied to this comment, as well. She posted: 'What truth exactly? We know the truth....16 kids and a teacher were murdered.'

Commenters were outraged at messages of support that referenced Zachary's shooter brother, like this one from 'Miley Rees,' which said: 'Sending love and best wishes to you and your brother from the UK. Theres a lot of people rooting for you both.'

The users mentioned above, both 'Gil' and 'Rebecca,' called this 'Miley Rees' a 'sick young lady' and 'mentally ill.'

Under recently added friends, the account listed as belonging to a 'Zachary Cruz' shows an account that listed as belonging to 'Rocxanne Deschamps.'

Deschamps is the woman who took in Zachary and his half-brother, following their adoptive mother's death from issues related to pneumonia in November. She was also a former neighbor of the family, prior to the death of Lynda Cruz, age 68.

Zachary has been living with Deschamps this entire time, but his shooter brother moved out in January, reportedly over a dispute over his gun collection.

Facebook users called this 'Miley Rees' a 'sick young lady' and 'mentally ill'

'Benajmin Scot Arnesty' wrote: 'You have so many allies out here! The truth never dies! Stay strong,' in a post that confused some users on social media

It's also been reported that Deschamps, 42, is the person who caused Zachary to be held for mental evaluation.

Chad Bennett, 37, a friend of Deschamps, told DailyMail.com that police were told, wrongly, that the teen would 'finish what his older brother started,' but did not say who said it.

On February 15, which is the day before Zachary was involuntarily committed, and one day after his half-brother admitted to the tragic Florida high school shooting and massacre, Deschamps filed to be named administrator of Lynda Cruz's estate.

She filed on the grounds that she was 'in charge of a 50 percent minor beneficiary' to the estate, at the time. The estate is estimated to be valued at around $800,000, after the payment of outstanding liabilities.

If appointed, Deschamps will not have access to the assets of the estate for her personal use, but may be paid an administration fee out of those assets, to be determined by the court.

Zachary turned 18 on Wednesday.

The shooter, who remains locked up at the Broward County Jail, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder the following day.

Even if convicted, the shooter may still receive his inheritance, which was reported as coming due to him at the age of 22.

Experts have said that if he does inherit money from the estate, he will likely never see any of it, due to potential civial lawsuits related to the shooting.

Nikolas Cruz also injured 15 others when he opened fire with an AR-15 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14.
Demand for sourdough bread is rapidly on the rise as increasing numbers of young Britons get a taste for making brunch at home, according to a new report yesterday.

For the latest research shows the sales of sourdough loaves have soared by a third in the past year at Waitrose supermarkets.

The big boost in popularity of sourdough is being attributed to the growing appetite for brunch as more Britons enjoy preparing the meal at home as well as tucking into it in High Street restaurants and cafes.

And one artisan bakery now sells 4,000 take-home sourdough loaves a week - a massive rise from just 200 a week six years ago.

Demand for sourdough bread is rapidly on the rise as increasing numbers of young Britons get a taste for making brunch at home, according to a new report yesterday

Data from bakery firm Kara shows that the UK's brunch market is now worth 13 billion making it one of the fastest-growing food trends. In addition, a report by food brand Lamb Weston found that young adults are most enthusiastic about the meal with almost half of 18-24 year-olds eating breakfast or brunch out once or twice a month.

Baker Aidan Monks told Waitrose Weekend magazine: 'The phenomenal success of sourdough is undoubtedly tied to the expansion of the brunch market which has grown considerably. More people are treating themselves to brunch and this is inspiring them to recreate their favourite dishes back at home. '

Mr Monks, who runs the Lovingly Artisan bakery in Kendal, Cumbria, said that the trend which started in London has now spread across almost every part of the country.

'We sell 4,000 take-home loaves a week - up from just 200 six years ago,' he said.

The latest research shows the sales of sourdough loaves have soared by a third in the past year at Waitrose supermarkets

Sourdough is the best bread for brunch, according to Mr Monks. 'It is flavoursome, has a nicer texture and retains its structure perfectly when served with classic brunch foods like poached eggs, mashed avocado or roast tomatoes ' he said.

Waitrose, which offers a range of 11 sourdough loaves on its shelves, said that sourdough is slowly leavened with a 'starter' made by fermenting only flour and water - a process that gives the bread its trademark tang..

The supermarket's bread buyer Jade Symonds said: 'All of Waitrose sourdough loaves are slowly fermented using yeast derived from both the environment and what is found in the starter culture. While a conventional loaf might take 40 minutes to leaven, our sourdough-making process can take 48 hours or longer, resulting in a waxy texture and delicate sour flavour.'
Secret plans were made to destroy the Sydney Harbour Bridge if Japanese troops invaded the city in World War II.

Explosives placed at the northern approach and towards the southern end of the bridge's deck would have brought the structure down.

The plans were drawn up at the direction of General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South-West Pacific, in 1942.

The bridge, opened in 1932 after nine years of construction, would have been sacrificed to thwart an easy harbour crossing for advancing Japanese forces.

The New South Wales government sought to ensure the Sydney Harbour Bridge was safe from attack after terrorists brought down New York's World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001

General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South-West Pacific in 1942, asked engineers to draw up plans to destroy the Sydney Harbour Bridge with explosives

Secret plans were made to blow up the Sydney Harbour Bridge, pictured above during construction in 1926, if the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Australia in World War II

For almost 60 years the plans were largely forgotten until being unearthed in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001.

At that time, the New South Wales Government wanted to ensure the state's landmarks, including the bridge, were as secure as possible, according to The Australian.

A document titled 'Sydney Harbour Bridge Demolition Plan' held securely in the state archives includes diagrams of the bridge and how it could be blown up.

Former army engineer Brian Nicholson told The Daily Mail in April 1957 he had been ordered to plan a way to destroy the bridge during World War II.

'We were given the broad outlines for a master plan to destroy communications and supply lines throughout NSW if needed to stem Japanese drives on Sydney and Newcastle,' Nicholson told the newspaper.

'I was told under which circumstances the Harbour Bridge would be destroyed, I'm glad the decision was not mine to make.

Construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge began in 1923 and the structure was opened in 1932; just 10 years later plans were made to destroy it if the Japanese invaded Australia

The NSW Government looked at how vulnerable iconic structures such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge would be to terrorist attack following the destruction of the World Trade Centre

United States troops move through jungle near Buna in New Guinea during World War II

'I spent a day crawling around the bridge... over the arch picking the spots in which to place the cutting charges.

'I estimated that six men could plant explosive charges at eight points on the great arch in less than a day.

'The charge could be swiftly wired to an electric detonator near Millers Point.

'Firing of the eight charges would have cut free a fairly large section of the arch in the southern half of the bridge.

'With this section cut away from the rest, both remaining sections would have collapsed into the harbour.

'Probably the pylons would have remained intact because the bridge is hinged at each end on massive bolts. The sections would have swung downwards into the water'

Former army engineer Brian Nicholson told the Daily Mail in 1957 he had I spent a day crawling around the bridge during World War II picking spots in which to place the explosive charges

Australian troops launch an attack at Balikpapan on the south-east coast of Borneo in 1945

An early morning view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge which carries rail, car, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the city's central business district and the North Shore.

Former NSW Roads Minister Carl Scully became aware while writing his memoir Setting the Record Straight that one of his bureaucrats had seen the MacArthur plan after the September 11 attacks.

The bureaucrat told Mr Scully that one of the bridge design faults identified following September 11, 2001 had been spotted by engineers reporting to General MacArthur in 1942.

MacArthur had arrived in Australia in March that year after United States president Franklin D Roosevelt ordered him out of the The Philippines.

The American fleet in Pearl Harbour had been bombed on December 7 the previous year and 242 Japanese planes attacked Darwin on February 19, 1942.

Japanese submarines shelled Sydney and Newcastle in late May and early June 1942. One of their targets was the Harbour Bridge, which was not hit.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge, pictured under construction, is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134m from top to water level

American soldiers wade ashore through swirling waters at Toem, New Guinea, in World War II

General Douglas MacArthur (seated) signs the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers on board the USS Missouri at the conclusion of war with Japan on September 2, 1945

MacArthur, who ran the Allied war in the Pacific from Brisbane, had good reason to prepare for the Japanese heading south to Sydney.

'It's quite fascinating,' Mr Scully told The Australian.

'We were basically doing what we needed to do to protect the bridge from being brought down and MacArthur had been doing the same thing in reverse.

'He sought advice on how to destroy the bridge; we sought advice on how to protect it.

'There were two points on the bridge that needed to be dealt with to ensure that a truck bomb didn't bring the bridge down.'

Mr Scully said Sydneysiders would not have noticed the reinforcement work done on the bridge, the exact location of which he would not reveal.

Likewise, the MacArthur plans were not available for public viewing.

'The MacArthur drawings and all plans for the Harbour Bridge were put under lock and key,' Mr Scully said.

'You don't want the wrong people coming into possession of them. They have been secure ever since.'

Sydney Harbour Bridge as seen from McMahons Point with the Opera House in background




Police were reportedly called after students at a Louisiana high school mistook the square root symbol for a gun drawing.

On Tuesday, at Oberlin High School, a student had been completing a math problem that required drawing the square-root sign.

Deputies say another student made a comment that the symbol looked like a gun and several other students made similar comments.

Police were reportedly called after students at a Louisiana high school mistook the square root symbol for a gun drawing

On Tuesday, at Oberlin High School, a student had been completing a math problem that required drawing the square-root sign. Deputies say another student made a comment that the symbol looked like a gun

Police searched the student's home, where they found no guns or any evidence that he had any access to guns.

Authorities added that there was no evidence the high-schooler had any intent to commit harm to other students or faculty.

'The student used extremely poor judgment in making the comment, but in light of the actual circumstances, there was clearly no evidence to support criminal charges,' the department wrote.

Disciplinary action has not yet been take against the student that made the comment, but will be determined by the Allen Parish School Board.

According to new polices set by the school board, any student accused of talking about guns or school shootings will be investigated by three entities: the school board, the sheriff's department, and the district attorney's office.

Police searched the student's home and concluded the high-schooler had any intent to cause harm to students or faculty. Many social media users commented that the situation was blown out of proportion (above)

This came a week after a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day, killing 17 people and wounding 14 more.

The mass shooting sparked a wave of reported threats against other schools across the country - threats that are still coming in by the day and have set local parents, students and emergency officials on high alert.

Still, many on social media thought the reaction to the 'threat' in Oberlin was more than a little overblown.

'Is this what things have come to??' one user tweeted.

'Really? Someone thought about pursuing terrorist threat criminal charges because he said a radical (square root sign LOOKED LIKE a gun? [M]eanwhile your next school school is now thought of as a law-abiding gun owner right now,' another user wrote exasperatedly.

One Twitter user joke: 'Police investigate student for drawing...a square root sign. Doing his math problems. Because it looked scary,'
Jamie Oliver has risked the wrath of Britains farmers by saying he would not feed his children chicken which had been produced to the Red Tractor standard.

The celebrity chef made the statement during his weekly cookery programme on Channel 4.

The label is used by 78,000 farmers in the UK and the farming industry says it means chicken has met robust and responsible production standards and is traceable back to its source.

But on a recent episode of Jamie and Jimmys Friday Night Feast, the celebrity chef and his friend Jimmy Doherty, a farmer and TV presenter, raised questions over the bottom standard.

Jamie Oliver has attacked Red Tractor British chickens and says he wouldn't cook the birds at home

While footage played of chickens in a large shed, Doherty said: Most of these birds never go outside and have little space to move about. Although some barns have natural light, perches and pecking objects, this isnt a requirement. Oliver, who owns dozens of restaurants, added: Chickens are bred to grow fast with a high ratio of meat to bone, but this makes them heavy so they can struggle to walk... I think people would be shocked by the reality of what we are buying.

Doherty then asked him: You wouldnt eat Red Tractor chicken? and Oliver responded: I personally wouldnt feed it to my kids.

Doherty then said: The Red Tractor label does guarantee a consistent basic standard for welfare and hygiene so we know our food comes from a trustworthy and safe source.

But is that minimum standard high enough? If you look at Red Tractor, they deal with welfare but they deal with everything from pesticide use to conservation to health and safety to traceability so having a bottom standard that covers all of British farming for me is really important.

The label is used by 78,000 farmers in the UK and the farming industry says it means chicken has met robust and responsible production standards and is traceable back to its source

The pair then said that they would rather British chicken was produced to a higher welfare standard with labels such as RSPCA-assured.

RSPCA welfare standards for chicken means the birds must be given sufficient space and require the use of slower growing birds, to help prevent problems like lameness.

Minette Batters, who last week became the first every woman to run the National Farmers Union, argued that the Red Tractor standard means that we have the highest standards of food safety of environmental protection. The Red Tractor is a mark of food safety.

She pointed out that the scheme helped families on lower incomes buy food confident that it had been created to a high standard.

She told the Sunday Telegraph: There are a lot of people on tight budgets and they must not be disadvantaged in all of this. It is about making sure we can provide quality affordable, safe, traceable food to everybody regardless of budgets, regardless of background.

Olivers opinion came after Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, told the NFU conference last week that food standards would not fall after Britain leaves the European Union.

There are fears that after Brexit the UK will sign a trade deal with America to allow cheaper, chlorine-washed chicken to be sold in British supermarkets.

Assured Food Standards, which licences the Red Tractor mark, did not respond to a request to comment yesterday.
Kaylee Muthart (Pictured), 20, had been using meth for about six months when she freaked out on February 6 in front of a Anderson, South Carolina church

The mother of a young woman who gouged out her own eyes while high on methamphetamine is speaking out against the dangers of drug abuse.

Kaylee Muthart, 20, had been using meth for about six months when she freaked out on February 6 in front of a Anderson, South Carolina church after hearing 'voices that told her to sacrifice her eyes in order to make it to heaven.'

'This is something you never think is going to happen to you, but it did,' Katy Tompkins, mother to Kaylee and six other children, told People Magazine on Friday.

'A lot of the mothers I talked to have kids that have been addicted to heroin for 10, 15 years and I'm like, "How did you get through it?" My daughter was doing it for six months and it literally tore me up.'

Despite the trauma and suffering experienced by her daughter, Tompkins said that she hopeful the incident can serve as an example to act and get help for a loved one before its too late.

'I don't know how I'm getting through it, but she has given me strength. It's weird to say, but she uplifts me right now and she's the one that can't see. That's just the kind of person she is,' Tompkins said. 'I'm thankful. It's a horrible thing, but I'm still thankful because God spared her life.'

Despite the trauma and suffering experienced by her daughter, Katy Tompkins hopes the incident can serve as an example for others

Sheriff Chad McBride (Pictured) had to subdue Kaylee enough so she could start receiving medical assistance when they arrived at the South Main Chapel and Mercy Center (R)

Doctors believe that the meth she smoked earlier this month was laced with a chemical that caused her to hallucinate.

Just days before the incident, Kaylee had told her mother that she was ready to go into drug rehab.

Parishioners at the South Main Chapel and Mercy Center heard Kaylee's screams and ran outside to find her holding an eyeball in her hand.

She fought them off as they tried to help, and by the time paramedics arrived she had gouged out the other eye, according to Sheriff Chad McBride of the Anderson County Sheriffs Office.

Tompkins (L) said that after Kaylee (R) gets out of the hospital and learns how to live without sight, she wants to share her story with others

When medical emergency units arrived to help the 20-year-old, officials reportedly had 'to subdue her enough so she could start receiving medical assistance,' according to broadcast affiliate FOX Carolina.

A team of deputies finally managed to control Kaylee and she was airlifted to the trauma unit at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

'I can't even explain that feeling when I found out, it was horrifying. Complete terror,' Tompkins said of first hearing what her daughter had done. 'I was thankful she was alive, but I knew something was wrong with her.'

Doctors later told Tompkins that the incident left her daughter permanently blind.

Tompkins said she thinks Kaylee first started used meth unintentionally last year, which eventually led her to leaving her mother's home.

'The day before it happened, which was my birthday, I was getting ready to have her committed, just to get her off the streets and away from it,' Tompkins said. 'But I was too late.'

Since the terrifying episode, Tompkins says her daughter is recovering well but still has a long and difficult road ahead of her.

'She's been doing wonderfully. Each day at a time, she just gets a little better and better,' she said. 'She's getting all different kinds of treatment, but she's going to have to re-learn everything. It's like she's almost starting life over again.'

Kaylee remains hospitalized and doctors have cleaned and treated her orbital sockets to prevent infection.

Doctors recommend that she get prosthetic eyes to preserve her facial structure and keep bacteria out of the sockets.

Kaylee insists that she get aqua green prosthetics to match her natural eye color, her mother said.

Tompkins said that after Kaylee gets out of the hospital and learns how to live without sight, she wants to share her story with others and warn young people of the dangers of drug use.

The family has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a seeing eye dog for Kaylee.
A Comanchero associate boasted of 'looking lean' and 'feeling fit' in a series of social media updates posted on his account while he was doing hard time in jail.

Police shot dead bikie ally Liam Scorsese, 31, on Sunday afternoon after allegedly lunging at cops near an ex-girlfriend's home in Brisbane.

Scorsese had only walked free from a south Queensland prison on November 1 last year after serving three months for the brutal bashing of a bus driver.

He announced he was back on the streets on Instagram with a photo of himself with a shining Rolex on his wrist, standing by a Range Rover and showing off his abs.

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'#JAILFIT': Liam Scorsese walks free from a south Queensland jail late last year - instantly posting to a social media account which was constantly updated while he was behind bars

Scorsese, left, with his apparent lover Chireez Beytel in the months after he was released from prison

Two of many posts (left, right) uploaded to an account in Scorsese's name while he was behind bars at Queensland's Gatton jail

The same account, 'publicenemynumbr1' had uploaded a series of messages, many written in first person, while he was supposed to be serving time at Gatton prison.

'3 weeks and I'm a free man and coming home ...' one post said.

'Can't wait too see all my brothers and loved ones and family use all know who you are ... #feelingfit #lookinglean #clearminded #cantwaittoseeyouall #fts'

He also posted throwback photos with his friend Harley Barbaro, the brother of slain gangster Pasquale: 'Flash back to my (quiet) night with my brother'.

Within moments of walking free Scorsese jumped on his Instagram account to describe himself as '#jailfit' and marking the beginning of a 'new chapter.'

It's unclear whether Scorsese had any in the posts while behind bars.

When Daily Mail Australia alerted prison authorities to the posts in October, a Queensland Corrective Services spokeswoman said there was 'no evidence the posts to Instagram referred to in this enquiry were made by the prisoner in question while incarcerated'.

Scorsese died after being tasered and shot by police following an urgent triple-0 call about a 'man with a knife trying to break into a house'

The former bikie associate was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition but later died. Forensics and investigating police pictured yesterday

It is an offence to have a mobile phone in prison and allegations of any offences are referred to the Queensland Correctives Investigative Service, the spokeswoman said.

'In some circumstances prisoners have been known to provide access to their social media accounts or have accounts created on their behalf while incarcerated.'

It's understood life after jail had seen Scorsese get together with cosmetic tattoo artist Chireez Beytell and work with his father.

Lovers: Scorsese and his partner Chireez Beytell, left and right

A Versace watch, a packet of high-end chocolates and a bunch of roses - Ms Beytell shared her Valentine's Day gift from Scorsese

She posted a picture of a Versace watch, teddy bear and roses from Scorsese on Valentines Day.

'The pain is unbearable, the suffering unimaginable,' she said yesterday.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Niland told reporters officers present were 'in fear of their lives' when the shots were fired.

Scorsese was Tasered, but the weapon apparently had no impact.

The officers retreated before one of the two officers shot at him.
Police have discovered 300kg of a drug used to make ice hidden in highlighters in Sydney.

Ephedrine was allegedly smuggled into Sydney from China and discovered by police hidden inside 21,000 of the pens.

Three men aged 26, 27 and 24 were arrested and the 27-year-old was formally charged with importing commercial quantities of border controlled precursors.

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Police have discovered 300kg of a drug smuggled into Sydney. A 27-year-old man was charged with drug smuggling

The drug was discovered by police hidden inside 21,000 highlight pens in a container carrying stationary supplies.

The other two men have been released while police continue to investigate.

Australian Border Force, working jointly with New South Wales Police, noticed abnomalies in a stationary shipment that arrived at Port Botany earlier this month.

The pens were pulled apart and tests confirmed they had been filled with ephedrine, which is used to make methamphetamine.

Some of the shipment was allowed to be delivered to premises in Sydney's inner west under the watchful eyes of border force officers and NSW Police detectives.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a home at Glebe, where they seized items relevant to the investigation.

ABF Investigations Superintendent Garry Low described the highlighters as a 'unique concealment method' but said they can find drugs and precursors in almost anything.

Three men aged 26, 27 and 24 were arrested and a 27-year-old man was formally charged

Some of the shipment was allowed to be delivered to premises in Sydney's inner west under the watchful eyes of border force officers and NSW Police detectives

'(We) have made a significant dent in the availability of ice over the past 12 months, with the seizure of more than 2 tonnes of ephedrine at the border in NSW alone,' he said.

'We've recently invested heavily in upgrades to x-ray technology at our container examination facilities, including here in Sydney, allowing our officers to see further in to each container and detect even more sophisticated concealments.'

The 27-year-old man who was charged was refused bail and will appear at the Central Local Court on Wednesday.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a home at Glebe, where they seized items relevant to the investigation
Patients are being put at risk by controversial schemes to slash hospital treatment, doctors' leaders warn.

Up to four in ten health trusts have set up 'referral management centres' where staff sift through GP letters.

These include requests for cancer scans, hip and knee replacements and as well as any appointments with a hospital specialist.

A report by the Royal College of GPs today warns that the schemes are unsafe, delaying care and undermining patients' trust.

Up to four in ten health trusts have set up 'referral management centres' where staff sift through GP letters (stock image)

The centres are normally manned by teams of admin workers who are supervised by a handful of nurses, GPs and hospital doctors to offer expertise.

But the College claims that these staff are rejecting patients' treatment without having a proper understanding of their circumstances or medical history.

And if a GPs' referral is rejected, they will have to go through the process of writing a new, stronger letter to be reassessed by the centre.

This delay could harm the patient - the College points out - particularly if they are awaiting a scan to check for cancer.

The centres have become increasingly popular amongst cost-cutting local health trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

But the College claims that they may actually be costing the NHS more to run than it would otherwise be spending on hospital scans and treatment.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'We can't simply sit back and say nothing about some ethically-questionable initiatives that prioritise cost-savings over patient care.

She warned that the schemes were 'undermining GPs' professionalism and the decisions we make in the best interests of our patients, and in doing so erode the important trust our patients have in us.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard (pictured), chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'We can't simply sit back and say nothing about some ethically-questionable initiatives that prioritise cost-savings over patient care'

'Reviewing referrals is an important part of general practice, and a constructive part of professional development for GPs, but it must be proportionate, safe, and in the best interests of individual patient's health outcomes.'

The report states: 'There is no evidence that referral management, as defined here, is cost-effective or safe.

'Moreover, there are significant ethical and professional concerns with these initiatives as they can undermine GP professionalism and patient choice.'

An investigation by the British Medical Journal last year found that 39 per cent of CCGs had set up a referral management centres.

Previous studies have found that in some areas including the Vale of York the centres were rejecting one in three GP referrals.

Many GPs were told their patients were ineligible for treatment or there was too little information to make a decision.

Dr Robina Shah, chair of the RCGP's patient and carer partnership group, said the schemes were undermining patients' trust in their doctor.

She said: 'The relationship between a patient and their GP is unique in healthcare and built over time and we must approach any initiatives that threaten this with great caution.

'I trust my GP to make the right decision about my referral - I don't want bureaucracy getting in the way.'
Trendy soya-based bacon and sausages are often promoted as a healthy alternative to meat.

But you may be better off tucking into a full English after all - as many vegetarian foods are fattier and more calorific than the meat options they seek to emulate.

Sainsburys vegetarian smoky bacon, made from soya, contains 309 calories per 100g and nearly 22g of fat.

However, the supermarket chains unsmoked back bacon contains just 233 calories per 100g and 13.8g of fat, the Sunday Times found.

Many vegetarian foods are fattier and more calorific than the meat options (pictured) they seek to emulate, according to new research

At Tesco, meanwhile, meat-free bacon-style rashers contain 341 calories per 100g and nearly 23g of fat. In comparison Tesco finest smoked bacon has 191 calories and about 12g of fat.

It is a similar story with dairy-free alternatives which can also leave your waistline worse off, with many containing coconut oil which is higher in saturated fat than butter or lard.

Sainsburys Deliciously FreeFrom alternative to soft cheese contains 285 calories per 100g and 22.3g of saturated fat. In contrast, Philadelphia full-fat soft cream cheese contains 235 calories per 100g and 14.5g saturated fat.

Nutritionist Amanda Ursell told the Sunday Times: Veganism and vegetarianism can be a very positive thing, but its not necessarily a free pass to great health.

At Tesco, meanwhile, meat-free bacon-style rashers contain 341 calories per 100g and nearly 23g of fat. In comparison Tesco finest smoked bacon has 191 calories and about 12g of fat

Any processed food can be high in fat, salt and sugar. It is always a case of buyer beware when buying processed foods and reading the labels. Many Britons, particularly young adults, have been moving away from red meat for animal welfare and environmental reasons.

A report last year found one in five people under the age of 25 say they do not eat red meat or poultry, with many unhappy about intensive farming, animal living conditions and slaughter. Livestock farming also produces large amounts of the greenhouse gases linked with climate change.
A Florida school shooting survivor turned activist has sharply criticized the NRA's reaction to the massacre as 'disgusting'.

David Hogg, the senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who has been at the head of the fight for tighter gun laws in the wake of the tragedy, blasted the NRA's continued opposition to stricter gun control.

He also lambasted the spokeswoman Dana Loesch for misrepresenting 99 percent of the people who belong to the agency during an interview with George Stephanopolous on ABC's This Week.

The 17-year-old has been the target of a baseless social media conspiracy that suggests he is a 'crisis actor' and not an actual high school student.

He and some of his fellow Stoneman Douglas shooting survivors have received countless death threats since starting to demand stricter gun laws in the wake of the tragedy they experienced on February 14.

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David Hogg, the senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who has been at the head of the fight for tighter gun laws in the wake of the tragedy has sharply criticized the NRA's reaction to the massacre as 'disgusting'

He also lambasted the spokeswoman Dana Loesch for misrepresenting 99 percent of the people who belong to the agency during an interview with George Stephanopolous on ABC's This Week. He is pictured one day after the massacr

But Hogg hasn't let that stop him, and has continued to fight for tighter gun laws and attack the NRA both in interviews and on social media.

'Honestly, it's disgusting,' the 17-year-old said Sunday.

'[The NRA acts] like they don't own these politicians, but they do. They've gotten gun legislation passed before in their favor, in favor of gun manufacturers.'

Hogg also responded to comments made earlier by NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, who insisted the agency has been working to make people safer.

'We have been supporting proposals to make sure that the system works,' Loesch told the show's host, George Stephanopolous.

'We've been calling for politicians to work with us and make sure that dangerous people who have received due process can't access firearms.'

But Hogg said he thinks the NRA as an organization is 'completely broken,' because people like Loesch are serving the gun manufacturers instead of the members.

'She's not serving the people of the NRA, because the people that are joining the NRA, 99.9 percent of them are amazing people that just want to be safe, responsible gun owners,' Hogg said.

'And I can fully support that.'

'Honestly, it's disgusting,' the 17-year-old said Sunday. '[The NRA acts] like they don't own these politicians, but they do. They've gotten gun legislation passed before in their favor, in favor of gun manufacturers'

Hogg also responded to comments made earlier by NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, who insisted the agency has been working to make people safer

'We have been supporting proposals to make sure that the system works,' Loesch told the show's host, George Stephanopolous on Sunday. She is pictured at the CNN Town Hall

Hogg also expressed his optimism that he and his classmates will be able to keep the political momentum going that was spurred by the tragedy.

The teen cited his generation's growing electoral influence and said they are ready to get out and vote to make a change.

'Columbine was about 19 years ago,' Hogg said.

'Now that you've had an entire generation of kids growing up around mass shootings, and the fact that they're starting to be able to vote, explains how we're going to have this change. Kids are not going to accept this.'

Also with Hogg speaking to Stephanopoulos was one of his teachers Ashley Kurth, who shielded Hogg and a group of students from Cruz in her classroom during the February 14 shooting.

Hogg also expressed his optimism that he and his classmates will be able to keep the political momentum going that was spurred by the tragedy

Also with Hogg speaking to Stephanopoulos was one of his teachers Ashley Kurth, who shielded Hogg and a group of students from Cruz in her classroom during the February 14 shooting

Speaking out: On Sunday, David Hogg addressed a community rally for common sense gun legislation at held at a synagogue in Livingston, New Jersey

Hogg was joined by Matthew and Ryan Deitsch and and his sister Lauren Hogg

Kurth agreed with many of Hogg's points, and spoke out about what is concerning her most in the wake of the massacre.

She said she doesn't agree with President Donald Trump's proposal to arm and train teachers around the country.

'These are kids that have passions, very raging passions ,and when they get into fights having something like this in their vicinity is not a good idea,' Kurth said.

During the interview Hogg also thought ahead to his upcoming return to classes at Stoneman Douglas this coming week.

'It's never going to be the same, and never will be the same,' he said.

'I can't even imagine emotionally what me and my fellow students are going to go through that day.'
Former top Donald Trump campaign official Rick Gates's guilty plea deal may save him from jail, and could mean prosecutors have placed the bulk of blame for criminal conduct on Paul Manafort, experts say.

While former Trump campaign chairman Manafort continues to maintain his innocence on all charges, Gates admitted to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators on Friday.

The plea agreement means 45-year-old Gates will be spared - at least for now - of other more serious offenses the government has accused him of committing such as money laundering and bank fraud.

Former top Trump aide Rick Gates cut a deal with investigators on Friday, pleading guilty to conspiracy against the U.S. and lying to investigators

Criminal defense lawyer Robert Bennett called the deal 'very favorable', adding it puts Manafort, Gates' co-defendant, in a 'very difficult position'

Criminal defense lawyer Robert Bennett called the deal 'very favorable' in an interview with ABC, adding it puts Manafort, Gates' co-defendant, in a 'very difficult position'.

The guilty plea signals Gates is ready to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation  which could in turn put more pressure on his longtime associate Manafort.

The conspiracy charge states that Gates 'knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud the United States by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful governmental functions of [the Departments of Justice and Treasury] and to commit offenses against the United States.'

The lying charge says Gates 'falsely stated and represented to the Special Counsels Office,' including the FBI, that the March 2013 meeting didn't involve Ukraine.

Gate's plea agreement repeatedly mentions his actions coming 'at Manafort's instruction' and says he 'helped Manafort' move his funds so he could evade U.S. taxes.

Gates's guilty plea deal, which may save him from jail, could mean prosecutors have placed the bulk of blame for criminal conduct on Paul Manafort (pictured), experts say

Former Trump campaign chairman Manafort continues to maintain his innocence

It says 'Gates, with Manafort's knowledge and agreement, repeatedly misled Manafort's accountants,' and that 'Gates, acting at Manafort's instructions, did not report the accounts' existence to Manafort's tax accountants.'

In the plea agreement, prosecutors made sure to reference a special provision in sentencing guidelines that offers probation for those who choose to cooperate with investigators.

'A defendant who has provided substantial assistance in the investigation or prosecution of another person who has committed an offense may be sentenced to a term of supervised release that is less than any minimum required by statute or the guidelines,' the provision states.

Gate's plea agreement also says if the former aide fully cooperates he will 'then be free to argue for any sentence below the advisory sentencing guideline range'.

Prosecutors even specified in the plea agreement that they 'may not oppose the defendant's application' for a lesser sentence if his help proves valuable.

However, if Gates is found to be uncooperative, the government could charge him with the other crimes again, and, as agreed to in the plea deal, he will have no opportunity to appeal.

Gates is now the third Trump associate known to be working with Mueller's investigation

But as former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday, it's likely Mueller's team heard the information Gates had to give before offering him a plea deal.

Gates is now the third Trump associate known to be working with Mueller's investigation -Former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos are also cooperating with authorities.

Manafort, on his part, maintained his innocence in a statement soon after Gates entered his plea.

'Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue to battle to prove our innocence,' Manafort said in a statement.

'For reasons not yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me.'

Gates and Manafort were both indicted last October for money laundering, failing to properly register as foreign agents, and lying to federal officials about lobbying and other activities.

Prosecutors added more charges last week including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal and false statements.
The summer of 1951 was a wretched time for the Foreign Office and British Intelligence. In May, diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean had sensationally fled to Moscow after being told that their pro-Soviet treachery was about to be exposed.

The man who had tipped them off was Kim Philby, a high-ranking MI6 officer who lost his own job soon afterwards when he, too, was suspected of being a Soviet mole.

Understandably, the Americans  who shared huge amounts of highly classified material with the British  were incensed. The CIA and the State Department declared that they were highly disturbed the Foreign Office could employ such men.

They pointed out that in the State Department, repeated drunkenness, recurrent nervous breakdowns, sexual deviations and other human frailties are considered security hazards, and persons showing any one or more of them are dismissed summarily, the British Embassy sheepishly reported.

David Floyd, pictured, passed material to the Soviets during the Forties while employed in the Russian secretariat of the British Embassy in Moscow

When the Burgess and Maclean story went public in June, it was one of Britains worst spy scandals. As both men had been educated at public schools and at Cambridge, it seemed something was very rotten at the heart of the British Establishment.

Until now, however, it was not generally known that the Foreign Office and MI5 had discovered yet another Soviet agent in their midst, whose treachery was kept secret.

Yesterday, The Sunday Times reported that a Foreign Office official called David Floyd had passed material to the Soviets during the Forties while employed in the Russian secretariat of the British Embassy in Moscow. He was also strongly suspected of having done the same while working in our embassies in Belgrade and Prague.

The revelation comes from top-secret Foreign Office files released after a Freedom of Information application. Papers obtained by a biographer of Burgess show the Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to prosecute Floyd.

But how on earth could such a man have been hired in the first place?

Floyd had been secretary of the Oxford University branch of the Communist Party and was married to a communist. He had two criminal convictions and had been in prison.

Even so, he was appointed to sensitive posts by the Foreign Office.

Worse still, after Floyds treachery was exposed and then the truth was covered up, he found respectable employment as communist affairs correspondent at the Daily Telegraph and then at The Times.

Floyd took his secret to his grave when he died in 1997 at the age of 83. At the time, The Guardian described him blithely as one of Fleet Streets most knowledgeable Kremlinologists. The Telegraphs own obituary said he was a valued member of staff.

His son Sir Christopher Floyd, now a Lord Justice of Appeal, appears to have known nothing about his fathers secret past. Its very shocking for me to hear this, Sir Christopher told The Sunday Times.

Born in 1914 in Swindon, the son of a railwayman, Floyd was drawn to communism at Oxford. With the rise of fascism in Europe and an economic slump, many well-educated youngsters saw communism as the ideal social system.

But while for many this was a peaceful interest, Floyds leftism was unabashedly militant and proudly unpatriotic.

His son Sir Christopher Floyd (pictured), now a Lord Justice of Appeal, appears to have known nothing about his fathers secret past

He had already joined the Anti-War Movement, a group banned by the Labour Party for being a communist satellite.

One evening, Floyd and two comrades went to a cinema in Swindon to see a documentary film called Our Fighting Navy. Taking exception to stirring scenes of the Royal Navy carrying out a mock battle, they stood up and shouted: Take it off! We wont fight for King and Country! The trio were duly arrested and sentenced to a month in prison, although they were released after two days.

One of the three, Albert Hanson, later became Professor of Politics at Leeds University and was succeeded in that post by the Marxist sociologist Ralph Miliband (father of Ed and David).

Floyd was arrested again and charged with four offences relating to a strike by workers at a steel factory in Oxford. He was charged with obstructing a police constable, blocking a bus with his motorcycle and assaulting a man.

Lest we forget, Fleet Street's other red mole The Guardian's Richard Gott, pictured, was one of the most notorious KGB agents to work in Fleet Street One of the most notorious KGB agents to work in Fleet Street was The Guardians Richard Gott. He resigned from the Left-wing paper in 1994 after being revealed as an agent of influence, a tag he denied, having been recruited by the KGB. Gott did, though, admit culpable stupidity. He had joined the paper as a leader writer and held numerous other influential positions such as features editor and foreign news editor. Winchester and Oxford-educated Gott admitted meeting the KGB and accepting what he called red gold. Chillingly, he seemed to treat such traitorous work as a joke. He said: I rather enjoyed the cloak-and-dagger atmosphere which will be familiar to anyone who has read the spy stories of the Cold War. His contacts with the Kremlin dated back to 1964 and it wasnt until 1994 that he was exposed  to the horror of the papers then editor, the genuinely incorruptible Peter Preston. Gott explained that he had first been contacted by the Soviet embassy while working at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He was taken for lunches in distant suburbs. Gotts cover was blown when the Spectator magazine accused him of holding secret meetings with the KGB and gave precise details of how he was remunerated by his KGB case officers (including a welcome back payment after a period of inactivity). Gott confessed only to having taken expenses-paid trips to Athens, Nicosia and Vienna to meet a Soviet intelligence operative. Pathetically, he described the Spectators allegations as tactical slime from the archives. In fact he was a lifelong supporter of the hard Left, once writing of his simple belief that Che Guevara and Ho Chi Minh and Mao Tse-tung were admirable men who had been doing interesting things. While a reporter in South America, in 1967 he had been at the scene of the death of fellow Marxist Che Guevara and broke the story. According to Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB colonel formerly based in London who defected from the Soviet Union, Gott was one of fewer than ten so-called agents of influence recruited in Britain by the KGB. According to Gordievsky, Gott received at least 10,000 in cash, not just the lunches and free travel that he admitted. No wonder Guardian colleagues called him Gott the Trot and Pol Gott. In a delicious irony, Jeremy Corbyn, who in recent days has been at the centre of stories about meeting a Soviet spy in the Eighties, employs Seumas Milne as Labours director of communications. Like Gott, Milne went to Winchester College and the University of Oxford, and was for many years a senior figure at The Guardian. A communist sympathiser from his schooldays, Milne began at The Guardian in 1984 and later defended Gott after he confessed to meeting KGB officials and taking money from a Soviet spy, saying that the allegations seemed absurd. Advertisement

With his bail stood by his father and the vice-principal of his Oxford college, St Edmund Hall, Floyd was fined 2 (about 140 today).

His brush with the law may even have strengthened his commitment to communism, as he became secretary of the universitys branch of the Communist Party.

During this time he was spotted by Arthur Wynn, a postgraduate who recruited spies for the KGB.

Although millions of words have been written about the notorious Cambridge Spies including Burgess, Maclean and Anthony Blunt (who was allowed to pursue a career as an art historian and as Surveyor of the Queens Pictures in exchange for a detailed confession), much less has been told about how Wynn assembled a similar spy ring in Oxford.

Members included a Labour MP called Bernard Floud and his brother Peter, who worked for the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Along with Wynn, Floyd met another student communist, Joan Dabbs, whom he married in 1939.

Apparently because of his poor eyesight, he was unable to fight in the war  but his ability to speak Russian got him a job at the UK Military Mission in Moscow in 1944. After the war he stayed in the Russian capital, where he was employed by the British embassy.

Although his position was relatively lowly, according to Roger Allen, then the embassys First Secretary, Floyd would have been able to get hold of almost any file, with a few exceptions, on legitimate grounds.

Like the Cambridge spies, it seems that in public, Floyd carefully downplayed his adherence to communism. Indeed, Allen recalled him as cheerful and on the whole sensible and found it almost impossible to believe that he was an ideologically orthodox communist.

That said, Floyds private life had become unorthodox.

He began an affair in Moscow with a Russian actress and his marriage collapsed.

After being posted to Prague, he then had a relationship with a woman called Hajka Goldmannova, whom he married in 1948 and who was the mother of their son Christopher.

With this raggedy private life, not to mention his communist student past, it seems astonishing that he did not trigger security concerns.

It was not until an Oxford-educated employee at the Ministry of Defence met Floyd in early 1950 and recalled Floyds communist activities at university that the alarm was raised.

A security check was carried out to look for any early record of tendencies towards communism. Most worryingly, even though such tendencies were discovered, they were dismissed by the authorities as youthful indiscretion.

One diplomat even commented that it would have been impossible to conceal a double loyalty during all this time.

It looked as if Floyd had got away with his treachery. But then it seems he had an attack of conscience and confessed to being a Soviet agent  although he admitted only to having passed over very low-grade documents. Why did he confess? He told the Foreign Office it was the honest thing to do. More revealingly, he also said he feared the Russians might kidnap him.

Floyd, perhaps motivated by the fact that his second wife was pregnant, claimed he wanted to begin life anew with a clear conscience.

After MI5 investigated, a file was passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Extraordinarily, even then it was considered there was not enough evidence to charge Floyd with any crimes.

At the end of summer 1951, British government officials admitted to their American counterparts that another Soviet spy had been unearthed, but played down his significance.

MI5 officers met agents from a section of the CIA called the Office of Special Operations and told them there was no basis for legal action against David Floyd [...] who voluntarily disclosed Soviet Intelligence associations but disclaimed any transmission of confidential information.

The Americans accepted the British assurances. At the same meeting, MI5 revealed to the Americans that Floyd had implicated Arthur Wynn, the man who had recruited him as a spy in Oxford and who was working at the Ministry of Fuel and Power.

Despite being investigated by intelligence officer Peter Wright  who later wrote the book Spycatcher, which sensationally alleged that Harold Wilson was the target of an MI5 conspiracy and that former MI5 chief Roger Hollis was a Soviet mole  Wynn was left to pursue his Whitehall career until his retirement in 1971.

But what was to be done about Floyd, who, according to a memo, the Foreign Office believed to be sincerely repentant?

How typical that the Establishment came to his rescue.

The papers deputy editor was Malcolm Muggeridge (pictured), who had worked for MI6 during the war. It is not known if Muggeridge was aware of Floyds treachery, although it is likely he would have known of his past

In 1952 he was given a job by the Daily Telegraph as its communist affairs correspondent. The papers deputy editor was Malcolm Muggeridge, who had worked for MI6 during the war.

It is not known if Muggeridge  later known as a broadcaster and Catholic convert nicknamed St Mugg  was aware of Floyds treachery, although it is likely he would have known of his past.

Floyd worked, without suspicion, at the Daily Telegraph for almost 30 years. Inevitably, considering his area of reporting, he was known as Pink Floyd.

In the late Seventies he moved to The Times, where he was also communist affairs correspondent.

Although the treachery of many other spies is known to have led to the deaths of compatriots whose secret work they exposed to their enemies, it is hard to be precise about the damage Floyd did. Yet how can we accept the assurances of a man willing to betray his country that he had only passed on low-grade material?

Of course, British Intelligence may have found a use for him as a double or triple agent.

It seems outrageous that David Floyd should be known as the spy who got away with it, though  and another big question remains: how many others also got away with it?

Could Albert Hanson, for example, his communist comrade who became a Leeds University professor, also have been a spy? It is certainly possible, as we now know that Floyds Oxford recruiter on behalf of the Kremlin, Arthur Wynn, was offered immunity from prosecution (although the deal collapsed) and allowed to work in a taxpayer-funded government post until retirement.

Until the next tranche of secret documents is belatedly released, we can only speculate.

The final part of our serialisation of Charlotte Binghams memoirs, MI5 And Me, will appear in tomorrows paper.
New Zealand skier Byron Wells missed his second Winter Olympics in a row after shattering his kneecap during a routine practice run 15 minutes before his heat.

The 25-year-old freestyle skier held back tears as he was stretchered from the halfpipe in PyeongChang last Thursday - a cruel end to eight years of preparation.

'I am absolutely devastated about getting injured fifteen minutes from the start of the finals,' Wells told the NZ Herald.

Adding insult to injury, the young athlete was forced to withdraw from the Sochi 2014 Games after suffering an injury the day before his event.

Deja vu: New Zealand skier Byron Wells, 25, was devastated to be withdrawn from the Olympics after suffering from a leg injury while training for the ski halfpipe final. Just four years ago he suffered an injury the day before his competition at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014

'I fell on a trick I have done countless times before and unfortunately I landed awkwardly and it caused me to fracture my right patella,' Wells said

Byron Wells and his partner Ashleigh McLean were both heartbroken that he was no longer able to compete in the freeski halfpipe Olympics final. Ashleigh said: 'Today was supposed to be the day this legend fought for the medal he so deserves, to have that opportunity taken away right before the competition is beyond cruel'

The Wanaka skier fell while doing a trick just before the men's freeski halfpipe finals and fractured his right kneecap.

Wells took to social to share his hospital updates and X-rays.

'I fell on a trick I have done countless times before and unfortunately I landed awkwardly and it caused me to fracture my right patella. I had to undergo surgery the following day to wire the bone back together,' Wells said.

Wells received medical treatment before being taken to a hospital in Korea for surgery.

The New Zealander's partner Ashleigh McLean shared her support for her injured boyfriend on Instagram.

'Always my hero. Today was supposed to be the day this legend fought for the medal he so deserves, to have that opportunity taken away right before the competition is beyond cruel.

'I am so inspired by you Byron, we will get through this rehab together and you will be back stronger than ever. I love you always,' Ms McLean said.

Wells was supposed to compete with brother Beau-James and fellow New Zealander Nico Porteous who ended up winning Bronze in the same final.

Brian Wells was training last Thursday before fracturing his right knee cap 15 minutes before his ski final

Brian took to social to share his hospital updates accompanied with his x-rays. 'I had to undergo surgery the following day to wire the bone back together,' Wells said
A Labor senator is continuing to employ his wife at taxpayers' expense despite the public outcry over politicians having sexual relationships with their staff.

Glenn Sterle's wife Fiona is paid a $75,000 salary before overtime to manage his diary in his Perth electorate office.

This is despite the Abbott government introducing new rules in January 2014, stopping federal MPs from recruiting at taxpayers' expense ' immediate family members or partners in their personal staff'.

It also follows the introduction of a so-called ''bonk ban'' by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on ministers having sexual relationships with their staff in the wake of the Barnaby Joyce pregnant-lover scandal.

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Labor senator Glenn Sterle continues to employ his wife Fiona (pictured with their their daughter Kirsty Bellombra and her husband Michael Bellombra) to manage his diary

This means Senator Sterle would have to abstain from sleeping with his wife were he to become a minister, with Labor leader Bill Shorten promising to uphold the sex prohibition code.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Senator Sterle has broken any rules, as they were not retrospective, by employing his wife as an electorate officer class B.

Politicians were banned from employing new staff who were related to them, after January 1, 2014, but spouses or family members already on their payroll could be kept on.

Senator Sterle's employment of his wife does raise some political issues, considering other federal MPs stopped employing their spouses and family members after the rule change four years ago.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce's former media adviser Vikki Campion moved out of his office in April 2017

FAMILY MATTERS Since January 1, 2014, federal politicians have been banned from adding family members to their staff. The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act defines this as a spouse, de facto partner, child, parent or sibling. It also covers a child of the spouse or de facto partner of a politician; a spouse or de facto partner of a child of the MP; or the spouse or de facto partner of a sibling of the federal member. Source: Department of Finance Advertisement

If he were to become a minister, Senator Sterle would be required to either sack his wife or abstain from getting intimate with her to avoid flouting the new ministerial sex ban.

This code was instigated a fortnight ago following former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce's affair with his former media adviser Vikki Campion.

A spokesman for Senator Sterle, 58, confirmed his wife Fiona had been employed since 2007 at his Perth electorate office to manage his diary.

However, the former truck driver's office pointed out the 2014 rules did not apply to existing staff who were related to the politicians who employed them.

Queensland Liberal senator Ian Macdonald's wife Lesley is now a volunteer in her husband's Townsville electorate office after being a paid staff member

The senator's wife appears as an electorate officer on his staff directory but she is not paid

'Fiona was an experienced electorate officer prior to her commencement in Glenn's office and as she was employed pre-1 January 2014, this determination does not apply to her,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

In November 2013, then special minister of state Michael Ronaldson issued a media release saying federal MPs would be required to stop putting their family members on their taxpayer-funded payroll from the following year.

'Employment of family members may not be consistent with good, merit-based employment practices,' he said.

'For that reason, reforms to limit this practice have been enacted in many overseas jurisdictions.'

Queensland Liberal senator Ian Macdonald, who railed against this rule in 2016, had employed his wife Lesley in his Townsville electorate office.

She continues to be listed in his staff directory but a spokeswoman for Senator Macdonald insisted she was a volunteer.

'As discussed, Lesley Macdonald is not a paid employee in the Senator's office,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

However, on the parliamentary database, Lesley Macdonald is listed as an 'electorate officer' and not a 'volunteer'.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce's media adviser Vikki Campion was moved out of his office in April 2017, to possibly avoid employing a partner in his office.

Nationals minister Matt Canavan has maintained he was unaware Ms Campion, 33, was in a relationship with Mr Joyce when he employed her.
Students and academics face being branded scabs if they turn up for classes today as hardliners picket universities in an increasingly bitter lecturers strike.

Walkouts will be held at 65 institutions over the next three days, with 45,000 staff refusing to hold lectures in a row over pensions.

Many of the picket lines originally set up by tutors have now been hijacked by rabble-rousing hard-Left student groups. Undergraduates desperate to access libraries and carry on working are being ordered by their peers to stay away to show solidarity with the strikers.

Activists have been running online campaigns telling peers dont be a scab, while posters on campuses tell students to stay at home even if classes are not cancelled.

Students and academics face being branded scabs if they turn up for classes today as hardliners picket universities in an increasingly bitter lecturers strike. Pictured: A picket line at SOAS in London

One undergraduate at Exeter was even spat at as he tried to hand in work last week. The University and College Union (UCU) will hold 12 strike days over the next three weeks over changes to pensions which will see academics losing up to 10,000 a year of retirement income.

As a result, up to a million students face cancelled lectures. As the strike enters its third day, universities minister Sam Gyimah demanded universities divert lecturers pay to compensate students for cancelled classes.

The three firebrands stoking the disruption Left to right: Edward Bailey, Matt Waddup and Sally Hunt They are the key agitators behind the university strikes who are accused of making students suffer. Sally Hunt As general secretary of the University and College Union she has been at the forefront of those criticising the large salaries for Vice Chancellors. But Sally Hunt, 53, is not so keen to talk about her own remuneration and benefits, currently amounting to 138,682 a year. That includes a 3,557 a year car allowance, which has almost doubled in the last six years. It is all paid for by the union, whose 153 staff are paid an average of more than 50,000. The lecturers who fund Ms Hunts salary, meanwhile, start on just 34,000, typically rising to 55,000 for those in more senior roles. She was born in Germany while her father was teaching in an armed forces school, and studied at a comprehensive before achieving a 2:2 degree in international relations from the University of Sussex. She still lives in a Brighton, now in a 650,000 house. And it may come as a surprise that she has never been an academic, instead working as a nightclub bouncer and in a bookshop before starting at the union. Miss Hunt told the Guardian in 2005: I dont pretend to be an academic. I wouldnt expect them to have to go and do a negotiation. Equally, I think they dont need me to be running their seminars. Newcastle university student Kelly Mashiter, 22, studying politics and Spanish, said of the union chiefs pay: It seems hypocritical that UCU leaders are enjoying a substantial salary and benefits and yet they are critical of university vice chancellors for their pay. A spokesman for UCU defended Ms Hunts pay and benefits, saying she needed a car, and that her pay had only gone up by around 5 per cent in recent years, a third of the hike enjoyed by already better-paid vice chancellors. Ed Bailey He works as the deputy campaign chief of the University and College Union and has talked with relish of dancing on the grave of Margaret Thatcher. Mr Bailey, 44, made the bad-taste reference in 2008 on Facebook, when he wrote in reference to the former Tory leader: Party in Trafalgar Square the Saturday after Thatcher dies remember. A generation will dance on Maggies grave. In keeping with that, he also has shown his approval on social media for left-wing groups including the Young Communist League of Britain. And his Facebook page has featured a picture from a demonstration in Gaza in 2009 decrying Israeli terrorists, as well as likes for the Jeremy Corbyn-supporting organisation Momentum. Mr Bailey, who lives in an 850,000 house in St Albans, Hertfordshire, also campaigns against the badger cull which the Government launched to stop TB spreading to cattle. Matt Waddup The national head of policy and campaigns at the University and College Union certainly seems to have made trade unionism his life. Mr Waddup, 50, returns home at night to a house in Brighton he shares with his partner Justine Stephens  who is the UCU head of campaigns. His union activism began in the 1990s when he was a spokesman for the RMT, and worked on a four-day strike by 12,000 rail workers. He moved on to university unionism, and in 2004 and 2005 helped supervise strikes at Bath, Brunel and Nottingham universities. Mr Waddup has used a tactic known as greylisting, involving encouraging academics to turn against institutions in disputes with the union, and talked of making Brunel a pariah university after it issued redundancies. Advertisement

The strike, which began on Thursday, is the largest walk-out for at least a decade. Union leaders warn more strike days could be scheduled to coincide with final year exams.

Many academics are not saying whether their lectures are cancelled until their students turn up on the day to cause maximum disruption. Today, staff are due to walk out at a string of top universities including Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Imperial, Warwick and York.

Witnesses on the ground said that while most protesting lecturers were behaving in a professional manner, many pickets were being hijacked by rowdy students. Jack Morewood, 19, a second-year maths student at Exeter, said he was spat at by a young protester as he crossed a picket to hand in coursework on Thursday.

Walkouts will be held at 65 institutions over the next three days, with 45,000 staff refusing to hold lectures in a row over pensions. Pictured: a picket line at SOAS in London

What the dispute is about Todays strike has been caused by proposed changes to pensions covered by the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors, says the scheme has a deficit of more than 6billion. It said in November it would stop offering staff defined benefit pensions, which offer a guaranteed income in retirement. Instead, it wants to shift them into a less generous defined contribution plan, which offers no assured pension. The University and College Union, which represents ordinary academics, says the changes will leave members 10,000 a year worse off. Advertisement

He said: There were 100 people on the picket, including a lot of students from the campus socialist group. I actually chatted to some lecturer protesters who were quite jovial and offered me coffee and food. But when I had passed the picket, I walked 30 metres to the toilet and then looked down to discover spit on my leg. The students union at Warwick has allegedly been censoring online comments that are critical of the strike.

Durham politics student Tom Harwood, 21, said he had seen online abuse from activists trying to stop peers attending lectures. He said: Students are just trying to get on with their lives.

Birkbeck University lecturer Ashok Kumar shared a poster on Twitter that joked about drowning a kitten every time someone crosses the picket line. Posters at Cambridge urged students: Unite! Dont go to lectures. Sheffield literature student Rachel Atkin posted on Twitter: Support the lecturers that support you and dont be a scab. However, Andrew Buck, a history tutor at Queen Mary University of London, said he felt made to feel like a traitor/scab for not taking part.

Yesterday, Mr Gyimah called for lecturers pay to be used to compensate students for lost teaching hours. He said: I expect all universities affected to make clear that any money not paid to lecturers will go towards student benefit including compensation.

After visiting a picket line in Manchester on Friday, he called on Universities UK (UUK) and the UCU to get back to the negotiating table to avoid further disruption. A UUK spokesman said: This industrial action is targeted at students. It will be young people and the next generation of students who will also suffer if their education deteriorates because employers are forced to make cuts to pay more into pensions.

The UCU said any bad behaviour on picket lines was not representative of its members. General secretary Sally Hunt said: The best thing universities can do for students now is to apply pressure of their own to get UUK back to the table with us for talks without pre-conditions.
Furious trainers have blasted organisers after jockeys were made to race their horses through torrential downpour, thick fog and 'no visibility'.

The conditions at Mudgee, in NSW's central-west, were so bad that the commentator was unable to call the majority of the race because he couldn't even see the horses.

'Months of training and planning went into today and they allow horses to go around with no visibility and flood like conditions. Disgraceful,' tweeted Peter Elder, the owner of a horse that finished in seventh place.

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Cosmologist, the Dean Mirfin-trained gelding, made an unexpected addition to Randwick's Country Championship after winning it's qualifying heat on a track shrouded in fog in Mudgee (pictured)

Despite the miserable racing conditions, rank outsider Cosmologist went straight to the front while his jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes was unable to see the other runners because of driving rain.

'I couldn't see anything,' Webster-Hawes told Sky Thoroughbred Racing.

Cosmologist's trainer Dean Mirfin could hardly contain his excitement.

'It's unbelievable,' he said.

'When Cosmologist emerged from the gloom I thought it can't be, but it is.

'This is by miles my biggest win.'

Despite the miserable racing conditions, Cosmologist went straight to the front while his jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes was unable to see the other runners because of driving rain

Mirfin took the gamble to start Cosmologist, who was an emergency in the $150,000 race, when there were four scratchings.

The weather was so bad that Grant Buckley, a jockey riding Noel's Gift, said he had to take off his goggles and stick to the fence, using the rail as a guide.

'All I could see was the fence to guide me around,' Buckley said.

'I've never ridden in conditions that bad.'

The weather was so bad that Grant Buckley, a jockey riding Noel's Gift, said he had to take off his goggles and stick to the fence, using the rail as a guide

Race caller Col Hodges couldn't see the horses until the final 250 metres and the last horse home finished almost 50 lengths from the winner.

'I can't give you any idea, I can't even pick the horses up where they are on the track now,' Hodges said.

'I'll try and pick them up in the home straight again. Nothing is in view whatsoever because the course is completely enveloped in white.'

Cosmologist had also been entered for another race on the program.

On Saturday, Danny Williams trained the trifecta in the heat at Goulburn with the first two, Kopi Luwak and Pumpkin Pie, automatically in the final.
The family of a Gold Coast boy has raised $185,000 so he can undergo radical limb reconstruction surgery for an ultra-rare bone disease attacking his right leg.

William Dickinson was diagnosed with the condition when he was just seven months old after he fractured his tibia rolling from his stomach to his back.

The three-year-old was diagnosed with Congenital Pseudarthrosis of the Tibia, a condition that affects just one in 250,000 people.

The diagnosis meant that the fracture would never heal on its own and affected development in his right leg.

William Dickinson was diagnosed with Congenital Pseudarthrosis of the Tibia at seven months old

William fractured his tibia when he flipped from his stomach to his back

Doctors told his family they would likely need to amputate his leg.

However in the U.S. there is a doctor in Florida who believes he can save William's leg through limb reconstruction.

His mother, Aimee Dickinson, said William was at an ideal age for surgery and that leaving it any longer would 'result in more invasive lengthening procedures'.

Now that dream is possible.

'We did it. I cant believe it,' Ms Dickinson told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

His family and the Gold Coast community rallied around him, raising the $185,000 needed to pay for the surgery in just eight months

William's mother, Aimee Dickinson, took to Facebook to share her thanks: 'We thank and appreciate you with all our hearts and look forward to sharing with you the success of one little boy with big dreams Mr William'

WHAT IS CPT? Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) is where a fracture of the tibia, a bone in a person's calf, develops spontaneously or after a minor trauma and does not heal. A pseudarthrosis is defined as a false joint and is a break in the bone that fails to heal on its own. The condition usually develops in a person's first two years of life, but can occur before birth, and later in life. Only one in 250,000 children are born with the condition. Source: The Paley Institute Advertisement

'It got scary toward the end when wed got to January and we had flights books for March but all of a sudden everything came together.'

Ms Dickinson credits the help of Southport Lions Club, the Gold Coast Community Fund, the I Can I Will children's charity and media reports for being able to raise the money for the surgery.

She took to Facebook, writing: 'We thank and appreciate you with all our hearts and look forward to sharing with you the success of one little boy with big dreams Mr William.'

Before this William had received two surgeries, according to the A Way For William Facebook page.

It said: 'One at 17 months to stabilize his leg. 9 months later X-rays showed he had an infection and the rod had to be removed.'

Dr Dror Paley has performed this surgery on 150 children since 2007 with a 100 per cent union of the bones, according to the Paley Institute.
A dying Robin Hood is said to have been buried, at his own request, at the spot where he fired his final arrow.

But the grave of the legendary outlaw could be engulfed by concrete under plans to build an industrial estate over the meadow in West Yorkshire.

Legend suggests that Robin Hood died at Kirklees Priory. His final resting place became shrouded in mystery after the owners of the nearby Kirklees Estate closed it off to the public.

Robin Hood is believed to have been buried at Kirklees Priory in West Yorkshire (pictured) after he fired his final arrow there

But now council bosses have sunk all hope of finding the true grave by earmarking the unspoiled Green Belt land as an industrial estate.

The plans have angered local experts and historians, who say the land could disappear under a sea of steel warehouses.

Robert Bamforth, from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the bureaucrats were sacrificing the areas tourism potential.

He said: Everyone locally believes that is where Robin Hood died and no one has ever challenged that legend - not even Nottingham.

The tragedy is this land has not been disturbed for hundreds of years and looks just as it did centuries ago so who knows what has been preserved.

If you have a Japanese tourist and you say to them "Robin Hood died here and he shot his arrow over that warehouse it doesnt quite have the same ring to it".

Max Rathwell, Chairman of Spen Valley Civic Society, said: The whole plan is tragic and stunningly stupid. People are enraged. The whole idea is bonkers.

We know how well preserved the land is because it is still exactly as Charlotte Bronte described it in Chapter 12 of Shirley.

It is a treasure island in an industrial landscape and Robin Hoods grave would be a focal point.

If this crazy idea goes ahead it will devastate the area. Instead of woodland and meadows and fields of wheat and barley it will just be a sea of monstrous sheds.

Kirklees Council (pictured) has earmarked the priory land for an industrial estate, angering local experts and historians

Barbara Green, 72, founder of the Yorkshire Robin Hood Society, said: It really annoys me that the council has never shown the slightest interest in Robins grave.

The Society has tried since the 1980s to get the folly restored and open to the public and every effort has failed.

We are not trying to pinch Robin Hood from Nottingham but for the sake of local history the council should have listened.

A public inquiry is currently underway into the Kirklees Council Local Plan. The authority has refused to comment.
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Warnings that Britain would be thrown into travel chaos by the 'Beast from the East' cold snap this evening have been mocked by commuters on social media insisting train firms and authorities overreacted to forecasts.

A yellow warning has been put in place for vast swathes of the UK as meteorologists said the country could be hit by the worst cold weather since 1991.

Up to 6in of snow is expected to blanket the South East, Midlands and North East tomorrow morning, while 8in could fall on Wednesday.

Earlier today, hundreds of thousands of commuters in the South East travelling home from London were told to complete their journeys by 6pm to ensure they get home, while Kent County Council said a snow emergency has been declared.

But despite hundreds of trains being cancelled - alongside dozens of flights - many people took to social media to ask what all the fuss was about.

One woman wrote: 'Pleased to report the predicted Armageddon if you dared travel after 6pm didn't happen #Southeastern #gotmyusualtrain.'

Photographs taken in London's busiest stations also appeared to show a normal number of commuters waiting for trains.

Another commuter, writing from Manchester, wrote: 'I walked to work in a t-shirt and jacket today, so much for #TheBeastFromTheEast'.

A woman writing earlier this evening said the reaction to the cold was 'so ridiculous', adding: 'Normal winter weather. Not such a dramarama.'

A man on Twitter also attacked Kent County Council for spreading 'hype and panic', explaining: 'Havent seen the severe weather anywhere today traveling around'.

South Eastern chose 6pm as the cut-off time based on the forecast it has been given by meteorologists, and it is asking passengers to travel earlier 'to avoid being disrupted too much' before the snow becomes heavier. Pictured: Commuters in Victoria before the 6pm cut-off

Passengers at Charring Cross station in central London await their trains after earlier being warned to travel before 6pm because of severe weather

The Met Office has imposed yellow and amber weather warnings for today (left), tomorrow (centre) and Wednesday (right)

Brave people go punting on the River Cam in Cambridge in a blizzard this afternoon as the 'Beast from the East' arrives

The Ministry of Defence has three battalions on standby to respond to weather-related emergencies. A spokesman said: 'We have the right people, with the right training and the right equipment to help deal with any contingency.' Pictured: A warning at Victoria Station

One woman wrote: 'Pleased to report the predicted Armageddon if you dared travel after 6pm didn't happen #Southeastern #gotmyusualtrain'

Another commuter, writing from Manchester, wrote: 'I walked to work in a t-shirt and jacket today, so much for #TheBeastFromTheEast'

A woman writing earlier this evening said the reaction to the cold was 'so ridiculous', adding: 'Normal winter weather. Not such a dramarama'

Despite hundreds of trains being cancelled - alongside dozens of flights - many people took to social media to ask what all the fuss was about

Up to 6in of snow is expected to blanket the South East, Midlands and North East tomorrow morning, while 8in could fall on Wednesday. But many people on social media mocked the weather warnings

One man took to Twitter to blast the mentality of 'non-stop warnings' compared with the 'pre-social media' attitude of using a shovel to clear snow

A man on Twitter also attacked Kent County Council for spreading 'hype and panic', explaining: 'Havent seen the severe weather anywhere today traveling around'

Earlier today, British Airways cancelled over 60 short haul flights either departing or arriving from London Heathrow because of the severe weather.

Supermarket shoppers, meanwhile, were reporting huge queues amid claims of panic buying over fears of widespread travel chaos in the UK as forecasters warn the country could see its coldest weather in 27 years.

Bitterly cold temperatures of as low as -12C (10F) are expected to cause power cuts and hit mobile phone networks while parts of the country are set to be buried in snow.

Met Office forecaster Frank Saunders said: 'Parts of England and Wales are likely to see their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991. This could lead to dangerous conditions on roads and pavements and have an impact on people's health.'

Up to eight inches of snow will hit eastern England by Wednesday, forecasters say, as the 'Beast from the East' sweeps in from Russia and health officials warn the elderly and children to ensure they stay warm.

South Eastern chose 6pm as the cut-off time based on the forecast it has been given by meteorologists, and it is asking passengers to travel earlier 'to avoid being disrupted too much' before the snow becomes heavier.

And the weather could become even more extreme later this week as Storm Emma, which is forecast to hit Portugal on Wednesday, could potentially bring strong winds and further heavy snow to the UK on Thursday and Friday.

Whiteout on Newcastle's Quayside last night as snow falls heavily to mark the arrival of the Beast from the East cold snap from Russia

Bitterly cold temperatures of as low as -12C (10F) are expected to cause power cuts and hit mobile phone networks while parts of the country are set to be buried in snow. Pictured: Traffic in North London tonight

Kent County Council Highways said a snow emergency has been declared due to the severe weather conditions. In London, meanwhile, commuters are hoping to get home before the severe weather causes further disruption. Pictured: London Liverpool Street tonight

The weather could become even more extreme later this week as Storm Emma, named by the Portuguese meteorological service, could bring strong winds and further heavy snow to parts of the UK on Thursday and Friday

Hundreds of thousands commuters in the South East travelling home from London to Kent and Sussex were told to complete their journeys by 6pm tonight, before the worst of the snow hits and potentially disrupts trains. Pictured: Passengers at London Liverpool Street attempting to get home tonight

Commuters walking in the snow on London Bridge today, as some parts of the UK are set to feel colder than the Arctic Circle

Commuters inside Waterloo Railway Station in London, as they make their way home during the evening rush hour, ahead of warnings they should travel before 6pm

A frozen waterfall in the Peak District, Derbyshire, after cold temperatures hit the country with the arrival of the 'Beast from the East'

Commuters face a miserable journey to and from work as the snow falls in freezing temperatures in Pimlico, Central London

A flurry of snow falls over trains passing through Clapham Junction railway station in South West London this morning

Shoppers at a rammed Tesco store in Gillingham, Kent, this morning, as customers claim panic buying is setting in

Queues are building at the supermarket in Gillingham as customers start to bulk buy amid fears over the 'Beast from the East'

Commuters walk across London Bridge in the snow this morning as the capital is hit by severe weather

Traffic is seen as snow flurries begin to settle today in Oxshott, Surrey, ahead of up to eight inches falling in areas this week

Commuters cross Millennium Bridge in London in the snow this morning as much of the UK faces flurries this week

This graphic shows how the 'Beast from the East' is sweeping in from Russia, with cold air being drawn in from the Eurasian landmass that is bringing sub-zero temperatures and snow to Britain and many other countries in mainland Europe

Earlier this afternoon, commuters were complaining of South Eastern's website being down - with one traveller complaining to the firm: 'Your website can't cope with demand, just like the rest of your service.'

BA is offering passengers booked on short haul flights between Monday and Friday the chance to re-book for travel on a later date up to March 21 free of charge.

Freak WARMING in the Arctic is to blame for the big chill in Europe The 'Beast from the East' is a nickname given to cold and wintry conditions in Britain that are brought by easterly winds from the near continent. The UK normally experiences a polar continental air mass when pressure is high over Scandinavia. In winter cold air is drawn in from the Eurasian landmass, bringing the cold weather from the 'Beast from the East'. The length of sea track during the airs passage from Europe to Britain will determine its characteristics. A short sea track over the English Channel will bring clear skies and severe frost, plus the cold and dry air. But a longer track over the North Sea makes the air unstable and moisture is added - maybe bringing rain and snow. The lowest temperatures in Britain normally happen in this air mass, falling to below -10C (14F) at night and sometimes remaining sub-zero all day. Surface temperatures below freezing will make any snow drier because it contains less water. But wet snow comes from slightly warmer and moist air, which joins snowflakes together. Over winter, a blob of cold air spins over the Arctic high in the stratosphere. If this spins slower, the air rushes back inwards and often sinks through the atmosphere - becoming warmer and even spinning in the opposite way. This can reverse our jet stream - and, in time, mild westerly winds become cold easterlies from Siberia - increasing the chance of snow in Britain. The Arctic is experiencing one of its hottest winters on record, with temperatures at the North Pole surging. These unusual conditions, which scientists say have 'never been this extreme', are causing a disruption to the Arctic polar jet stream. The jet stream carries winds east to west across the planet, at speeds of up to 200mph in the upper atmosphere. Warmer air in the Arctic has sent them off their usual course, blasting cold air over Europe - something likely to happen more often thanks to man-made global warming, researchers say. On the northern tip of Greenland, the Cape Morris Jesup meteorological site has had a record-smashing 61 hours of temperatures above freezing in 2018. This is linked to a rare retreat of sea ice in the Arctic winter darkness. Warmth was coming into the Arctic both up from the Atlantic and through the Bering Strait, driving cold air south. Around the entire Arctic region, temperatures are now about 20C (36F) above normal, at -8C (17.6F). Advertisement

A spokesman for the carrier said: 'We are sorry that the weather this week is likely to lead to some delays and disruption to our schedules. It is likely at times we will have to proactively cancel some services and re-book customers on to alternative flights.

'Customers on cancelled services can also claim a full refund if they no longer wish to travel.'

Airports in Rome, Stockholm and Bergen were among those to suffer significant disruption to departures as Europe is hit by a blast of Siberian weather.

Ryanair cancelled almost 50 flights departing or arriving from the Italian capital, including some serving the UK.

But EasyJet said its UK flight schedule was unaffected by the weather.

More than 70 flights travelling to or from the Canary Islands were disrupted when the region was hit by strong winds and rain on Sunday.

Passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport waiting for flights.

At a Tesco Extra branch in Gillingham, Kent, meanwhile, one customer took pictures of a 35-minute-long queue in the shop as she tried to pay for a box of porridge and told how shelves had been cleared of bread and other essentials.

Healthcare assistant Charlotte Day, 24, of Medway, Kent, popped in with her 11-month-old son Mayce to the packed store and claimed customers were barging past each other to fill their trolleys up with the essentials.

Ms Day said: 'The snow started to come down a bit heavier and then all these people piled in. Shoppers were walking around with a panicked look on their faces. Some people had six or seven loaves in their basket.

'People were pushing around, they weren't being polite about it. I went to grab the last loaf and someone who already had six in their trolley took it, the shelves were empty. I just couldn't believe how busy it was.'

Kent County Council Highways said a snow emergency has been declared due to the severe weather conditions.

'All of our resources will be focused on keeping the highways salted, clear and safe,' a spokeswoman said.

'We will be treating all primary routes throughout each day but we do not clear footpaths or side roads.

'Salt bins are provided at key locations for you to use to clear the roads where it is safe to do so.

'We would ask that you only call us in an emergency and report non-urgent issues on our reporting tool. Please be aware that it may take us longer than usual to deal with non-emergency issues'.

Some Londoners, however, were disappointed today as they posted pictures of snow-free street, with one saying: 'This is the most disappointing snow-apocalypse ever. The dusting we got melted in an hour.'

Severe weather warnings have been in place since 4pm today and for the rest of the week, with a yellow alert  meaning 'be aware'  predicting widespread snow showers across nearly the whole country tomorrow and on Wednesday.

The Met Office has also issued an amber warning  meaning 'be prepared', and one below the highest red alert  for some regions, including London, the South East and the Midlands, for the next two days.

The Ministry of Defence has three battalions on standby to respond to weather-related emergencies. A spokesman said: 'We have the right people, with the right training and the right equipment to help deal with any contingency.'

The Met Office website appeared to have been creaking under the strain of internet users rushing to it for updates this morning, with a section usually reserved for forecast maps simply stating: 'Error accessing map data.'

The AA said calls to its breakdown lines are up 50 per cent today compared to usual levels, and workers are preparing for an increase at peak times in the North East and East of England.

It comes as:

Some parts of the country are set to feel colder than the Arctic Circle as freezing temperatures continue;

Doctors have warned that the NHS could struggle to cope with the extra strain caused by the weather;

By the middle of the week, the majority of Britain is being warned of delays on the roads, trains and in the air;

Lows recorded over the weekend marked the lowest temperature in the week leading up to spring since 1986.

Tomorrow will bring persistent snow as the weather worsens, turning into the coldest start to March for more than 30 years, after temperatures of just -9.2C (15F) were recorded in Scotland over the weekend.

Social media users have posted claims about panic buying at stores across Britain today following news of the bad weather

A blizzard of snow has hit Leicester, as the country is blasted by air from Siberia nicknamed the 'Beast from the East'

Commuters on the Strand in London (left), and a woman braves the very chilly water of the Serpentine in Hyde Park (right)

Extreme cold weather freezes a waterfall in the Brecon Beacons as 'Beast from the East' is unleashed in Britain The cold weather has been so severe in the Brecon Beacons that an entire waterfall has been frozen solid today. Walkers in the Welsh national park looked on in fascination as the waterfall near Pen Y Fan mountain was turned into ice amid the cold snap. Temperatures of minus 5C (23F) in parts of Britain over the weekend were the lowest recorded in the week leading up to March 1 - the first day of spring - since 1986. The wind chill, which could see parts of the UK feeling as cold as minus 15C (5F), rivals the temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland. Icicles formed on a frozen waterfall near Pen y Fan mountain on Brecon Beacon National Park, Wales, amid the severe cold weather The entire waterfall was frozen after the cold snap - called the 'Beast from the East' - hit the UK and sent temperatures plummeting A close-up showing the ice at the waterfall near Pen Y Fan mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park today Walkers look on at the static waterfall and take photographs after cold weather froze the water overnight and created the odd sight Temperatures of minus 5C (23F) in parts of Britain over the weekend were the lowest recorded in the week leading up to March 1 - the first day of spring - since 1986. Pictured: Icicles form from dripping water on moorland near the Beacons Reservoir on Brecon Beacon National Park The wind chill, which could see parts of the UK feeling as cold as minus 15C (5F), rivals the temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland. Pictured: A walker stands by the frozen waterfall near Pen Y Fan Advertisement

Signs on the M25 warn of severe weather as snow falls on the motorway in Essex today with more disruption possible

Commuters head to work in the snow and freezing temperatures on the Strand in Central London this morning

Forecasters said there could be blizzards with winds of up to 45mph on Wednesday, with the prospect of rail, road and air disruption as well as the risk of power cuts as snow and ice bring down electricity lines. Mobile phone masts could also be put out of operation and some rural communities could be left cut off. Emergency services and transport authorities are already making preparations to minimise the consequences of the freezing weather, with councils sending out gritting teams to treat thousands of miles of roads. Charlie Powell from the Met Office said: 'The UK is on track for some really cold weather. It's not going to be record breaking, but it'll be pretty exceptional - winds are going to make it feel -10C (14F) to -15C (5F) during the day. 'Winds are going to strengthen and we could see some easterly gales through the eastern Channel and East Anglia by the middle of the week. That's going to make it feel really cold.

'Daytime temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday will be struggling to get above freezing. By Thursday evening, there are growing signs there could be some significant snowfall across southern England.

'Unusually for Britain, the snow is going to be quite dry, so it will blow around and gather in drifts and we could see some blizzard conditions. We don't want to scare people, but people should make sure they are prepared.'

All Greater Anglia trains will stop by 10pm tonight with a reduced service running on its routes during the day between tomorrow and Thursday. The operator said it was limiting its services in anticipation of the snowy blast.

A woman walks dogs in the snow at Beckenham Place park in South London today in the wintry conditions

Commuters walk in the snow on London Bridge today as some parts of the UK are set to feel colder than the Arctic Circle

Blakeney Quay on the North Norfolk coast is covered in snow today as the Met Office issues a series of weather warnings

Members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards are almost hidden in a snow shower at Buckingham Palace in London today

A woman walks through the snow in South London today as cold weather bears down on the capital

A double-decker bus from Woolwich to Elmers End works its way through the snowy streets of South East London

A police officer gets caught in a snow shower at Buckingham Palace in London today as the severe weather sweeps in

A woman walks through the snow flurries around London Bridge train station today

c2c services will operate normally until 9pm tonight and passengers have been warned to expect alterations and cancellations.

South Eastern urged passengers to finish their journeys before 6pm to avoid potential disruption.

One Twitter user joked that Greater Anglia was already cancelling trains 'in the hope that there will be some snow', while another told the South Eastern customer services team: 'Bet you can't wait to start cancelling trains.'

Transport for London warned passengers in the capital to check ahead of their journeys as disruptions were possible on Underground and Overground services due to the low temperatures forecast.

By the end of Wednesday, more than 8in (20cm) of snow may have accumulated in parts of eastern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Met Office also warned power cuts may occur in some areas.

The unusually bitter weather is the result of a cold front, dubbed the 'Beast from the East', sweeping in from the Eurasian Arctic.

Health officials and the NHS have warned of the risks as temperatures plummet.

Dr Thomas Waite, of Public Health England, said: 'Cold temperatures, indoors and out, pose real health risks to many and every winter we know that thousands of people get ill and even die following exposure to cold conditions.

Stock up on food and check on neighbours, health officials say Public Health England has issued a series of top tips for preparing for the cold weather as follows, including advice on stocking up on food and medicine before the blizzards blow in: Look out for friends and family who may be vulnerable to the cold and ensure they have access to warm food and drinks and are managing to heat their homes adequately

Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C (64F), particularly if you are not mobile, have long term illness or are 65 or over

Stay tuned for weather forecasts, ensure you are stocked with food and medications in advance, have deliveries or ask a friend to help

Take weather into account when planning your activity over the following days

Seek entitlements and benefits such as Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments, which are available to some

Avoid exposing yourself to cold or icy outdoor conditions if you are at a higher risk of cold related illness or falls.

Discuss with friends and neighbours about clearing snow and ice from in front of your house and public walkways nearby Advertisement

'It's critical that if you know anyone over 65, with young children or who has heart or lung conditions, that you keep an eye on them and think what help they may need.'

He said that staying warm by heating homes to at least 18C (65F) can be 'crucial to staying well'. Senior medics have also warned the 'Beast from the East' may put additional strain on an already 'grave' situation in the NHS.

The Society for Acute Medicine, which represents hospital specialists in acute medicine, said it had 'great concern' for the NHS in the week ahead as snowy conditions grip the country.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the society, said: 'The onset of a spell of extremely cold weather is of great concern for acute medical units who are already struggling with the widely reported stresses of this winter.

'Daily temperatures below the normal ambient level increase illness and hospital admission rates for cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, particularly among those aged 65 and over.'

The NHS may also have to cancel thousands more non-urgent operations to cope with the severe cold weather, senior medics have warned.

With the number of occupied beds close to full capacity the NHS faces a grave situation, the Society for Acute Medicine said yesterday.

The organisation said it had great concern for the health service in the week ahead.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the society which represents hospital doctors and nurses in acute medicine, said the ban on elective surgery at NHS trusts in January could return.

It takes the pressure off local trusts. The onset of a spell of extremely cold weather is of great concern for acute medical units who are already struggling with the widely reported stresses of this winter, he said. Daily temperatures below the normal ambient level increase illness and hospital admission rates for cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, particularly among those aged 65 and over.

Dr Scriven added that the NHS was suffering from dangerously high bed occupancy rates  95 per cent according to figures last week  so the situation is grave it could bring staffing of the NHS to its knees.

Jeremy Hunt has admitted this year is the worst ever winter crisis for the NHS.

Public Health England urged people to help others and remember that staying warm helps keep you healthy. Critics likened the advice to saying dont wear flip flops in the snow.

The government watchdog, funded to the tune of 3.4billion, said the comments help people think about what activities are appropriate.

The warning states: With many places facing severe weather its really important people do what they need to, to stay warm. Heating homes to at least 18C will help keep you healthy.

Also, make sure you eat warm food, move about at home and wear several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones. If you know anyone over 65, or with young children or with heart or lung conditions, check to see if theyre OK.

Chris Snowdon, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: Public Health Englands winter advice to turn on the heating and eat hot dinners is of a piece with its summer advice to open a window and drink water.

It is a miracle this hectoring quango has made it through the austerity era unscathed  it badly needs cutting down to size.

Chloe Westley, of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Thank goodness for bureaucrats at Public Health England, otherwise wed all be eating ice cream and walking around in flip flops in the snow.

She added that money spent on such information campaigns could be better use on frontline healthcare.

PHEs Dr Thomas Waite admitted the advice was largely common sense, but added: Its always worth making the point as there are many people  who will feel the effects of cold weather very much more acutely than others.

Now even the SEA is freezing! Temperatures have dropped so far that water is turning to ice in Somerset These stunning pictures show how Britain's plunging temperatures have caused a part of the sea to freeze today. Photographs show the shoreline waters of the Bristol Channel at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset freezing over as the Beast from the East moved in. Ian Heard, 48, who took the images, said: 'I was out walking along the seafront with my partner Calin and we could see a long white line at the high water line. Sea water is turned to ice in the low temperatures at Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset today Ian Heard, 48, who took the images, said he was out walking with his partner when they saw a long white line at the high water line Ocean water freezes just like fresh water would at 0C, but the temperature must drop to -2C before it starts to happen due to the salt in it 'We were amazed to discover that there was a long swathe of ice crystals built up on the sand where the tide had come in overnight and frozen. Now we are just waiting for the snow.' Ocean water freezes just like fresh water would at 0C (32F), but the temperature must drop to -2C (28F) before it starts to happen due to the salt in it. Sea water becomes progressively more dense as it becomes colder, right down to its freezing point, while the ice in frozen seawater contains very little salt because only the water section of it freezes. It is unusual for parts of the sea to freeze on the English coast even in the depths of winter, although it did happen in 2009 when sub-zero temperatures froze a half-mile stretch of sea off Sandbanks in Dorset. The sea also froze over at Herne Bay, Kent, in December 1962, during one of the coldest winters on record in Britain. It is unusual for parts of the sea to freeze on the English coast even in the depths of winter, but it happened today in Somerset A dog plays in the sea water at Weston-super-Mare today which has been turned to ice by the low temperatures The cold weather appears to have frozen the sea on the beach at the Somerset resort of Weston Super Mare today Advertisement

Workers wait for a bus in the snow outside Turnpike Lane Underground station in North London this morning

A woman makes her way to work as the snow falls in Woodford, North East London, this morning

People walk through the snow this morning as 'The Beast From The East' hits the capital

Snow covered sheep stand in a field near Pickering in the North Yorkshire Moors as the 'Beast from the East' arrives today

Isaac, five, and Yasmin Attwood, seven, walk in the snow on their way to school in North East London this morning

A woman braves the cold weather this morning as she walks over Millennium Bridge in London in the snow (left)

'Last week's performance figures showed an 11 per cent rise on the previous week in influenza admissions, along with sustained dangerously high bed occupancy rates, so the situation is grave.'

Drawing on figures from NHS Improvement, which showed a large deficit and high job vacancy rates in the health service, he added: 'There is little on the horizon in the way of optimism for the future state of the acute services given the massive staffing issues and strain on resources made evident this last week.

'So far this winter we have seen the NHS survive on the goodwill and effort of hard-pressed staff of all levels who have gone the extra mile to ensure safe and high-quality treatment in the most difficult of circumstances.

'However, the challenges keep increasing and this week is another example of how the authorities simply cannot gamble on hard-working staff saving the day - it is not sustainable or fair and will be the downfall of our health service.'

The W4 bus from Wood Green to Tottenham Hale in North London is driven along a snowy street this morning

A woman walks to work in Woodford, North East London, today as the snow falls across the capital

Snow settles on the rooftops of Lincoln with the city's cathedral pictured in the background this morning

An armed police officer wraps up warm against the elements as snow falls at Downing Street in Westminster this morning

Clouds over Cobham in Surrey could be seen to resemble a 'Beast from the East' approaching as the sun rises this morning

South Eastern has urged train passengers to finish their journeys home before 6pm to avoid potential disruption

Ella Colley, winter expert at Halfords, said: 'With sub-zero temperatures expected for the start of the week, and snow and ice forecast for most areas, we're advising drivers to check their car batteries.

'Using your car's heater, and lights will place greater demand on your battery, and this combined with sub-zero temperatures could result in a less than positive start to Monday morning.

'It's also worth preparing your car with a quick health check by checking screen wash, tyre pressure and keeping extra clothes, warm drinks and your mobile phone handy.'

Some experts predict that the freezing temperatures could last well into March. Meteorological spring begins on Thursday.

How the 'Beast from the East' has left four dead across Europe and even Russia is 'abnormally cold' this week The wintry blast of freezing temperatures has already claimed four lives across Europe and is endangering the homeless. In France, where temperatures were forecast to drop to -10C (14F), fears ran high for people living on the streets. A homeless man in Valence was found dead yesterday, and another man was found dead in his cabin in Paris on Friday. Russia itself was not spared, with its meteorological service warning of 'abnormally cold' temperatures until Wednesday and temperatures in the Moscow region expected to fall to -24C (-11F), and -35C (-31F) in the centre of the country. Piazza del Popolo (The People's Square) in Rome, Italy, is seen covered in snow this morning as Europe is hit by bad weather A young priest throws a snow ball during a heavy snowfall at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican this morning Two people died of the cold in Poland on Friday night, and frigid temperatures are also forecast throughout Germany, with a low of -22C (-8F) in some Alpine valleys in Bavaria today. Heavy snow in the north Italian city of Turin caused a Serie A football game between Juventus and Atalanta to be postponed yesterday. Schools will be closed today due to the snow in Rome, with -6C (21F) forecast last night. In Austria, temperatures will drop below -20C (4F) at night and feel even colder. 'It will feel like -30,' Stefan Kiesenhofer of the Austrian meteorological service ZAMG said. A cold snap like this 'comes every seven to 10 years,' he added. Hungary has been on alert since Saturday, while heavy snow closed some schools in Croatia on Saturday.Schools were also closed in Romania's capital Bucharest, as well as three areas in the country's south, amid lows of -20C (-4F). Heavy snow in the north Italian city of Turin caused a Serie A football game between Juventus and Atalanta to be postponed yesterday Cross country skiers are pictured yesterday on their way on a snow-covered meadow in Winterberg, Germany Spain's weather agency warned of 'significant snowfall' on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. But a brave few did take advantage of the Siberian chill, with some adventurous Dutch ice skaters taking to the country's canals and lakes. Dutch authorities have strongly discouraged skating on natural bodies of water, but said conditions may be more favourable after a few chilly days in the north of the country for those keen to emulate their Winter Olympians. The freezing temperature also did not prevent a few hundred swimmers jumping into the Meuse river, which was 3C (37F) while it was -2C (28F) outside, in Huy, Belgium, yesterday. But below average temperatures are not forecast everywhere. Many areas across Europe could be colder than the North Pole this week, with the temperature at Cape Morris Jesup weather station at the top of Greenland having risen above freezing several times since mid-February. Advertisement

'Casually waiting for the #BeastfromtheEast to arrive': Britain battens down the hatches as the UK is braced for snow chaos to hit TODAY

Snow has hit Britain along with sub-zero temperatures today, leaving many workers shivering on their way to work and in the office.

Some parts of the UK are set to feel colder than the Arctic Circle as freezing temperatures brought by the 'Beast from the East' continue into the week ahead.

Train services are expected to be delayed, and the Met Office has issued amber weather warnings for much of the country tomorrow and on Wednesday.

But Twitter users have poked fun at the cold weather, referencing films including Frozen and Groundhog Day and TV series such as Friends and The Simpsons.

Others posted videos of cold-looking cats while people did their best to make light of the temperatures which could feel as cold as -15C (5F) in some parts of Britain.

Some internet jokers also told of how it reminded them of the American wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow, who was once billed as the 'Beast of the East'.

Others decided to mock the reaction in the country to the cold weather, with jokes including a photograph of a man hoarding supplies titled 'Just seen a snowflake'.
Two high-profile bikies have been involved in an expletive-laden social media stoush, going into battle online amid widespread fears of a bikie war erupting in Australia.

Benjamin 'Notorious' Geppert, a former Hells Angels enforcer, slammed ex-Bandidos West End president, Brett 'Kaos' Pechey, in a vile social media post on Friday night.

Geppert - who made headlines after being booted off Hamilton Island by police on a recent holiday - used a lengthy Instagram post to attack the heavily-tattooed Pechey.

The 26-year-old bikie called his older counterpart a 'dog' and accused Pechey, 31, of 'talking to the task force', just weeks after meeting through their Instagram-famous girlfriends.

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Brett 'Kaos' Pechey, the former president of a Queensland Bandidos chapter, has been abused in an expletive-laden rant by an ex-Hells Angels member

Ben 'Notorious' Geppert (left) launched the abusive rant at his one-time friend on Friday night,

Geppert called the heavily-tattooed bikie a 'weak dog' and accused him of 'speaking to the task force'

In his since deleted post to his online story, Geppert showed an image of Pechey's Instagram account with the words 'weak dog' written across it.

'Kaos you weak boneyard dog... don't hide behind me for protection. Ya know where I live so come be a man,' he also wrote in a subsequent post.

The pair, who are both based in Queensland, had just weeks earlier shared pictures together and regularly commented as mates on one another's posts.

At one stage Pechey wrote to Geppert: 'Nothing but love for u [sic] always brother'.

But more than 8,000 social media users had a front row seat to the weekend's falling out.

Both bikies have amassed large Instagram followings in recent years, but their social followings pale in comparison to their partners.

Geppert's girlfriend Allaina Vader boasts 158,000 followers, while Pechey's amateur model partner Rikki Jones has more than 30,000. They no longer follow each other.

Once the most wanted bikie in Queensland, Pechey fled to Thailand following a wild fight in 2013 that became known as the 'Broadbeach bikie brawl'.

Geppert (left) and Pechey (right), who are both based in Queensland, had just weeks earlier shared pictures together and regularly commented as mates on one another's posts

Pechey (pictured) had been introduced to Geppert through his girlfriend Rikki Jones (right)

Geppert's girlfriend Allaina Vader (right) boasts a total of 158,000 followers

Both bikies have amassed large Instagram followings in recent years, but their social followings pale in comparison to their partners Ms Vader (left) and Ms Jones (right)

Ms Vader and Ms Jones have regularly been pictured together on Instagram

That incident saw dozens of bikies surround police officers before attacking, hitting a number with punches.

Pechey, who was among 18 charged over the attack, fled to Asia in the aftermath but was forced to return to face court a year later after running out of money.

He was also charged with being involved in an extortion ring where he use standover tactics to extort money from gym goers on the Gold Coast.

At the time of the extortion racket he was sergeant-at-arms of the Bandidos chapter.

It is believed Pechey has since patched up with Sydney-based gang Brothers 4 Life, posting a number of photos of himself in the group's colours to Instagram.

Geppert has himself jumped between MCs over the years, moving on to the Finks in 2015 after his stint with the Hells Angels.

Geppert and his partner made headlines earlier this month after being kicked off Hamilton Island by police while on holiday (pictured)

In 2016, Pechey told a Queensland courtroom he was going to pay more than $10,000 to have a number of his tattoos removed

Ms Jones and Ms Vader have unfollowed each other on Instagram in recent days, seemingly in the wake of their partner's fight

Aside from steamy pictures alongside his girlfriend, Geppert regularly shares images of a lifestyle he aims to portray as idyllic.

Geppert and Pechey's online fight came less than 24 hours before a Commancheros bikie was shot dead by police on the Gold Coast.

It followed the recent but unrelated shooting death of ex-Commancheros national president 'Mick' Hawi and the fatal drive-by shooting of a tattoo shop owned by another ex-president, Mick Murray.
The Syrian producer of Oscar-nominated 'Last Men in Aleppo' has been denied a visa to enter the US to attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards, being held in Los Angeles on March 4.

The film, which has made history as the first Documentary Feature Oscar nominee from a Syrian directing-producing team, was directed by director Feras Fayyad and producer Kareem Abeed.

Abeed's denial was reportedly made under under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to the International Documentary Association.

That provision was cited by President Donald Trump as the basis for his first travel ban.

Trump's latest version of the travel ban, which the US Supreme Court ruled could take effect in December, includes varied restrictions on foreign nationals entering the US from each of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen.

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Kareem Abeed, the Syrian producer of Oscar-nominated 'Last Men in Aleppo,' has been denied a visa to enter the US to attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards, being held in Los Angeles on March 4

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released a statement in solidarity with the Syrian producer and the rest of the film's team.

'For 90 years, the Oscars have celebrated achievement in the art of filmmaking, which seeks to transcend borders and speak to audiences around the world, regardless of national, ethnic, or religious differences,' the statement read.

'As supporters of filmmakers, and the human rights of all people, around the globe, we stand in solidarity with Fayyad as well as the films producer Kareem Abeed, who was denied a visa to the United States to attend the Academy Awards on March 4.'

The Syrian team's documentary tells the story of a group called the White Helmets. This volunteer organization carries out search and rescue missions, in an attempt to save lives amid bombing attacks in the war-torn region.

President Donald Trump's latest version of his travel ban, which the US Supreme Court ruled could take effect in December, includes varied restrictions on foreign nationals entering the US from each of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia and Yemen; Trump is seen here spekaing during the Governors Ball for US governors attending the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Sunday

'Last Men in Aleppo' tells the story of a group called the White Helmets, made up of volunteers who carry out search and rescue missions, in an attempt to save lives amid bombing attacks in the war-torn region; A still from the film is seen here

A short documentary on the same topic and produced by Netflix, titled 'The White Helmets,' won an Oscar in 2017.

Regarding Syria, from which the producer of 'The Last Men in Aleppo' hails, Trump's latest proclamation banning travel from mostly Muslim countries, issued on September 24, reads as follows:

'The government in Syria regularly fails to cooperate with the U.S. Government in identifying security risks; is the source of significant terrorist threats; has been designated as a state sponsor of terrorism; has significant inadequacies in identity-management protocols; and fails to share public-safety and terrorism information. Accordingly, the entry into the United States of nationals of Syria as immigrants and nonimmigrants is suspended.'

The first version of Trump's travel ban was issued on January 27, 2017, and almost immediately faced court challenges across the US.

The first order included Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, which are all predominantly Muslim countries.

Shortly after the first travel ban was issued, foreign-language film Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, who was born in Khomeyni Shahr, Iran, protested the 89th Annual Academy Awards by not attending due to Trumps policy.

His winning film, 'The Salesman,' is set against the backdrop of a Tehran, Iran production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and shows how violence has touched the lives of an innocent married couple of performers who have moved to the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Shortly after the first travel ban was issued, foreign-language film Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, who was born in Khomeyni Shahr, Iran, protested the 89th Annual Academy Awards by not attending due to Trumps policy; Farhadi is seen here at the Opening Gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2017 in Cannes, France

Iranian-American engineer/astronaut Anousheh Ansari accepts Best Foreign Language Film for 'The Salesman' on behalf of director Asghar Farhadi onstage during the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood

Farhadi prepared a statement to be read when his film won, which was delivered by Iranian-American engineer Anousheh Ansari.

In addition to thanking the Academy for the award, Farhadi's statement read as follows:

'Im sorry Im not with you tonight. My absence is out of respect for the people in my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the US. Dividing the world into the "us" and "our enemies" categories creates fear, a deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression.'

Farhadi then called on his colleagues to raise awareness about the things that make us more similar than we are different.

He added: 'Filmmakers can turn their cameras to capture shared human qualities and break stereotypes of various nationalities and religions. They create empathy between "us" and "others," an empathy which we need today more than ever.'

The official White House twitter account shared the following message on Sunday night:

'Merit-based immigration reform will benefit American workers and relieve the strain imposed by our current system on Federal resources.'

Trump retweeted the statement, which included a video of him speaking about immigration reform at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) meeting, held over the weekend at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Trump recently came under fire in January for claiming to advocate for merit-based immigration, but reportedly calling distraught nations, like Haiti and those in parts of Africa, 's***hole countries' and saying the US should strive for more immigration from Norway, a country characterized by pale-skinned, Germanic inhabitants.

Trump has not directly responded to the statement by the Academy in support of Abeed, or commented on his denial of a visa to attend the Oscars.

'Last Men in Aleppo' will compete for the award of Best Documentary Feature against 'Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,' 'Faces Places,' 'Icarus' and 'Strong Island.'
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President Donald Trump and Melania hosted the 2018 Governors' Ball at the White House on Sunday night.

And while the event was hosted for the governors and their spouses from around the country, the first lady stole the show in a floor-length black length dress.

Photos from the event show Melania beaming and sparkling as she met and conversed with lawmakers from all 50 states.

The president used the event as an opportunity to bring up school safety in the wake of the Florida shooting. Trump said ahead of time he would bring the subject of the school shooting to the attention of the governors.

'I think we'll make that first on our list because we have to end our country of what's happening with respect to that subject,' he said in a brief address to his guests, according to The Hill.

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President Donald trump and First Lady Melania Trump are pictured entering the East Room of the White House to a standing ovation

Melania stunned at the event in a floor-length all black lace gown as she mingled with the different Republican and Democrat lawmakers from all around the country

Melania looks charmed as she beams from ear to ear during a conversation with one of the attendees at the 2018 Governors' Ball

President Donald Trump used Sunday night's annual Governors' ball as an opportunity to bring up school safety in the wake of the Florida shooting

The president said ahead of the night's event he would bring the subject of the school shooting to the attention of the governors. He is pictured giving the night's opening remarks

One of those in attendance was Florida governor Rick Scott, who Trump took a moment to thank personally in light of the tragic massacre. He told the governor he's doing a 'great job.'

Trump also took the time to tout his administration's achievements - particularly the rolling back of regulations and the tax overhaul. He said he's proud of all of the country's governors, calling them 'special people' who do an 'incredible job.'

But ultimately, the night was about giving Democrat and Republican lawmakers and their spouses from around the country the opportunity to meet and socialize.

Photos from the black tie dinner, which was held in the East Room of the White house, show Trump in his go-to Tuxedo next to a beaming Melania in a floor-length black lace gown

Melania stole the show at the bureaucratic evening's event with her signature hairdo and stunning snug fitting dress

One of those in attendance was Florida governor Rick Scott, who Trump took a moment to thank personally in light of the tragic massacre. He told the governor he's doing a 'great job'

Trump is pictured raising his water glass during a toast at Sunday night's Governors' ball. He is flanked by lawmakers from around the country who he will host a meeting with on Monday

The dinner is generally open to all press, but was changed this year to only be open to certain journalists.

According to a pool report which was posted late Saturday night, the press schedule listed several publications and news network for an 11am call time, reported Inquisitr.

But on the same report, under the 6.45pm event time was a note that said the evening will be closed to the press.

The report was later followed up by a new draft, which read: 'Updated Daily Guidance and Press Schedule for Sunday, February 25.' The updated draft included news about an 'in-house pool spray' that would take place at the event.

The publications listed in the updated report included the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg, Agence France-Presse, the New York Times, USA Today, CNN and the 'Voice of America' radio show. All of the networks were allowed to chronicle the event.

Trump will host the governors for a 'business session' at the White House at some point on Monday.

Ultimately the night was about giving Democrat and Republican lawmakers and their spouses from around the country the opportunity to meet and socialize

Trump also took the time to tout his administration's achievements - particularly the rolling back of regulations and the tax overhaul. He said he's proud of all of the country's governors, calling them 'special people' who do an 'incredible job'

President Donald Trump is pictured with Nevada Governor and Chair of the National Governor's Association Brian Sandoval as they take their seats for the event's dinner
An Iranian refugee couple appeared to be living the Australian dream before they were allegedly caught running a sophisticated drug trafficking ring which flooded the streets of Sydney with crystal meth.

Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh were granted temporary protection visas after arriving to Australia by boat in 2013 - and have since built a luxury life in Sydney's north-west with their two daughters, aged one and three.

The glamorous pair were arrested last week after police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice, over $260,000 in cash, three luxury cars and more than 100 ampules of steroids after raiding homes in Hornsby and Asquith.

Social media accounts reveal the young family enjoyed hiking trips to the Blue Mountains, lavish dinners at Darling Harbour, while they were also seen sipping on bottled beer in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Iranian refugee couple Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh appeared to be living the Australian dream before they were allegedly caught running a sophisticated drug trafficking ring

The glamorous pair were arrested last week after police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice

Maleki and Rabieh's social media accounts reveal the pair married in a lavish 2014 ceremony

Other posts, which are mostly written in Arabic, reveal the couple married in a lavish 2014 ceremony and spent several weekends with their children at beaches along the New South Wales coast.

Maleki shared numerous inspiration quotes and poems, and also posted translations of Australian slang, including 'dunny', 'ankle biter' and 'dole bludger'.

His wife's Facebook account heavily features her husband and their children, while it also includes a post promoting 'Freedom in Iran.'

The pair are among several Iranians on temporary protection visas recently arrested over alleged meth trafficking.

The pair have built a luxury life in Sydney's north-west with their two daughters, aged one and three

The couple were seen sipping on bottled beer with a friend at Sydney's Opera Bar prior to their arrest

Maleki (pictured) shared numerous inspiration quotes and poems, and also posted translations of Australian slang

Maleki and Rabieh have each been charged with supply large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and participate in a criminal enterprise.

A third Iranian, identified by The Daily Telegraph as the couple's housemate Hassan Mohkamkar, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact of supplying drugs.

The trio were refused bail and will appear at Central Local Court later this week.

In a separate and unrelated bust, two Iranian nationals were arrested in Sydney last week, allegedly trying to import almost 10 kilograms of ice hidden in honey jars on a cargo flight to Australia.

Maleki is pictured left in front of the Harbour Bridge and right outside the Sydney Opera House

Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh, from Sydney's north-west, are two of several Iranians in Australia on temporary protection visas recently arrested over alleged meth trafficking

The arrested husband and wife previously enjoyed hiking trips to Sydney's Blue Mountains

Other posts reveal the couple spent several weekends with their children at beaches along the New South Wales coast

Two men, aged 28 and 31, were arrested by Australian Federal Police officers on Wednesday following an operation that was sparked by a drug seizure in Turkey last October.

The AFP said 1.8kg of methamphetamine, bound for an address in Granville, was seized by authorities in Turkey in 2017, prompting the Australian operation.

The men, who have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine, appeared before Sydney Central Local Court on Thursday, where they did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.

The couple, who share two young daughters, were arrested last week after police raided homes in Hornsby and Asquith

Police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice, over $260,000 in cash and three luxury cars

A third Iranian has been charged with being an accessory after the fact of supplying drugs
Still missing: William Tyrrell vanished from his foster grandmother's home five years ago

2014

September 12 - Dressed in a Spiderman outfit, three-year-old William Tyrrell goes missing from the garden while visiting members of his foster family on the NSW north coast.

September 21 - Police stop searching for the missing boy after scouring surrounding bushland and neighbouring houses.

2015

January 20 - Police search the home and business of washing machine repairman Bill Spedding, who had been due to carry out repairs at the house at the time the three-year-old went missing.

Detectives take items for testing including a mattress, computer and vehicles. They drain his septic tank.

January 23 - The washing machine repairman publicly denies any involvement in William's disappearance and says he and his wife are on the verge of a breakdown due to the public attention.

February 19 - Homicide detectives take over the case and say it's likely William was abducted.

March 2 - Police fruitlessly search an area of bushland near Bonny Hills for three days after a tip-off.

April 17 - William's foster parents speak publicly for the first time in an emotional video released through police which does not identify them.

April 17 - Police say the boy may have been a victim of a paedophile ring.

September 6 - The Nine Network's 60 Minutes reveal two suspicious cars were parked on the street the morning William went missing.

September 12 - 'Where's William' week is launched one year after he disappeared.

2016

September 12 - A $1million reward is offered for information leading to William's return.

2017

August 24 - William's foster child status is revealed after a landmark court ruling.

2018

June 12 - NSW Police announce the start of a four-week forensic search of bushland conducted by Strike Force Rosann.

June 14 - William's grandmother scolds police who have failed to find the young boy after four years, and claims their latest search is 'just for show'.

June 26 - The forensic search continues on what would have been William's seventh birthday.

June 27 - Strike Force Rosann announces it will move the search to an 800sqm block of bushland just 4km from where William was last seen alive.

June 5 - The latest search ends with Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin saying the case could soon go to a coroner.

August - Investigation leader Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin and a sergeant get into a disagreement during a briefing.

September 13 - Police reveal they found a burned out car wreck belonging to a former person of interest.

December 19 - Coroners say William could still be alive and the inquest will determine if he died or not.

2019

February - DCI Jubelin is removed from the investigation amid a misconduct probe.

March 25 - The inquest into William Tyrrell's disappearance begins, with William's biological and foster parents appearing over the course of a week.

The inquest's first batch of hearings focused on William's family situation and the events leading up to his disappearance.

Both his foster and biological parents were quizzed, as were neighbours who helped in the search.

It was disclosed that William's biological parents absconded with him for six weeks in 2012, following a children's court order.

William's biological father slammed authorities for letting them down.

'Authorities f***ed up ... The minister had a duty of care to keep William safe until he was 18. That was not the case at all.'

May: DCI Jubelin quits the Police Force.

June: Four charges of breaching the Surveillance Devices Act are laid against DCI Jubelin. He denies any wrongdoing whatsover

August: The second tranche of inquest hearings began on Wednesday August 7

Inquest hears Bill Spedding, a NSW mid-north coast repairman and one-time person of interest in the disappearance of William Tyrrell, met his wife for coffee about 9.30am in Laurieton, a 15-minute drive from Kendall, on the day William went missing.

They then attended a school assembly across the road to see a child in their care receive an award.

The inquest heard how a man who claims he saw William Tyrrell unrestrained in the back of a speeding car on the day the child went missing was waiting for police to interview him to tell them what he saw.

He told the inquest he contacted police but did not hear back about an interview.

It took it took almost 1000 days before he was able to reveal what he saw to police.

The coroner orders an urgent probe into the final image that was taken on the day William vanished as metadata suggests the picture may have been taken 118 minutes earlier than originally thought.

The image has a 'created time' of 7.39am and a 'corrected time' of 9.37am, a new document from the 2000-page evidence brief.

The coronial inquest has been delayed for another eight months with the next round of hearings happening in March 2020.

November 11: The deputy state coroner releases footage of William Tyrrell and family at Heatherbrae McDonalds, on September 11, 2014

Feb - March 2020: Gary Jubelin defends four charges of illegally recording person of interest Paul Savage in court hearing

February 21: Daily Mail Australia reveals Frank Abbott was arrested in custody for the purposes of a police interview about William's disappearance

March 2020: The coronial inquest into William's disappearance resumes but stops with two days to go due to the coronavirus outbreak

April 6, 2020: Magistrate Ross Hudson delivers his verdict in Gary Jubelin case

April 8, 2020: Jubelin is convicted of all four charges and fined $10,000. Ex-cop says he will appeal

June 22, 2020: Police and SES launch new search for William Tyrell near Herons Creek, where Abbott once lived

June 26, 2021: Police acknowledge William Tyrrell's 10th birthday
Ivanka Trump said on Sunday that her father's proposal of placing firearms in the hands of highly trained teachers is an option worth debating.

During an interview with NBC News in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Trump was asked if she would be comfortable knowing that a teacher educating one of her three children was in possession of a gun in the classroom.

'To be honest, I don't know,' Trump said. 'Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in our school. But I think there is no one solution to creating safety.'

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The President's eldest daughter was asked if she would be advising the commander-in-chief on highly charged gun issues

'To be honest, I don't know,' Trump said. 'Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in our school'

'I think that having a teacher who is armed... and qualified to bear arms is not a bad idea, but it is an idea that needs to be discussed,' Trump added

The President's eldest daughter was then asked if she would be advising the commander-in-chief on the issue, which he proposed earlier this week via Twitter.

'I think that having a teacher who is armed who cares deeply about her students or his students and who is capable and qualified to bear arms is not a bad idea, but it is an idea that needs to be discussed,' Trump added.

The 36-year-old While House senior advisor is currently overseas leading the U.S. presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games.

Ivanka Trump (C) daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, stands at the beginning of the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics

Ivanka Trump sits alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in, from left, first lady Kim Jung-sook and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics

Ivanka Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and senior White House adviser, and Kim Yong Chol of the North Korea delegation attend the closing ceremony Feb 25

President Trump made the suggestion in the wake of a deadly school shooting earlier this month in Parkland, Florida, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz stormed his former high school and killed 17 people with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

The 36-year-old White House is currently overseas leading the U.S. presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Feb. 25, 2018

The president proposed a controversial bill on Wednesday to provide as many as 20 percent of teachers with concealed and carry permits after meeting with students from Marjory Stoneman High School.

He beefed up his proposal saying educators who chose to have weapons in their classroom would receive a 'yearly bonus'.

Neither Trump nor the White House has said who would pay to train them, but the decision would be 'up to states'.

He doubled down on the proposal on Saturday, stating in a tweet: 'Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) lover our students and will protect them.

'Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.'

Mourners bring flowers as they pay tribute at a memorial for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday Feb 25, 2018

Trump explained in his tweet the use of teachers would be a 'very inexpensive deterrent' compared to the cost of extra security guards.

But only the most 'adept' teachers would be allowed to wield weapons. He insisted every educator would be required to have annual training.

Trump's initial proposal on Wednesday to arm 20 percent of teachers was criticized as excessive  that's roughly 650,000 of the nation's educators  but the president insisted in a tweet that it would be a 'GREAT DETERRENT' to potential shooters.

Ivanka also spoke to NBC about the America's relationship with North Korea, which has deteriorated even further from an already low standing since Donald Trump took office in January 2017.

'We are 50 miles away from North Korea, so affirming the U.S. position and our joint position of maximum pressure with our South Korean partners is very important,' she said.

Ivanka arrived in Pyeongchang on Friday just days before the closing ceremony for the 2018 Winter Games.

Upon her arrival in South Korea, Ivanka told reporters: 'It is a great honor to be here in South Korea with the U.S. delegation. We are very, very excited to... cheer for Team USA and to reaffirm our strong and enduring commitment with the people of the Republic of Korea.'
Six-month-old Chayse Dearing suffered severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuriesin June 2016

A Melbourne man charged with killing his girlfriend's baby while she was shopping had proposed marriage to the mother only nights before, a court has been told.

Dwayne Lindsey is on trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria, charged with killing six-month-old Chayse Dearing in June 2016.

Chayse suffered severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, marks on his neck, bruising and abrasions on his groin and retinal bleeding.

Chayse's mother Michelle Dearing told the court today that she and Lindsey, then 34, were planning to get married before the fateful night.

Lindsey claimed he fell asleep with the child on his chest, then woke and jumped when he thought a spider was crawling on him.

He claimed the baby rolled off his chest and hit his head against a wall heater.

Lindsey (right) is on trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria for the murder of Michelle Dearing's (left) baby. Lindsey denied he intended to kill the six-month-old boy, saying he fell asleep with the baby on his chest, then woke and jumped when he thought a spider was crawling on him

Prosecutor Nicholas Papas QC said Lindsey's explanation was incongruent with medical reports, which showed Chayse's death from a head injury was unlikely to have been accidental.

Ms Dearing and two of her friends had gone to Kmart after 4am.

At 8.21am, she received a call from Lindsey saying something was wrong with Chayse, that he wasn't breathing and that he had blood coming from his nose.

Michelle Dearing had left her baby Chayse alone with her new boyfriend Dwayne Lindsey in June 2016. She told the court today that she and Lindsey were planning to get married

Melissa Jones told the court how she'd been at Kmart with Ms Dearing when Lindsey called them, saying 'Chayse wasn't breathing'.

'I heard Michelle screaming my name and I knew something was wrong,' she said.

Ms Jones said she called triple zero, and she returned home with Ms Dearing and another woman to find 'medics working on Chayse'.

'Michelle collapsed in the doorway of my bedroom. She was in shock basically.'

'It was an emotional, chaotic scene when Ms Deary and the others got back,' Mr Papas told the court.

'She (Ms Deary) was overcome with emotion and collapsed.

'Ms Deary noted Chayse had been changed from his blue Ralph Lauren onesie into a white fluffy onesie with bear ears on the hood,' the prosecutor said.

It is also alleged Lindsey later told a witness he had, in fact, struck and kicked the baby.

Defence barrister Scott Johns said Lindsey did not intend to kill the child.

'Whatever you think of Dwayne Lindsey, he's not a murderer.

'None of his actions came from an intention to cause any harm at all,' Mr Johns said.

Lindsey's trial continues and is expected to run for a week.
A southern California man was arrested for riding a horse down a busy freeway while intoxicated, according to state authorities.

Luis Perez, from Placentia, was spotted riding the horse eastbound on the 91 Freeway in Long Beach before police stopped him on Saturday, California Highway Patrol said.

The 29-year-old was arrested after registering more than twice over the legal bloodalcohol level on a sobriety test.

Horsin' around: Luis Perez was arrested for drunk-riding his horse on a California highway

The 29-year-old allegedly had a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the bizarre incident and the horse was released to Perez' mother who showed up quickly at the scene.

Perez is being held on more than $50,000 bail, CBS News reported.

The California Highway Patrol shared photos of the white horse looking on as police assessed Perez' level of intoxication and arrested him.

'We get a chuckle out of the interesting situations we encounter from time to time, but one thing the CHP does not do is 'horse' around with DUI,' the California Highway Patrol Twitter account said on Sunday.

Costly joy ride: Perez, from Placentia, is being held on more than $50,000 bail

What are ya looking at? The horse was released to Perez' mother at the scene

While police found the incident comical, they also took to Twitter to remind Californians that they can't ride their horses in traffic.

'No, you may not ride your horse on the freeway, and certainly not while intoxicated,' officials tweeted.

'Don't put yourself, your beautiful animal, or others in danger of being killed in traffic.

The California Highway Patrol got a laugh out of the arrest, and shared photos of the white horse looking on as police assessed Perez' level of intoxication
A former real estate agent who misappropriated more than $6 million from clients to fund his lavish lifestyle has asked a Melbourne judge to spare him from prison.

Tri Duc Ngo, also known as Joseph Ngo, has pleaded guilty to misusing $6.49 million from trust accounts linked to six LJ Hooker branches, spending some of the money on jewellery or drugs such as ice.

The court heard Mr Ngo, a father of four, expressed 'genuine remorse' for his crimes which occurred in six former LJ Hooker offices Melbourne's east in 2015 and 2016.

A former real estate agent who stole more than $6 million from clients to fund for his lavish style has asked the judge to spare him from prison

Mr Ngos wife (right) and co-accused Judy Nguyen, or Truc Thanh Le Nguyen, was director of the LJ Hooker offices and will stand trial in 2019

Mr Ngo also has ambitions to become a priest and social worker, the Herald Sun reported.

Mr Ngos wife and co-accused Judy Nguyen, or Truc Thanh Le Nguyen, was director of the LJ Hooker offices and will stand trial in 2019.

She has pleaded not guilty to 345 charges.

Mr Ngo's lawyer, Erol Cinar, argued that the he should be spared jail because his four-year-old had not made lasting memories of his father yet.

Mr Cinar also argued that Mr Ngo suffers from psychosis, which is worsened by drug use causing him to suffer with auditory and visual hallucinations.

He also argued that Mr Ngo had no intention to return to real estate, and is remorseful of his actions and was of otherwise good character.

'Mr Ngo suffers extreme and recurrent mood swings,' Mr Cinar said.

'He has attempted suicide ... fuelled by his desire to escape the hallucinations.'

Tri Duc Ngo, also known as Joseph Ngo, has pleaded guilty to misusing $6.49 million from trust accounts linked to six LJ Hooker branches

Mr Ngo's charges risk him facing a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and his seven summary offences, two years' imprisonment

Crown prosecutor Robyn Harper, said that immediate imprisonment was appropriate since he had stolen and misused more than $6 million.

'There has been no evidence he's repaid the money,' Ms Harper said.

Judge Michael Bourke agreed Ngo should serve some time in jail for his crime but claimed it would be difficult for someone with a mental disorder.

'It would be a disproportionate sentence if Mr Ngo didn't receive a sentence of imprisonment however it is more difficult for someone with a mental disorder,' Mr Bourke said.

Mr Ngo's charges risk him facing a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and his seven summary offences, two years' imprisonment, the court heard.

He was bailed for one day to collect his medication and will be remanded in custody on Tuesday before sentencing at a later date.








A non-profit organization created to provide support for victims of the Las Vegas shooting has issued its first checks to survivors on Sunday.

Colie Knoke, a single mother with a second child on the way, was the first beneficiary to receive a check from Route91Strong, totaling nearly $2,000.

'Were trying to help people who have fallen through the cracks,' co-found Brian Claypool told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Two other women, Mindy Foster and Stacie Armentrout, each received checks for $1,000 on Sunday.

Claypool, himself a survivor of shooter Stephen Paddock's massacre of 58 people attending the Vegas Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, created the organization with fellow survivor and California resident Lisa Fine.

Colie Knoke (left), a single mother with a second child on the way, was the first beneficiary to receive a check from Route91Strong, which is a non-profit organization co-created by friend and fellow surivor Lisa Fine (right) to provide support for victims of the Las Vegas shooting; The two women are seen here before Stephen Paddock opened fired on the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival

Video courtesy KSVN:

Knoke has completely depleted all of her savings, after being out of work for the entire month of October, following the tragedy.

'My plans to make money all of October went away,' Knoke said, who works as a bartender and promotional model in Vegas.

'Instead [of working,] I was trying to put together the pieces and just trying to process things,' she said.

While dealing with the emotional stress related to experiencing the trauma of a mass shooting, her ability to work had become so limited that she has only worked once each month since October, and has racked up $7,000 in credit card debt.

'Right now I have nothing,' she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

'My bank account is at zero,' she said. 'Im really glad I saw this support group on Facebook.'

To top it off, the mother of a two-year-old is also currently eight months pregnant with baby number two.

To lighten her load, Route91Strong held a baby shower for the expectant mother on Saturday, according to NBC News. And on Sunday, Knoke received a check from the organization for $1,924.

To lighten her load, Route91Strong held a baby shower for Knoke on Saturday

Knoke, already mother to a two-year-old, is currently eight months pregnancy with baby #2

The day after the baby shower, Route91Strong presented Knoke with a check for $1,924

Knoke, who was friends with Fine prior to the tragic events of October 1, was joined by Mindy Foster, who was also working as a bartender at the concert that night, and shared a similar story.

'I didnt work for two months after the shooting due to (post-traumatic stress disorder), and I was injured as well,' Foster said. 'In January I had to take out two small personal loans just to pay my rent, and paying those back are absolutely killing me.'

Foster experienced a neck injury as a result of the attack, but because she didn't go to the hospital before October 10, that rendered her ineligible for compensation from the Las Vegas Victims' Fund.

'I love you guys. Thank you,' Foster told the Route91Strong representatives who handed her a check for $1,000. 'You guys are dealing with the same stuff we are; you are amazing.'

The third check, also for $1,000, went to Stacie Armentrout of Las Vegas She was at the concert with her husband and two teenage daughters.

Armentrout also said she has not been able to work as frequently since October 1 because of post-traumatic stress. Her husband has not been able to work, either, due to recovery from an injury to his ribs that he sustained while feeling from the carnage.

Fine and Claypool didn't set out, at first, to create their own non-profit organization.

'Our intention was to raise money to give to the Las Vegas Victims Fund, who had a system and a process to vet people and distribute money,' Fine said.

The fund has raised more than $20 million, and will provide assistance to 'the estates of deceased victims killed as a result of the October 1 attack,' 'those who were physically injured and hospitalized for one or more nights between October 1, 2017 and December 15, 2017, due to physical injuries resulting from the 1 October attack' and 'those who were physically injured as a result of the attack, and who were treated on an emergency out-patient basis or by health care providers for such physical injuries on or before October 11, 2017, and who did not have an overnight hospital stay as an in-patient.'

Once she and Claypool realized the people eligible to receive funds from the Las Vegas Victims' Fund were somewhat limited, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

At this time, Route91Strong has about $41,000 additional funds available that it expects to disperse to more than a dozen other people

Other groups that exist to provide assistance to those affected by the Vegas shooting including the Vegas Strong Fund and the Nevada Victims of Crime Program.

The Vegas Strong Fund was established in direct response to the October 1 tragedy and is made up of donations from the Nevada gaming and resort industry. Half the funds collected is to be distributed to individuals, with the other half to go to as yet unspecified long-term community needs.

The Nevada Victims of Crime Program is a state-run general fund, made up of money paid as fines by convicted offenders. It exists for the benefit of all victims of violent crimes in the state, and offers payment for certain reimbursable expenses.

At this time, Route91Strong has about $41,000 in additional funds that it expects to disperse to more than a dozen other people.

Those who would like to apply for funding, donate or otherwise get involved with Route91Strong can visit the organization's website, or connect with the group on social media, or call 916-759-5700 for more information.
A shocking incident of road rage was captured on film recently, after an angry motorist chased down a bus and proceeded to attack the driver.

The violent encounter took place on the busy suburban streets of South Auckland, New Zealand.

The footage, taken from inside the bus by one of the passengers, was uploaded to Facebook on Friday.

The white sedan can be seen aggressively pursuing the bus, speeding past the window in a wild chase.

'Oh s**t,' passengers exclaim as the bus pulls over at an intersection and the car slides to a stop alongside. 'He's got you bro.'

A series of bangs and crashes ring out and the driver can be heard asking for someone to call the police.

Meanwhile the driver of the car, clad in a bright yellow high-vis jacket, curses and attacks the bus driver, reaching through the window to grab him.

The violent encounter took place on the busy suburban streets of South Auckland, New Zealand

The white sedan can be seen aggressively pursuing the bus, speeding past the window in a wild chase

The bus company that the driver works for is currently looking in to the incident, according to a spokesperson for Auckland Transport.

'The company is investigating the incident and will talk to the driver, there is CCTV footage from the cameras in the bus and that is being reviewed.

'We don't believe the bus driver was assaulted.'
The Florida Gun Show had never seen a crowd as big as the one it saw this weekend, according to organizers.

Almost 7,000 people showed up to The Florida Gun Show in Tampa this weekend, nearly two weeks after a gunman killed 17 teachers and students at a high school in the state.

'Some of the people attending are afraid that future legislation will impact their gun ownership rights,' manager George Fernandez told WTSP.

Indeed, the gun business becomes more profitable after mass shootings, as gun owners become afraid of public backlash causing restrictions to their Second Amendment rights.

Almost 7,000 people showed up to the Florida Gun Show this weekend, organizers claim

'Some of the people attending are afraid that future legislation will impact their gun ownership rights,' manager George Fernandez told WTSP

For example, the share price of gun makers tends to spike immediately after mass shootings. That is because of speculation that consumers would be more eager to buy up guns in the short term before the government would introduce legislation restricting gun sales, according to Business Insider.

Legislators including Florida senator Bill Nelson have called for stricter laws on the 'gun show loophole', which allows people to buy guns without any background checks.

But Fernandez took issue with the notion that people can more easily get their hands on weapons at gun shows, claiming 95 per cent of the vendors at this weekend's show were required by law to run background checks because they are licensed dealers.

As the other five per cent of vendors at the show are private citizens, they are not required to run a background check before handing a gun to a costumer.

Fernandez said 95 per cent of the vendors at this weekend's show were required by law to run background checks because they are licensed dealers

Fernandez, however, denies the gun show loophole had anything to do with last week's school massacre.

'This was a mental health issue. This is someone who should have been identified from the beginning by law enforcement,' he said.

The Fort Lauderdale gun show next month was canceled after Mayor Jack Seiler asked organizers to show respect for the Parkland victims.

Sergio Gonzalez and his son protested the event at the Florida Fair Grounds, asking for assault weapons to be banned and the gun show loophole to be fixed

'It doesn't have to be my child, I'd grieve for any child killed in a mass shooting that's senseless,' said Gonzales, who was protesting with his son (pictured)

As Parkland survivors turned activists demand the government do something to prevent mass shootings, a dad stood outside the Gun Show with a sign that read: 'STOP NRA BLOOD MONEY' on one side and 'MASS MURDER IS NOT A RIGHT' on the other.

Sergio Gonzalez and his son protested the event at the Florida Fair Grounds, asking for assault weapons to be banned, and the gun show loophole to be fixed.

'It doesn't have to be my child, I'd grieve for any child killed in a mass shooting that's senseless. If you want to protect yourself, get yourself a revolver or how about learning how to fight,' said Gonzalez,

His son's sign read: 'HOW MANY MUST DIE FOR YOUR HOBBY?'
The execution was scheduled for convicted murderer and cancer survivor Doyle Lee Hamm, who killed motel clerk Patrick Cunningham in 1987

An execution team in Alabama left a death-row inmate with more than a dozen puncture wounds in his legs and groin in a failed lethal injection attempt late Thursday night.

The execution was scheduled for convicted murderer and cancer survivor Doyle Lee Hamm, who killed motel clerk Patrick Cunningham in 1987. Hamm has been on death row since December 1987 when he was convicted of Cunningham's murder.

The victim, an employee of Anderson's Motel in Cullman, was shot in the head during a robbery that apparently netted about $410.

Hamm's execution started late on Thursday after several last-minute appeals failed, according to NBC News. But after several minutes of attempts it had to be aborted because the team could not find a viable vein to administer the injection.

The effort resulted in what Hamm's attorney Bernard Harcourt classified as torture, explaining that the inmate was left with more than 12 puncture marks in his legs and groin, some of which may have penetrated his bladder or femoral artery.

When the execution eventually started it resulted in what Hamm's attorney Bernard Harcourt classified as 'torture'

Harcourt said Hamm was left with more than 12 puncture marks in his legs and groin, some of which may have penetrated his bladder or femoral artery

'This was clearly a botched execution that can only accurately be described as torture,' Harcourt said in a statement after a doctor examined his client.

After the execution was postponed for several hours on Thursday, Harcourt convinced a federal judge to allow him to pick a doctor to examine Hamm.

While Hamm was strapped into the gurney and preparing to be administered the lethal injection, the IV team 'simultaneously worked on both legs at the same time, probing his flesh and inserting needles.'

Harcourt claims the IV punctured Hamm's bladder because he was urinating blood on Friday.

'They may have hit his femoral artery as well,' he continued.

'Because suddenly there was a lot of blood gushing out. There were multiple puncture wounds on the ankles, calf, and right groin area, around a dozen.'

He said that throughout the botched attempt his client was 'laying there praying and hoping that they would succeed because of the pain.' He said Hamm collapsed when they finally gave up and took him off of the gurney.

Hamm has been on death row since December 1987 when he was convicted of Cunningham's murder. Picutred left is Hamm just after he was arrested, and pictured right is the victim Patrick Cunningham in 1987

Hamm now has several puncture marks as well as bruising and swelling in his groin and pain from his abdomen to his upper thigh, Harcourt said. On Sunday he was still unable to walk without limping from the pain.

Prisoners have a constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and courts can decide if certain execution techniques violate that right.

Hamms lawyer previously said the inmate has been battling cranial and lymphatic cancer for over three years. Treatment has compromised his veins, and lethal injection would likely cause 'cruel and needless pain,' according to papers filed last December by Harcourt, who has represented Hamm since 1990.

The Alabama Attorney General's Office argued Hamm's cancer is in remission, and a judge ruled it could proceed if the IV wasn't inserted into Hamm's arms. The US Supreme court then declined to stop the lethal injection, with three of the judges consenting.

Attorney General Steve Marshall argued that the circumstances of the crime and consequences to the victim and victim's family was too 'heinous' to allow a stay. In a statement posted to his Facebook, Marshall said that going on with the execution would be 'serving justice.'

Prison officials have not given many details about what happened in the death chamber before he was given a reprieve.

Corrections commissioner Jeff Dunn said at the time that it was 'more of a time issue' that postponed Thursday night's execution.

The judge has now ordered the Department of Corrections to preserve any notes or other material from the first execution try - including the clothing Hamm was wearing.

It is not clear when the lethal injection will be rescheduled for.

This botched execution is the latest in a string which have gained controversy for the type of drugs used and the effect they had on the subject.

Clayton Lockett spent 40 minutes writhing in agony before dying of a heart attack after he was given a lethal injection in 2014.

It was the first time Oklahoma used the drug midazolam as the first element in its execution drug combination.

The following year convicted rapist and murderer Charles Warner was given the wrong drug during his execution in the state.

Oklahoma used potassium acetate - not potassium chloride, as required under state protocol - and Warner said his body felt like it was 'on fire'.

Texas was the first US state to use lethal injection in 1982, while Ohio was the first to use the one-drug method in 2009.

Until then, most states used a three-drug combination for lethal injections: an anesthetic, a paralytic and a drug to stop the heart.
A man who was shot dead by police in Brisbane on Sunday was responsible for a vicious attack on paramedics in a separate incident a year before his death.

Liam Scorsese, 31, was shot dead by two officers after allegedly lunging at police with a knife outside a Wakerley home on Brisbane's bayside on Sunday morning.

Scorsese, who police say was a known associate of the Comanchero bikie club, allegedly tried to break into his ex-girlfriend's home about 10am, prompting the occupants to phone the police.

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Liam Scorsese (left) reportedly told police to 'shoot me' as he lunged at them with a knife on Sunday

Scorsese died after being tasered and shot by police - following an urgent triple-0 call about a 'man with a knife trying to break into a house'

Officers first tasered Scorsese in an attempt to subdue him, but it only enraged him further.

Officers shot him twice when he did not respond to the shock.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Niland told reporters officers present were 'in fear of their lives' when the shots were fired.

In a separate incident about a year before his death, Scorsese was captured on film violently lashing out at paramedics.

An ambulance crew were attempting to treat him for stab wounds, when he appeared to flip out and push the paramedics off him.

He ripped medical equipment from his body and started to throw punches at paramedics and police officers.

In the footage he is seen ripping medical equipment from his body and throwing punches at paramedics and police officers

The footage shows Scorsese only complying with paramedics once he was handcuffed and tied to the stretcher

Chireez Beytell (pictured right in both images) said her pain was 'unbearable' and suffering 'unimaginable' upon hearing the news of Scorsese's death

The police were forced to tackle him to the ground and cuff him when he grew increasingly violent towards the paramedics.

The footage, obtained by Nine News, shows Scorsese only complying with paramedics once he was handcuffed.

Scorsese pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and obstructing emergency services officers after the December 2016 incident.

Scorsese's friend, Chireez Beytell, said her pain was 'unbearable' and suffering 'unimaginable' when news of his death broke.

'Four years wasn't enough, it wasn't the lifetime you promised me or yourself, now you're gone. May you fly with the angels, I will never let go bub I will never let go,' she wrote.

The pair appear to have been in a relationship, with Ms Beytell often thanking him for gifts and sharing messages between the pair on her social media account.

Scorsese was remembered fondly by friends as respectful and gentlemanly, and one woman noted the man had a 'sad mind'

His lawyer, Ashkan Tai (left) said he would be seeking to find out exactly how his friend's death had come about for the sake of his family

Scorsese (left), who has been linked to Comanchero gang members, was clearly well loved, with many friends grieving his death

One old friend fondly recalled starting high school with Scorsese, and being kicked out of the school together, and said he was 'angry and devastated' to hear of the man's death.

'Too many memories to think of, from starting high school together, sleeping at mine every weekend, turning the back yard or living room into a hotel so everyone could sleep over or putting up tents in the back yard for everyone to sleep in,' he wrote.

'Both being the first to be kicked out of the school to both of us living up on the Gold Coast living together making the Q1 go crazy every day.

'We went through the good and the bad together up there, but no matter what it was we did, we did it the way we wanted to do it and made the most out of it.

'Hearing about how you passed makes me angry and devastated at the same time. As much as I hate that place I'm coming to say a final goodbye.'

Another shared a photo of himself, simply writing 'R.I.P Liam', and the photo was used by a female friend an hour later, who described herself as 'shattered' and claimed he had always been a gentleman to her.

'[At] least your sad mind will be at rest my friend,' she wrote.

'Not cool,' commented one man.

'I really thought he'd make it after prison. R.I.P my friend.'

Police earlier closed off the street in Wakerley, Brisbane to conduct an investigation

Police had tasered Scorsese, 31, before retreating and were reportedly 'in fear of their lives'

The man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition - but later died

Defence lawyer Ashkan Tai shared a photo of himself with the 31-year-old and remembered him as respectful and gentlemanly.

'RIP Liam Scorsese. A life taken far too early,' he wrote.

'I am not sure what happened this morning when the police killed you, but I promise I will make sure your family knows the truth no matter what that might be.

'In all my professional dealings with you, you were a gentleman and always respectful. What an absolute tragedy regardless of the circumstances.'

Scorsese was convicted of assault on a Surfer's Paradise bus driver after pleading guilty in August, The Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Police said earlier reports an officer was stabbed during the incident were incorrect

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Niland fronted reporters after the incident on Sunday to explain the context of the situation

Queensland Police were called to an incident in Brisbane 's bayside suburb Wakerley on Sunday morning

One 'junior' police officer shot at the 31-year-old man twice

Scorsese was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition after he was shot- but later died. Police say reports an officer was stabbed during the incident are incorrect.

Residents of the small well-kept street told Daily Mail Australia they have 'no idea what is going on.'

'I heard it on the news and poked my head out and found the whole street blocked off,' one woman said.

'I didn't hear the gunshots or anything - it is very concerning.'

Police said the man was 'armed and enraged' and 'trying to break into the house' before officers were called to the premises.

Scorsese is known to police and has been linked to members of the Comanchero gang.

The man was known to police as well as the people in the home, who called Triple Zero

Police said the man was 'armed and enraged' 'trying to break into the house' before emergency services were called
Vladimir Putin's election supporters are using provocative pictures of female models in underwear in the latest bizarre tactic to fend off apathy in next month's Russian presidential poll.

With the contest offering no real choice, and the expected result of six more years of the strongman ruling the Kremlin hardly in doubt, young men are being enticed to vote with a series of sexually suggestive web adverts.

This part of the campaign has been put together by the Russian edition of Maxim magazine - which refuses to say who ordered it, but it is widely seen as part of a covert strategy to ensure voters go to the polls and back Putin.

Maxim editor in chief Alexander Malenkov confirmed the magazine was promoting the presidential election as part of a 'special business project' for an unknown client with financial remuneration that has not been revealed.

Vladimir Putin's election supporters are using provocative pictures of female models in the latest bizarre tactic to fend off apathy in next month's Russian presidential poll

He admitted it looked 'a bit absurd' but said it was 'one of numerous compromises' he had to make.

While no candidate is mentioned by name, this campaign chimes with a Kremlin strategy to maximise the numbers of people voting under the theory that this will help Putin with the election on the first ballot - a scenario that requires him to get more than 50 per cent of the vote.

The latest pro-Putin social media blast shows blonde and brunette models in underwear posing at polling stations, evidently aiming to entice young males to cast their ballots.

This part of the campaign has been put together by the Russian edition of Maxim magazine

The pictures show blonde and brunette models in underwear posing at polling stations, evidently aiming to entice young males to cast their ballots

The pictures are captioned: 'Welcome to the world of adults!', 'It's a bit scary at the beginning but soon you'll want to make it one more time', 'Are you sure you're already 18?', and 'All that happens at the polling station will remain at the polling station'

A raunchy backstage video accompanies the pictures, with 18+ stickers called 'Election Girls' sent to those who joined the online group.

Slogans read 'Waiting for you in the booth!' (a young woman disappears into an election booth), 'I want your vote' (with a naked woman in bed), and 'help me to undo my ballot paper' (a model has her hands behind her back as if she is undoing her bra).

The pictures include captions including 'Welcome to the world of adults!' and 'It's a bit scary at the beginning but soon you'll want to make it one more time'

Earlier, a homophobic video on social media warned people that if Putin was not re-elected, then under a new president families could be forced to take in gays who are can't find partners.

A man is showing having a 'nightmare' at such a scenario, imagining he wakes up in bed with his gay lodger.

The same scare-tactic video - watched more than four million times - implied black immigrants would join the Russian army if 65 year old Putin was no longer commander in chief.

A video posted earlier this month shows a young woman refusing to have sex with man because he had not voted.

She is shown passionately kissing him but then asks: 'Wait a minute, are you 18 yet?' He replies: 'Yes, I'm adult' She asks: 'Have you voted today?'

He says: 'No, what for?' She hits back: 'Well, you are not adult then' - and walks away.

Another video showed a pregnant young woman rush into a taxi as it appears she is in labour

But the woman is seen hurrying to the polling station rather than the maternity hospital

Another video showed a pregnant young woman rush to the polling station rather than the maternity hospital.

Putin has chosen to do almost no campaigning although he remains the overwhelming favourite to win.

A series of television debates starts on Monday with election candidates but Putin has opted not to take part in these.

Opposition leader Alexei Navally has been banned by the authorities from contesting the 18 March Election.

He has called for a boycott of the election.

The social media campaign is seen as countering this demand.

A video posted earlier this month shows a young woman refusing to have sex with man because he had not voted

She is shown passionately kissing him but then asks: 'Wait a minute, are you 18 yet?'

He says: 'No, what for?' She hits back: 'Well, you are not adult then' - and walks away

It also uses pro-gay and anti-racism calls made by pro-Western candidate Ksenia Sobchak, 36, to crudely exploit fears of homosexuality and immigrants, say critics.

Sobchak - who has posed semi-naked for Maxim in the past - has known Putin since she was a child.

She was the daughter of his mentor Anatoly Sobchak, former mayor of St Petersburg, who gave Putin his first job in politics.

But now she has called on him to retire from politics, while admitting neither she nor the other candidates has any hope of winning - implying the system is rigged.

Those taking part in TV debates are: Sergey Baburin (the All-Russia National Union party), Pavel Grudinin (nominated by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Vladimir Zhirinovsky from Russia's Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Ksenia Sobchak (the Civil Initiative party), Maxim Suraikin (the Communists of Russia), Boris Titov (the Party of Growth) and Grigory Yavlinsky (the Yabloko party).
This is the moment a female 'sex expert' attacked police officers after they were called in to investigate an 'advanced love-making' course in Thailand.

A group of 33 Russians had paid the equivalent of 450 each for a place on the course, in which participants were being taught how to spice up bedroom antics.

But police raided the class, held in a hotel conference room in the holiday resort of Pattaya, after staff heard 'odd noises'. Ten Russian instructors - three women and seven men - were arrested.

Footage shows a woman in a striped dress - believed to be one of the female instructors - lashing out at an officer. Another woman in a white t-shirt can be seen trying to calm the situation.

A female 'sex expert' attacked police officers after they were called in to investigate an 'advanced love-making' course in Thailand

Footage shows a woman in a striped dress - believed to be a female instructors - lashing out at an officer after a raid on an 'advanced love-making' course in the holiday resort of Pattaya

Another woman in a white t-shirt can be seen trying to calm the situation after an 'instructor' lashed out at an officer

Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyapong Ensarn said: 'One of the women running the class was angry when police arrived. They thought we shouldn't be there.

'It's the strangest class I've ever heard about but it is illegal and the offenders will be processed according to the law.'

In the course, tourists were taught how to make their partner climax while attendees eagerly took notes and viewed diagrams on a flip-board.

They were due to receive certificates declaring themselves sex experts after the class but staff at the up-market hotel became suspicious when they heard noises coming from the room and called officers.

Police arrived at 11pm last night and cut short the course with the visitors being dismissed.

Police arrived at 11pm last night and cut short the course with the visitors being dismissed. Pictures show a group of men and women, believed to be instructors, sitting at a police station

The ten 'instructors' - some wearing matching 'sex animator' t-shirts and others in tiny pink shorts - were led to a local station

In a video, the apparent instructors can be seen sitting sheepishly on a bench while in custody

Police said that the people attending the class paid 20,000 baht and some received free t-shirts. They were also to be given a certificate in love-making after the event, showing that they were able to satisfy their partner

The ten 'instructors' - some wearing matching 'sex animator' t-shirts and others in tiny pink shorts - were led to a local station. In a video, they can be seen sitting sheepishly on a bench while in custody.

Police Colonel Apichai Krobpetch, head of Pattaya Police, said: 'Officers arrived at the hotel at 11pm and found Russian gangs had rented a room to set up a training course for sex. This is an illegal sex education course.

'Forty three people were in attendance including ten instructors who were demonstrating sex. The participants are not guilty of any offense and they were then released. The ten instructors were taken to the station for processing.'

Police said that the people attending the class paid 20,000 baht and some received free t-shirts. They were also to be given a certificate in love-making after the event, showing that they were able to satisfy their partner.

Officers charged one suspect with overstaying in Thailand, three with unlawful entry into the kingdom and the rest for working without work permits.
The parents of Matilda star Lilian Hardy (pictured) are 'prepared to go to jail' as they wage war with their local council over their daughter's home schooling

The parents of Matilda star Lilian Hardy are 'prepared to go to jail' as they wage war with their local council over their daughter's home schooling.

Eileen Tracy claimed Westminster City Council ordered her and husband Edward Hardy to send their 12-year-old daughter to school by March 7 or face being prosecuted, convicted or fined.

The youngster, who was one of four girls to play the lead role in hit musical Matilda, at the Cambridge Theatre in Londons West End, for six months last year, has always been educated at home.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Ms Tracy said she and her husband had 'no intention whatsoever of complying with the authority's order', and said they planned to ask the council to rescind it or appeal to the Secretary of State if it refused.

She added: 'If that fails, we would oppose the council in court - and if necessary, though it doesn't bear thinking about, we would go to jail.

'The European Convention on Human Rights gives us a right to privacy. People have endured far worse than us for that principle.'

Ms Tracy said the couple had decided to home school their daughter as they believed she would learn best from 'a secure base of wellbeing'.

She added: 'Lilian's success seems not to be enough for our local authority, Westminster City Council.'

Lilian Hardy was one of four girls to play the lead role in hit musical Matilda, at the Cambridge Theatre (pictured) in Londons West End, for six months last year

She added that she and Mr Hardy had declined an 'unwarranted inspection' from the authority, as well as a request to provide some endorsement by an educator who knows their daughter, instead submitting examples of her work.

Westminster City Council told the Telegraph that it remained keen to 'resolve this matter amicably' but that 'unfortunately' Ms Hardy's parents had declined its requests for meetings.

A spokesman added that local authorities had a 'statutory obligation' to ensure children were receiving a suitable education, and that the council could not solely rely on examples of a child's work to form a view about the suitability of their educator.

However, Ms Tracy later said both her and her husband had not declined to meet with council officers, they had refused a meeting between their daughter and a home education adviser.
A film about intimacy and sex with graphic scenes that some have found shocking has won the Golden Bear prize for best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Romanian director Adina Pintilie said she had not expected to win the award for 'Touch Me Not', a film which critics say blurs reality and fiction as it follows characters who seek intimacy yet also fear it.

Speaking at a news conference after collecting her Golden Bear trophy, Pintilie said the film invited viewers to feel empathy, embrace otherness and reconsider their ideas about everything. It holds a mirror up to the audience, she said.

'Touch Me Not' has ben described as a film about intimacy and sex with graphic scenes

One critic said that 'Touch me Not' was a 'silly' film and its award at the Berlin Film Festival was 'a calamity'

People going to see 'Touch Me Not' are advised to approach it with an open mind

Director Adina Pintilie holds the golden bear for 'Touch me not' during the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival in Berlin on Saturday

The jury, from left, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Adele Romansk, Cecile de France, Chema Prado, Stephanie Zacharek, and jury president Tom Tykwer, pose on the red carpet for the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin, Germany on Saturday

'This is why I think for many people this film might not be comfortable but at the same time we challenge you, the viewer, to dialogue and to look at yourself,' Pintilie said.

The film has received mixed reviews from the critics - Thefilmstage.com described it as 'a studious, intelligent, if flawed and scattershot, work with an open mind about modern sexuality and intimacy. That open mind will need to be replicated in the audience too'.

It points out that one of the more remarkable parts of the film is a 'hospital touch-therapy session, shot with laboratory-like sharpness with more direct reflections about notions of intimacy'.

In the session, Tomas Lemarquis, bald since his teenage years, is paired with severely disabled Christian Bayerlein, 'with both exploring their own failings of their bodies and faults with intimacy... Christian later argues that his sexual organs are a part of his body that does work, and an important part of his arsenal of self-expression. He implores society to stop saying people suffer with a disability. [The film] should be praised as a movie that explores disabled sex by not hiding behind visual euphemisms,' it said.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw said that while 'Touch Me Not' may have its admirers, to him the film is ''silly' and 'a calamity' for the Berlin International Film Festival.

'It deluged me in a tidal wave of depression at how embarrassingly awful it was, at its mediocrity, its humourless self-regard, its fatuous and shallow approach to its ostensible theme of intimacy, and the clumsy way all this was sneakily elided with Euro-hardcore cliches about BDSM, alternative sexualities, fetishism and exhibitionism,' he wrote.

Adina Pintilie, center, Bianca Oana, left, and Philippe Avril pose with the Golden Bear award for Best Film 'Touch Me Not' during the awards ceremony at the 68th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany on Saturday

US actor Bill Murry smiles during the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin on Saturday

Manuel Alcala, left, and Alonso Ruizpalacios celebrate after winning a silver bear for the best screen play for the film 'Museo / Museum' during the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin on Saturday

Anthony Bajon speaks after receiving a silver bear as best actor during the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin on Saturday

Elena Okopnaya holds her silver bear for outstanding artistic contribution in the film 'Dovlatov' during the awarding ceremony of the 68th edition of the International Film Festival Berlin, Berlinale, in Berlin on Saturday

The Silver Bear award for best director was given to U.S. director Wes Anderson for 'Isle of Dogs' - an animated movie about a Japanese city that deports its dogs to a garbage dump island during an outbreak of canine flu.

Bill Murray, who was the voice of one of the dogs, collected the award at the gala ceremony on Anderson's behalf.

'I never thought that I would go to work as a dog and come home with a bear,' he joked as he held the Silver Bear trophy.

Anthony Bajon received the award for best actor for his role as a drug addict who tries to kick his habit with the help of religion in Cedric Kahn's 'La priere' (The Prayer).

'I prayed a lot to receive a bear,' Bajon told a news conference after the awards ceremony, adding: 'It's very important to show drug addicts that there is a way out of their addiction - in this movie it is the monastery, it is religion that helps this person.'

And Ana Brun received the best actress award for her role as a reclusive woman who ends up taxiing older ladies around when her partner gets sent to prison in Marcelo Martinessi's 'Las herederas' (The Heiresses). That film also won the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer prize for a feature that opens new perspectives.

The best screenplay award was given to Manuel Alcala and Alonso Ruizpalacios for 'Museo' (Museum), about students stealing artefacts from Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology in a 1985 heist that shocked the nation.

Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska's 'Twarz' (Mug) - about a man who has a face transplant after an accident - took the Silver Bear grand jury prize.

Elena Okopnaya won an award for outstanding artistic contribution for costume and production design in Russian director Alexey German Jr.'s biopic 'Dovlatov' about the 20th century writer Sergei Dovlatov.

The awards were decided by a six-person jury headed by German director Tom Tykwer. At the festival, which runs from Feb. 15 to Feb. 25, around 400 films are being screened. Of those, 19 were competing for the top Golden Bear prize.

The 'Berlinale' is one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world. While there was no overarching theme this year, there were many films about migration and portraits of artists. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Editing by William Maclean)
Boris Johnson today launched a blistering attack on Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit plans - warning it will leave Britain a 'colony of the EU'.

The Labour leader today announced a dramatic change in Labour's policy to keep the UK in a customs union with the bloc.

The move could mean Britain will have from being able to strike trade deals around the world after Brexit.

And it could mean the UK has to swallow decisions on what tariffs to impose without having a formal seat at the table - although Labour say they want a 'say' in the decisions.

But the Foreign Secretary - a leading Brexiteer - blasted the policy tweeting: 'Corbyn's Brexit plan would leave UK a colony of the EU - unable to take back control of our borders or our trade policy.

'White flag from Labour before talks even begin.'

Mr Corbyn posed for selfies with activists after delivering his speech in Coventry today

In his biggest speech on Brexit since the referendum, the Labour leader (pictured in Coventry today) made clear he is ready to sacrifice the UK's ability to strike trade deals outside the EU

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson hit back by warning that the Labour plan would mean the UK becoming a 'colony' of the EU

Mr Corbyn announced the policy in a major speech today which sets the stage for a titanic Commons showdown with Theresa May on Brexit in the coming months.

Laying down the gauntlet to the PM ahead of her own major speech on Friday, Mr Corbyn also warned failure to accept a customs deal could put the Good Friday Agreement at risk in Northern Ireland.

Senior Tories branded the shift by Labour a cynical ploy to derail the Brexit process that would mean the UK being a 'colony' of the EU.

Meanwhile, Leave supporters in the party's own ranks said he was betraying millions of voters.

Mr Corbyn urged Remainer Tory rebels to join him in the parliamentary voting lobbies when the question of a customs union comes up - amid fears that defeat for Mrs May would bring down the government.

'I appeal to MPs of all parties, prepared to put the people's interests before ideological fantasies, to join us in supporting the option of a new UK customs union with the EU, that would give us a say in future trade deals,' he said.

Up to a dozen Conservative MPs have indicated they are ready to back an amendment to the Trade Bill tabled by former minister Anna Soubry, which orders the PM to take 'all necessary steps' to forge 'a customs union' with the EU.

The government has delayed the vote until after Easter as it scrambles to shore up Mrs May's wafer-thin majority.

But Downing Street has flatly rejected the idea of climbing down on the issue, with Mrs May's spokesman saying: 'The Government will not be joining a customs union.'

There were also signs this afternoon that rebels might be backing off a confrontation with the PM. Ex-minister Stephen Hammond suggested it would not come to a confidence vote, and insisted he did not favour customs arrangements that would prevent the UK doing trade deals beyond the EU.

As he rolled the political dice in his speech in Coventry today, Mr Corbyn:

Insisted every country that was geographically close to the EU had a close customs relationship with the bloc.

Refused to say what his 'Plan B' would be if Brussels simply rejected Labour's idea on a customs union, saying he would just 'continue talking to them'.

Warned that nothing could be allowed to undermine the Good Friday Agreement which had brought '20 years of relative peace, development and respect for diversity in Northern Ireland'.

Said he did not believe that Brexit would be a 'disaster' or a 'land of milk and honey' but cautioned that it could cause serious damage if the UK broke decisively from Brussels.

Dismissed 'bogus' targets for reducing immigration and said Labour would prioritise the economy over curbing free movement rules.

Set out a vision for a left-wing Brexit that would allow the government to nationalise and subsidise industries.

Mr Corbyn paid lip service to the Brexit vote saying he 'respects the result of the referendum'.

But he said: 'We are leaving the European Union but we will still be working with European partners in the economic interests of this country.

'When 44 per cent of our exports are to EU countries and 50 per cent of our imports come from the EU, then it is in both our interests for that trade to remain tariff-free.

'It would damage businesses that export to Europe and the jobs that depend on those exports for there to be the additional costs of tariffs and it would damage consumers here, already failed by stagnant wages and rising housing costs.'

UK won't be able to strike free trade deal with Australia if it stays in an EU custom union, top diplomat says Britain would not be able to strike a free trade deal with Australia if it stays in a customs union with the EU, the country's high commissioner has said. Alexander Downer said his country would never 'contract out' its decision making to a body it was not a member of. His warning come as he was quizzed about Brexit on the BBC's Westminster Hour. He said: 'If they remain in a customs union and single market but leave the Eu there wont be much point in that advocacy because we will have to focus on France and Germany and so on. And we wont be able to make trade agreements with the UK, we will only be able to make trade agreements with the EU. The EU will decide what those trade agreements are going to be, including cooperation with us. The UK wont be part of the decision making process. 'It's up to you I wont tell you hat to do. But ill tell you this  Australia would never contract out its trade policy or the regulations of the management of our internal economy to a group of other countries.' Advertisement

He added: 'Every country that is geographically close to the EU without being an EU member state, whether it's Turkey, Switzerland, or Norway, has some sort of close relationship to the EU, some more advantageous than others.

'Britain will need a bespoke relationship of its own.

'Labour would negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tariff-free access and a floor under existing rights, standards and protections.'

Mr Corbyn said Labour would 'seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland'.

But he said there would need to be a mechanism to 'ensure the UK has a say in future trade deals'.

'A new customs arrangement would depend on Britain being able to negotiate agreement of new trade deals in our national interest,' he said.

Labour would not countenance a deal that left Britain as a passive recipient of rules decided elsewhere by others. That would mean ending up as mere rule takers.'

Despite the EU insisting it will not accept 'cherry picking' of single market rules, the Labour leader demanded the right for the UK to tear up the EU's state aid rules.

He told the audience in Coventry this would 'ensure we can deliver our ambitious economic programme'.

Mr Corbyn said the government had 'dithered' about the Brexit talks complaining that there was not enough clarity about where 'they are actually heading in these talks'.

He insisted the outcome of the negotiations with the EU could not be allowed to leave the country 'worse off'.

Mr Corbyn was speaking at the National Transport Design Centre in Coventry - which voted 56 per cent to leave the EU

Mr Corbyn (pictured ahead of his speech in Coventry today) said there should be no chance that the Brexit negotiations would undermine the Good Friday Agreement

Mr Corbyn was standing in front of a driverless car as he delivered his speech in Coventry today

'We do not believe that deals with the US or China, would be likely to compensate for a significant loss of trade with our trading neighbours in the EU, and the government's own leaked assessments show that,' he said.

'Both the US and China have weaker standards and regulations that would risk dragging Britain into a race to the bottom on vital protections and rights at work.'

What could happen with Anna Soubry's customs union amendment? Theresa May faces a major political battle over a bid by Tory rebels to try to force her to change policy on Brexit. Anna Soubry has tabled an amendment to a Trade Bill to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU after Brexit. Others Tory Remainers have said they will back it and Labour is considering uniting with them in the division lobbies. Mrs May has a wafer thin working majority of just 13 votes - with the backing of the DUP. This means that if over a dozen backbenchers rebel she could face a humiliating Commons defeat. Although a few Labour Brexiteers, like Frank Field and Kate Hoey, would probably vote with the Government. Some commentators have warned this could plunge the Tories into such turmoil it could bring down the Government. Technically Parliament cannot bind the Government's hand in a two-way negotiation, but the vote is very important symbolically. And a defeat would be a major blow for the PM, whose time in No10 has been dogged by accusations of political weakness and talk of leadership challenges. Around a dozen Tory MPs could back the the Bill, according to reports. No10 has delayed the vote until May amid fears of defeat. But Ms Soubry yesterday hinted she may not push it to a vote if the PM makes a concession in her Brexit speech on Friday. No10 is also reportedly considering making any vote a confidence vote - meaning it could trigger another General Election if they lost. The tactic is risky but may convince Tory backbenchers not to rebel. Advertisement

The Labour leader also played down the prospect of a crackdown on free movement rules after the UK leaves the EU, saying there would be no 'bogus' targets for reducing numbers.

'Most people in our country, regardless of whether they voted leave of remain want better jobs, more investment, stronger rights and greater equality,' he said.

'So we will not let those who want to sow divisions drive this process.

'No scapegoating of migrants, no setting one generation against another and no playing off the nations of the UK.'

Mr Corbyn went on: 'Our immigration system will change and freedom of movement will as a statement of fact end when we leave the European Union.

'But we have also said that in trade negotiations our priorities are growth, jobs and people's living standards.

'We make no apologies for putting those aims before bogus immigration targets.

'Labour would design our immigration policy around the needs of the economy based on fair rules and the reasonable management of migration.

'We would not do what this government is doing, start from rigid red lines on immigration and then work out what that means for the economy afterwards.'

Claiming that government plans for loosening trade ties with the EU could undermine peace in Northern Ireland, he said: 'No one should be willing to sacrifice the Good Friday Agreement, the basis for 20 years of relative peace, development and respect for diversity in Northern Ireland.'

But Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson hit back, tweeting: 'Corbyn's Brexit plan would leave UK a colony of the EU - unable to take back control of our borders or our trade policy.

'White flag from Labour before talks even begin.'

Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused Mr Corbyn of a 'cynical attempt to frustrate the Brexit process and play politics with our country's future  all the while, betraying millions of Labour voters'.

'Labour's confused policy would be bad for jobs and wages, it would leave us unable to sign up to comprehensive free trade deals, and it doesn't respect the result of the referendum,' he said.

Double-talk meant to get him into No 10 By Jack Boyle for the Daily Mail BREXIT CONFUSION What he said: 'Our message has been consistent since the vote to leave. We respect the result of the referendum.' What he meant: 'After months of confusion we've made up our minds, sort of.' Since the referendum in June 2016, Labour's Brexit policy has been all over the place. By one estimate they've changed positions nearly 20 times. He's tried to appeal to Remainers in London and Leavers in the Midlands and the North. He points to Tory divisions and claims Labour is united. But it is split between hard-core Remainers like Chuka Umunna and the Eurosceptic hard Left. CUSTOMS UNION U-TURN What he said: 'We have long argued that a customs union is... viable for the final deal.' What he meant: 'We're performing a screeching U-turn, but pretending otherwise.' Six months ago international trade spokesman Barry Gardiner said it would be a 'disaster' to agree a post-Brexit customs union with the EU. Mr Corbyn  a lifelong Eurosceptic  has changed his spots for cynical political reasons. TRADE DEALS What he said: 'A new customs arrangement would depend on Britain being able to negotiate agreement of new trade deals in our national interest.' What he meant: 'We want to have our cake and eat it.' Any customs union between the UK and the EU would force the UK to accept EU tariffs on imports from outside the EU. It would be the end of any independent trade policy, with deals negotiated by Brussels. Boris Johnson says Britain would become an EU 'colony'. NHS PRIVATISATION What he said: 'Labour is implacably opposed to our NHS or other public services being part of any trade deal with Trump's America or a revived Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership-style deal with the EU, which would open the door to a flood of further privatisations. What he meant: 'We love the NHS.' But Mr Corbyn's customs deal would cut ministers' power to set trade policy, making it more likely that the NHS would be part of a trade deal with the US or other nations. SUBSIDIES What he said: 'In our transport networks, energy markets and digital infrastructure, too often Britain lags behind. We would seek to negotiate protections, clarifications or exemptions... in relation to privatisation and public-service competition directives, state aid and procurement rules and the posted workers directive.' What he meant: 'We want to hurl vast subsidies at nationalised industries.' To do so, he needs an exemption from EU rules that prevent 'state aid'. Labour intends to borrow around 500billion to 'invest'  code for huge bungs to favoured industries, IMMIGRATION What he said: 'Labour would design our immigration policy around the needs of the economy based on fair rules and the reasonable management of migration. We would not do what this Government is doing, start from rigid red lines on immigration and then work out what that means for the economy afterwards.' What he meant: 'I have no intention of reducing immigration.' He said the Government's immigration target to cut net numbers to the tens of thousands was 'bogus'. The new line saying Labour has 'no red lines' on immigration suggests he might trade away immigration controls, even though that's why millions of Labour voters backed Brexit. UNION POWER What he said: 'It is not migrants that drive down wages, it is bad employers that cut pay and bad governments that allow workers to be divided and undermined, and want unions to be weak. To stop employers being able to import cheap labour to undercut pay and conditions, collective agreements and sectoral bargaining must be the norm.' What he meant: All power to the unions. He refuses to restrict numbers  but government economists point to evidence that mass migration has suppressed wages, particularly among the low-skilled. Instead, he will hand huge power to unions barons to negotiate pay rates across industries. FORCING AN ELECTION What he said: 'I appeal to MPs of all parties prepared to put the people's interests before ideological fantasies, to join us in supporting... a new UK customs union with the EU that would give us a say in future trade deals. Labour respects the result of the referendum and Britain is leaving the EU. But we will not support any Tory deal that would do lasting damage to jobs, rights and living standards.' What he meant: I will do and say anything to bring down the Government and get into power. This sentence reveals the real reason for his speech: A cynical bid to win support from Tory Remainers and force a General Election. By backing a customs union, Labour opens up a potential alliance with rebel Tories. So despite a lifetime of Euroscepticism, Mr Corbyn is softening his position because it could take him a step closer to No10. Advertisement

Jeremy Corbyn set up a titanic Commons showdown by using a speech in Coventry today to commit Labour to staying in a customs union with the EU

The Labour leader was mobbed by Corbynistas invited to the crucial Brexit speech today

'This is another broken promise by Labour. Only the Conservatives are getting on with delivering what British people voted for, taking back control of our laws, borders and money.'

Brexit Secretary David Davis said Mr Corbyn was breaking the commitments he made to Labour voters at the last election'.

Who are the potential Tory rebels in the Anna Soubry amendment vote? Anna Soubry (tabled amendment) Nicky Morgan (Treasury select committee chairwoman) Sarah Wollaston (Health select committee chairwoman) Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon MP) Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon MP) Heidi Allen (South Cambridgeshire) Bob Neill (Justice select committee chairman) Antoinette Sandbach (Edisbury MP) Dominic Grieve (ex attorney general) Ken Clark (Rushcliffe MP) Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford MP) Vicky Ford (Chelmsford MP) Ex Vaizey (Wantage MP) Advertisement

'If it looks like snake oil, and it smells like snake oil, don't expect it to make you feel better,' he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

'The customs plan would surrender control over our trade defences.

'Membership of a customs union, with a common commercial policy, gives the EU the exclusive right to put in place remedies to tackle anticompetitive practices. This means that inside a customs union the UK would not be able to take action on the trade challenges we face.'

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: 'It's the first step of a  quite easy to see  a complete Labour sellout on the issue.

'Labour voters are going to start to ask: Are we really leaving?'

Pro-Brexit Labour MPs warned their leader he risked betraying millions of party supporters who voted to take Britain out of the EU.

Former minister Frank Field has said keeping the country shackled to the customs union would mean 'ratting on the people's decision to leave'.

But today he insisted Mr Corbyn's speech was not that significant - because the Labour leader was asking for a deal that the EU would never sign up to.

Kate Hoey, another former Labour minister, said: 'I hope Jeremy realises that to divert from the recent manifesto would be a hammer blow to those Labour supporters all across the country who came back and voted for us precisely because of our unequivocal position on leaving the EU.'

Labour Eurosceptic Graham Stringer said it was vital to keep the party's pledge to make a clean break with the EU, adding: 'Anything less would be a betrayal.'

But pro-EU Labour MP Chuka Umunna welcomed what he called 'a clear change of position'.

The Labour leader (pictured arriving in Coventry today) is expected to say he will sacrifice the ability to strike new trade deals in order to keep Britain locked in an EU customs union  and allow free movement to continue

Brexit Secretary David Davis, pictured left last week, accused Mr Corbyn of 'selling snake oil'. Theresa May (pictured arriving at Downing Street today) has ruled out staying in any form of customs union with the EU

In today's speech in the West Midlands, Mr Corbyn is expected to confirm that Labour would keep Britain in the customs union after Brexit, closing the door on the dream of taking back control of Britain's trade policy.

He will demand a 'bespoke' deal that would keep Britain in the single market in all but name, while demanding the right for a future Labour government to tear up EU competition rules to subsidise failing nationalised industries.

Mr Corbyn will signal that Labour is ready to join forces with Tory Remainers over the customs union in the hope of forcing a Commons defeat that could topple Theresa May.

Brussels draws up plan to put the post Brexit customs border in the Irish sea Brussels has drawn up a plan to put the post-Brexit customs border in the Irish Sea in a move which sets it on a collision course with Theresa May. The Prime Minister struck a deal with the EU in December which committed to keeping a soft border in Ireland as part of the divorce agreement. They also drew up a 'DUP clause' which promised there would be 'no new regulatory barriers' - effectively no hard border - between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. But the European Commission has deleted this wording in the legal document putting the divorce deal down in writing, according to reports. They have also drawn up a last resort option which would see Northern Ireland stay under EU rules and regulations if no free trade deal is done. This would mean Northern Ireland could accept the rules of the customs union, single market and continue to be bound by EU courts after Brexit - even while the rest of the UK is not. One senior EU diplomat who had seen the draft told the Financial Times it amounts to 'a long way of explaining what a border looks like along the Irish Sea'. Advertisement

He will also leave the door open to a second referendum on the final Brexit deal that could cause fresh chaos, and accept that they should only be minor curbs to free movement rules.

The move comes barely six months after Mr Corbyn's shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner warned that staying in a customs union after Brexit would be 'a disaster'.

Mt Gardiner said today: 'We have said that we recognise the benefits of the customs union as it stands and we are now saying that a customs union between the EU and the UK, where we together decide those third-party countries where we will have common tariffs and common quotas, is of benefit.'

Mr Gardiner insisted Labour's plans avoided some of the drawbacks of that approach by giving the UK a say over third countries' access and the rules governing the arrangement.

'What we are talking about is a customs union in which we, as the UK, would be negotiating with the EU about those third parties, we would not be in the situation of being a rule taker,' he said.

Solicitor general Robert Buckland accused Mr Corbyn of changing tack in search of 'short term advantage'.

'I was a massive Remainer. But if you vote to leave, you vote to leave the whole shebang,' he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour.

'This is about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour leadership seeing a short-term advantage by potentially winning a vote in the House of Commons, and therefore jumping on a bandwagon  It's politics, that's what this is about.'

Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell are lifelong Eurosceptics who have railed against the EU and its customs union for years.

In 2005, Mr Corbyn said EU tariffs were destroying agriculture in the developing world, adding: 'The practice is simply crazy and must be stopped.'

You won't get a penny! Mogg threat to Brussels Brussels 'needs to be reminded' it will not get a penny of the 40billion Brexit divorce bill if it blocks a good trade deal with the UK, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said. The Eurosceptic Tory MP told the Daily Mail it was time for Theresa May to get tough with Brussels, which rejected the Cabinet's trade demands last week before they have even been published. He called on ministers to ensure Britain feels 'different' on the day after we leave the EU in March next year, suggesting immediate curbs to free movement and the slashing of EU tariffs on things the UK does not produce. He denied holding the Government to 'ransom', and accused some pro-EU campaigners of 'colonial' attitudes by suggesting other countries' standards could never match those of Brussels. Advertisement

But he has come under intense pressure from Labour members and the unions to soften the party's line on Brexit. Labour strategists also believe the shift could wreck Mrs May's hopes of keeping the fragile Tory coalition on Brexit together.

Mr McDonnell is said to have told Labour's top team that inflicting a Commons defeat on Mrs May over the customs union is the 'best chance' of an early election.

Sir Keir said: 'The crunch time is now coming for the Prime Minister because the majority in Parliament does not back her approach to a customs union.'

Tory MP Nadine Dorries warned Remainers in her own party not to fall into Mr Corbyn's cynical trap. She said: 'Millions of Labour voters took Corbyn at his word when he promised to respect the referendum result and help deliver Brexit.

'Those same voters will punish him and any Tory Europhile rebels who are considering backing him.'

First Secretary of State David Lidington will today warn devolved governments not to use Brexit as an excuse to break up the UK. He will pledge to ensure most EU powers relating to devolved areas will be transferred to Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, rather than being hoarded by Westminster.

But Mr Lidington will warn the new powers must not be used to sever ties holding the UK together, warning this would make the whole country 'weaker and poorer'.

WHY DO THE CUSTOMS UNION AND SINGLE MARKET MATTER AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AFTER BREXIT? When Britain stays in a custom union with Brussels (the European Commissions headquarters is pictured) is one of the main points of Brexit contention The customs union and single market have emerged as crucial battlegrounds in the struggle over Brexit. The customs arrangements could decide the fate of the overall deal - as the UK has already said it will ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Here are the main options for what could happen after Britain leaves the bloc. Staying in the EU single market A Norway-style arrangement would be the deepest possible without formally staying in the EU. The single market rules out tariffs, quotas or taxes on trade, and guarantees free movement of goods, services, capital and - controversially - people. It also seeks to harmonise rules on packaging, safety and standards. Staying in the EU customs union The customs union allows EU states to exchange goods without tariffs, and impose common tariffs on imports from outside the bloc. But they also prevent countries from striking deals outside the union. Theresa May has repeatedly made clear that the UK will be leaving the customs union. Forging a new customs union Some MPs and the Labour leadership have raised the idea of creating a new customs union with the EU. This could be looser than the existing arrangements, but still allow tariff free trade with the bloc. However, many Eurosceptics believe it is impossible to be in a union without hampering the UK's ability to strike trade deals elsewhere. They also complain that it would mean accepting the EU's 'protectionist' tariffs against other parts of the world in areas like agriculture. The PM has also ruled out this option. A customs partnership Less formal than a union, this proposal would seek to cherry pick the elements that facilitate tariff-free trade - without binding the UK's hands when it comes to deals with other countries. One possibility could be keeping the UK and EU connected for trade in goods, but allowing divergence for the services sector. The partnership option was floated by the government in a position paper last year. 'Highly streamlined' customs This scenario would be a 'bare minimum' customs arrangement between the EU and UK. New technology would be deployed alongside a simple agreement to minimise friction. But there are fears that this could hit trade, and it is unclear how the system would work with a 'soft' Irish border. Advertisement

How has Jeremy Corbyn's position on the EU shifted over time? Jeremy Corbyn, pictured on a march in 2000, is a lifelong Eurosceptic Jeremy Corbyn's own words show how his attitude to the EU has shifted dramatically. January 1993: The European Central Bank will undermine any social objective that any Government would wish to carry out. March 1993: What powers do we have to do anything about the fraud in EC institutions on... the Common Agricultural Policy...? 'People... pay taxes and much of that money seems to find its way into the hands of the Mafia or into grandiose, unwanted and often badly built construction projects... May 1993: The Maastricht treaty takes away from national parliaments the power to set economic policy and hands it over to an unelected set of bankers who will impose the economic policies of price stability, deflation and high unemployment... May 2005: It is morally wrong that the US ... and the EU Commission pay farmers to overproduce. 'They then use taxpayers money to buy the overproduction ...it is then shipped at enormous public cost across the seas to be dumped as maize on African societies. Its simply crazy...  2008: The project has always been to create a huge freemarket Europe, with everlimiting powers for national parliaments and an increasingly powerful common foreign and security policy. June 2015: There is a real risk that Greece leaves both the eurozone and the EU. Its future would be uncertain, but at least it could be its own. June 24, 2016, day of the Brexit result: The British people have made their decision. We must respect that result and Article 50 has to be invoked now so that we negotiate an exit from European Union. 'Obviously there has to be strategy but the whole point of the referendum was that the public would be asked their opinion. Theyve given their opinion. It is up for Parliament to now act on that opinion. Advertisement

Brexiteers get close to the PM at the Chequers Summit
The sister of Vicar of Dibley star Emma Chambers has told of her 'deep shock' after she died of a suspected heart attack aged 53.

Sarah Doukas, a model agent who scouted Kate Moss, told MailOnline from her family farm in the New Forest: 'I have just got back from Australia and I'm in deep shock.'

Chambers, who died aged 53 on Wednesday, had battled asthma attacks and chronic allergies to animals for several years, the star revealed in a 2002 interview.

Sarah Doukas, a model agent who scouted Kate Moss,(seen right at a London fashion exhibition in 2013) said she was in 'deep shock' after the death of her sister (pictured left at a London film premiere in November 1999)

Best known for playing Alice Tinker in the BBC sitcom which starred Dawn French (right), the Doncaster-born star also featured in Notting Hill alongside Julia Roberts. They are pictured together in a 2013 file photo

Speaking to The Telegraph, Chambers revealed that her allergy to animals was so severe that she risked ending up in hospital if she touched one.

After one encounter with a cat in a changing room at the Albery Theatre, she was left 'itchy and wheezy' and struggled to speak properly the following day.

Despite her allergies, Chambers loved animals and lived on a farm, where some of her family are gathered today.

Chambers also suffered from eczema, and had acupuncture every ten days to deal with the condition.

Poignantly, it today emerged that Chambers once imagined what it would be like to be an old woman, the Times reported.

'The older I get, the more I seem to regress,' she said. 'I'm terrified that I'm still going to be smutty and crude and laugh at things like the word 'poo' when I'm 70.'

Vicar or Dibley and Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis (pictured in an undated photo in London) called Chambers 'the best comic actress I have ever met'

Her tragic death resulted in an outpouring of grief from fans and the wider acting community.

Vicar or Dibley and Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis called her 'the best comic actress I have ever met'.

Remembering her star performance as Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley, Curtis told The Times: 'She was particularly extraordinary in the jokes with Dawn at the end of the episodes - these were always left till the very last minute, recorded at 10pm, the last thing we filmed at the end of a long day - and were a real feat of remembering, with about one take to get it right.

'Her timing and delivery were utterly perfect. She was definitely the best comic actress I ever met, and the very qualities of openness and vulnerability she could portray were there in her dealings with everyone she met.'

Chambers was born in Doncaster and married fellow actor Ian Dunn after they met when appearing in a play together.

Her father did not attend the wedding so Ian McKellen, with whom she was lodging and who she called 'a sort of father figure', stood in for him.

Her agent said Chambers, who died from natural causes on Wednesday evening, would be 'greatly missed'. A statement said: 'Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many'

Hugh Grant, pictured with Julia Roberts and Emma Chambers in romantic comedy Notting Hill, mourned the loss of a 'brilliant actress' this evening

Chambers played alongside Dawn French from 1994 to 2007 in the much loved sitcom and won the British Comedy Award for Best Actress for her performance in 1998

Social media was awash with tributes from former colleagues and fans. Hugh Grant  who starred opposite Miss Chambers in Notting Hill  wrote on Twitter: 'Emma was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news.'

MR Plowman, who produced the Vicar of Dibley, added: 'Emma was a gifted comic actress who made any part she played look easy. She was adored by the cast and crew.'

Dawn French paid tribute to her former comedy co-star, saying: 'Emma was a very bright spark and the most loyal and loving friend anyone could wish for. I will miss her very much.'

Emma Freud, the partner of Curtis, described her as a 'sweet, funny, unusual and loving' human being'. She added: 'How could you not love this girl?'

Miss Chambers won warm reviews for her portrayal of Charity Pecksniff in the 1994 TV adaptation of Charles Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit.

But it was her starring role alongside Dawn French in the hit BBC sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley which earned her national recognition. Miss Chambers played the dimwitted but lovable Alice Tinker, who was an unlikely confidante of the Rev Geraldine Granger.

Chambers as Alice pictured with James Fleet as Hugo (centre) and Gary Waldhorn as David in a scene from the Vicar of Dibley

Chambers is pictured during her appearance in the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill, in which she portrayed Hugh Grant's younger sister

One of the show's most successful running gags was Tinker's inability to understand any of Granger's jokes which typically closed each episode.

Chambers proved an instant hit with viewers and in 1998 she won a British Comedy Award for Best Actress.

Paying tribute to the star, producer Plowman added: 'I think the thing I'll miss most was her laugh.

'She was a very, very good comic actress and she was very bright. Alice appears to be potentially a bit stupid, but she wasn't stupid. Alice just lived in another world and Emma was wonderfully capable of taking us to that other world and playing it very sincerely.

'She was a very good and gifted comic actress.'

Fans of the show last night paid tribute. One wrote: 'Thanks for all the giggles', and another added: 'This is so shocking and sad. Ah God she was so marvellous.'

Yesterday BBC executive Producer Jon Plowman claimed the specific cause of her death was a heart attack.

He told Radio 4: 'It's no age to have a heart attack, as I understand it.'
A London motorist had his congestion charge for driving within central London quashed after TfL did not confirm if their cameras were timed properly, which could lead to thousands of drivers questioning their fines.

Raymond Bryce was ordered to pay an 130 fine after not paying the congestion charge, but said he was was out of the charging area by 7am.

The charge for driving a vehicle in London's congestion zone is 11.50 per day, if you drive between the hours of 7am and 6pm.

London's congestion charge cameras. The charging zone operates Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, and costs motorists 11.50 a day if they drive in

Mr Bryce was told he was caught on camera leaving the zone's boundaries at 7.02am.

TfL did not confirm that the camera - which supposedly snapped Mr Bryce driving in the congestion zone during charging hours - was linked to the atomic clock, as maintained by an appeal body.

TfL matches their cameras to the atomic clock as it is the most accurate timekeeping method there is.

This meant that the time that Mr Bryce, from Staffordshire, was driving could not be confirmed.

Questions have been raised over Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras which are used in the congestion zone. The cameras are also used in car parks and on tolls

The 32-year-old's story has led to questions over the viability of other Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras which supposedly prove when a vehicle was in a certain place at a specific time.

The cameras are used all over the country, in car parks and on bridge tolls.

The AA said that there needed to be systems put in place to give motorists a few minutes leeway either side of the charging timetable.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said there needed to be 'a degree of flexibility' with the cameras, like there are with speed cameras.

He said: 'Clocks aren't one hundred per cent accurate, you might be going by the clock in your car or your watch.'

He said the leeway with speeding cameras, which can allow 10 per cent of the speed limit plus 2mph, 'should apply to other number plate systems'.

Victorious Mr Bryce has encouraged other drivers to question their fines if they were on the edge of a zone.

TfL say that the fine was quashed not because the cameras were incorrectly linked to atomic time, but rather because they provided evidence incorrectly. They also said the cameras are checked every four hours to ensure their timings are correct.
A disgraced relative of the last Kaiser of Imperial Germany has killed himself in a suicide plunge from the roof of a luxury hotel.

Carlos Patrick Godehard, Prince of Hohenzollern, 39, fell from the 21st floor roof terrace of the Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt.

He had been allowed out of the jail where he was serving a four year sentence for swindling at the weekend when he apparently took his own life.

Police have ruled out an accident and no other suspects are being sought.

Carlos Patrick Godehard, Prince of Hohenzollern, is believed to have committed suicide

Carlos Patrick Godehard, Prince of Hohenzollern, fell off the 21st floor of the Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt

The Hohenzollern line came to an end in 1918 with the exile of Kaiser Wilhelm II (above) after Germany's defeat in World War One

The prince was serving his sentence at Euskirchen and was due to be released in July. He was allowed out of jail as part of the preparations for freedom and drove the 200 miles to Frankfurt on Friday morning.

His body was found on the same day at 2.40pm. He died instantly.

His father was the famous art collector, Godehard Prince of Hohenzollern. Prince Carlos, born in Munich, later grew up in the castle 'Burg Namedy' in Andernach and inherited a multi-million pound fortune.

When he was 28 he went into partnership with a businessman to set up Hohenzollern Communications in Hamburg.

The company aimed to promote luxury brands in Germany. At that time the Prince explained: 'To indulge in a certain luxury  irrespective of the level of income  is an opposite to the daily worries.'

But the fortune was frittered away and the prince fell into criminality. In 2011 he was sentenced to four months probation for not paying an outstanding bill to as creditor and in 2014 to four years for dealing in multi-million pound investment funds which did not exist.

The Hohenzollerns rule of Germany officially came to an end at the end of World War One.
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Horrifying pictures have emerged showing young victims of an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held village in Syria.

A rescuer is shown cradling a little boy in his arms after the child was killed during airstrikes on al-Shifuniyah in Syria's Eastern Ghouta.

Medics say the youngster was poisoned to death in a gas attack as dictator Bashar al-Assad's forces continue their deadly assault on the region.

Shocking photos also show children and babies gasping for air and using breathing apparatus at a make-shift hospital.

It comes as the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was 'high time to stop this hell on earth', calling for implementation of a 30-day ceasefire.

Horrifying pictures have emerged showing a young victim of an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held village in Syria

The harrowing images also show a White Helmet volunteer spraying water on a dead child to get rid of the smell of toxic gases

Harrowing images show babies gasping for air and using breathing apparatus in a make-shift hospital following the apparent chemical attack

A Syrian medic holds the body of a child at a makeshift clinic following a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held village of al-Shifuniyah

A rescuer is shown cradling a young boy in his arms after the child was killed during airstrikes on the rebel-held village of al-Shifuniyah in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region. Medics say the youngster was poisoned to death in a gas attack

At least 13 people showed symptoms following intense regime bombardment, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a medic who treated those affected.

The Syrian American Medical Society, which supports a hospital in the besieged area, posted pictures on Twitter of small children using breathing apparatus.

'We confirm that 16 patients, including 6 children and 4 women, suffering from symptoms indicative to exposure to chemical compounds were treated' at the facility, it said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says President Vladimir Putin has ordered daily 'humanitarian pauses' in the rebel-held area.

Shoigu said in a statement on Monday that the cease-fire will be arranged for the suburb of the capital Damascus between 9am and 2pm every day starting Tuesday.

He also said Russia will help set an evacuation route for civilians in the area.

The announcement comes two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved of a resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria.

Eastern Ghouta has been under intensive bombing by government forces for weeks and at least 10 people have been killed on Monday as airstrikes and bombing resumed, according to local activists.

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes

Russia, which has backed Assad since 2015, said on Sunday that militants in the area were preparing a 'provocation' involving the use of chemical agents. According to Tass, the militants were planning to blame the attack on the regime.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the situation in Syria's Eastern Ghouta was highly alarming and militants there were using local civilians as hostages.

'The terrorists are not laying down their weapons, they are holding the local population as hostages, this is the main cause of a very tense situation,' he told a conference call with reporters.

Shocking photos also show children and babies gasping for air and using breathing apparatus at a make-shift hospital in the bomb-ravaged region

At least 13 people showed symptoms following intense regime bombardment, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a medic who treated those affected

The Syrian American Medical Society, which supports a hospital in the besieged area, posted pictures on Twitter of small children using breathing apparatus

Medics said that 16 patients, including 6 children and 4 women, were suffering from 'symptoms indicative to exposure to chemical compounds'

Desperate civilians trapped in one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war awaited aid and medical help toda yafter regime air strikes pounded rebel-held areas despite UN ceasefire demands

Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child

Russia has claimed that allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes

Desperate civilians trapped in one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war awaited aid and medical help toda yafter regime air strikes pounded rebel-held areas despite UN ceasefire demands.

More than 500 people have been killed in a major bombing campaign by President Bashar al-Assad's forces that has hammered the enclave on the edge of Damascus for over a week.

After days of diplomatic wrangling, the United Nations Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria 'without delay' to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The resolution raised hopes of stemming the bloodshed, but after clashes continued on Sunday it was unclear when or how broadly the ceasefire would be implemented.

Russia is a key ally of Assad's regime. In a phone call on Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence to reach a truce.

They called on Russia 'to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting,' Merkel's office said.

Children receive treatment following the suspected gas attack on al-Shifunieh village, in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday

Hundreds have been killed in a wave of airstrikes on rebel-held positions in Eastern Ghouta. Body bags are shown in a make-shift morgue in Douma

UN chief Antonio Guterres, who has described Eastern Ghouta under the bombardment as 'hell on Earth,' said the ceasefire must be 'immediately' implemented

A man is given treatment after being caught up in a suspected chemical attack in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta

In Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, fresh air raids and artillery strikes could be heard Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.

At least 14 civilians including three children were killed in strikes on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 530, among them over 130 children.

An aid worker in Douma, quoted by British charity Save the Children, said a brief pause in bombing had prompted people to emerge after a week sheltering in basements.

'Some people had no food to eat for two or three days,' the unnamed aid worker said.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said there appeared be fewer air strikes but that fighting had intensified on the ground.

Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, killing at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, he said.

The Britain-based group uses a network of sources across Syria to monitor the country's conflict.

Mohamed Alloush, a key figure in Jaish al-Islam, tweeted that the rebels were 'resisting' bids by regime forces to enter the region.

Eastern Ghouta, home to some 400,000 people, is surrounded by government-controlled territory and its residents are unwilling or unable to flee.

A total of more than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in Syria's war, which next month enters its eighth year with no diplomatic solution in sight

Russia accused rebels of preparing to use toxic agents in eastern Ghouta so they could later accuse Damascus of employing chemical weapons

In recent weeks, the United States has accused Syria of repeatedly using chlorine gas as a weapon. Rebel-held areas of the Ghouta region were hit in a major chemical attack in 2013

Last year, a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017, attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens

An inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that ISIS militants had used mustard gas

The two main rebel groups controlling the enclave - Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman - welcomed the Security Council demand, but vowed to fight back if there were renewed attacks.

UN diplomats say the resolution was watered down to ensure it was not vetoed by Russia, which has provided diplomatic and military support to Assad's regime.

Language specifying that the ceasefire would start 72 hours after adoption was scrapped and the term 'immediate' was dropped in reference to aid deliveries and evacuations.

In another concession, the ceasefire would not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with 'individuals, groups, undertakings and entities' associated with the groups.

Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate is present in Eastern Ghouta.

The head of the army in Iran, another key Assad ally, said the Syrian military would continue to target 'terrorist groups' in Eastern Ghouta.

Assad's regime and its allies routinely describe all opposition forces as 'terrorists'.

'The zones on the periphery of Damascus... are not covered by the ceasefire and the offensives and clearing operations by the Syrian army will continue,' said Mohammad Bagheri, according to the official IRNA news agency.

A war plane belonging to Bashar al-Assad's forces is seen flying overhead after airstrikes over Eastern Ghouta on Sunday

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with 'terrorists' in eastern Ghouta

A rocket is seen wedged into the a street after it was dropped on Douma on Sunday. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has steadily clawed back control of areas where his opponents rose up against his rule in 2011

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria's seven-year war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor

UN chief Antonio Guterres, who has described Eastern Ghouta under the bombardment as 'hell on Earth,' said the ceasefire must be 'immediately' implemented.

In the enclave, news of the UN vote made little impact.

'I don't think this decision will be implemented. It will be respected neither by the regime nor Russia,' said Douma resident Abu Mazen.

'We can't trust Russia or the regime. We are used to their betrayals.'

Rebels in Eastern Ghouta have also been firing into Damascus.

Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since February 18, according to state media.

A total of more than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in Syria's war, which next month enters its eighth year with no diplomatic solution in sight.
Severe thunderstorms were predicted by forecasters for the south east coast

Storms have arrived and are battering parts of Queensland as the state's storm season takes hold.

Hundreds of passengers have been affected by delays at Gold Coast Airport with flights delayed and diverted.

The Australian Bureau of Meterology warned the 'primary threat' is the possibility of between 60mm and 70mm of rain in an hour leading to 'local flash flooding' as the rains head towards Brisbane.

Storms brewing over the Gold Coast and Queensland on Monday night as the area was plunged into darkness

Hundreds of passengers were delayed when their flights were affected at Gold Coast Airport

Flights were diverted to Brisbane or delayed by up to three hours as storms hit Queensland

Virgin Australia reported its three flights from the Gold Coast to Melbourne and Sydney have been delayed by up to three hours.

Jetstar also said its 6.45pm flight to Melbourne was delayed by around two-and-a-half hours and was due to depart at 9.15pm.

Meanwhile one of its flights from Melbourne had to be diverted to Brisbane.

Severe thunderstorms were predicted by forecasters for the south east coast on Monday evening with rain expected to lash down.

Dramatic pictures have been posted on social media of the storm arriving across the region earlier in the afternoon around the Gold Coast.

Heavy flooding is predicted with some areas possibly getting up to 50mm of rainfall throughout the night.

Sydney suffered its wettest day in 12 months on Sunday with rainfall of up to 70mm in western suburbs while there was between 50-80mm of rain in areas between Newcastle and Canberra.

A well-timed landing as pilot Joseph Corrigan made his descent into Gold Coast airport before the storm rolled in

Gloomy clouds gathered over the south east coast of Queensland and is expected to reach Brisbane tonight

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advised drivers to never drive or ride through floods

The storms roll in over Gold Coast at Mermaid Waters

The town of Gatton, 100km east of Brisbane. had 51.2mm of rain since 9am on Monday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advised drivers to never drive or ride through flood waters.

'If it's flooded, forget it,' they said. 'Seek shelter preferably indoors and never under trees. Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm. Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.'

Gatton, 100km east of Brisbane. had 51.2mm of rain since 9am with many areas also set to face a deluge on Monday night

Radar pictured the rainfall over the east coast of Australia on Monday evening as storms lashed Queensland

A statement from the BoM said: 'Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is likely.

'At 6.35pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Coolangatta and Jimboomba.

'These thunderstorms are moving towards the northeast. They are forecast to affect Logan Village, Bundamba Lagoon and Greenbank by 7.05pm and Beenleigh, Logan City and Wacol by 7.35pm.

'At 7.45pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Ipswich, Beenleigh and Logan City.

'They are forecast to affect Brisbane CBD, Cleveland and Esk by 8.15pm and Strathpine, the area northwest of Esk and Toogoolawah by 8.45pm.'

For assistance in an emergency contact the State Emergency Service on 132 500.
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Incredible images show a huge murmuration of starlings making their way into the UK from eastern Europe as hundreds of thousands of birds migrate west in search of food for the winter.

Every year between October and February flocks of starlings come to the UK, most have flown across the North Sea from Belgium or the Netherlands.

Ornithologists rushed to a Somerset nature reserve on Saturday to see hundreds of thousands of the starlings flying in to roost.

The birdwatchers witnessed first hand as the starlings formed eerie images in the sky.

The birds then settled down in the long reeds at Westhay Moor national nature reserve in Somerset.

Starlings fly to the UK for winter, when the population of the bird swells as they move away from harsh weather in eastern Europe.

Birds fly from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the Baltic states, Poland and Russia and the numbers arriving vary from one winter to the next depending on the weather conditions in the continent.

The striking images made it appeared as if black clouds had formed spectacular shapes in the sky.

There are about 1.8million starlings breeding in the UK, but the population has dropped significantly and 40 million have disappeared from Europe since 1980.

Incredible images show a huge murmuration of starlings making their way into the UK from Eastern Europe as hundreds of thousands of birds migrate west in search of food for the winter

Every year between October and February flocks of starlings come to the UK, most have flown across the North Sea from Belgium or the Netherlands

This amazing site caused birdwatchers to rush to a Somerset nature reserve to see hundreds of thousands of starlings flying in to roost
Brussels has drawn up a plan to put the post-Brexit customs border in the Irish Sea in a move which sets it on a collision course with Theresa May.

The Prime Minister struck a deal with the EU in December which committed to keeping a soft border in Ireland as part of the divorce agreement.

They also drew up a 'DUP clause' which promised there would be 'no new regulatory barriers' - effectively no hard border - between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

But the European Commission has deleted this wording in the legal document putting the divorce deal down in writing, according to reports.

They have also drawn up a last resort option which would see Northern Ireland stay under EU rules and regulations if no free trade deal is done.

This would mean Northern Ireland could accept the rules of the customs union, single market and continue to be bound by EU courts after Brexit - even while the rest of the UK is not.

Brussels has drawn up a plan to put the post-Brexit customs border in the Irish Sea in a move which sets it on a collision course with Theresa May (pictured yesterday attending church in Maidenhead with her husband Philip)

One senior EU diplomat who had seen the draft told the Financial Times it amounts to 'a long way of explaining what a border looks like along the Irish Sea'.

The move will enrage the Prime Minister who has vowed there will be no barriers within the UK as a result of Brexit.

And it will face stiff opposition from the DUP - the Northern Ireland unionist party which is propping the Tories up in Government.

The Irish border is one of the trickiest questions abound up in the Brexit negotiations.

Currently the UK and Ireland are both in the EU so there is freedom of movement and goods and no hard border there - which help to underpin the Good Friday Agreement which brokered peace.

There are fears that new customs checks and border guards would reignite sectarian divisions and could spark fresh violence.

Under the divorce bill, Britain promised to maintain a soft border in Northern Ireland to avoid the peace being imperiled.

She promised Northern Ireland would maintain enough alignment with EU rules and regulations so that a hard border can be avoided.

British officials accused the EU of picking and choosing the bits they liked from the divorce deal to put into the treaty.

Sammy Wilson (file pic) a DUP MP, said the EU 'chancing its arm' over alignment would break the terms of the December agreement with the UK

A UK government official told the paper: 'It is no surprise that the EU will continue to produce documents that push their negotiating position.

'However it is important they accurately reflect the [December divorce deal] and include the full scope of the agreement, rather than simply the bits which best suit one side.'

British officials, in turn, see the commission as having a 'tin-ear' when it comes to Belfast politics.

Sammy Wilson, a DUP MP, said the EU 'chancing its arm' over alignment would break the terms of the December agreement with the UK.

He told the BBC: 'It will not be simply the DUP who will be opposing, I think the government will have difficulties with this.'
A video captured the horrific moment an angry elephant trampled a man to death in India.

The man, called Krishnappa, 56, had gone to a lake in in Belkonglu where a herd of wild elephants had gathered.

On Saturday, villagers went there to drive away the elephants after they strayed into the area and began raiding crop fields.

Villagers had submitted a memorandum to authorities, urging them to drive the herd away.

A video captured the horrific moment an angry elephant trampled a man to death in India

But when officials failed to act, they decided to take matters into their own hands - and around 200 people, including children, headed to the lake.

Video footage filmed at the scene showed the mob shouting at the elephants, as well as pelting stones and hurling firecrackers at them.

Then, one of the elephants is seen coming out of the water and charging at the crowd.

Krishnappa, a farmer from Kurubur in Bangarapet in the south Indian state of Karnataka, is seen collapsing to the ground as the elephant crushes him.

The man, called Krishnappa, 56, had gone to a lake in in Belkonglu where a herd of wild elephants had gathered when one of the elephants charged at the crowd

Krishnappa, a farmer from Kurubur in Bangarapet in the south Indian state of Karnataka, is seen collapsing to the ground as the elephant crushes him

His funeral was attended by hundreds of villagers on Sunday.

The Andhra Pradesh Forest Department has agreed to pay compensation equivalent to 5,520 to his family.

On Sunday, forest officials from both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states drove the herd of elephants into the forest.

Villagers went to the lake to drive away the elephants after they strayed into the area and began raiding crop fields
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A giraffe who was orphaned when his parents were killed by poachers has formed a unique friendship with staff at a nearby hotel.

Lonely Eric wandered into the grounds of Elsamere Lodge in Naivasha, Kenya looking for love following the brutal murder of his mum and dad.

The affectionate giraffe soon won the hearts of staff at the hotel and has returned on a regular basis delighting guests ever since.

Eric can often be found watching over staff during their day-to-day cleaning duties and posing for pictures with astounded visitors.

He also enjoys joining the locals at a nearby lake to collect water and wash clothes and will happily take leaves and food handed to him by star-struck tourists.

Despite being harmless, the loveable giraffe has been known to get a bit too close for comfort for some, after eating a straw hat straight from the head of a visitor at the lodge.

Friendly Eric has won the hearts of staff and tourists at the Elsamere Lodge in Naivasha, Kenya

Eric is fond of eating straw hats - but they have to be the right kind of straw

Eric can often be found watching over staff during their day-to-day cleaning duties

The gregarious giraffe does not like to miss out on any of the hotel's activities

Eric is often to be found at the hotel's reception to welcome selfie-seeking tourists

Photographer Mark Boulton has been asked to pack a straw hat as a present for Eric and the snapper captured him investigating his new gift as well as roaming around the hotel grounds and mingling with staff, guests and locals.

Mark, 80, from Mickleton near Evesham, said: 'It was my last day and I was at breakfast when a head just appeared at the window.

'I didn't have my camera so I ran up to get it and grabbed the hat too.

'I asked if anyone would be willing to wear it and everyone was kind of hesitant and perplexed until one guest volunteered.

'He didn't actually eat this one, I don't think it was made entirely from straw. He did seem very intrigued though.

'He's just a real people giraffe. He seems to prefer people to his own kind.'

Eric likes nothing better than a photo opportunity and often poses for pictures with astounded visitors

Hotel staff are helping Eric get over the trauma of the murder of his parents by poachers

The giraffe enjoys joining the locals at a nearby lake to collect water and wash clothes

Tourists who get to know Eric are able to return home with tall stories

Eric especially enjoys wandering around the hotel grounds

'What's going on here then?' There is nothing Eric likes more than taking part in a spot of hotel activities

Eric likes helping out at the hotel's reception - but sadly is a little too tall for a desk job

The giraffe has a commanding presence by the side of the river

The loveable giraffe has been known to get a bit too close for comfort for some, after eating a straw hat straight from the head of a visitor at the lodge

Eric is beloved by guests and hotel workers - and is happy to spend his time with both

The giraffe now feels perfectly at home wandering around the hotel's grounds

'He likes wandering around but really does seem to like Elsamere the best,' said Mark.

'He does mini safaris up and down the road and as you can imagine he's started to get a bit of a reputation.

'Everyone wants their selfie taken with Eric.'




Fears are growing for two teenage girls who are thought to be travelling towards regional Queensland with two older men.

Imogen Steer and Samara Hadley are missing after they didn't return to their southern Queensland home at 5.30pm on Sunday.

The 14-year-old girls are believed to be travelling towards Gympie - more than an hour drive from their home in Port Vernon.

Samara Hadley (left) and Imogen Steer, both 14, have been missing from their Queensland home since 3pm on Sunday

Peta Steer said her daughter and Samara met up with friends at the Marina in Harvey Bay without their phone or money and didn't return home.

'This is way out of Imogen's league,' Mrs Steer told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

The girls didn't return back overnight and were seen at 3pm in a white Commodore with two older men believed to be from Gympie.

Anyone with information about the two teenagers are urged to contact Queensland Police.
A heavily pregnant mother has been caught with a drug stash in the home she shares with her six-year-old son.

Emma Liedeway Cummins, 28, was just five weeks away from giving birth when police executed a search warrant at her Mountain Creek home, in the Sunshine Coast region on February 15.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Phil Stephens told the court Cummins was found in an 'embarrassing' state in bed when her six-year-old son let them inside the house.

Heavily pregnant mother Emma Liedeway Cummins (pictured) has been caught with a drug stash in the home she shares with her six-year-old son

Emma Liedeway Cummins, 28, was just five weeks away from giving birth when police searched her home - where she lives with her six-year-old son (pictured together)

Inside the Sunshine Coast home, police found a bowl with 1.3 grams of cannabis, a pipe, scissors and a grinder.

Cummins pleaded guilty to drug possession when she appeared in a Sunshine Coast court on Monday, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

Monday's appearance was her eight time in court on drugs charges.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said he was disgusted to hear Cummins put her drug addiction before her unborn child.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Phil Stephens said Cummins was found in an 'embarrassing' state in bed when her six-year-old son let them inside the house

Cummins pleaded guilty to drug possession when she appeared in a Sunshine Coast court on Monday

'If you can't stop smoking, child safety might be on your case. They could take your unborn child off you,' he said according to the Sunshine Coast Daily.

'Twice you have received probation orders, drug diversions, fines, suspended sentence, everything bar jail. A lot of magistrates would sentence you.

'You are getting close (to recovery) but are playing with fire. It damages the baby's health and is very selfish. Take a look at yourself.'

Magistrate McLaughlin said he would not sentence Cummins to jail due to the small amount of cannabis, but ordered her to pay a $400 fine.

He cautioned her the outcome would be different if she found herself back in court on drugs charges.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin said he was disgusted to hear Cummins put her drug addiction before her unborn child
Jamie Luner has been accused of performing a sex act on a teenage boy according to TMZ.

The alleged victim, who claims he was 16 at the time of the offense, filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department over the weekend claiming that the Melrose Place star performed oral sex on him back in 1998.

Luner, who would have been 26 at the time of the alleged incident, is now being investigated and could be facing a charge of oral copulation with a minor child.

The actress, 46, has yet to respond to these allegations. A rep for Luner and the Los Angeles Police Department also did not respond to a request for comment.

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Allegation: Jamie Luner (left in 2009, right in 2001) has been accused of performing oral sex on a 16-year-old boy back in 1998 reports TMZ

Soap stardom: Luner was already one of television's biggest stars when she nabbed the role of Lexi Sterling in the final two season of Melrose Place (clockwise from top left: Luner, Rob Estes, Heather Locklear, Jack Wagner, John Haymes Newton, Kelly Rutherford, Thomas Calabro, and Josie Bisset)

Luner first rose to fame with her role on the Growing Pains spin-off Just the Ten of Us (Top row, left: Brooke Theiss, Matt Shakman, Bill Kirchenbauer, Luner, JoAnn Willette; on steps, left: Deborah Harmon holding Riquel Kyle Shane, Heidi Zeigler (holding Jason/Jeremy Korstjens (Harvey), Heather Langenkamp)

Luner was at the height of her Melrose Place fame when the alleged incident occurred between herself and teenager.

Even if Luner is found guilty, she may only be charged with a misdemeanor if the sex act was consensual due to the fact that the victim was over the age of 16 at the time of the incident.

Oral copulation with a minor child can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor under California state law, with the former largely reserved for instances in which the victim is under 16.

It can also be charged as a felony, however, if the victim is over 16 but was incapacitated or forced into the act at the time of the incident.

The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum prison sentence of one year, while the felony charge can carry up to 10 years behind bars.

There is also a chance the statute of limitations has run out on this case - with California law requiring that a report be filed within one year of the offense if the act was consensual.

It is also stipulated that the offense must be reported before the victim turns 28, which could be a problem for the 36-year-old man who has reported Luner to police.

In some non-consensual cases however, criminal charges can be filed within one year of a victim making a report to police.

Ex-files: She would have been dating personal trainer John Braz (couple above circa 1998) at the time of the alleged incident, who she split with in 1999 after four years together

Kids incorporated: Luner was already a household name before her Melrose days thanks to roles in such shows as Just the Ten of Us and Growing Pains (above with Pains co-star Jeremy Miller)

Enlightened: In 2015 she received a degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica (above at commencement with her parents)

Luner would have been in a relationship with John Braz at the time of the alleged offense.

She and the personal trainer began dating in 1995 but went their separate ways four years later around the time Melrose Place ended its run.

That is Luner's only known relationship, with the actress having always been incredibly private about the details of her love life.

This despite getting her start in commercials while still a child and attending the famed Beverly Hills High before landing her first big role in 1988 on the popular television series Just the Ten of Us.

She then made memorable guest appearances on Growing Pains and Married With Children before snagging her next big part in 1996 on Savannah.

It was while auditioning for Savannah that Luner first met Aaron Spelling, would would give her the role on Melrose that made her an A-list television star.

Bagging a Baldwin: Luner and Stephen Baldwin at the premiere of their film Friends & Lovers in 2000 (above)

Chameleon: Luner on All My Children in 2009 (left) and in a recent Instagram post (left)

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia: Luner with Marcia Gay Harden (above) while filming a guest spot on the series Code Black

Luner was one of television's biggest stars in the late 1990s thanks to her role as Lexi Sterling in Melrose Place, joining the cast in the sixth season and staying on until the show ended its run.

She immediately picked up an even bigger role as she took over for Ally Walker in the fourth season of Profiler, starring on 20 episodes of the NBC series before it was cancelled by the network.

Luner has made a number of guests appearances on television shows over the past 20 years and been featured in numerous Lifetime movies.

She also appeared in over 300 episodes of the popular soap opera All My Children from 2009 to 2011 in the role of Liza Colby, becoming the third actress to play the character.

Her recent work includes a ten-episode run on the TNT series Murder in the First back in 2016 and the lead role in the 2017 Lifetime film A Lover Betrayed.

She also recently wrapped work on two films slated fort release later this year, Tell Me I Love You and Deadly Runaway.

In 2015 she also received her degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Federal prosecutors who have already indicted President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on charges of money laundering, bank fraud and covertly lobbying for pro-Russian interests may have additional leverage arising from a loan he received while engaged in the bankruptcies of properties in California, several former law enforcement officials say.

Reuters has found new information about Manafort's handling of the loan and its potential link to the bankruptcies as Special Counsel Robert Mueller seeks to pressure Manafort to cooperate with his investigation into Trumps campaign team and possible collusion with Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.

At issue is whether the failure to disclose a loan from a lender that was also the main creditor in the California bankruptcy cases represented an illegal concealment of material information.

Reuters has also learned that over the past several months Mueller has begun focusing on Jeffrey Yohai, Manafort's former son-in-law and his partner in four California property deals that failed and were placed in bankruptcy, as a potentially valuable witness in his probe.

Last week Mueller filed new criminal charges against Manafort and Rick Gates, a former business partner who served as Trumps deputy campaign manager. The California bankruptcies might be yet another avenue of inquiry for Mueller's team, said Frank Figliuzzi, who was assistant director of counterintelligence for the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Mueller until 2012.

'It's all about increasing pressure on Manafort to cooperate,' he said.

Complex deals: Paul Manafort is a 50 per cent stakeholder in his son-in-law's property company which had four of its properties go into bankruptcy. But a lender involved in the proceedings gave Manafort a loan on a property in Brooklyn. There could be illegal concealment of a material fact by Manafort

In the crosshairs: Paul Manafort, with his wife Kathleen, is being focused on by special counsel Robert Mueller

Property dealer: Manafort was in business with his son-in-law Jeffrey Yoahi who was seen at a party in New York in 2007 with stylist Ally Fusco

A Reuters review of property records and California bankruptcy court filings shows that a Manafort-controlled company secured in early 2017 a loan against a Brooklyn home from Genesis Capital LLC, now owned by Goldman Sachs, which was the top secured creditor in the bankruptcies of the four high-priced properties in the Los Angeles area.

Genesis signed off on the $303,750 loan two days after a judge overseeing the bankruptcies agreed to release from creditor protection one of the properties - a Spanish colonial-style home.

The move, pushed by Manaforts lawyers and requested in court by a lawyer representing the bankrupt properties, allowed Genesis to put the property up for sale, while the loan helped Manafort finalize a $6.8 million refinancing of the Brooklyn home with another lender.

Neither Manafort, Genesis, nor the lawyer representing the bankrupt properties disclosed the Brooklyn loan to the bankruptcy court - and all told Reuters they had no obligation to do so. Yohai was also kept in the dark, his lawyer said.

Under federal law, the knowing concealment of an asset or financial transaction that materially impacts a bankruptcy proceeding constitutes bankruptcy fraud.

Four former federal prosecutors who reviewed Reuters' findings said not disclosing the Brooklyn loan could amount to fraud if the loan and the Spanish colonial home's release were connected to each other and deliberately concealed.

'You can't just do things on the side and not tell,' said Patrick Cotter, a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago and former assistant U.S. attorney in New York.

Dan Guthrie, a Dallas white collar defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, said it would be unlikely that a prosecutor would pursue an indictment without firm evidence of a 'quid pro quo'.

'As a prosecutor you are not going to want to go forward with an indictment without solid proof of that connection,' he said.

Catherine Bauer, the judge overseeing the bankruptcy cases in California, and Michael Hauser, the U.S. trustee assigned to the cases, both declined to comment.

Matthew Browndorf, a partner at the law firm that represented Manafort, said all of its court filings 'followed the required process and disclosures of the California Bankruptcy Court.' He declined further comment.

Jeffrey Dulberg, a lawyer for Genesis, said his client was unaware of what was behind the decision to release the Spanish colonial home from bankruptcy. Of the other three properties, Genesis foreclosed on one and two remain in bankruptcy proceedings.

Manafort referred questions to his spokesman, who declined to comment, citing a gag order in the criminal case.

Marc Forsythe, who represented the four limited liability companies that filed for bankruptcy, said he was not required to disclose the loan because he was never told that MC Brooklyn Holdings, LLC, the Manafort company that received the loan from Genesis, was a party to or had any interest in the bankruptcies.

On Thursday, Mueller filed new criminal charges against Manafort and Gates, supplementing indictments in October. The two men stand accused of laundering more than $30 million, using secret offshore accounts, duping banks to get loans, and failing to register as foreign agents for the lobbying they did for a pro-Russian Ukranian political party.

Loan: Manafort had $6.8 million borrowed to finance this property in Brooklyn, New York, including a loan from Genesis Capital, which was involved in the bankruptcy litigation

Los Angeles property: Yoahi's company bought this Bel Air property for $8.5 million but it went into bankruptcy

Part of the deal: This Los Feliz Spanish colonial-style property was brought out of bankruptcy by Genesis and sold, in line with what Manafort's lawyers urged. Genesis then loaned him money for his Brooklyn property. Yohai had bought it for $3.2 million

Discreet: The property on Blue Jay Wai in the Bird Streets is close to Laurel Canyon and was bought for $7.5 million by Yohai's LLC, which was 50 per cent owned by Manafort

Flipped: Manafort's ex-deputy Rick Gates pleaded guilty last Friday in a plea deal which is expected to turn him in to a co-operating witness

On Friday, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and he is cooperating with the probe, but Manafort maintains his innocence and has vowed to take his case to trial.

As a close business partner Yohai was privy to many of Manafort's financial dealings. They were 50-50 partners in parent company of the four bankrupt LLCs and were working together on refinancing strategies before they had a falling out last September over a plan to buy two of the four properties out of bankruptcy, court filings and emails show.

Mueller's prosecutors interviewed Yohai in June, asking him about Manaforts relationship with Trump, his ties to Russian oligarchs, and his recent mortgaging of various properties in New York, two people familiar with the matter said.

A Los Angeles federal prosecutor overseeing a separate probe into alleged financial wrongdoing by Yohai has recently pressured him to sign a plea deal that includes a cooperation component, they said. Reuters was unable to determine what sort of cooperation that deal sought.

Yohai's lawyers did not respond to questions about the interview or the Los Angeles investigation.

A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

The key events related to the loan for Manafort's Brooklyn brownstone played out in early 2017. On Jan. 13, two days after bankruptcy judge Bauer agreed at a hearing to release the Spanish colonial home, Genesis gave MC Brooklyn Holdings the $303,750 loan.

The loan was critical for Manafort to bridge the gap between $6.8 million needed to refinance the brownstone and $6.5 million that Federal Savings Bank agreed to lend him, two people familiar with the matter said.

Yohai was in an Arizona facility being treated for anxiety and was unaware of the loan at the time, according to those familiar with the matter.

When he left the facility in mid-January the decision to release the Spanish colonial-style home was not yet binding and Yohai had Forsythe draft a motion arguing the initial request did not reflect his views and seeking its reversal. But Yohai did not submit the motion and eventually agreed to let the move go forward in February.
A man has sparked fury after filming himself releasing a herd of cows from their shed into a country lane.

After opening the gate to free them, Sam Walker says to the camera 'I didnt like the conditions these cows were living in so Ive had to set them all free - a little bit of exercise for them.'

He later added: If an animal is going to be killed for food then it should at least have a good quality of life before its sent to slaughter!

A man who recklessly opened a gate to a cows pen and filmed the animals being released has been heavily criticised for his dangerous actions. In the footage, Sam Walker (left), of Liverpool, shows the cows milling around outside of their enclosure (right)

A panicked man and woman run to herd the cows and as they do they criticise Walker for his action and tell him to get off the private property. He refuses.

Walker, from Liverpool, has been condemned for endangering the animals.

The dairy cows were being kept in the cow shed to protect them from the harsh winter and to stop them turning their fields into mud.

If they had not been caught quickly, they would also have suffered serious pain because they need milking twice a day. He also put them at risk of being hit by a car.

Walker has recently been released from prison after being sentenced to 20 months for dangerous driving. He claims to have committed 100 offences in his lifetime.

In the clip as the cows wander into the lane, Walker says that there is mayhem here and laughs.

He quickly jumps back when the cows get close to him.

When told by a man (left), who was trying to herd the animals (right) back to safety, that he should move along, Walker replied: Move along? Its a public path. Yet the man instructs Walker that it is in fact a private lane

The man, who tries to herd the animals back to safety, tells Walker that he should move along, but Walker replied: Move along? Its a public path.

He informs Walker that it is in fact a private lane.

Trying to justify his actions in the clip, Walker adds: I didnt like the conditions these cows were living in so Ive had to set them all free - a little bit of exercise for them.

The clip finishes with Walker asking: Was that wrong?

Walker posted the footage on Twitter with the caption: Driving down a country lane. Seen some cows living in filthy cramped conditions so thought it was only right they got a little bit of exercise!

If an animal is going to be killed for food then it should at least have a good quality of life before its sent to slaughter!

However, he was condemned by social media users.

Social media users were quick to point out that the animals were in fact dairy cows and explained why Walker's actions were so dangerous

One wrote: If a car hit them it would be a disaster. This guy hasnt a clue. They were let loose, could have ended up anywhere, the cows were in a holding pen waiting to be milked. Visit a farm you may learn something.'

Another said: Those are milking cows, they suffer if they are not milked twice a day. They come in for milking mostly of their own accord.

The reason they were in there is to keep them warm and dry and also not to damage the grass that they feed on in the summer.'

One added: I can understand why you felt concern for these animals if you are not used to seeing livestock but you have put their lives in danger and frightened them. If you really want to help, learn about livestock farming.

And another wrote: Your first trip to the countryside you absolute k***? Make it your last as you clearly have no clue about animals or their welfare.

The film was posted on February 23. It is unclear where the clip was taken.
Andrew Murray has been enlisted by the Labour leader as a part time consultant as the party hones its Brexit strategy (file pic)

Jeremy Corbyn has drafted in a controversial former Communist to help run his office.

Andrew Murray has been enlisted by the Labour leader as a part time consultant as the party hones its Brexit strategy.

But his appointment has sparked anger among party moderates who have concerns about his political beliefs.

Mr Murray was a member of the British Communist party for 40 years before he quit to join Labour under Mr Corbyn's left-wing leadership.

He has defended the Russian tyrant Stalin, suggesting his regime was better than living in the West.

And he has written an article expressing 'solidarity' with North Korea - which is ruled under the tyrant Kim Jong Un.

Mr Murray is also chief of staff to Len McCluskey at the Unite union, but will work a day and a half a week in Mr Corbyn's office, The Guardian reports.

One shadow cabinet minister told the newspaper: 'I see him around in the leader's office and it's a puzzle what he's doing there.'

Unite, which is Labour's biggest donor, will continue to pay Mr Murray's salary and the arrangement has been reported to the Electoral Commission, the party said.

In his new role the left-winger will sit in on senior job interviews and discuss and help shape party strategy.

Mr Murray used to be a chairman of the Stop the War Coalition - the left-wing group set up to oppose the Iraq war which had ties to socialist parties in the UK.

He is an old friend of Seamus Milne, Mr Corbyn's far-left chief spokesman.

Stalin's tyrannical regime saw millions killed through purges and the forced collectivisation of farms.

And he imposed a police state in which Russians bullied and manipulated into informing on their friends, families and neighbours.

Mr Murray has also voiced his support for North Korea - saying that he has 'solidarity with Peoples Korea'.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured delivering his Brexit speech in Coventry today) has drafted in the controversial former Communist to help run his office

News of the appointment came as Mr Corbyn announced a radical change in the party's Brexit policy.

He announced Labour would keep the UK in a customs union with the EU after the country quits Brussels.

In his biggest speech on Brexit since the referendum, the Labour leader made clear he is ready to sacrifice the UK's ability to strike new trade deals in return for staying in a customs union with the EU.

Laying down the gauntlet to Theresa May ahead of her own keynote intervention on Friday, Mr Corbyn warned that nothing could be allowed to put the Good Friday Agreement at risk in Northern Ireland.

But the shift by Labour has already caused fury among the party's Brexiteers, and was branded nakedly political by Tories, as it paves the way for a titanic Commons showdown.
President Donald Trump has used a picture of a Parkland high school massacre survivor in an email asking for cash towards his re-election campaign.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump visited Madeleine Wilford, 17, in hospital two days after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The email, sent out on Saturday, led with a photo of the visit and stated that Trump, who has proposed arming teachers as a way to tackle school shootings, would make children's safety his top priority.

Come begging: A black-and-white version of this photograph was used to illustrate an email asking for donations to the Trump re-election campaign

'The nation has turned its attention to the senseless school shooting in Parkland, Florida,' the email seen by CNN reads.

'Trump is taking steps toward banning gun bump stocks and strengthening background checks for gun purchasers.

'The President has made his intent very clear: 'making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority.''

The email was finished off with a link to the Trump re-election campaign's donations website.

It is not known if Miss Wilford or her family are Trump supporters, nor if she gave permission for the photograph to be used in his campaign.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump visited Madeleine Wilford, 17, in hospital two days after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

Students and their parents are pictured on Sunday as they went back to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School nearly two weeks after a gunman killed 17 students and teachers

During their visit to her sickbed, the President and the First Lady promised to give Miss Wilford a letter of recommendation for the college she hopes to attend, Brigham Young University.

Miss Wilford survived the school shooting on Valentines Day which saw former student Nikolas Cruz, 19, murder 14 students and three members of staff.

She suffered a collapsed lung and had to have three tendons in her right arm re-attached and and titanium plates fused to her broken ribs.

After a week in hospital, Miss Wilford made was able to return home last Wednesday.

In an interview from her hospital bed, Miss Wilford described how Cruz had begun shooting through windows a few classrooms down as he made his way down the hall.

She recalled how students dove to the floor in an attempt to get out of the line of sight of the door window as she wedged herself between the teacher's podium and a desk. As students hid, she was pushed towards the middle of the room.

'All of a sudden I felt a shot hit me,' Miss Wilford,, a devout Mormon Christian, told Deseret News, adding that she could not recall feeling the other three bullets.

'I realized I was shot and an immense amount of pain went over me. The first thing I thought was that I was going to die. I was screaming, "Help me! Help me!" I was frantic. I didn't know what to do.'
The Turkish president has appeared in a bizarre video in which he assures a sobbing child in military uniform that she would get state honours if killed while fighting.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was heard commenting: 'If she's martyred, they'll lay a flag on her,' at a televised congress of his AK party.

He made the comment - on live television - in front of cheering supporters who urged him to carry on with the military offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria's northern Afrin region.

The president made the comments to a sobbing young girl dressed as a Turkish solider on a public stage during a live TV appeareance

The president was cheered by adoring supporters as he told the girl she will be honoured if she is martyred

Mr Erogan urged the child to be 'ready for anything'

Critics have condemned his action as the same sort of child abuse for propaganda purposes as carried out by Islamic State fighters.

In the event the young girl - estimated to be about five years old - dressed as a soldier seems to catch the attention of Mr Erdogan, who then invites her to the stage, the BBC reported.

'Look what you see here! Girl, what are you doing here? We have our maroon berets here, but maroon berets never cry,' he told her, referring to the beret worn by the Turkish Special Operations Forces.

Turkish troops are currently engaged in an offensive in the northern Syrian region of Afrin

The Syrian region of Afrin, which borders Turkey, is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and has faced a month-old assault by Ankara and allied Syrian rebels

Turkey says that it needs to protest its southern border areas from 'terrorist' forces based in Syria

Ankara sees both the YPG and PKK Kurdish groups as terrorist organisations - here a Turkish strike can be seen on a suspected PKK headquarters earlier this month

'She has a Turkish flag in her pocket too... If she's martyred, they'll lay a flag on her, God willing,' he said during the congress in the southern town of Kahramanmaras on Saturday.

'She is ready for everything, isn't she?' The girl replied: 'Yes.'

Mr Erdogan then kissed her face and let her go.

The president's comments were immediately condemned on twitter - one person likened them to child abuse while another sad the president was wrong to says 'God willing' to the death of a child.

The president's actions were also criticised by the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) that opposes Ankaras operation in the Afrin region.

'The mindset that abuses children by promising them death will lose,' the party said in a tweet.

The president's latest comments however do not appear to have dampened the enthusiasm of his supporters of him or of his Syria offensive - they do not appear concerned that Erdogan's own sons have evaded military service while he routinely emphasises the importance of martydom as a means of securing Turkey's future.

Turkey on 20 January launched a major operation aimed at ousting YPG Kurdish forces from their enclave of the northwestern town of Afrin.

Mr Erdogan earlier this month said troops would also move east to Manbij - where unlike Afrin there is a US military presence. Commentators say such a move would mark a major escalation in the conflict.




Children who are still in primary school are becoming addicted to ice in a small South Australian town.

Murray Bridge, located about an hour south-east of Adelaide, has been destroyed by a scourge of methamphetamines, and Superintendent James Blandford says it's affecting residents of all ages.

'Murray Bridge has a significant issue with drugs, particularly methamphetamine,' he told Nine News.

'People who aren't even in their teenage years, 11, 12 years old, right through to grandparents [are becoming addicted].'

In a town just an hour from Adelaide, children as young as 11 are addicted to ice

The problem came to light after the brutal and fatal bashing of Sally Rothe, 54, in her Murray Bridge home.

When Major Crime detectives raided more than 100 properties in the area as they searched for suspect Travis Kirchner, they were left stunned at the conditions they found people living in.

But the community has been battling its drug problem for years - during a community forum in 2015, Sergeant David Hunt of SAPOL's Serious and Organised Crime Branch said there was 'no doubt' Murray Bridge had a problem with drugs.

Superintendent James Blandford says young children and grandparents have become hooked on the drug

Sergeant Hunt also recognised the rising use of methamphetamine in the area, Power FM reported at the time.

Supt Blandford told Nine News all of Australia needed to begin talking about what drove the demand for the drugs in order for any police action to be effective.

'It breaks your heart when you see these families and you see these kids believe that's normal.

'I'm not quite sure what normal is anymore, but that's not normal.'
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These pictures show the final preparations ahead of the deployment of U.S. soldiers during World War II, taken by one photographer sent across the country to make sure the image of a strong and powerful army was broadcast to American homes.

Alfred T. Palmer was the official head photographer for the Office of War Information, set up by President Roosevelt in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941.

He had the responsibility of ensuring that the images of the war effort that ended up in the newspapers would inject courage and national pride in the public.

The war effort at home: An M-4 tank crew is seen smiling for the camera of Alfred T Palmer at Fort Knox, June, 1942

Propaganda: Lieutenant 'Mike' Hunter, Army pilot assigned to Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California

National pride: This M3 tank crewman was one of hundreds of troops photographer by Palmer during his time as official head photographer for the Office of War Information

This collection of images were taken in the lead up to the deployment of American troops, with Palmer traveling all over the United States to capture soldiers, airmen and marines training for the war.

It shows show M-3 tanks and their crews being put through their paces during basic training at Fort Knox in Kentucky, with another capturing a P-51 Mustang fighter jet soaring through the skies above Inglewood, California.

Further pictures from the collection show a group of airmen being given their final set of instructions before taking off from an airfield at Langley Field, Virginia.

Moving along: Palmer traveled across the country to capture the training and preparations being carried out ahead of the deployment of U.S. troops during World War II

The man behind the lens: American wartime photographer Alfred T. Palmer, left, and one of his subjects, right

Ready for lift-off: A marine Lieutenant, glider pilot in training at Page Field, Parris Island, South Carolina

In training: A Browning machine gunner is photographed during training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in June, 1942

Here's our mission: A combat crew receives final instructions just before taking off in a mighty YB-17 bomber from a bombardment squadron base at the field, Langley Field, Virginia, May, 1942

A soldier stands next to a 16-inch coast artillery gun in Fort. Story, Virginia, March, 1942

One photo shows a single marine as he parachutes down from the skies above Parris Island, North Carolina

A young soldier of the U.S. armored forces holds and sights his garand rifle, at Fort Knox, Kentucky

One photo shows a single marine as he parachutes down from the skies above Parris Island, North Carolina.

Tasked with illustrating all aspects of the war effort through his photography, he also photographed industrial workers, citizen participation, and - in particular - women joining the industries to support the military.

His 'Rosie the Riveter'-style photographs would show women in factories, working on Vengeance dive bombers, building fighter planes and publicising the Salvage for Victory campaign.

After the war, Palmer became a photographer for National Geographic, producing motion pictures for the Maritime Commission, US State Department and various humanitarian organizations, before passing away peacefully in 1993.

Working on it: A crew is seen servicing an A-20 bomber in Langley Field, Virginia, in July, 1942

The collection of Palmer's photographs is a revealing insight into some of the people who helped to make the allied war effort a successful one.

A U.S. Marine Band drummer, probably at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., left, and right, a man of the Fort Story, Virginia coastal defense

Parade of M-4 (General Sherman) and M-3 (General Grant) tanks in training maneuvers, Ft. Knox, Kentucky, in June, 1942

Fight in flight: A P-51 'Mustang' fighter is seen flying over Inglewood, California during a training session

Men of Fort Story operate an azimuth instrument, to measure the angle of splash in sea-target practice, Fort Story, Virginia,
A British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Edinburgh Airport has landed safely following reports of a mid-air emergency.

The plane departed London Gatwick this morning and arrived in the Scottish capital at 12.45pm.

A British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Edinburgh Airport has declared a mid-air emergency

Flight tracker AirLive tweeted: 'British Airways #BA2938 inbound Edinburgh is declaring an emergency.'

However a spokesman for British Airways said that was an 'anomaly' and the aircraft had landed with no problems.
When Molly the pot-bellied pig was was adopted from an animal sanctuary in British Columbia, it was hoped she would live a happy and healthy life.

Instead, she was eaten by her new owner a month later.

Animal rights activists are furious after learning that Molly, who was one of 57 pigs Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs taking refuge at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Duncan, BC. was slaughtered for meat.

'Normally you are getting pictures about how great they are doing because its a pretty exhaustive application process to make sure that we find a good home,' said Lorie Chortyk, long time employee of SPCA in BC.

'Sadly, what you cant guarantee against is that someone is going to be untruthful to you,' she said, speaking to Chek News.

Molly, pictured, was one of 57 pigs Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs taking refugee at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Duncan, BC. She was eaten

Molly's new owners, a couple from Vancouver Island, took her home on 19 January of this year. They had, like all prospective owners, been well-vetted.

They are said to have encountered problems training the pig. On 16 February they informed SPCA that they had used Molly for food.

SPCA worker, who remembers caring for Molly, told CBC: 'First reaction I'd say was shock. Heartbreak. You know, all the animals that come through our care or branches we get attached to.

'To hear that somebody did this to an animal that we worked so hard to make sure was healthy, and tried to get into a good home, is absolutely heartbreaking.'

It is not clear whether the new owners signed anything that would prevent them from eating Molly as food but it is not a criminal offense to breach an SPCA contract.

Expressing outrage on Facebook, animal rights group and sanctuary RASTA, also based in BC, said: 'It takes a special type of person to adopt an animal from a rescue organization simply to take them home to kill them, and eat them.

'Rest in peace beautiful Molly.'

RASTA had adopted two pigs from Molly's litter, who are said to have been saved from a 'hoarding situation' sometime in 2017.

Molly's new owner is not being charged with animal cruelty but SPCA has banned them from adopting any pets in the future, at least from the province of BC.

Police, who spoke to the pig's owners, were told that Molly was killed humanely. Animal cruelty laws could have been applied otherwise.

Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs typically live up to 15 years. Owning a pet pig, as with any pet, requires time and dedication, according to SPCA.
An 'extraordinary' young head teacher known for his no nonsense approach to discipline was found hanging at his home following a marriage breakdown, an inquest heard today.

Gary Vyse hit headlines in 2016 when he banned false eyelashes, fake tan, heavy foundation and lipstick at the school where he was head.

Since the 37-year-old had a meteoric rise through the ranks and in just three years he became chief executive of six schools across Kent. He was considered one of the most influential educational leaders in the area.

Mr Vyse, a father of two young children, died at home and was found by 'a friend'.

Gary Vyse, 37, a super-strict headmaster known for banning false eyelashes and fake tan who was found dead at his home had suffered a breakdown of his marriage, MailOnline can reveal

Mr Vyse, who was chief executive of the Williamson Trust and head of the Hundred of Hoo Academy, was found at his 350,000 three-bedroom home in Rochester, Kent, on February 12.

Students from Hoo Academy also paid their respects by bringing flowers to the school as they returned from their half term break.

In 2016, Mr Vyse criticised parents for allowing their children to attend school in heavy makeup saying it wasn't a 'fashion parade'.

Weeks later he made headlines again after crashing his 45,000 BMW 428i while twice over the legal limit.

Pleading guilty at Mid Kent Magistrates' in October 2016, he was banned from driving for 18 months and apologised for the 'moment's recklessness'.

Mr Vysewas was arrested for drink driving after crashing his BMW car near his parents home in Kent in October 2016

In a statement he said: 'Many will know of my 'no excuses' policy for pupils at my school and that is something that I myself also live by.

'My actions were wrong and this is something I will always regret. I would like to apologise for what has happened, and reassure you that the moment of recklessness which has caused great embarrassment for me, was incredibly out of character and it's certainly not something I condone.'

His bosses said they were disappointed by his actions but added they were 'aware of the extenuating circumstances that surrounded Mr Vyse that preceded the incident.'

After his death tributes were paid to the head by his fellow teachers and local politicians.

Micheal Costello, chair of The Williamson Trust, said: 'We are all shocked and saddened by the loss of such a strong and influential leader.

'Gary was an extraordinary individual with a passion for education, and a real drive to do the best for the Trust, its staff and its students.

'Gary had been part of the Trust since its inception in April 2011. He was always dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for the children of the Trust.

'The Williamson Trust's board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team will help guide our schools as we come to terms with the loss of Gary.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with Gary's family and friends.'

His family did not want to comment on his death, nor did his ex-wife Kathy, 34, a science teacher. When asked about his death at her Gillingham, Kent, home, she replied: 'I'd rather not say anything.'

Mr Vyse's death has left family, colleagues, former pupils and friends stunned.

Kelly Tolhurst, Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, said: 'I am devastated and so very sad to hear the news. I am so very proud of Gary and what he has done for education in Medway.

'He was one of our best and we were so lucky he was here. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, colleagues and pupils at this horrendous time. A tragic loss.'

Neighbours said they saw police and paramedics at the home following the discovery of his body, but since he moved in 18 months ago they rarely saw him.

Former students and friends took to social media to praise Mr Wyse for his work

Andrew Mackness, Medway Council's portfolio holder for children's services, said: 'I am deeply shocked and saddened by today's tragic news about Gary.

'As well as being someone I valued as a professional friend and colleague, Gary had been a leading light in driving real improvement in education in Medway and in shaping the way we educate our young people.

'His track record, drive and energy in championing education was outstanding and he will leave a lasting legacy for which we are very grateful.

'Our thoughts at this very sad time are with his family and all the students and staff of The Williamson Trust family who we know will miss him greatly.'

Dominic Herrington, regional schools commissioner for South East and South London, said: 'I am deeply saddened by this news.

'We always had the utmost respect for Gary's dedication to improving the life chances of children at The Williamson Trust. Our thoughts are with his family and those who knew him.'

Mr Vyse criticised parents in June 2016 for allowing pupils at Hundred Of Hoo Academy in Rochester, Kent, to wear heavy make-up, telling them: 'School is not a fashion parade'

Former students and friends took to social media to praise Mr Wyse for his work. Carmen Jane Robinson posted on Facebook: 'If it's true about Gary Vyse then it's very sad news and my thoughts go out to his young family.'

Corrine Simmons posted: 'I'm so shocked and saddened by this news. He was honestly one of the best mentors and teachers I ever had throughout my time at Hundred of Hoo!

'Helped me through a lot in school (2003-2008), was always there for me and was always a great laugh. Always pushed you to do your best and you could always tell he was so proud!'

Mr Vyse rose to prominence during a glittering teaching career. He became head teacher of the Hundred of Hoo Academy in September 2011.

The academy had been placed into special measures in April 2009, but by December 2012 Ofsted rated it 'good'.

Under his guidance, the academy rose to the top 20 per cent of secondary schools in England and Wales for the pupils' progress.

The full inquest will be held on May 8, police are not treating the death as suspicious.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details.
President Donald Trump is set to attend the funeral for famed evangelist Rev. Billy Graham on Friday.

Graham, an evangelist and spiritual adviser to numerous presidents, died last week at his home in North Carolina.

He was 99.

Before his funeral on Friday, Graham will be afforded the rare tribute of lying in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday and Thursday.

President Donald Trump is set to attend the funeral for famed evangelist Rev. Billy Graham in North Carolina on Friday. They are pictured above at his 95th birthday in 2013

It is the first time a private citizen has been accorded such recognition since civil rights hero Rosa Parks in 2005.

He is to be buried on the grounds of his namesake library in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday.

The White House has confirmed that Trump will be attendance at Graham's funeral.

Trump said last week that Graham was a 'great man' who had a 'great family' and was 'for us' - meaning Trump's campaign - from the beginning.

First Lady Melania Trump also paid tribute, writing: 'Saddened by the loss of Evangelist Billy Graham. He led an impactful life, touching so many people with his spiritual teachings. He will be deeply missed.'

Palbearers carry the body of Rev. Billy Graham to a hearse at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday

Thousands of admirers lined the streets of North Carolina over the weekend when the religious leader's body moved across his home state to commence a week of mourning

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama tweeted: 'Billy Graham was a humble servant who prayed for so many - and who, with wisdom and grace, gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans.'

Thousands of admirers lined the streets of North Carolina over the weekend when the religious leader's body moved across his home state to commence a week of mourning.

Well-wishers had come to the mountain chapel at the training center operated by his evangelistic association in Asheville immediately after his death before a procession started en route to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.

Authorities had set up designated viewing points along the 130 mile route as thousands paid tribute to 'America's Pastor'.

Graham will be laid to rest next to his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007.

About 2,000 people are expected to attend the private, invitation-only funeral.
Ivanka Trump defended her father when asked if she believes the many women accusing the president of sexual misconduct.

In an interview with NBC News in PyeongChang, South Korea, where she attended the Olympic closing ceremonies on Sunday, the first daughter was asked if she believes her father's accusers.

'I think its a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father, when he has affirmatively stated that there is no truth to it. I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters,' the 36-year-old White House advisor said.

She added: 'I believe my father, I know my father. So I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father.'

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Ivanka Trump stood by her father after an NBC reporter asked her if she believed the women accusing the president of sexual misconduct

The first daughter made her comments during an interview in PyeongChang, South Korea for the Olympics closing ceremony

Last month, a Wall Street Journal report claimed that Trump's personal lawyer paid hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with the president. Trump and Daniels pictured above

Do you believe your fathers [sexual misconduct] accusers? -@PeterAlexander



I think its a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when hes affirmatively stated theres no truth to it. -@IvankaTrump pic.twitter.com/23AVPgcOdE  TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 26, 2018

In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, more than a dozen women came forward and detailed how Trump had sexually harassed them.

Many of the women described how the real estate tycoon targeted them with unwanted touching and kissing.

Trump denied all of the accusations during the race and while the stories caused scandal, it wasn't enough to swing the election in Hillary Clinton's favor.

In his first year in office, new allegations came to light about Trump's alleged cheating on his wife, first lady Melania.

In January, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's personal lawyer paid $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, to stop her from speaking out about their alleged affair.

Daniels has since refuted that they had a sexual relationship.

Earlier this month, Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate, told the New Yorker that she also had an affair with the Donald, which started shortly after Melania gave birth to their son Barron. McDougal and Trump pictured above

Rachel Crooks (left), Jessica Leeds (center), and Samantha Holvey (right) speak during the press conference held by women accusing Trump of sexual harassment in NYC on December 11, 2017

Michael Cohen, the president's lawyer, said he 'vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms. Daniels'

And that's not all. Earlier this month, Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate, told the New Yorker that she also had an affair with the Donald, which started shortly after Melania gave birth to their son Barron.

President Trump has denied the affair through a spokesperson, with the White House stating: 'This is an old story that is just more fake news. The President says he never had a relationship with McDougal.'

Also during the NBC interview, Ivanka was questioned about the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Ivanka Trump (C) daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, stands at the beginning of the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics

Ivanka Trump sits alongside South Korean President Moon Jae-in, from left, first lady Kim Jung-sook and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics

Ivanka Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and senior White House adviser, and Kim Yong Chol of the North Korea delegation attend the closing ceremony Feb 25

'Consistently we've said there was on collusion, there was no collusion. And we believe that Mueller will do his work and reach the same conclusion,' she said.

She added that she thinks Mueller can be trusted to conduct the investigation, and revealed that she has not yet been interviewed by the special counsel.

Ivanka also weighed in on her father's proposed plan to give teachers guns after the Florida school shooting.

When asked if she thought about the idea, she said: 'To be honest, I don't know.'

The 36-year-old White House is currently overseas leading the U.S. presidential delegation to the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Feb. 25, 2018

'Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in our school. But I think there is no one solution to creating safety,' she said.

The President's eldest daughter was then asked if she would be advising the commander-in-chief on the issue, which he proposed earlier this week via Twitter.

'I think that having a teacher who is armed who cares deeply about her students or his students and who is capable and qualified to bear arms is not a bad idea, but it is an idea that needs to be discussed,' Trump added.

The 36-year-old While House senior advisor attended Sunday night's closing ceremonies at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

President Trump made the suggestion in the wake of a deadly school shooting earlier this month in Parkland, Florida, where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz stormed his former high school and killed 17 people with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle.

The president proposed a controversial bill on Wednesday to provide as many as 20 percent of teachers with concealed and carry permits after meeting with students from Marjory Stoneman High School.

He beefed up his proposal saying educators who chose to have weapons in their classroom would receive a 'yearly bonus'.

Neither Trump nor the White House has said who would pay to train them, but the decision would be 'up to states'.

He doubled down on the proposal on Saturday, stating in a tweet: 'Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will protect them.

'Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.'

Mourners bring flowers as they pay tribute at a memorial for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday Feb 25, 2018

Trump explained in his tweet the use of teachers would be a 'very inexpensive deterrent' compared to the cost of extra security guards.

But only the most 'adept' teachers would be allowed to wield weapons. He insisted every educator would be required to have annual training.

Trump's initial proposal on Wednesday to arm 20 percent of teachers was criticized as excessive  that's roughly 650,000 of the nation's educators  but the president insisted in a tweet that it would be a 'GREAT DETERRENT' to potential shooters.

Ivanka also spoke to NBC about the America's relationship with North Korea, which has deteriorated even further from an already low standing since Donald Trump took office in January 2017.

'We are 50 miles away from North Korea, so affirming the U.S. position and our joint position of maximum pressure with our South Korean partners is very important,' she said.

Ivanka arrived in Pyeongchang on Friday just days before the closing ceremony for the 2018 Winter Games.

Upon her arrival in South Korea, Ivanka told reporters: 'It is a great honor to be here in South Korea with the U.S. delegation. We are very, very excited to... cheer for Team USA and to reaffirm our strong and enduring commitment with the people of the Republic of Korea.'
Monica Lewinsky is opening up about her relationship with Bill Clinton while posing in a new blue dress in the March issue of Vanity Fair.

The former White House intern, 44, looks back at the affair with her much older and married boss through the lens of the #MeToo movement, writing in an essay for the magazine that while she may not qualify as a victim there is no denying that Clinton was a sexual predator.

She goes on to say that Chelsea and Hillary Clinton were examples of 'grit and grace' during that difficult time, while she was forced to remain silent 'due to legal quarantine' as Kenneth Starr forced even her own mother to testify against her in court.

Lewinsky reveals early in the essay that she never actually met Starr during the investigation, with their first run-in coming just two months ago on Christmas Eve when she was out to dinner with her family.

She describes him as 'creepy,' and says his constant touching left her feeling 'uncomfortable' after she randomly ran into the special prosecutor while out to dinner with her family in New York City.

Lewinsky was just being seated at the restaurant when she noticed Starr, who was leaving the establishment with his group.

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Her too: Monica Lewinsky (above in November) writes in an essay for Vanity Fair that Bill Clinton was a sexual predator

Predator: '[W]hat transpired between Bill Clinton and myself was not sexual assault, although we now recognize that it constituted a gross abuse of power,' states Lewinsky (above with Clinton in a White House photos he gifted her in 1997)

Creepy Kenneth: Lewinsky reveals in the essay that she met special prosecutor Ken Starr (above in August 1998) for the first time just two months ago on Christmas Eve

'Ken Starr asked me several times if I was doing O.K. A stranger might have surmised from his tone that he had actually worried about me over the years,' says Lewinsky, noting that this was the same man who made her life 'a living hell.'

'His demeanor, almost pastoral, was somewhere between avuncular and creepy. He kept touching my arm and elbow, which made me uncomfortable.'

Lewinsky writes that she was a bit 'thrown' but eventually mustered up the courage to say what she had waited 20 years to say to Starr.

'Though I wish I had made different choices back then, I wish that you and your office had made different choices, too,' recalls Lewinsky of her remarks that night.

Starr replied by telling her it was 'unfortunate' before the two went their separate ways.

Lewinsky explains that in the wake of the #MeToo movement many people have apologized to her for what she was forced to endure two decades ago, with one letter even bringing her to tears.

'Yes, I had received many letters of support in 1998. And, yes (thank God!), I had my family and friends to support me. But by and large I had been alone,' explains Lewinsky.

'Publicly Aloneabandoned most of all by the key figure in the crisis, who actually knew me well and intimately. That I had made mistakes, on that we can all agree. But swimming in that sea of Aloneness was terrifying.'

Lewinsky makes it clear however that not everyone views her as a victim.

'There are even some people who feel my White House experiences dont have a place in this movement, as what transpired between Bill Clinton and myself was not sexual assault, although we now recognize that it constituted a gross abuse of power,' states Lewinsky.

She later admits even she is uncertain of her place in the movement.

'Im sorry to say I dont have a definitive answer yet on the meaning of all of the events that led to the 1998 investigation; I am unpacking and reprocessing what happened to me,' explains Lewinsky.

'Over and over and over again.'

Applause: The former White House intern, 44, also applauds the 'grit and grace' Hillary (above with her husband on the day he denied the affair in January 1998) and Chelsea Clinton showed during the investigation and trial back in 1998

Ship adrift: She admits that at the time of the investigation she felt completely alone, and reveals that 'swimming in that sea of Aloneness was terrifying' (above with police and her attorney William Ginsburg leaving a federal building in May 1998)

Bad boss: Lewinsky writes that she ran into Starr after walking through Gramercy Park with her family on Christmas Eve (above)

At the time the affair began between the president and his intern in November 1995, Clinton was 49 years old and Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House employee.

Clinton would initially deny having sexual relations with Lewinsky in a sworn deposition back in January of 1998, going so far as to claim that the two were never even alone together in the White House.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, Lewinsky had already revealed to Linda Tripp that the two were together nine times between that first encounter and March of 1997, and engaged in oral sex multiple times.

The affair became public one day after Clinton's sworn testimony, at which point Tripp gave tapes of Lewinsky admitting to her relationship to Kenneth Star, who at the time was pursuing the Whitewater controversy and Clinton's alleged sexual harassment of Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee.

Clinton continued to deny reports that he had relations with with the brunette from Beverly Hills even after the report broke, famously saying: 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky' in a nationally televised White House news conference.'

Months later, he admitted to the affair and claimed that his definition of sexual relations differed from that of others.

This resulted in the House voting to impeach Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice back in December of 1998, with the vote then moving to the Senate.

The Senate then acquitted him of those charges when the Senate did not achieve the two-thirds vote necessary to remove Clinton from office.

A second attempt at impeachment, on an additional perjury charge and abuse of power, never made it past the House.

Tripp had worked in the Pentagon alongside Lewinsky when the former White House intern opened up to her about her affair with Bill Clinton.

She taped their conversations for months it was later revealed and then handed the recordings over to Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr to avoid facing wiretapping charges.

Prior to that she handed the tapes over to lawyers for Paula Jones, who was suing Clinton for sexual harassment at the time.

Jones' lawyers then added Lewinsky to their witness list, but the judge ruled that her testimoney would be immaterial to the case before tossing it out.

A few months later, Clinton settled with Jones for $850,000 when her legal team launched an appeal.

The affair and its aftermath seem destined to live on as well, as Ryan Murphy has reportedly optioned Jeffrey Toobin's bestselling book 'A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President' for an upcoming season of his American Crime Story anthology.

This is a difficult part of Lewinsky's life she reveals in her essay, and why she is particularly sympathetic to victims of past offenses.

'For many, the Reckoning has also been a re-triggering,' writes Lewinsky.

'Sadly, what I see with every new allegation, and with every posting of "#MeToo," is another person who may have to cope with the re-emergence of trauma.'

She goes on to write: 'My hope is that through Times Up (or, perhaps, another organization) we can begin to meet the need for the resources that are required for the kind of trauma therapy vital for survival and recovery.'
An elderly woman who was held hostage for several hours was able to talk down the intruder and eventually persuade him to let her go.

Doris Rucker Wasden, 99, was asleep in her West Valley City, Utah, home on Friday night when Freddy Alexander Velasquez, 18, shot out her back door and entered the property.

Velasquez, who was fleeing police after an earlier stand off when he'd turned his gun on himself and pointed it at his head, then ran into Wasden's home at about midnight,Fox 13 reports.

Freddy Alexander Velasquez, 18, (left) blasted his way into the family home of Doris Rucker Wasden, 99, (right) after a stand off with police

The grandmother's family were able to escape the armed intruder but Wasden - who has hearing problems - wasn't even aware the suspect had entered her home, until he came into her bedroom.

Wasden said the teen woke her up and grabbed her by the hands, so she sat on the floor to avoid being hurt.

'And I just got back in bed and he come in again and then he started to talk to me,' she said.

'And I said 'I can't hear you, I can't hear you.' And then he realized I was a very old woman, so he was pretty nice to me after that.

Wasden was asleep in her West Valley City, Utah, home (pictured) on Friday evening when Velasquez shot out her back door

Cops and SWAT negotiated for hours with Velasquez for him to let Wasden free and give himself up

'He was just scared I guess' said Wasden, who added she never felt afraid of Velasquez during the ordeal but looking back now realizes how much danger she was in.

The 99-year-old Wasden was able to keep calm and chatted to Velsaquez who came and sat on the edge of her bed.

But when he started making a mess in her home, the no-nonsense grandmother wasn't afraid to tell off the armed intruder.

'He was riffling through her drawers, making a mess, spilling things all over and she has her 100th birthday party one week from today,' her granddaughter's fiance Jim Gabbard told KSL.

'And her words to him were, 'I just had this house cleaned for my party and you're messing it up. You better knock it off.' '

But the grandmother's calm demeanor during the almost three hours he kept her hostage, appears to have had a soothing effect on the teenager and by 3am, after hours of negotiation with SWAT, Velasquez finally let her go.

'My brother said I saved my life just by doing that,' Wasden said. 'Saved his life.'

After another few hours of negotiation, Velasquez finally gave himself up about 5.30am and was arrested.

But the grandmother's calm demeanor appears to have had a soothing effect on the 18-year-old and by 3am, after hours of negotiation with SWAT, Velasquez finally let her go

Doris and her grandson Jim Wasden who said the family was inspired by Ddoris' positive attitude

Wasden was reunited with her family who were waiting across the street.

Since the terrifying home invasion, Wasden has remained incredibly upbeat, and has received scores of visitors , including family, ward members and her local bishop, to check she was OK.

Incredibly, Wasden and her family aren't angry about the home invasion, but just want Velasquez to get help.

Gabbard said: 'He made a mistake and we don't hold resentment, and we just hope that he gets some help and hope that his family is okay.'

He said their family took inspiration from Doris' positive attitude.

'Grandma's disposition is what she's taught us: that you can't have animosity and you can't be angry with the young man,' he said.

Wasden will celebrate turning 100 next week although she says she never expected to end her 99th year with so much drama.
David Lidington today warned Nicola Sturgeon that Brexit must not be used as an excuse to tear the UK apart.

The Cabinet minister said that as Britain prepares to leave the Brussels club some want to use the departure to 'loosen the union's ties - or sever them completely'.

But he warned that this would harm Britain's security, economic clout and global influence.

His remarks are a stinging attack in the SNP leader who had threatened to try to force through another referendum on Scottish independence because of Brexit.

David Lidington today warned that some groups are trying to use Brexit to tear the United Kingdom apart in a searing attack on Nicola Sturgeon's indy ref 2 threat.

In a major speech on Brexit, Mr Lidington said: 'We area all more prosperous and more secure when we work together for the common good of the United Kingdom.

'Leaving the EU raises many challenges for our centuries old union...

'Some want to use this to loosen the ties that bind us together or separate them completely.

'I believe the outcome would leave every one of our nations poorer.'

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned that No 10 is trying to grab back powers which should go to the devolved regions after Brexit.

His remarks are a stinging attack in the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) who had threatened to try to force through another referendum on Scottish independence because of Brexit.

But Mr Lidington said that in a major concession to these concerns, No10 has agreed that most powers will automatically go back to the regions.

But he urged for the four nations of the United Kingdom to unite to deliver and make a success of Brexit.

He said there will be a strong and fair devolution settlement as he tried to calm concerns that Britain's looming departure will end in a power grab by Whitehall.

The Cabinet Office Secretary said: 'It is in the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom...to protect the integrity of the United Kingdom partnership.

'Our new proposal is a reflection of our seriousness to strike agreements with the devolved powers and continue to devolve powers.'

He added: 'Let's be in no doubt: this would mean a very big change to the EU Withdrawal Bill that is before Parliament and a significant step forward in these negotiations.'

'This would put on the face of the Bill what we have always said was our intention: wide-ranging devolution not just away from Brussels, but from Westminster, too.

'This offer puts beyond doubt our commitment to a smooth and orderly departure from the European Union, in a way that doesn't just respect the devolution settlements, but strengthens and enhances them.'

Theresa May, pictured in Downing Street this morning, will deliver her next major speech on Brexit on Friday - it will be last in a series of major keynote addresses on the UK's looming departure by members of the Cabinet

He warned that division and discord in the UK will only weaken the country's hand in the crunch negotiations abroad.

He said: 'If we spoke with four conflicting voices then each would be weaker and misheard....

'The unity which exists between our four nations gives us a scale and ambition which none of us could have a alone.'

He said the UK should unite to use its collective economic and diplomatic clout to export goods, boost jobs and have global influence.

He made the remarks in the latest in a string of major speeches on Brexit being delivered by the Cabinet.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson kicked off the 'roadmap to Brexit' series earlier this month and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox will give his speech tomorrow.

The series will end on Friday when Theresa May will give a major address - her third - on her plans for Brexit.
Argentina's coast guard said it fired on a Chinese boat illegally fishing in its waters before embarking on an almost eight-hour chase to capture it.

Nobody was reportedly injured and no fishermen were detained.

In a statement on Friday, the Argentine Naval Prefecture said its officers fired shots at the Jing Yuan 626 after the vessel was caught illegally fishing in the country's exclusive economic zone.

The Chinese embassy in Argentina did not immediately provide a statement about the incident, which occurred Thursday after four other vessels also flying under a Chinese flag attempted to ram into coast guard boats.

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A soldier fires at the Chinese fishing boat named Jing Yuan 626 in Argentine waters on Thursday

A decision was then made to 'carry out machine-gun and cannon fire' and impede the vessel's ability to navigate, the coast guard said.

In video footage released on Saturday, an Argentine maritime officer can be heard warning the Jing Yuan 626 before it is fired upon.

'You're responsible for the safety of your crew and your ship. You are about to receive direct fire on the bow part of your ship,' the officer says via radio.

He then says: 'Bow, command bridge. Are we ready? Okey, free fire one shot to the boat's bow over waterline.'

The vessel managed to escape after the foreign ministry called off the operation following a nearly eight-hour chase.

Fishing boats have been involved in various incidents within Argentina's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the past.

In 2016, a Chinese fishing vessel with 32 crew members aboard was reportedly sunk by Argentine authorities after it attempted to flee to international waters.

Earlier this month, the coast guard detained a Spanish ship carrying more than 705,000 pounds of fish caught illegally.
A 16-year-old boy from Georgia has been charged with terroristic threats for allegedly sharing a video on social media that shows him loading a gun and threatening his high school.

The unidentified student at South Gwinnett High School was arrested on Saturday by Snellville police, who were tipped to the video via Twitter.

In the video, the person loading a black handgun says off-camera, 'South Gwinnett, you're next.'

Chilling threat: A male sophomore at South Gwinnett High School in suburban Atlanta was charged with terroristic threats over a video that showed him loading a gun and saying, 'South Gwinnett, you're next'

Principal Monique Lee sent this letter to parents at the school addressing the gun video

WSB-TV reported that local police do not believe the student, who is enrolled as a sophomore at South Gwinnett, planned to carry out a mass shooting at his school, but the video was alarming enough to spark an investigation, which resulted in his arrest.

Principal Monique Lee wrote in a letter sent to parents in the community that acts threatening the school won't be tolerated.

In addition to the criminal charges, the teenage suspect also faces school disciplinary actions.

Schools around the US, including in Atlanta and its suburbs, have been on edge in the wake of the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school that claimed 17 lives on Valentine's Day.

A day later, a student at Lanier High School in Gwinnett County was charged with bringing a gun to class, according to Atlanta Journal Constitution.

In September 2017, a student at Gwinnett South High School was arrested after being caught with a loaded 9mm gun on campus.
A single running shoe was behind the downfall of an Iranian refugee couple who were allegedly caught running a sophisticated crystal meth trafficking ring on the streets of Sydney, police have alleges in a fact sheet to be tendered to court.

The Nike sneaker was discovered in a Coles carpark in Asquith, Sydney's Upper North Shore, allegedly alongside a plastic bag containing a knitted skull cap and a bag filled with methamphetamine, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The DNA of alleged drug ring leader Ali Maleki was found on the shoe and inside the bag, according to the fact sheet to be tendered to the court.

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The pair have built a luxury life in Sydney's north-west with their two daughters, aged one and three

Police will allege in court that the discarded items were lost by Maleki during a drug deal gone bad in August last year.

In CCTV and dashcam footage obtained by investigating officers, Maleki was allegedly seen being ambushed by three men in the carpark.

The police will allege a fight broke out between the men in the Coles carpark and Maleki was put in a headlock.

During the scuffle, about 1kg of methamphetamine fell out of an Aldi bag he was using to carry the drug, the police will allege.

Maleki was allegedly seen wearing just one sneaker, matching that of the one found in the carpark, outside his apartment block later that night, according to the police fact sheet.

Maleki and his wife Yosra Rabieh were granted temporary protection visas after arriving to Australia by boat in 2013.

Iranian refugee couple Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh appeared to be living the Australian dream before they were allegedly caught running a sophisticated drug trafficking ring

The Nike sneaker was discovered in a Coles carpark in Asquith, Sydney's Upper North Shore, (pictured) allegedly alongside a plastic bag containing a knitted skull cap and a bag filled with methamphetamine

The pair have since built a luxury life in Sydneys north-west with their two daughters aged one and three.

They were arrested last week after police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice, over $260,000 in cash, three luxury cars and more than 100 ampules of steroids after raiding homes in Hornsby and Asquith.

Police officers were allegedly tipped off to Maleki and his wife after a small-time dealer was arrested in Waterloo last March.

The glamorous pair were arrested last week after police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice

Maleki and Rabieh's social media accounts reveal the pair married in a lavish 2014 ceremony

Social media accounts reveal the young family enjoyed hiking trips to the Blue Mountains, lavish dinners at Darling Harbour, while they were also seen sipping on bottled beer in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Other posts, which are mostly written in Arabic, reveal the couple married in a lavish 2014 ceremony and spent several weekends with their children at beaches along the New South Wales coast.

Maleki shared numerous inspiration quotes and poems, and also posted translations of Australian slang, including 'dunny', 'ankle biter' and 'dole bludger'.

His wife's Facebook account heavily features her husband and their children, while it also includes a post promoting 'Freedom in Iran.'

The pair are among several Iranians on temporary protection visas recently arrested over alleged meth trafficking.

The couple were seen sipping on bottled beer with a friend at Sydney's Opera Bar prior to their arrest

Maleki (pictured) shared numerous inspiration quotes and poems, and also posted translations of Australian slang

Maleki and Rabieh have each been charged with supply large commercial quantity of prohibited drugs and participate in a criminal enterprise.

A third Iranian, identified by The Daily Telegraph as the couple's housemate Hassan Mohkamkar, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact of supplying drugs.

The trio were refused bail and will appear at Central Local Court later this week.

In a separate and unrelated bust, two Iranian nationals were arrested in Sydney last week, allegedly trying to import almost 10 kilograms of ice hidden in honey jars on a cargo flight to Australia.

Maleki is pictured left in front of the Harbour Bridge and right outside the Sydney Opera House

Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh, from Sydney's north-west, are two of several Iranians in Australia on temporary protection visas recently arrested over alleged meth trafficking

The arrested husband and wife previously enjoyed hiking trips to Sydney's Blue Mountains

Other posts reveal the couple spent several weekends with their children at beaches along the New South Wales coast

Two men, aged 28 and 31, were arrested by Australian Federal Police officers on Wednesday following an operation that was sparked by a drug seizure in Turkey last October.

The AFP said 1.8kg of methamphetamine, bound for an address in Granville, was seized by authorities in Turkey in 2017, prompting the Australian operation.

The men, who have been charged with importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine, appeared before Sydney Central Local Court on Thursday, where they did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.

The couple, who share two young daughters, were arrested last week after police raided homes in Hornsby and Asquith

Police allegedly seized more than 36kg of ice, over $260,000 in cash and three luxury cars

A third Iranian has been charged with being an accessory after the fact of supplying drugs
The Weinstein Company, founded by disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob, announced that it will file for bankruptcy after talks to sell its assets fell through.

The announcement came after prospective buyers, Maria Contreras-Sweet, who ran the Small Business Administration under Obama and billionaire Ron Burkle, failed to fulfill promises on the deal and the company were forced to declare bankruptcy.

The sale, which would have given Contreras-Sweet control of assets worth about $500 million (356m), was previously blocked by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman after filing a civil rights lawsuit against the company.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein's company The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy in 2018

As part of the sale, bidders for The Weinstein Company were asked to raise a minimum of $40 million (29m) for a fund that would compensate the 80 women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault. The company would also have to be renamed under a new board of directors, made up of women.

Harvey Weinstein, who was fired from The Weinstein Company on October 8, 2017, has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex that were examined in a BBC Two documentary. Despite the film companys struggles, the Hollywood mogul was spotted dining lavishly at fancy restaurants while he is undergoing treatment for sexual addiction at Arizonas Gentle Path at The Meadows.

As well as staying at a number of exclusive locations near the rehabilitation centre, Harvey is thought to have hired a PR crisis firm at an estimated $50,000 (36,000) a month and is expected to face up to $1 million (713,000) in legal fees a month if the sexual harassment or sexual assault cases go to trial.

Harvey will also be forced to handle child support expenses and the cost of his pending divorce from his wife Georgina Chapman. While matters with his current spouse have been settled, his first wife Eve Chilton filed court documents in January 2018 over danger that Weinstein would default on the child support he provides her. She asked for $5 million (3.6m) for security, but was denied.

However, Harvey and Georgina sold their Hamptons property for $10 million (7.1m) and his other two properties in Connecticut were sold for a total of $16 million (11.4m). He is thought to be considering renting a property in California for $7,500 (5,300) a month. But what is his net worth and how will The Weinstein Companys bankruptcy affect Harvey?

Harvey was forced to pay $20 million over his divorce from his second wife Georgina Chapman

Who is Harvey Weinstein?

Born in March 19, 1952 in the Flushing area of Queens, New York City to Max and Miriam Weinstein, Harvey grew up with his brother Bob and later graduated from the University of Buffalo. Both Harvey and Bob had a passion for film and in the 1970s, established an independent film company called Miramax, named after their parents.

Miramax first acquired rights to two British films for Amnesty International and Harvey and Bob edited the two films to become one movie. It was released as The Secret Policemans Other Ball in May 1982 and the brothers went on to create arthouse films, which included Steven Soderberghs Sex, Lies, and Videotape in 1989.

He married his assistant Eve Chilton in 1987 and had three children together, Remy (previously Lily), Emma and Ruth.

In 1993, Disney offered the Weinstein brothers $80 million (5.7m) for the ownership of Miramax which led to the release of blockbuster Quentin Tarantinos Pulp Fiction and a Best Picture Oscar win in 1997 for The English Patient. Other big films under their belt include Good Will Hunting and Shakespeare in Love.

The brothers left Miramax in 2005 to form The Weinstein Company. However, six years later, Michael Moore took legal action against Bob and Harvey claiming he was owed $2.7 million (1.9m) for Fahrenheit 9/11, but later dropped the lawsuit for a settlement.

Harvey and Eve divorced in 2004 and three years later, he married English fashion designer Georgina Chapman. They have two children, India Pearl and Dashiell. Georgina left Harvey on October 10, 2017 after the accusations of sexual harassment. In addition to the scandal, Harvey has also been accused of underhand dealings in business during his career and has developed a reputation as an angry man.

However, an analysis of Oscar speeches from 1966 to 2016 found that Weinstein had been spoken about in a positive manner in 34 speeches, the same number of times as God and second only to director Steven Spielberg.

In 2004, Weinstein was given a CBE by the United Kingdom and in 2012, he was made a knight of the French Legion of Honour, but Emmanuel Macron stated that he would strip Harvey of this accolade amid the allegations.

Harvey Weinstein pictured with Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz at a Golden Globes Party

What is Harvey Weinsteins net worth?

Harvey Weinsteins net worth has accumulated to approximately $50 million (36m), according to Celebrity Net Worth. This is a significant drop from his worth of $300 million (214m) at the peak of his career, but this valuation was made prior to the sexual scandals in 2017.

Harvey is also thought to have paid Georgina a $20 million ($14.3m) divorce settlement and his child support payments to his first wife Eve were halted. He has also been a prominent figure in the fashion industry after producing the reality show Project Runway, starring Heidi Klum, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia.

He also revived the brands Halston and Charles James, and asked celebrities to wear Georginas label Marchesa if they starred in a movie that was produced by him.

How The Weinstein Companys bankruptcy affects Harvey Weinstein?

According to an article by Newsweek in October 2017, Harvey Weinstein has nothing to worry about when it comes to his finances because he will continue to reap profits from Miramax and The Weinstein Company, despite being fired.

The article says that Weinstein cannot be forced to sell his stake in the company, which was then worth around $360 million (257m) and as producers are given upwards of 1 million per movie, Harveys millions will remain his and will increase as time goes on.

However, now that The Weinstein Company is bankrupt, a buyout would be worthless and would leave Harvey with a lack of funds, especially with the cost of rehab, divorce proceedings and legal fees for up to 80 cases of sexual harassment or sexual assault to pay for.
ISIS has urged fanatics to carry out vehicle attacks in a chilling poster showing a picture of blood on the front of a lorry.

The terror group called on would-be lone-wolf jihadists to 'hit them with a truck' and to 'kill them all' in the propaganda material.

Muharar al-Ansar, the pro-ISIS group that released the poster, has previously released similar graphics calling for arson and gun attacks, according to the respected SITE Intelligence group which monitors terror activity.

ISIS has used vehicles to carry out a wave of atrocities in the past, with similar attacks taking place in Britain, the US, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden and claiming well over 100 lives.

ISIS has urged fanatics to carry out vehicle attacks in a chilling poster showing a picture of blood on the front of a lorry

On October 31, Sayfullo Saipov drove a rented pickup truck into cyclists and runners for about a mile of the Hudson River Park's bike path in Lower Manhattan, New York, killing eight people and injured eleven others.

A flag and a document indicating allegiance to ISIS were found in the truck.

In August, Barcelona terrorist Younes Abouyaaqoub ploughed a van into crowds on the Ramblas murdering 14 people. Abouqaaqoub was part of a 12-man cell who brought terror to Barcelona on August 17 and 18.

In June a team of jihadists used a hire van to drive through pedestrians at London Bridge before going on the rampage with knives.

On April 7, 2017 Uzbek asylum seeker Rakhmat Akilov, 40, murdered five people in a Stockholm truck attack after pledging allegiance to ISIS.

On Bastille Day, 2016, 86 people were killed by a truck driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice, southern France

Anis Amri drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin killing 12 people on December 19, 2016

Months earlier, on March 22, Khalid Masood, 52, drove a Hyundai 4x4 over Westminster Bridge, mowing down members of the public before crashing into a fence beside Big Ben.

This followed an attack on December 19, 2016, in which Anis Amri drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin. Twelve people were killed in the atrocity.

But the most deadly came on Bastille Day, 2016 when 86 people were killed by a truck driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice, southern France.
Police believe that Woodward stabbed Bernstein (pictured) more than 20 times and buried his body in a shallow grave at a nearby park

More than 1,300 people honored the the memory of a 19-year-old Ivy League student who was murdered by a high school classmate, in a memorial service Sunday.

Family and friends of Blaze Bernstein gathered for the ceremony in Costa Mesa, California that emphasized the message of #BlazeItForward, a movement to promote acts of kindness and tolerance.

Bernstein - who is Jewish and gay - was stabbed to death and buried in a shallow grave on January 2 by former classmate Samuel Woodward, 20, who told police Bernstein tried to kiss him.

His mother tearfully read from a letter she penned to her son when he graduated from high school at the memorial service.

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In loving memory: Blaze's mother Jeanne Pepper Bernstein spoke at her son's memorial service on Sunday to a crowd of more than 1,300 people in Costa Mesa, California

She hugged her husband after sharing a speech saying, 'Nothing you ever did was ever average, it was always profoundly good and unique, just like you'

The memorial service saw over a thousand gather (above) and emphasized the message #BlazeOn and #BlazeItForward in a movement to promote tolerance and acts of kindness

'Nothing you ever did was ever average, it was always profoundly good and unique, just like you,' Jeanne Pepper Bernstein said.

'You feel like theyre still a part of you, even though you know theyre gone,' she added.

Bernstein's parents hope that his legacy will promote kindness in the community.

Samuel Woodward, 20, was the last person seen with Berstein and pleaded not guilty to homicide charges

'[The event] is a tribute to Blaze and an opportunity to galvanize the community to do acts of kindness, one good act a time,' father Gideon Bernstein said to ABC 20/20.

'Every act of kindness in his name is the spark that keeps his soul alive,' he said.

Last week the parents received a honorary certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, where Bernstein was a pre-med sophomore, commemorating him as a part of the class of 2021.

'We are at UPENN today and the President of UPENN, Amy Gutmann, gave us a certificate honoring Blaze as a valued member of UPENNs class of 2021.

'It was a day of many tears as we sorted through the beautiful life that awaited Blaze here. We know he is not alive and that he will never come back but our hearts wont believe it,' mother Jeanne posted on Facebook.

'We feel his presence all around us and his spirit fills us with purpose and real love for all of humanity. We believe that the world is full of great people that can learn to love each other and be tolerant. This is the key - we must stand up to the hate and violence around us and stop waiting for it to go away. We have to be proactive and say no to hate. It is also going to take love and tolerance to repair the world. Lets start now. #blazeon,' she added.

Mother Jeanne shared the tribute event on Facebook open for all to pay respects

Behind the scenes: She posted this image as well of the preparations behind the stage of the memorial that had a music performances and a photo montage

A candle lit vigil was also held shortly after the murder to honor Blaze's memory

Over 300 people gathered at Borrego Park in Lake Forest on January 10, a day after Bernstein's body was found in a shallow grave

Bernstein's parents smile with the President of the University of Pennsylvania (Center) holding a certificate honoring the student as a part of the class of 2021

Berstein was murdered in Borrego Park in Orange County on January 2, while he was visiting his Lake Forest home during winter break. His family reported him missing the next day. His body was found a week later on January 9.

Authorities searched for him with help from drone pilots and found his body at the park after rain partially exposed it.

An autopsy is yet to determine cause of death.

Police tracked down Woodward using Snapchat, as the two had exchanged messages to 'hang out' that day.

When Woodward was arrested and found with scratches on his hands and dirt under his fingernails.

He was also was breathing heavily and visibly shaking, and claimed that the scratches on his hands were from a fight club.

An affidavit revealed the he also had a rental car with him and hiking equipment.

Since his arrest, he has been linked to neo-Nazi Facebook groups and graphic, sexual and race-charged internet posts that he wrote have been revealed.

Bernstein was gay and Jewish and authorities are investigating the possibility of a hate crime.

Woodward has pleaded not guilty to homicide charges on February 2 in Orange County Superior Court, according to KTLA.

Speaking on the Today Show, the family said they believe their son's murder may have had a hateful motive.

When asked if Bernstein was targeted because he was Jewish, mother Jeanne said: 'Absolutely. He was also a gay man and he was also not a very big person.'

'[He was] a potential target for any crime,' she added.

Samuel Woodward (L), 20, pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Friday after being arrested for Blaze Berstein's (R) death last month

Michele and Gideon Bernstein, the parents of murdered student Blaze Bernstein, said on Friday that they believe he could have been targeted because he was gay and Jewish

On January 10 Bernstein's parents addressed media a day after the body was found

Lawyers for Woodward tried to have the bond reduced to $1 million, as is standard in similar cases tried in California, according to ABC 7 News.

But prosecutors argued that Woodward was a flight risk and posed a legitimate threat to the community. The judge agreed and set the bail for the higher amount.

If freed on bail, Woodward would have severe restrictions on his freedom of movement, including wearing a GPS monitoring device, and would have to relinquish his passport.

Bernstein was gay and Jewish and authorities are investigating the possibility of a hate crime.

'A hate crime or a special circumstance allegation requires that level of proof, so we're looking for that evidence, and if and when we find it, we will amend the charges and file that,' said District Attorney of Orange County Tony Rackauckas.

Authorities say the two men both attended the Orange County School of the Arts but they did not know if they were friends at the time.

According to a court filing obtained by the Orange County Register, Woodward told investigators that he became angry after Bernstein kissed him the night they went to the park.

At college, Bernstein was studying psychology and was recently chosen to edit a campus culinary magazine.

Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for Bernstein and his funeral.

If convicted of the charge and enhancement, Woodward could face as much as 26 years to life in prison.

Evidence of Woodward's alleged neo-Nazi leanings began to surface shortly after his arrest, with at least three people close to the 20-year-old telling the ProPublica news site that he was active in a neo-Nazi organization called Atomwaffen Division. The name translates to 'Nuclear Weapons Division'.

Two of the sources who revealed Woodward's background to ProPublic were his friends and one used to be a member of Atomwaffen Division.

Woodward regularly made right-wing social media posts including this one where he defended the Confederate flag

Bernstein was gay and Jewish and authorities are investigating the possibility of a hate crime. Pictured: An Atomwaffen Division propaganda poster

Bernstein, who grew up in Orange County and was visiting his family on winter break, was missing for a week after going out with Woodward the night of Jan. 2

The neo-Nazi group that Woodward was allegedly a member of has filmed itself burning the American flag and the constitution.

The group's website describes the Atomwaffen Division as 'a Revolutionary National Socialist organization centered around political activism and the practice of an autonomous Fascist lifestyle'.

The website's 'Who we are' section reads: 'As an ideological band of comrades, we perform both activism and militant training (hand to hand, arms training, and etc.).

'We spread awareness in the real world through unconventional means (and it has worked).

'We often go hunting, adventuring, and a group favorite is urban exploring. We have various specialists in the group ranging from many occupations... Joining us means serious dedication not only to the Atomwaffen Division and its members, but to the goal of ultimate uncompromising victory.

'As it must be emphasized: no keyboard warriorism... if you don't want to meet up and get things done: don't bother.'

One source described Woodward as 'as anti-Semitic as you can get'. Woodward reportedly joined Atomwaffen Division in 2016, attended group meetings in Texas and there completed a three-day training camp.

The training camp armed members of the group with hand-to-hand combat, camping, survival and firearm use skills, the former Atomwaffen Division member told ProPublica.

The website said it had also obtained pictures of Woodward at one of the group's meetings. In one, Woodward can reportedly be seen doing a Nazi salute.

Woodward is trained to use assault rifles and handguns and has organized Atomwaffen Division members in California, it is claimed.

The Atomwaffen Division has also been connected to murders in Florida and Virginia. It was founded in 2015 and consists of about 80 members.

The former member who spoke with ProPublica said the group has grown since the explosive 'Unite the Right' protest - which left one protester dead - in Virginia last summer.

Joanna Mendelson, a researcher at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism told ProPublica: 'Their rhetoric is some of the most extreme we have seen.'
A Victorian mother has cheated death six times after she became ill with the flu and is still recovering after months on life support.

Julie Pinkerton has been on life support since last year when she developed a cold just after her 60th birthday.

The mother of seven is still in Geelong Hospital south of Melbourne fighting the life-threatening influenza B.

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Julie Pinkerton, 60, cheated death six times after she became ill with influenza B last year

She was rushed to hospital with double pneumonia, a staph infection in her lungs and blood poisoning in August last year.

Doctors told her family the chance of survival were grim.

'Up to six times we were asked to turn off her life support,' her daughter Natalie Andrews told Seven News.

She was happy and active (right) until August when doctors told her family the chance of survival were near non-existent

After months of fighting various infections and surgeries doctors were able to save her hands from amputation but could not do the same for her feet.

'My life's changed completely from being an independent physical person to this, which could have been avoided from one immunisation shot,' Julie Pinkerton said.

Julie's family have started a a gofundme to help fully equip her house so she can move around easier.

Doctors were able to save her hands from amputation but could not do the same for her feet

She said: 'I'm now minus a working, body minus two feet, no longer have a job.'

'I would hate my worst enemy to go through this,' she said.

More than 233,000 Australians became ill with the flu last year and 1,100 people were killed.
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Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush joined the crowd that showed up to mourn the passing of Reverand Billy Graham in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday.

'Laura and I are honored to be able to come and pay our respects to the Graham family, and more importantly, to be able to say good to a person who was influential in our lives, and influential in the lives of millions,' the 41st president said.

He added his father, former President George HW Bush wished he could be there, too.

Thousands of people from all walks of life have slowly been filing past the casket of the famed evangelist to pay their final respects, since the doors of Graham's boyhood home were opened to mourners first thing Monday morning.

Graham died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina at the age of 99 on Wednesday.

Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush joined the crowd that showed up to mourn the passing of Reverand Billy Graham in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday

Mourners of all races, young and old, some in suits and some in T-shirts and flip-flops, walked through the parlor where his closed casket lay on a black pedestal.

They walked past family photos and a cross made of white lilies to see the simple plywood container made by prison inmates.

For the first few hours, Graham's grandson, Roy, shook the hand of every person who came to see his grandfather.

'I just wanted to tell them how much I appreciated the love for my family,' Roy Graham said.

Jane Graham (left) wipes something off former US President George W. Bush's (right) shoulder as Bush arrives for visitation for Graham's father-in-law, US Christian evangelist Billy Graham, as he lies in repose at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina

Graham, an evangelist and spiritual adviser to numerous presidents, died last week aged 99 at his home in North Carolina

Thousands of mourners have slowly been filing past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham in North Carolina on Monday to pay their final respects to the famed evangelist

The doors of Graham's boyhood home in Charlotte were opened to mourners first thing Monday morning following his death aged 99 last week

He said what moved him the most on Monday were the dozens who paused and told him the exact moment and place Billy Graham came into their lives through his hundreds of crusades around the world.

Cecily Turner was one of them. Her mother was at Billy Graham's 1957 New York crusade and she said he led her mother to salvation that day.

'I know she is in heaven thanking him right now,' she said.

Turner said her mother had passed her faith onto her and she, in turn, had passed it down to five children and four great-grandchildren.

'That's an amazing thing,' Turner said.

Bush (left) talks with Jane Graham (second from left), as Franklin Graham (right) hugs Laura Bush (second from right), after the Bushes paid their respects to Billy Graham during a public viewing at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte

Bush (left) speaks to the media as wife Laura Bush (left) and Franklin Graham (back right), and his wife Jane Graham (back left), listen after paying their respects to Billy Graham

For the first few hours, Graham's grandson, Roy, (far right) shook the hand of every person who came to see his grandfather

Mourners walked past family photos and a cross made of white lilies to see the simple plywood container made by prison inmates

Roy Graham (right), grandson of Billy Graham, greets people as they arrive to pay respects to Billy Graham during a public viewing on Monday

People stream through the Billy Graham Library as they come to pay respects to Billy Graham during a public viewing in Charlotte on Monday

Wyatt Nordin, left, watches as his brother Lucas Nordin, right, of Atlanta, Georgia, writes his name in the registry as people pay respects to Billy Graham

Billy Wayne Arrington was a boy when he first encountered Graham on a TV screen in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Arrington wiped tears from his eyes as he exited after saying a prayer for Graham and for the world he leaves behind.

'I'm just overwhelmed, not by sadness - just overwhelmed to see so many lives touched,' Arrington said.

Public viewing will continue Monday and Tuesday at Graham's Charlotte library on the campus of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

His body will then be taken to the US Capitol where on Wednesday and Thursday he will be the first private citizen to lie in honor there since civil rights hero Rosa Parks in 2005.

Graham's funeral will be held on Friday.

A woman reads a brochure under a large photo of Billy Graham at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte on Monday

People line up inside to pay respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ

President Donald Trump has said he will been in attendance. Invitations were sent to all ex-presidents of the US.

George W Bush came to pay his respects with his wife on Monday because he had a scheduling conflict with the funeral.

The funeral will be held in a giant tent as a nod to Graham's 1949 Los Angeles crusade. That revival, which Graham said propelled him to worldwide fame, was held in a circus tent dubbed the 'Canvas Cathedral'.

The man called 'America's Pastor' would eventually preach to an estimated 210 million people in person and many more through his pioneering use of prime-time telecasts, network radio, daily newspaper columns, evangelistic films and satellite TV hookups.

Graham will be buried beside his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007, at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway at Graham's library in Charlotte.

A woman with her children pauses as she walks past Graham's coffin in Charlotte on Monday

People stop to pray after paying respects to Billy Graham outside the library on Monday

People streamed through the Billy Graham Library as they came to pay respects
This is the moment a toddler was snatched from under her father's nose by a kidnapper in India.

The man did not even break his stride as he grabbed Shireen Fatima outside a shop belonging to the two-year-old's father in Mumbai.

CCTV footage shows the little girl stepping carefully down on to the pavement and bumping into her abductor as he was walking past.

Footage captures the moment a toddler was snatched from under her father's nose by a kidnapper in India

The man did not even break his stride as he grabbed Shireen Fatima outside a shop belonging to the two-year-old's father in Mumbai

Instead of simply stepping around Shireen, the man picks her up and calmly walks away.

Shireen's father, unnamed in reports, discovered she was missing shortly afterwards.

Calling Shireen by her second name, he said: 'Fatima was playing outside, but when we came outside to call her she was not there.'

CCTV footage shows the little girl stepping carefully down on to the pavement and bumping into her abductor as he was walking past. Instead of simply stepping around Shireen, the man picks her up and walks calmly away

The panic-stricken father immediately reported the disappearance to police, who checked the CCTV covering the outside of the shop for clues.

After six hours, they arrested a 28-year-old man named as Sandeep Parab and Shireen was returned to her parents.

It was not reported whether she was harmed in any way. It was not clear what the motive for the apparent abduction was, or what charges Parab might face.
Pc Kevin Duffy was jailed at Bristol Crown Court last year for misconduct in a public office in connection with Mr Ebrahimi's death. Duffy has now spoken out for the first time

A former policeman jailed over his involvement with the death of refugee Bijan Ebrahimi has claimed the jury were wrong to convict him.

Kevin Duffy, 54, said he will 'forever regret' that Bijan, 44, was murdered by a neighbour who wrongly thought he was a paedophile.

Duffy was jailed after for ten months when it was found he ignored reports from Bijan who was beaten to death and set on fire.

A catalogue of oversights and failings in dealing with the case of Mr Ebrahimi, who was disabled with special needs, led to Duffy's conviction for misconduct in a public office.

He repeatedly ignored calls from the Iranian refugee reporting abuse and harassment and failed to log many of the reports that he did take.

And in the days leading up to Mr Ebrahimi's death at his home in Brislington, Bristol, Duffy refused to even speak to him.

Now out of prison, Duffy has spoken out to say that he constantly thinks about what happened to Mr Ebrahimi.

Speaking out for the first time since his release, the disgraced officer will tell BBC's Inside Out, the jury was wrong to find him guilty and convict him of gross misconduct.

Duffy has explained that he was dealing a number of incidents simultaneously, and decided that taking calls from Mr Ebrahimi was not a priority.

CCTV footage shows PC Helen Harris, 41, telling vulnerable Bijan Ebrahimi, 44, 'don't speak to me' and branding him a 'pain in the ass' as he sits in a prison cell

During his time in custody, Mr Ebrahimi was branded a 'nuisance' and told by PC Harris that she couldn't 'be bothered to waste my energy on you'

In the footage, PC Harris tells him 'You're not my friend - I'm a police officer and you're a pain in the ass. Don't speak to me'

Now out of prison, Duffy (left) has spoken out to say that he constantly thinks about what happened to Mr Ebrahimi (right)

Asked about his choice not to take the final call Mr Ebrahimi made to him, the former Avon and Somerset Police officer said: 'I will regret it forever that he did die, in appalling circumstances as well.

'It's never out of my thoughts. But I also question myself.

'I ask myself, 'Could I have done anything differently with the information I had?' Not without jeopardising someone else.'

Kevin, said he will 'forever regret' that Bijan, 44, was murdered by a neighbour who wrongly thought he was a paedophile

Kevin, pictured with his wife Rebecca, says that he constantly thinks about what happened to Mr Ebrahimi

He added: 'I was a police officer. But now I'm a person with a criminal conviction, the opposite of what I was.'

He also says the people prosecuted were those with the least authority.

'The most senior [people] prosecuted were the people with the least authority, who asked for help and advice from their superior... and acted on that advice,' said Duffy.

'I investigated every incident, this went on to the Hate Crime Unit.

'What further assistance could I give him as a police officer? I could tell others, that's the assistance that I could give him.'

Lee James, pictured left, pleaded guilty to the murder of Bijan Ebrahim while Stephen Norley, pictured right, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender

Victim Mr Ebrahimi filmed his killer Lee James threatening to 'f*** him up' in a row three days before he was murdered (pictured)

Scenes of crimes officers at the home of Bijan Ebrahimi who was found burned to death hours after being questioned by police

Asked about his choice not to take the final call Mr Ebrahimi made to him, Duffy said: 'I will regret it forever that he did die, in appalling circumstances as well

'The jury were wrong...I did not wilfully misconduct myself. The jury found me guilty, that is the system. The system isn't perfect, and I will maintain that as long as I live.

'I am sorry about the pain and hurt Bijan's family have gone through. I'm sorry if they see that Bijan did not get the care and attention that he needed.

'Understand that we can get it wrong. But it's not wilful, it's not deliberate.

'And if we don't do something for someone it's because we're trying to do our best for somebody else,' he added.

His wife Rebecca has said that he and former-PCSO Andrew Passmore, who was also jailed, were 'basically made to be the scapegoats to take the blame'.

Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death and then set alight on the grass 100 yards from his home

Pcs Helen Harris and Leanne Winter were sacked by Avon and Somerset for their treatment of the murder victim

Duffy also seemingly denied reports that the way the authorities dealt with Mr Ebrahimi's complaints were influenced by racism.

A report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission said the failures in the way the police dealt with him showed 'all the hallmarks of racial bias'.

Meanwhile, a report by the Safer Bristol Partnership said there was 'institutional racism' in the way Bristol City Council handled his complaints.

'As an Iranian man living in this environment, Mr Ebrahimi was disadvantaged by the inappropriate responses by Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council to his racist victimisation.

Murder victim failed by force like the Met failed Stephen Lawrence Lawyers representing the Ebrahimi family said it was believed to be the first finding of institutional racism against a police force since the publication of the Macpherson report and the first of its kind against a local authority. Mr Ebrahimi's family, including sisters Mojgan Kahayatian and Manisha Moores, said in a statement: 'No review can ever bring back our beloved Bijan but it is important that his voice has been heard. 'Bijan always said that racism must be challenged wherever it is found, including in town halls and police stations. 'Bristol City Council took nearly five years to accept that it failed Bijan and the need for change. 'This is far too long, although late is better than never. We will not rest until improved systems are put in place to protect other vulnerable people.' The family's solicitor, Tony Murphy, of Bhatt Murphy, said: 'Acknowledging the institutional nature of the racism at the core of this tragedy is an essential first step towards systemic change. 'There is no reason why the council could not have taken this step much sooner and its delay has been injurious, not just to Bijan's family, but to public confidence in the council's ability to combat racism. 'The mayor's recent commitment to working with the family and to gaining public confidence via meaningful reform is welcome.' Alex Raikes, of the Bristol-based charity Stand Against Racism and Inequality, said: 'Institutional racism was a key factor in why Bijan was failed in the years prior to his murder when he sought help repeatedly. 'We hope that identifying this underlying cause will help to create effective solutions to combating hate crime.' Advertisement

'Representatives of those organisations displayed a distinct lack of understanding of his plight and, accordingly, unwitting prejudice against him.

'More account should have been taken by Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Bristol City Council of Mr Ebrahimi's isolation and vulnerability as an Iranian man in these circumstances.

'There is therefore, based on the above definition from the Macpherson Report, evidence of both discriminatory behaviour and institutional racism on the part of Bristol City Council and Avon and Somerset Constabulary' the report said.

But Duffy argued: 'I treated Bijan's investigations the same as others.

'I followed the evidence and took that where it led me, and I reported every matter to those senior to me.'

At the time of Duffy's gross misconduct hearing, the jury heard that Mr Ebrahimi had attempted to make contact with the police 120 times in six and a half years.

And of 38 reports of crimes against him that he attempted to make between 2009 and 2013, only 14 were logged by police.

In 2011, after Mr Ebrahimi attempted to report five crimes including assault, criminal damage and racial harassment.

At this point, Duffy updated a log to read: 'He has a history of making spurious complaints against his neighbours.'

And in an audio recording of conversations with call handlers discussing Mr Ebrahimi, Duffy can be heard saying: 'He's well known to me. I won't be taking any calls from him.

'He's a habitual liar and, basically, I'm considering doing Mr Ebrahimi for harassment if he keeps on calling.'

In July 2013, Mr Ebrahimi's neighbours were making unfounded and untrue allegations that he was a paedophile - part of the harassment campaign against him.

But officers called to the estate arrested the Iranian instead, releasing him back to his flat the following day - from where he called the police 12 times to report a mob outside threatening to kill him.

Duffy refused to speak to him, and no one from the police called back to answer his pleas.

The following night, on July 13, 2013, he was battered to death by the neighbour he had been calling Duffy about.

Speaking to Inside Out, Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, Andy Marsh, comments: 'The Independent Police Complaints Commission made an investigation. They found no racism against PC Duffy or anyone else. The case was heard in court, the judge found no racism. In my opinion, a label such as institutionally racist is very unhelpful. We are not going to encourage learning with a label of institutionally racist, it's actually not fair and it's inaccurate.'

Speaking to Inside Out, Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, Andy Marsh, said: 'The Independent Police Complaints Commission made an investigation. They found no racism against PC Duffy or anyone else.

'The court has heard what PC Duffy did or didn't do, there's been an opportunity to examine it. I don't want to retry it, I'm really happy and accept and acknowledge that policing can sometimes feel like an impossible task.

'My job as Chief Constable is to make it possible to give police officers the right equipment, the right leadership, the right systems and the right processes so they can do the right thing.

'Now, whether those things were in place when PC Duffy was serving, in those terrible days leading up to the murder of Bijan, actually I can say with some confidence that they weren't. But that isn't the sort of organisation that I want to lead, and I have to say I don't believe it's the sort of organisation I lead today.'

Inside Out West broadcasts on Monday 26 February at 7.30pm on BBC One (West region). It will also be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Heather Locklear was arrested for nearly biting her boyfriend's nose off in a drunken rage, and then attacking three cops who came to break up the fight late Sunday.

A source in the Ventura police department tells DailyMail.com that Locklear 'was wasted' when she and Chris Heisser, the high school sweetheart she recently reconnected with, 'got into a physical fight' at her house in Thousand Oaks, California Sunday night.

The former Melrose Place star, 56, 'practically bit the tip off of Heisser's nose,' the source said, before instructing a woman who works with her to call police.

But her plan backfired when cops showed up on her doorstep and tried to put her in handcuffs.

The source said the actress snapped and 'attacked three of' the four officers - all in front of her 'mortified' adult daughter Ava, age 20.

'She punched the lady cop and called her a "c**t", kicked one of the male cops in the balls and punched the third male cop and called them all "f****** assholes" ranting at them,' the source said.

Because she had claimed to have been beaten by Heisser, Locklear was first taken to the hospital for evaluation.

She was booked into the Ventura County Jail around 1am on a felony count of domestic violence and three counts of misdemeanor battery on a peace officer.

Less than an hour later, Heisser himself was arrested, this time for driving under the influence. Captain Garo Kuredjian of the Ventura Sheriffs Office told DailyMail.com that Heissers arrest was for DUI but could not give further details. A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said the agency was unable to comment until the pending case against Heisser is concluded.

Sources told TMZ that he was spotted driving slowly on Highway 101, blew a 0.19 and a 0.20 blood alcohol level after being pulled over. The legal limit in California is 0.08.

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Heather Locklear was arrested for domestic violence and attacking three cops Sunday night. She's pictured above in her most recent mugshot above

Pictured above is Locklear's home where police were called Sunday night

Both were released later Monday morning after posting bail. Locklear's bond was set at $20,000.

Locklear's first court appearance is scheduled for March 13, while Heisser's DUI hearing is set for April.

Troubled Locklear has a history of drunken altercations and was arrested last September after crashing her Porsche into a ditch while driving to Heissers home.

No charges were filed after an investigation revealed she was sober at the time.

A source said Locklear and Heisser got into another booze-fueled fight three weeks before that crash.

In recent months, Locklear has posted multiple photos her new beau to Instagram.

Just two days ago, she also posted a picture of her flying to Boston with her dog.

Locklear has been married twice, first to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee from 1986 to 1993 and then to Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora from 1994 to 2007, who she had her daughter with.

Locklear also had a long-term relationship with fellow Melrose Place alum Jack Wagner. The two got engaged in 2011, but called it quits less than a year later.

Locklear, 56, starred in such TV shows as Melrose Place and Spin City

Locklear has posted several recent photos with her boyfriend, Chris Heisser

Cops were called to Locklear's home to break up a fight between her and her boyfriend. Above, another recent picture with Heisser, who was Locklear's high school boyfriend

Locklear posted this sentimental quote on Valentine's Day, with the caption: Happy Valentines Lover

The 56-year-old actress has a history of domestic violence calls, as well as abusing prescription drugs.

In 2011, while dating Wager, LAPD officers were called to his home after the two allegedly got into a heated argument and she punched him.

A law enforcement source told TMZ at the time: 'She lost it on him and he retaliated.'

No charges were filed by either party after the pair took part in a formal meeting at the LA County Attorneys Office.

Locklear was pulled over in September 2008 on suspicion of DUI after she was seen driving erratically. An eyewitness told officials with the California Highway Patrol that Locklear 'was revving her engine loudly, and backed over a pair of sunglasses several times.

While a drug test found no alcohol or illegal narcotics in her system, she was charged with one misdemeanor count of DUI.

Locklear has one daughter, Ava (pictured together on the right), from her second marriage to Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora (pictured together left)

The Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter said he believed medication she was on for anxiety and depression 'could have impaired her ability to safely drive a motor vehicle'.

Locklear pleaded no contest to reckless driving and the DUI charge was dropped. She was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a DMV driver safety class and a $700 fine.

In March of that year, paramedics and police officers rushed to Locklear's home when a man claiming to be her doctor called 911, saying he feared she was trying to commit suicide.

Locklear (left) and Heisser (right) pictured above in their high school yearbook photos

While Locklear appeared fine when cops showed up at her door, authorities say they believe the doctor's concern was legitimate since Locklear appeared to be suffering from anxiety and depression.

In June, Locklear checked herself into a medical treatment facility in Arizona for anxiety and depression and returned home about a month later.

In April 2010, she was arrested again for felony hit and run after crashing her BMW into a sign close to the gated community where she lived with Sambora.

Locklear is pictured above after her 2008 arrest for DUI

On that occasion, Locklear was cleared due to insufficient evidence.

In January 2012, authorities responded to Locklear's house again after her sister called 911, who feared her life was in danger after mixing prescription medicatoin and alcohol. Locklear was taken to the hospital but was discharged the next day.

Heisser is no stranger to the inside of a jail cell himself, and served two years in prison after being convicted on theft and fraud charges in Riverside, California, in 2011.

Since his release, he has stayed relatively clear of the law  picking up one citation for a traffic infraction in 2015.

But prior to his felony conviction, Ventura County records show he was a repeat offender  picking up a string of citations between 2008 and 2011.

Infractions on his record include using a cell phone while driving, driving with a suspended license and speeding.

Locklear is most famous for her roles on TV in the 90s, such as Melrose Place and Spin City. More recently, she appeared on the TV shows Fresh Off The Boat and Too Close To Home.
A new CNN survey suggests a rising tide of support for stricter gun laws in America, with more adults saying now is the time for action following the gruesome Parkland high school massacre.

The survey that was conducted by SSRS for the news network found that 70 percent of adults in America favor tighter firearms restrictions and just 27 percent now oppose them.

A month after the Sandy Hook elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a substantially lower 55 percent of respondents said they favored new gun controls with 44 percent opposed to additional regulations.

A new CNN survey suggests a rising tide of support for stricter gun laws in America, with more adults saying now is the time following the gruesome Parkland high school massacre

A month after the Sandy Hook elementary shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, a substantially lower percentage of respondents said they favored new gun controls. Weeks after Columbine, the 1999 school shooting that rocked the nation, fewer Americans also said they wanted gun control

Weeks after Columbine, the 1999 school shooting that rocked the nation, Americans said 62 percent to 34 percent that they wanted the government to step in.

Nearly 20 years later, America may be moving toward a shift in gun culture in the wake of the Florida high school massacre that left 17 people dead.

Even the nation's Republican president, who has stressed in the two weeks since Parkland that there's no bigger supporter of the Second Amendment than him, has proposed tighter background checks to keep the mentally ill from owning firearms.

President Donald Trump has also proposed new age limits on who can own certain types of high-powered firearms. He wants to raise the minimum age for purchase from 18-21.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican, has said the barrier should be lifted across the board for all gun ownership from 18 to 21.

The state's Republican Sen. Marco Rubio has also expressed openness to measures that would make it more difficult for teens like the Parkland shooter to buy certain types of weapons.

Respondents to CNN's survey said 57 percent to 39 percent that they are in favor of an outright ban on semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 that the Parkland shooter used.

More popular was a ban on high-capacity magazines that had the support of 63 of those surveyed compared to the 34 percent who were opposed.

Americans have consistently favored proposals to keep felons and the mentally ill from owning firearms - 87 percent say so now, which is the same as roughly a year ago in the same survey.

Additionally, 71 percent support a ban on gun sale to individuals under the age of 21, Scott's proposal. It is opposed by 27 percent of Americans.

American adults weren't as sure that more comprehensive background checks were the answer. Comparatively fewer, 59 percent, said they would be helpful to preventing mentally ill from owning guns, and 36 percent opposed it.

The same poll gave the NRA a net 46 percent favorable rating and a net 49 percent negative rating, a number that is also reflective of some businesses' decisions to end their partnerships with the gun group

President Trump and the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre warned that liberals would end the Second Amendment if they had things their way in speeches last week to a conservative activists, but CNN's poll showed that a constitutional overhaul would be wildly unpopular.

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans dismissed an outright ban on firearms, including 83 percent of Democrats, with a mere 11 percent voicing support to such a law.

They were more open to the idea of limiting the number of firearms a person could own - 47 percent said they favored it and 50 percent said they were opposed.

The same poll gave the NRA a net 46 percent favorable rating and a net 49 percent negative rating, a number that is reflective of top businesses' decisions to end their partnerships with the gun group.

President Donald Trump also had a rough, 35 percent approval rating in the survey, a tie with the lowest of his presidency, which came in December.

The survey, however, heavily sampled Democrats, who comprised 33 percent of the adults pooled, over Republicans, who accounted for 23 percent, with independently-affiliated voters making up 44 percent of the audience.
Britain's oldest and longest-serving nurse has finally hung up her scrubs after 66 years working for the NHS.

Monica Bulman, 86, from Torquay in Devon, started walking the wards in 1952 aged 19, four years after the NHS was formed.

She qualified as a registered nurse five years later and has dedicated her life to treating tens of thousands of patients.

Monica Bulman, 86, from Torquay in Devon, started walking the wards in 1952 aged 19, four years after the NHS was formed. She is pictured in 1957, aged 24, and on February 25 this year, aged 86

Mrs Bulman ended her long career on the Hutchings ward at Torbay Hospital in Devon as part of the specialist outpatient surgical clinic team for Endoscopy.

As she hung up her uniform to spend more time with her family she revealed she's still wearing the same belt she was given on her first day as a qualified nurse.

And she reflected on the vast changes she has seen in nursing - including the adoption of 'less glamorous' uniforms.

Mrs Bulman, a mother-of-two said: 'The NHS has been a huge part of my life and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

'However, I have decided that it's now time for me to put my fob watch and belt away to enable me to spend quality time with all my loved ones.

'I have absolutely loved being a nurse - it has brought me so much pleasure and I have enjoyed every single second.

'It's certainly going to take some getting used to with not coming in to work and seeing all my wonderful patients and colleagues. I'm going to thoroughly miss being a nurse.'

After 66 years working as a healthcare professional, Mrs Bulman said she has seen many changes.

Mrs Bulman (pictured centre, in the glasses, in an undated photo of an operation) ended her long career on the Hutchings ward at Torbay Hospital in Devon as part of the specialist outpatient surgical clinic team for Endoscopy

She said: 'Nursing has changed a lot over the years especially the technology, which is wonderful - unless it breaks down.

'Although we now have much more paperwork to compete, it is fantastic that with the technology we can now look up our patient's x-rays and test results at the click of a button rather than having lengthy waits for the information.

'Another change that amuses me is that years ago the Theatre Nurses, who were all gowned up, had to manually thread the needles for surgery, whereas now these all come in packs, pre-threaded.

As Mrs Bulman hung up her uniform to spend more time with her family she revealed she's still wearing the same belt she was given on her first day as a qualified nurse. She is seen wearing it on February 25

'The uniforms have also changed considerably although I have to admit I did prefer our old uniforms, they were much more glamourous.

'I bought a belt to wear with my uniform when I qualified in 1957 - I still have and wear the very same belt to this day.'

Mrs Bulman, who was born on September 1 1933, began her career at Eltham and St John's Hospitals in London.

In 1968, after 15 years in the capital, she moved to Torquay where she started working for a nursing agency.

In 1978, Mrs Bulman took on a job in the emergency department at Paignton Community Hospital and later worked on the outpatients department.

Two decades later, she celebrated her 65th birthday but said she decided to carry on working as she 'didn't want to stop.'

A sister from the outpatients department at Torbay Hospital asked her to work as a bank nurse for a few weeks but she ended up staying and worked there for another 20 years.

Her last post was as part of the specialist outpatient surgical clinic team for Endoscopy.

Looking back on her long career, Mrs Bulman (pictured middle in an undated photograph of her as a young nurse) said her most enjoyable time was in her early years

Looking back on her long career, Mrs Bulman said her most enjoyable time was in her early years.

She added: 'I loved my student training at St John's Hospital. This was my favourite time.

'After being on night duty, the sister used to give us a cup of cocoa every morning after our night shift she was our "mother hen" and guided and nurtured us through our training as well as our personal lives.

Mrs Bulman (pictured left in an undated photo) still regularly attends the gym and spinning classes, is an avid reader and also a member of a local skittles club

'I have never been happy at work and have so many wonderful memories and friendships that will be with me forever.

'My job has kept me going and helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. I don't know what I would have done without my colleagues and a job where I could dedicate myself to caring for others.'

Mrs Bulman still regularly attends the gym and spinning classes, is an avid reader and also a member of a local skittles club.

She added: 'I do like to keep fit and healthy, but I also like to be "glam" - I enjoy going to my local beauty salon as well doing all my hobbies!

'Most of all though I love spending time with my family and my grandchildren.'

Liz Davenport, Interim Chief Executive of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'I am sure I speak for everyone at the Trust when I say we are incredibly grateful for Monica's incredible 66 years of dedicated nursing service in the NHS - she really is an inspiration to us all. It's no mean feat to be one of the longest serving nurses in the country.

'We are so proud that she has been a member of our staff for so many years and we know that many people will have benefited from her nursing skills and positivity.

'We wish Monica all the very best in her retirement and we're sure that she will make the most of this new and exciting chapter in her life.'
The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to hear an emergency appeal of a California judge's ruling that blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

DACA stemmed from an Obama-era executive order barring the deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

The West Coast federal judge had ruled that DACA recipients could continue to renew their status even though Trump had planned to wind down the program on March 5.

A normal appeal will now proceed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, widely considered the most liberal in the nation.

'Nothing's as bad as the Ninth Circuit,' President Donald Trump told a group of governors on Monday as he vented about the morning ruling.

The Supreme Court said Monday that it would not hear the Trump administration's challenge of a DACA ruling until the regular appeals court process played out

DACA is an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of illegal imimgrants from deportation because they were brought to the U.S. as children

'Nothing's as bad as the Ninth Circuit,' President Donald Trump told a group of governors on Monday, speaking of the famously liberal court based in San Francisco

'It's really sad when every single case filed against us is in the Ninth Circuit,' Trump told the governors. 'We lose, we lose, we lose, and then we do fine in the Supreme Court. What does that tell you about our court system? It's a very sad thing,'

The president has been using the looming March deadline as leverage to force Congress to green-light his other immigration priorities, including a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, the end to a decades-old 'diversity' visa lottery and limits to family-based 'chain migration.'

Monday's non-ruling by America's highest court means that the regular Ninth Circuit process will be allowed to play out  a saga that could take a year or more.

While the Justice Department could appeal an adverse ruling there back to the Supreme Court, DACA 'Dreamers' will be allowed to prolong their status in the meantime.

The administration had sought the high court's intervention before a lower appeals court got the case at all  a short-circuiting that is highly unusual.

'We tried to get it moved quickly, because we'd like to help DACA. I think everybody in this room wants to help with DACA but the Supreme Court just ruled it has to go through the normal channels,' Trump said Monday.

'So it's going back in, and there won't be any surprise.'

Carlos Esteban, 31, of Woodbridge, Virginia, a nursing student and DACA recipient, rallied with others outside the White House last September

Expediting the case would have required a minimum of four justices to concur, something that did not happen. No justices published a dissent of the decision.

'It is assumed that the court of appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case,' the court said, offering no further explanation.

In a January 9 ruling, a federal judge in San Francisco sided with the University of California and its president Janet Napolitano, issuing a nationwide injunction against ending DACA protections.

The former Obama administration Homeland Security secretary and her university had sued to keep DACA in place after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in September that the program would sunset six months later.

Sessions argued that Obama put DACA in place without the legal authority to do it.

The current justices of the U.S. Supreme Court posed for a formal group photograph in June 2017

U.S. District Judge William Alsup disagreed, ordering the Trump administration to continue accepting biennial DACA renewals and setting off a pair of appeals  one in the Ninth Circuit and the other with the Supreme Court.

The administration is not accepting new DACA applications, however.

In a similar but separate ruling, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled in Brooklyn, New York in favor of a group of Democratic state attorneys general and immigrants who had sued the federal government over the White House's DACA expiration.

Garaufis said at the time that the administration could eventually get rid of DACA but its stated reasons last year were too arbitrary to withstand legal scrutiny.

About 700,000 young adults are protected by the DACA program, a fraction of the 1.8 million who are thought to be eligible.

Trump's legislative proposal, part of a comprehensive immigration reform proposal, would give all of them a pathway to eventual U.S. citizenship.

Justice Department spokesman Devin OMalley said in a statement on Monday that the administration will defend its 'lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner.'

O'Malley said the DOJ was 'hopeful for a different outcome,' and the unusual intervention 'was warranted for the extraordinary injunction requiring the Department of Homeland Security to maintain DACA.'
A married Army recruiter was arrested on Friday after he sent a sexually explicit image of himself to an underage girl on Snapchat.

Police say Adam Matthew Perkins, 37, met the student, 16, during a visit to Deer Park High School in December when she was selling cake balls for a fundraiser that Perkins had donated to.

Perkins and the teen then exchanged Snapchat usernames. After the exchange, the teen said Perkins began sending her 'strange' snaps - which included a picture of his genitals.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Harris County, Perkins admitted he was 'no angel'. The complaint said Perkins also told the teen she was 'sexy and had 'sexy a** toes'.

Army recruiter Adam Matthew Perkins, 37, (pictured on Facebook) sent a nude photo of himself to a teenage girl in December and was arrested on Friday

Perkins met the Deer Park High School student, 16, while on a school visit. He donated money to her cake ball fundraiser. The school is pictured above

The teen said she could see the image for a few seconds before it disappeared, according to The Dallas Morning News, however, police are able to request access to the exchange by search warrant.

It's unclear whether the company is able to retrieve the full message, as snaps are said to be removed from the server once played, Snapchat's Privacy Policy agreement states.

The app still 'retains a temporary log showing data about messages  like when they were sent and by whom, but not the content,' according to the newspaper.

The Privacy Policy further reads: 'With third parties for legal reasons. We may share information about you if we reasonably believe that disclosing the information is needed to:

The married father-of-three (pictured above in uniform with his wife) has since claimed the nude picture sent to the teen was 'by accident'

Perkins admitted he was 'no angel', according to the criminal complaint. He told the teen girl she was 'sexy' and had 'sexy a** toes'

Comply with any valid legal process, governmental request, or applicable law, rule, or regulation.'

The agreement may further expose private messages in order to 'investigate, remedy, or enforce potential Terms of Service violations or protect the rights, property, and safety of us, our users, or others' and 'detect and resolve any fraud or security concerns.'

Perkins has claimed the nude image of himself on a bed was sent 'by accident'.

He was jailed over the weekend but since released on $1,000 bond.

The father-of-three faces a misdemeanor charge of displaying harmful material to a minor.
A 17-year-old boy and his and 16-year-old girlfriend have been found shot to death in a wooded area of Ohio, and police are now trying to determine whether the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide or double suicide.

Jackson Township police say a Canal Fulton police officer performing a welfare check on Lauren Kaufman and Mason Brown found them together around 8.30pm on Friday in a wooded area behind a development in Jackson Township.

Both teens were shot in the head and police recovered a handgun at the scene.

Tragic couple: Lauren Kaufman, 16 (left), and Mason Brown, 17 (right), were found suffering from fatal gunshot wounds to the head in a wooded area in Ohio on Friday

Classmates: The girl was a sophomore at Northwest High School in Canal Fulton, where the boy was enrolled as a junior

Kaufman was pronounced dead on the spot. Brown died at a hospital at 2am on Saturday.

The girl was a sophomore at Northwest High School in Canal Fulton, where the boy was enrolled as a junior. Northwest High School Principal Larry Tausch said the two were likely dating.

'They were nice students. I saw them walking with each other Friday afternoon prior to me leaving school,' school resource officer Dennis Muntean told Fox 8.

That morning, both Kaufam and Brown had been at a special assembly organized by Principal Tausch to discuss the recent string of student suicides in Stark County, Ohio, and to send the Northwest community a message of hope, reported Ohio.com.

'Were going to be an example of how to fix this,' Tausch told the 650 students enrolled at Northwest. 'Were going to get this right.'

Between August 2017 and January 2018, five students and a recent graduate at other schools in Stark County, Ohio, lost their lives to suicide.

According to Tausch, he had known Kaufman from the time she was in middle school and described her as a quiet girl with a big heart. He said Brown had lived in Florida but moved to Ohio this year. The boy was also said to be quiet.

Both had attended a special assembly on student suicides just hours before the tragedy. Police are trying to determine whether the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide or double suicide

Kaufman's obituary reads that she is survived by her parents and two brothers.

On Saturday, more than 100 students came to the school to meet with grief counselors and provide solace to one another during this difficult time.

'It was shock. I didnt think it could happen at our schools. We have a very close-knit school; people get along very well,' Muntean said, adding that it was the first major tragedy that has befallen the school in at least five years.

Kaufman and Brown's deaths come just a few days after police say a 13-year-old boy shot himself at a Jackson Township middle school. He died last Wednesday.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
Saudi Arabia is preparing to auction billions of dollars of real estate and cars belonging to billionaire Maan al-Sanea and his company as they look to conclude one of the kingdom's longest-running debt disputes.

The planned sale is the latest signal that Saudi Arabia is serious about holding its elites to account.

In an anti-corruption crackdown last November, authorities detained scores of senior officials on charges of alleged graft. Most have been released after being exonerated or agreeing to give the state money, assets or real estate.

Maan al-Sanea meets Prince Andrew in Saudi Arabia in March 2007 - the Kuwaiti- born billionaire has since then suffered a fall from grace

Property belonging to billionaire Maan al-Sanea including this parking lot and adjoining premises in Khobar (left and right) is now being auctioned

As part of the anti-corruption purge ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured), a number of billionaires were at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh before being released last month

The Saudi Arabian authorities say they want to bring an end to decadent living

The al-Sanea case is separate from the main anti-graft campaign. The businessman -- in 2007 he was ranked by Forbes as one of the world's 100 richest people -- was detained by authorities late last year for unpaid debt dating back to 2009 when his company, Saad Group, defaulted on debts.

Al-Sanea, described by the New Yorker in November as a 'raffish Kuwaiti billionaire', was arrested at his home on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia.

A feud between him and his in-laws, the Gosaibis, begain 9n 2009 when they fell on hard times after one of the banks owned by the family collapsed. The head of the family accused al-Sanea of opening the bank - called the International Banking Corporation - without his consent, and of systematically defrauding the family and the banks customers.

Since then the dispute between the Gosaibis and al-Sanea has played out in separate lawsuits in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Bahrain, the U.A.E., and other legal jurisdictions around the world.

In Saudi Arabia investors see the case as a litmus test of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's commitment to reforms. Creditors have spent nine years pursuing al-Saad, based in the city of Khobar, for debt that some estimate to be more than 10 billion.

Etqaan Alliance, the consortium appointed by Saudi authorities to liquidate assets owned by al-Sanea and the company in an effort to repay creditors, plans to begin selling the companys assets in Saudi Arabia, according to several sources familiar with the matter. The sales will happen in the coming weeks, the sources said.

The liquidator has produced a slick video that it has posted on YouTube with the tagline "the sale everyone has been waiting for in Khobar" featuring some of the properties and land to be sold.

A brochure accompanying the sale includes a list of 20 plots of land owned by Saad Trading, part of Saad Group, and al-Sanea. The properties are mostly located in Khobar. The largest unit is a 484,407 square metre plot of land that includes buildings and a sewage water treatment plant.

The brochure does not include valuations, but the sources said the real estate was valued at about 1 billion, based on an official list of real estate provided to authorities.

Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, one of the richest men in the world and the owner of London's top hotel the Savoy was one of the men detained for suspected corruption - he was released in January

A source at the Ministry of Justice confirmed to Reuters an auction would be launched this month to sell vehicles, equipment, a large quantity of building materials and some property before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which starts in May.

According to the sources who have seen the official list provided to authorities, Saad owns millions of pounds worth of real estate, in addition to the personal wealth of al-Sanea, much of which is in Riyadh, Dammam and Khobar.

Reuters was unable to verify whether all of that real estate will be auctioned by Etqaan or the number of vehicles that will be sold. Saad owns 923 vehicles, including trucks, buses and cars, according to the sources who had seen the list provided to authorities, while al-Sanea has 26 vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, a Hummer, and Cadillac Concord.

The sale does not include the 750-bed Saad Specialist Hospital in Khobar, which the government is in talks with private companies to run, or foreign assets owned by al-Sanea or Saad.

The auction is set to take place a few weeks after the government wound down the anti-corruption crackdown that involved the detention of scores of senior Saudi officials, including princes, in Riyadh's luxurious Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

The government has said the process raised more than $100 billion, mostly in the form of land, stakes in businesses and other illiquid assets rather than cash.

The proceeds from Etqaan's auction will be distributed to creditors via a legal process overseen by a three-judge tribunal set up in 2016 to handle claims against Saad and Ahmad Hamad al-Gosaibi & Bros Co, another big local conglomerate that defaulted on debt in 2009.

Creditors have pursued legal battles over the debt around the world for almost a decade, while the two groups have squabbled over which of them is to blame for the meltdown.

In an effort to stave off the liquidation process, Saad late last year launched its own process to engage with creditors. It hired a financial consultancy, Reemas Group, to offer a proposed settlement covering $4 bln in debt.

Reemas did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
A man killed himself after purposely driving the wrong way and causing a four-car wreck in Texas on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Police said the incident occurred at about 4.30pm on Sunday at a three-way intersection in Spring, Texas.

The man who caused the accident was said to have been driving a green Chevy Cruze down the street, before turning south, directly into the path of cars going both east and west - resulting in a four-car pile up.

A man is said to have committed suicide with a pistol after purposely driving his green Chevy Cruze the wrong way down a street in Spring, Texas, causing a four-car pile up Sunday

Police said the man, who has not been named yet, then exited his car and spoke with the other drivers to make sure they were OK, before returning to his car.

He then apparently got back into his car and committed suicide,Click 2 Houston reported.

The man appeared to have shot himself once with a pistol and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to KHOU.

Harris County Sheriffs Office Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland told reporters that the man 'turned directly into [the] pathway of cars' and that driving the wrong way did 'seem deliberate.'

The chain reaction accident also involved one car at a stop sign being hit and two other cars crashing in oncoming traffic, ABC13 said.

One car was hit at a stop sign while two other cars crashed in oncoming traffic

Ryaan Boyd, whose maroon BMW was totaled during the accident, said that he saw the green Chevy Cruze hit a car at the stop sign, but didn't hear the driver's self-inflicted gunshot

Boyd's maroon BMW (right) was totaled during the accident which occurred at about 4.30pm

The accident took place at this three-way intersection in Spring, Texas on Sunday afternoon

Ryaan Boyd, whose maroon BMW was totaled in the accident, told Click 2 Houston that he saw the green Chevy Cruze approach and hit the car at the stop sign, but did not hear the man shoot himself.

'Were wondering why the guy's not coming out (of his vehicle) because it was none of our faults,' Boyd told Click 2 Houston, adding that he and other drivers involved in the accident waited about 25 minutes for him to exit his car.

'And then finally, a lady, a minivan over there, went up to the car and said, I think the guy is dead. And thats when she came over here, running over here, while were trying to get each others insurance information,' Boyd told KHOU.

One man went to the hospital with minor injuries, but was released. Three others who were involved in the wrecks were deemed OK.

Authorities are now trying to determine what might have prompted the man to commit suicide after causing the crash 'for something as mundane as this four-car accident,' Gilliland said.
Jeremy Corbyn today told for the first time what he spoke to Czech spy Jan Sarkocy about - revealing they talked about peace but not what Margaret Thatcher had for breakfast.

The Labour leader said he was one of many MPs who spoke to Mr Sarkocy while he was stationed in London in the 1980s pretending to be a Czech diplomat.

Mr Corbyn said he has 'no regrets' about the meetings, which took place during the Cold War and he insists were perfectly innocent.

He broke his silence about the content of the meetings after nearly a fortnight of claims about his alleged links with the former secret agent.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured on ITV today) today told for the first time what he spoke to Czech spy Jan Sarkozy about - revealing they talked about peace but not what Margaret Thatcher had for breakfast

Archive files say the pair met several times during the 1980s and Mr Sarkocy has hailed the MP as a 'very good source - feeding him information about politics and even the then Tory PM's eating habits.

But the Labour leader has dismissed claims he was in the pay of Soviet agents as 'smears'.

Lifting the lid on what the pair really spoke about , he told ITV News: 'I met him as did a number of other people.

'He was the diplomat working in the Czech embassy and his job was talk about peace and detente.

'This was the time when when Gorbachev was president of the USSR there was a real chance of detente developing within Europe.

'We spoke about those matters.

'I told him what I thought and he bizarrely discovered that I was opposed to Margaret Thatcher and the Tory government.

'I think it should not have been a surprise to him - but I have no knowledge what Margaret Thatcher ever ate for breakfast - she never told me.'

Asked directly if he has any regrets over the meetings - which took place when many Soviet agents were living in the West under the guise of diplomats - he insisted he did not.

Mr Corbyn said: 'No not at all. I met him, as did many, many other members of Parliament.

'I also met a lot of American diplomats during that period. I went to the American embassy to talk to them about what I thought was their wholly wrong strategy in central America.

The Labour leader said he was one of many MPs who spoke to Jan Sarkocy (pictured) while he was stationed in London in the 1980s pretending to be a Czech diplomat

'If you are a serious member of Parliament and serious about international affairs you meet people

'You don't agree with most of them, but you have to meet them to understand what their position is and put forward your own view on peace, justice and human rights.

'I don't regret any of it.'

The revelations come after Liam Fox accused Mr Corbyn of undermining Britain's national security during the Cold War - branding him a 'useful idiot'.

The International Trade Secretary yesterday said the Labour leader was ' very useful' to the Communists by constantly trying to 'undermine' the arguments of the West.

He said the MP's call for the UK to voluntarily and give up its nuclear weapons was a threat to the national interest.

And he said the Labour left's glorification of the Soviet Union also played into the Communists' hands.
The widow of the Pulse nightclub shooter will stand trial this week.

Noor Salman will appear in Orlando's federal courthouse on Thursday charged with providing material support to a terror organization and obstruction of justice.

Her husband Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured at least 68 more when he opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in the city on June 12, 2016.

Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen (pictured together), will appear in Orlando's federal courthouse on Thursday charged with providing material support to a terror organization and obstruction of justice

Investigators say Salman knew her husband 'was going to do something bad' before the attack.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that a statement written by an FBI agent and signed by her said she was in denial that he could hurt other people when he left their home with guns and ammunition.

'I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse Night Club,' Salman said allegedly during an 18-hour interview that was written by a FBI agent.

Mateen killed 49 people and injured at least 68 more when he opened fire inside the Pulse nightclub in the city on June 12, 2016 (file picture above)

But Bruce Frumkin, a Miami psychologist and expert on false confessions, will testify that Salman's testimony to FBI was not true.

Salman's lawyer Charles Swift has argued that she was not in custody at the time she was detained by the FBI, hours after the attack, or read the Miranda rights.

But US attorneys responded that she was never in custody in the first place and gave her statements voluntarily.

Salman (left) will now stand trial on Thursday in the city her husband carried out the shooting

Salman (pictured left with her back facing the camera and right hiding) previously tried to persuade a federal judge to hold her trial in another city, claiming she would not get a fair hearing

'I knew on Saturday, when Omar left the house about 5pm that this was the time that he was going to do something bad,' Salman said, according to the statement she signed.

'I knew this because of the way he left and took the gun and backpack with ammunition'

'I knew later, when I could not get ahold of him that my fears had come true and he did what he said he was going to do,' she added.

'I was in denial and I could not believe that the father of my child was going to hurt other people.'

Pictured above are the 49 victims from the horrific 2016 shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida

Salman shared that Mateen became obsessed with the Middle East and ISIS recruitment videos for two years up until the shooting.

He was said to have been looking at the area now referred to as Disney Springs and City Place in Palm Beach, according to Salman's statement.

The couple was said to have driven around the club for a week before the shooting with their young son sitting in the vehicle.

'How upset are people going to be when it gets attacked?' Mateen said, according to his wife's statement.

'I knew he was talking about himself doing the attack on the Pulse,' she added.

Salman previously tried to persuade a federal judge to hold her trial in another city, claiming she would not get a fair hearing.

Back in September, her attorneys said in a filing that ubiquitous media coverage combined with statements from local law enforcement officials created an environment where she would not be able to find an impartial jury, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Denying her request, US District Judge Paul Byron wrote: 'The Court finds that the pretrial publicity in this case does not satisfy the prejudicial and inflammatory prong of the analysis, and the volume of coverage does not rise to the level of saturation.'

Salman will appear at Orlando's federal courthouse on March 1.
A couple in Kansas has given birth to identical triplets - a one in 20 million outcome - after originally being told they were having twins.

Nicole and Caleb Choge from Ottawa, Kansas, already have a two-year-old son.

The father said he, his wife and their toddler all prayed for another child and 'God answered everybody's prayer: one, two and three.'

The identical boys - Ron, Elkanah, and Abishai - were born Thursday at 34 weeks, which doctors said is average for triplets and can cause potential complications for the children.

Nicole Choge (pictured) gave birth to identical triplets on Thursday after originally being told she was having twins

Caleb Choge (pictured right) said he and his wife wanted another sibling for their two-year-old son (middle)

The boys are under observation at the Truman Medical Center's neonatal intensive care in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dr. Josh Petrikin told the Kansas City Star the boys 'are doing wonderfully' after being born six weeks early.

The normal gestation period for a human is 40 weeks, but twins and triplets tend to be born earlier.

Researchers say identical triplets occur only about once per 20 million to 30 million deliveries, according to a 2003 study.

The family was living in Kenya when Nicole got pregnant and found out that she might be having more than one baby.

Caleb with one of the triplets - Ron, Elkanah, and Abishai - born at 34 weeks old

Doctors said the babies were doing wonderful considering they were born prematurely

Caleb told the Kansas City newspaper that they went into a sonogram where two babies were discovered in the mother's uterus.

They then went back for a second scan and discovered three babies instead of two which lead the family to go back to the United States to get another opinion.

Caleb said he was very excited at first about having three more boys to join the family.

'But then, I was like, man I need a bigger car,' Caleb said to a group of reporters on Sunday.

Dr Petrikin said the babies are doing 'quite well' considering they were born six weeks premature.

It is unclear when doctors anticipate the babies will leave the hospital.
Denmark will double punishments for crimes committed in ghetto trouble spots under new proposals.

So-called 'special punishment zones' will be set up by police in underprivileged areas to crackdown on crimes such as theft, vandalism and threatening behaviour.

This could see more severe punishments for certain offences committed in those areas, according to Justice Minister Sren Pape Poulsen said.

Denmark will double punishments for crimes committed in certain parts of ghettos in the country, under new proposals (file picture)

He told newspaper Berlingske that criminality that contributed to 'parallel societies' would be targeted by the new scheme.

Poulsen said: 'Vandalism, theft or threats could be the reason [for harsher punishments]. That means the hammer will fall extra hard in those areas.'

He said that local police would decide on which areas would be subject to the harsher punishment rule.

However, it is not yet clear exactly what crimes would result in double punishments. This will be determined at a later date, Berlingske reports.

According to The Local Denmark, Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen announced plans in his New Year's Speech to make efforts to reduce crime and social inequality in Denmark's ghettos.

But Birgitte Arent Eiriksson, legal advisor with thinktank Justitia, warned: 'Where there is rule of law, it is very, very important that everyone is equal before the law.

'But I find it difficult to see how that could be the case with this proposal.'
A woman in Texas attempted to hide drugs during an arrest by defecating in her pants, police said.

Officers in Corsicana, about 55miles (88kilometers) south of Dallas, were responding to a robbery at a local H-E-B grocery store when they tried to detain Shannen Martin.

Police say they handcuffed Martin and placed her in the back of a cruiser where she intentionally used her feces to conceal drugs.

Shannen Martin, pictured, was arrested on suspected theft at a local H-E-B grocery store in Corsicana, Texas

She intended to defecate in order to hide a crack pipe, 2.3 grams of crack cocaine and a Valentine's Day card, police said.

But the items weren't discovered until they had arrived at the jail and were booking Martin in.

They were forced to sift through her feces to retrieve the evidence.

Corsicana Police, who posted the recounted the incident on Facebook as 'Strange Narcotics Arrest', said: 'This is scientific proof that drugs will fry your brain folks.'

Corsicana Police charged Shannen Martin with tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance. Both are felony offenses

They also congratulated the officer who was forced to sift through Martin's poo, Officer Michael Worthy.

Facebook users, naturally, had a reaction.

Alan Eddins said: 'Im recommending that Officer Worthy receive an Accommodation Award for going above and beyond the call of duty, a pay raise and certainly some hazard pay!'

Taira L Davis, another Facebook user, agreed: 'You guys need to take a collect plate and pass it around. Or buy him some gift cards. He shouldnt pay for his meals for a WHILE!! Poor dude.'

Tiffany Marie, not so much. She said: 'I personally think this post is completely inappropriate and unprofessional.

Your jobs are to "protect and serve" but meanwhile you're over here on Facebook no less, making fun of and copping jokes on a young woman you just arrested who clearly is on drugs or mentally ill and needs help.'

Martin was charged with tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance. Both are felony offenses.
The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden has reportedly been thrown off an American Airlines flight for being too drunk to fly.

Rob O'Neill and his new wife Jessica boarded the plane bound for Dallas, at Nashville Airport, in Tennessee, on Sunday.

But witnesses aboard say the military hero was noticeably drunk and began yelling vile slurs at a flight attendant before passing out, TMZ reports.

Rob O'Neill boarded the plane bound for Dallas, at Nashville Airport, in Tennessee, on Sunday (pictured on another flight in a photo posted to his Instagram page on February 9)

O'Neill had just recently returned from giving a speech at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland

When O'Neill woke up again, he was informed he was too drunk to fly and was ordered off the plane.

But he allegedly became belligerent and staff were forced to call the police.

An American Airlines representative confirmed they called the police yesterday over a drunken passenger.

A police report, obtained by DailyMail.com, shows that O'Neill was not arrested and that the airline offered to book him on a flight to Dallas the following day.

However, the former SEAL declined, and he and his wife got a taxi back into Nashville.

The police report states that both Rob and Jessica smelt of alcohol but that they were calm and cooperative by the time the officer caught up with them by the luggage carousel in the airport. The report also stated that there was an active warrant out for O'Neill but that it was in-state for Texas only.

A representative for Rob ONeill told DailyMail.com: Rob believes he was treated fairly by both American Airlines and local authorities and that this really is a non-story.

Newlywed O'Neill had just recently returned from giving a speech at CPAC 2018 in Maryland.

O'Neill (right) was part of the SEAL team that raided Bin Laden's (left) Pakistan compound in 2012. O'Neill fired the fatal shots because he was one of the first into the room

O'Neill was deployed on more than a dozen tours of duty in active combat, in four different war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan

O'Neill was part of SEAL Team Six, which stormed Osama bin Laden's secret Pakistan compound on May 2011. He fired the fatal shots that killed the Al Qaeda leader.

Rob O'Neill boarded the plane bound for Dallas, at Nashville Airport, in Tennessee, on Sunday

He also took part in the headline-making mission to rescue the crew of the Mearsk Alabama, after they were taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009. The incident was profiled in the Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips.

The 16-year veteran of the elite squadron left the military in 2012, four years shy of retirement, voiding his right to a pension.

He was deployed on more than a dozen tours of duty in active combat, in four different warzones, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

O'Neill was decorated 52 times for his service, leaving as senior chief petty officer.

He identified himself as the SEAL who killed Bin Laden in an interview with Fox News two years after he left the military and now works for the network as a contributor.

He told DailyMailTV of his decision to come forward: 'The people who wanted to find out [who killed bin Laden] knew by the time we set foot back in the U.S. I had heard my name in D.C., Virginia Beach and San Diego. I could've pretended my name wasn't out there but that would have been complacent because it was.'

Fun-loving O'Neill, who was decorated 52 times for his service, posted a photo of himself with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's bourbon

Last summer, O'Neil, 41, married 27-year-old Jessica Halpin in a lavish wedding on Cape Cod

A poignant meeting with family members of 9/11 victims also inspired him to come forward.

'I had donated my uniform anonymously to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum,' he said.

'I met around 35 family members of 9/11 victims and I told them the story for the first time.

'After the reaction I got from them, I figured if I could help them, I could help thousands more.'

In the months that followed his revelation, O'Neill took on a public role as a motivational speaker and established a charity, Your Grateful Nation, to help fellow veterans transition from a military background to a civilian career.

His now-wife Jessica Halpin said that when they first met, she was unaware of Rob's newly-acquired fame as the man who killed bin Laden.

'I remember a one-page description about him,' she said.

'It didn't say anything about the [bin Laden] raid.'

She said that she really took notice when he started to speak.

O'Neill, who now works for Fox News, was a supporter of Donland Trump during the presidential campaign.

Rob O'Neill (left), the former Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden, had dinner at the White House in October, along with his new wife Jessica (right)

'He is just an incredible speaker,' Jessica said.

'You could tell he was funny and interesting.

My friend and I were going for a drink after the conference and we invited him. He asked for my number.'

Last summer, O'Neil, 41, married 27-year-old Halpin in a lavish wedding on Cape Cod attended by the likes of Kid Rock, a close friend of the former SEAL.

He was married once previously, and had kids, but divorced after returning to civilian life.

Last year, O'Neill released a memoir,The Operator, which recounts his illustrious career and the 400 missions he completed.

A conservative, O'Neill was a supporter of Trump during the presidential race - but he has also spoken highly of former President Obama, a Democrat.

'He made the right call with Captain Phillips and he made the right call with bin Laden,'O'Neill said of Obama in a 2015 interview with The Sunday Times. 'The two times Ive been directly associated with a decision that he made, he made the right call'.

He was even invited for dinner at the White House in October.

Rob O'Neil posted a picture on social media after the meal, showing him on the White House South Lawn at night with Jessica.

'Nice dinner with @jessical_oneill at 1600. @realDonaldTrump is a great host,' O'Neill wrote.
Kamal Hussain, pictured, 28, of east London, was jailed for seven years for terror offences including collecting bomb-making material

A mobile phone worker who called himself 'Captain the illiterate' who collected bomb-making 'recipes' and plotted to 'kill smart people' has been jailed for seven years.

Mohammed Kamal Hussain, 28, from Whitechapel, east London, also created a Facebook profile where he encouraged others to join ISIS.

Police praised a 23-year-old man from Bosnia who tipped off British authorities when he received a message over Facebook trying to persuade him to aid the terrorist organisation.

The Bosnian had recently created a Facebook profile when he received the unsolicited post, saying: 'I message many people on the Facebook in order to stimulate them to join the ISIS.'

Investigators established the message was from Hussain, a Bangladeshi national, who had over-stayed his visa and was living in east London.

Hussain was denied an extension of his visa at the end of 2014 but continued to live and to work in Britain illegally.

They also discovered he had been sent a chemistry app by a contact via the Telegram social media service which offered a 'virtual laboratory' to 'mix chemicals in virtual containers'.

It added: 'When the explosion switch is on, all explosions will occur as in reality.'

He had also downloaded a recipe for a pipe bomb from an al-Qaeda magazine publication.

When police arrested Hussain in a car park near his work in Purfleet in Essex, they found he had an ISIS video called 'Procession of Light' which featured suicide bombers, including a young boy, saying their prayers, getting into a vehicle and being watched by a drone as they drove to a vehicle check point and then blew themselves up.

Hussain also had an open Facebook page which he used to encourage support for ISIS, including one entry that featured a picture of a child carrying a black ISIS flag and another from January last year that read: 'The West has been plundering our wealth for centuries. Now is the time for payback. In Sha' Allah, the chickens will come home to roost.'

After his arrest, Hussain claimed he was 'just doing what Facebook says to do and "share your mind".'

Hussain had at least four Facebook accounts, opening a new one each time the existing account was closed by the social media company.

The Judge Peter Lodder QC criticised the firm saying 'it may surprise some to know that the security services are unable to view private messages on Facebook', and had to rely on a screenshot instead.

He was found guilty of supporting ISIS and encouragement of terrorism.

He had previously been living in London for seven years and working in a mobile phone warehouse called the London Magic Store.

His student visa withdrawn after a bogus college he was attending in Whitechapel was shut down and he was contacted by the Home Office who labelled him an 'over-stayer' and ordered him to return home.

While he was attending a bogus college in Whitechapel, east London, it was shut down and his student visa withdrawn.

Using the name, 'Captain the illiterate', Hussain told one female contact, called Lujain Ahmed, 'I'm a simple man...I hate the smart people. Inshallah, I will be smart after I go to Paradise...before die, wanna punish some kuffar,' and added: 'I'm bored of this world.'

Asked in court how he came up with the name, Hussain told Naeem Mian QC, defending: 'It doesn't have any meaning, I just liked this name.'

Simon Davis, prosecuting, said it was plain that Hussain was 'aligned with Islamic State' and wanted to join them.

The court heard he made Google searches for 'suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices' just two days after the Manchester Arena bombing.

Then on May 29, he looked for 'Ariana Grande' and 'Manchester attack concert' and, the next day, for 'ruling on blowing oneself up' and 'suicide bombings and martyrdom in Islam.'

On June 3, Hussain downloaded an image of the Queen and then searched for 'make terror into kafirs heart', followed the next day by 'London Bridge attack statement' from East London Mosque, the day after the attack.

Hussain had earlier told Ahmed: 'I will not be calm until I make hijrah [emigrate] and fight with the kuffar...Why my sisters not like u? I should kill them.'

Later the same day, he added: 'We should do something big' and on June 4, he expanded: 'If we cannot make hijrah [emigrate] then wherever we live fighting is coming upon us.

'If you live Bangladesh, UK, Middle East anywhere you go you have face fight...I believe this is the beginning of 3rd world war and it's will be end after killing dajjal [anti-christ].'

Detectives at the Counter-Terrorism Referral Unit trawled thousands of messages Hussain had sent on Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of Scotland Yard's SO15 Counter-Terrorism Command, said: 'This investigation started with one conscientious individual trusting his instincts and reporting something suspicious.

'He could have ignored the message Hussain sent him but instead he took a screenshot of the message and contacted the UK authorities immediately. It is in great part thanks to him that police were able to bring Hussain to justice.'

Hussain told police that he was both anti-Western and anti-Eastern, explaining that he meant 'governments, including my own Bangladeshi government in the East.'

He added: 'I love everything for the sake of Allah and I hate everything for the sake of Allah.'

Hussain's plan was to retrieve his passport from the Home Office and travel back to Bangladesh, before going on to Saudi Arabia to wait for 'Armageddon,' he explained in court.

He added he collected ISIS publications because 'I consider IS a sign of the end of days and I want to know about their ideology.

Hussain read one edition of Rumiyah, which had a guide to knife attacks 'for the ideological matter and their teachings and that sort of things, but I never read how to kill people with a knife,' he said.

His collection of extremist books were about religion, he added, claiming he was 'seeking the truth' but 'never planning an attack'.

But he added: 'I'm Muslim, I shouldn't like everything. I love everything for the sake of Allah and I hate everything for the sake of Allah, that's it.'

The judge told him: 'Far from observing the sacred covenant of security, you disseminated your twisted views and attempted to persuade others to join you in support of Islamic State.

'You glorified activity which strikes at the very heart of a civilized and democratic society.

'In no sense do your opinions represent the beliefs of decent, law abiding and peaceful Muslims who live in this country.'

Naeem Mian QC, defending, asked Hussain: 'You are an over-stayer and your passport is with the Home Office?'

'I don't have any option other than to go to Bangladesh,' he said.

Mr Haydon encouraged others concerned about online material to refer it to them via the website www.act.gov.uk
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson continues to complain about President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner encroaching on his territory.

Politico reported Monday that Tillerson has fumed over Kushner, and two other Trump administration officials  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and National Security Adviser H.R. McMcaster  trying to take on chunks of the secretary of state's role.

'We can't have four secretaries of state,' Tillerson reportedly said.

Politico is reporting that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) is annoyed that President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (right) is on his turf

Part of Kushner's profile includes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and he's also been involved in China and Mexico policies as well.

When Chief of Staff John Kelly repeated Tillerson's criticism, Kushner, according to Politico, got perturbed.

'No, but we need a secretary of state who is supportive of the president,' the president's son-in-law said.

The Kushner-Tillerson beef is yet another example of the clashing personalities that have surrounded President Trump in his first 13 months of office.

The selection of Kelly as chief of staff was supposed to help quell some of the drama.

He was welcomed by both Kushner and first daughter and top White House adviser Ivanka Trump, taking over the job from former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

But soon Kelly had to assert some of his organizational power over Kushner too, as he tried to keep a number of aides from freelancing, an easy thing to do in the free-wheeling White House.

More recently, however, Kelly has found himself in the position of backing Kushner and the job he has done  including in the areas where Tillerson is working as well.

'As I told Jared days ago, I have full confidence in his ability to continue performing his duties in his foreign policy portfolio including overseeing our Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and serving as an integral part of our relationship with Mexico,' Kelly said in a statement.

Kelly's been put in the position by President Trump to decide what to do about Kushner's security clearance.

The Politico report wasn't the first indication that Tillerson's feathers have been ruffled by Kushner, and his wife Ivanka Trump.

In November, CNN reported that Tillerson decided not to send a high-level delegation with Ivanka Trump to India, purposely hanging the first daughter out to dry.

The reason, according to State Department sources, was not because of State's leaner budget under Tillerson, but rather over the fact that Ivanka was leading the delegation, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'Rex doesn't like the fact that he's supposed to be our nation's top diplomat, and Jared and now Ivanka have stepped all over Rex Tillerson for a long time,' a source told CNN. 'So now, he's not sending senior people from the State Department to support this issue. He's not supporting Ivanka Trump.'
President Donald Trump ridiculed a group of sheriff's deputies who waited outside of Marjory Stoneman, calling them a 'disgrace,' saying they 'choked' and claiming that he would have rushed the school if he'd been in their shoes.

'I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon,' the president said Monday. 'I think most of the people in this room would have done that, too, because I know most of you.'

Trump made the remarks during a White House session with governors.

Tearing into the deputies, Trump said they 'weren't exactly Medal of Honor winners, and that their performance 'was frankly disgusting.'

'The way they performed was really a disgrace,' he said.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

President Donald Trump ripped a group of sheriff's deputies who let the Parkland shooter get away on Monday, claiming that he would have rushed the school if he'd been in their shoes

Broward County Sheriff's Deputy Scot Peterson, the armed school resource officer, was branded a 'coward' by President Trump after it emerged he waited outside the building during the recent mass shooting (above in December 2014 with the principal at Marjory Douglas)

Returning faculty and administration at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida are taken on a walk around the fenced-off freshman building where the Feb. 16, shooting took place

Well-wishers place mementos the day students and parents arrive for voluntary campus orientation at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, for the coming Wednesday's reopening

Trump suggested last week that Broward County Sheriff's Deputy Scot Peterson, an armed school resource officer who stood outside a school building during the attack instead of confronting the shooter, was a 'coward' or didn't have the 'courage' to charge the gunman.

Peterson waited outside the building while 17 students and teachers lost their lives.

A Florida police department has since accused sheriff's deputies in Parkland, Florida of failing to confront the mass shooter or enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the gun massacre two weeks ago.

Coral Springs police officers revealed later that when they responded to the mass casualty they found another three Broward County sheriff's deputies cowering behind their vehicles, according to CNN.

Not one of the four deputies had entered the school.

Trump said Monday that Peterson was 'probably afraid to go in' as he repeated a claim that school resource officers are not as effective at protecting students as trained teachers with concealed weapons would be.

'They don't love the students, they don't know the students,' he said of campus police for a second time in days.

Students from Montgomery County, Md., in suburban Washington, rally in solidarity with those affected by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington las tweek

Trump said that Peterson 'choked' under pressure.

'He thought he was probably a brave guy but he wasn't a brave guy under pressure. He choked, and other people choked. A lot of people choked in that case,' Trump accused.

The president said, 'Law enforcement's great. But we all learned something when we saw Peterson standing outside of that school, he wanted no part of it.

'He heard the power, and he heard probably the screaming and the bullets and he wanted no part of it. And then three other guys came to help, they wanted no part of it. That was a terrible, terrible job.'

Asked about Trump's remark later at the White House's daily press briefing, press secretary Sarah Sanders said that the point the president was trying to make was that 'he would be a leader and would want to take a courageous action.

'And a lot of the individuals that helped protect others that day weren't carrying firearms, which I think shows that you can be helpful in that process without it,' she said.

The president met Monday with a bipartisan group of state executives, including Florida's Rick Scott, Colorado's John Hickenlooper, Illinois' Bruce Rauner, Kentucky's Matt Bevin, Michigan's Rick Snyder and Wisconsin's Scott Walker.

He revealed during the conversation while reporters were in the room that he'd had a secret lunch over the weekend with the CEO of the National Rifle Association.

'Dont worry about the NRA. Theyre on our side,' he added. 'There's nothing to be afraid of. You guys, half of you are so afraid of the NRA. And you know what? If they're not with you, we have to fight them every once and awhile. That's okay.'

Echoing a spokesman's promise last week that the White House would give anyone who supported the president's proposals political cover, Trump said, 'They're doing what they think is right. I will tell you, they are doing what they think is right but sometimes we are going to have to be very tough and we're going to have to fight them.'

The only official activity on Trump's schedule Sunday had been a governor's ball at the White House. The luncheon with the NRA was not disclosed by the White House.

'Obviously, the President wasn't trying to keep it under wraps, or he wouldn't have announced it so publicly,' Sanders said later. 'It was a productive conversation, and I think everyone is in agreement that things need to be done and we have to have some changes take place to do what we can to protect America's kids.'

At the summit with President Trump, which went on for more than an hour, the Associated Press also reported that Washington Governor Jay Inslee told Trump he should tweet less and listen more

While the president was speaking to governors on Monday, the first lady was entertaining their spouses.

'Our continued thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by such a senseless act. As a parent, I cannot imagine the kind of grief and tragedy like that brings,' Melania Trump said. 'And I hope and I know we all find ourselves wondering what we can do to help.'

The first lady said that in the year since her husband took office, 'I have also learned that it's oftentimes after a tragedy that you see the strength and resilience of the human spirit.'

'I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change. They're our future and they deserve a voice. I know all of you are seeing this in your own states and territories, too,' she said. 'And I believe that if we all come together, we can start to affect positive change for our children and help prepare them for their futures.'

Melania Trump recommended limiting time in front the screen, including on social media, as she took up her anti-bullying campaign once again.

In his summit, the president, whose been accused of bullying on social media himself, also pointed to videos, the Internet and movies as having a negative influence on the nation's children.

He suggested a rating system for violence in movies that's separate from the existing MPAA standards that already already take such those visuals into account.

'Our continued thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by such a senseless act. As a parent, I cannot imagine the kind of grief and tragedy like that brings,' Melania Trump said. 'And I hope and I know we all find ourselves wondering what we can do to help'

The president lamented that past shootings have not led to new measures to reduce gun violence, telling governors, 'We don't have any action.'

'We gotta stop,' he said of the outrage in the immediate aftermath of shootings that fades after several months.

Trump informed the governors that he was going to ban bump stocks, which essentially allow semi-automatic weapons to act as automatic weapons, all by himself, regardless of whether the legislative branch puts it in writing.

'I'm writing it out myself. I don't care if Congress does it,' Trump asserted. 'It becomes essentially a machine gun....So we're writing out bump stocks.'

In the room with President Trump, Washington Governor Jay Inslee confronted the Republican president about another proposal to arm 'adept' teachers, recommending that he spend more time listening to teachers before he moves forward with it.

Inslee said he's spoken to educators 'who don't want to be pistol-packing first grade teachers' and law enforcement agencies who don't want to spend six months building out teacher training programs.

'I just think this is a circumstance where we need to listen, that educators should educate, and they should not be foisted upon this responsibility of packing heat in first grade classes,' the Democratic politician said.

'Now I understand you have suggested this and we suggest things and sometimes then we listen to people about it and maybe they don't look so good a little later. So I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here, and a little more listening, and let's just take that off the table and move forward.'

Trump said that his idea to allow 20 percent of teacher to carry concealed weapons had been unfairly maligned.

'The headline was Trump wants all teachers to have guns. Trump wants teachers to have guns. I dont want teachers to have guns. I want highly-trained people that have a natural talent, like hitting a baseball or hitting a golf ball or putting,' the president said Monday.

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel confirmed at least one of his department's lapses last week, saying that video footage shows Peterson, the school's armed response officer and former employee of the month, standing outside the building while a 19-year-old opened fire inside with a rifle.

'What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of Building 12, take up a position and he never went in,' Israel told reporters, referring to the building on campus, popularly known as the 'freshman building,' where authorities said the bulk of the shooting occurred.

Israel said the attack lasted six minutes, and that Peterson arrived at the freshman building about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, then lingered outside for at least four minutes.

Asked what the deputy should have done, Israel replied: 'Went in. Addressed the killer. Killed the killer.'

Peterson has not publicly offered an explanation for his inaction.

But Coral Springs Police Department officers Chris Crawford and Sgt. Jeff Heinrich recounted their own heroics during a news conference on Friday, describing the 'surreal' events of that fateful Valentine's Day.

The incident 'was bad as you can imagine  times 10,' Crawford said. 'I have a 2-year-old. I don't want to send him to school.'

Israel promised Sunday on CNN to get to the bottom of what happened as he revealed that the station had not yet interviewed the deputies who were found to be standing around while Marjory Stoneman was still considered an active shooting.

'If any deputies are alleged to have dereliction of duty, we will look into that,' he said. 'Coral Springs and the Broward Sheriff's Office, we have different radio systems. So, we don't know what one was hearing vis-a-vis what the other was hearing.'

The Broward Country sheriff told CNN, 'All I can tell you is, we will investigate every action of our deputies, of their supervisors. And if they did things right, we will move forward. And if they did things wrong, I will take care of business in a disciplinary matter, like I did with Peterson.'

Israel suspended Peterson without pay pending a review, and the deputy immediately resigned.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly won't step into the middle of the mess created by Jared Kushner's failure to pass a background check for his security clearance.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he won't be the one to decide whether to waive the rules to help his son-in-law even though the FBI's deep-dive into his finances and foreign contacts shows no sign of wrapping up after more than a year.

Trump punted the ball to Kelly on Friday during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

But Politico reported Monday that a person familiar with Kelly's thinking says the chief doesn't plan to recommend to Trump that Jared should get special treatment.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he won't be the one to decide whether the security-clearance rules are waived for his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose interim clearance was set to expire hours later

Kushner (left) has been working with a temporary clearance since Inauguration Day, a situation that Trump has empowered Chief of Staff John Kelly (right) to arbitrate  but a report Monday says Kelly don't recommend bending the rules for the president's son-in-law

'I will let General Kelly make that decision, and he's going to do what's right for the country,' the president said three days ago. 'And I have no doubt he'll make the right decision.'

The White House decline further comment on Friday.

But Trump could overrule Kelly, and Politico's source said the chief wouldn't likely consider it a big enough deal to resign over.

Kushner has been working in the West Wing for 13 months without a permanent security clearance, aided by an interim clearance that is set to expire at the end of the day.

CNN reported Thursday that Kushner's clearance to see top secret information on a long-term basis is being held up by Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

The special counsel's team has not yet finished its investigation of his contacts with Russian nations and his extensive financial dealings with foreigners and foreign companies.

In a memo to top law enforcement an intelligence officials on February 16, Kelly said that beginning a week later he would 'discontinue any Top Secret or SCI-level interim clearances for individuals whose investigations or adjudications have been pending since June 1, 2007 or earlier.'

That would mean Kushner's interim clearance expired just hours after Trump spoke on Friday.

Kushner's clearance to see classified materials is reportedly being held up while Special Counsel Robert Mueller (pictured) looks into his contacts and business ties with Russian nationals and companies

A memo from Kelly on February 16 outlined a series of changes, including the end of temporary clearances for people who have had them since before June 1, 2017; Kushner's goes back at least as far as January 2017

Kushner moved into the White House with the administration in late January 2017.

'SCI' refers to 'Secure Compartmented Information, the most sensitive material the U.S. government has.

Kelly also wrote that he would be curtailing 'access to certain highly classified information for those individuals working with interim clearance status' unless he will grant 'only in the most compelling circumstances.'

The chief of staff ended the practice of routinely granting interim clearances back in September 2017.

It's unclear how much access to classified information Kushner had  or needed.

Much of his time is occupied with managing the Office of American Innovation, a business-oriented working group focused on streamlining bureaucratic government processes. He also shoulders some of the White House's burden on matters touching Canada, China and Mexico.

But Kushner is also engaged heavily, and has been for more than a year, in the Middle East peace process. That job could require access to at least some classified intelligence.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders insisted last Tuesday that Kelly's top-to-bottom review of security clearance procedures wouldn't have any effect on Kushner.

That seemed to suggest that he can perform his duties without any access to classified information at all.

The White House's process for granting 'interim' clearances has come under a microscope in the past three weeks, after DailyMail.com reported that then-White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter  who had such a clearance for more than a year  was being accused of spousals abuse by two ex-wives

Trump defended his elder daughter's husband on Friday, saying that 'Jared's done an outstanding job. I think he's been treated unfairly.'

He is a high quality person. He works for nothing. Nobody ever reports that, but he gets zero,' the president added.

He complained about a 'broken' system that has required 'months and months' of waiting for people with unremarkable circumstances.

'It shouldn't take this long,' he said, referring to the roughly three dozen people who share security clearance purgatory with Kushner.

'You know how many people are on that list,' Trump complained. 'People with not a problem in the world. So that will be up to General Kelly.'

'General Kelly respects Jared a lot,' he added.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters last Tuesday that 'no decision within the memo will impact anything that Jared Kushner is working on'

Kushner's clearance was initially stalled because he amended his application multiple times: At least 100 foreign contacts were omitted when he first filed the standard form required of all applicants.

White House security clearances were thrust front-and-center this month following the departure of Trump's former staff secretary Rob Porter.

Porter's two ex-wives told DailyMail.com harrowing stories of spousal abuse, information that the FBI had more than a year ago.

Like Kushner, Porter operated under an interim clearance for more than a year.
The 22-year-old medical student stabbed to death inside a Massachusetts library in a random attack on Saturday has been identified.

Prosecutors say Deane Stryker was stabbed at least 20 times by 23-year-old Jeffrey Yao inside Winchester Public Library in a 'vicious, unprovoked attack'.

During his Monday arraignment, Yao pleaded not guilty to both a murder charge and an assault with intent to murder charge.

The accused killer is currently being held without bail.

Yao's attorney said he suffers with 'severe mental illness' and has previously been hospitalized as a result.

The attorney added that Yao overall has lived a 'very troubled existence'.

Jeffrey Yao (right) was brought into Woburn District Court on Monday in Woburn, Massachusetts. Yao has been arraigned on murder charges and attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed Deane Stryker, 22, (left) to death

Yao is pictured Monday during his arraignment. The fatal stabbing happened at the Winchester Public Library on Saturday

Yao also stabbed a 77-year-old man who attempted to save Stryker. Yao's attorney argued he is suffering 'severe mental illness'

Yao, of Winchester, used a 10-inch blade hunting knife to stab Stryker, also of Winchester, multiple times in the head and upper torso, the Boston Globe reported.

He also stabbed a 77-year-old man after he attempted to save the woman.

Stryker was immediately transferred to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The elderly man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive.

Neighbors to the murder suspect revealed Yao's behavior was 'increasingly erratic in recent months' while one even warned police he might 'kill' someone, according to the Globe.

'We warned them. We warned them. I can't believe this... this whole thing could have been avoided. All of it,' the unnamed neighbor said.

Pictured here is the Winchester Public Library in Massachusetts where the stabbings took place

A specific motive for the fatal stabbing is still unknown at this time.

According to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, witnesses say Yao had been yelling incoherently after the double stabbing.

Ryan said 'the preliminary investigation suggests that the female victim was seated at a table in the library when the suspect approached her, unprovoked, stabbing her multiple times.'

He also said 'the male victim was stabbed in the arm while attempting to intervene.'

The library has been closed off until further notice.

Stryker was a first-year medical student at the University of New England in Maine at the time of her death

A former classmate to Yao tweeted: 'Horrible news. I went to high school with this person and sat near him in AP Economics.

Yao (pictured in his mugshot) entered not guilty pleas on Monday to his murder charge and assault with intent to murder charge

'I'm not exaggerating when I say he didn't shower for six months straight... he exhibited plenty of mental health issues, but clearly nothing was done about it.'

According to everipedia.org, Stryker was a first-year medical student at the University of New England in Maine at the time of her death.

Friends to the late stabbing victim described her a 'young woman committed to helping others as a physician.'

They say she also cared for children at the local Temple Shir Tikvah.

Stryker is captured flashing a vibrant smile next to family, friends and animals on her Facebook profile.

The murder is currently under investigation as officials are trying to determine whether the suspect and victim had any relation to one another.

The medical student is also connected to another high-profile murder in the area, according to a newly-seen report by NBC 10 Boston.

Her father, Dr. Timothy Stryker, was previously sent to prison for perjury related to the 1993 murder of his girlfriend, Dr. Linda Goudey.

Timothy Stryker was not charged with the murder, but ordered to pay '$15 million in a civil suit' to Goudey's family, according to the report. He passed away behind bars in 2014.
A United flight blew a tire on takeoff and continued flying until it landed safely at an airport in Oregon.

The airplane popped its tire while it was taking off from Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday night.

Fire, police and emergency crews were waiting for the United flight on the runway when it landed at Portland International Airport in Oregon.

Passengers were told to prepare for the worst upon landing but the plane touched ground with no sparks or smoke.

A United flight popped its tire during takeoff in Newark, New Jersey but landed safely in Portland, Oregon

Kyle Hobbs, a passenger on the flight, told news stations that flight attendants were preparing everyone for the 'worst' when landing. They told passengers to 'brace' for impact

People reported on the plane that they thought they felt the pop of the tire during takeoff.

'About 90 minutes before we landed, the crew came out, made sure everyone was awake, Kyle Hobbs told KOIN.

'(Flight attendants) told us we were going to have a problem with the landing gear and to prepare for the worst.'

The landing was shaky but there was no smoke or sparks from the missing tire and all passengers and crew made it off the flight safely

Emergency services were on stanby as the plane prepared to land in Portland, Oregon

Flight attendants reportedly moved four passengers to different seats in case the emergency slide was needed after landing.

The passengers were also taught the proper ways to brace before landing in case the crash was severe.

The flight attendants chanted 'brace, brace, brace' as all 122 passengers and six crew members prepared for the rough landing.

The plane's descent on to the ground was shaky but there was no sparks or smoke once it touched down.

All passengers and crew members made it off the plane safely.
Texas police shot a man after he disarmed a potential church shooter who had been holding more than 100 people hostage in at a congregation in Amarillo.

Joshua Len Jones, 35, barged into a church service at the Faith City Mission in Amarillo, on Valentine's Day and pulled out a gun.

Churchgoer Tony Garces managed to disarm Jones during a scuffle, but when police arrived, they shot Mr Garces instead.

Hostage situation: Tony Garces shows off his bullet entry wound after he was shot by police as he had managed to disarm a man who had pulled out a gun during a church service

The incident took place during a morning service at the Faith City Mission, a Christian organisation which helps people in need in the community.

Jones, who had received help from the Faith City Mission in the past, held about 100 congregants and church staff hostage.

While waiting for police, church staff and attendees managed to overpower Jones, and during the fight, Mr Garces got hold of the gum

'I said 'hey, hey I got the gun,' Mr Garces told ABC7 Amarillo.

The assailant had been holding 100 people hostage at the Faith City Mission, Amarillo, and was disarmed by Mr Garces and a few others, but when police arrived, they shot him instead

He described how officers ordered him to throw the gun to the floor, but that he hesitated as he was worried that the loaded gun would go off if he did so.

'I didn't want anyone else getting hurt. Then pop, pop they shot me.

'I went down, then a puddle of blood. I thought I was a goner.'

Mr Garces, who credits the Faith City Mission with helping him turn his life around after a four-year-stint in prison, was hit in the neck, but was rushed to hospital and survived.

He is now calling for police to receive more and improved training in use of deadly violence, telling ABC7 that the officer who shot him 'didn't know what he was doing'.

Jones was arrested at the scene, and has been charged with six first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping.
An elementary school in Pennsylvania will cancel classes on Wednesday because a church down the street is hosting a ceremony featuring AR-15 rifles.

World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania believes the AR-15 symbolizes the 'rod of iron' in the biblical book of Revelation, and it is encouraging couples to bring the weapons to a commitment ceremony.

The ceremony, to be held about a half-mile from Wallenpaupack South Elementary School, is expected to draw hundreds of couples.

The Unification Church (led by Hyung-Jin Moon and his wife) is holding a blessing that encourages believers to bring rifles - the church claims the guns are referred to in the Bible

On Friday, the superintendent of the Wallenpaupack Area School District wrote in a letter to parents that while 'there is no direct threat to our school or community,' given concerns about parking, traffic and the 'nature of the event,' students will be bused to schools about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away.

Superintendent Michael Silsby added there will be increased security at the school all week.

'We respect your decision if you choose to keep your children home for the day,' he wrote.

'You don't know who's going to be there, you don't know who has problems or what anybody's intentions are,' Cassandra Marro, a parent with a student at Wallenpaupack South Elementary School, told WFMZ.

The church, which is led by Moon, is a breakaway faction of the Unification Church

Moon's relatives own gunmaker Kahr Arms, a pistol manufacturer, which is headquartered in nearby Greeley, Pennsylvania. (Moon is pictured here at a speech given by Donald Trump)

Church officials said weapons will be unloaded, secured with zip ties and checked at the door.

Church officials said it planned Wednesday's event months ago, prior to the February 14 massacre at Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed 17 lives

Students at Wallenpaupack South Elementary School will be bused to a school 15 miles away and school officials said that there will be heightened security as a precaution

The church, a breakaway faction of the Unification Church, has said it planned Wednesday's event months ago, well before the February 14 massacre at Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Authorities said the Florida gunman used an AR-15 in an attack that killed 17 students and school faculty.

Church officials said that weapons will be unloaded, secured with zip ties and checked at the door.

The Unification Sanctuary's leader, Hyung-Jin Moon, is the son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church.

The Unification Church, which is often described as a cult, has distanced itself from Wednesday's event, saying its ceremonies and theology do not involve weapons.

'It saddens us that Reverend Moon's son has chosen to separate himself and walk in opposition to his parent's legacy building world peace,' the Rev. Richard Buessing, president of Family Federation, another name for the Unification Church, said in a statement.

The blessing ceremony is due to take place at 10am on Wednesday, with up to 600 people in attendance alongside their weapons, WNEP reported.

The Moon family owns gunmaker Kahr Arms, a pistol manufacturer, which is headquartered in Greeley, Pennsylvania.
Afghan national Aryan Rashidi, who entered the UK on a lorry illegally, also tried to commit a sex attack on another victim in June 2016 as she slept in bed with her husband with their baby in a cot in the same room

A 'predatory sex attacker' who raped a pregnant woman at knife point in her own bed has been jailed for life.

Afghan national Aryan Rashidi, 20, who entered the UK on a lorry illegally, also tried to commit a sex attack on another victim in June 2016 as she slept in bed with her husband, with their baby in a cot in the same room.

Rashidi later held a knife to his victim's throat during the shocking attack in the early hours of October 5, 2016, a court was told.

He preyed on the pregnant woman in order to take a risk to 'fulfill his sexual needs', Leeds Crown Court heard.

The court heard both victims have been left deeply traumatised and have had to move as they no longer felt safe in their homes.

David Hall, prosecuting, said Rashidi used a ladder to climb to the bathroom window of the first victim before entering the property.

The woman, who was in bed with her husband, awoke to find Rashidi pulling at her pyjama bottoms in the first attack in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Mr Hall said the woman pretended to be asleep as she feared Rashidi may be armed.

Her baby was asleep in a cot beside her and another child was sleeping in a different room.

She managed to wake her husband and Rashidi ran off, leaving a shoe at the scene.

Rashidi's fingerprint was also found at the property but police could not link him to the incident until after he was arrested for the more recent rape in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, as he had no criminal record in the UK.

Police were called a house after it was reported a woman had been assaulted at knifepoint by a man who had climbed into her house through an open window.

DCI Sue Jenkinson of Wakefield District Police said: 'Following painstaking analysis Rashidi was captured on CCTV walking through Wakefield City Centre and officers located and arrested him from a hotel within 24 hours of the offence.

Rashidi said he did not know his date of birth when arrested soon after the offence, and tried to claim he was aged 15 or 16.

A dental examination showed Rashidi is aged likely to be aged 22.

He pleaded guilty to rape and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Robert Stevenson, mitigating, said Rashidi now accepted that he was aged over 18.

Mr Stevenson said Rashidi had experienced a traumatic life in Afghanistan before coming to the UK.

He said: 'He has known nothing but a war-torn and lawless country.

'It seems throughout these proceedings there has been a reluctance on his part to talk about his past and to talk about the things that he has seen.

'Rather than just being evil, he is the product of a somewhat traumatic past.'

Judge Neil Clark said he was imposing a life sentence as he believed Rashidi posed a serious danger to the public.

He said: 'Your offending is of the most serious and frightening type.

'It's very nature points to the level of danger you present to the public.

'It is hard to begin to imagine more terrifying or humiliating offending than this.'

Rashidi was told he must serve a minimum of five years, eight months, in custody before he is eligible to apply for parole.

Judge Clark told Rashidi he would only be released if he was no longer considered a danger to the public.

He warned him that it was possible he would remain in prison for the rest of his life.

DS Tom Penistone, of Wakefield District Adult Safeguarding unit, said: 'The woman who Rashidi so seriously assaulted showed amazing bravery through the criminal process and I wish to pay tribute to her.

'The fact that she has asked us to warn residents to make sure they properly secure their properties speaks volumes for her character.'
In Torquay, stickers and posters have appeared in the town centre threatening street beggars that they will be photographed, and their photographs checked with the authorities to see if they are genuinely homeless

A row has erupted over a vigilante campaign to drive fake beggars off the streets of a picturesque seaside resort.

Campaigners and business owners in Torquay, Devon, have been photographing and challenging people they suspect of posing as rough sleepers.

But their actions have been criticised by police and charity workers, who argue that people in genuine need are being branded as 'fake homeless'.

Torbay police inspector Si Jenkinson said: 'The dangerous practice of 'outing' people as professional criminals based on often unverifiable information fails to acknowledge the very complex vulnerabilities and chaotic lives of those concerned.'

In Torquay, stickers and posters have appeared in the town centre threatening street beggars they will be photographed, and their pictures checked with the authorities to see if they are genuinely homeless, or professional beggars exploiting the plight of others.

The campaigners said it had been a huge success, and had led to a fall in the number of ambulance callouts to the town centre, possibly because there were fewer drug users posing as beggars.

Like many areas, the so-called English Riviera has had problems with street drinkers taking 'legal highs' such as Spice.

The campaign Killing with Kindness urged residents and visitors not to give money to 'fake beggars' who it was claimed would only spend it on drink and drugs.

Ashley Sims, of the charity Humanity Torbay, said: 'One thing these people don't like is being photographed or filmed, so we've gone and done that.

'We have identified who is genuine with the relevant charities and their names and if they are homeless or not.

'Five of them have told us they won't go begging anymore if I don't out their photo up. Of the 17 photographed, only two were genuine street homeless.'

The chairman of a long standing charity working with Torbay's homeless has called the new campaign a 'disgrace'

Police say there are no rough sleepers in Ely Police have claimed every beggar in Ely, in Cambridgeshire, is a fraud who makes a 'substantial amount of money'. Officers have stated there are no genuine rough sleepers in Ely and are concerned the 'homeless' are misleading people. Members of the public have been urged to give them food or warm drinks instead of money. Advertisement

The Torbay action was criticised by Friends of Factory Row, a charity that runs the town's only homeless hostel.

Nick Pannell, chairman of the charity, said: 'This persecuting of vulnerable adults on our streets is a disgrace and those involved in encouraging it should be ashamed of themselves.

'The Fake Homeless Campaign claimed there were 17 beggars in Torquay but only two who were genuinely homeless. How do they know that and what is genuine homelessness?

'Contrary to wildly exaggerated reports, not much money is made from begging. After years of volunteering at the Leonard Stocks Centre I've got to know some of the faces.

'Begging is generally a desperate bid to scrape together a few coins to buy drugs or alcohol.

'They are not professional beggars changing out of smart designer clothes into rags, but genuinely desperate, sad, lonely, alienated human beings with profound problems.'

Ellie Waugh (left) is the founder and chairman of Humanity Torbay who have launched a new campaign called Killing with Kindness

The Killing with Kindness campaign was started to urge people not to give money to beggars and instead give it to charities who provide food and clothing

Mr Pannell added: 'Rough sleepers, beggars and drug addicts in Torquay have been subject to tirades of abuse in recent weeks.

'It dehumanises them to out them at risk of further marginalisation and even assault.'

Local charity PATH (People Assisting Torbay's Homeless) said they were 'strongly opposed' to the naming and shaming scheme.

They added: 'The complexity of reasons why someone is compelled to beg is not straightforward. Leave it to the professionals who are trained to help complex needs and crime.

'Being bullied, persecuted, targeted are not acceptable in any society nor do they do anything but incite hatred and hysteria.'

Devon and Cornwall armed response officer Sgt Harry Tangye tweeted: 'This is a complicated subject. Leave it to the professional charities, not those who think they have a short cut.'

Homelessness is becoming an increasing issue for politicians.

Last year, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham vowed to spend 15 per cent of his 110,000 salary on tacking the issue of rough sleeping in the city.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also launched a major homelessness campaign at Christmas.

Simon Dudley, the Conservative leader of Windsor Council, was criticised last month for saying rough sleepers should be cleared from the town centre for May's royal wedding.

Last week the council said its plans to fine homeless people 100 for antisocial behaviour needed 'further work' after public criticism.

Last month, Bournemouth council was branded 'shameful' for its decision to install steel bars on benches to deter homeless people from sleeping there.

Council leaders said they were installed in response to complaints from shop owners who said their customers could not sit down because of rough sleepers.

However outraged locals said the bars were a 'design against humanity' and accused the town hall officials of taking a needlessly aggressive approach to the homeless.

In Bristol, the owners of a tanning salon were criticised after they installed sprinklers to discourage people from sleeping outside the shop.

The sprinklers switch on in the evening and drop water from the roof, making it highly uncomfortable for homeless people to sleep there.
Police hunting the killers of a retired company director who was battered to death in in his own home have released images of the jewellery stolen during the raid - including a 16th century gold coin.

Arthur Gumbley, 87, died three weeks after thugs brutally attacked him when they raided his 700,000 gated property on November 21 last year.

The company director, known as Bob, was found in a pool of blood after he was repeatedly kicked and punched at his house on Endwood Drive in leafy Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Arthur Gumbley, pictured after the attack, suffered horrific injuries when he was beaten by thugs who raided his 700,000 home

The horrifying attack saw the raiders flee with expensive gold and silver jewellery, cash and a purse belonging to Mr Gumbley's late wife.

Police are still hunting Tom Joseph Ward (left), 17, and they wish to quiz them about his whereabouts on the day of the incident which left Mr Gumbley with horrific injuries

They also took a 470-year-old Henry VIII Angel gold coin, that had been forged between 1544-1547.

As well as the coin, they stole a gold women's necklace and bracelet and three silver and gold rings.

At the time, Staffordshire Police released shocking pictures of Mr Gumbley's injuries as he lay in his hospital bed in a bid to catch his attackers while he was still alive.

Last week, officers arrested a 28-year-old man in Castleford, West Yorkshire, in connection with the murder.

Detectives are still hunting Tom Joseph Ward, 17, of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, who they named as a suspect earlier this month.

Ward, who is said to reside occasionally in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is described as 5ft 8ins, of average build and with an Irish accent.

Among the items stolen in the raid was a Henry VIII Angel Gold Coin, pictured is what the 470-year-old coin looks like, it was forged between 1544-1547

The 87-year-old suffered horrific injuries in the attack with his daughter revealing that the company director had wondered why it had happened to him

Earlier today, police released images of the items stolen during the robbery which they are looking to trace and reunite with Mr Gumbley's family.

Detective Inspector Dan Ison said: 'If we can return any or all of the stolen items to this grieving family, it is at least some comfort that they have not lost everything in this terrible incident.

'And if we can secure evidence of where the items may have gone after the incident, or who may have handled them, it may help us to track the two men wanted in connection with Arthur's murder.

'We are still keen to talk to Tom Joseph Ward who is wanted in connection with the murder of Arthur and therefore should you have any information that would help us locate him please contact us or alternatively via Crimestoppers where there is a 10,000 reward being offered.'

Police are trying to return the stolen items to Mr Gumbley's family, pictured is a gold sovereign that was also taken

As well as the coins taken, the thugs stole a gold women's necklace and bracelet and three silver and gold rings, as well as Mr Gumbley's late wife's purse

Officers had initially arrested two men and two women following his death on suspicion of murder, they were later released on conditional bail.

Speaking at a press conference after the attack, Mr Gumbley's daughter Sue said before he died: 'It's started to become real to him now, and he's said he's scared.

'His question is, why did it happen to him? What did he do wrong? How do you tell somebody that? That he did nothing wrong?

The silver ring pictured was also stolen by the thugs who raided Mr Gumbley's home and left him in a pool of his own blood

'To see your dad, that you've looked up to all these years, sitting in a pool of blood is just awful.'

Mr Gumbley ran a successful heating and plumbing supplies company before retiring.

Anyone with information on the stolen goods or the whereabouts of Ward are asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 828 of 21 Nov 2017.
Potential migrants will be covertly investigated to test how likely they are to integrate into Australian society under a shakeup of immigration laws, it has been revealed.

Analysts will look at how likely a person is to commit to Western beliefs of gender equality, freedom of speech and freedom of religion before they leave their home country, according to Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo.

They will then be subjected to two further rounds of tests after they arrive in Australia and when they apply for citizenship, Mr Pezzullo added.

Anyone looking to migrate to Australia will be subjected to three layers of checks, including covert analysis to determine how likely they are to integrate (file image)

The measures are aimed at helping to weedle out extremists and make sure people are not lying when they take their citizenship exam.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Pezzullo said: 'Prior to you even getting citizenship, before you even migrate, the government is looking at how do you make an assessment using intelligence, using all sources of information.

The plans are being proposed by Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo and are being considered by the government

'(Citizenship) can't simply be a test. You also have to link other data sources in to look at lived behaviour and experience.

'There will be three assessment points; before they get here, while they are here and then when they apply for citizenship.'

Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge later gave the example of failing to stand for a judge as evidence that a person is unlikely to integrate.

He added that the proposed changes will also feature a strengthening of the English language requirement.

The new assessment is not yet law and is still being considered by the government.

As of June 30, 2016, more than a quarter of Australia's population was born overseas, according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Between 2015 and 2016, net overseas migration meant almost 200,000 more people living in the country.

Of the foreigners living in this country, by far the greatest number had come from the UK, followed by New Zealand, China and then India.
A judge has ruled that 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli was responsible for nearly $10.5 million in losses in his securities fraud case.

The amount set on Monday by Judge Kiyo Matsumoto could result in a harsher punishment for Shkreli, 34, at his March 9 sentencing.

The judge rejected arguments by lawyers for the former pharmaceutical CEO that investors in his failed hedge funds didn't suffer actual losses because he paid them back with drug company stock.

A judge has ruled that 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli was responsible for nearly $10.5 million in losses in his securities fraud case

She found Shkreli should be penalized for the losses because he made risky transactions with investors' millions without their permission.

He was convicted at a trial last year of defrauding investors in two hedge funds, MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare, he ran, and of securities fraud in connection with a drug company he founded, Retrophin.

Shkreli and his lawyers were hoping he would receive either no time in prison, or 16 months or less, CNBC reported.

His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said in a statement, 'Disappointed by the ruling but still hopeful that the court will find it in her heart to impose a reasonably lenient sentence on March 9th.'

Shkreli was convicted on charges he cheated investors in two failed hedge funds

His defense team has argued that Shkreli owes nothing, because the hedge fund investors actually ended up making a profit off drug company stock he gave them. It also says that unlike most securities fraud cases, Shkreli himself never made anything off the scheme.

'This case was never about money as far as Mr. Shkreli is concerned,' the defense said in court papers. The papers added: 'Simply put, Mr. Shkreli was not indicted because he stole anyone's money.'

He is currently being held in a Brooklyn, New York, federal jail awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Shkreli earned the nickname 'Pharma Bro' for boosting the price of a life-saving drug and for trolling his critics on social media.
A Trump Organization executive said Monday that the company has donated profits from foreign government patrons at its hotel properties to the U.S. Treasury, but he wouldn't say how much.

Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Counsel George Sorial said in a statement that the donation was made on Feb. 22 and includes profits from Jan. 20 through Dec. 31, 2017. The company declined to provide a sum or breakdown of the amounts by country.

The company touted the donation as making good on its ethics pledge to donate foreign government profits during Trump's presidency, but a watchdog group immediately criticized the organization for not providing details.

The Trump Organization has given the U.S. Treasury its 2017 hotel profits from business with foreign governments at properties like the Trump International in Washington, D.C., but it's not saying how big a check it wrote to Uncle Sam

The real estate company Trump founded has a crown jewel on Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the White House, and it's become ground zero for dignitaries visiting the U.S.  making ethics advocates worried about foreigners buying influence in the Oval Office

President Donald Trump has pledged to eliminate financial entanglements and other conflicts of interest with foreigners, but ethics activist groups are skeptical

'The refusal of both the administration and the Trump Organization to provide any details about the amount or recipients of the profits that the president promised to donate is emblematic of the secrecy with which Mr. Trump has operated both in government and in his business affairs,' said Norm Eisen, chairman of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

'When you're getting sums of money from foreign governments, it raises the question of whether your decisions are motivated by those flows of funds to your own pocket book or the best interests of the United States,' Eisen said.

Sorial said the profits were calculated using 'our policy and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry.' The U.S. Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

George Sorial (right), the Trump Organization's executive VP and chief compliance counsel said Monday that the Treasury got all the profits from foreign governments that date from between Inauguration Day and the end of 2017

Watchdog group Public Citizen questioned the spirit of the pledge in a letter to the Trump Organization earlier this month since the methodology used for donations would seemingly not require any donation from unprofitable properties receiving foreign government revenue.

The Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas is another high profile property that attracts visitors from all over the world  and some of them may be government officials

Ethics experts had already found problems with the pledge made at a news conference before Trump's inauguration because it didn't include all his properties, such as his resorts, and left it up to Trump to define 'profit.'

The pledge was supposedly made to ameliorate the worry that Trump was violating the Constitution's emoluments clause, which bans the president's acceptance of foreign gifts and money without Congress' permission.

Several lawsuits have challenged Trump's ties to his business ventures and his refusal to divest from them. The suits allege that foreign governments' use of Trump's hotels and other properties violates the emoluments clause.

Trump's attorneys have challenged the premise that a hotel room is an 'emolument' but announced the pledge to 'do more than what the Constitution requires' by donating foreign profits at the news conference. Later, questions emerged about exactly what this would entail.

Are foreign diplomats staying at Trump International Hotel in New York City when the United Nations General Assembly meets? The company isn't saying, but promises that any profits from such transactions now belong to the American people

An eight-page pamphlet provided by the Trump Organization to the House Oversight Committee in May said that the company planned to send the Treasury only profits obviously tied to foreign governments, and not ask guests questions about the source of their money because that would 'impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of our brand.'

'It's bad that Trump won't divest himself and establish a truly blind trust, and it's worse that he won't be transparent,' said Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and ranking member on the House Oversight Committee.

He called the Republicans refusal to do oversight, such as subpoena documents, that would shed light on Trump's conflicts of interest 'unconscionable.'
A British man and his new bride saw the tragic Grand Canyon helicopter crash that killed four friends from the UK - just minutes after they got married.

Finance worker Chris Parish, from London, exchanged vows with Swedish fiancee Anna Haglund in an intimiate ceremony with just the two of them.

But just minutes after the happiest moment of their lives, they watched on in horror and said the helicopter 'crashed and exploded in front of our eyes'.

Anna Haglund took to Instagram to explain what she and her partner saw on the tragic day, saying that the crash was 'hard to believe'

The chopper plummeted 600ft into the rocky canyon and burst into flames before survivors were seen staggering out of the inferno, with one woman heard screaming.

The tragic crash, which happened on February 10, killed Stuart Hall, 30, his girlfriend Becky Dobson, 27, and his older brother Jason Hill, 32, as well as their friend Jonathan Udall, 32.

After the horrific crash, newly married Anna Haglund took to Instagram and posted a picture of the Grand Canyon, together with a broken heart emoji.

She then shared a photo of her and her husband Chris' wedding rings.

On Friday, before learning that the injured Jonathan Udall had also died, she wrote on the social media website: 'Chris and I got legally married before our April wedding due to complications with paperwork in UK.

'We decided that the easiest thing to do was to fly to the state of Nevada and loving adventure Grand Canyon was an obvious place for our ceremony. The plan was to keep this secret.

'Things didn't go as planned.

Ellie Milward and her husband Jonathan Udall (pictured left on their wedding day) were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries in a crash that killed their friends Becky Dobson and Stuart Hill (right)

'Shortly after our ceremony in Grand Canyon a helicopter crashed and exploded in front of our eyes, three people lost their lives and four got critically injured.

'It's hard to believe what we witnessed but unfortunately it's true.'

The couple now live in Bermuda and keep their wedding rings on as a reminder of the terrible crash.

In a later post, she added: 'Chris and I care very little that our day was 'ruined', three people lost their lives and didn't make it out of Grand Canyon that day.

Ellie and Jon Udall (pictured together) were on their honeymoon when the aircraft crashed. Mr Udall passed away after twelve days in intensive care, while his wife is still critical

'Due to the shock I even have limited memories of the ceremony. Our April wedding will be the day when we fully embrace our marriage and love for each other.

'We do wear our wedding bands though. We were planning on taking them off but the tragedy in Grand Canyon is a reminder of how lucky we are to have each other and that we never want to be apart.

'So keeping the rings on is the right thing in this situation even though our wedding is 2 months away.'

The couple's ceremony was held by Las Vegas reverend Lionel Douglass, 63, who described seeing the horror crash.

He said: 'After performing a wedding I usually give the newly married couple a few minutes to spend by themselves, drinking champagne, etc.

'I noticed a helicopter coming into the Grand Canyon and I saw it making a circle and I said to myself, "that's not where they usually land."

Couple Stuart Hill and Becky Dobson (pictured) both died instantly in the crash, alongside Stuart's brother Jason

'I turned to my helicopter pilot and asked about the helicopter in the air, and as soon as we turned around and I looked at it, it tilted, went down, broke in half, then hit the ground and there was a big explosion.'

Mrs Ellie Udall, 29 and the wife of Jonathan Udall, managed to clamber free but her husband was trapped in the wreckage for eight hours as emergency services struggled to get access to the scene of the crash.

More than 21,000 has been raised for Mr and Mrs Udall who were on their honeymoon at the time, according to a JustGiving crowdfunding webpage.

Jason Hill's girlfriend Jennifer Barham, 39, also survived the accident.

They remained critically ill at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, along with the American pilot Scott Booth, 42.

The scene in the Grand Canyon after the tragic helicopter crash on February 10 that claimed the lives of four UK friends, with three people still critically ill

The helicopter crashed on tribal land in a section of the Grand Canyon outside of the national park where air tours are not as highly regulated.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Investigators will interview witnesses, survivors, the helicopter operator and manufacturer and others before issuing a full report in at least a year's time.

Preliminary findings are expected before the end of the month.

Following the crash, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are providing support to the families of six British visitors involved in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon on February 10, and we are in close contact with the US emergency services.'
First lady Melania Trump showed support for the student activists from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who are advocating for stricter gun control laws.

'I have been heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change,' Melania Trump said at White House luncheon Monday. 'They're our future and they deserve a voice.'

The first lady addressed the Valentine's Day shooting at the top of her four-minute-long remarks, given to the political spouses of those attending the National Governors Association in Washington, D.C., these last few days.

First lady Melania Trump made brief remarks at a luncheon for governors' spouses at the White House Monday

First lady Melania Trump said she was 'heartened' to see the vocal students speak up in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida shooting

'They're our future and they deserve a voice,' the first lady told the small crowd, gathered at four different tables for a spouses luncheon, and using Lady Bird Johnson's china

After her remarks, the first lady sat down at the nearest table for a luncheon that is part of the National Governors Association winter meeting

Walking into the Blue Room in a sleeveless blush dress, the first lady talked to the four tables of attendees, who were about to eat lunch on Lady Bird Johnson's ornate china.

'Before I begin, I want to be sure we take a moment to reflect on the horrific shooting in Florida,' the first lady said. 'Our continued thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by such a senseless act.'

'As a parent, I cannot imagine the kind of grief and tragedy like that brings,' she continued. 'And I hope and know we all find ourselves wondering what we can do to help.'

'In my year as first lady, I have also learned that it's oftentimes after a tragedy that you see the strength and resilience of the human spirit,' she added.

She then gave a tip-of-the-hat to the student activists.

The first lady touched on the topic of internet use  she had announced in a November 3, 2016 speech she would tackle cyberbullying as first lady  and opioid addiction too, before asking for the governors' spouses help on children's issues.

'In my role as First Lady I want to nurture and protect the most valuable part of our society and our future, children,' she said. 'I hope you will join me today in my efforts and ask for your support.'

'My office will be reaching out to many of you in the future as we travel the country and work to promote and fight for the well-being of our children,' the first lady added.

Since the Parkland, Florida massacre President Trump has floated various ideas on how to deal with school shootings.

Most recently he's been interested in arming teachers at schools.

He also said Monday that he was still intent on banning bump stocks, the devices that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine gun, and were used in October's deadly Las Vegas shooting.

On Saturday, the president also retweeted a Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist, who suggested the mourning parents from the 2012 shooting were 'crisis actors.'

Trump's tweet showcased radio host Wayne Dupree taking about being a black conservative four years ago, with the president chiming in about the more recent black unemployment rate.

In the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Dupree had been criticizing the activists from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, posting on social media that he thought they were play-acting, while questioning their sexuality.

'Unfortunately, you can already tell these kids are going to be card-carrying leftists,' Dupree wrote beneath an image of Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg on CNN, two of the most vocal students.

'I hate to be blunt despite what tragedy they went through, but both those kids look like they are going to be future members of the LGBTQXYZ movement,' Dupree said.
President Donald Trump said his administration would take unilateral action to ban bump stocks  an action that the NRA does not support and that is the subject of legislative efforts in Congress.

Speaking to governors at the White House Monday, Trump cast the drive to ban the gun accessory as something he would do personally  although he has tasked Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who oversees the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, to deal with it.

'Bump stocks, we're writing that out. Im writing that out myself. I dont care if Congress does it or not, Im writing it out myself,' Trump told the governors.

The president's press secretary admitted later that the president may not have the power to unilaterally ban the firearm accessory by categorizing it as a machine gun like he said earlier in the day that he would.

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'Im writing that out myself': Trump said he would get rid of bump stocks, which allow for a semi-automatic gun to fire like an automatic

Trump had appeared to tip the hand of a regulatory strategy at a bipartisan event with governors on Monday.

'You put it into the machine gun category, which is what it is It becomes essentially a machine gun and nobody's gonna be able - it's going to be very hard to get 'em,' he said.

He seemed to be saying that regulators would consider bump stocks to be a machine gun, which is banned under existing gun laws.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms already concluded that bump stocks are an accessory that can't be regulated under current authority.

And such a move could be considered an end-run around Congress, where a bump stock ban is among numerous legislative gun control fixes being proposed.

Trump signed a memo last week directing his attorney general to find a way to ban bump stocks anyway -- stepping on an ongoing ATF review of the devices.

A comment period on a proposal to reclassify the firearms as machine guns based on the existing guidelines ended in January. ATF is currently reviewing the more than 100,000 responses it received.

Mentioning Trump's memo today, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders first said that the president had ordered the Department of Justice and ATF to 'work on outlawing bump stocks, so we dont have to wait for a legislative fix.'

'However, if we cannot find an administrative fix we would support a legislative solution to complete that,' she said.

Mentioning Trump's memo today, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders first said that the president had ordered the Department of Justice and ATF to 'work on outlawing bump stocks, so we dont have to wait for a legislative fix'

Sanders essentially acknowledged with the addendum that the administration - and by extension Trump - doesn't necessarially have the authority to ban bump stocks.

In 2010, ATF determined that bump stocks are an unregulated accessory and not a machine gun because device does not allow rifles to fire automatically with a single pull of the trigger. The rifle will always recock and reset the trigger function before it fires again.

'The stock has no automatically functioning mechanical parts or springs and performs no automatic mechanical function when installed,' ATF said.

It reaffirmed that position in 2012.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein pointed to a previous ATF ruling on bump stocks when Trump first announced his directive in a statement urging him to back legislation.

An ATF guideline that conflicts with its previous statements is likely to wind up contested in courts, she said.

Congress has so far failed to pass legislation responding to the Las Vegas massacre  during a which a bump stock was used only to see the Parkland, Florida school shooting  once again put mass shootings in the national spotlight.

Bump stocks essentially grip the stock of a semi-automatic rifle, allowing a shooter to hold the trigger and rely on the gun's recoil to establish essentially automatic firing.

'Im waiting for the next process but its gone. Just dont worry about it. Its gone,' Trump said. 'Were going to make it so tough that youre not going to get em.'

Then he trashed the device itself.

'Bump stocks -- you shoot rapidly but not accurately,' Trump said. 'The bullets come out fast but you don't know where the hell they're going.

A bump stock is installed on an AK-47 and its movement is demonstrated at Good Guys Gun and Range on February 21, 2018 in Orem, Utah. The bump stock is a device when installed allows a semi-automatic to fire at a rapid rate much like a fully automatic gun

A bump stock device that fits on a semi-automatic rifle to increase the firing speed, making it similar to a fully automatic rifle, is shown here at a gun store on October 5, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Congress is talking about banning this device after it was reported to of been used in the Las Vegas shootings on October 1, 2017

Trump spoke about bump stocks and praised the NRA at a meeting with governors

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the members of the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Washington

Bump stocks gained attention after the Las Vegas massacre, where the shooter was found to have a bump stock device after locking himself into an upper floor casino hotel room and rained down fire on concertgoers.

The National Rifle Association doesn't support a bump stock ban.

'The NRA doesnt back any ban, the NRA has asked the ATF to do its job and make sure that these classifications are consistent,' spokeswoman Dana Loesch told ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday.

Trump has continued to defend the group, saying he secretly met with the organization's leaders over the weekend, while also saying that sometimes politicians have to fight the NRA.

The president also tweaked the governors and politicians generally for being 'afraid' of the gun group.

'You guys - half a you are so afraid of the NRA there's nothing to be afraid of. And you know what, if they're not with you we have to fight them every once in a while, that's okay,' Trump said.

He also said, 'These guys are great patriots. They're great people, and they want to do something - they're going to do something.'

Trump luncheon with the NRA's head honcho had not been on his schedule. It only became public because he blabbed about it during his remarks on Monday to the nation's governors.

'Obviously, the President wasn't trying to keep it under wraps, or he wouldn't have announced it so publicly,' Sanders said Monday of the meal. 'It was a productive conversation, and I think everyone is in agreement that things need to be done and we have to have some changes take place to do what we can to protect America's kids.'

Sanders swatted a suggestion that Trump had softened his positions on gun control measures because he broke break with NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre.

'To try to pretend like he's being influenced by any one group would be ridiculous, considering the number of individuals he's met with that come from both the far left to the far right, and a lot of those in between,' she asserted. 'And we're going to continue those conversations and meet with bipartisan lawmakers on Wednesday, later this week.'

The NRA has also sided against Trump on a proposal to raise the age limit for certain firearms sales from 18 to 21.

Trump said last week that his White House would be strongly considering it only to drop it from a speech on Friday to conservative activists after phone calls with another NRA executive and leave it out of his remarks to governors Monday at the White House.

Sanders insisted Monday that Trump wasn't softening his position because of the NRA.

'I don't think it's at all a downgrade. I think we're talking specifically about implementation and what this process would look like, what specific pieces of legislation might look like. And we haven't seen those yet, so it would be premature for us to weigh in. But, as I said, the President is still supportive of the concept,' she stated.

Sanders explained later in response to another question on the topics, 'We haven't seen the legislation in form yet, and so we're not going to speak to potential legislation that doesn't exist that may have a lot of different nuanced language.

'In concept, the President still supports it,; she added, 'but in terms of legislation, we'd need to see what that looks like before we weigh in further.'
This reckless motorist risked their life as they tried to squeeze a car through the tiniest of gaps on a packed motorway.

Swerving from left to right, nerve-shredding footage shows a white vehicle in China attempting to overtake on a busy road.

The car is seen swinging across two lanes into the central reservation of the highway where it strikes a metal barrier before being launched into the air.

Sparks fly as the car flips across the width of the road, its right rear wheel lifting entirely off the ground.

As it grinds to a halt, the rogue vehicle smashes into the bonnet of the car from which the dashcam footage is being filmed.

It's side crashes into the windscreen filling the driver's view.

Nerve-shredding footage shows a car in China attempting to overtake on a busy road. Sparks fly as their vehicle slams into the barriers on the central reservation

The scene was captured on February 20 in the late afternoon in Jingmen city in Hubei Province, central China.

Despite endangering numerous lives the hot-headed driver reportedly received only a fine.

Fortunately, nobody was injured in the smash, reported local Chinese media.
Mark Rowley (pictured) called for police, social workers and family court judges to step in and protect the vulnerable families of twisted extremists

Violent Islamists should be treated like paedophiles and have their children taken away from them, Britains top counter terrorist officer said last night.

Mark Rowley called for police, social workers and family court judges to step in and protect the vulnerable families of twisted extremists.

The Scotland Yard chief officer said terrorist propaganda and sexual abuse were equally wicked forces for children.

But, he warned, extremists were often left to care for impressionable youngsters despite convictions for violence and spreading hate.

In a keynote speech, Mr Rowley also warned against underestimating the threat of the Far Right as he revealed four plots were foiled last year.

Delivering a comprehensive assessment of the enduring terrorist threat on the eve of his retirement, the top police officer:

Called for the British Islamic State killers dubbed The Beatles to face justice, adding: Locking them up and throwing away the key would be a good idea.

Urged web giants to do more to stop terrorists plotting attacks, spreading vile propaganda and hiding behind the anonymity of the dark web.

Branded Far Right and Islamist extremists a toxic combination who feed off each other to spread hatred and division.

Painted a stark picture of the challenge facing police and MI5, with more than 600 ongoing investigations into at least 3,000 suspects.

Mr Rowley is stepping down from the Metropolitan Police just months after leading the nations response to five catastrophic terrorist attacks.

The Assistant Commissioner paid tribute to his emergency service colleagues and members of the public who acted with compassion, determination and heroism.

But he warned that the threat of Islamist terrorism was here to stay despite ISs loss of huge swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Speaking ahead of a valedictory speech to the Policy Exchange think-tank, he said terrorist arrests increased by a third last year.

Mr Rowley criticised pro-Islamist groups, including Cage, and admitted the authorities have sometimes been too tolerant of intolerance.

He warned that firebrand Islamists and a resurgent Far Right often want to sow the same division, fear and mistrust.

Mr Rowley called for the British Islamic State killers dubbed The Beatles, a group which included Jihadi John (real name Mohammed Emwazi, pictured), to face justice

Mr Rowley compared the danger the children of some Islamists face to that of paedophiles, saying more could be done to protect them.

He said around 100 children have been safeguarded since the start of the conflict but the system must be improved.

The police, social services and the courts have a lot of experience of safeguarding work and taking cases through the family courts where there are paedophile parents, he said.

If we have got parents showing propaganda material does that pose a risk to children that should be treated in the same way as parents of paedophiles? It is the level of risk.

If you know parents are interested in sex with children, or if you know parents believe that people of their faith or their belief should hate everybody else and corrupt children for it, for me those are equally wicked environments to expose children to.

Turning to the fate of The Beatles, Mr Rowley said they must be put on public trial but declined to say in which country.

El Shafee Elsheikh (left) and Alexanda Kotey, members of the notorious execution group nicknamed The Beatles, were detained by US-allied Kurdish militia fighters in January

This month, the final two members of the notorious terror cell were captured close to the Syrian border with Iraq.

The gangs leader, Mohammed Emwazi, better known as Jihadi John, was killed in a 2015 drone strike. The fourth is in a Turkish prison.

Mr Rowley said: The people that have done the most gravest things overseas, the ones that do not fight to the death, we would all like to see them never able to do anyone any harm ever again.

Locking them up and throwing the key away would be a great idea, it depends on the jurisdictions legal framework, whether there is evidence to meet everyones assumptions. Mr Rowley said the ability of extremists and terrorists to ply their trade through the internet remains a matter of grave concern.

He said it cannot be right that someone can be radicalised, exchange encrypted messages with terrorists, research targets without a trace and buy bomb materials - all online.

But he added the biggest internet companies, mostly based in the US, have improved their response and he hoped smaller firms will follow suit.

He compared the efforts of Google, Facebook and Twitter to the reluctance of the banking sector to help chase out dirty money when police first asked for help.

Mr Rowley is stepping down from the Metropolitan Police just months after leading the nations response to five catastrophic terrorist attacks

The top officer said companies are finally rolling up their sleeves and that progress will be made by persuasion and regulation.

Asked whether the authorities have been too politically correct to single out some groups for fostering extremism, Mr Rowley said it was a sensitive area.

I think there are times when we have been tolerant of intolerance. That is a phrase other people have used as well, he said.

This requires careful handling. If the State is over assertive in tackling issues you can aggravate problems. If you are overly cautious you allow things to fester and grow.

Mr Rowley called on the public to join the struggle against terrorism, saying there are a million things people can do to counter extremist views.

It is about being tolerant and united members of society, not falling for some of the nonsense with which others try to create fear and discord he said.

Potential successors to Mr Rowley, who steps down next month after a 31 year career, including his colleagues Helen Ball and Neil Basu as well as West Midlands Chief Dave Thompson.
With March fast approaching, grown ups and kids all over the UK begin to prepare for World Book Day 2018, a day that celebrates books, reading and writing.

Even though a recent Mumsnet survey on World Book Day found that over one in ten respondents found World Book 2017 a major hassle, the majority of people still agree that World Book Day is a great way of celebrating books.

Here is all the information on World Book Day 2018 including when is it, what is it and World Book Day costumes.

When is World Book Day 2018?

World Book Day takes place on the first Thursday of March meaning World Book Day 2018 will be on Thursday, March 1, 2018.

World Book Day 2018 will take place on the first Thursday of March, which falls on March 1

However, World Book Day in other countries takes places on other dates. The UN designates April 23 as World Book Day, citing its literary symbolism: It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died.

It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.

However, an April 23 World Book Day in the UK would clash with St Georges Day as well as Easter holidays. As The organisers of World Book Day in the UK say: We take into consideration religious holidays, school terms and potential conflict with other charitable activities.

The first ever World Book Day took place in 1995.

What is World Book Day?

The aim of World Book Day is to celebrate reading and everything to do with it. As it says on the World Book Day website: 'Its a celebration of authors, illustrators, books.

In fact, its the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

http://www.worldbookday.com/wobod/ A post shared by Stephan von Clinkerhoffen (@stephanvonclinkerhoffen) on Feb 26, 2018 at 9:15am PST

World Book Day tokens

On World Book Day, kids all over the country receive special tokens from National Book Tokens Ltd that allows them to purchase books for 1.

According to the World Book Day charity, some 15 million tokens are sent out every year, which adds up to one token for nearly every child under the age of eighteen in the country.

The tokens apply to a special 1 book list made for World Book Day 2018 and includes titles such as Michael Bonds Paddington Turns Detective and Brain Freeze, by Tom Fletcher.

Want a sneaky peek inside this year's 1 books? Here's

Paddington Turns Detective and Other Funny Stories by the dearly missed Michael Bond & @HarperCollinsCh https://t.co/P9BKJwzOFy  World Book Day UK (@WorldBookDayUK) February 26, 2018

For young adults, the tokens can go towards five 2.50 books including Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah.

The tokens can also be used to get 1 off any full price book.

World Book Day Costumes

Dressing up as famous literary characters is a big part of World Book Day. According to the Mumsnet poll, most kids dressed up as Roald Dahl characters for World Book Day 2017, with Harry Potter costumes coming in second place.

However, World Book Day 2018 costume ideas may be dominated by JK Rowlings characters after the likes of Primark began to launch World Book Day costume ranges. The clothing brand will sell Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland and other costumes for as low as 5.

Others are getting in on the act, with ASDA introducing its own World Book Day costume range that features Peter Rabbit, Gruffalo and Disney Princess Cinderella costumes.
Police tracked down and arrested several rowdy off-road bikers Saturday on a busy highway in Massachusetts.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement the bikers have been causing a ruckus in the city and also a safety concern, which led to their arrest on Interstate 93 South.

'They caused a lot of problems. It was a nice day yesterday and they decided to take it on the highway and seven people were arrested,' Walsh said, according to CBS Boston.

The bikers, who were also on all-terrain vehicles, were seen swerving through traffic in newly-released footage as police pulled up behind the crew and one officer fired his weapon.

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Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said a gang of bikers in Boston have been causing a safety concern for the city

Police tracked down and arrested several rowdy bikers Saturday on Interstate 93 South

Several drivers were forced to stop as the bunch carelessly drove around the highway

The bikers were seen swerving through traffic in newly-released footage as police pulled up behind the crew

CBS Boston reported that one of the bikers was hit, but is said to be OK.

Several other drivers on the highway were forced to stop as the bunch carelessly cruised around.

'I think they're getting a little bold and they figure we can do this on our highways and that's a major concern,' Walsh said.

As many as 20 off-road vehicles were pulled from the road during the incident.

Aderito Monteiro, 28, pleaded not guilty to numerous charges Monday in court. The remaining six who were arrested are expected to appear in court on Tuesday

'Hopefully they'll think secondly about putting something like that on the highway again,' Walsh added.

The seven individuals who were arrested are currently facing charges.

Aderito Monteiro, 28, of Randolph, was pictured Monday at his arraignment for disorderly conduct, negligent operation, driving an uninsured ATV, failure to stop for police, marked lanes violation and operating an unregistered all-terrain vehicle.

Monteiro pleaded not guilty to the offenses and has been jailed on $2,000 bond.

The remaining individuals who were arrested are expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

As many as 20 off-road vehicles were pulled from the highway over the weekend

Walsh said the crew has 'caused a lot of problems' for the city and it was a 'nice day' when seven of them were arrested
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This isolated fortress in the middle of the sea gives you the opportunity to live like a king or queen, as you bask in a piece of Napoleonic history, if you are prepared to pay the 5,600 a night price tag.

Work started on the Napoleonic Fortress in the 1860's and took 17 years to complete after being built to protect Portsmouth harbour from a French invasion.

The impressive structure, which is situated in the middle of the Solent, boasts panoramic views across the ocean to the Isle of Wright.

This isolated fortress in the middle of the sea, situation between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight gives you the opportunity to live like a king or queen - as you bask in a piece of Napoleonic history

Work started on the Napoleonic Fortress in the 1860's and took 17 years to complete after being built to protect Portsmouth harbour from a French invasion has now been given a glamorous make-over

The unique holiday property, which was formerly home to a 36 tonne cannon, also has breathtaking views of The Spinnaker Tower - a 560-foot landmark observation tower in Portsmouth.

Although it was originally constructed to protect the mainland the fortress is now available to hire for functions, parties, wedding receptions or a weekend break - if you're willing to splash the cash.

The dramatic building features a backdrop of waves, yachts and if you're lucky a breathtaking sunset, which can be viewed from the top floor of the fortress.

The fort is accessed by boat, making it a private island which is situated two hours away from London and close to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight

The property combines history and luxury as the sympathetic refurbishment has kept many of the original features such as the windows, vaulted ceilings and the gun emplacements

The impressive structure, which is situated in the middle of the Solent, boasts panoramic views across the ocean to the Isle of Wright through its floor length windows in the bar

Although it was originally constructed to protect the mainland the fortress is now available to hire for functions, parties, wedding receptions or a weekend break - if you're willing to splash the cash

The property combines history and luxury as the sympathetic refurbishment has kept many of the original features such as the windows, vaulted ceilings and the gun emplacements.

Intrinsically private, the fort sleeps 18 in its nine individually designed en suit bedrooms which have been converted to exude opulence.

The fort is accessed by boat, making it a private island which is situated two hours away from London and close to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

The unique holiday property, which was formerly home to a 36 tonne cannon, also has breathtaking views of The Spinnaker Tower - a 560-foot landmark observation tower in Portsmouth

Individual rooms start at 560 per night but if you fancy bringing a whole gang of family or friends to hire the entire place prices begin at 5,600 per night

The secluded spot may put you at risk of cabin fever, however there is plenty to keep guests entertained as the property includes a Champagne bar, function room, a library for a spot of light reading, and a gym

The secluded spot may put you at risk of cabin fever, however there is plenty to keep guests entertained as the property includes a Champagne bar, function room, a library for a spot of light reading, and a gym.

If that wasn't enough it also hosts two rooftop sun-decks - in case one wasn't enough - as well as a sauna, open air hot tub and a light house.

Individual rooms start at 560 per night but if you fancy bringing a whole gang of family or friends to hire the entire place prices begin at 5,600 per night.

If by chance guests get bored of the fortress it is in close proximity to both Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, which have shops, restaurants and activities.

Continuing the theme of naval history, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard shows over 800 years of it - displays include the HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum.

Bookings can be made through Snaptrip.com.

If that wasn't enough it also hosts two rooftop sun-decks - in case one wasn't enough - as well as a sauna, open air hot tub and a light house

The fortress could easily be mistaken for a trendy bar, of which is has several, decked out with fashionable furnishings and caved brick ceilings, you'd be forgiven for forgetting you are in the middle of the sea

If by chance guests get bored of the fortress it is in close proximity to both Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, which have shops, restaurants and activities

Intrinsically private, the fort sleeps 18 in its nine individually designed en suit bedrooms which have been converted to exude opulence

Continuing the theme of naval history, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard shows over 800 years of it - displays include the HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum

This venue will be the talk of the town and anyone attending an event here can't fail to be delighted and surprised at the pure drama of its unique setting

Never too far away from the mainland, the fort offers views of Spinnaker tower which is on view from the dining room where you are able to serve a delicious range of meals to your guests

A cosy billiards room is also included in the fortress package which would come in handy during wet weather when the sun-decks aren't the place you want to be spending your holiday

The dramatic building features a backdrop of waves, yachts and if you're lucky a breathtaking sunset, which can be viewed from the top floor of the fortress

Head to last minute UK rental provider Snaptrip.com for a deal on the fortress. Click here to book
The daughter of Bill Cosby passed away on Friday night at the age of 44.

Ensa Cosby died in Massachusetts, where the family has a large estate. A spokesperson for her father, Andrew Wyatt, announced on Monday afternoon that her death was caused by renal disease, with Ensa having suffered from kidney problems throughout her life.

Her passing comes one month before her father is set to be retried on rape charges in Pennsylvania this April.

This is the second child Cosby has lost, with son Ennis having been murdered in 1997 during a botched carjacking in Los Angeles.

Ensa is survived by her parents Bill and Camille, her siblings Erika, Erinn and Evin and her husband Martin McLean.

Sisters: Ensa Cosby (above) passed away Friday night at the age of 44 reports TMZ

Support system: She was a vocal supporter of her father during his 2017 sexual assault trial, stating that he had been 'publicly lynched in the media' (Ensa and her father in 2016)

Action: She starred on an episode of The Cosby Show (above circled in red) in 1989 during season six

Gone to soon: A spokesperson for Bill Cosby said that Ensa's death was caused by renal failure (above with friends on her wedding day)

Ensa was a yoga instructor at a studio just a few miles from the family compound in Shelburne Falls.

Bill and his wife Camille spend almost all of their time on the 21-acre estate, and have bought up hundreds of acres of land bordering the property to maintain their privacy.

Residents of the town told DailyMail.com back in 2015 that Bill and Camille are seldom seen in town, preferring to stay behind the gates of their compound.

It is also on that compound where the family buried Ennis after his death, with his body laid to rest beneath the herb garden on the property.

Ensa spent most of her youth in Massachusetts, but was still able to experience some incredible moments thanks to her famous dad.

As a child, she presented musician Miles Davis and actress Cicely Tyson with their wedding bands at their 1981 nuptials, which took place at the Cosby family home on Thanksgiving.

She also attended the inauguration of Nelson Mandela alongside her father, who was one of the South African leader's close friends.

Ensa married Martin McLean, 55, in August of 2013, just one year after the two met.

The ceremony took place at trinity Church in Shelburne Falls, and a large reception followed for guests.

Both Ensa and her groom had children from previous relationships at the time that they married.

One of his children, Matthew McLean, was tragically murdered by a friend who stabbed the 21-year-old 70 times back in 2015.

Since the wedding, both Ensa and her groom had been living on the family estate.

McLean had been arrested two years before the couple married in 2011 for attempting to fill a fraudulent prescription in order to obtain 90 pills of oxycodone according to court papers.

Those charges were dismissed with prejudice the following year after McLean entered and successfully completed a rehab program.

The Cosbys: Ensa, who was the basis for the character of Vanessa Huxtable on The Cosby Show, grew up in Massachusetts after Camille moved the family there (Bill and Camille with their children, l to r: Erika, Ensa, Ennis, Evin, Erinn)

Family: She is survived by her parents Bill and Camille, her siblings Erika, Erinn and Evin and her husband Martin McLean (Ensa, Erika and Evin above in 1992)

Family: Ensa worked as a yoga instructor at a studio near her parents' Massachusetts compound (Bill and Camille left in June, Bill right in January)

Home sweet homes: The Cosby family compound in Shelburne Falls, where Ensa and her husband lived (above)

Ensa was one of her father's most vocal supporters during his sexual assault trial back in 2017, and in a statement last May on The Breakfast Club said that the accusations being made against the comedian were racially motivated.

'I'm a very private person and I've chosen to live my life with my family quietly but for my child, my niece and my nephew, and my father, I can't sit quietly anymore. The man portrayed in the media today is not who my father is,' said Ensa.

'The accusations against my father have been one sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court. I've seen the accusations become more horrific and extreme with time and I have witnessed my father's reputation and legendary work be dismissed without any proof.'

She continued: 'I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal.'

Ensa then finished out that statement with some very strong words.

'My father has been publicly lynched in the media and my family, my young daughter, my young niece and nephew have had to stand helplessly by and watch the double standard or pretending to protect the rights of some but ignoring the rights of others,' said Ensa.

'And exposing innocent children to such appalling accusations about someone that they love dearly and who has been so loving and kind to them is beyond cruel.'

In an interview just days later with SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish, Cosby responded to his daughter's statement by saying: 'Could be, could be. I cant say anything, but there are certain things that I look at, and I apply to the situation, and there are so many tentacles. So many different - nefarious is a great word. And I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that.'

The Cosby women have long made a point of standing up for themselves in the media, no matter what public perception may be at that time.

In the wake of Ennis' death, Camille criticized the coverage of his passing by stating: 'Ennis William Cosby did not have a mother. I was a nonentity, an un-person. Yet, when my husband made his more than famous confession to the public about a brief 1970s liaison, my name was printed everywhere. Suddenly, I became well known; not as an intelligent person, but for reasons obviously undesirable.'

Camille also said in that essay that the media had taught her son's killer to hate black men.

The family has yet to issue a statement on Ensa's passing at this time.
A student shot three times in the Florida mass shooting broke down in tears as she was reunited with the equally emotional first responder who saved her life.

Maddy Wilford, 17, was hit in the chest, abdomen and arm when gunman Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, on February 14.

The teen was found inside the school building, bleeding heavily, and was rushed to waiting ambulances outside.

Maddy Wilford (right) had an emotional reunion as she was reunited with the first responder that saved her, Lt. Laz Ojeda (left)

Lt. Laz Ojeda, of Coral Springs Fire Department, said he'd received orders to take her to a hospital 30 miles away but made what doctors referred to as a 'life-saving' split-second decision to take her to Broward Health North hospital, less than 10 miles away.

'I'm so grateful to be here & it wouldn't be possible without the officers & 1st responders & amazing doctors,' Maddy said, dabbing away at her tears at the press conference on Monday, according to CBS News.

'Especially all the love that everyone has sent. I wouldn't be here without it. I just want to send my appreciation and love out to all of you.

'I just love the fact we're sticking together.'

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor Maddy Wilford, left, wipes a tear as her father David looks on during a press conference at Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach, Florida

David Wilford, Maddy's father, also struggled to overcome his emotions as he thanked the cops and first responders for saving his daughter's life (pictured kissing the top of her head)

David Wilford, Maddy's father, also struggled to overcome his emotions as he thanked the cops and first responders for saving his daughter's life.

'I am very grateful to be sitting here next to my daughter, alive and well today. There are a lot of people to thank for Maddy's life,' he said.

Ojeda got choked up as he described the moment that he was treating Maddy in the back of the rescue vehicle.

He said that she was in shock and had serious injuries. He was able to keep her conscious and made the snap decision to redirect them to a closer hospital.

'I got into this job to help people. I guess when you are able to see it [help], it makes it that much better,' Ojeda said.

Lt. Laz Ojeda, (pictured wiping away a tear) of Coral Springs Fire Department, said he'd received orders to take her to a hospital 30 miles away but made what doctors referred to as a 'life-saving' split-second decision

Ojeda got choked up as he described the moment that he was treating Maddy in the back of the rescue vehicle

He said that she was in shock and had serious injuries they were treating. He was able to keep her conscious and made the snap decision to redirect them to a closer hospital

Igor Nichiporenko, M.D., Medical Director of Trauma Services, (left) said that Maddy was 'very lucky, very, very lucky' to have survived

The teen underwent three surgeries but has recovered very quickly although some bullet fragments remain inside her.

'She's very lucky, very, very lucky' said Igor Nichiporenko, M.D., medical director of trauma services at Broward Health North.

'I'm just glad that I'm making a full recovery and everything's been going so smoothly,' Maddy added.

Her mother, Missy Wilford, put her daughter's speedy recovery down to her inner strength.

'She knows who she is. She knows where she wants to go and what she wants in life. That strength & power helps you heal,' she said.

'It makes you want to get up and it makes you want to keep going. She is an inspiration to me and all of those that have reached out to us.

The high school officially reopens Wednesday.

Students at the school have remained vocal in pushing for gun control in the wake of the shooting that left 17 dead and 15 injured.

Her mother, Missy Wilford, (left, with her daughter, center, an husband, right) put her daughter's speedy recovery down to her inner strength

The teen (pictured with her parents on either side) underwent three surgeries but has recovered very quickly although some bullet fragments remain inside her

David Wilford gestures to the police and first responders who helped to save his daughter's life during the press conference

They organised a march in Parkland in the days after the attack, and are planning a national march on Washington DC next month.

The movement seems to be gaining traction after President Donald Trump pledged that his administration would take unilateral action to ban bump stocks  an action that the NRA does not support and that is the subject of legislative efforts in Congress.

Speaking to governors at the White House Monday, Trump cast the drive to ban the gun accessory as something he would do personally  although he has tasked Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who oversees the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, to deal with it.

'Bump stocks, we're writing that out. I'm writing that out myself. I don't care if Congress does it or not, I'm writing it out myself,' Trump told the governors.

Trump also appeared to tip the hand of a regulatory strategy.

Parents and students walk into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday, February, ahead of its official opening on Wednesday

Parents and students walk next to the memorial for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

School students from Montgomery County, in suburban Washington, rally in solidarity with those affected by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, at the Capitol in Washington on February 21

'You put it into the machine gun category, which is what it is It becomes essentially a machine gun and nobody's gonna be able - it's going to be very hard to get 'em,' he said.

Trump may have been saying regulators would consider bump stocks to be a machine gun, which is banned under existing gun laws.

An investigation is also being launched into the law enforcement response to the shooting after it was revealed that deputy Scot Peterson, the school's assigned security officer, never went into the building to try and stop the shooter after the attack began.

There are claims that three other Brownward county deputies also allegedly failed to enter the school to tackle the shooter.

Both the police and FBI acknowledge there were opportunities missed when it came to dealing with multiple red flags about the shooter, including one comment he left online, proclaiming he was going to be a 'professional school shooter.'
Fugitive shot: George Davis, 27, was on the run from police in Detroit in connection to a quadruple homicide when he shot himself in Ohio Monday afternoon

A man suspected in a quadruple homicide that claimed the lives of the mother his child and her pastor father during a shootout at a Detroit gas station turned the gun on himself after being cornered by police in Ohio on Monday afternoon.

Gunfire erupted at the Sunoco gas station in the 2200 block of Fenkell Avenue on Detroit's northwest side at 8.50am on Monday morning, leaving a man and two women dead.

A second male victim was later found dead inside a home not far away from the first crime scene.

An investigation has identified the suspect as 27-year-old George Anthony Davis, an ex-convict out on parole who may have been suffering from mental health issues.

After spending several hours on the lam and crossed states lines from Michigan into Ohio, Davis was involved in a shootout with police, which ended with the fugitive allegedly shooting himself, reported Fox 2 Detroit. He is in critical condition.

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Domestic violence: Davis is accused of killing 26-year-old Cierra Bagaineer (left), who is the mother of his infant child, and her father, Deacon Raphael Hall (right)

Also shot to death was 21-year-old Kristen Thomas, whom Bargaineer was driving to work Monday

Gunshots erupted at this Sunoco as station in Detroit, leaving two women and a man dead

According to investigators, 26-year-old Cierra Bargaineer and her father, Deacon Raphael Hall, were driving a neighbor, 21-year-old Kristen Thomas, to work on Monday morning when they stopped at the Sunoco gas station to fuel up, reported WXYZ.

Bargaineer was in the driver's seat and Hall was pumping gas outside their silver Dodge Journey when police say Davis approached the vehicle and got into an argument with its occupants.

The verbal dispute took a deadly turn when the 27-year-old allegedly pulled a gun and opened fire. After running out of bullets, police said he went back to his Ford Focus to reload and returned to fire more rounds into the victims.

Ex-con: Davis has been out on parole since 2016, after being convicted in 2011 for receiving a and concealing a stolen vehicle

After shooting the two women inside the vehicle, among them the mother of his two-month-old child, Cierra Bargaineer, and her father, who was a beloved pastor at Citadel of Praise Church, police say Davis fled to a relative's house in the 15100 block of Faust Avenue.

There, Davis allegedly got into a dispute with his adult male cousin and shot him twice, killing him.

Davis then reportedly swapped his Ford for a blue 2007 Nissan Altima with a temporary license tag. While on the run, Davis made contact with his mother, who implored him to turn himself into the the authorities.

Police launched a manhunt for Davis, describing him as armed and dangerous. The search came to a violent end on Monday afternoon in the area of Interstate 75 and Interstate 280 in Ohio.

According to a police source, Davis' vehicle broke down and he shot himself after getting into an armed confrontation with police.

Davis has been out on parole since 2016, after being convicted in 2011 for receiving a and concealing a stolen vehicle. His record also includes a 2008 conviction for second-degree home invasion, reported Mlive.com.

Davis' parole was scheduled to end on April 4.

A relative tells that Davis had recently checked himself into a hospital complaining of hallucinations, and that he might have suspected his girlfriend of cheating on him with his cousin.
Orlando pediatrician Dr. Ishrat Sohail was arrested and released on Friday for giving partial doses of vaccines to patients and for Medicaid fraud

An Orlando pediatrician has been arrested for giving partial vaccine doses to children and Medicaid fraud.

Dr. Ishrat Sohail posted bond and was released from jail Friday after police found she had given partial doses of vaccines to 500 patients.

Sohail allegedly committed the crime for financial gain. By giving partial doses, she could stretch the contents of a vial on more patients to earn more money.

The vaccines she distributed were also intended for Medicaid and non-insured children, but she gave and charged them to patients with private insurance.

She was caught after officials raided her office and discovered partial doses of Hepatitis A, HPV and whooping cough vaccines in the office refrigerator, which contradicted the bills for full doses that she sent to insurers, according to WKMG-TV.

In January the Florida Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General raided the doctor's Orlando office in a joint investigation, where they found the partial doses.

The Florida doctor ran into trouble with state health officials in 2016 for giving vaccines intended for Medicaid and uninsured patients, to those with private insurances

Sohail, pictured above in 2011, was outed by one of her staffers who alerted fraud authorities

Last week one of Sohail's staffers called the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit saying the pediatrician planned to shred patient files related to vaccine administration.

She never had the opportunity to carry out the deed.

Investigators said an employee claims at least two patients tested positive for the flu but Sohail never told them as a way to cover up any suspicious over the partial vaccine practices, according to CBS.

State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip emergency suspended Sohail's license to practice.

This is not the first time Sohail has landed in hot water with state officials.

Her office, pictured above, on Orange Avenue in Orlando had distributed 500 vaccines to children

Any child that has received a vaccine from Sohail between 2016 and 2018 are urged to seek re-vaccination according to state health officials (file photo above)

She first landed on health official's radar in 2016 when she billed private insurance companies for two vials of a vaccine instead of one. Those vaccines too were intended for Medicaid patients.

Officials then restricted her to limited doses and she was suspended for two months.

The department is contacting the 500 child patients effected by Sohail's actions.

Authorities are alerting any child that received vaccines from Sohail between 2016 and 2018 to consider revaccination.

The partial vaccines pose a threat to the children as they do not provide sufficient protection against 'potentially dangerous vaccine preventable diseases'.

Officials also say that there is possibility that Sohail did not follow proper sterilizing practices for the vaccines and warn for parents to report any severe adverse reactions in their children.
The people involved in last year's Best Picture mix-up at the Academy Awards have spoken out to The Hollywood Reporter to give never-before-heard details of the live television debacle.

For nearly three minutes at last year's ceremony, the world thought La La Land had won the top prize when presenter Faye Dunaway called the cast and crew to the stage to accept their award.

But accountants behind the scenes knew that Moonlight was the real winner, and panicked crew members scrambled to set the record straight.

Eventually, a producer on La La Land overheard the commotion and took to the microphone to beckon the real winners, Moonlight, to the stage.

The Hollywood Reporter recently compiled an oral history of the 2017 Oscars Best Picture mix-up. La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz is seen above, telling the audience that Moonlight were the actual winners of the Best Picture prize

The A-list audience members were dumbstruck by the mistake

Accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers eventually took blame for the mix-up, revealing that one of their executives mistakenly handed out the wrong envelope to the presenters.

In a new oral history compiled by THR, the workers who broadcast the ceremony, cast members from both Moonlight and La La Land, as well as other Hollywood industry types in the audience, give new insights into the awkward television moment, and the aftermath.

Even before the ceremony, the people putting on the show had issues with Brian Cullinan, one of the two PwC executives in charge of calculating ballots and handing out the winning envelopes to presenters.

'Sometime the week [of the show], my department had told PwC's PR department that Brian was not allowed to do any social media backstage because he was very engaged with social media during the week leading up to the show,' Teni Melidonian, managing director of publicity and corporate communications for the Academy told THR.

Sometime the week [of the show], my department had told PwC's PR department that Brian [Cullinan, PwC executive] was not allowed to do any social media backstage because he was very engaged with social media during the week leading up to the show. Teni Melidonian, managing director of publicity and corporate communications for the Academy

There were also issues between Dunaway and Beatty, who were recruited to present the last award together because it was the 50th anniversary of their film Bonnie and Clyde.

'Warren and Faye have not had the greatest relationship over the years. This is common knowledge. It's strained because Faye is impossible,' Peggy Siegal, a publicist who hosted events for both La La Land and Moonlight last year, said.

On the day of the show, crew members of the show got a bad omen when pieces of the set fell down and they didn't get enough time to rehearse the last half of the show.

But once the show kicked off with a musical number from Justin Timberlake, things went off effortlessly.

The awards, which notoriously run late because of long speeches, even met ABC's midnight deadline for the last commercial break.

La La Land was mistakenly named Best Picture with PwC accountant Brian Cullinan, right, accidentally gave the wrong envelope to best picture presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty

Then it was time for Dunaway and Beatty to come out and present the last award.

When Beatty opened the envelope though, he looked confused, then handed the letter to Dunaway who announced that the winner was La La Land.

Host Jimmy Kimmel, who was sitting in the audience to finish the show with a final joke, said at first he thought that maybe Beatty couldn't read the letter due to his vision.

'I thought, "Oh, maybe they can't see. Maybe that's the problem,'" Kimmel said.

Jordan Horowitz, a producer on La La Land, said he thought Beatty's pause was 'a gag'.

What was later revealed was that Beatty had been handed the backup envelope for Best Actress, which listed Emma Stone's name and La La Land.

The wrong envelope was handed out by Cullinan, who was distracted because he was busy grabbing a picture with Stone after her big win.

'I thought, "Well, maybe this is a misprint." And then, "I shouldn't foul up the show just because someone made a little error,' Beatty said.

I thought, "Well, maybe this is a misprint." And then, "I shouldn't foul up the show just because someone made a little error. Warren Beatty

As the La La Land cast and crew were coming to the stage, the workers backstage were just beginning to figure out what was wrong and scrambled to figure out what to do next.

'I hear on my headset, "The accountant says he thinks the wrong winner was announced,"' Glenn Weiss, the telecast's director, said.

Gary Natoli, the head stage manager, says one of his other stage managers was trying to get Cullinan, the accountant, onto the stage to rectify the situation but neither he nor his partner would go.

'We had to push them onstage, which was juts shocking to me,' Natoli said.

While La La Land producer Marc Platt was giving his acceptance speech, stage hands were going up to other producers and crew members, looking for the envelope.

'I put my headset on and I heard Glenn, the director, saying forcefully, "They've got the wrong envelope! It's not the right winner!"' Todd said.

It's at this point that Kimmel decides to get on stage and figure out what's happening.

Melidonian says she cornered Cullinan on stage but he didn't snap into action as she hoped.

'Brian was just kind of staring through me, and I remember tapping him and saying, "Hey, Brian - what's going on? Remember, we're on air!" And he was not responsive,' she said.

'It was disappointing that the accountants froze and didn't do any of the protocols, but I'm not surprised,' Todd said.

In the end, it was Horowitz who took the microphone and announced that a mistake had been made.

'Guys, guys I'm sorry. There's been a mistake. Moonlight - you guys won best picture, This is not a joke. Come up here,' he said.

He then grabbed the correct Best Picture envelope and held it up for the cameras.

Luckily, producers back stage knew to keep a camera on the envelope for the big reveal.

'I said, "Ok, Camera 10 - I just want you to go onto that cart and stay there until somebody holds it up,' Weiss said. 'In my head, that shot as the most important thing of the night at that point.'

With that, the baffled cast of Moonlight began to make their way to the stage, while the cast of La La Land cast shuffled off.

I just started screaming "What the f*** is going on?!' We were all in shock. We started hugging each other, but we were just stunned. Nicolette Aizenberg, head of publicity for A24, which financed and distributed Moonlight

'I just started screaming "What the f*** is going on?!' We were all in shock. We started hugging each other, but we were just stunned,' Nicolette Aizenberg, head of publicity for A24, which financed and distributed Moonlight, said.

'Probably the most awkward moment in Oscars history,' Mahershala Ali, who won best supporting actor for his role in the film, said.

As the cast were making their way to the stage, Kimmel was heard joking to Beatty.

'I shouted something to the effect of, "Warren, what did you do?!" Because I still had it in my head that Warren's vision wasn't great and maybe it was his fault,' Kimmel said.

Beatty then went up the microphone and explained that the envelope he had received was for Best Actress and not Best Picture.

Kimmel said it was Denzel Washington in the crowd that made him realize that the forensics of the mistake was taking away from Moonlight's moment.

'Denzel Washington did a little bit of traffic-cop work from the audience. I think he looked at me and pointed at Barry [Jenkins, director of Moonlight], motioning for us to let Barry speak, and I thought, "Oh, yes, he's right. That should happen,"' Kimmel said

The cast and crew of Moonlight were given their chance to accept the award, but it wasn't the moment it could have been.

'It never quite felt like we won, even though we won, in part because we were so connected with the La La Land people. In that moment, I don't think we could be as joyous. It wasn't what it should have been,' Ali said.

In the aftermath of the ceremony, Kimmel, the Oscars crew and the accountants went back stage to figure out what went wrong.

'I walked backstage with Mike and Jen and Gary. Warren, I think, was already backstage, and Faye was gone - she was probably at home sleeping by that time. She wisely got the hell out of there,' Kimmel said.

'I said, "Let's go to the green room." saomeone said, "Boonie life, Clyde stayed!' Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said.

In the green room, everyone was trying to get down to the issue.

'Brian kind of stood in the corner and watched it all play out. I think maybe he was secretly hoping that this would get blamed on Warren,' Kimmel said.

'Jimmy took charge of the conversation. It was a little bit making light, making fun. We weren't there to lynch anyone. We just wanted to know what happened,' Weiss said.

'The lead actress envelope, which Leo [DiCaprio] handed to Emma Stone came from Martha, so it made sense that Brian would have had the extra lead actress envelope. The protocol was that he would have it out until the winner was called, and then he would put it back in his suitcase - which he failed to do because he was distracted tweeting [the photo that he had taken of Emma Stone backstage with her new Oscar],' Melidonian said.

'Glenn came with an iPad and showed us a photo of the wrong envelope in Warren's hand. Then we knew that happened,' Todd said.

'I was like [to Brian], "Your one job was to give Warren the right envelope." He was in such shock that he just said, "No,"' Hudson recalled.

At that point, the group moved downstairs to work out an apology from PwC.

'We all decided we'd better get out of the green room and go where it's more private - into the bowels of the Dolby,' Hudson said.,

'Brian was still in shock - he looked red-faced, glazed-over. And Martha looked worried,' Hudson said.

Eventually Tim Ryan, PwC's U.S. chairman and senior partner came over to the theater and helped draft their statement which read: 'We sincerely apologize to Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Sscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for best picture. The presenters had mistakenly been fiven the wrong category envelope and when discovered, was immediately corrected. We are currently instigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred. We appreciate the grace with which the nominees, the Academy, ABC and Jimmy Kimmel handled the situation.'

After the show, many of the attendees attend the Governor's Ball, the largest post-Oscars party.

It was awards consultant Lisa Taback's idea to send Horotwitz and Jenkins into the party together.

'Once that moment happened, everything seemed OK. There was a release,' Taback said.

'I remember going inside and seeing Barry and Mahershala and hugging them,' Horowitz said.

When it was all over, Horowitz said he was thankful for some kind words he received from both Kimmel and Beatty.

'Warren and I spoke on the phone, We had a really lovely conversation. Jimmy was awesome in the aftermath of it. He wrote me a note. I think he wrote everybody a note,' Horowitz said.

The Academy decided not to end their working relationship with PwC, which will be sending two different executives to work this year's ceremony.

A couple of weeks later, Hudson says Cullinan reached out to the Academy to apologize.

'Brian said, "I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry I did this to the Academy." I said "I know, I know,"' Hudson said.

'I have not seen Brian and Martha since,' Melidonian said.
A woman has had a knife held to her throat by three African men during a home invasion in Melbourne - sparking fears of a crime spree.

Three men entered the garage of a house in Albion about 1.30am on Tuesday.

They raided the garage for weapons including a hammer and knives before storming into the house, where four adults and one children were sleeping.

Ed, who lives at the house, woke to the sound of his fiancee screaming after she had a knife held to her throat.

'Just heard my young fella and my wife screaming... and I came running down the stairs to see three men jumping out the window,' he told Nine News.

'My partners a bit shaken up and the young fellas a bit scared.'

A woman has had a knife held to her throat by three African men during a home invasion in Melbourne - sparking fears of a crime spree

Ed, who lives at the house, woke to the sound of his fiancee screaming after she had a knife held to her throat

Three men entered the garage of this house in Albion about 1.30am on Tuesday

Three African men threatened a woman with a knife in a home invasion before stealing keys

'We were thinking about moving anyway because there's just too many kids hanging around this park, drinking and smoking.'

He chased the men out of the house as they escaped out the window.

Ed's fiancee managed to break away and hid in the bathroom until the intruders left the house.

Ed's neighbours - a group of international students - were also targeted by thieves as their house was broken into.

In the earlier incident, the intruders' faces were covered, and they entered a bedroom where a woman and a child were asleep.

They threatened the woman with the knife before stealing two sets of keys and an iPad.

Police believe the three offenders are all of African appearance.

They took off on foot through nearby Parkland, and are still on the run from police.

Victoria Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward

None of the five occupants of the house were injured in the burglary.

Victoria Police are continuing to investigate the incident and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Police said it is too early to tell if the burglary is related to another in nearby Taylors Hill which happened on Monday.

DuringMonday's aggravated burglary two men were hit in the head with weapons after four African teenagers broke into a house on Exhibition Parade.

The four men stole a mobile phone and the car keys to a Honda Civic, fleeing the scene in the car.

Three men entered the garage of a house on Anderson Road in Albion about 1.30am on Tuesday

Police are investigating whether both incidents are related to an armed robbery at a fast-food outlet in Essendon later on Monday.

A preliminary report delivered to Victoria Police showed residents in Melbourne's west want police to focus on youth crime, home invasions and gang activity.

Inspector Martin Allison told the Australian the main theme identified was 'a lot of adverse publicity... around youth issues and in particular African youth'.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed the stunning guilty plea of former Donald Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates to federal charges  saying his criminal conduct took place 'long before' he was a top aide.

'Look, I think that those are issues that took place long before they were involved with the president,' Sanders told reporters on Monday.

Sanders got asked at a White House press briefing 'what it says in your view about the president's judgement that three people linked to his campaign have now turned out to be criminals.'

Gates pleaded guilty on Friday to committing a 'conspiracy against the United States' that stretched from 2006 to 2015, when he was an unregistered agent for Ukrainian government's Party of Regions. He and former Trump campaign Paul Manafort are charged in a widespread conspiracy to mask millions in payments stashed in offshore accounts.

'Those are issues that took place long before they were involved with the president,' Sarah Huckabee Sanders said when asked about guilty pleas by three former Trump campaign officials in Robert Mueller's ongoing probe

But he also admitted to turning in false information to the FBI in November of 2016  and lying to prosecutors on February 1  when he denied a meeting he and Manafort had with a lobbyist was about Ukraine.

The Feb. 1 false statement was to Robert Mueller's team of investigators  something Gates did long after joining Trump's campaign along with former campaign chair Paul Manafort, with whom he admits he orchestrated the scheme.

on federal conspiracy and false statements charges  saying crimes took place 'long before' he was involved with Trump.

Sanders declined to speak further. 'Anything beyond that, because those are active investigations, I'm not going to go any further than that,' she said.

She referred to the conspiracy he has admitted to as 'actions,' rather than crimes, saying: 'Actions that are under review and under investigation took place prior to him being part of the president's campaign.'

Gates entered his plea on Friday

SNOW JOB: Sanders fielded a question about the Rick Gates guilty plea upon her return from South Korea. Here Ivanka Trump (R) arrives with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (L) to visit U.S.A House on day sixteen of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games on February 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea

COOL AIR: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, IOC executive board member Angela Ruggiero and Ivanka Trump attend the Snowboard - Men's Big Air Final on day 15 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre on February 24, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea

THAT'S RISCH: Sanders faced reporters after attending the closing Olympic ceremonies with Sen. James Risch of Idaho and Ivanka Trump and Sen. James Risch (r)

After George Papadopoulos became the first Trump campaign official to plead guilty  he admits he was told in April 2016 that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton  Sanders dismissed his role as minor.

'He was somebody that played a minimal role, if one at all,' Sanders said last fall.

Former Trump advisor Michael Caputo went further: 'I never heard of Papadopoulos,' he said. 'He was the coffee boy.'

Former Trump national security advisor Mike Flynn has also pleaded guilty to lying.

On Thursday, Mueller charged Gates and Manafort with running an elaborate scheme to launder $75 million and dodge tens of millions in taxes.

According to the latest government information filed by prosecutors Friday, 'Gates conspired to defraud the United States regarding the money he and his business partner Paul Manafort earned, and lied to the FBI in a February 1, 2018 interview about a 2013 meeting he'd had with Manafort and an unidentified lobbyist.'

His lie was that a March 2013 meeting didn't involve Ukraine.

The government charges Gates and Manafort with failing to disclose their work acting as foreign representative of the pro-Moscow government in Ukraine  for whom they engaged in extensive work.

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for Donald Trump, is charged with shielding along with Gates $30 million from the feds

His decision puts new pressure on Manafort, his former partner

Gates is now the third Trump associate known to be working with Mueller's investigation

Statement by Paul Manafort on Gates guilty plea Notwithstanding that Rick Gates pled today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue to battle to prove our innocence. For reasons not yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled up charges contained in the indictments against me. Advertisement

In 2012 they solicited two firms  identified as Company A and Company B  about 'representing the government of Ukraine in [Washington] D.C.,' according to an email. They then went about 'hiding' their lobbying and public relations work for Ukraine. In fact, they engaged in a 'multi-million lobbying campaign' on behalf of Victor Yanukovych's government.

'They lobbied multiple Members of Congress and their staffs about Ukraine sanctions, the validity of Ukraine elections, and the propriety of Yanukovych's imprisoning his presidential rival, Yulia Tymoshenko,' according to the indictment.

They used an offshore account 'to funnel $4 million to pay secretly' for a report defending the prosecution of Yanukovych's predecessor.

Even after Manafort left the Trump campaign under fire for his overseas contacts, Gates stayed on as deputy campaign manager.

Flynn, who was at Trump's side throughout the campaign, went on to become his national security advisor  only to resign after 24 days after it was revealed he made false statements to the FBI about his communications with Russia.
Five-year-old Ellie-May Clark (pictured) was having a severe asthma attack when she was turned away from The Grange Clinic, in Newport, South Wales

Asthma is a lung condition that can cause breathing difficulties.

It occurs when the breathing tubes to the lungs become inflamed and narrow.

Asthma attacks kill three people in the UK each day.

Every 10 seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.

Medical care after an attack is vital, whether it is visiting a GP or getting hospital treatment.

While one in six people treated in hospital for an asthma attack need the same care again within two weeks.

Five-year-old Ellie-May Clark was having a severe asthma attack when she arrived at The Grange Clinic, in Newport, South Wales, with her mother Shanice.

She was turned away from the clinic by doctor Dr Joanne Rowe, 54, and died at home just over five hours later, on January 26, 2015, an inquest heard.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by a strong odor, pollen in the air, dust mites, smoke or chemical fumes.

Signs of a severe asthma attack include: wheezing, coughing and chest tightness becoming severe and constant.

They also include being too breathless to eat, speak or sleep, breathing faster a fast heartbeat, drowsiness, confusion, exhaustion or dizziness blue lips or fingers fainting.

Source: NHS
Life on Mars could be possible, based on a breakthrough in the world's driest desert.

Scientists have found bacteria in South America's Atacama Desert which can lie dormant without rain for decades before being 'reactivated'.

The Atacama, which gets less than 20 millimetres (0.8in) of rainfall a year and can go without rain for decades, is the most similar place on Earth to rocky, barren Mars.

The finding that bacteria there can exist for decades without water suggest similar tiny forms of life could be hiding under the surface of the frozen Red Planet.

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Alien life could exist on Mars (left) despite the planet's inhospitable conditions. Scientists found that colonies of bacteria live in the most arid regions of South America's Atacama desert (right). The desert has similar conditions to the surface of Mars

Planetary scientist Professor Dirk Schulze-Makuch, lead author of the desert study at Washington State University, said: 'It has always fascinated me to go to the places where people don't think anything could possibly survive and discover that life has somehow found a way to make it work.

'Jurassic Park references aside, our research tell us that if life can persist in Earth's driest environment there is a good chance it could be hanging in there on Mars in a similar fashion.'

The Atacama, in Chile, is so inhospitable, dry and salty that, like Mars, scientists were unsure if it could support life.

Experts thought the bacteria found there may simply have been blown in from somewhere else.

But that was proven to be wrong after a team took soil samples at six different locations in the desert between 2015 and 2017.

When it did rain in the desert, they found several species of single-celled organisms in the soil samples from various depths came dramatically to life.

The hardy microbes show that if life ever evolved on Mars, it could have endured the planet's salty soil and high temperatures, meaning there is a chance pockets of life survive there today, according to the researchers. Pictured is one of the team's sample sites in the Atacama Desert

As the moisture left the soil, after a year or two, the microbes began to revert to their original dormant state.

The evidence shows that these bacteria have evolved to live in the desert and adapt to its harsh conditions.

Professor Schulze-Makuch said: 'In the past researchers have found dying organisms near the surface and remnants of DNA but this is really the first time that anyone has been able to identify a persistent form of life living in the soil of the Atacama Desert.

As the moisture left the soil, after a year or two, the microbes began to revert to their original dormant state. The evidence shows that these bacteria have evolved to live in the Atacama desert and adapt to its harsh conditions

As Mars dried up and grew colder over its turbulent history, these organisms could have evolved many of the survival tactics seen in the Atacama Desert (file photo)

'We believe these microbial communities can lay dormant for hundreds or even thousands of years in conditions very similar to what you would find on a planet like Mars and then come back to life when it rains.'

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests the presence of microbes on Mars which may have thrived billions of years ago in its small oceans and lakes.

As Mars dried up and grew colder, these organisms could have evolved many of the survival tactics seen in the Atacama Desert.

They may be sustained by the nightly snowfall on the Red Planet, its fog, or the salty brines on some slopes which sporadically flow down and provide fluids.

Colonies of bacteria have survived in the driest regions of South America's Atacama desert, where it rains less than once a decade, for millions of years

The scientists, from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, say if life remains on the red planet, it is likely hidden away in subsurface niches.

Here it would be protected from deadly solar radiation that would quickly kill off most microorganisms.

'We know there is water frozen in the Martian soil and recent research strongly suggests nightly snowfalls and other increased moisture events near the surface,' Professor Schulze-Makuch said.

'If life ever evolved on Mars, our research suggests it could have found a subsurface niche beneath today's severely hyper-arid surface.'
Humans could be exploring Mars earlier than previously thought thanks to the ambitions of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, astronaut Tim Peake has said.

Musk's Falcon Heavy launch marked a new era of space exploration which is 'very, very exciting', Major Peake said.

He said that government space agencies have estimated that humans will land on Mars in the late 2030s but commercial space flight 'could bring that date forward'.

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Humans could be exploring Mars earlier than previously thought thanks to the ambitions of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, astronaut Tim Peake (pictured) said

The 45-year-old, who completed his mission working on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016, was speaking at an event to raise money for the Aerobility charity.

The charity, which enables people with disabilities to learn how to fly an aircraft, and British Airways organised a special charter flight to enable passengers to see the Northern Lights at the northern edge of UK airspace.

Passengers on the British Airways Airbus A320 caught a glimpse of the elusive phenomenon just off the coast of the Shetland Isles on Saturday night.

Major Peake, a former helicopter test pilot, said he was surprised how many times he got to see the aurora while on his mission to the ISS.

Really looking forward to this @britishairways flight tonight - were going aurora spotting to 63N with the charity @Aerobility...should be some great views! pic.twitter.com/RQGUNoZxpK  Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) February 24, 2018

The aurora borealis, or the northern lights. Tim Peake, who completed his mission working on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016, along with Aerobility charity, which enables people with disabilities to learn how to fly an aircraft, and British Airways organised a charter flight to enable passengers to see the Northern Lights at the northern edge of UK airspace

'I thought I might see the aurora three or four times in a six-month trip, as it happens we saw the aurora three or four times a week,' he said.

On the future of space exploration, Major Peake said: 'I don't know how many people saw Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy launch.

Humans could be exploring Mars earlier than previously thought thanks to the ambitions of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, British astronaut Tim Peake has said. Pictured is SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaking at a press conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 6, 2018

British astronaut Tim Peake said that government space agencies have estimated that humans will land on Mars in the late 2030s but commercial space flight 'could bring that date forward'. Pictured is an image of Mars

'We are entering this new era of space exploration which is very, very exciting.

'The Deep Space Gateway will probably start to be built in 2022.

'That's what I'm really looking forward to because that paves the way for both lunar landings and, because of the orbit it [will be] in, that paves the way for [a] Mars transportation system.'

SpaceX's successful Falcon Heavy launch might have been impressive, but the firm lost one of the enormous rocket's reusable boosters, CEO Elon Musk has confirmed. Pictured is the rocket as it launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 6, 2018

SpaceX's Starman dummy launched into space on the maiden voyage of Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful rocket. This still image taken from a real-time SpaceX video shows Starman sitting in CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster after the rocket delivered it into orbit around the Earth. It is currently travelling through space at 24,500mph (39,400km/h)

Major Peake, the first British astronaut to be sent to the ISS by the European Space Agency, continued: 'Humans on Mars  I think will be late 2030s.

'That's what the government space agencies and the International Space Exploration Group are working towards.

'What could throw a big bowling ball through all that is commercial space flight  we have seen the ambitions of people like Elon Musk, there are several other companies that also have ambitions to send people to Mars.

'I think that we will end up working very closely with these companies in public private partnerships when we eventually go to Mars.

Falcon Heavy side cores have landed at SpaceXs Landing Zones 1 and 2. pic.twitter.com/oMBqizqnpI  SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 6, 2018

'It could be that some of those programmes bring that date forward.

'But late 2030s would be a realistic time frame.'

Captain Ian Mills, who operated the aurora flight, said: 'We're incredibly proud to be able to support this special charter flight and we are delighted that we've played a part in helping raise money for a fantastic cause.'

Mike Miller-Smith, chief executive of Aerobility, added: 'We're so pleased so many of our backers have been able to tick this experience off their bucket list.'

Elon Musk's SpaceX launched the first of nearly 12,000 'Starlink' satellites that could bring super-fast internet to billions of people. Pictured is rocket as it launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 22, 2018

Elon Musk's SpaceX launched the first of nearly 12,000 'Starlink' satellites that could bring super-fast internet to billions of people. The satellites were perched atop one of the firm's 'Falcon 9' rockets, which blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California

Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xOEuyaFrcZ  SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 22, 2018
The inner workings of mysterious collapsed stars could finally be revealed as part of a breakthrough experiment that is taking anti-matter out of the lab for the first time.

Scientists are hoping to see what happens when anti-matter - which is the mirror of ordinary matter - is smashed into radioactive particles.

The experiment could provide new information about the workings of radioactive atomic nuclei - which are believed to be similar to the insides of a neutron star.

Researchers want to learn more about neutron stars because they are important to our understanding of how some of the universe's key elements form.

The staggering pressures that exist at the core of neutron stars may be like those that fuelled the Big Bang, meaning research into the innards of the objects could also help us explore how the universe was born.

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The inner workings of mysterious collapsed stars could finally be revealed as part of a breakthrough experiment that is taking anti-matter out of the lab for the first time

Every type of matter has an equal and opposite antimatter 'twin', and for protons - one of two particles that make up the central nuclei of atoms - this mirror image is known as an anti-proton.

The particles exist sometimes in nature, but do not last long as when they come into contact with regular matter, they are annihilated.

This makes them tricky to study, but scientists at the Cern particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland, are attempting to capture the elusive antimatter and put it in a shipping container on the back of a lorry.

They hope to then transport the anti-protons 1,300 feet (400 metres) to another laboratory, where they will fire them at large radioactive atoms.

The experiment will help them learn more about the cores of neutron stars - small, dense celestial objects that arise from the explosive death of another, larger star.

If successful, the team's short journey will be the first time scientists have ever transported anti-protons outside of a laboratory environment.

A team at the Cern laboratory in Geneva plans to collect a billion anti-protons - the negatively charged version of a proton - in a bid to understand the inner workings of small, dense stars. Pictured is an anti-proton decelerator at Cern

WHAT IS ANTI-MATTER? Antimatter is the mirror of ordinary matter. Normal atoms are made up of positively-charged nuclei orbited by negatively-charged electrons. However, their antimatter counterparts are the other way round. They have negative nuclei and positively-charged electrons, known as positrons. When matter and antimatter meet they instantly annihilate each other, releasing a burst of detectable energy. Advertisement

Cern scientists regularly create anti-protons by firing a proton beam at a metal plate and then storing them in a vacuum chamber at just 4 degrees above absolute zero.

These conditions are comparable to intergalactic space, and can keep anti-protons from annihilation for short periods.

But the conditions needed to store anti-protons makes it impossible to use them in experiments, as they must remain at the antimatter factory where they are made.

A team plans to collect a billion anti-protons - the negatively charged version of a proton - in a bid to understand the inner workings of neutron stars (artist's impression)

For the new mission, the team plans to create a portable 'trap' capable of holding a billion antiprotons for up to seven days.

The trap will use magnetic and electric fields to trap a cloud of antiprotons in a vacuum container the size of a tin of beans.

If successful, it could open up new experiments in which scientists fire anti-protons at matter to see how the two react.

'Antimatter has long been studied for itself, but now it is mastered well enough that people can start to use it as a probe for matter,' lead researcher Dr Alexandre Obertelli, a physicist at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, told Nature.

The first anti-proton road trip could see Dr Obertelli and his project known as Puma (antiProton Unstable Matter Annihilation), to a neighbouring experiment.

Every type of matter has an equal and opposite antimatter 'twin', and for protons - one of two particles that make up the central nuclei of atoms - this mirror image is known as an anti-proton (stock image)

WHAT ARE NEUTRON STARS? Neutron stars are the collapsed, burnt-out cores of dead stars. When large stars reach the end of their lives, their core will collapse, blowing off the outer layers of the star. This leaves an extremely dense object known as a neutron star, which squashes more mass than is contained in the sun into the size of a city. A neutron star typically would have a mass that's perhaps half-a-million times the mass of the Earth, but they're only about 20 kilometres (12 miles) across. A handful of material from this star would weigh as much as Mount Everest. They are very hot, perhaps a million degrees, highly radioactive, and have incredibly intense magnetic fields. This makes them arguably the most hostile environments in the Universe today, according to Professor Patrick Sutton, head of Cardiff University's gravitational physics department. The dense objects, in particular their cores, are key to our understanding of the universe's heavy elements. Advertisement

Known as ISOLDE, the experiment produces rare, radioactive atomic nuclei that decay too quickly to be transported anywhere themselves.

The Puma team will fire anti-protons at ISOLDES's radioactive particles and then study the remnants after both are annihilated.

The research will be invaluable for characterising the fine details of what is going on around the edge of the atomic nucleus, the researchers said.

This could in turn provide new information on neutron stars, which are key to our understanding of the universe's heavy elements.

Much about their cores has eluded scientists, and a better understanding of them could help us to unlock mysteries of the universe.

The project began last month, but will require at least four years of work to get the trap just right, according to the researchers.

In addition to providing ISOLDES researchers with antiprotons, the project will also establish a technique for other teams working at greater distances.

That will give scientists from across the globe access to antiproton batches for use in their own experiments.

The new transportation method could also help Nasa in its mission to create starships that accelerate to a large fraction of the speed of light.

Collisions between matter and antimatter produce huge bursts of energy, and the anti-proton trap could make it easier to study the use of these explosions in powering spacecraft of the future.
Fibre-optic cables used in sewers could help end the scourge of fatbergs while bringing faster internet to millions of homes.

Wastewater companies can use the technology to monitor the flow of sewage pipes in real-time, acting before blockages build up.

Newly-laid cables can also be used to provide high-speed broadband without the need to dig up roads and pavements.

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A 'nervous system' for sewers made up of fibre optic cables could help end the scourge of fatbergs while bringing faster internet to millions of homes. Pictured is a sewage technician holding a 'fatberg' in London on December 11, 2014

Experts from Sheffield University and London firm Nuron, set up in 2015 to develop monitoring technology for the wastewater industry, are behind the scheme.

Fibre optic cables can transfer signals over large distances, which is also why they are used for communications systems such as broadband.

Wastewater companies could use them to record information about coditions in sewage pipes deep underground.

They could also be used by telecommunications companies as a ready-made network for broadband.

'To be able to perform analytics on a sewer network you need data on what's going on,' Mike Ainger, the co-founder of the company, told The Times.

'You need to know about changes in flow depth and rate, as well as temperature. Optical fibre is an ideal sensor for this purpose.'

Currently, water companies don't have this type of data available, but a system that could enable the monitoring of sewage systems could help prevent 'fatberg' blockages.

Last year, engineers worked to clean out Britain's biggest ever fat blockage, which was 250 yards (228 metres) long and uncovered in sewers under Whitechapel.

As well as monitoring sewage systems, fibre optic cables (artist's impression) could also be used by telecommunications companies as a ready-made network for broadband, without the need to dig up roads and pavements

Fibre optic cables are effective for monitoring sewers because they can detect very slight changes in temperature and pressure.

This would let water companies use them as sensors.

They also don't require a power source, making them safer to use and able to detect blockages as they are forming.

Nuron's fibre-optic system would measure multiple different variables, such as temperature and sewage flow-rate, every five metres (5.5 yards) along a sewer network.

WHAT IS FIBRE OPTIC TECHNOLOGY? Everywhere on Earth, hair-thin optical fibres carry large amounts of information from different places. Optical fibres are a technology that uses glass or plastic threads (fibres) to transmit data. A fibre optic cable comprises a bundle of these threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulate onto light waves. Fibre optics enable more information to be carried due to some of its properties which include low cost, immunity from disturbances that can affect electrical wires and wireless communication systems, and the fact that they are much thinner an lighter than metal wires. Optical fibres have played an important role in the rapid growth of world-wide communications in the last 25 years, and are important in enabling the growth of the internet. Advertisement

According to Nuron, this would allow potential incidents to be accurately diagnosed, alerted, rapidly localised and averted.

Writing in a statement on the firm's website, a spokesman said: 'Nuron fibre sensing technology continuously monitors and measures multiple flow and infrastructure parameters along the entire length of a sewer network.

'Operating like a sewer "nervous system", it communicates real-time data to a control centre providing operators with information to improve infrastructure management, customer service and protect the environment.'
The elephant family tree may need to be rewritten.

A new study has found there are just two African elephant species, forest and savanna elephants - and they don't interbreed.

The research adds to growing fears about the future of the few species that remain on Earth.

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Researchers sequenced 14 genomes from several species of elephants, both living and extinct. Pictured is graduate student Emil Karpinski holding a tibial cross section from a Siberian woolly Mammoth. The permaforst preserved sample still has fat entombed marrow

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, was conducted by a team of scientists from McMaster University, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Uppsala University,and the University of Potsdam.

The team meticulously sequenced 14 genomes, both living and extinct species from Asia and Africa, two American mastodons, a 120,000-year-old straight-tusked elephant, and a Columbian mammoth.

One of the key findings was that interbreeding was widespread in the history of these animals, but this has virtually stopped.

'Interbreeding may help explain why mammoths were so successful over such diverse environments and for such a long time, importantly this genomic data also tells us that biology is messy and that evolution doesn't happen in an organized, linear fashion,' says evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar, one of the senior authors on the paper and Director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre and principal investigator at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Research.

Interbreeding may help explain why mammoths were so successful over such diverse environments. Now, there are three species of elephants on Earth, two African and one Asian, and none of them interbreed. Pictured is an African savanna elephant

Despite a history of interbreeding, the researchers say that the behaviour has virtually stopped among living elephants, adding to growing fears about the future of the few species that remain on Earth. Pictured is an Asian elephant in Surin Province, Thailand

'The combined analysis of genome-wide data from all these ancient elephants and mastodons has raised the curtain on elephant population history, revealing complexity that we were simply not aware of before,' he says.

For example, a DNA analysis of the ancient straight-tusked elephant showed that it was a hybrid with portions of its genetic makeup stemming from an ancient African elephant, the woolly mammoth, an present-day forest elephants.

'This is one of the oldest high-quality genomes that currently exists for any species,' said Michael Hofreiter at the University of Potsdam in Germany, a co-senior author who led the work on the straight-tusked elephant.

Researchers also found further evidence of interbreeding among the Columbian mammoths (which covered the present day United States as far south as Nicaragua and Honduras) and woolly mammoths, which arose in Eurasia.

Despite their vastly different habitats and sizes, researchers believe the woolly mammoths encountered Columbian mammoths at the boundary of glacial and in the more temperate areas of North American.

Crushed dentine from a woolly mammoth for DNA extraction. An team of researchers sequenced 14 genomes, both living and extinct species from Asia and Africa, two American mastodons, a 120,000-year-old straight-tusked elephant, and a Columbian mammoth

Surprisingly, scientists found no genetic evidence of interbreeding among two of the world's three remaining species, the forest and savanna elephants, suggesting they have lived in near-complete isolation for the past 500,000 years, despite living in neighboring habitats.

'There's been a simmering debate in the conservation communities about whether African savannah and forest elephants are two different species,' said David Reich, another co-senior author at the Broad Institute who is also a professor at the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF MAMMOTH EVOLUTION? Mammoths were first described by German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenback in 1799. Both he and French researcher independently concluded that a elephant-like bones that had been found in Europe belonged to an extinct species they named the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), which belonged to its own genus distinct from elephants. Woolly mammoths stemmed from an ancestral species (M. africanavus), the African mammoth. The African mammoth lived in northern Africa and disappeared 3-4 million years ago. Descendants of these mammoths moved north and eventually covered much of Eurasia, called the 'southern mammoths' (M. meridionalis). About 1.8 million years ago, during the early Pleistocene, M. meridionalis took advantage of low sea levels during an Ice Age and crossed into North America via a temporary land bridge at the Bering Strait. This southern mammoth then spread throughout North America and a new North American species evolved, the imperial mammoth (M. imperator). A model woolly mammoth at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Mammoths were first described by German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenback in 1799 In the late Pleistocene, the Columbian mammoth (M. columbi) appeared, and its range covered the present day United States as far south as Nicaragua and Honduras. In Eurasia, another species of mammoth, the steppe mammoth (M. trogontherii), lived from 200,000 to 135,000 years ago, and later in the Pleistocene era the woolly mammoth - which was the smallest of the mammoths - arose. The occurrence of another Ice Age and low sea levels lasting from 35,000 to 18,000 years ago meant that woolly mammoths were eventually able to enter North America via a new land corridor across the Bering Strait. Woolly mammoths' souther migration extended as far south as present-day Kansas. Many researchers say that mammoths went extinct because of a change in climate, disease, hunting by humans, or a combination of these, but researchers are still uncertain. Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology - About Mammoths Advertisement

'Our data show that these two species have been isolated for long periods of time - making each worthy of independent conservation status.'

The finding is surprising because interbreeding among closely related mammals is fairly common, say researchers who point to the interbreeding of brown and polar bears, Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, and the Eurasian gold jackal and grey wolves.

Traditionally, a species can be defined as a group of similar animals that can successfully breed and produce fertile offspring.

'Interbreeding may help explain why mammoths were so successful over such diverse environments and for such a long time, importantly this genomic data also tells us that biology is messy and that evolution doesn't happen in an organized, linear fashion,' says evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar (pictured), one of the senior authors on the paper

'This paper, the product of a grand initiative we started more than a decade ago, is far more than just the formal report of the elephant genome,' said co-senior author Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, a senior associate member of the Broad Institute and Director of the Science for Life Laboratory at Uppsala University in Sweden.

'It will be a reference point for understanding how diverse elephants are related to each other and it will be a model for how similar studies can be done in other species groups.'

Illustration of a Paleoloxodon, an extinct genus that contains the various species of straight-tusked elephant. An international research team meticulously sequenced 14 genomes, including both living and extinct species from Asia and Africa, two American mastodons, a 120,000-year-old straight-tusked elephant, and a Columbian mammoth

'The findings were extremely surprising to us,' says Eleftheria Palkopoulou, a post-doctoral scientist in at HMS.

'The elephant population relationships could not be explained by simple splits, providing clues for understanding the evolution of these iconic species.'

The researchers suggest that future work should explore whether the introduction of new genetic lineages into elephant populations - both living and ancient - played an important role in their evolution, allowing them to adapt to new habitats and fluctuating climates.
From standing at the centre of European history during the 20th century, to entering the new millennium as one of the coolest cities in the world thanks to its nightlife, art, culture and foodie scenes, Berlin has always been a city at the heart of the action. It is a tough job to whittle down the many fantastic reasons to visit the German capital, but here are ten of the best.

Night view of Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt

Neighbourhoods

One of the great things about Berlin is the fact that each of its different neighbourhoods has its own character and appeal. In Mitte you will find many of the main landmarks and sites of historical interest. Leafy Prenzlauer Berg is all cosy cafes and independent stores. Kreuzberg and Neukolln combine to provide a vibrant home to hipsters, punks and Berliners from all around the world, contrasting with the high-class atmosphere of Charlottenburg in the west end.

Pink apartment building at Prenzlauer Berg with green treetops

History

There is barely a major historical event in 20th century Europe that didnt play out in Berlin, from the convulsions of the WWI and its aftermath, the rise of dictatorship and the horrors of Nazi Germany, WWII and the Cold War division of Europe, and the dramatic events around the fall of the Berlin Wall. History was written and can be read on every street corner of this city and in its many, excellent museums.

Museums

Not all of Berlins museums deal with its fascinating history however, and whatever you are interested in, you will be well served in the German capital. The undoubted highlight are the five museums that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site Museum Island, but dont miss the Jewish Museum, the Natural History Museum, the German Museum of Technology and the Film and Television Museum, among many others.

Bode museum on Museum Island and TV tower on Alexanderplatz

Classical culture

Berlin has long been a city devoted to classic music in all its forms. From the Berliner Philharmonie in the Kulturforum to the Konzerthaus on Gendarmenmarkt, this is a city that combines iconic venues playing host to numerous symphony orchestras and ensembles. This is also a place that has not one but three world class opera houses, as well as plenty of underground and alternative places to hear classical music.

Clubs and bars

Of course, if the Berlin nightlife is known for anything beyond the refined concert halls, it is the electronic beat-driven scene to be found in its clubs and bars. This is the city of techno and of Berghain, of hip jazz clubs and live music venues. A place where unusual spaces are turned into cool and quirky bars, and where your attitude is more important than what you wear or whats in your wallet.

Foodie scene

Over the past decade or so, the Berlin food scene has been revolutionised at both ends of the scale, from Michelin-starred chefs winning awards for the fine-dining cuisine they have brought to the German capital, to hip street food festivals and pop-up eateries following the most recent foodie trends. But this is also the city of the humble currywurst and doner kebab, so whatever your taste you are sure to be well fed in Berlin.

Craft beer and breweries

For a very long time, beer in Germany, while top quality, was dominated by big industrial brewers and a fairly limited selection of pilsners, dark beers and wheat brews. Today, everything is different, and Berlin is at the heart of Germanys craft beer revolution that has brought IPAs, chocolate stouts and all manner of other brews to the table, via the microbreweries, brewpubs and craft beer bars of the city.

Green spaces

There are few greener cities than Berlin with its numerous parks and forests, and its never that difficult to escape the crowds of the city centre. Tiergarten is Berlins central park, between the Berlin Zoo and the Brandenburg Gate, but dont miss the chance to explore the forests and lakes of Wannsee, in the south west of the city, the tall pines of Grunewald forest, or Tempelhofer Feld  once an airport and now one of the largest urban parks in Europe.

The Tiergarten, Berlin's most popular inner-city park, located completely in the district of the same name

Markets and shopping

Whether you are interested in the designer boutiques of Kurfurstendamm, Berlins number one shopping boulevard, or more interested in hunting for vintage bargains at the Sunday Mauerpark flea market, Berlin is a great place for a spot of retail therapy. Dont miss the chance to explore the showrooms and stores of the new generation of Berlin-based designers, most of which can be found in the Mitte neighbourhood of the city.

Hotels

The place you rest your head after a busy day (and night) can make or break your stay in a city. Thankfully Berlin has world class accommodation to suit all budgets, from the most glamourous of five-star hotels to cutting edge boutique and design hotels, spectacular holiday apartments that allow you to live like a Berliner, cosy bed and breakfast options and sociable hostels for the younger crowd.
Hotels are used to dealing with all kinds of special requests that are demanded by their guests.

But one hotel went above and beyond for one customer who instead of asking for an extra pillow or a shaving kit, requested a picture of Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum by the bed.

Imgur user cornwallis1 said that he jokingly wrote to the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel via email and asked for an alluring photo of Goldblum with his shirt semi-unbuttoned to be placed on the bedside table.

Imgur user cornwallis1 was staying at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. He jokingly asked for an alluring painting of Jeff Goldblum to be put by the bed

The hotel went all out, with Goldblum images adorning the bedroom and bathroom

And the holidaymaker was stunned when he checked into his room with his wife and found that the hotel had followed through with his request and there were even shots of Goldblum pasted at every turn.

He explained via Reddit: 'I arrived at the hotel to see a "Jeff Goldblum Welcomes Elliott" collage on my pillow. Nice.

'I returned to my room later after a few drinks and kept discovering Jeff Goldblum photos. In the hall. On top of the TV. On the bathroom mirror.'

Photographs uploaded by cornwallis1 show the images that greeted him when he went back to his room in a slight alcohol haze.

One photo, showing Goldblum topless with a gold chain and bouffant hair, appears to be pasted to a side of the glass shower door.

Another is posted on a bedroom wall, showing the actor looking happy and relaxed in a hat and glasses.

Photographs uploaded by cornwallis1 show the images that greeted him when he went back to his room in a slight alcohol haze

Topping things off, there was a Jeff Goldblum themed montage put on the bed, with a welcome message alongside a mix of kooky Goldblum shots

Above the television, there was an image of Goldblum striking a similar jolly pose, with his pearly whites showing.

But topping things off, there was a Jeff Goldblum themed collage placed on top of the bed, with a welcome message alongside a mix of kooky Goldblum shots.

Cornwallis1 noted that the hotel had 'technically failed' because the one photo he asked for didn't appear anywhere.

However, he was so impressed by their enthusiasm that he let this minor detail go.

He concluded: 'I'll take it. Well played, hotel.'

Daniel Burstein, the hotel's director of operations, said that his team are used to receiving unusual requests.

Daniel Burstein, the hotel's director of operations, said that his team are used to receiving unusual requests

He told The Straits Times: 'Our guests come from all over the world, and we will always do our best to accede to their requests, and to create brilliant and memorable experiences for our guests.

'We will try our best not to say no. If it's something we can't find or are unable to do, we will find an alternative.'

But it's not the first time Jeff Goldblum has caused a spot of hilarity in a hotel bedroom.

In 2016 Seth Freedland, a Nike speechwriter based in Portland, Oregon, asked the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica for photos of the Jurassic Park actor as a joke to surprise his girlfriend Amy Marsh, who has a 'celebrity crush' on Mr Goldblum.

Photos were placed on the bedside table and in the bathroom, as well as next to the room service menu.
He had his heart broken by 'wife' Davina Rankin on Married At First Sight.

And despite only ending the relationship on Sunday night, Ryan Gallagher is reportedly already in talks with Network Ten to become the next Bachelor.

A network representative told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that contestant from other dating shows are always considered.

Is Ryan the new Bachelor? Married At First Sight's famously scorned 'husband' in talks with Channel Ten to star on the hit reality dating series

'The Bachelor franchise has had proven success with several lasting relationships, and this is not the first contestant from a different dating show who has put themselves forward,' a statement read.

'Casting is underway, and in the coming weeks we will announce Australia's next Bachelor.'

A source told NW that he would be perfect for the Channel Ten dating show.

'Ryan is relevant, he's hot and he's honest when he says he's looking for love,' an 'insider' told the publication.

Not bad in a suit either! The loveable larrikin has already expressed a desire to settle down and start a family, making him the perfect candidate to stand by Osher and ask a collection of women if they will accept his rose

'He'd be the perfect fit for the show, and everyone is doing everything they can behind the scenes to try and make this happen.

'Producers have been in touch is the ball is starting to roll.'

The loveable larrikin has already expressed a desire to settle down and start a family, making him the perfect candidate to stand by host Osher Gunsberg and ask a collection of women if they will accept his rose.

Could he be the new Richie? The Bachelor is normally announced in February but has been delayed this season because of the upcoming spin-off Bachelor In Paradise

The Bachelor is normally announced in February but has been delayed this season because of the upcoming spin-off Bachelor In Paradise.

This gives producers just enough time to convince the 29-year-old he's the one for the job.

And to help with that convincing is none other than former Bachelorette and ex Bardot member Sophie Monk, NW reports.

According to the magazine Ryan has always had a bit of a crush on the blonde megastar and could be swayed to find his lady love on screen again if Sophie gives him the go ahead.

A thing for blondes! And to help with that convincing is none other than former Bachelorette and ex Bardot member Sophie Monk, NW reports

The Sydney-based tradesman was brutally 'cheated on' by Davina during his few short weeks appearing on Married At First Sight.

The 'affair' came as a shock to Ryan and on Sunday that erupted in an all-out shouting match with Davina's 'lover' Dean Wells.

However, the possible Bachie star didn't harbour any ill feelings towards his reality TV partner, admitting she was 'perfect' but just not for him.

Cam Cranley was previously touted to be the next Bachelor but he has since refuted these claims.

Fair enough: However, the possible Bachie star didn't harbour any ill feelings towards his reality TV partner, admitting she was 'perfect' but just not for him
They're fierce rivals on My Kitchen Rules.

But in Monday's New Idea magazine, Steve revealed that Sydney sisters Jess and Emma tried to set him up with their mother.

Joking of their attempts to play Cupid, the 52-year-old divorced archaeologist told the publication: 'They were calling me Dad for quite a while!'

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'They were calling me Dad!' My Kitchen Rules' Steve [R], 52, revealed in Monday's New Idea magazine that rivals Jess and Emma had been trying to set him up with their mother

'They decided they were going to try to set me up with their mother at the start. They were calling me Dad for quite a while!' Steve shared.

However the girls' ambition proved unsuccessful, with the amateur cook confessing to not being interested.

'I wasn't interested. I've been married twice and don't want any more wives. I'm not looking, but never say no to love. I like to have a good time.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Jess and Emma for comment.

Playing Cupid: 'They decided they were going to try to set me up with their mother at the start. They were calling me Dad for quite a while!' Steve said of Jess [R], 31, and Emma [L], 30

Steve's revelation is surprising, considering he and his best bud Stuss, 56, have been at loggerheads with the blondes on the current season of My Kitchen Rules.

An earlier episode saw Steve and Stuss hosting their very own Instant Restaurant, and failing to impress Jess, 31, and Emma, 30, with their culinary skills.

The lads cooked chargrilled quail with lemon and rosemary, Greek-baked lamb and baklava.

'It was almost like a little bag of poo': An earlier episode saw Emma slamming Steve and Stuss' Instant Restaurant

'It was almost like a little bag of poo. It was awful,' Emma, bitterly said of the main.

Judges Pete Evans and Manu Feildel were equally disappointed by the meals, wanting more flavour in their entree.

Manu explained at the end of the episode that he felt bad for the two amateur chefs.

'I feel for you guys, I really feel for you, I know you guys had a terrible night,' he said.

'Show us what you can really do next time.'
She has homes in the Hollywood Hills, New York's Manhattan and a mansion in Westport, Connecticut.

So Anne Hathaway could have been going to the East coast when she was spotted jetting out of Los Angeles on Saturday.

On an unusually chilly day in LA, the 35-year-old actress was wrapped up warm in a grey knitted coat that brushed her ankles.

Travel chic: Anne Hathaway wrapped up warm in a grey knitted coat that brushed her ankles as she arrived for a flight out of Los Angeles on Saturday

The beautiful brunette teamed it with a black sweater, black cropped skinny pants and black booties.

The Princess Diaries star slung a black bag over her shoulder and covered her eyes from the bright sunshine with a large pair of shades.

Anne appeared to be on a solo trip without her actor husband Adam Shulman, 36, or their son Jonathan who will turn two on March 24.

The couple, who celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on September 29, married in Big Sur, mid-California in 2012.

Comfy and cozy: The 35-year-old actress teamed it with a black sweater, black cropped skinny pants and black booties

Solo flight: The Pincess Diaries star appeared to be without actor husband Adam Shulman, 36, here seen at the premiere of her movie Colossal last April

Meanwhile Anne can next be seen on the big screen in Warner Bros.' heist dramedy Ocean's Eight, due out on June 8.

Under the tagline, 'Every con has its pros,' the sequel to director Steven Soderberghs Ocean's trilogy stars Sandra Bullock as ringleader Debbie Ocean, the sister of George Clooney's Danny.

After getting out of jail, she recruits seven women - Anne, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina and Helena Bonham Carter - to help her pull off a jewelry heist at the annual Met Gala in New York.

Look at that bling: Anne and Helena Bonham Carter are part of a team of women planning a heist at the Met Gala in New York in Ocean's Eight, due out on June 8

The ever-in-demand star also has six other projects on the go.

She co-stars in comedy The Hustle with Rebel Wilson, due out June 29; and Serenity with Diane Lane and Matthew McConaughey, set for September 28.

She will star as Barbie, set up for 2020 while three other movies - The Lifeboat, O2 and Live Fast Die Hot - are in various stages of production.
She is a rising star of the modelling world who has sizzled on the runways during numerous international fashion weeks.

And Hailey Baldwin commanded attention as she showcased her toned frame during the glittering Tommy Hilfiger Milan Fashion Week show on Sunday.

The 21-year-old beauty sizzled as she took to the runway clad in skimpy black and white striped co-ords for the prestigious fashion presentation.

Model moment: Hailey Baldwin commanded attention as she showcased her toned frame during the glittering Tommy Hilfiger Milan Fashion Week show on Sunday

The ensemble featured a tiny Hilfiger emblazoned bralet, which flashed the star's ample cleavage as well as teasing at her toned abs and slender midriff.

She paired the tiny top with high-waisted boxer-inspired shorts, which revealed her endless tanned and toned legs as she strutted down the catwalk.

Adding height to her already leggy frame, the star slipped on a pair of patriotic red, white and blue t-bar sandals.

She layered a matching chunky knit jacket over her shoulders, and tied the look together with a fabric choker.

Leggy display: The 21-year-old beauty sizzled as she took to the runway clad in skimpy black and white striped co-ords for the prestigious fashion presentation

Hailey's caramel locks were styled sleek and straight, with a pretty braid worked into one side, while a light dusting of make-up accentuated her striking features.

She covered her eyes with futuristic dark shades.

As well as managing her high-flying career, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin has been romantically linked to a number of men, including Memphis Grizzlies player Chandler Parsons, model Cameron Dallas and Shawn Mendes, who she was seen holding hands with over Halloween.

Strut: The ensemble featured a tiny Hilfiger emblazoned bralet, which flashed the star's ample cleavage as well as teasing at her toned abs and slender midriff

She also famously dated Justin Bieber last year, and opened up after their split about how tough it can be to date someone as high-profile as the Canadian star.

Speaking to Marie Claire for its May 'Fresh Faces 2016' issue, she said: 'I don't want attention out of dating somebody.

The fashionista's modelling career has gone from strength to strength, walking for top designers including Ralph Lauren and Moschino, and being a prominent star on the catwalk for both New York and London Fashion Weeks.
The My Kitchen Rules 'friends with attitude' have been labelled 'villains' after starting drama-filled feuds with their co-stars during Group One's Instant Restaurant round.

And while it appears controversial team Roula and Rachael will butt heads with their new Group Two rivals this week, they will also clash with judge Colin Fassnidge.

According to New Idea, the Irish chef is angered when he catches the Melbourne friends attempting to bad mouth him on set.

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'Am I really f***ing hearing this?' MKR judge Colin Fassnidge fires back at 'villains' Roula and Rachael during heated challenge exchange

The publication claimed Colin was presenting his thoughts and expertise to the group, when Roula said: 'Am I really f***ing hearing this?'

They claim she continues with, 'That is absolute bulls**t', before Colin fires back at the rude comment.

The publication said he looks directly at the women to tell them: 'I can hear you!'

'That is absolute bulls**t' The publication claims the Irish chef is angered when he catches the Melbourne friends attempting to bad-mouth him while presenting his opinions and sharing his expertise on set with the teams

A trailer for Monday's episode appears to confirm the tense exchange, which is believed to occur during an outside challenge.

The clip teased, 'Who would dare say this to a judge?' while showing the quote 'This is bulls**t!' followed by a shocked Roula and Rachael at the table.

While the pair have been represented on-screen as trouble makers and 'villains', Roula told New Idea: 'Attitude, personality, rivalry, drama, I don't regret any of it.'

Not someone to have in your bad books! Colin is one of three judges the Melbourne women should be aiming to impress on the cooking show (PICTURED: Judges Colin, Pete Evans and Manu Feildel)

'Don't regret any of it': Rachael and Roula claimed they had no regrets and didn't deserve the title of 'villains' as they were just 'very strong and opinionated'

Rachael also agreed with having no regrets, noting they didn't deserve the title as 'villains' as they are just 'very strong and opinionated.'

Daily Mail Australia have reached out to Channel Seven for comment.

Group One and Two will be merged this week on the reality cooking series, with the head-to-head confrontation between the duo and Colin due to air on Monday or Tuesday.

My Kitchen Rules returning Monday from 7.30pm on Seven

Tune in for the drama! My Kitchen Rules returning Monday from 7.30pm on Seven

For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea on newsstands now




She's a controversial 'Instagram celebrity' best known for a video in which she claimed to be African-American - despite her blonde hair and pale complexion.

And on Saturday, Woah Vicky (real name Victoria Waldrip) was arrested at Greensboro, North Carolinas Four Seasons Town Centre and 'charged with trespassing, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer' according to Blast.

During the 17-year-old's arrest, the situation 'escalated into someone yelling, Shots fired.'

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Reading her rights: On Saturday, Woah Vicky (real name Victoria Waldrip) was arrested at at Greensboro, North Carolinas Four Seasons Town Centre

The teenager was allegedly with friends at the mall when things started to get out of hand.

A spokesperson told the gossip site that Vicky was given 'multiple opportunities to leave as instructed by Mall Security and Police.'

Then 'an unidentified individual shouted something about shots being fired and panic ensued throughout the mall.'

The social media star was apparently the only person arrested during the melee.

Insta-famous: Waldrip, 17, is a controversial 'Instagram celebrity' best known for a video in which she claimed to be African-American despite being blonde

The law: She was 'charged with trespassing, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer' according to Blast

Tense encounter: During the 17-year-old's arrest, the situation 'escalated into someone yelling, Shots fired.'

In an explosive video posted to Instagram, the teen is wrestled to the ground by police.

Meanwhile, mall security try to wrangle the 17-year-old's friends.

One friend can be heard repeatedly wailing at police: 'What is wrong with you?'

Eventually the cops handcuff Waldrip's hands behind her back, get her to her feet and lead her away.

Cuffs: The teenager was allegedly with friends at the mall when things started to get out of hand

Learning the hard way: A spokesperson told the gossip site that Vicky was given 'multiple opportunities to leave as instructed by Mall Security and Police'

Sole arrest: The social media star was apparently the only person arrested during the melee

The blonde teen courted controversy in July last year for claiming she is actually black.

Victoria claims that a DNA test proved what she says she has always believed: That even though she has dirty blonde her and pale skin, she is actually black, not white.

Since then, the Atlanta, Georgia, native has taken to regularly posting pictures and videos online, speaking in an 'urban accent', repeatedly saying the N-word, and embracing what she sees as black culture - wearing grills, do-rags and shower caps over her very straight hair, twerking, and fighting.

'My whole entire life my mom kept telling me "youre white" and I never believed her because I knew I was black,' she said, adding that she will celebrate the day she 'found out she was black' as her new birthday.

A lengthy history: The blonde teen courted controversy last year for claiming she is actually black

Dubious: Victoria claims that a DNA test proved what she says she has always believed: That even though she has dirty blonde her and pale skin, she is actually black, not white
Her marriage with Zeedan Nazir was torn apart after her lesbian affair with Kate Connor was exposed.

And Rana Nazir is set to run into more trouble on Coronation Street, as her enraged Muslim parents plot to kidnap her.

In shocking scenes set to air next week, the nurse is bundled into a car as her parents try to end her passionate relationship with Kate once and for all.

Kidnapped: Rana Nazir is set to run into more trouble on Coronation Street, as her enraged Muslim parents plot to kidnap her

However, Kate gets wind that Rani is being tricked by her parents to visit a sick relative in Pakistan, with the ticket being one way.

She enlists the help of Zeedan, Imran and Yasmeen to stop her getting to the airport in the dramatic scenes.

A soap insider told the Daily Star: 'Rana's family will do whatever it takes to stop their daughter bringing shame upon them - even if it means sending her away.

Dramatic: In shocking scenes set to air next week, the nurse is bundled into a car as her parents try to end her passionate relationship with Kate once and for all

'As she continues to defy her family they decide they have no choice but to send her away to Pakistan, she has no idea of their plan and is distraught when she realises what they're up to.

'It's horrific for her and Kate can't believe the lengths her family will go to in order to keep them apart.'

Earlier this month, Zeedan forced his unfaithful wife to own up to her parents when they paid the couple a visit.

And their reaction to her lesbian affair made things even worse, with them instantly devising a plan to ensure the news doesn't leak to the Muslim community and see the entire family shunned.

Last week, Bhavna Limbachia, who plays Rana in the ITV soap, admitted both her and Faye Brookes (Kate) were 'worried' about viewers reaction to the lesbian storyline during their appearance on This Morning.

Spiteful: Earlier this month, Zeedan forced his unfaithful wife to own up to her parents when they paid the couple a visit

'We were worried about the reaction and that people weren't going to accept the idea about this new relationship,' Faye admitted.

Speaking of the wholly positive reaction from viewers, Faye continued: 'They've received it so well and I know that it's only a positive thing and it can only get better.'

Bhavna admitted that she was approached with the storyline twenty months ago and was left surprised as her character was a 'maneater.'
He brutally admitted to not having 'sexual chemistry' with 'TV wife' Gabrielle Bartlett, after their honeymoon.

And now Woman's Day has claimed Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan may have had a 'secret girlfriend' and possibly booked a trip with her to Bali after filming wrapped.

Insiders were alleged to have claimed to the publication this week: '[He] may have been in contact with another woman throughout the whole of the show.'

That's not your 'wife'! Woman's Day has claimed Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan may have had a 'secret girlfriend' and possibly booked a trip with her to Bali after filming wrapped

On-set 'spies' claimed that Nasser, 50, would 'disappear without a trace' on weekends.

The unnamed sources alleged: 'Nasser may have been in contact with another woman throughout the show.'

'It's believed the woman may have been an old girlfriend and as soon as filming had wrapped and before the reunion, he possibly booked a trip with her to Bali'.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Nasser for comment.

Disappearing act: On-set 'spies' claimed that Nasser, 50, would 'disappear without a trace' on weekends. Pictured here with his TV 'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett

The reports follow Nasser and Gabrielle's emotional commitment ceremony on Sunday night, where the fitness instructor revealed he didn't feel any sexual attraction towards his wife - despite the fact that they slept together on their honeymoon.

'I'm in the friend zone, physically and sexually,' he told the relationship experts.

Nasser continued: 'I mean, I respect Gabby but just that part of it... it's just, I'm stuck.

Brutal honesty: The reports follow Nasser's confession to not feeling any sexual attraction towards his wife

'At the moment, I have no sexual connection.'

Despite Nasser's cold response towards Gabrielle, 44, the blonde beauty admitted that she was attracted to the personal trainer.

'I'm very attracted to Nasser and I am absolutely willing and open to explore what's possible,' she said.

Gabrielle's heartbreak: Nasser said of the blonde beauty on Sunday's dramatic commitment ceremony: 'At the moment, I have no sexual connection'

But despite her openness, Gabrielle voted to 'leave' the experiment. In an unexpected twist, Nasser voted to stay.

'I have to move forward to the man that I might meet out there, who does want to love me,' Gabrielle wept.

'I need to go and find that man and I'm wanting to check that you're not it.'

Tears: Despite Nasser's cold response towards Gabrielle, she admitted that she was attracted to the personal trainer: 'I'm very attracted to Nasser and I am absolutely willing and open to explore what's possible'

Gabrielle's honesty didn't go down too well with Nasser, who lashed out after her decision was revealed.

'You know what, I wish I said leave. I really do,' he raged. 'I will never convince you in any way, shape, or form things take time. I need time, this experiment needs time.'

However, after calming down, Nasser agreed to fight for Gabrielle for one more week to see if the relationship could survive.

Married At First Sight continues tonight at 7:30pm on Channel Nine
He's the Married At First Sight star, who found himself at the centre of a cheating scandal.

And despite being portrayed as the ultimate ladies' man on the show, a source claims Dean Wells is actually a devoted Christian with strong family values.

It seems 'wife' Tracey Jewel is not the only one Dean has begged for forgiveness, with the smooth-talking 38-year-old reportedly also turning to God in an attempt to wash his sins away after his 'affair' with Davina Rankin.

'No one could believe it': Despite being portrayed as the ultimate ladies' man on the show, a source claims Dean Wells is actually a devoted Christian with strong family values. Pictured here on his 'wedding day' with Tracey Jewel

'No one could believe it because he really didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be a regular at bible study!' a source told Woman's Day on Monday.

'But he goes to a Christian group every week and has been attending for a few years.

The source added: 'During filming, often he couldn't make it to bible group, so he was constantly on the phone to his mentor. Talk about a guy whose life is a contradiction.'

Dedicated churchgoer: 'No one could believe it because he really didn't seem like the kind of guy who's be a regular at bible study!' a source told Woman's Day on Monday

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Dean for comment

On a recent episode of MAFS, Dean told Tracey that his inability to be faithful to her was 'a Sydney thing.'

It comes after Channel Nine was forced to address speculation about whether Married At First Sight's Davina Rankin and Dean Wells are paid actors.

'How ridiculous  you couldn't actually dream this up,' a Nine spokesperson told the Herald Sun on Saturday.

Telling porkies? On a recent episode of MAFS, Dean told Tracey that his inability to be faithful to her was 'a Sydney thing'

Also denying Davina and Dean were actors was the bikini model's 'husband' Ryan Gallagher.

'People cheat every day in real life. It is still a common thing. So just because it is on camera doesn't mean it is anything different,' he told News Corp.

Ryan and Davina's relationship has gone from bad to worse since their honeymoon, with the bikini model pursuing a romance with Dean behind the tradie's back.

Affair: It comes after Channel Nine was forced to address speculation about whether Dean and Davina Rankin are paid actors after they had an 'affair'

'People cheat every day in real life': Also denying Davina and Dean were actors was the bikini model's 'husband' Ryan Gallagher

But after Dean dumped her and went grovelling back to his 'wife' Tracey Jewel, Davina was forced to try and mend things with Ryan.

Meanwhile Ryan has claimed to The Fix that the bikini model was 'semi-bullying' and made him feel 'as big as an ant the whole time' while living together, starting on their honeymoon.

'She was semi-bullying me,' Ryan said.

Is it all an act? Channel Nine were forced to address the rampant social media speculation on Saturday

Didn't like her: The 29-year-old confessed the bikini model was 'semi bullying'

'She made you feel as big as an ant the whole time you were with her Especially when you're on the honeymoon and there's no-one around.'

It appears there is no love lost between Ryan and Davina, with the tradie telling OK! magazine this week he didn't have feelings for her.

'I never loved her, which was lucky because as it turned out, she pretty much hated my guts just for me being who I am,' he said.

Wanted a second chance: Dean dumped her and went grovelling back to his 'wife' Tracey Jewel, Davina was forced to try and mend things with Ryan
She's a veteran in the television industry, who stars on Channel Ten.

And Sandra Sully has opened up about her very first job in television.

The 53-year-old media personality said she stood up to her boss at the time, after he tried to get her to make him tea and coffee on the job.

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'I'm not here to make your coffee!' Sandra Sully reveals how she stood up to her boss when she got her first job in television

Not backwards and coming forwards, Sandra said she happily told him that she won't be making him any tea or coffee, as she was there to learn about the industry.

'The first job I got in television, my boss at the time said 'this is how I like my tea and coffee and water,' Sandra said on The Osher Gunsberg podcast.

'And I said, 'I don't do any of that.' He went, 'are you serious?' And I laughed and said, 'I'm not here to make your coffee. I'm here to learn about television.'

Familiar face: She's a veteran in the television industry, who stars on Channel Ten

She added with a laugh: 'Are you kidding?'

In January, Sandra revealed she suffered a terrifying health scare last year.

She said doctors found white spots on her brain following an MRI scan.

Speaking to The Australian Women's Weekly, the journalist said it all began when she had trouble reading her autocue lines and became uneasy on her feet.

After waking up one day feeling uneasy, she almost collapsed.

'I'd lost my balance. I had to hold the wall,' she explained.

However, despite her left arm going dead and a niggling pressure point in her head, she soldiered on and attended the Logies.

Tough: In January, Sandra revealed she suffered a terrifying health scare last year. She said doctors found white spots on her brain following an MRI scan

'The next day I just knew I wasn't right. It took me forever to mouth a sentence and I just didn't feel sharp,' she admitted.

Sandra had a colleague fill-in for her as she headed straight to the doctors to request an MRI.

As an ambassador for the Stroke Foundation, Sandra knew she had to listen to her body and seek medical attention sooner-than-later.

'I thought I was having a mini-stroke,' she said.

The media personality said the MRI revealed white spots on her brain and she was suffering migraines without a headache.

Sandra has since told Daily Mail Australia that while 'some days are better than others' she is feeling a lot better and is regularly monitoring her health and checking in with her GP.

She said doctors gave her the 'thumbs up' and were 'really excited about 2018 and being back at the news desk.'
Heidi Klum is not going to quit modeling any time soon, just because some critics might think she's to old.

The German model, who's 44, told Ellen DeGeneres, that she came in for some criticism after starring in a campaign for her own lingerie line Heidi Klum Intimates.

'Sometimes people say you're 44, you're turning 45, why are you not giving the baton to someone else?' she explained in an interview taped for broadcast Monday.

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'I'm still doing it': Heidi Klum, 44, told Ellen DeGeneres she's been criticized for modeling her own lingerie brand because she's 'too old'

Never too old: The German model showed off one of her own bra designs on the daytime chat show and defended older women, saying' Can we not also look sexy?'

'But I always think there's a lot of women my age... 50, 60, 70... What? Do we have an expiration date? Can we not also still feel sexy?'

Heidi went on: 'Why do we always have to be 20-years-old or 30-years-old? Why can't there be an older woman in a campaign? So I'm still doing it.'

The former Victoria's Secret model starred in the sixth campaign for her lingerie line last August.

All her own work: The former Victoria's Secret Angel starred in the sixth campaign for Heidi Klum Intimates last August

Point of view: 'I always think there's a lot of women my age... 50, 60, 70... What? Do we have an expiration date?' she said during her interview with Ellen to be aired Monday

Advocate: Heidi went on: 'Why do we always have to be 20-years-old or 30-years-old? Why can't there be an older woman in a campaign?'

Big test: She also spoke about filming Germany's Next Top Model in LA and holding a bikini modeling shoot on Hollywood Boulevard to test the contestants' mettle

Also during her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the natural beauty talked abut filming Germany's Next Top Model in LA.

She held a modeling session on a large mobile stage on Hollywood Boulevard to see how the contestants would cope with being in bikinis on display in public like that.

She admitted some had found it intimidating but it was a good way to see who was able to shut out the crowd and do the job at hand without being self-conscious.

Next up, she returns to US television as a judge in the new season of America's Got Talent.
Last year there were plenty of explosive on-air arguments between Sunrise co-hosts Samantha Armytage, David Koch and Natalie Barr.

And the stars of Seven's breakfast show appeared to confirm the feuds weren't all for dramatic TV viewing on Monday, when they hinted there was one member of the team they didn't like.

Hooked up to a polygraph machine, Samantha, David and Natalie were accused of providing false responses to experts when insisting they liked all their Seven colleagues equally.

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Fake TV friendships? Sunrise hosts David Koch, Samantha Armytage and Natalie Barr fuel feud rumours as they fail lie detector questioning about their relationships on the show

The TV journalists began to display sweaty palms as they were sat down for their test in a darkly-lit room.

Things got off to a scandalous start when lie detector 'interrogator' Sean asked each member: 'Is there any member of the Sunrise team you don't like?'

Sam answered first, shaking her head to say no, but when experts claimed she was providing a false response she began laughing and smiling.

Hooked up to a polygraph machine, the experts accused ALL co-stars of giving false responses about liking their co-stars, with Sam laughing and smirking after being accused of being untruthful

David hesitated with his answer, saying, 'hm, um, no' while his lip twitched.

He also began laughing, when the lie detector reader gave a big thumbs down as a representation of a potential lie.

Meanwhile, David, Samantha and Natalie all confessed quickly to gossiping about colleagues behind their backs.

'Who doesn't gossip about their colleagues?... I'm not apologising': Meanwhile, David, Sam and Nat all confessed quickly to gossiping about colleagues behind their backs

Ouch! Sam ended with a real blow to her team of co-hosts when she confessed she liked her Labrador pup Bango better than the Sunrise stars, as he was her 'baby'

'Yes, but have they ever gossiped about me?' Samantha said, appearing to defend her actions.

Kochie also justified his answer, saying: 'Its television, yes.'

Without hesitation, Natalie gave out a lengthy 'yeah', before adding: 'Who doesn't gossip about their colleagues?... I'm not apologising.'

Samantha ended with a real blow to her team of co-hosts when she confessed she liked her Labrador pup Bango better than the Sunrise stars, as he was her 'baby'.

Daily Mail Australia have reached out to Seven for comment.

'Its television': Kochie said they all gossiped because of the industry they worked within

Sunrise capped-off its 15th year with the news it was on top of the breakfast TV ratings once again in December 2017.

And that may have something to do with some very dramatic and explosive on-air arguments between the show's stars Samantha, David and Natalie.

It all kicked off in June, when the panel became embroiled in a fiery argument after Sam appeared to criticise Amal Clooney's pregnancy body.

Commenting on the lawyer and actor hubby George's birth of twins the week prior, Sam scoffed: 'Come on  I bet she's already back to her pre-pregnancy weight.'

Explosive on-air arguments, 'in house fiery feuds' and Kochie being told to 'shut-up': Inside the biggest blow-ups between Samantha Armytage, David Koch and Natalie Barr on Sunrise

Mother-of-two Natalie Barr then quipped: 'By lunch time!' quickly drawing the ire of Kochie, who addressed his concerns on-air.

'Now you girls. Give her a break,' he told both women, ''You're being nasty. No, I think she'll be a lovely mother.'

Screwing up her face, Natalie insisted to Kochie that the pair were merely kidding around: 'We're not being nasty. We were joking!'

Just one day later, Natalie and Kochie went at it again, this time after she questioned the former accountant's expertise on the housing market.

Compelling: Throughout the year there have been several explosive on-air arguments between the show's stars Samantha Armytage, David Koch and Natalie Barr, making for some compelling viewing

'Give her a break': All was well until June, when the panel became embroiled in a fiery argument after Sam appeared to criticise Amal Clooney's pregnancy body

'You're being nasty': After Sam and Natalie Barr joked about how quickly Amal would get back to her goal weight, Kochie interjected: 'Now you girls. Give her a break! You're being nasty!'

After showing a series of figures and graphs, Natalie asked him: 'One question. Do you know anyone whos actually done that and actually put all that money away?'

A surprised Kochie responded that he did in fact have one mate who used this tactic, and some of his kid's friends were renting despite owning investment homes.

But Natalie wasn't convinced, arguing: 'But theyre negatively geared ... so in this market theyre losing money, in this climbing Sydney market.'

At it again: Just one day later, Natalie and Kochie went at it again, this time after she questioned the former accountant's expertise on the housing market

'No, no, no, only losing money on the cash,' Kochie hit back.

'Trust me, Nat, I actually know a bit about this. I know about this, Ive done all the calculations, you can throw all the hand grenades you like, but it works.'

'Im just checking, because its a climbing Sydney market, so would they have lost money in this market? Who loses money in this last five years in Sydney in the property market?' Natalie responded.

Not giving up, Kochie countered: 'Last month. Last month. What about Perth? What about Perth? Youre not going to win, sorry, Nat.'

It's a chore! A fortnight later, an argument broke out once again, this time after Kochie made light of a segment about how men and women view domestic duties differently

As Natalie appeared to be thinking up a comeback, Samantha brought her colleagues' attention back to the news headlines by interjecting: 'Stop it you two!'

A fortnight later, an argument broke out once again, this time during a heated segment about how men and women view domestic duties differently.

'We're not lazy, we're too busy doing the mowing,' panelist Ben Davis said, prompting Kochie to interject: 'And the ironing.'

'Shut up Kochie': Sam shot back: 'Oh shut up Kochie,' leaving her co-host shocked, replying: Did you just tell me to shut up? I come to work and it's like being at home'

Clearly unimpressed, Samantha shot back: 'Oh shut up Kochie.'

Moments later, Kochie was still in shock saying: 'Did you just tell me to shut up? It's like being at home. I come to work and it's like being at home.'

The feuds weren't just confined to the panel either, with Samantha making global headlines for a fiery interview with American comedian Kathy Griffin.

It started during a promotional appearance on Sunrise, in which Kathy called Samantha 'full of crap' for criticising her infamous 'Donald Trump's severed head' image.

'Im in trouble, according to you Sam, way to take my back girl, Griffin said towards the end of the long, awkward argument.

Im a journalist Kathy Im here to ask you questions, Samantha said, while also explaining she was playing the devils advocate.

The world is watching: The feuds weren't just confined to the panel either, with Samantha making global headlines for a fiery interview with American comedian Kathy Griffin

'Full of crap': It started during a promotional appearance on Sunrise, in which Kathy called Samantha 'full of crap' for criticising her infamous 'Donald Trump's severed head' image

I know your type, Ive got your number Sam, Kathy replied, with the feud then going back and forwards for weeks.

Most recently, in September, Samantha became locked in another on-air spat, this time over her love life.

The 41-year-old took a swipe at co-host Edwina Bartholomew, 34, and called her 'smug' after the engaged presenter tried to play matchmaker.

Love hurts! Most recently, in September, Sam became locked in another on-air spat, this time over her love life

'All right, thanks Eddie. God, you've already become a smug married, trying to be a matchmaker,' she snapped at Edwina's attempt to find her a man.

'You just worry about your own wedding,' Samantha interjected, leaving her co-hosts somewhat silenced and then nervously laughing at the awkward exchange.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Samanatha and David were forced to deny reports of an on-set feud.

The drama surfaced off the back of a Woman's Day report, claiming 'Kochie' had spoken to the network and asked them to replace Sam with Edwina.

'Smug': The 41-year-old took a swipe at co-host Edwina Bartholomew, 34, and called her 'smug' after the engaged presenter tried to play matchmaker

'There's a whisper that Kochie (Koch) has gone to the top dogs and told them they need to really consider Sunrise's Monday to Friday line-up,' the magazine claimed.

The magazine alleged a source also claimed Kochie has struggled to bond with Sam like he did previous co-host Melissa Doyle.

Kochie denied the feud on Twitter: 'Total fabrication. Fake News at its worst. Can I be any clearer. 13 years as Australia's #1 at brekky...love working with team.'

Sam quickly followed suit on Instagram: 'Must be a @sunriseon7 feud to take up several pages during the quiet-January-period (sic),' she wrote.

'Silly. Trash. Idiotic. Mindless. Bull****.'
Carl Grimes perished on the the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead on Sunday after succumbing to a zombie bite in the abdomen.

The episode titled Honor was a protracted goodbye for the original cast member that included flashes forward to a land of peace and harmony in Carl's imagination.

The show opened with Michonne and Rick digging his grave, and a flashback to Carl [Chandler Riggs] getting bitten by a zombie.

Mid-season premiere: The Walking Dead returned on Sunday for its mid-season premiere on AMC

Aware of his pending demise Carl set about writing letters to everyone he loved.

'I wanted to make sure I could say goodbye,' he told his distraught father Rick [Andrew Lincoln].

In his final hours Carl made the effort to spend some quality time with his little sister Judith.

On his deathbed he also succeeded in making his father accept Siddiq [Avi Nash] into his crew.

Peaceful future: Rick Grimes and daughter Judith were shown in a peaceful flash forward that Carl imagined

Zombie attack: The episode featured a flashback to the moment Carl was bitten by a walker

Throughout his descent into zombie-related sickness Carl urged for peace and harmony.

'It's got to stopit's not supposed to be like this, I know it can be better,' he told Michonne [Danai Gurira].

His final hours were spent trapped in the sewer.

Better world: Carl told Michonne that the post-apocalyptic zombie world could be better

Daryl [Norman Reedus] took everyone except Michonne, Rick and Carl to escape.

Carl was forced to say goodbye to his sister in the sewer.

'You be good OK?' he told her.

Little sister: Judith received Carl's hat from her brother before he died

'Sometimes kids have got to show their parents the way,' he warned, before handing over his beloved hat, which used to belong to his dad.

'These people, you saved them all, it's all you man,' said Daryl.

'I'm going to honor you Carl,' promised Siddiq.

In honor: Siddiq promised to honor Carl who brought him into the group

Carl said a slow and painful goodbye to Michonne.

'I don't want you to be sad after thisyou're my best friend,' he told her.

'You're mine too,' she sobbed.

Rick decided it was time to remove his dying son from the sewer, so he and Michonne dragged him through the flames on their shoulders.

Hanging on:Michonne and Rick moved Carl out of the sewer

'Thanks for getting me here,' said Carl expansively.

He then shared a deathbed confession.

'Back in prison when we got attacked there was a kid a little older than me, he had a gun, he was starting to put it down and then I shot him, he was giving I up and I just shot himI think about him,' he recalled.

Deathbed confession: Carl confessed to killing a boy during the prison melee

'You were just a boy,' consoled Rick.

Carl told his father he appreciated the time when he 'stopped fighting'.

'You can be like that again,' he urged.

Good point: Rick reminded Carl that he was just a boy when it happened

'There's got to be something after,' Carl mused while imagining a glorious, loving Alexandria with crops and people working together in harmony.

'I'm going to make it real, I promise,' sobbed Rick.

'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, a father's job is to protect his son,' said Rick.

'No, it's just to love,' replied Carl.

Tough time: Rick and Michonne stayed outside as Carl killed himself

Grave diggers: Michonne and Rick dug a grave for Carl

The final scenes were of Carl's fantasy, in which Negan was part of the Alexandria love-in, planting crops and greeting an older Judith warmly.

'Good morning to you darlin',' Negan grinned to the child.

Meanwhile, the dreadlocked King Ezekiel [Khary Payton] had been taken hostage by evil Negan's henchmen.

Fantasy scene: Negan was shown in Carl's fantasy greeting his sister Judith

Friendly visit: Jerry was shown in Carl's fantasy after Siddiq asked for his help

'I ferried my people to freedom. What befalls me now matters not,' the king told Gavin [Jayson Warner Smith].

Carol and Morgan went on a mission to try and rescue the king, slaying everyone in their path.

Even Gavin wasn't pleased about Ezekiel's pending execution.

In custody: Gavin had King Ezekiel in custody but wasn't looking forward to his execution

'It always has to get dark and ugly and inhuman,' he lamented.

'It is not too late to walk back from something decided,' urged Ezekiel as gunshots rang out.

The Saviors dragged Ezekiel into the king's dilapidated throne room  where Carol [Melissa McBride] and Morgan ambushed them with heavy artillery.

Rescue mission: Carol embarked on a rescue mission to save King Ezekiel

Morgan [Lennie James] resorted to ripping out a man's intestines to avoid getting throttled.

Gavin escaped but Morgan was hot on his tail.

'You think you can beat me, you can't,' said Gavin.

Gutty move: Morgan ripped out a man's intestines to avoid being choked to death

Carol and the king wanted to let Gavin and urged Morgan to be lenient.

Morgan was about to kill Gavin but Henry, the boy whose brother Morgan and Ezekiel didn't protect, speared Gavin from behind through the jugular.

'I had to,' said the boy with gravitas.

From behind: Gavin was about to be killed by Morgan when he was speared from behind

Deadly blow: Henry killed Gavin and avenged his brother's slaying

'You were supposed to stay at the cottage,' raged Carol.

'All will be resolved,' said Ezekiel.

The Walking Dead continues next Sunday on AMC.
She stepped away from her famed Harry Potter association when she took a feminist stance, fighting for gender equality in a moving speech at the United Nations.

And Emma Watson recently posed in a stunning photo shoot for Vogue Australia's March issue, in which she is a guest editor.

Baring her freckles in a stunning natural picture series, the 27-year-old is photographed sitting in a field of long Indian Grass, captivating the reader with her soulful eyes.

Natural beauty! Emma Watson stuns in the centrefold of Vogue Australia for their March issue

Most relevant to the beauty's efforts in sustainability and inheriting positive change to the world, Emma's role as guest editor on the issue delves into these topics, exposing an unseen before raw and real Emma Watson.

Wearing a leather jacket and captured in black in white, the wilderness location encapsulates all that the star stands for in the way of sustainability - particularly her forward motion push in the way of fashion.

On the issue's cover, Emma highlights her slender figure in a black ruffled frock and shows off her natural beauty by wearing minimal makeup.

Effortlessly chic! Emma Watson, 27, highlights her slender figure in a ruffled black frock on the cover of Vogue Australia

The Circle actress's brunette locks fall in tousled waves around her face, framing her beautiful visage.

An inside shot sees Emma perched on a wooden table, wearing an edgier ensemble.

Sporting a silk trench coat, the Paris-born star accessorises with patent brogues and a beret.

Stunning: An inside shot sees The Circle actress perched on a wooden table, drawing one lean leg up to her chest

Casting a soulful glance at the camera, Emma draws attention to her striking facial features.

The Brown University graduate lends her star status to the March issue of the fashion bible, championing for sustainability and inspiring people to strive for positive change in the world.
She's the Australian actress who is always good for a laugh.

And Monday was no exception for Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson, who screamed in delight while zip-lining in New Zealand.

Taking to Instagram, the 37-year-old blonde shared a short clip of herself and her lookalike sister Liberty high above the tree tops.

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Sky high star! Rebel Wilson screamed in delight while zip-lining in New Zealand on Monday

In the video, the siblings can be heard squealing as Rebel bravely reaches out to touch her sister, who is on a parallel line.

'Zip lining in New Zealand with my sister Liberty and family friends Noelene and Geoffrey,' the Hollywood star wrote in the caption.

Despite being rather reserved about her political views, Rebel then praised the country's new progressive Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.

'I had to go because they have such a cool female Prime Minister Jacinda and check out all the fun stuff they have here,' she added.

True to form, the Bridesmaids star couldn't resist throwing in a joke for fans, writing: 'Plus they have Burger Rings but they are different to Australian Burger Rings.'

Rebel's turn as action-adventurer comes after she tried her hand at snorkelling in French Polynesia earlier this month with unexpected results.

'I got hit by some coral!' Rebel's turn as action-adventurer comes after she tried her hand at snorkelling in French Polynesia earlier this month with unexpected results

Taking to Instagram to share her experience, Rebel told fans: 'Unfortunately we've run into disaster. I got hit by some coral!'

Sporting an rather pained expression, the comedian then directed her camera under the water to reveal her injured leg.

'As you can see I'm bleeding pretty badly,' Rebel said, before filming her friend who had also encountered the same problem.

Injecting some comedy into the situation, Rebel warned her followers: 'Coral is killer! Now all the fish are trying to get my cut up leg!'
The Married At First Sight star wed 'alpha male' Dean Wells in a TV wedding, but later found out he had begun a secret 'affair'with co-star Davina Rankin behind her back.

And as Tracey Jewel 'husband' attempts to salvage their relationship on-screen, it's been revealed off-screen she's been asked to walk the aisle AGAIN.

A source claiming to be close to the single mother, 34, told Woman's Day this week that men had been inundating the star with marriage requests.

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Surprise proposal! Married At First Sight star Tracey Jewel reveals someone recently popped the question to her but who was it?

The apparent insider claimed Tracey had been inboxed more than 100 proposals from fans, who weren't happy with the way Dean had treated her on the show.

'Guys are outraged over how Tracey has been treated and lots of them have been contacting her via Instagram to ask her on a date... some are even asking for her hand in marriage! ' they said.

As of Sunday, Tracey and Dean are still attempting to mend their 'marriage' as one of eight remaining couples on the show.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Tracey Jewel for comment.

Insta-proposal! The apparent insider claimed Tracey had been inboxed more than 100 marriage requests from fans who weren't happy with the way Dean had treated her on the show

Will they last? As of Sunday, Tracey and Dean are still attempting to mend their 'marriage' as one of eight remaining couples on the show

The star previously admitted to having dated 'Australia's Most Hated Man' Blake Garvey.

Speaking to OK! Magazine before the show's premiere,Tracey revealed she had turned down an engagement from an ex just before applying to be on the series.

She said her TV appearance would be 'a slap in the face' for her him - but she was still hopeful of getting her fairytale ending.

Trying to find Mr. Right: While speaking about her past relationships, Tracey Jewel revealed she had turned down an engagement just before applying to be on Married At First Sight

When asked if her former partner knew about her television debut, Tracey confessed that he did not, before adding: 'I don't think he's going to like it very much.'

'He'd be like, "How can you say no to me and then go marry a complete stranger?" It's a bit of a slap in the face.'

On the subject of the engagement that never was, the self-proclaimed 'relationship expert' said the whole proposal was a disaster.

Fame-seeker: When asked if her former partner knew about her television debut, Tracey confessed that he did not, before adding: 'I don't think he's going to like it very much'

'We knew each other for nine months': On the subject of the engagement that never was, the self-proclaimed 'relationship expert' said the whole proposal was a disaster

'We knew each other for nine months and it went from zero to 100 miles an hour,' Tracey recalled.

'We were only just starting to discuss moving in, so it was all too soon.'

Back in 2014, Tracey made headlines after revealing she had been Blake Garvey's first girlfriend. They reportedly dated as teenagers.

She claimed they split in the years after graduating high school, but briefly rekindled their relationship in 2012.

Blake went on to star in the second series of The Bachelor, but faced a backlash after dumping winner Sam Frost just weeks after proposing in the finale.

They go way back! Back in 2014, Tracey made headlines after revealing she had been The Bachelor Blake Garvey's first girlfriend. They reportedly dated as teenagers

He later began dating the second runner-up, lifestyle blogger Louise Pillidge, but they eventually split after 18 months.

Tracey also previously dated AdultShop.com founder Malcom Day and, according to News.com.au, has exchanged texts with Sam Barnett, the son of WA Premier Colin Barnett.

The private messages caused a row between Sam and his ex-girlfriend, which landed the politician's son in court.
Britney Spears flaunted her fit 5ft4in figure in a plunging sheer silver mini-dress while being honored for her fragrances at the Fourth Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards on Sunday night.

It's hard to believe the 36-year-old Grammy winner has released 24 perfumes with Elizabeth Arden since 2004.

The Mississippi-born blonde wore a similar high-necked sheer embellished tiny frock to walked the green carpet at Avalon Hollywood.

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Looks like a shirt! Britney Spears flaunted her fit 5ft4in figure in a plunging sheer silver mini-dress while being honored for her fragrances at the Fourth Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards on Sunday night

Another one for the mantel! It's hard to believe the 36-year-old Grammy winner has released 24 perfumes with Elizabeth Arden since 2004

Hairstylist Lorenzo Martin coiffed Britney's signature hair extensions and she wore a nude lip with an excess of black eyeliner.

Earlier that day, Spears - who boasts 111.7M social media followers -shared a snap from her invigorating hike on one of her 'favorite trails' which has a waterfall.

It was the same place the mother-of-two had hiked with her toyboy - Royal Personal Training staffer Sam Asghari - back on February 5 to celebrate dating over a year.

The Make Me... hitmaker and the 23-year-old Iranian fitness model have been inseparable ever since meeting on the set of her Slumber Party music video on October 25, 2016.

Smells sweet: The Mississippi-born blonde wore a similar high-necked sheer embellished tiny frock to walked the green carpet at Avalon Hollywood

Rocking a Noudar black diamond ring: Hairstylist Lorenzo Martin coiffed the Mississippi-born blonde's signature hair extensions and she wore a nude lip with an excess of black eyeliner

Phenomenal: The Private Show songstress has maintained her muscular legs with regular work-outs as well as her recently concluded Piece of Me Las Vegas residency

The former Mouseketeer's red carpet appearance came two days after her ex-husband Kevin Federline requested an increase in his $20K/month child support - according to Us Weekly.

The G.O.A.T. rapper - turning 40 next month - believes the success of her Piece of Me residency in Las Vegas was due to the health and happiness of their sons Jayden, 12; and Sean, 11.

Britney will next kick off the 12-date North American leg of her Britney: Piece of Me Tour on July 12 at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Also attending the black-tie dinner gala was The Walking Dead and Black Panther scene stealer Danai Gurira.

'I saw this glow and it warmed my heart!' Earlier that day, Spears shared a snap from her invigorating hike on one of her 'favorite trails' which has a waterfall

'Everyday he inspires me to be a better person': It was the same place the mother-of-two had hiked with her toyboy Sam Asghari back on February 5 to celebrate dating over a year

Raise? The former Mouseketeer's red carpet appearance came two days after her ex-husband Kevin Federline requested an increase in his $20K/month child support (pictured in 2006)

Their boys: The G.O.A.T. rapper - turning 40 next month - believes the success of her Piece of Me residency was due to the health and happiness of their sons Jayden, 12; and Sean, 11

The 40-year-old Tony nominee dazzled the green carpet in a coral Christopher Kane SS/18 'Bow' dress, a black clutch, and matching stilettos selected by stylist Thomas Carter Phillips.

Once inside, Danai mingled with The Hitman's Bodyguard star Samuel L. Jackson, who gushed onInstagram that she has 'brilliance bursting from every pore.'

The 69-year-old Oscar nominee also posed with the woman behind the hairstyles of Wakanda - Camille Friend - who took home a trophy for her work on Guardians of the Galaxy 2.

Equally excited to meet Gurira was Pitch Perfect 3 stunner Elizabeth Banks who, like Danai, has empowered herself by assuming roles both before and behind the camera.

Yes! Also attending the black-tie dinner gala was The Walking Dead and Black Panther scene stealer Danai Gurira

Queen! The 40-year-old Tony nominee dazzled the green carpet in a coral Christopher Kane SS/18 'Bow' dress and black stilettos selected by stylist Thomas Carter Phillips

'I've always been impressed by @danaigurira!' Once inside, Danai mingled with The Hitman's Bodyguard star Samuel L. Jackson, who gushed on Instagram that she has 'brilliance bursting from every pore'

Fan-boying: The 69-year-old Oscar nominee also posed with the woman behind the hairstyles of Wakanda - Camille Friend (L) - who took home a trophy for Guardians of the Galaxy 2

HBIC: Equally excited to meet Gurira was Pitch Perfect 3 stunner Elizabeth Banks who, like Danai, has empowered herself by assuming roles both before and behind the camera

Blonde ambition: The 44-year-old Emmy nominee took the plunge in a black mesh gown featuring red and green shading which was selected by stylist duo Nicole & Wendi Ferreira

The Curb Your Enthusiasm guest star - who presented a trophy to her usual hairstylist Camille - shared a behind-the-scenes snap of fill-in hairstylist Clayton Hawkins.

Let's Get Physical actress Jane Seymour looked lovely in a hot-pink strapless column gown featuring folds at the hip and silver stilettos.

It's hard to believe the glowing two-time Golden Globe winner (born Joyce Frankenberg) is 67 with four children and four ex-husbands.

Faded Love songstress Tinashe was scantily clad in gold co-ords, while Where's the Money actress Kat Graham looked positively Victorian in a gown selected by stylist Jennifer Mazur.

'My man hooked me up!' The Curb Your Enthusiasm guest star - who presented a trophy to her usual hairstylist Camille - shared a behind-the-scenes snap of fill-in hairstylist Clayton Hawkins

Pretty in pink! Let's Get Physical actress Jane Seymour looked lovely in a hot-pink strapless column gown featuring folds at the hip and silver stilettos.

English rose: It's hard to believe the glowing two-time Golden Globe winner (born Joyce Frankenberg) is 67 with four children and four ex-husbands

Grandmother-of-three: Meanwhile, The Talk guest co-host Marie Osmond defied her 58 years in a black pantsuit with a red waistcoat and Louboutin pumps

Not-so-basic black: Faded Love songstress Tinashe (L) was scantily clad in gold co-ords, while Where's the Money actress Kat Graham (R) looked positively Victorian in a gown
He got his big break as Vinnie Patterson on Home And Away, before finding mainstream fame as Jason Stackhouse on vampire series True Blood.

And Ryan Kwanten cemented his star potential on Monday, as he promoted his new series The Oath at the premiere in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The 41-year-old Australian actor looked every inch the leading man as he hit the red carpet in a printed chambray shirt.

Leading man: True Blood actor Ryan Kwanten cemented his star potential on Monday, as he promoted his new series The Oath at the premiere in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Keeping his look casual, the Sydney-born hunk completed the outfit with simple slim-fit jeans and black boots.

Boasting a deep tan, the actor wore his dark hair in a slick-back style and framed his youthful features with a distinguished amount of stubble.

Looking comfortable in front of the cameras, he seemed to be in great spirits as he posed alongside co-star Ron Perlman.

Keeping it casual: The 41-year-old Australian actor looked every inch the leading man as he hit the red carpet in a printed chambray shirt

Youthful: Boasting a deep tan, the actor wore his dark hair in a slick-back style and framed his youthful features with a distinguished amount of stubble

Produced by rapper 50 cent and Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean, The Oath follows Steve Hammond (played by Kwanten).

Steve is a corrupt cop who is the leader of the Ravens, a group who rob a bank and then turn back to save it.

Meanwhile Sean Bean plays his ex-convict father Tom in the series, which dives into the dark underworld of police gangs.

The role is yet another break for the Aussie in LA, and appears to be a marked difference from his True Blood role, which saw him flash a lot of skin in raunchy sex scenes with Alexander Skarsgard.

Low-key: Keeping his look casual, the Sydney-born hunk completed the outfit with simple slim-fit jeans and black boots

Here come the boys: He was joined by actor Ron Perlman, who stood out in a bold paisley print shirt. Perlman stars in Crackles original series StartUp

Visiting Australia in 2016, the blonde Swede joked about the star, telling The Project: 'Ryan Kwanten is surprisingly a good kisser actually,' he said.

'He's very tender. You wouldn't think it because he's kind of a tough guy but very soft, gentle, tender touch', he continued.

The Oath will premiere all 10 episodes of its first season on Crackle on Thursday, March 8.
They are one of Hollywood's most glamorous power couples.

And on Sunday evening, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello did not disappoint when they swung by the red carpet for the 13th annual L.A. Italia Fest.

Sofia, 45, showcased her enviably toned legs in a black pencil skirt as she arrived at the premiere of Hotel Gagarin TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood & Highland.

Swank: On Sunday evening, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello oozed glamour when they swung by the red carpet for the 13th annual L.A. Italia Fest

The Barranquilla-born Modern Family star wore her hair straight and down, letting her pristine do fall elegantly over her shoulders.

She complemented the skirt with a black blazer that was speckled with scarlet flowery embroidery, and that was form-fitted to play up her svelte frame.

Holding a raven-hued clutch to her side, she balanced on open-toed black heels and accentuated her features with makeup including a slick of red lipstick.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old Joe, whom Sofia married back in 2015, cut a distinguished figure with a grizzled beard and a pair of spectacles.

C'est chic: Sofia, 45, showcased her enviably toned legs in a black pencil skirt as she arrived at the premiere of Hotel Gagarin TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood & Highland

Image of style: The Barranquilla-born Modern Family star wore her hair straight and down, letting her pristine do fall elegantly over her shoulders

Sofia's second husband stuck to a classic form of chic, teaming a black suit with a black tie, a black pair of dress shoes and a white dress shirt.

Hotel Gagarin is an Italian comedy directed by Simone Spada and starring Barbora Bobulova, who played a young version of the title character in the Lifetime movie Coco Chanel - in which an older version was played by Shirley MacLaine.

Italia Fest kicked off on Sunday and will rumble along until next Saturday - the day before the Oscars are held at the Dolby Theatre in the same complex.

Bringing it together: She complemented the skirt with a black blazer that was speckled with scarlet flowery embroidery, and that was form-fitted to play up her svelte frame

Luca Guadagnino, the Oscar-nominated director of this past year's Call Me By Your Name, will be feted at he festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

So will Marco Morabito, who produced the film and is therefore also an Oscar nominee in view of Call Me By Your Name's Best Picture nod.

Blade Runner 2049's production designer Dennis Gassner and set decorator Alessandra Querzola are to be garlanded by Italia Fest as well.
Kim Kardashian's been over the moon since welcoming her third child Chicago via surrogate in January.

But the star confessed she was anxious that she might 'not care as much' about the little one in the latest episode of KUWTK, which aired Sunday.

During the conversation recorded last fall, the social media starlet reassured herself everything would be the same, explaining: 'Everyone says it's like no different' to her sister Khloe.

What's on your mind? Kim Kardashian admitted she was worried she 'might not care as much' about her third baby, who she was having via surrogate, during a chat with sister Khloe on this Sunday's Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during her chat with her younger sis, who is currently expecting her very first child with fiance Tristan Thompson.

'Even though I will appreciate not having to gain the weight and then lose the weightI so would have rather have done it on my own,' Kim said.

The 5foot3 star gained 52 lbs during her first pregnancy and 60 while expecting son Saint, hence her apprehension about the extra baby weight.

The wife of Kanye West continued, admitting she was worried she would feel differently about this little one than their two older siblings.

Heavy conversation: Kim said she'd 'appreciate not having to gain the weight' from expecting. During her first two pregnancies the star gained close to 60lbs. Above Kim is seen during her pregnancy with daughter North in 2013 (left) and while expecting son Saint in 2015 (right)

Worried: The wife of Kanye West continued, admitting she was worried she would feel differently about this little one than their two older siblings

Ups and downs: Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during a talk with her younger sis Khloe, who is currently expecting her very first child with beau Tristan Thompson

'I just hope I care as mucheveryone says its like no different,' the star confessed.

All things considered, Kim told sister Khloe: 'I still would have rather done it myself.'

It appears that Kim's worries were nothing to lose sleep over, though.

The starlet has been simply ecstatic since welcoming daughter Chicago to the world January 15.

Love at first sight! It appears that Kim's worries were nothing to lose sleep over, though, as she's been simply ecstatic since Chicago's birth January 15. Just a glimpse of the baby girl can be seen above in a still from little sister Kylie Jenner's birth announcement for daughter Stormi

Oh baby! Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday, telling fans she's 'the sweetest'

Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday on Twitter after a fan asked 'How is Chi doing?'

The reality star replied: 'The sweetest! Best baby! She looks a tiny bit like North and a tiny bit like Saint but definitely her own person!'

Season 14 of KUWTK continues next Sunday on E!
She has previously expressed regret over having sex with ex-fiance Ricci Guarnaccio on Geordie Shore.

And Vicky Pattison broke down in tears on Australia's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! on Monday, revealing she 'hated herself' for her behaviour.

During the episode, an emotional Vicky made the admission while being interviewed by shock jock Steve Price as part of his Jungle Radio series.

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Tears: Vicky Pattison broke down in tears on Australia's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! on Monday, revealing she 'hated herself' for her behaviour on Geordie Shore

Pulling no punches, Steve asked Vicky: 'I know that you disappointed yourself that you had sex on television. How did that come about?'

With tears welling in her eyes, Vicky nodded and said: 'I hated myself on Geordie Shore.'

She continued: 'I hated the person that I ended up becoming and I have no one to blame but myself, and I dont try and put blame on anybody else.'

Regret: 'I hated the person that I ended up becoming and I have no one to blame but myself, and I dont try and put blame on anybody else.' Vicky is pictured with Geordie Shore flame Ricci Guarnaccio

Vicky hinted that she felt pressured to act outrageously on camera to keep up with her wild castmates.

'You are under an awful lot of pressure to act a certain way - to constantly outdo the outrageousness that's happening around you,' she said.

Vicky also revealed in the interview that her appearance on Geordie Shore had caused a difficult relationship with her mother.

Strained: 'My mum never really forgave us': Vicky also revealed that her appearance on Geordie Shore had caused a difficult relationship with her mother

'My mum never really forgave us, I don't think,' Vicky revealed. 'She was very disappointed, quite rightly.'

The 30-year-old has certainly been in the wars during her time in the South African jungle, throwing up on Thursday's episode after a stomach churning challenge.

Vicky and former Australian politician David Oldfield were spun around 12 times before being tasked with kicking a ball into a net.

But the trial got the better of a weary Vicky, who vomited in a bucket while David collapsed and received medical attention.

Vicky appeared on Geordie Shore from 2011 to 2014.

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! continues Monday at 7:30pm on Ten
He is said to have left his wife of 22 years, Eva Mavrakis, for actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, after falling for her on the set of their acclaimed show Fargo.

And following fresh reports that Mary, 33, has dumped Ewan McGregor because she disliked being labelled a 'homewrecker', the 46-year-old actor was spotted enjoying a day out with his 51-year-old estranged spouse and their daughter Anouk, seven.

During the relaxed outing, which took place at Los Angeles' Santa Monica Airport on Sunday, the screen star was seen taking his youngest offspring for a bicycle ride, attentively guiding her as she got to grips with her little two-wheeler.

Reunited: Ewan McGregor was briefly reunited with his estranged wife Eve Mavrakis when the actor took their seven-year-old daughter Anouk for a bike ride in Santa Monica on Sunday

Scottish-born Ewan, who has lived in the Californian city for several years, jumped off his own bicycle on several occasions to ensure that his daughter remained upright as she pedalled around the quiet grounds.

Putting safety first, Anouk's parents ensured she wore a pink helmet for her leisurely excursion - perfectly matching her headgear with her pastel bicycle.

Arriving on the grounds in a classic convertible car, Ewan went for a casual look, stepping out in a white T-shirt with cuffed blue jeans and black boots.

Attentive: The actor kept a guiding hand on little Anouk's bicicyle as she embarked on her ride

Pretty in pink: Anouk's safety helmet perfectly matched her little bicycle for her day with dad

Like father like daughter: The screen star matched his white safety helmet with his plain T-shirt

Meanwhile, Eve cut a chic figure for the outing, stepping out in a black patterned top, which she wore under an animal-print bomber jacket.

Shielding her eyes behind a pair of tinted sunglasses and wearing black cropped trousers, she rounded out her ensemble with a pair of flat black shoes.

While her estranged husband busied himself with father-daughter bonding time, Eve was seen enjoying a leisurely stroll through the streets of nearby Brentwood.

The fun-filled day came hot on the heels of reports that Ewan has been dumped by Mary because she was unhappy with being dubbed a 'homewrecker'.

Split? The outing came after reports Ewan has now been dumped by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (left) because she hated being labelled a home wrecker

Classic convertible: Ewan arrived at the Santa Monica Airport in his classic convertible car

Loaded: The pair's bicycles were loaded onto the back of an SUV for their day out in the sun

Ewan filed for divorce from wife Eve last month  six months after being spotted kissing Mary, his co-star in the cult TV series Fargo.

The Trainspotting and Star Wars actor blamed irreconcilable differences for the split from his wife, the mother of his four daughters who are aged between seven and 21.

Eve was reportedly left devastated after pictures were published last October of Ewan kissing his co-star in a London cafe.

His 15-year-old daughter Esther later posted a song on Instagram about the s*** I found online, singing: Seeing those pictures, theyre making me cry And I dont know how to forgive. I dont know if I can.

Stylish: Meanwhile, Eve looked stylish in a black patterned top under an animal-print bomber

Stroll: While Ewan rode around with their daughter, she went for a stroll in nearby Brentwood

The news of Ewans reported split from Mary is revealed in the latest edition of US magazine Star.

A source told the publication: Mary hated being labelled a home wrecker and the embarrassment it caused her.

'Its sad because a year ago Ewan and his wife were in great shape and then he decided to throw it all away for Mary. Now it looks like hes lost them both for good.

Eve told The Mail on Sunday, No, I hadnt heard, when asked if she knew about her husbands split from his lover.

Asked for comment, she said: I really dont know. Sorry.

Casually cool: The Scottish-born star cut a casual figure, donning a white tee with blue jeans

Doting dad: Fargo star Ewan has four daughters with Eve, ranging in age from 21 to seven

Production designer Eve was said to be furious when her husband won the Best Actor In A Limited Series award at this years Golden Globes and thanked both her and his mistress.

I want to take a moment to just say thank you to Eve who always stood by me for 22 years and our four children Clara, Esther, Jamyan and Anouk, he said. And there wouldnt have been any Ray [his Fargo character] without Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

When asked about his words, Eve said: No, I did not like his speech.

She called their divorce disappointing and upsetting before adding: My main concern is our four children are OK.

Mary announced she was splitting from her husband of seven years Riley Stearns last May  as she filmed the series.

Over: Mary announced she was splitting from her husband of seven years Riley Stearns in May
She got tongues wagging with her innuendos on BBC One cooking show Great British Bake Off.

So it's of little surprise Mary Berry, 82, flirted with chef Niklas Ekstedt, 39, during the first steamy episode of her latest TV cooking venture Classic Mary Berry.

In cheeky upcoming scenes, the Swedish hunk can be seen on his knees building a fire before the 82-year-old made a very crude joke.

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Berry steamy! Mary Berry, 82, made a VERY saucy jokes as she flirted with hunky chef Niklas Ekstedt, 39, during her latest cooking show Classic Mary Berry

According to The Sun, she can be heard saying: 'Its a long time since Ive had a man on his knees in front of me.'

Then the cooking duo set themselves the task of making meatballs and Mary teased: 'Will there be a sauce for them? I like a bit of sauce.'

The pair can be seen bursting into a fit of giggles while they show off their cooking prowess during the fun episode.

Cheeky lady! got tongues wagging with her innuendos on BBC One cooking show Great British Bake Off

But the fun doesn't stop there as the cheeky cooking stars whip each other with nimble tree branches while they forage for fresh ingredients.

Niklas quips: 'These are the branches we use in the sauna to whip each other.'

In a cheeky voice-over on the teaser for the show, Mary can be heard saying: 'Well, Niklas certainly knows how to have a good time.'

The TV star's latest cooking venture Classic Mary Berry will be a six-part series airing on BBC One.

Mary first showed off her cheeky side when she talked about her co-judge Paul Hollywood's 'buns' and commented on 'irregular-shaped balls' on the GBBO.

In December, Mary  who has been married to her husband Paul Hunnings for as long as Hollywood has been alive  revealed her co-judge, 51, was 'quite sexy'.

Hilarious moment: The pair can be seen bursting into a fit of giggles while they show off their cooking prowess during the fun episode

Shock: In cheeky upcoming scenes, the Swedish hunk can be seen on his knees building a fire before the 82-year-old made a very crude joke

Asked at a charity event whether he was 'as sexy as he looks', she said: 'I think you should be the judge of that...He is quite sexy but for goodness sake don't tell him!'

The baking queen left The Great British Bake Off at the end of 2016 when the cooking show controversially moved to Channel 4.

Hollywood revealed the inseparable duo have stayed in touch since she chose to leave the nation's favourite baking show.

Close: Then the cooking duo set themselves the task of making meatballs and Mary teased: 'Will there be a sauce for them? I like a bit of sauce'

In September, he said on ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show: 'We've swapped texts and emails occasionally.

'We were meant to meet, I was at Chatsworth a couple of weeks ago doing a demonstration, Mary was doing, I think the Saturday or the Sunday, and I was doing the day before and we just missed each other by about half an hour. We do sort of text and email each other.'

Meanwhile, Niklas is best known for his open fire cooking techniques used in his second Stockholm restaurant.
Justin Theroux has broken his social media silence, following his shock split from Jennifer Aniston.

Taking to Instagram, the actor, 46, remained tight-lipped about his divorce from the Friends actress, and instead documented his day at a dog shelter in Texas.

Sharing a number of adorable selfies with an array of puppies, the Girl On The Train star praised the 'inspiring' Austin Pets Alive shelter, before poking fun at Selena Gomez in the caption - a friend of the former couple.

Dogs are a man's best friend: Justin Theroux broke his social media silence on Monday by documenting his day at a dog shelter in Texas, with an array of sweet selfies

The film producer shared a number of snaps of himself kissing and cuddling tiny puppies, as well as heart-breaking images of loving pets without homes.

Encouraging his fans to help save a number of abandoned animals, he wrote in the caption: 'Texas!!!  Another very inspiring visit with the incredible people and pups @austinpetsalive.

'I cannot understand how they do what they do, day after day, so consistently and lovingly to save so many dogs and cats. I HIGHLY recommend going in and getting your nose bit by a toothless baby pitbull.'

Speaking out: The post is Justin's first since his shock split from Jennifer Aniston (pictured in April 2017)

He then referred to his cute selfies with the dogs by adding: 'These two arent yet ready to go, but when they are go get em...'

Justin rounded off the post by calling out to Selena Gomez, and writing in an apparent inside joke: 'Yeah thats right selena I did it to you again but if you saw these guys youd do whatever you could too also I know youre chill like that [sic]'

Selena, 25, was known to be a close friend of Jennifer and Justin as a couple, after meeting the actress through shared management teams.

BFFs: He also mentioned Selena Gomez in the caption, who was known to be a close friend of the couple having met Jennifer through her management team (pictured together in 2015)

Back in 2015, the former Disney Channel star said of her friendship with the blonde: 'We met through my management so it was kind of like a friendly meeting and instantly shes, like, inviting me to her house.

'She has a pizza oven. Like, weve made pizzas at her house. Shes very cool and very sweet. She kind of gives me a lot of, like, maternal advice.'

The collection of photos marks Justin's first post on social media since announcing his split from Jennifer.

Happier times: Justin confirmed his split from Jennifer last month, revealing the decision was 'mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year' in a joint statement (pictured in 2013)

The pair said in a joint statement earlier this month: 'In an effort to reduce any further speculation, we have decided to announce our separation. This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year.

'We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.'

It has since been reported that the actor broke up with Jennifer because she refused to live in his New York pad, instead of her lavish Bel Air home.

Justin's neighbour Norman Resnicow, of New York City, claimed to TMZ that Justin tried to force Jen to move to the Big Apple but she 'hated' it.

'She hated living there': It has since been reported that the actor broke up with Jennifer because she refused to live in his New York pad, instead of her Bel Air home

Norman told TMZ: 'Everyone knows Jennifer hated the place. Theroux is acting crummy to her like he did to me.'

The neighbour is locked in a legal battle with Justin amid claims water damage from the A-lister's property has left Norman's New York apartment with mold.

Justin Theroux's spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Resnicows bizarre comments might carry more weight had he ever actually met Jen or toured Justins apartment, neither of which has ever happened.

'The leaks and conditions of which Resnicow complains are a building issue. Justin's deck and apartment had nothing to do with those claimed issues and Resnicow knows it.'

MailOnline has approached Jennifer Aniston for comment.

The fresh claims come after Justin quietly moved into Jennifer's guest house when their marriage fell apart.

The Leftovers star reportedly always felt more comfortable in the separate smaller guest quarters of Jen's huge luxury Bel Air mansion.

As their relationship fizzled out, the actor spent increasingly more time there and was even said to even prefer to sleep in the guest house.

Former flames: Justin's neighbour Norman Resnicow, of New York City, made further claims to the publication that Justin tried to force Jen to move to the Big Apple but she 'hated' it

A source told US Weekly: 'When Justin was in Los Angeles and staying with Jen, he would typically spend most of his time in the guest house of the mansion.

'He would play music, hang out and, in the final months of their marriage, would end up sleeping in the guest house.'

It has been claimed that a disagreement about where to live was the main cause of their split, with Jennifer preferring Los Angeles and Justin opting for New York.

According to property records obtained by The Blast, Jennifer and Justin kept the deeds to their residences in their own names and as their 'sole and separate property.'

In the eyes of the law, property acquired as a couple becomes community property.

The Cake actress already owned her 1965 Bel Air mansion and her two-bedroom Hollywood Hills property.

Meanwhile, the Leftovers star had his New York apartment in Greenwich village.
They failed to set the stage alight during their anticipated performance at the BRIT Awards last week.

And this Thursday it'll be round two for Liam Payne and Rita Ora as it's confirmed they'll reunite on stage for a performance of their Fifty Shades song, For You, at the Global Awards.

The performance comes amid ongoing speculation about Liam's relationship with Cheryl, who was in the audience last Wednesday when her beau kept his distance from Rita on stage despite their previously raunchy performances.

Round two: Rita Ora and Liam Payne will perform at the Global Awards on Thursday, a week after their tame performance at the Brit Awards (pictured)

Capital Radio confirmed on Sunday that the pair will perform their steamy song For You at the Global Awards, which will be held at Londons Eventim Apollo.

Liam has reportedly jetted back to the UK in preparation for the ceremony, after flying to Miami the day after the Brits last week, with Rita later spotted in the city.

The pair have been busy promoting their track from the final Fifty Shades Of Grey movie in the past few weeks, with much hype built around their BRITs performance last week.

Apart: Amid speculation about Liam's relationship with Cheryl, who was in the audience, her beau kept his distance from Rita on stage despite their previously raunchy performances

But while they sounded incredible, viewers noted that Rita, 27, kept her distance from Liam , 24, on stage out of respect for his girlfriend Cheryl, 34, who was watching from the audience, after they had battled split rumours.

The show was in stark contrast to the VERY raunchy duet they performed on Jimmy Fallon's US talk show a fortnight before, which saw them end on a kiss, rather than the high five they gave each other at the BRITs.

Twitter went wild over the reserved performance and couldn't help but speculate that it was because of Cheryl's presence there.

Split rumours: Cheryl supported her boyfriend at the Brits, amid the ongoing rumours about the state of their romance

They wrote: 'Did that performance between Rita Ora and Liam Payne look mega awkward? it's as if Cheryl told him not to go near her #BRITs2018 #BRITS.'

'Liam and Rita looked a bit awkward on stage, probs because Cheryl was there nonetheless she looked fit #brits.'

'Rita and Liam had zero connection on stage between each other. Also that hug was ridiculously awkward lol. #BRITs.

Awkward: Twitter went wild over the reserved performance and couldn't help but speculate that it was because of Cheryl's presence there

'Liam and rita have been close in EVERY OTHER performance of #ForYou and at the #BRITs they were miles apart and didnt do their usual routine (cheryl c***blocked lol).'

Over the weekend reports suggest Cheryl is planning to move house from the 5million mansion in Woking, Surrey that she shares with Liam and their son Bear, in order to be closer to her best friend Kimberley Walsh.

A source told The Sun that Cheryl is keen to explore a move to Barnet in North London where her former Girls Aloud bandmate lives.

MailOnline has contacted both stars' representatives for comment.
He's never been shy in discussing his love of boybands and even paid homage to his musical tastes in video short Take That & Fake That: Happy Now.

And it appears James Corden was already poking fun at his love of boybands early in his career as he takes a pop at Take That's Gary Barlow in a newly-resurfaced clip from 1999 Channel 4 series Boyz Unlimited.

The 39-year-old actor previously starred in the six-part British comedy series centered on a young boyband and the music industry at the time, which was created by Richard Osman, Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

In the past: A young James Corden is seen poking fun at his love of boybands in a newly-resurfaced clip from 1999 Channel 4 series Boyz Unlimited

In a rib-tickling ad for the series at the time, a then 21-year-old James could be seen alongside his co-stars Adam Sinclair, Lee Williams and Frank Harper speaking to camera as Boyz Unlimited in mockumentary style.

Showcasing nineties fashion in his black bucket hat, James, who played Gareth Jones in the show, began bragging about his songwriting skills in the series that paid tribute to the music phenomenon of the decade.

A fresh-faced James shared: 'I'm Gareth Jones, you may recognise me from the pop group Boyz Unlimited.

'You know a lot of people say that I maybe the greatest songwriter of my generation.'

Then: The 39-year-old actor previously starred in the six-part British comedy series centered on a young boyband and the music industry at the time, which was created by Richard Osman, Matt Lucas and David Walliams

Hilarious: In a rib-tickling ad for the series at the time, a then 21-year-old James could be seen alongside his co-stars Adam Sinclair, Lee Williams and Frank Harper speaking to camera as Boyz Unlimited in mockumentary style

However his bragging didn't go unnoticed as his on screen bandmates began: 'They could'. To which he answered: 'Like a lot of people.'

Before another joked: 'You're the fattest songwriter of your generation.' James questioned: 'Like I'm fatter than Gary Barlow?'

The show aired from February to March 1999 over a six week period but only lasted one season.

A year after the series, James went on to appear on ITV's Fat Friends as Jamie Rymer before his turn in Olivier winning play The History Boys catapulted him into the spotlight.

Vintage: Showcasing nineties fashion in his black bucket hat, James, who played Gareth Jones in the show, began bragging about his songwriting skills in the series that paid tribute to the music phenomenon of the decade

Following: A year after the series, James went on to appear on ITV's Fat Friends as Jamie Rymer before his turn in Olivier winning play The History Boys catapulted him into the spotlight

In 2007 James became a household name playing beloved character Smithy in iconic BBC series Gavin and Stacey and enjoyed a number of roles on the big screen including The Lady in the Van, Into the Woods and Begin Again.

The Uxbridge native moved to Los Angeles in 2015 after landing his own talk show The Late Late Show with James Corden.

He has also hosted the Tonys, Grammy Awards and The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, James recently revealed his other half might want him to have 'the snip' after welcoming his third child with his TV producer wife Julia, 38.

Success: In 2007 James became a household name playing beloved character Smithy in iconic BBC series Gavin and Stacey and enjoyed a number of roles on the big screen including The Lady in the Van, Into the Woods and Begin Again (Pictured with co-star Matthew Horne)

Chit chat: The Uxbridge native moved to Los Angeles in 2015 after landing his own talk show The Late Late Show with James Corden

Speaking to The Sun, James said: 'My wife has started making not very subtle hints at medical procedures for me!'

The pair share son Max, six, daughter Carey, three, and baby daughter Charlotte, born in December 2017.

He added: 'After the birth of my son, I felt it just couldn't get any better. Then Carey came along, I have reached peak happiness, it can't go further. And now number three is here, it has!'
His affair with bikini model Davina Rankin on Married At First Sight has been making headlines across Australia for the past month.

But apparently Dean Wells didn't get the memo.

The self-described 'alpha male' bizarrely DENIED cheating on wife Tracey Jewel on Monday's episode of the social experiment.

'I didn't cheat!' Dean Wells bizarrely denied cheating on wife Tracey Jewel on Monday's episode of Married At First Sight, following his affair with Davina Rankin

Speaking with Tracey before meeting her friends in Perth, the 39-year-old distanced himself from the cheating scandal that had engulfed him for weeks.

The creative director brazenly denied any wrongdoing and went as far as to ask his forgiving wife why she was 'so angry' with him.

'Why would (your friends) be shocked? Why is it such a big stretch that we've worked things out and you've decided to stay with me?' Dean said.

He just doesn't get it! The creative director, 39, brazenly denied any wrongdoing and went as far as to ask his forgiving wife why she was 'so angry' with him

After Tracey politely reminded him of his infidelity, Dean replied: 'I didn't cheat!'

Tracey fired back, referring to the situation with Davina - who left MAFS alongside her husband Ryan on Sunday's episode - as an 'absolute betrayal'.

Dean appeared frustrated and argued that his efforts to impress Tracey's friends would be hopeless if she refused to forgive him.

'I made some mistakes, I've apologised': Dean appeared frustrated and argued that his efforts to impress Tracey's friends would be hopeless if she refused to forgive him

'An absolute betrayal? Wow, that's what I'm walking into tonight,' he said. 'Whatever - I made some mistakes, I've apologised.'

'As far as I'm concerned, I just did what I did,' he added, bluntly.

During the meeting, Tracey's friends appeared disgusted with her husband after he revealed what had happened with Davina.

'That's horrible. I don't really think cheating on your spouse is acceptable. It just shows your lack of commitment and lack of respect,' said one of her pals.

Confessing he had never been unfaithful before the reality TV incident, Dean said the scandal had made him realise how 'inspiring' and 'intelligent' Tracey really was.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine
She's been enjoying a jet setting lifestyle of late and showcasing her head-turning figure in the process in an array of sizzling looks.

And now, Demi Rose Mawby, 22, upped the skin-flashing ante as she slipped into a skimpy cream crochet bikini which highlighted her enviable hourglass curves in her latest pulse-racing selfie on Sunday.

The British model is currently luxuriating on the idyllic Greek island of Mykonos following a whirlwind trip to Milan and Venice.

Pulse racing: Demi Rose Mawby, 22, upped the skin-flashing ante as she slipped into a skimpy cream crochet bikini in her latest pulse-racing selfie on Sunday

Demi's choice of swimwear showcased plenty of underboob as it attempted to maintain her ample cleavage for the posed snap that she shared with her 6.4million Instagram followers.

Making sure all eyes were on her, she teamed the tiny triangle bikini top with a pair of barely-there bottoms which drew attention to her narrow midriff and taut stomach.

The beauty slicked back her brunette locks off her face in a wet look while wearing minimal make-up as she smoldered down the camera lens for the saucy photo.

Over the weekend, the brunette beauty continued to flash her incredible assets on the photo-sharing platform.

Sensational: Demi left little to the imagination in a daringly low blue crop top and sarong as she soaked up the sun in Italy over the weekend

The stunner - who soaked up the sun in Venice, Italy - showcased her bombshell frame in a risque cobalt blue wrap top, with a daringly low neckline that showcased her more than ample cleavage.

She wrapped her hour-glass figure in the semi-sheer sarong as she posed seductively in the two sultry snaps.

Demi recently revealed she wants to take her career to the next level - taking acting lessons in hopes of cracking Hollywood and becoming an actress.

Saucy style: She wrapped her hour-glass figure in the semi-sheer sarong as she posed seductively in the two sultry snaps

She told The Sun that she's planning to make the move to Los Angeles to become a fully fledged movie star.

Demi confessed: 'I've been taking acting classes once a week and they are helping to build my confidence.

'The plan is to move to Los Angeles as soon as I can get a working visa' she continued. 'I can't be sure I am going to make it but I want to try my best.'

Demi - who is currently dating DJ Chris Martinez - rocketed to fame after enjoying a brief fling with Tyga in May 2016, when the US rapper was on a break from seeing his on/off girlfriend at the time Kylie Jenner.

Taking over Hollywood? She told The Sun that she's planning to make the move to Los Angeles to become a fully fledged movie star

Speaking to The Sun last year, the bombshell recently gave a rare glimpse into their whirlwind romance - but she admitted she wasn't left heartbroken by the rapper.

She said: 'It was interesting, it just happened really fast. He had been messaging me then I went to a party in Cannes and bumped into him. He was nice and we got along. And I spent some time with him.

'We ended up spending the rest of our time there together. We really liked each other but logistically it didn't work out in the end.

'But you know, everything happens for a reason. Im not heartbroken though. For now Im just doing me!'
He's Married At First Sight's most flamboyant groom, known for his extravagant beauty routine and his love of all things clean and tidy.

So Nasser Sultan suffered when he was required to leave his perfect home and spend a week living with wife Gabrielle Bartlett in a rental apartment.

'I'm way out of my comfort zone, I've never spent a week or a day sleeping overnight at someone's house,' the 50-year-old fitness instructor quivered, adding that the experience would be 'crazy'.

'I'm way out of my comfort zone': Nasser Sultan suffered when he was required to leave his perfect home and spend a week living with wife Gabrielle Bartlett in a rental apartment

And it didn't take long for Nasser to lose his cool, spiralling into a bizarre meltdown after the slats of his bed frame broke.

'Where did this come from? Trash 'n' Treasure? Side of the road? They bought this bed from where?' he wailed at Gabrielle.

The well-moisturised Egyptian then spectacularly threatened legal action against the owners of the apartment for their malfunctioning bed.

'I could sue these people for doing this!' Nasser spiralled into a meltdown over a broken bed

'Honestly, you know, I could sue these people for doing this!' he declared.

'He just wants to be back in Surry Hills at his own place,' Gabrielle later explained.

Meanwhile, Nasser further complained that the bed was so uncomfortable that he was unable to sleep and was left with a sore back.

Stiff and sore! Nasser complained about the bed in the rental apartment, which prompted his wife Gabrielle to ask him, 'Are you a little old lady or what?'

That's cheeky! One MAFS fan tweeted 'Nasser's back is stiff, he says... I think Gab would prefer if that was true for another part of you'

'My back's very stiff, very sore,' he moaned, to which Gabrielle snapped back: 'Are you a little old lady or what?'

Gabrielle has previously complained that her husband has not been giving her sexual attention, and viewers took to social media amused by Nasser's antics.

One wrote on Twitter: 'Nasser's back is stiff, he says... I think Gab would prefer if that was true for another part of you.'

'I've got short legs. I'm not going to reach this!' Nasser was further pushed out of his comfort zone when Gabrielle decided to take him horse riding

'Finally gets a leg over': Once he got on the horse, a MAFS fan took to Twitter with a racy joke

Nasser was further pushed out of his comfort zone when Gabrielle decided to take him horse riding.

Getting in the saddle appeared to be a struggle for Nasser, who complained: 'I've got short legs. I'm not going to reach this. I need a ladder!'

Once he finally got on the horse, a MAFS fan couldn't resist tweeting: 'Nasser finally got a leg over.'

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine
She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at the tender age of 23.

And Tessa James paid tribute to her NRL star husband Nate Myles on social media on Monday when she celebrated her third year of remission.

The former Home And Away star, 26, shared a single picture of herself to make the three-year milestone following her battle with the disease.

'Clear and counting': Former Home And Away's Tessa James paid tribute to her husband Nate Myles as she celebrated her third year of remission following her cancer battle on Monday

Tessa declared she was 'three years clear and counting' in a heartfelt post with her 107,000 Instagram followers.

The new mum, who announced the birth in February, tagged in her husband in the Instagram as she credited him for his support.

She penned with her Instagram followers, '@natemyles 25.02.18 #3yearsclearandcounting.'

Must be love: The new mum, who announced the birth in February, tagged in her husband in the Instagram as she credited him for his support

The former soap star beat the disease after a gruelling regime of chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis in 2014.

Tessa credited her 'wonderful' husband for his incredible support when he stood by her during the challenging time.

She told The Sunday Herald Sun in February 2018: 'I have a lot of help and I have a wonderful husband. I am really healthy and I credit a lot of that to how good I feel. I think that happiness, it says a lot.'

Terrifying: The former soap star (pictured) beat the disease after a gruelling regime of chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis in 2014

Earlier in February, Tessa and Nate announced that they welcomed their first baby together, and are yet to reveal the gender of their child to the public.

They have gone from strength to strength since they tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in December 2011.

The Melbourne-based couple were introduced in 2009 by former lovebirds Braith Anasta and Jodi Gordon, when Tessa and Jodi starred on Home and Away together.

In 2016, Tessa discussed her tough battle with cancer when she divulged how she was initially in 'so much pain and so upset'.

'I was in so much pain': The former soap star was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at the tender age of 23

'I hit a point where I didn't know what I was doing, why I was here, what was happening, where my life was going,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2016.

'I thought I knew. I was 23, and all this bad stuff was happening. I tried to spiritually find why. I got through it because I had to get through it.

'What was the other option? To sit and feel sorry for myself? I think I had to hit that low point, to be in so much pain and so upset and so traumatised, to then have that sense of empowerment again: I can get through this.'
She is set to be kidnapped by her conservative parents in a bid to keep her lesbian romance a secret.

And it seems Coronation Street's Rana Nazir will be rescued by none other than her lover Kate, as they were spotted filming dramatic scenes for the ITV1 soap together in Manchester.

Faye Brookes, who plays Kate, was seen shooting with both Rana (Bhavna Limbachia) and her estranged husband Zeedan (Qasim Akhtar), who team up to stop Rana's parents sending her to Pakistan for good.

Explosive: Coronation Street's Rana Nazir looks set to be rescued by her lesbian lover Kate Connor as the duo were spotted filming scenes on location in Manchester last week

It was claimed last week that Rana will be sent away by her Muslim parents, who are desperate to keep her sexuality a secret.

After being told she needed to go and see a sick relative in Pakistan, Rana leaves with her parents clueless that her journey is actually one way.

Kate catches wind of the plan, and teams up with Zeedan and Rana's brother Imran to stop her car before it reaches the airport.

Dramatic: Faye Brookes, who plays Kate, could be seen desperately trying to stop Rana's car, as her family secretly plot to kidnap her and send her away to Pakistan

In danger? As Rana exited the car, it was revealed that her family were plotting to send her away from Weatherfield for good, in a bid to avoid her sexuality bringing shame on the family

Leave me alone: Rana's brother Imran leads her to another car as her parents publicly disown her

Not all bad: Faye was spotted sharing a laugh with co-stars Bhavna Limbachia and Charlie De Melo as they wrapped up in a padded jackets for a break between scenes

I'm not going! Rana is seen tearfully being led to a car by Kate and Imran, as she struggles to decide whether to be with Kate or keep up the pretence that she is married to Zeedan

Filming the dramatic scenes, Kate can be seen running in front of Rana's car as she attempts to reveal her family's secret plot to her.

Kate and Imran then force Rana into a waiting taxi, as her parents, watching on in horror, publicly disown her.

This will follow a heart-to-heart - in scenes to air next week - which forces Rana and Kate to come to terms with their feelings for each other.

The romantic moment will come despite Rana previously agreeing to falsely continue a marriage to Zeedan so he could receive finance for his growing business.

Quick! Faye was also seen filming scenes outside a house, donning a stylish all-black look as she jumped out of a car

Still pals! Faye and Qasim Akhtar, who plays Zeedan, share a cuddle between takes

Getting on well: Faye has been a star on Corrie since 2015, while Qasim first appeared on the cherished ITV1 soap in 2014

What's tickled you? Faye was also seen shooting scenes, when she appears to see Rana being led to car by her family

STOP! The Connor beauty was seen trying to stop the car as it drove away

Lurking: Playing the sleuth Kate could be seen watching from the bushes during one tense scene

However once Rana's family catch wind of her growing feelings for Kate once again, they will take desperate measures to avoid shame bring brought on the family.

A soap insider told the Daily Star: 'Rana's family will do whatever it takes to stop their daughter bringing shame upon them - even if it means sending her away.

'As she continues to defy her family they decide they have no choice but to send her away to Pakistan, she has no idea of their plan and is distraught when she realises what they're up to.

'It's horrific for her and Kate can't believe the lengths her family will go to in order to keep them apart.'

Let me go! Rana is tearfully led to the car by her brother, as Kate and Zeedan try to stop her being led away

Emotional: Rana broke down in tears as she was forced into the car, following the revelation that her family had tried to have her sent to Pakistan for good

Forcing on: Rana's brother forces her into another car, as Zeedan and his grandmother can be seen arguing with the family in the background

Tense: As the cameras stopped rolling, the stars could be seen sharing a quiet moment as they prepared to film the next moments

Last week, Bhavna Limbachia, who plays Rana in the ITV1 soap, admitted both she and Faye Brookes (Kate) were 'worried' about viewers reaction to the lesbian storyline during an appearance on This Morning.

'We were worried about the reaction and that people weren't going to accept the idea about this new relationship,' Faye admitted.

Speaking of the wholly positive reaction from viewers, Faye continued: 'They've received it so well and I know that it's only a positive thing and it can only get better.'

Bhavna admitted that she was approached with the story-line twenty months ago and was left surprised as her character was a 'man-eater.'

We're leaving! In another scene, Rana is being led away by her mother, as they try to avoid shame being brought on the family by her same-sex relationship

All it seems? Rana will reportedly be told by her family that she needs to go and see a sick relative in Pakistan, clueless that the trip is actually one-way

What's next? It's unclear whether this will lead Kate and Rana to move forward with their budding romance, after it was well-received by fans
She went home with the Fragrance of the Year accolade for her perfume Fantasy in Bloom at the Hollywood Beauty Awards earlier on Sunday night.

Following her win, Britney Spears, 36, left the star-studded ceremony on Sunday in a more casual ensemble alongside her personal trainer beau Sam Asghari, 23, swapped her flesh-flashing look.

The Three songstress, who has released 24 perfumes with Elizabeth Arden since 2004, won big on the night in a thigh-skimming embellished look which accentuated her slender frame at the Avalon Hollywood.

Support: Britney Spears, 36, left the star-studded ceremony on Sunday in a more casual ensemble alongside her personal trainer beau Sam Asghari, 23, swapped her flesh-flashing look

Despite setting pulses-racing in her semi-sheer mini dress, she was later spotted leaving the venue while wrapped up in a grey wool jacket over a more modest pink striped shirt.

Britney kept her beauty look the same as when she accepted the award and looked relaxed in the company of her boyfriend, who is 13 years her junior.

Personal trainer Sam looked dapper in his black tuxedo as he supported his other have of a year after meeting on the set of her Slumber Party music video on October 25, 2016.

Earlier in the night: The Three songstress, who has released 24 perfumes with Elizabeth Arden since 2004, won big on the night in a thigh-skimming embellished look which accentuated her slender frame at the Avalon Hollywood

Relaxed: Britney kept her beauty look the same as when she accepted the award and looked relaxed in the company of her boyfriend, who is 13 years her junior

Her more casual appearance comes two days after her ex-husband Kevin Federline requested an increase in his $20,000-a-month child support, according to Us Weekly.

The 39-year-old former backup dancer apparently decided to seek more money after learning of the epic success of Britney's Las Vegas residency show Piece of Me.

Her highly-acclaimed show has reportedly grossed over $137 million over the course of its four year run.

The G.O.A.T. rapper - turning 40 next month - believes the success of her Piece of Me residency in Las Vegas was due to the health and happiness of their sons Jayden, 12; and Sean, 11.

Wrapped up: Despite setting pulses-racing in her semi-sheer mini dress, she was later spotted leaving the venue while wrapped up in a grey wool jacket over a more modest pink striped shirt

All smiles: Britney showcased a smile as she moved into her waiting car

Britney suffered a very public breakdown back in 2008, which resulted in the Toxic songstress losing sole physical and legal custody of her sons.

The former Disney star was then placed under the care of her father Jamie via a conservatorship an arrangement which is still in place.

A source close to the situation told Us: 'Kevin has always been supportive of Britney's recovery and has always recognized what a great mother she has been.'

He apparently also believes that Britney's latest success is a least partially due to her kid's influence in her life.

Appearance: Her more casual appearance comes two days after her ex-husband Kevin Federline requested an increase in his $20,000-a-month child support, according to Us Weekly

Short time: Kevin Federline and Britney Spears were together from 2004 to 2007

Contentious: Kevin feels that he is owed more money given the circumstances surrounding his total custody of their sons Preston, 12 and Jayden, 11 (Pictured January 3rd)

Britney has been successful 'in part because the boys have been in her life. Britney's entire world are the boys, period. She just lights up when she is with them,' explained the source.

Kevin's requested increase is meant to ensure all parties 'recognize the sacrifices he has made because he has gone above and beyond what most people would do in this situation.'

Apparently both sides are aiming to reach an agreement without having to go to court, and Britney herself won't be involved in the negotiations, leaving that work to her father and attorneys.

Meanwhile, Britney will next kick off the 12-date North American leg of her Britney: Piece of Me Tour on July 12 at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Married At First Sight, I'm A Celebrity and Australian Spartan are three of Australia's biggest reality television series all competing for the best ratings.

And according to news.com.au, the rival reality show trio have clashing advert breaks to keep fans hooked at home.

The insider divulged: 'With the big reality shows, such as Married At First Sight or Im a Celeb, youll find that the first ad break usually wont air until 15 or 20 minutes. Thats so they can get you hooked before going to ads for the first time.'

'They want to keep viewers hooked': Rival reality shows Married At First Sight, I'm A Celebrity and Australian Spartan have clashed their advert breaks to keep fans 'hooked' at home

During Sunday night's episodes, drama continued to unfold across the three reality series in a bid to secure the most viewers.

While Ryan Gallagher finally snapped on the Channel Nine show, Sean Thomsen and Blair Rachael became the latest Married At First Sight couple to call it quits.

Australian politician David Oldfield was the latest celebrity to be booted from the star-studded jungle where he joined the likes of Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattinson in Oz on Ten's I'm A Celeb.

Meanwhile, Australian Spartan kicked off the latest series of the television show on Channel Seven.

Revealed: And according to news.com.au , the rival reality show trio have clashing advert breaks to keep fans hooked at home (pictured Married At First Sight: Sean Thomsen and Blair Rachael)

But it seems the advert breaks are at the same time to ensure they keep the viewers watching for the ultimate drama at home.

The source added : 'The networks have a certain amount of airtime that theyre allowed to play ads for each hour. I think its 13 minutes per hour from 6pm to 10.30pm.

'They only have to show an average of 13 minutes per hour between those four and a half hours so they tend to load up the ads in the high rating programs where they can charge a premium for them and then later in the night, say from 9.30 to 10.30, they run less ads that hour so they can make the requirement in terms of the average.'

Home time: David Oldfield was the latest celebrity to be booted from the star-studded jungle where he joined the likes of Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattinson in Oz on I'm A Celeb

According to news.com.au, Married At First Sight raked in 1.53 million people, Australian Spartan secured 816,000 and I'm A Celeb brought in 707,000 during Sunday night's episodes.

It is no surprise Married At First Sight continues to skyrocket with popularity after The Daily Telegraph reported the Channel Nine show brought in 1.34 million people.

No doubt the fantastic ratings are thanks to its explosive drama, especially the love triangle spat between Dean Wells, Davina Rankin and Ryan Gallagher.

But I'm A Celeb has been struggling to get the ratings up as figures have fallen in the past two weeks, the lowest marked last week at 495,000 five-city metro viewers.

Explained: But it seems the advert breaks are at the same time to ensure they keep the viewers watching for the ultimate drama at home (Vicky Pattinson in Oz)




He's the Welsh actor best known for his roles in Liar and The Fantastic Four.

And Ioan Gruffudd has revealed his new ABC crime drama Harrow is a high-quality production that could rival the best of the American networks.

The 44-year-old told News.com.au on Tuesday the series, which is set in Brisbane, 'has the potential to be the next House or Bones'.

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'It has the potential to be the next House or Bones': Ioan Gruffudd has revealed his new ABC series Harrow looks like a big budget American show

'It's quintessentially an Australian show, but it's made to look as expensive as those big American shows,' Ioan said.

He added: 'This is the first time in my life I've had to make the decision not to take any work until I know about the second season of this.'

Ioan spent the last six months of 2017 in Australia filming Harrow, which follows a forensic pathologist who lives in a boat on the Brisbane River.

'It's quintessentially an Australian show, but it looks as expensive as those big American shows': Harrow is set in Brisbane, but Ioan believes it looks like a US production, such as Bones

The UnReal star, who is based in Los Angeles, will return to Brisbane this Sunday for a preview screening of Harrow.

In December 2017, Ioan told The Daily Telegraph that he had sacrificed time with his family in order to take on the role.

'It's a big undertaking to leave one's family behind for so long,' he said.

'Clearly the script was a big incentive': In December 2017, Ioan told The Daily Telegraph that he had sacrificed time with his family in order to take on the role. Pictured: Ioan with his wife

However, Ioan insisted the quality of the script justified travelling all the way to Australia to film the project.

One of Ioan's most recent roles was in acclaimed British drama Liar, and the actor previously told Confidential the show's storytelling had him hooked.

'I read the first three scripts and I couldn't put them down,' he said.
She recently confessed that plastic surgery had 'f**ked up' her face.

And Katie Price, 39, has continued to discuss her cosmetic procedures in her usual self-deprecating humour following her plastic surgery admission earlier this month.

Speaking to This Morning correspondent Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo on Monday, the former glamour model joked that she had overdone Botox on her face as she appeared on the mid-morning stalwart.

Telling it how it is: Katie Price, 39, has continued to discuss her cosmetic procedures in her usual self-deprecating humour following her plastic surgery admission earlier this month Humour: Speaking to This Morning correspondent Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo on Monday, the former glamour model joked that she had overdone Botox on her face as she appeared on the mid-morning stalwart

The Loose Women panellist was being interviewed by the current Queen of the Jungle as she filmed a suspense-filled segment for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

As MIC's Toff attempted to find out who would make the best spy out of the famous faces that appeared alongside her, Katie quipped that she would because of cosmetic procedures.

Toff asked: 'Who would be the best spy out of you lot?' while Judy Murray, Christopher Biggins and Alan Shearer waited in the background.

Without hesitation, Katie cracked: 'I've had more Botox than hot dinners, my face doesn't say anything.'

Humour: Speaking to This Morning correspondent Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo on Monday, the former glamour model joked that she had overdone Botox on her face as she appeared on the mid-morning stalwart

Discussions: The Loose Women panellist was being interviewed by the current Queen of the Jungle as she filmed a suspense-filled segment for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

Her hilarious quip comes after she defiantly vowed to go under the knife once again to get her face re-corrected following the 'botched' surgery on Instagram earlier this month.

Katie shared a three-way split of pictures which showed the businesswoman getting pampered ahead of her face correction surgery.

She penned on Instagram: 'Love the girls here at @lastudio1 lashes hair relax getting me ready and pampered to now go and get my face re-corrected after surgeon has totally f***ed my face up.' (sic)

Despite being a fan of cosmetic enhancements, the mother-of-five previously admitted her surgery had gone 'wrong'.

Honest: As MIC's Toff attempted to find out who would make the best spy out of the famous faces that appeared alongside her, Katie quipped that she would because of cosmetic procedures

Frank: Without hesitation, Katie cracked: 'I've had more botox than hot dinners, my face doesn't say anything'

In recent weeks, Katie addressed the topic when she had a candid discussion with the Cambridge Union.

She told them: 'People have surgery to look like me even though my surgery went wrong and I'm getting it sorted on Wednesday.'

The businesswoman suffered from an unfortunate allergic reaction to penicillin which caused her face to swell after she got dental work done in a clinic in Turkey.

In November, Katie discussed her cosmetic surgery hell on Loose Women which she claimed left her 'ill for days'.

Can't put a Price on beauty: Katie (pictured in London, January 2018) confessed her plastic surgery 'f**ked up' her face as she vowed to go under the knife again

She said: 'I realised it was because I hadn't read the box, I'm allergic to penicillin and that's what I was taking.

'I was ill for days. I was crying and saying I couldn't go on air. Anyone who has any surgery - you don't just have the surgery and look great, it's always the in-between.'

In July, Katie underwent her very first facelift and proudly showcased the results of the 5,000 procedure, designed to boost sagging cheeks and jawlines, on Loose Women.

The pioneering new procedure called a 'Silhouette Face Lift' uses permanent surgical threads that remain in Katie's skin tissue. She'll also be able to have her face re-tightened every year for up to five years.

Busty pin-up: Glamorous Katie (pictured in Surrey, November 2008) has had a series of plastic surgery operations to enhance her looks

Moving on: The busty pin-up, 39, defiantly vowed to go under the knife once again to get her face re-corrected following the 'botched' surgery

Katie discussed her experience of plastic surgery during her stint on Loose Women at the time, revealing there was pressure to keep up with younger women.

KATIE'S SURGERY TIMELINE 1998: Aged 20 she had a breast augmentation going from a B cup to C cup. 1999: She had two surgeries in one year, going to a D cup, before later an ample F cup. 2006: After the birth of her three children, Harvey Price, now 15, Junior Andre, 12, Princess Tiaamii Andre, 10, Katie had another boob job taking her up to a G cup. 2007: Katie had rhinoplasty surgery but later said she liked her original nose. 2008: Katie expressed an interest in smaller breasts and went down to a 32C. 2012: After the breakdown of her marriages to Peter Andre and Alex Reid she went up to an F-cup. 2015: She announced she was having her breast implants removed and went au natural reducing them from a 32G to a natural 32B. 2016: Katie revealed her biggest implants yet when she revealed she had travelled to Belgium to go up to a 32GG. 2017: Along with the new silhouette facelift. Katie, who wears hair extensions and wigs has also had 3D liposuction, a bottom lift, veneers, lip fillers and Botox. Advertisement

She recalled: 'I know when I have too much lips [filler], when I see myself on TV and pictures and am like "Oh my God, I look like a duck".

Katie also admitted that her son Junior had warned her about having too much work done on her face.

The mother-of-five explained: 'This is what Junior said, "Mum you are so beautiful. Why did you have to have it done?" I was like, "I havent had that much done, Junior".

'And he said, "Mum, your eyebrows are fake, youve got fake eyelashes on, youve had your lips done, youve had your nose done, and your teeth. And now youve put these things in your face  why?" And I didnt have a comeback. Because hes actually right.'

Katie's facelift was the latest in a long line of cosmetic procedures, which began with the first of eight breast augmentations in 1998.

She's also undergone rhinoplasty, teeth veneers, bottom lifts, liposuction and has a regular Botox and dermal filler regime.

Back in 1996, Katie first rose to fame when she appeared as a Page 3 girl for The Sun at the tender age of 18.

Katie is mum to Harvey, 14, from her relationship with Dwight Yorke, and Junior, 11, and Princess, 9, from her marriage to Peter Andre, Jett, 4, and Bunny, 3, with husband Kieran Hayler, 30.

The brunette beauty adopted the alter ego Jordan when she posed for an array of topless shoots for lads' mags including Nuts, FHM and ZOO.

She went from a size 32B to a 32FF in her first breast augmentation and the model went onto have a further seven boob jobs, with her latest operation in 2017.

Then and now: The star sported a clearer complexion in the throwback image (right, February 2008) compared to her recent looks in January (left)
She usually slips her svelte physique into glamorous ensembles on the red carpet for her lead roles in major Hollywood films.

But Rachel Weisz kept it low-key as she embarked on a chilly walk with her son Henry Henry Aronofsky, 11, in London on Sunday.

The makeup-free star, 47, bundled up against the city's chilly climes in a padded parka coat and ribbed beanie hat.

Bearing the cold: Rachel Weisz kept it low-key as she embarked on a chilly walk with her son Henry Henry Aronofsky, 11, in London on Sunday

The Bourne Legacy actress showcased her fresh-faced complexion as she went make-up free for the casual outing.

Bearing the cold with her outerwear, the Mercy star teamed her cosy attire with a light brown scarf, mom jeans and crisp white trainers.

Henry - who Rachel shares with former beau Darren Aronofsky - also kept warm in a padded coat and a knitted bobble hat.

Casual: The screen star, 47, bundled up against the city's chilly climes in a padded parka coat and ribbed beanie hat, and went makeup-free for the outing

Rachel is married to Daniel Craig, who is the sixth actor to play the iconic spy James Bond.

The star recently waded into a debate over who should play the next 007 after Daniel's departure from the long-running franchise.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the actress said she doesn't believe a woman should pick up where Daniel will leave off, but should instead 'get their own stories'.

'Why not create your own story rather than jumping on to the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?

'Women are really fascinating and interesting and should get their own stories,'the star continued.

Discussing the heated debate, Rachel also applauded Bond author Ian Fleming for his work on the wildly successful lothario spy, having spent years crafting the character.

She said: (Fleming) devoted an awful lot of time to writing this particular character, who is particularly male and relates in a particular way to women'.
He is a rising star in the acting world after securing leading roles in the Star Wars franchise and upcoming movie Pacific Rim Uprising.

And John Boyega revealed the funny piece of advice from Robert Downey Jr. when he appeared on Australian broadcaster The Project in Sydney, Australia on Monday.

The 25-year-old Star Wars hunk confessed he almost crashed into a lorry when he received the call from the 52-year-old Iron Man actor while driving in London.

'I nearly crashed': Star Wars' John Boyega recalled Robert Downey Jr.'s hilarious advice  and how he's 'still working' on it when he appeared on The Project in Sydney on Monday

We speak to @JohnBoyega about filming #PacificRimUprising in Australia, one of the best pieces of advice Robert Downey Jr. gave him and how he feels about discussions surrounding #StarWars! #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/pjTpO7rgmq  The Project (@theprojecttv) February 26, 2018

'I nearly crashed into a lorry,' he told the television hosts. 'It was great, we were at the same agency at the time. I sent him an email asking him to give me a call with some advice.

'I'm driving in London and he called me. I dont have Americans calling me. He says, "Its Robert Downey Jr." Its iron man on the phone! He gave me some really good advice and its worked even until today.'

The young actor revealed the Hollywood star told him to 'party hard' but he confessed he is still 'working on it'.

Close bond: The 25-year-old Star Wars hunk confessed he almost crashed into a lorry when he received the call from the 52-year-old Iron Man actor while driving in London

John's latest project flew him to Sydney where he filmed upcoming American sci-fi action film Pacific Rim Uprising.

Pacific Rim Uprising, out in Australian cinemas in March 22, charts the story of Jake (Boyega) who leads a new generation of Jaeger pilots against a new Kaiju threat.

The Law & Order: UK star recalled the 'pretty intense' scenes where an explosion rips through the Australian capital.

'I'm still working on it': The young actor revealed the Hollywood star told him to 'party hard' but he confessed he is still 'working on it'

He joked: 'First of all I have to apologise to the residents of Sydney for all the buildings we destroyed. But everyone is evacuated in the story. It was pretty intense.'

The actor first found his feet in the Star Wars franchise in 2015's The Force Awakens as Finn and he went onto reprise his role in the 2017 movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Asked about his experience, he told the television hosts: 'No regrets working on Star Wars. It's a blessing and I really can't complain. They've got socks with my face on it!

'I don't know why but it's a shock. I haven't lived this famous life before, I appreciate it. It's pretty cool.'
Last week, they were seen putting on a loved-up display as they partied together at the BRIT Awards in London - ahead of jetting off for the IMRO Awards in Dublin.

And Courteney Cox, 53, and her rocker partner Johhny McDaid, 41, appear to be making the most of their time on the Emerald Isle, as the couple were reportedly spotted house-hunting in his native Derry, Northern Ireland, on Thursday.

According to Ireland's Sunday World, the American actress and her partner of more than three years eyed a property in the currently-under-construction exclusive gated Coralmount development, where homes start at 740,000.

Emerald Isle be there for you? Courteney Cox and her partner Johnny McDaid have reportedly been house-hunting in his native Derry, Northern Ireland. Pictured on Thursday

The six-house complex, which Taggart Homes is constructing, is said to be in such high demand that previews will be available solely on an invitation-only basis.

Former Friends star Courteney lives in Malibu, California, with her 13-year-old daughter Coco, from her marriage to David Arquette, and will potential enjoy a range of high-specification touches should she shell out for a home in the development.

Among the features included in the new properties - snapshots of which have been shared on Taggart Homes' Instagram account - are glittering crystal chandeliers, top-of-the-line kitchens with marble counter-tops and much-needed privacy.

Under construction: The couple are said to have eyed a property in the currently-under-construction exclusive gated Coralmount development, where homes start at 740,000

High demand: The six-house complex, which Taggart Homes is constructing, is said to be in such high demand that previews will be available solely on an invitation-only basis

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Courteney Cox and Johnny Mcaid for comment.

While it is not believed that Courteney has any plans to relocate to Northern Ireland on a permanent basis, it has been reported that both she and Johnny - who splits his time between London, Los Angeles and Derry - are willing to compromise.

A source told OK! of the couple, who briefly split in 2016: 'A permanent move is off the table. But Courteney is willing to spend more time in Ireland to make the relationship work. At this point she'll bend over backward to make Johnny happy.'

The pair jetted to the Emerald Isle as Johnny picked up the IMRO Outstanding Achievement Award at the esteemed ceremony at Dublin's Gibson Hotel.

Luxury features: Among the features of the homes are are glittering crystal chandeliers, top-of-the-line kitchens with marble counter-tops

Interior design: The coveted luxury homes will have a lot to live up to if they're to attract Courteney's eye, as the former Friends star is well known to be a fan of interior design

The pair's relaxed display came a day after they were spotted looking incredibly smitten during the BRITs as their pal Ed Sheeran picked up his Global Success accolade.

A source told MailOnline: 'Courteney and Johnny looked incredibly smitten after chatting to his industry pals at another table during the ad break.

'Johnny was very sweet trying to lead Courteney back to their table, stopping to give her kiss and wrap his arms around her as the show went live again.'

Apart from celebrating the Shape of You hitmaker's success, the couple have a lot to thank Ed for as he introduced them to each other in 2013 after he stayed at Courteney's Malibu beach house for free while writing his album X (multiply).

California: Courteney lives full-time in Malibu, California, with her 13-year-old daughter Coco

Love: It is believed that while the actress has no plans to permanently relocate to Northern Ireland, she and Johnny are more willing to compromise following their brief 2016 split

Johnny and the Scream actress were first linked in 2013 a number of months following her divorce from Hollywood actor David Arquette.

The pair got engaged in 2015 but briefly broke-up in December of that year after it was reported that the Snow Patrol musician wanted to move back to his native Northern Ireland.

However, after spending time together over Easter in 2016, the duo rekindled their romance and were said at the time to be open to renegotiating things.

'Being away from Johnny made Courteney realise how much she missed him,' a source told OK! magazine at the time.

Celebrations: Courteney and Johnny continued to make a glamorous appearance as they attended the IMRO Awards in Dublin, Ireland, on Thursday
She won a legion of new fans and critical acclaim for her portrayal of troubled GP Gemma Foster in BBC drama Doctor Foster.

But despite being one of the most recognisable faces on British television, Suranne Jones has admitted she can't bear to watch herself on the small screen.

The actress, 39, discussed the hotly-anticipated season three of the gripping thriller as she appeared on This Morning on Monday alongside hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

'I don't like looking at my face!': Despite being one of the most recognisable faces on British television, Suranne Jones has admitted she can't bear to watch herself on the small screen

While discussing whether she liked watching herself on TV, the BAFTA-winning star simply replied: 'Not particularly, because I don't like looking with my face'.

Looking ultra chic in a classic stripped jumper and leather skirt, Suranne touched upon her increasingly hectic schedule and whether or not she will return for a third season of Doctor Foster.

Creator of the drama, Mike Bartlett, already revealed that he has a story mapped out for another run, which will focus on the doctor's missing son Tom Foster.

But Suranne confessed that she is currently unsure if she can agree to another six episodes because she already has acting commitments she has agreed to.

Talented: The actress, 39, won a legion of new fans and critical acclaim for her portrayal of troubled GP Gemma Foster in BBC drama Doctor Foster (pictured)

Discussing the upcoming plans, Suranne said: 'I don't know. With Save Me also, there's room for more, Lennie has been saying he'd like to make a second one.

'Then I'm doing Gentleman Jack after finishing Frozen so I don't know.'

The former Coronation Street star will next be seen in actor and screenwriter Lennie James' missing child drama Save Me for Sky Atlantic, with plans for a second series already underway.

Suranne is also appearing in West End play Frozen and is due to start shooting Sally Wainwright's Gentleman Jack imminently.

Chatterbox: Suranne discussed season three of the gripping thriller as she appeared on This Morning on Monday alongside hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield

Stylish: Looking ultra chic in a classic stripped jumper and leather skirt, Suranne touched upon her increasingly hectic schedule and whether or not she will return for a third season

With her Doctor Foster revival still in question, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as she Suranne defiantly stated that she won't be moving to Los Angeles to try and make it in Hollywood.

When asked about a potential move Stateside, Suranne quickly retorted: 'No. So Gentleman Jack is HBO and BBC, this swash buckling woman.

'I will go over to promote, I want to do producing but I love here, my family and friends. I'm staying.'

The former soap star had intended to take a break from acting after making Doctor Foster but once she was sent the script for Save Me, her husband Laurence Akers knew immediately she wasn't going to say no to the job offer.

Busy: Suranne confessed that she is currently unsure if she can agree to another six episodes because she already has acting commitments she has agreed to

Suranne and Laurence have a one-year-old son together and she admitted she's has to make an effort to do things with her little boy because she's out of the home so much due to her long hours on stage in London's West End.

She shared: 'I'd finished Doctor Foster two and I planned a trip to LA and then I was gonna have a break but then this script came up and Lennie got in touch with me.

'First of all my husband rolls his eyes and then he goes, "You're doing it aren't you?" I'm in the theatre at the moment in Frozen, the West end keeps me away from the home.

'I get in really late from the West End. I get up really early now and I'm like a super-needy mum and I'm like, "Let's have breakfast and play games".

Fits of laughter: Seemingly having a great time on the daytime show, Suranna discussed her latest TV venture in Save Me

Suranne's appearance on the daytime show comes as the star recently revealed she would consider returning to the role of Karen McDonald on Coronation Street, after leaving the show in a dramatic showdown in 2004.

But there's a stipulation; it would have to be for charity.

'If it was for a good cause and we were going to raise a lot of money, Id definitely consider it for Comic Relief,' she told The Sun.

'I dont have time to keep up with Corrie but Im friends with Jennie McAlpine and Antony Cotton so I do catch up.
She is the doting mum of her six-year-old son Elijah.

But the roles were reversed when 26-year-old Alex Nation's little boy took off his mother's make-up in a sweet bedtime routine, in Australia on Sunday.

Via her Instagram stories, Elijah could be seen affectionately wiping off his mother's full face of cosmetics with a clean cloth.

'Don't forget mum': Alex Nation's caring son Elijah, 6, affectionately wiped off The Bachelor star's make-up in sweet bedtime routine, in Australia on Sunday

The little boy fixed his adoring eyes on his mother as he focused on the task at hand and made sure his reality star mum was ready for bed.

Elijah worked his magic when he removed his mother's heavy make-up and as a result, he hoped his mum would wake up fresh in the morning.

The mum revealed her Elijah had told her: 'Mum don't forget to take your make-up off or you'll sook in the morning.'

Happy days! Elijah worked his magic when he removed his mother's heavy make-up and as a result, he hoped his mum would wake up fresh in the morning

Adorable: Via her Instagram stories, Elijah could be seen affectionately wiping off his mother's full face of cosmetics with a clean cloth

The mother-of-one shares her son with her ex-husband Joel Porter, whom she was briefly married to after she gave birth to their child in 2011.

In June 2017, Alex gave intimate details into her friendly relationship with the father of her child when speaking to Daily Mail Australia.

'Joel and I will always have love for each other because we share a beautiful child. That will never go away,' she told us.

It's all relative! The little boy fixed his adoring eyes on his mother as he focused on the task at hand and made sure his reality star mum was ready for bed

Although the pair now 'co-parent beautifully together', she confessed it hasn't always been easy to maintain on friendly terms.

'We got married, we wanted to do everything right for our son but it ended up not being right for us as individuals,' she continued.

'There was a battle where we were asking ourselves, "Do you stick it out and not be with the one who is your soul mate?"

'There was a strain on us individually because you feel guilty for your child that you are separating.'

Cheeky side: Alex revealed Elijah had told her: 'Mum don't forget to take your make-up off or you'll sook in the morning.'

The winner of The Bachelor 2016 revealed her heart ached for her son when their relationship came to an end.

She added: 'It was tough. It wasn't hard so much on Elijah because he wasn't two yet. He didn't know and was none-the-wiser to what was going on.

'But it was more heartbreaking for Joel and I because of course we wanted to do everything right.

'In an ideal world, you want your child to grow up with an intact family, but two really happy and loving homes is better than one unhappy home.'

Backstory: The mother-of-one shares her son with her ex-husband Joel Porter, whom she was briefly married to after she gave birth to their child in 2011

Alex went onto secure the affections of Bachelor boyfriend Richie Strahan but their brief romance came to an end.

In December 2017, the reality star got engaged to Maegan Luxa after just three months as an item.

Things have moved very quickly for the high-profile couple since they met in August playing for the same AFL Women's team, the Frankston Bombers.

Just two days prior to their engagement announcement, Alex discussed moving in with Meagan and the day her partner met her son for the first time.

'I feel relieved that I can finally talk about it now,' she told the Herald Sun. 'As of the last few weeks we've lived together. It's been really nice. It just feels so good. Nothing forced or scary.
There was a muted response on Monday night after Sean Thomsen and Blair Rachael ended their relationship on Married At First Sight.

While the breakdown of other marriages have struck a chord with viewers, audiences hardly batted an eyelid as the low-profile couple parted ways.

In fact, the only attention the pair received on Twitter during the episode was mockery, as fans pointed out how thoroughly forgettable Sean and Blair were.

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'Who are Blair and Sean again?': Fans mocked the 'forgettable' MAFS couple after they left the show on Monday night - following rumours they were axed by producers 'for being too dull'

Ouch! The only attention the pair received on Twitter during the episode was mockery, as fans pointed out how thoroughly forgettable Sean and Blair were

One fan tweeted pointedly: 'Wait... who are Sean and Blair again?'

Just before Sean dumped Blair by announcing he had no feelings for her, viewers were already calling for them to be kicked off.

'Just cut Blair and Sean... beige doesn't begin to cut how boring they are' read one rather unflattering tweet.

'Holy s**t, boring': While the breakdown of other marriages have struck a chord with viewers, audiences hardly batted an eyelid as the low-profile couple parted ways

'We had to fast forward through all the Sean and Blair (is that right?) scenes, holy s**t boring,' wrote another fan.

And once the relationship was officially over, Married At First Sight fans couldn't resist making jokes at the former couple's expense.

'Sean and Blair were the "Casper couple", ghosts you only saw glimpses of every episode,' Talking Married host Shelly Horton tweeted.

Not popular: Once Sean and Blair's relationship was officially over, Married At First Sight fans couldn't resist making jokes at the former couple's expense

'Casper couple': Even Talking Married's Shelley Horton noted how little the couple appeared

The official account of bookmakers Ladbrokes also chimed in, tweeting: 'We'll never forget the five minutes of airtime that Sean and Blair gave us this series.'

Indeed, Sean and Blair had relatively little screen time on Married At First Sight this season - especially after Dean and Davina's affair started to steal the spotlight.

In an episode which aired two weeks ago, the couple appeared only once for eight seconds during the 90 minute show.

'We'll never forget the five minutes of airtime that Sean and Blair gave us this series': The official account of bookmakers Ladbrokes shared a sarcastic post about Sean and Blair

New Idea previously reported that Sean and Blair were accused of being 'too boring' and 'dull' and were given an ultimatum to 'create more drama' or leave the show.

'They hardly knew each other and the producers sat them down and said they were getting the boot because they were too dull,' an insider told the magazine.

The source claimed the couple had attempted to work with producers and were devastated by the news when 'they kicked them off anyway'.
Their daughter Kaia Gerber is currently in Milan, Italy for Fashion Week.

And Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber were spotted heading to dinner with pals in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The legendary supermodel, 52, flaunted her legs in fitted jeans, adding a white sweater and a cream jacket.

Good times: Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber were spotted heading to dinner with pals in Los Angeles on Sunday

Cindy, who celebrated her birthday on February 20, showed off her long legs in her light wash denim.

The trendy bottoms featured a skintight fit over her thighs with flared hemlines.

The model donned a classic white sweater with her neutral motorcycle jacket draped over her shoulders.

Cindy styled her hair loose with a slight wave, opting for just a touch of makeup.

Stunner: The legendary supermodel, 52, flaunted her legs in fitted jeans, adding a white sweater and a cream jacket

The cat walker finished off her dinner ensemble with cream heels.

Meanwhile her husband, Rande paired a black button up shirt with coordinating bottoms.

Cindy and Rande, a businessman, married in 1998 and are parents to two children.

Stylish: Cindy, who celebrated her birthday on February 20, showed off her long legs in her light wash denim

Their children Presley, 18, and Kaia, 16, are both models.

Kaia has a booming modeling career and is currently in Milan for Fashion Week; she also walked for shows in New York and Paris..

The teenager, who made her runway debut at the Calvin Klein show last year during NYFW, just walked in Versace's show on Saturday.

Good looking family: Their children Presley, 18, and Kaia, 16, are both models; seen in September 2017 in Paris at the Her Omega event
Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband Austin Forsyth have welcomed their first child.

The Counting On star gave birth to son Gideon on Friday. The little boy was born at 3:39 p.m., measuring 22 inches long and weighing 10 lbs., 3 oz.

'We are blessed beyond measure with the arrival of our son, Gideon Martyn Forsyth. Looking at our child for the first time was such an incredible moment! God is so good, and we are so thankful,' the couple told People.

Baby is here: Joy-Anna Duggar and her husband Austin Forsyth have welcomed her first child

Young newlyweds: Joy-Anna and Austin wed at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, in May after a three-month engagement

It is likely that she may have gotten pregnant on her wedding night, which was 36 weeks and five days ago. A full term pregnancy is 40 weeks.

RadarOnline claimed last year that she was pregnant before she was married, breaking the courtship principles the family holds so dear.

Eyebrows were also raised when Joy-Anna moved up her wedding date by several months. It was speculated she had to get married quickly before she started showing.

Joy-Anna, 20, and Austin, 24, wed in May 2017 at Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas.

They announced their pregnancy in August.

'Were so happy and thankful to announce that were expecting a baby!' Joy-Anna told People at the time. 'Every child is such a precious gift from God.'

Surprise: In August they revealed that they are expecting their first child together. 'Were so happy and thankful to announce that were expecting a baby!' Joy-Anna told People at the time. 'Every child is such a precious gift from God'

The Counting On star added: 'Im most looking forward to watching Austin as a dad and raising children together with him.'

The Duggar family also shared the exciting news on their website, writing: 'We are so blessed to share that Joy and Austin are expecting!

'We know they will be such wonderful parents! We can't wait to meet this little one!'

Joy-Anna met Austin when he moved to Arkansas and started attending the same church as her family.

Like his wife, Austin was raised in a strict Christian home, and the two were expected to abstain from sex before marriage and wait until their wedding day for their first kiss.

Abstinance: Joy-Anna and Austin were both raised in strict Christian homes, and the two were expected to wait until their wedding day for their first kiss

Jet setters: Following their honeymoon in Switzerland, the couple spend their one-month anniversary in Israel

The two were engaged for just three-months before they exchanged vows in front of their family and friends.

Following their wedding, Joy-Anna and Austin traveled to Switzerland for their honeymoon.

While sharing a scenic photo from their trip on Instagram, Joy-Anna wrote: 'Married life is going great, I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend. I can't wait to spread joy and the word of god to all of you out there.'

Joy-Anna shared photos of herself dirt bike riding with her husband on their joint Instagram account.

'I always love getting to do new things & go on new adventures with my man! #firsttimedirtbiking #loveyouforeverandalways,' Joy-Anna captioned the images.

Fun cravings: The star enjoyed ice cream from this bowl that read, 'Eating for two'

And Joy-Anna isn't the only Duggar who has a growing family.

Joy-Anna's older brother Josh Duggar and his wife Anna had their fifth child after a series of scandals, including serial infidelity and a stint in faith-based rehab.

Meanwhile, their sister Jill Duggar, 26, and her husband, Derick Dillard, welcomed their son Samuel Scott Dillard in 2017. He is the second child for the couple, who also has a two-year-old son named Israel.

Jessa Duggar, 24, shares two sons, Spurgeon and Henry, with her husband Ben Seewald, and Jinger Duggar, 23, tied the knot with Jeremy Vuolo last November.

Joy-Anna famously has 18 siblings, but when it comes to the size of her own family, she told People: 'We want as many [children] as the Lord thinks we can handle'.
She was spotted on the FROW at a number of high-profile catwalk shows in New York earlier this month.

And Rosie Huntington-Whiteley showed no signs of stopping on Monday, as she touched down in Paris for the fourth and final Fashion Week.

The model, 30, was classically chic in an all-black ensemble from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, complete with stiletto heels, as she headed out into the city from the Gare du Nord station.

Busy bee: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley touched down in Paris for the fourth and final Fashion Week on Monday, after hitting the FROW of a number of catwalk shows in New York

Stylish: The model, 30, was classically chic in an all-black ensemble from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, complete with stiletto heels, as she headed out into the city from the Gare du Nord station

The model was effortlessly stylish in a black jumper and shirt combo, layered beneath a smart suit jacket of matching hue.

Keeping co-ordinated from head to toe, the British beauty teamed the ensemble with skin-tight black trousers, which clung to her famously long and slender legs all the way down.

Splitting at the hem, the strides then gave a flash of her towering stiletto boots underneath, which stylishly laced up at the front.

All black everything: The model was effortlessly stylish in a black jumper and shirt combo, layered beneath a smart suit jacket of matching hue

While she maintained her glamorous appearance with tinted sunglasses, she layered a smart black coat on top of her look, to keep warm in the chilly Parisian climes.

She slicked her hair back into a low bun, and added a sweeping of bronzer and dark orange lip to accentuate her striking model features, as she headed out for the day.

Rosie has jetted to Paris for its annual Fashion Week, after she was spotted on the FROW of several high-profile catwalk shows in New York earlier this month.

Legs for days: Keeping co-ordinated from head to toe, the British beauty teamed the ensemble with skin-tight black trousers, which clung to her long and slender legs all the way down

Cosy: While she maintained her glamorous appearance with tinted sunglasses, she layered a smart black coat on top of her look, to keep warm in the chilly Parisian climes

Parisian chic: Rosie looked leggy in her all-black ensemble as she strutted along

Vamp: The blonde beauty showed off her beautiful bone structure as she walked along

The beauty is one of the biggest faces in the industry, having made her catwalk debut at Fashion Week in 2004.

Despite taking a year off to care for her son, the former Victoria's Secret Angel landed in fifth place on Forbes' annual list of the world's best-paid supermodels in November - with earnings of a staggering $9.5 million in just 12 months.

Rosie welcomed her first child, a son called Jack, with her fiance Jason Statham in June 2017.

Stunning: She slicked her hair back into a low bun, and added a sweeping of bronzer and dark orange lip to accentuate her striking model features, as she headed out for the day

Leggy display: Rosie showcased her trim physique in the designer ensemble

Futuristic: Rosie covered her sparkling peepers behind futuristic shades as she walked along

Statuesque: The mother of one positively sizzled in her chic black ensemble

The Marks & Spencer lingerie model and designer has been dating action star fiance Jason, 50, for seven years.

However, the good-looking pair are yet to tie the knot, despite announcing their engagement in January 2016.

Rosie recently gushed of the actor's natural knack with Jack last month, telling Harper's Bazaar: 'He really is the best dad. I cant even put it into words... Its really a beautiful thing to watch.
Erinsborough residents got the shock of their lives after the return of Izzy Hoyland and much to Susan Kennedys dismay, Neighbours spoilers reveal that she could be pregnant with Karl Kennedys baby.

Izzys dramatic return to Ramsay Street was left unexplained for a number of weeks but all was revealed when she asked Karl Kennedy to father her child. Karl, left speechless, considered the prospect and before he could speak to her, Susan found the mysterious red folder containing all of Izzys pregnancy notes.

Izzy Hoyland, much to Susan Kennedys dismay, could be pregnant with Karl Kennedys baby

As a result, Susan gives her husband Karl an ultimatum and says that if he decides to have a baby with his ex, their marriage will be over. However, Karls concerns lie in the new hospital wing that Izzy has funded and is expected to be named after him and chooses to visit her in her hotel room to avoid being blackmailed.

Izzy, who is obviously up to no good, is on the verge of seducing Mark Brennan in order to make Karl jealous in her room. Dr. Kennedy catches them in the act and storms off, also leaving their daughter Holly annoyed at her mother and the situation.

Is Izzy pregnant with Karls baby?

Izzy hears talk of Karl having taken part in fertility trials at the hospital and sneaks into the lab to steal a test tube with the doctors name written on it. The next day, Holly finds the empty vial in her mothers makeup bag and realises what Izzy has done.

She is left in an awkward predicament and is forced to decide whether to protect one parent or be honest with the other. Whether Izzy is pregnant or not remains to be seen, but one thing that is for sure, Susan is not going to be happy if she is. The pregnancy could result in Karl and Susans marriage being in trouble yet again because of Izzy.

The pregnancy could result in Karl and Susans marriage being in trouble again because of Izzy

Will Mark give Paige another chance after her affair?

Mark Brennan has also been involved in his own scandal as he and Steph Scully found out about the betrayal of their partners while on a couple's camping trip. While Paige pleaded with Mark, Steph was not prepared to give Jack a second chance and trashed his bedroom when back in Erinsborough.

Stephs anger results in her visa application to visit her son in Fiji being denied and leaves Jack confessing his love for Paige, thinking he will be reunited with her. But these hopes are dashed after he realises she asked Mark to take her back.

Will Piper forgive Terese for turning her into the police?

Terese Willis was forced to confess her big secret this week after seeing how Xanthe was feeling being blamed for turning both Piper and Tyler into the police.

Despite her mothers honesty, Piper blamed Terese for Tyler being in prison and decided to leave home having told her that she would not be seeing her again.

Will Rafael Humphreys expose Paul Robinson?

A surprise date with David Tanaka puts a pause in Rafaels plan for revenge against Paul and, in order to focus, Rafael dumps David, leaving the latter confused.

Mishti also catches Rafael breaking into Pauls building site and he is forced to reveal why he is actually in Erinsborough: the factory fire in Brazil that killed his mother and for which he holds Paul responsible as the owner of the building.

How to watch Neighbours

In the UK, Neighbours is aired weekdays on Channel 5 at 1:45pm and again at 5:30pm. It is approximately four weeks behind the Australian showing.

Australians can catch Neighbours every weeknight at 6:30pm on ELEVEN.
She has been treating her 1.2million Instagram followers to a series of sun-drenched snaps during her Turkey getaway.

And Chloe Khan set pulses racing again on Sunday as she showed off her surgically-enhanced figure in a steamy bedroom selfie.

The television personality, 26, was scantily clad in an off-the-shoulder gold crop top and a matching thong.

Saucy: Chloe Khan set pulses racing as she showed off her surgically-enhanced figure in a steamy bedroom selfie she posted to Instagram on Sunday

Seductively posing in her hotel room, Chloe proudly flaunted her eye-popping cleavage and taut stomach in the racy nightwear.

She tied her long brunette tresses back into a high ponytail and amped up the glamour with dramatic eyelashes, heavily-contoured cheeks and a slick of nude lipstick.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star simply captioned the shot: 'Goodnight'.

Racy display: Chloe hasn't been afraid to make the most of the sunny climes during her idyllic getaway, donning a number of skimpy bikinis

Chloe hasn't been afraid to make the most of the sunny climes during her idyllic getaway, donning a number of skimpy bikinis.

In one sizzling snap, the busty star slipped into a plunging white swimsuit which put her 32HH breast implants on full display.

The Playboy star, who has previously revealed she spent 100,000 on surgery, looked like she could be going under the knife again as she tagged a cosmetic surgery on one Instagram post.

Chloe recently came under fire when fans suggested she doesn't maintain her surgically-enhanced figure.

The Celebrity Big Brother star hit back at online trolls when she shared a very racy video on Instagram.

The mother-of-one, who has widely discussed her plastic surgery habits, insisted her incredibly tiny honed waistline was the fruits of her fitness labours.

Busty beauty: Chloe recently came under fire when fans suggested she doesn't maintain her 100,000 surgically-enhanced figure

Addressing her followers, she said: 'Wobbly door frame ? B***H WHERE just because someones had a surgery does not mean they dont kain the gym everyday and just because someone Kains the gym everyday dont mean they havent had a surgery.

'I know so many fitness models / gym guru that have had bbl with my surgeon who will sware on everything they are natural and I dont blame them tbh because the hate is real . No drama anyway just saying.' (sic)

The Instagram star has extensively discussed her experiences, the good and bad, of going under the knife.

Earlier in February, Chloe came to blows with Aisleyne-Horgan Wallace when she was slammed for advertising procedures in order to get them for free.

Regrets: The Instagram star has extensively discussed her experiences, the good and bad, of going under the knife

The stars appeared on the show to debate whether the NHS should fund the cost of corrective procedures to botched surgeries carried out abroad.

Chloe expressed her opinions fans should fund their own repairs while Aisleyne claimed everyone should be able to use the NHS for this.

Aisleyne said: 'People don't go abroad and think, I'm going to have real bad problems when I come back, I'm going to have to turn to the NHS.'

Chloe hit back: 'Do you not think that people should take responsibility for a choice, if you have surgery, it's your choice, you're taking a risk, you know that.

'I myself have had a very bad cosmetic surgery and I would never dream of looking to someone else to pay for it. It was abroad.'
It was the TV moment which shocked audiences.

And despite speculation that Married At First Sight's Dean Wells and Davina Rankin may have received a financial incentive to cheat on their partners, the show's producer has denied that was the case.

MAFS executive producer Tara Williams told The New Daily this week that the pair were not paid to have an affair, explaining that had simply told producers 'there was an attraction'.

'They came to us and told us there was an attraction': Married At First Sight producer reveals whether Davina and Dean were paid to have an affair ... and why the series is so popular

Tara laughed off speculation Dean and Davina were paid to cheat, saying: 'I heard a rumour we paid them to have an affair, if only my job was that easy.'

Instead, Dean and Davina had gone to producers and explained they had wanted to explore a relationship between each other.

'They came to us and told us there was an attraction, we purely followed it,' Tara told the publication.

Not true: Tara laughed off rumours Dean and Davina were paid to cheat, saying: 'I heard a rumour we paid them to have an affair, if only my job was that easy'

Told the show's creators: Dean and Davina had gone to producers and explained they had wanted to explore a relationship between each other

More than 2.6 million viewers tuned into Married At First Sight on Sunday night, the highest ratings in the show's five season history.

Tara said the show's success this year is down to giving viewers an inside look at something that happens everyday.

'With the affair, theres nothing earth shattering happening but the interesting thing is you never get to see how an affair plays out, youre never privy to it,' she told The New Daily.

'The interesting thing is you never get to see how an affair plays out': Tara said the show's success this year is down to giving viewers an inside look at something that happens everyday

Left the series: Davina has since opted to leave Married At First Sight

Tara has previously defended casting Dean on the show, saying that it even though his views about women were 'controversial' and 'interesting'.

'They're controversial views. And if everyone had the same kind of view on relationships, it'd be a really boring experiment and a really boring show,' she told Talking Married.

Meanwhile, Married At First Sight psychologist John Aiken has defended his decision not to interfere in Dean and Davina's affair.

He told TV WEEK they didn't stop them because 'it's not their job to do so', adding that all the couples have 'have round-the-clock psychologists to look after them'.
He's previously been linked with Dancing With The Stars regular Peta Murgatroyd.

But on Monday, Fifty Shades Freed actor Brant Daugherty, 32, revealed on Instagram that he'd proposed to actress Kim Hildalgo during a romantic trip to Amsterdam.

'I asked her to marry me! More importantly, she said yes,' wrote the Pretty Little Liars vet.

'Sucker': On Monday, actor Brant Daugherty, 32, revealed on Instagram that he'd proposed to actress Kim Hildalgo during a romantic trip to Amsterdam

In an amusing post, the hunk added: 'Now shes stuck with me forever. Sucker.'

In a series of photos shared by the actor, his actress/realtor fiance shows off the rock on her finger.

In one pic she expresses apparent shock over the proposal.

OMG: In a series of photos shared by the actor, his actress/realtor fiance shows off the rock on her finger

On her own Instagram account, Hidalgo reposted one of the photos and captioned it: 'Ok @brantdaugherty, I'll marry you.'

The loved-up couple had been visiting Amsterdam when the proposal took place.

On the actress' Instagram page, she shared several pictures of herself touring the scenic European city.

The couple celebrated their one year anniversary last October, according to E! News.

Box office gold: The actor plays Sawyer in the smash hit Fifty Shades Freed. Pictured here with Dakota Johnson

Picture perfect: The loved-up couple had been visiting Amsterdam when the proposal took place
If you havent heard of Safaree Samuels yet, now might be a good time to get acquainted.

A nude photo and accompanying video, believed to be of Nicki Minajs ex-boyfriend, began circulating online on Sunday, February 26, 2018. The elicit imagery, along with fans reactions to them, were still the talk of the timeline throughout much of Monday. While Safaree has neither commented on nor confirmed hes the man pictured, the Twitter-verse seemed content to let their imaginations wander.

Social media users began using GIFs to express the utter shock and, in some cases, sheer joy theyd experienced upon viewing the formerly-private snapshots. One user joked, Suddenly Im a Safaree stan. Another apologized for not giving him enough, if any, credit in the past writing: Im sorry for roasting you Safaree I didnt know, WE didnt know.

Safaree Samuels, Nicki Minaj's ex-boyfriend, is believed to be the latest nude leak victim

While many of the reactions were light-hearted and fun, some Twitter users couldnt help but point out the harsh realities. One person tweeted a not-so-subtle reminder that the invasion of Safarees privacy to leak the photos, if they are in fact of him, is also considered revenge porn. Another pointed out the stark differences in the reaction to Safarees leaked nudes and Blac Chynas alleged sex tape.

Blac Chynas nudes and sex vid get leaked in a revenge plot and you guys call her and unfit mother and a hoe. Safaree pics get leaked and youre all frothing at the mouth. These double standards are getting tiring, respect peoples privacy and grow up, the tweet read.

So what do you need to know about Safaree Samuels?

Who is Nicki Minajs ex Safaree Samuels?

Safaree Lloyd Samuels was born July 4, 1981 in Brooklyn, New York. He is a rapper, songwriter and TV personality known to most for his lengthy relationship to Nicki Minaj. The pair dated for close to 12 years before deciding to go their separate ways.

When Safaree got on them grey sweats. pic.twitter.com/KEGc7u6wOf  Pour dehlammmm on tha breeeeze (@muhfcknDJANIEL) February 26, 2018

Safaree Samuelss net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Safaree Samuelss net worth is $2 million. He makes most of his money from his appearances on Love & Hip Hop. He started on the shows Hollywood franchise, but has since returned home to New York City where hell join the Love & Hip Hop: New York series.

Nicki Minaj probably DMd Safaree like hey bighead    (@Leeana2brazy) February 26, 2018

Safaree also makes money from music, though its unclear how much. He was the co-executive producer on Nicki Minajs Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Hes also released music of his own.

Blac Chynas nudes and sex vid get leaked in a revenge plot and you guys call her an unfit mother and a hoe. Safaree pics get leaked and youre all frothing at the mouth. These double standards are getting tiring, respect peoples privacy and grow up  Floyd Mayweather (@bitterarab) February 26, 2018

When did Safaree Samuels and Nicki Minaj break up?

When Nicki Minaj and Safaree Samuelss relationship ended, Safaree claimed he decided to walk away, though he wouldnt take credit for having dumped Nicki. He told Power 105.1s The Breakfast Club he reached his breaking point in the relationship after some time of being treated like staff, rather than a romantic partner.

I walked away. Im not going to say I broke up, but Im the one who walked away. I packed up my stuff and I left, he said (via E! Online).

I just got to the point where the respect wasnt there, Safaree continued. Everyone around her works for her, you know? So it got to the point where it was like, "Im your man. Im who you go to sleep with every night. Im who you wake up with every morning." And it got to the point where I was being treated like an employee, instead of like her man.

Safaree challenge

In the wake of the nude photo and video leak, a viral challenge called the Safaree challenge has emerged online. As part of the challenge, social media users are emulating the moves seen in Safarees nude video and posting the results online.
It's the controversial dating reality series that's seen contestants struggle with intimacy issues.

But on Tuesday's Kyle and Jackie O Show, Nasser Sultan claimed that every 'husband' and 'wife' has gotten hot and heavy.

Quizzed by Jackie O Henderson on whether every couple has had sex, the 50-year-old fitness instructor responded: '[Well] it is called a honeymoon!'

'Well it is called a honeymoon!' Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan, 50, claimed on Tuesday's Kyle and Jackie O radio show, that every couple has had sex

'You had sex on the honeymoon, did you?' Jackie asked Nasser, to which he quipped: 'Yes. I think everyone had sex on the honeymoon.'

Probed further by co-host Kyle Sandilands, Nasser continued: '[Well] it's called a honeymoon!'

The self-professed clean freak went on to explain that after having sex with 'TV wife' Gabrielle Bartlett on their honeymoon, the passion soon died.

Hot and heavy? 'You had sex on the honeymoon, did you?' Jackie asked Nasser, to which he quipped: 'Yes. I think everyone had sex on the honeymoon.' Pictured are co-stars Ashley Irvin and Troy Delmege

'We came back and we sort of had like a limbo type week,' Nasser admitted.

Meanwhile Sarah Roza and Telv Williams have not confessed to doing the deed, instead only admitting to having shared PG-rated moments.

'We've done a lot of kissing, a lot of cuddling and a lot of spooning,' Telv said in a previous episode.

Not kissing and telling? Meanwhile Sarah Roza and Telv Williams have not confessed to doing the deed, instead only admitting to having shared PG-rated moments

'What did we call it before? Agressive snuggling. We haven't hit the home run yet,' he added.

While for Tracey Jewel and Dean Wells, the couple admitted to having sex early on in their 'marriage', weeks before the cheating scandal with fellow co-star Davina Rankin unfolded.

The pair have since opened up on their turbulent relationship, with Tracey admitting that Dean 'is not a romantic guy.'

Frisky: While for Tracey Jewel and Dean Wells, the couple admitted to having sex early on in their 'marriage', weeks before the cheating scandal with fellow co-star Davina Rankin unfolded
Khloe Kardashian has big news to share.

The pregnant 33-year-old beauty reveals the gender of her baby to sisters Kim and Kourtney in a teaser for Sunday's new installment of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Also present is her sister Kim as they lounge at the Fairmont hotel during a quick trip to San Francisco.

Scroll down for video

Here it goes: Khloe Kardashian has big news to share. The pregnant 33-year-old beauty reveals the gender of her baby to sisters Kim and Kourtney in a teaser for Sunday's new installment of Keeping Up With The Kardashians .

Happy for her: Also present is her sister Kim as they lounge at the Fairmont hotel during a quick trip to San Francisco

The episode is the season finale.

Khloe is makeup free and sitting on a bed when she says to her two sisters, 'Do you want to know what Im having?'

'Im shocked,' says Kourtney, 38.

Then Kourtney and Kim go over to the Revenge Body star for a big group hug.

Her reaction: Khloe is makeup free and sitting on a bed when she says to her two sisters, 'Do you want to know what Im having?' 'Im shocked,' says Kourtney, 38

Though the gender is not revealed in the short clip, People has reported the beauty is having a boy.

The father is NBA star Tristan Thompson, 26, and Khloe is due in late March.

Also in the teaser, Kim seems put off that her surrogate is also in town.

Sweet sisters: Then Kourtney and Kim go over to the Revenge Body star for a big group hug

And Kourtney is seen telling her ex Scott Disick, with whom she has three children, they need to set 'boundaries.'

During the last episode of KUWTK, Khloe said she planned to follow Kim's example and eat her baby's placenta.

'He's so happy and so excitedhe makes it, more fun,' she said, while noting that she felt no need to get married to him right away.

Anxious? Also in the teaser, Kim seems put off that her surrogate is also in town

Ouch: And Kourtney is seen telling her ex Scott Disick, with whom she has three children, they need to set 'boundaries'

'I was married before and it didn't do anything for me. I'm in a good, healthy relationship,' she smiled.

Khloe revealed that she would have the baby in Cleveland and then ingest the umbilical chord just like her sister Kim.

'I'm going to eat it in pills,' she told Kim.

'My placenta was like double the size, it was really oddly big, so she gave me two jars,' recalled Kim, as Khloe grimaced.

Placenta plans: Khloe revealed during Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians that she plans to eat her baby's placenta

The man in her life: The baby daddy is NBA star Tristan Thompson; seen in mid February

Kim said she opted for 'grape flavor' in her 'picked placenta'.

'Ewwww,' squealed Khloe, who was eating a salad during their conversation.

'I really can't deal with that belly button, placenta thing,' she cringed.

Family tradition: Kim Kardashian previously ate her newborn's placenta

'It's so nasty, I can't take it,' agreed Kim.

An ultrasound revealed that the fetus was five inches long and that Khloe was safely into her second trimester.

Khloe said Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan was hoping for a boy.

Second trimester: An ultrasound showed that Khloe's pregnancy was going along fine

'I'm just like ''don't put that pressure on me'' you did this,' she joked.

As Khloe took on a challenging jigsaw puzzle, she and Kim learned that news had leaked about Khloe pregnancy.

'I hate that everyone is prying and so nosy, it's super frustrating,' Khloe complained.

Jigsaw puzzle: Khloe has been working on a huge jigsaw puzzle

'It's almost like we're not entitled to privacy,' balked Kim.

Khloe was feeling sick and bleeding 'from the outside' of her vagina from progesterone supplementation.

'This is not funand now my vagina hurts, I can barely walk,' she moaned.

Not fun: The 33-year-old also was complaining of feeling sick

Meanwhile, Kim was worried she might not 'care as much' after the surrogate gave birth to her child.

'I still would have rather done it myself,' she told Khloe.

Kourtney also explored the option of freezing her eggs for a fourth child in the future.

Candid conversation: Kim admitted that she'd rather carry her third child herself than via a surrogate

'I don't know what I want what if I am in love and the person wants to have a kid?' pondered the 38-year-old who is dating a much younger male model.

The doctor demonstrated the procedure with candy.

'Does it make you fat?' she asked cautiously.

Fertility doctor: A fertility doctor advised Kourtney who was considering more children

Kourtney remained coy about who the father might be.

'I'm not choosing from a lab, I have real prospects,' she said.

'I don't feel like I'm done having kids in life,' she added.

Her friends speculated that she was doing it because she was 'dating a younger man'.

'Take advantage of the technology,' advised her 62-year-old 'momager' Kris Jenner.

'I don't think I'm going to do it right now,' decided Kourtney, who said she would revisit the idea in 'a few months'.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians are on on Sundays at 9pm on E!

Available to stream in the UK & Ireland Mondays on hayu.
He's the Melbourne-based socialite who shot to fame on social media for his numerous selfies.

The Instagram king often raves about his love of fake tan and recently apologised for influencing fans to get cosmetic work done.

In December, he marked Australia legalising same-sex marriage by making a public proposal to HIMSELF on Instagram.

Guess who! He's Australia's selfie-king who has gained a legion of fans on social media, but can you guess who he is in this 2010 throwback snap?

And, he went shirtless at the ARIA Awards.

Have you guessed it yet?

If you guessed selfie king Kurt Coleman then then you'd be correct.

Years gone by! This isn't the first throwback snap the fashionisto has shared

Taking to Instagram on Monday, the 21-year-old tireless self-promoter shared this snap of himself as a teen taken in 2010.

Despite being known for his love of outrageous style, a youthful Kurt appears to be wearing his school uniform in the close-up snap.

Often encouraging fans to love themselves, the prolific fake tanner showed some self-love in the caption.

Guessed right? Yes, it's the selfie king himself Kurt Coleman, 21, who shared the cutesy throwback to his Instagram page on Monday

'Wassup from 2010,' he said, his frosted tips clear in snap. 'Always been a cutie.'

On Instagram, a number of the social media star's fans gushed over the post, with one of his followers writing 'stunning babe...' and another adding, 'So cute.'

Recently, complexion-obsessed Kurt revealed another facial transformation shot to his 149,000 followers.

Social media star: A fan of cosmetic procedures, Kurt has gained an army of followers since joining Instagram, with 149,000 to date

Sending love! The social media star regularly encourages his followers to display more self-confidence and self-acceptance

However, instead of cosmetic procedures, he encouraged them to take care of their visage, touting the benefits of flatter, smoother skin.

He wrote: 'After years of taking care of my skin, it's so much flatter and smooth, just better quality.

'Ps this is taken on the same camera and everything... so you can see how much better your skin goes if you actually take care.'
Kim Kardashian has finally debuted a photo of her third child, daughter Chicago.

The 37-year-old reality TV star shared a sweet image to Instagram where she was holding the little girl, born on January 15.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star added a filter with pink round ears and a white nose as she captioned the image, 'Baby Chicago.'

Here she is! Kim Kardashian has finally debuted a photo of her third child, daughter Chicago

Kim wore a white robe and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail as she puckered up for the camera.

Little Chicago had on a white top with a burping cloth around her neck. She already has a good head of hair and long eyelashes just like mom.

A swaddled Chicago was already seen in Kylie Jenner's 11-minute baby reveal video shared on Super Bowl Sunday. But her face could not be seen.

Love at first sight! A swaddled Chicago was already seen in Kylie Jenner's 11-minute baby reveal video shared on Super Bowl Sunday. But her face could not be seen

Kim and husband Kanye West already have daughter North, aged four, and son Saint, aged two.

Their first photos were very different as neither had a filter on them.

West shared the first glimpse of North when she was 10 weeks old, unveiling a candid shot of the baby girl looking over her moms shoulder on the Kris Jenner Show in August 2013.

Their first photos: West shared the first glimpse of North when she was 10 weeks old. And Kim posted this photo of Saint when he was three months old

Baby Chi: Chicago was the only one to get a filter with ears and a little nose

Saints first photo was shared when he was three months old, when Kim showed him in a onesie while asleep.

This comes after Sunday's episode of KUWTK where she said she's been over the moon since welcoming Chicago.

But the star confessed she was anxious that she might 'not care as much' about the little one.

During the conversation recorded last fall, the social media starlet reassured herself everything would be the same, explaining: 'Everyone says it's like no different' to her sister Khloe.

Before the big news! Kim with husband Kanye West in LA on January 12, just three days before Chicago was born

Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during her chat with her younger sis, who is currently expecting her very first child with fiance Tristan Thompson.

'Even though I will appreciate not having to gain the weight and then lose the weightI so would have rather have done it on my own,' Kim said.

The 5foot3 star gained 52 lbs during her first pregnancy and 60 while expecting son Saint, hence her apprehension about the extra baby weight.

She continued, admitting she was worried she would feel differently about this little one than their two older siblings.

What's on your mind? Kardashian admitted she was worried she 'might not care as much' about her third baby during a chat with sister Khloe on Keeping Up With The Kardashians

'I just hope I care as mucheveryone says its like no different,' the star confessed.

All things considered, Kim told sister Khloe: 'I still would have rather done it myself.'

It appears that Kim's worries were nothing to lose sleep over, though.

Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday on Twitter after a fan asked 'How is Chi doing?'

Ups and downs: Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during a talk with her younger sis Khloe, who is currently expecting her very first child with beau Tristan Thompson

New: Also on Monday, a new teaser for KUWTK aired. In it, Kim is heard saying during her San Francisco trip with Khloe and Kourtney that her surrogate is 'in town'

The reality star replied: 'The sweetest! Best baby! She looks a tiny bit like North and a tiny bit like Saint but definitely her own person!'

Also on Monday, a new teaser for KUWTK aired. In it, Kim is heard saying during her San Francisco trip with Khloe and Kourtney that her surrogate is 'in town.'

Season 14 of KUWTK continues next Sunday on E!

On Saturday, Kim shared: 'One of the rules I have about being present with my kids is I don't have my phone when Im with them.'

Oh baby! Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday, telling fans she's 'the sweetest'

She made the statement at Los Angeles' Create And Cultivate conference while speaking to Allison Statter, People reported.

'So, like story time at night, in the mornings getting ready, I just dont have my phone,' explained Kim.

'Obviously, that is whats going to come with their lives and I cant imagine what its like growing up in a world with social media as a young teenager.

'I want my kids to see the separation and to feel the difference and know that there is a time and a place for that. So Im really cautious when Im at home with my phones and just being super present.'

Fine dining: On Monday evening, Kanye was spotted dining with fellow hip-hop star Nas at Nobu in Malibu, California
Kyle Sandilands was dancing around the topic for the entire interview.

And then right at the end of the KIIS FM shock-jock's chat with Married At First Sight's non-intimate Nasser Sultan and Gabrielle Bartlett, he flat-out asked.

'A lot of my gay friends are saying, "he's gay, that Nasser, you're gay"... They want you to be gay!' he finally said.

'I live in the gay community': MAFS' Nasser Sultan denies being homosexual in tell-all radio interview but says 'If I was, I'd 100% be a rock star'

Kyle said when he found out Nasser 'Lives in (Sydney's) Surry Hills and never lived with a woman,' all of the radio host's gay friends thought he was '100% gay'.

Nasser was flattered, but ultimately revealed: 'I am 110% not gay.'

He added: 'I live in the gay community, trust me,' implying he gets a lot of attention from homosexual men.

'If I was gay, I'd be a rock star!' he said, 'If I was gay I'd live the lifestyle of it.'

Kyle Sandilands was dancing around the topic for the entire interview, but eventually asked: 'A lot of my gay friends are saying, "he's gay, that Nasser, you're gay"... They want you to be gay!'

'110%': Nasser was flattered, but ultimately revealed: 'I am 110% not gay.' 'I live in the gay community, trust me' before implying he gets a lot of attention from homosexual men

Nasser insisted that if he was gay, he wouldn't be the kind of person to hide it, but can guarantee '100-million percent,' that he is straight.

It appeared to put an end to Kyle, his radio co-host Jackie O Henderson, and their homosexual 'intern' Pete's doubts.

The line of questioning began when the interview landed on the topic of Nasser and Gabrielle's apparent lack of intimacy on the show.

Rock star! 'If I was gay, I'd be a rock star!' he said, 'If I was gay I'd live the lifestyle of it,' he said, insisted he wouldn't be the kind of person to stay in the closet

Or, as Kyle framed it to Gabrielle: 'When's the last time you saw Nass nude, with the Willy out and everything?'

'We were very free and easy when we were living together,' she said, implying they'd certainly seen each other nude on multiple occasions.

But in the end, 'We were kinda like a married couple who'd been there for 30 years,' she said.

'Was it not a great? (the sex) Was there something odd about it?' Kyle asked.

No spark: His denial came after Kyle probed: 'A lot of people were wondering why the chemistry hasn't sparked... Gabbie, you look like you want to say something?'

'A lot of people were wondering why the chemistry hasn't sparked, but hey, only you two know the answer to that'.

Kyle then probed 'Gabby, you look like you want to say something?'

She replied: 'I'm very philosophical about my experience with all of it.''

'Philosophical': She replied: 'I'm very philosophical about my experience with all of it'

Nasser added: 'honestly, there's so much pressure, you know, you're getting filmed and there's 12-hour days and you're getting pulled...'

Kyle interrupted: 'But you're not getting pulled, that's the problem!'

The reports follow the couple's emotional commitment ceremony on Sunday night, where Nasser revealed he didn't feel any sexual attraction towards his wife - despite the fact that they slept together on their honeymoon.

'You're getting pulled': Nasser added: 'honestly, there's so much pressure, you know, you're getting filmed and there's 12-hour days and you're getting pulled...'

'I'm in the friend zone, physically and sexually,' he told the relationship experts.

Nasser continued: 'I mean, I respect Gabby but just that part of it... it's just, I'm stuck.

'At the moment, I have no sexual connection.'
She's famed for her stunning looks and hourglass curves.

And Daisy Lowe flaunted her sensational figure as she made a glamorous appearance at the launch of Bob Roth's book Strength In Stillness held at London's Wellington Arch on Monday.

The 29-year-old model flashed a glimpse of her toned abs and slender midriff in a azure cropped sweater as she posed up a storm at the glittering event.

Ab envy: Daisy Lowe flaunted her sensational figure as she made a glamorous appearance at the launch of Bob Roth's book Strength In Stillness held at London's Wellington Arch on Monday

Further flattering her gym-honed physique, the star slipped on a pair of high-waisted black slacks, which hugged her curves before flowing into flared trousers.

Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight and parted in the middle while her pretty features were enhanced with feline flicks of liner and fluttery lashes, paired with a coral gloss.

Cracking a radiant smile, the stylish former Strictly Come Dancing star accessorised with a leather clutch bag while guests sipped on Paul McCarthys Margarita served with Casamigos Tequila.

Famous friends: The 29-year-old model flashed a glimpse of her toned abs and slender midriff in a azure cropped sweater as she posed with Mary McCartney

Glowing: Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight and parted in the middle while her pretty features were enhanced with feline flicks of liner and fluttery lashes, paired with a coral gloss

Chic: Further flattering her gym-honed physique, the star slipped on a pair of high-waisted black slacks, which hugged her curves before flowing into flared trousers (above with Transcendental Meditation expert and author Bob Roth)

The fashionista flew solo at the event, after a number of outings with artist boyfriend John Leigh in recent weeks.

The pair were introduced by Daisy's rocker-turned-artist mother Pearl last year, and have been spotted stepping out together on a number occasions.

A source told The Mirror late last year: 'It has been a while since Daisy had a serious boyfriend and she has grown really close to John.

Power players: The star-studded event was hosted by fashion designer Stella McCartney, 46, and Hollywood actress Liv Tyler, 40 who sported sartorially savvy ensembles for the occasion

Elegant: Lord of the Rings star Liv dressed to impress in a formal royal blue trousersuit, while flashing her cleavage in a lacy black slip underneath

Best pals: The pals put on an affectionate display for the cameras with Stella planting a playful kiss on Liv's cheek

'They have been secretly dating for months and really enjoy each other's company.'

The star-studded event was hosted by fashion designer Stella McCartney, 46, and Hollywood actress Liv Tyler, 40 who sported sartorially savvy ensembles for the occasion.

The pals put on an affectionate display for the cameras with Stella planting a playful kiss on Liv's cheek.

Back in black: Couture queen Stella donned a stylish black and semi-sheer lace gown, with scalloped silk panels across the skirt

Style queens: Liv and Stella looked like couture queens as they dazzled in black and navy hues

Close: Liv and Stella looked the best of friends as they joined forces to host the launch

Brunette beauty: Her brunette tresses were slicked back from her face into an elegant bun while her stunning features were accentuated with metallic shadow, and a slick of scarlet lipstick

Man of the hour: Author Bob joined a glamorous Stella at the glittering book launch

Promo trail: In January 2018, Stella revealed how she relies on the help of an A-list meditation guru Bob after turning to the practice following her mother's death

Lord of the Rings star Liv dressed to impress in a formal royal blue trousersuit, while flashing her cleavage in a lacy black slip underneath.

She added height with black stilettos and accessorised with a studded clutch bag.

Her brunette tresses were slicked back from her face into an elegant bun while her stunning features were accentuated with metallic shadow, and a slick of scarlet lipstick.

Support: Stella's sister Mary joined blonde beauty Camilla al-Fayed at the launch

Festivities: Musician Kara Marni (L) and Stella looked stylish as they posed together

Acclaimed: Stella joined Dr Tony Nader and Velia Nader for a quick photo at the event

Couture queen Stella donned a stylish black and semi-sheer lace gown, with scalloped silk panels across the skirt.

She layered a chic black coat over her shoulders and flaunted her toned legs in tights and snake-skin effect stiletto boots.

Her caramel tresses were styled in a chic bun while her radiant features were enhanced with a light dusting of make-up.

In January 2018, Stella revealed how she relies on the help of an A-list meditation guru Bob after turning to the practice following her mother's death.

The star practises Transcendental Meditation with US teacher Bob, who also counts Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman and Tom Hanks among his glittering list of clients.

Transcendental Meditation, or TM, has been practised in India for thousands of years but was popularised by Stella's father Sir Paul McCartney and The Beatles in the 1960s.

At the time the group made headlines when they studied under controversial guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Stella, who has four children with husband Alasdhair Willis, creative director of Hunter, grew up as the child of two TM practioners but only adopted the practice after losing her mother Linda to breast cancer in 1998.

Speaking to The Times, Stella said: 'I had quite a reaction that I didn't feel in control of. I possibly suppressed my emotions and I started having panic attacks, physical reactions to the loss... [TM] really did help me at a time when I really needed some help.'

Star-studded: Daisy, Liv, Bob, Mary and Stella joined Camilla al-Fayed and Lucie de la Falaise at the event

In demand: Bob smiled as he signed copies of his soon-to-be hit book

Following Linda's death, Sir Paul took Stella and her brother James to visit the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the controversial guru whom The Beatles travelled to India to study under in the Sixties. The Maharishi later faced accusations of being a fraud and of creating a cult.

Once Stella started practising TM she found the 'severe' panic attacks subsided.

The fashion designer now sets aside 20 minutes every day to practise. Rather than focusing on breathing, TM practitioners use a mantra to focus and calm the mind.

Wedded bliss: Robbie Furze (L) and Mary Charteris looked happy as they stepped out
Chicago West was seen for the first time on Monday in a photo Kim Kardashian shared to Instagram.

But her debut image is very different from that of her siblings.

While the five-week old baby is seen in a pink filter and being held by her 37-year-old mom, North was shown over a shoulder and Saint was sleeping.

Baby Chi: Chicago was the only one to get a filter with ears and a little nose when her first photo was shared on Monday by mom Kim Kardashian

Their first photos: West shared the first glimpse of North when she was 10 weeks old. And Kim posted this photo of Saint when he was three months old

North is now aged four, and son Saint, is aged two.

Their first photos were very different as neither had a filter on them.

Kanye West shared the first glimpse of North when she was 10 weeks old.

The rapper presented a candid shot of the baby girl looking over her moms shoulder on the Kris Jenner Show in August 2013.

Saints first photo was shared when he was three months old, when Kim showed him in a onesie while asleep and his arms up.

Here she is! Kardashian has finally debuted a photo of her third child, daughter Chicago, seen here

In the precious image, Kim wore a white robe and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail as she puckered up for the camera.

Little Chicago had on a white top with a burping cloth around her neck. She already has a good head of hair and long eyelashes just like mom.

A swaddled Chicago was already seen in Kylie Jenner's 11-minute baby reveal video shared on Super Bowl Sunday. But her face could not be seen.

Love at first sight! A swaddled Chicago was already seen in Kylie Jenner's 11-minute baby reveal video shared on Super Bowl Sunday. But her face could not be seen

This comes after Sunday's episode of KUWTK where she said she's been over the moon since welcoming Chicago.

But the star confessed she was anxious that she might 'not care as much' about the little one.

During the conversation recorded last fall, the social media starlet reassured herself everything would be the same, explaining: 'Everyone says it's like no different' to her sister Khloe.

Before the big news! Kim with husband Kanye West in LA on January 12, just three days before Chicago was born

Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during her chat with her younger sis, who is currently expecting her very first child with fiance Tristan Thompson.

'Even though I will appreciate not having to gain the weight and then lose the weightI so would have rather have done it on my own,' Kim said.

The 5foot3 star gained 52 lbs during her first pregnancy and 60 while expecting son Saint, hence her apprehension about the extra baby weight.

She continued, admitting she was worried she would feel differently about this little one than their two older siblings.

What's on your mind? Kardashian admitted she was worried she 'might not care as much' about her third baby during a chat with sister Khloe on Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Ups and downs: Kim weighed the pros and cons of the surrogacy during a talk with her younger sis Khloe, who is currently expecting her very first child with beau Tristan Thompson

'I just hope I care as mucheveryone says its like no different,' the star confessed.

All things considered, Kim told sister Khloe: 'I still would have rather done it myself.'

It appears that Kim's worries were nothing to lose sleep over, though.

Oh baby! Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday, telling fans she's 'the sweetest'

Kim gave fans a glowing update about her little one Saturday on Twitter after a fan asked 'How is Chi doing?'

The reality star replied: 'The sweetest! Best baby! She looks a tiny bit like North and a tiny bit like Saint but definitely her own person!'

Also on Monday, a new teaser for KUWTK aired. In it, Kim is heard saying during her San Francisco trip with Khloe and Kourtney that her surrogate is 'in town.'

Season 14 of KUWTK continues next Sunday on E!
She's an accomplished lawyer with two adorable children.

And Amal Clooney made sure to take some time for herself as she was spotted in between appointments in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

The 40-year-old philanthropist stayed warm in the crisp winter weather wearing a long-sleeved black sweater and chic pink pants as she exited a vehicle.

Scroll down for video

Cute! Amal Clooney made sure to take some time for herself as she was spotted in between appointments in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon

Amal seemed ready to run a few errands as she stepped out of the large black SUV wearing a dark sweater.

Perfectly tailored pink harem pants hugged her waist with adorable pleats adding form to the billowing pants.

The tie-dyed trousers were hemmed just above her ankles to reveal a pair of black leather booties.

Nice: The 40-year-old philanthropist stayed warm in the crisp winter weather wearing a long-sleeved black sweater and chic pink pants as she exited a vehicle

Clooney carried a bright red leather bag across her shoulder as she maneuvered through the parking lot.

The mother-of-two wore her luscious brunette hair in loose waves as she scurried around town.

She recently revealed her fears for her young children attending school in America as she spoke out to publicly back the Never Again movement.

Difficult: She recently revealed her fears for her young children attending school in America as she spoke out to publicly back the Never Again movement

Talk: Speaking at the Watermark Conference in San Jose on Friday, the international human rights lawyer said she and actor husband George would be joining the March For Our Lives in Washington on March 24

Speaking at the Watermark Conference in San Jose on Friday, the international human rights lawyer said she and actor husband George would be joining the March For Our Lives in Washington on March 24.

'I'm blown away by these students,' Amal said, referring to the survivors of the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where a former student killed 17 people. 'They are the best vehicle and best hope for change... The march we're attending is their march. They give me hope.'

Amal and her husband George Clooney welcomed twins Alexander and Ella in June 2017, nearly three years after tying the knot.
Queensland Reds have been dealt a blow with skipper Scott Higginbotham suspended for two matches by the Super Rugby judiciary.

Higginbotham was red-carded after just nine minutes in Friday's defeat to the Melbourne Rebels and was further sanctioned for his "objectively dangerous" no-arms tackle on Matt Phillip.

He has been issued a three-week ban but it expires the day before Queensland's away clash against the Jaguares in Argentina, meaning he will only miss two games - against the Brumbies and Bulls at home.
A 26-year-old man is accused of being drunk and firing several gunshots in the middle of the night in Leeton in the NSW Riverina.

Calls to triple-zero about 12.20am on Monday reported gunshots from the town's Gossamer Street, police said.

When officers arrived they found a 26-year-old man standing beside a vehicle, with a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with five live rounds, police said.

The man, who was breath tested and returned a positive reading of 0.141, is being interviewed at the local police station.
Human error is likely behind five incidents where commonwealth cars were damaged in collisions with bollards at Parliament House, a Senate committee has heard.

Paul Cooper, first assistant secretary in the Parliamentary Services Department, said a review of the five incidents is due in April after three Comcars, an AFP vehicle and a maintenance vehicle were damaged since November.

"Our suspicion is human error is likely to blame for most if not all of them," Mr Cooper told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday.
Abseiling down the front of Parliament House in Canberra has landed two protesters with a $1500 fine each.

Katherine Woskett, 27, and Patrick Kieren Holmes, 26, pleaded guilty in court after unfurling a banner above parliament in December 2016 while a group inside interrupted question time as part of a campaign against detention centres on Manus Island and in Nauru.

"Last week Magistrate Glenn Theakston fined the pair $1500 each, which amounts to almost half the maximum fine for such an offence," Speaker Tony Smith updated the House on Monday.
Derided as a nobody and hailed as a unifying force, new Nationals leader Michael McCormack has vowed to be a fighter for regional Australia as the party recovers from heavy turbulence.

The fallout from Barnaby's Joyce affair and subsequent resignation led Nationals' whip Michelle Landy to liken the events of recent weeks to going through a war.

Despite McCormack's low profile, the new 53-year-old deputy prime minister now has to mend fences after surviving a late challenge from outspoken Queenslander George Christensen on Monday.

After growing up on family farms in the NSW Riverina, McCormack took up a cadetship at Wagga Wagga's Daily Advertiser newspaper.

By 1991 he was the editor.

At 27, it's claimed he was the youngest person in charge of a daily newspaper in Australia at the time.

His most strident public backer for the leadership, Victorian MP Darren Chester, was also a journalist.

"I'm not quite sure what that says about Darren and I," McCormack said.

After working as campaign director for former Riverina MP Kay Hull in 2004 and 2007, he won pre-selection to replace her.

McCormack counts "former feisty fighter" Hull as his mentor and guiding influence.

He stared down Liberal and Labor challengers at his first election in 2010, increasing the Nationals' hold on the seat.

McCormack considered challenging Joyce for the leadership in 2016 before deciding to give Warren Truss' heir apparent a clear path.

Tony Abbott made him a parliamentary secretary after the coalition won the 2013 election and he served as Malcolm Turnbull's small business minister after the government was returned in 2016.

McCormack took over the veterans' affairs and defence personnel portfolios in last year's pre-Christmas reshuffle.

Abbott's decision to award Prince Phillip a knighthood prompted McCormack to invite the then prime minister to the Royal Hotel in Grong Grong to feel the pulse of regional Australia.

It would take the PM's ear away from the "texting, latte-sipping, keyboard warriors who frequent the tapas bars of Sydney and Melbourne".

He has repeatedly apologised for a 1993 editorial in which he lamented "unfortunately gays are here" and called them "sordid" and "unnatural".

"How can these people call for rights when they're responsible for the greatest medical dilemma known to man -- AIDS," he wrote.

Now McCormack's got to steady the ship as the coalition desperately tries to get back on course after the Joyce scandal all but erased the government's strong start to the year.
Queensland Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe has ordered an investigation into the sacking of former Logan City Council CEO Sharon Kelsey.

Ms Kelsey was ousted earlier this month, with councillors voting 7-5 to get rid of her, while Logan Mayor Luke Smith did not participate in the vote

Logan City Councillor Darren Power said after the vote he believed council had acted "illegally" in removing Ms Kelsey, and Mr Hinchliffe has asked his director general to investigate whether council followed due process in making its decision
The federal opposition has put pressure on the Turnbull government to quickly pass stricter payday loan protections for consumers by introducing their own legislation.

Newly appointed Nationals leader Michael McCormack introduced legislation last year to cap the total payments on consumer leases and require all small amount credit contracts to have equal repayments and payment intervals.

But Labor's consumer affair spokesman Tim Hammond told parliament on Monday, despite bipartisan support, nothing had progressed.

In the meantime people are being trapped in a spiral of debt, the result of a circle of payday loans or rent-to-buy schemes, he said on Monday, introducing identical legislation.

"The government quite frankly has a choice, Mr Speaker, to show some leadership, to step up and vote for their own bill," Mr Hammond said.

The bill would also ban loan providers charging residual monthly fees when a consumer repays the loan early, and strengthen penalties as an incentive for providers and lessors to comply with the law.

"The reckless conduct of payday lenders has gone on too long," Labor MP Milton Dick said, backing the bill.
Children are pleading for support for their ageing parents because they're too frail to do it themselves, Labor MP Julie Collins says.

Her office is being inundated with cries for help as waiting lists grow for the Home Care Packages that allow people to stay in their homes longer.

The government has promised it's working through solutions, but Ms Collins says more packages are needed now.

The spokeswoman for ageing angrily told parliament on Monday that she wouldn't stand by while older people languish at home or are forced into hospital because home support isn't available.

"If we can afford $65 billion in tax cuts for big business we can afford to look after older Australians," Ms Collins said on Monday, supporting a motion to condemn the government and call for immediate action.

Her party colleague Steve Georganas said he put forward the motion because more than 100,000 people are on the waiting list, which grew by 12,000 between July and September last year.

"These are some of our most vulnerable people, older Australians who have worked all their lives, paid their taxes and built the foundations on which we stand on today for the lives that we lead," he said.

The government has committed a further 6000 packages and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt promised further action again on Monday.

He said aged care support was a complex issue and would be a challenge for all future governments, particularly as baby boomers age.

"The Turnbull government hasn't failed," he said.

"It's working through a number of measures that will address the growing need."
Katter's Australian Party is calling for a full eligibility audit of all 93 Queensland state MPs, claiming the move will stop the issue being used as a political "smokescreen".

KAP Queensland leader Robbie Katter said the federal citizenship debate, as well as previous debates in state parliament over eligibility issues, had wasted time that should be spent debating more important issues.

Dual citizenship does not disqualify people from becoming state MPs like it does for their federal counterparts, but there are eligibility issues such as undisclosed criminal or financial histories which can come into play.
Responsibility for the Murray River must be kept out of the hands of the Nationals following the change in leadership, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill says.

Mr Weatherill says the water portfolio should go to a South Australian and has suggested Liberal Senator Anne Ruston as a suitable candidate.

"It has to be a matter of urgent decision for the prime minister of this country to make sure the water portfolio is not handed to a National Party minister," the premier told reporters on Monday.
Victorian MP Jane Garrett should stick out her term in parliament, rather than contesting the vacancy for Melbourne Lord Mayor, says the man who replaced her as emergency services minister.

"I've got an old fashioned view, unless you're retiring completely from public life, if you're elected by a community, you should honour that commitment and serve a full term," acting Premier James Merlino told reporters on Monday.

Ms Garrett, who has already indicated she will not re-contest her seat of Brunswick at the November state election, will trigger a by-election in her marginal electorate if she makes a tilt at town hall's top job.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann hasn't given up on the federal government's company tax cuts even though the loss of key votes in the Senate suggest the plan is dead.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has reiterated her opposition to the cut, which would see the company tax rate fall to 25 per cent, from 30 per cent, for all businesses over the next decade.

Asked if this was the end of company tax cut in this term of the parliament, Senator Cormann said: "I hope not."

"Families around Australia absolutely need us to ensure that all businesses can have access to a globally competitive business tax rate," he told ABC radio.

"If we do not pass our business tax cuts in full, we will miss out on investment, we will miss out on growth, we will miss out on jobs and higher wages."

Writing in The Australian on Monday, Senator Hanson pointed to the government's "false claim" that company income taxes drive business investment.

"This is ridiculous - all it does is undermine my confidence in the government and their advisers," she said.

The loss of three One Nation votes in the upper house means the government's legislation will fail.

It needs nine of the 11-strong Senate crossbench to pass legislation, given Labor and the Greens are also opposed to the cuts.
The parents of Stuart Kelly are calling for a coronial inquest into the teenager's death, saying he was exposed to "criminal" hazing rituals at Sydney University.

Kathy and Ralph Kelly said their son Stuart, who took his own life in 2016, became a different person overnight after attending prestigious St Paul's College at the university.

Stuart's death came less than five years after his older brother Thomas died when he was randomly punched while walking with his girlfriend in Kings Cross in July 2012.

At Stuart's funeral the Kellys were told their son had been held down by a number of boys and had alcohol poured down his throat at the college before he was able to break free, his father Ralph Kelly said.

"The rest of the night we have no idea what happened to him or the following day," Mr Kelly told 2GB radio on Monday.

"We don't know the full story ... we know he didn't sleep in his room that night."

A 200-page report, released on Monday, reveals the long-running sexual humiliation and hazing rituals at Sydney University's residential colleges with Mr Kelly saying the culture is "ingrained".

"It has been going on for a very long time and I think we were oblivious or naive to what happens during orientation week," he said.

"It's well known by all the university that the culture is ingrained and can take many, many years to transition, but it's definitely not acceptable, in many ways its criminal activity."

Police have been investigating Stuart's death, but Mr Kelly is calling for a coronial inquest so they can find out what happened to his son that night at college.

"We know there would have been young men who either saw or later heard what happened to Stuart," he said.

"I lay there at night wondering how they sleep at night with this knowledge and we hope that more of them may come forward."

Mr Kelly hopes the inquest will lead to recommendations for colleges that will help keep students safer.

Last year Kathy Kelly told the Nine Network's 60 Minutes that Stuart changed overnight from his first night at the elite college.

"He went off to university at Sydney, for one night at a college, and he came home a different person the following day ... He was broken," Kathy said.

She said Stuart had called them the following day asking them to pick him up and take him home.

They found him sitting in the gutter with his head in hands at the nearby Prince Alfred Hospital.

"He didn't cry at (Thomas's) funeral. It was the first time I'd seen him cry since," said Ralph told Nine.

When they arrived at the family home, Stuart told his parents that he was "never going back" to St Paul's.

Following his big brother's death, Stuart went on to campaign heavily against alcohol-fuelled violence and to support the work of the Thomas Kelly Foundation.

The Kelly family's support for lockout laws had made them a target of abuse, including death threats.
A NSW company has been fined nearly $1 million over an electrical fault at a regional quarry that led to the death of a woman in her shower.

The 49-year-old's fatal shock at her home was caused by non-compliant electrical work, a lack of critical safety devices and damaged equipment at Cudal Lime Products' nearby limestone quarry outside of Orange in 2014, an investigation found.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to comply with health and safety laws and copped a $900,000 penalty in the NSW District Court on Monday.

The offence is the most serious under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, with a maximum penalty of $3 million for a company.

NSW Resources Minister Don Harwin said it was the first prosecution of its type in NSW since the introduction of new laws in January 2012.

"This should serve as a warning to all companies and employees, if you don't comply with your obligations you will be held accountable - we make no apologies for that," he said in a statement.

A worker at the quarry was also fined $48,000 for failing to comply with their health and safety duty.

Both parties received a discount for entering early guilty pleas.

The case was brought on by NSW's resources regulator.
North Queensland centre Kane Linnett is considered in serious doubt to face Cronulla in round one of the NRL, after it was confirmed he'd suffered a pectoral injury.

Linnett left the field midway through the second half of the Cowboys' 16-14 trial win over Melbourne on Friday night, when he attempted to tackle Ryan Papenhuyzen.

Linnett underwent scans on the weekend and has since returned home to Townsville while the remainder of the Cowboys' squad remain in camp on the Sunshine Coast.

While the full prognosis is not yet known, it's understood he is considered highly doubtful to be fit for the start of North Queensland's season on March 9.

The blow means Javid Bowen will likely start in the centres in Linnett's absence, with Gideon Gela-Mosby the other back-up outside back option.

It comes after Linnett was one of just three players to play every game of the injury-ravaged Cowboys' grand final season in 2017.
Malcolm Turnbull asked one of his top bureaucrats to investigate whether Barnaby Joyce had breached the ministerial code of conduct just two days before he resigned.

The prime minister asked Martin Parkinson on February 21 to provide advice on Mr Joyce's actions as deputy prime minister, before he resigned from the role on February 23.

"The prime minister obviously wished to have Dr Parkinson's advice on whether or not there has been a breach of the standards," deputy secretary Stephanie Foster told a Senate hearing on Monday.
Footage of a brazen daylight shooting near Sydney's airport shows a gunman in one car firing into another at point-blank range.

CCTV footage, released by NSW Police on Monday, shows a Ford Ranger ute driving toward a Mazda sedan that had come to a stop on Jackson Drive at Mascot at about 6pm on Wednesday, January 31.

The driver of the Ford holds a pistol out the window before firing on the Mazda, which swerves and drives off in the opposite direction.

Both cars were seen speeding away, travelling erratically along Jackson Drive.

When police arrived, they discovered several projectile casings at the scene and later seized the Mazda.

Strikeforce Ankali was established to investigate but they have yet to establish if anyone was injured in the shooting or whether the attack was random or targeted.

Investigators appealed for anyone with information to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers.
A Melbourne man charged with killing his girlfriend's baby while she was shopping had proposed marriage to the mother only nights before, a court has been told.

Dwayne Lindsey is on trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria, charged with killing six-month-old Chayse Dearing.

Chayse suffered severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries in June 2016.

Chayse's mother Michelle Dearing told the court on Monday that she and Lindsey, then 34, were planning to get married before the fateful night.

Another woman told the court how she'd been at Kmart with Ms Dearing when Lindsey called them, saying "Chayse wasn't breathing".

"I heard Michelle screaming my name and I knew something was wrong," Melissa Jones said.

Ms Jones said she called triple zero, and she returned home with Ms Dearing and another woman to find "medics working on Chayse".

"Michelle collapsed in the doorway of my bedroom. She was in shock basically."

The trial continues.
Australian officials have denied any involvement in the decision to cut off food, water, power and medicine to men who barricaded themselves inside the decommissioned Manus Island detention centre last year.

Hundreds of detainees went several weeks without essential supplies in November after refusing to leave the mothballed camp, before they were eventually moved to alternative accommodation.

"We work in close consultation with our PNG partners and they make all the principle decisions," Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo told a Senate inquiry in Canberra on Monday.
The mother of a man left paralysed after his skull was bashed in near Melbourne says the attack has ruined his life and that of his family.

Hamish, aged 44, was left in a pool of blood after being attacked while walking with his dog at Whittlesea in August, and police are still hunting for the perpetrator.

"He's paralysed, you know, he can only use one arm ... It's just devastating, it's devastated me. It's consumed me," Hamish's mother, Joan, told reporters on Monday in an appeal to catch her son's attacker.
BARNABY JOYCE AND VIKKI CAMPION TIMELINE:

2016

May - Vikki Campion assists Barnaby Joyce's election campaign as media adviser, having previously worked with NSW government ministers and News Corp

August - Campion joins Joyce's staff. She splits with fiance John Bergin, three months before they were due to wed. Friendship develops between Joyce and Campion

December - Chief of staff Di Hallam reportedly seeks Joyce's approval to have Campion transferred out of office. Hallam later quits to take up departmental role

2017

February - Campion is photographed in a Sydney bar with Joyce

April - Barnaby's wife Natalie reportedly confronts Campion in Tamworth. Campion goes to minister Matt Canavan office as adviser. Natalie and Barnaby seek to make marriage work

May - At NSW Nationals conference in Broken Hill colleagues describe Joyce as "a mess"

June - Natalie and Barnaby show up together at Canberra press gallery midwinter ball

July - Campion leaves Canavan office after he quits frontbench over citizenship. She temporarily goes back to Joyce's office

August - Campion moves to Damian Drum's office in a social media adviser position specially created for her. He already has a media adviser. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is reportedly reassured by Joyce the relationship with Campion is over, and he communicates this with Liberal MPs. Drum says he was told the same thing.

September - Campion is seen managing Joyce media events at federal Nationals conference in Canberra

October - Campion reportedly takes stress leave. Writ issued for New England by-election after Joyce quits over dual citizenship

December - Joyce wins by-election. Joyce tells parliament during same-sex marriage debate he is separated. Campion's redundancy package is approved. They move into an Armidale property provided rent-free by businessman Greg Maguire

2018

January - Joyce and Campion holiday in north Queensland and NSW north coast

February 7 - Daily Telegraph publishes front-page photo of Campion pregnant with Joyce's baby. Turnbull says he did not know of the baby until the photo was published. Joyce denies Campion was his partner when she worked in Canavan's office.

February 12 - Labor asks in parliament whether Joyce breached ministerial standards. Turnbull says there has been no breach.

February 15 - Turnbull reveals Joyce will take a week of personal leave. PM imposes the "bonk ban" on ministers.

February 20 - WA Nationals call on Joyce to resign, without stating a reason beyond that the party's "brand" has suffered. WA woman Catherine Marriott writes to Nationals federal executive complaining of Joyce sexual harassment.

February 21 - Turnbull seeks advice from his department secretary Martin Parkinson on whether Joyce breached ministerial standards. Parkinson finds out the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority is auditing Joyce. Joyce says in media interview he won't be resigning.

February 22 - Sexual harassment claim is leaked. Nationals MP Andrew Broad says it is time for Joyce to "take a step back".

February 23 - Joyce tells reporters he will resign as Nationals leader. He says he informed acting prime minister Mathias Cormann of the decision. Parkinson tells Turnbull he will drop the investigation.

February 26 - Joyce formally resigns as Nationals leader, replaced by Michael McCormack. Joyce sits on backbench for question time.

Mid-April - Joyce-Campion baby is due.

(Source: Based on media reports and official statements.)
A woman has allegedly been indecently assaulted by a blind man with a cane while travelling on a train in Sydney's west.

The man, described as being blind or partially blind and carrying a cane, boarded a train at Lidcombe station just before 6pm on Sunday, police say.

Officers were told he sat next to a woman believed to be in her 20s before indecently assaulting her. He then got off the train at Parramatta.

The incident was reported to transit officers and an investigation has been launched.

Police are appealing for the woman or any witnesses to come forward.
Lawyers were ready to ban the ABC from publishing top secret documents found in an old cabinet if they weren't given back to the government.

Stephanie Foster, deputy secretary at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, said bureaucrats watched in "horror" as the contents of secret cabinet documents were published on the ABC before they were given back to the government.

"We had the paperwork being prepared for injunctive relief ... we made that very clear," Ms Foster told a Senate hearing on Monday.
A woman has been sexually assaulted while walking in a park in suburban Perth.

The woman, aged in her 20s, was walking along a path in Wireless Hill Park in Ardross just after 2pm on Monday when she was grabbed by a man and sexually assaulted, police say.

It is believed the man was riding a bicycle and is described as 175-185cm tall and aged 30 to 45, with tanned/olive skin.

He was wearing dark clothing, a helmet and sunglasses, had no facial hair and spoke with an Australian accent
Today's birthday, February 27: Michael Chamberlain, father of baby Azaria who was snatched by a dingo from the family tent at Uluru in 1980 ( 1944 - 2017).

When Michael Chamberlain died in 2017 he was remembered as both a great man and a broken one, having spent close to half his life living under a cloud of suspicion following the disappearance of his baby daughter.

A central figure in one of Australia's most notorious murder trials, Mr Chamberlain was the father of nine-week-old Azaria, who was snatched by a dingo at nine weeks old from the family's tent at Uluru in 1980.

Born in Christchurch in 1944, Mr Chamberlain came to Australia in 1964 where he became a pastor in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

He married first wife Lindy in 1969 and the pair had four children together, including Azaria.

Following their daughter's disappearance, the Chamberlains were charged and convicted over her murder - Lindy receiving a life sentence while Michael was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for being an accessory after the fact.

A Royal Commission in 1987, prompted by the discovery of Azaria's missing matinee jacket, exonerated both husband and wife of wrongdoing and their convictions were overturned in 1988 by the Northern Territory Court of Criminal Appeal.

But vindication for the pair didn't come until 2012 when a fourth inquest into Azaria's disappearance finally found she had indeed been taken and killed by a dingo.

In the years that followed the Chamberlains' marriage fell apart and they divorced in 1990.

Mr Chamberlain would go on to marry Ingrid Bergner in 1994, becoming a father again to daughter Zahra.

He would also go on to earn a PhD in education, and become a teacher, academic and writer.

After losing his battle with acute leukemia on January 9, 2017, aged 72, Mr Chamberlain was remembered as a passionate fighter for justice, according to defence lawyer and close friend Stuart Tipple.

Mr Chamberlain died without ever having a formal apology from the Northern Territory government or succeeding in having a memorial plaque for Azaria placed at Uluru - his two dying wishes.
British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has potentially canned any future trade deal with Australia, by saying he wants the UK to remain in the EU customs union.

The Opposition leader said on Monday if elected he'd seek a "new and comprehensive" UK-EU customs union to ensure tariff-free trade after Brexit.

The stance puts him at direct odds with Prime Minister Theresa May, who wants to be outside any customs union so Britain can sign free trade deals with countries around the world after leaving the EU.

Australia's is seeking a free trade deal with the UK as soon as Brexit is formalised.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made it clear during a visit to London earlier this month that a trade deal with the UK was reliant on leaving the customs union.

"Australia is very keen to pursue negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom," Ms Bishop said during her visit.

"I think that would be precluded if the United Kingdom were to join the (EU) customs union, so our national interest, our priority, would be served by negotiating a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom."

Corbyn said Labour would demand the EU ensures the government "has a say in future trade deals" signed by the bloc, but appeared to admit the UK would not be able to sign its own agreements.

"We do not believe that deals with the US or China, would be likely to compensate for a significant loss of trade with our trading neighbours in the EU, and the Government's own leaked assessments show that," he said.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described Corbyn's position as a "betrayal" of the Brexit vote and a "cynical" and "deluded" attempt to link up with Tory rebels to inflict a damaging defeat on the PM in an upcoming expected vote on a cross-party amendment calling for a customs union.

Corbyn said his call was "consistent" with Labour's position since the referendum, and an "appeal to MPs of all parties" to "put the people's interests before ideological fantasies" to protect jobs, living standards and the economy and avoid a hard Irish border.

His intervention came as the Cabinet prepared for a Thursday meeting where they will finalise the government's position ahead of a major Brexit speech from May on Friday.

While Johnson said the plan would leave Britain as a "colony" of the EU, Corbyn insisted he would not countenance a deal that leaves Britain as a "passive recipient of rules decided elsewhere by others".

On immigration, Corbyn said free movement would end as a "statement of fact" after Brexit and committed to the "reasonable management of migration".

AAP, PA
Queensland Police are investigating why a Taser failed to temper an alleged Comancheros bikie associate before he was fatally shot by officers in suburban Brisbane.

Commissioner Ian Stewart on Monday promised an investigation into the death of Liam Scorsese, 31, during an incident in a suburban street at Wakerley on Sunday morning.

Two officers opened fire on Scorsese, named by media as a Comancheros bikie club associate, after he threatened residents of a home.

He had tried to break into the property and the occupants called police who first used a Taser to try to subdue him.

When that failed, they retreated down the street but police say Scorsese pursued and threatened them while armed with a knife, forcing the officers to open fire.

The Queensland Police Service's Ethical Standards Command has launched an investigation on behalf of the State Coroner, with the assistance of the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Mr Stewart hinted it was unlikely the Taser failed due to a technical fault.

"Tasers are not a panacea" he said.

"There are many issues we look at when a Taser is deployed and it doesn't have the effect we expect it to have.

"That can be partly due to technical faults ... that's a rarity, but more importantly, where the subject is affected by various substances also comes into play."

Scorsese's Gold Coast lawyer Ashkan Tai said his client was not a member of any outlaw motorcycle club and was working to get his life in order.

Mr Stewart would not comment on whether Scorsese had links to bikies.
A report into Victoria's youth justice centres is due to be tabled in parliament following a six-month delay.

It follows two extensions partly because of delays in getting evidence from the justice and health departments.

In one instance, records given to the Legal and Social Issues committee by the Department of Health and Human were "extremely difficult" to analyse and later revealed to be partially inaccurate.

The final report is expected to be tabled on Tuesday.

A public hearing last year heard allegations a former teacher at a youth prison school was pressured to give misleading evidence in court.

Brendan Murray, who used to run Parkville College, accused education department staff of telling him what he should say about housing youth offenders in an adult jail.

In an interim report released in December, the committee said it wasn't resourced to investigate the allegation and referred it to the Victorian Ombudsman.
Social issues will be the key topic as South Australia's election campaign rolls on.

The three leaders - Premier Jay Weatherill, Opposition Leader Steven Marshall and SA-BEST's Nick Xenophon - will debate their welfare policies in a forum run by the South Australian Council of Social Services.

Topics expected to be covered include the cost of living, problem gambling, health and housing.

It comes after nominations closed for the March 17 election on Monday with the draw for places on ballot papers putting Mr Xenophon last of seven candidates in the seat of Hartley, and both Mr Weatherill and Mr Marshall first in their respective seats.

A record number of South Australians will also have their say with 1,201,755 people enrolled to vote, a 5.2 per cent increase on the last election in 2014.

On the campaign trial on Monday, the Liberals promised $60 million for a culinary school on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site in the city to attract more international students to the state.

Labor pledged a $259 million tram project to extend the line to North Adelaide.
The Home Affairs department spent $50,000 on an industrial steam cleaner to rectify major mould outbreaks at the Nauru immigration detention centre.

The department and then centre operator Transfield (now Broadspectrum) were warned about mould health risks to asylum seekers and staff in a top-secret 2014 report, AAP revealed last week.

The report by microbiologist Dr Cameron Jones said airborne and surface-bound fungal and bacterial cells and spores are capable of causing disease "by direct infection, toxicosis or by allergy".

At least 20 former detention centre staff have become seriously ill from mould exposure, including an Australian teacher who now has a cognitive disability.

Officials said the first time the department became aware of reports of mould-related illnesses among former detention staff was via media articles.

"We certainly had no (work health and safety) incidents reported either from our service providers or from our own staff related to mould," department official David Nockels told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday night.

Mr Nockels said he was aware of a complaint made to work health and safety regulator Comcare about an alleged mould-related illness.

"My understanding... (is) that complaint was acknowledged and it went no further," he said.

He defended the department and Transfield's efforts to tackle the mould and pointed to Comcare reports that approved the remediation works.

"We purchased significantly large... industrial sized equipment... a massive steam cleaner at the cost of $50,000," Mr Nockels told the hearing.

He later admitted he didn't know what the machine did because he hadn't seen it in action.

Government backbencher Ian Macdonald responded "you are kidding".

"Do you or anyone else in Canberra know that anywhere you live in tropical Australia... that mould is a natural part of life, it's constant, people don't get sick from it," Senator Macdonald said.

"Do you know if the government is about to provide a $50,000 machine to help every resident of Babinda, Tully, Mission Beach, Innisfail, Daintree? ... I can't believe the department falls for this agitation."

He suggested Dr Jones was from Melbourne or Tasmania and "didn't know what mould looked like".

Dr Jones told AAP last week security guards at the detention centre had prevented him from taking extensive photographs and video to capture the scale of the mould problem.

Mr Nockels blamed Nauru government rules for a ban on filming and video equipment at the centre.

He said the mould remediation work was completed on Nauru at the beginning of 2017.

However, photos obtained by AAP last week show evidence the mould is still a problem.
Police think the robbery and assault of a teenager is linked to a rock being thrown at windows, which hurt a two-year-old child in Sydney's west.

A 17-year-old suffered minor head injuries and had his schoolbag stolen in Blacktown, when he and his friend were approached by the youths on Monday night.

About an hour later, the windows of a nearby home were shattered, causing cuts to the child inside and sparking calls to the police.

Shortly after the windows were smashed the teenager whose bag was stolen was found nearby with cuts to his face.

Detectives are now piecing together the three incidents and would like to speak with anyone who can help their investigation.
A 42-year-old Sydney man is due to face a NSW court over the alleged online exploitation of a nine-year-old girl located in Canada.

The man was arrested at Riverwood in Sydney's south on February 8 following an investigation by NSW child abuse and sex crimes detectives after a referral from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

It is alleged the man communicated online with the girl's mother before having sexually explicit conversations about the girl and requesting photos of her. He's also alleged to have engaged in an explicit video call with the girl, police say.

He will appear in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.
Alcohol-related diseases are being blamed for causing the deaths of nearly 6000 Australians each year.

A study by the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) at Curtin University has found an estimated 5,785 Australians aged over 15 died from alcohol-attributable causes in 2015.

"This research shows that in Australia, one person dies every 90 minutes on average, and someone ends up in our hospitals every three-and-a-half minutes, because of preventable conditions caused by alcohol," NDRI alcohol policy team leader Professor Tanya Chikritzh said.
Police are searching for the rightful owner of a stash of high quality diamonds found in rented Cairns unit.

The precious stones were found during an intensive spring clean at the Bungalow unit and police believe they might have been there for years.

Inquiries with local jewellers have not yielded any leads.

"These are quality diamonds and certainly they represent quite a deal of money," Senior Constable Russell Parker has told ABC radio.

It's believed the diamonds have sat undiscovered in the unit since at least 2012, and possible as far back as 2000.

"They were probably put there a number of tenants (ago), possibly before the one that found them," Snr Const Parker said.

"It was just that they were doing such a thorough clean (that they were found)."
Australia's scandal-plagued wool industry peak marketing and research body will face an independent review of its performance and governance.

Australian Wool Innovation last year faced accusations of impropriety in board elections over the use of proxies.

That came after a controversy surrounding chairman Wal Merriman viewing farmers through a one-way mirror during an "anonymous" focus group.

Mr Merriman has also apologised for telling an ABC journalist to f*** off when asked to comment on the mirror incident.

"The 42,000 wool levy payers have the right to expect their industry body to work hard in the interests of woolgrowers," Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said.

The review will be conducted over the next six months, ahead of this year's WoolPoll, where farmers set AWI's funding.

AWI chief executive Stuart McCullough said he welcomed the independent review of performance.

"This is a normal part of our business cycle as an opportunity for our stakeholders to see the benefits delivered for woolgrowers," Mr McCullough said.
The National Party denies it has a women problem after the name of Barnaby Joyce's sexual harassment accuser was publicly leaked.

Mr Joyce cited the allegation of sexual harassment - which he denies - as the final straw that led him to resign as party leader after weeks of fall out surrounding his marriage break-up and relationship with a former staffer who is now pregnant.

Catherine Marriott, a former West Australian Rural Woman of the Year, accused Mr Joyce of sexual harassment but says she never intended for the allegations to go public after making a formal complaint to the Nationals.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek urged the Turnbull government to guarantee the leaked name did not come from the Liberal Party.

"This sends the worst possible message to women who have been subjected to sexual harassment," Ms Plibersek told reporters on Tuesday.

"I think the woman, in this case, is collateral damage."

Nationals whip Michelle Laundy denied her party had mishandled the complaint.

"I've spoken to the hierarchy in the party and the leak didn't come from us," she told reporters.

Deputy leader Bridget McKenzie said on Sunday she'd been given similar guarantees.

Their colleague Damien Drum said he was unsure how the party could have handled the case better.

"As soon as it became public we tried to investigate the validity of that claim," he told reporters.

"I'm not fully across all the details, as to when (the complaint) was made, how long we were working behind the scenes to assess the validity of the claim."

Asked if the National Party had a problem with women he responded: "I hope not, no."

Liberal frontbencher Craig Laundy was unimpressed with the leaking of Ms Marriott's details.

"I find the fact that the name was released in the public domain disturbing," he told reporters.

"If people come forward in good faith and make a complaint based on a pre-determined idea of anonymity that should be respected."
Frank-Paul Nuuausala will return to the Sydney Roosters this season after the club confirmed his signature on a one-year deal.

Nuuausala, who played 153 games for the Roosters between 2007 and 2014, was released by English Super League club Wigan last week citing homesickness.

The former Kiwi Test prop was spotted in the Roosters' family seating at Saturday's NRL trial match against Manly, and the club announced his signing on Tuesday morning.

"I'm very happy to be back at the Roosters. The club is my home and everyone at the Roosters is like my family," Nuuausala said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing all the old faces and meeting everyone new at the club, and then getting straight into training, and doing my best for the team here."

Nuuausala, who was part of the Roosters' premiership-winning team in 2013, toured Australia with Wigan earlier this month as part of the historic Super League visit.

However, the 31-year-old opted to stay behind, in a bid to make a return to the NRL after last playing for Canberra in 2016.

He will start training with the Roosters immediately and will add strength to Trent Robinson's bench, which could also possibly include Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Zane Tetevano.

"It's great to welcome Frank-Paul Nuuausala back home to the Roosters," Robinson said.

"Frank's a good man and an experienced campaigner who still has a lot of good footy in him.

"He adds depth to our forwards and we're all pleased to see him back in Roosters colours."
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has made fresh calls for a political solution for war-ravaged Syria amid claims of chemical weapons use.

Russia has announced it will establish a humanitarian corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce in Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a UN Security Council resolution demanded a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds.

Overnight, Australia took its place on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

"We joined in the condemnation... of the acts particularly in Ghouta," Ms Bishop told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

On Sunday, health authorities said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure and on Monday rescue workers and a war monitor said seven small children were killed by air and artillery strikes in one town.

"It is absolutely abhorrent that chemical weapons should be used in any circumstance," Ms Bishop said.
Australian cattle farmers have backed a plan to make the country's red meat industry carbon neutral by 2030.

Meat and Livestock Australia managing director Richard Norton said the target would help ward off competition from laboratory-produced meat and protein vegetable burgers amid criticism of the industry's environmental credentials.

"We're quite enthused by the industry embracing the fact we'd like to make sure this is not a target that passes us by and we actually achieve carbon neutrality by 2030," Mr Norton told a Senate inquiry on Tuesday.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has indicated Tehran wants to prioritise relations with eastern nations, while the country has allied with Russia over the Syria conflict

Iran's supreme leader has signalled a decisive shift in favour of relations with China and Russia, indicating that patience is running out with efforts to improve ties with the West.

One of the most popular slogans during the 1979 revolution was "Neither East nor West", a defiant vow that Iran would no longer favour either of the world's major forces at the time -- American-style capitalism or Soviet Communism.

It was therefore striking to hear its current leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declare on February 19 that: "In foreign policy, the top priorities for us today include preferring East to West."

Analysts say this does not change the basic idea that Iran refuses to fall under the sway of outside powers.

But it does suggest that the latest attempt at detente with the United States -- represented by the 2015 nuclear deal in which it agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of sanctions -- is running out of steam.

"Khamenei has repeatedly outlined that the 2015 nuclear deal was a test to see if negotiations with the West could yield positive results for Iran," said Ellie Geranmayeh, of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"The leadership perceives the US as acting in bad faith on the deal. Khamenei's statement signals a green light for the Iranian system to focus greater diplomatic effort on deepening ties with China and Russia," she said.

Khamenei's comments come at a critical moment, with US President Donald Trump threatening to tear up the deal and reimpose sanctions unless Iran agrees to rein in its missile programme and "destabilising activities" in the Middle East.

Even before Trump, Iran felt Washington was violating its side of the bargain as it became clear that remaining US sanctions would still hamper banking ties and foreign investments, even blocking Iranian tech start-ups from sharing their products on app stores.

Tehran argues this violates a clause stating the US must "refrain from any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalisation of trade and economic relations with Iran".

"From day one, the US, the Obama administration, started violating both the letter and the spirit of the agreement," said Mohammad Marandi, a political analyst at the University of Tehran.

He said Khamenei's latest statement recognised the simple fact that relations with eastern countries were much stronger, particularly since Iran and Russia allied over the Syrian war.

"It's a very different world now. Iran's relationship with Russia and China and an increasing number of Asian countries is much better than with the West because they treat us much better," he said.

"We are partners with Russia in Syria. We are not subordinate."

- 'A pragmatic approach' -

Anger over foreign interference was a key driver of the 1979 revolution after more than a century of intrigues, coups and resource exploitation by the United States, Britain and Russia.

But despite being depicted by critics as dogmatic and uncompromising, the Islamic republic that emerged after the revolution has been surprisingly flexible in its foreign policy.

"At certain moments since 1979, Iran has taken a pragmatic approach to dealings with the United States when necessary or in its interest," said Geranmayeh.

She highlighted the infamous Iran-Contra arms deal in the 1980s and cooperation in Afghanistan in 2001, as well as the nuclear deal.

Yet many hardliners in Washington refuse to accept that Iran has ever been serious about rapprochement.

The American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank, this month released a series of articles calling for "a more confrontational policy toward Iran", including the threat of regime change.

Its main justification was that "the men who run Iran's foreign policy have no interest in a better relationship".

But speaking in April 2015, three months before the nuclear deal was finalised, Khamenei explicitly said it could lead to a broader improvement in ties.

"If the other side stops its usual obstinacy, this will be an experience for us and we will find out that we can negotiate with it over other matters as well," he said in a speech.

Iran's oil sales have rebounded since the deal, and it has seen an uptick in trade with Europe.

But the threat of US penalties has helped deter many foreign investors and major banks from re-engaging with Iran.

European firms and governments remain far more vulnerable to pressure from Washington than their Chinese and Russian counterparts.

"If the Europeans don't have the courage to stand up to the US then they shouldn't expect to be partners with us," said Marandi.

"If some doors are closed and some doors are open, we are not going to wait outside the closed doors forever."
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics came to a close on Sunday, which means that the majority of athletes will have to return to their day jobs.

For the past two weeks they have been feted as Olympians, but many of the men and women at the Pyeongchang Winter Games will this week return to their ordinary daily lives.

Dominik Maerki, 27, the Swiss curler and bronze medalist, will return to his job as a watchmaker.

Dominik Maerki, 27 left, the Swiss curler and bronze medallist, will return to his job as a watchmaker

Maerki, a reserve in the Swiss team that beat Canada on Friday to win bronze, believes he may be the only watchmaker at the Olympics in South Korea.

Maerki studied watch-making for four years and later moved to Miami for his trade, before opening his own watch and clock repair businesses in the southern US state of Arkansas.

'I dated an American girl, now my wife, and ended up there. I have my own repair store, I fix watches and more complicated things and also repair a lot of clocks like grandfather clocks, wall clocks, kitchen clocks,' said Maerki.

Asked if the customers who visit his shop know that he doubles up as an Olympic curler and furthermore an Olympic medallist he smiled: 'Some do now, yes.'

'For sure the eyes. Watchmakers need to have really good eyes and steady hands too - for the release of the rock (in curling), that could help a little bit.'

Gold medalist Zbigniew Brodka of Poland celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 1500 m Speed Skating at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

The 33-year-old won 1,500m gold at Sochi 2014, but when he's not in his skin-tight skating suit, Brodka is a firefighter

Polish speed skater Zbigniew Brodka says his profession helps put the pressure of the Olympics into perspective.

The 33-year-old won 1,500m gold at Sochi 2014, but when he's not in his skin-tight skating suit, Brodka is a firefighter.

'When I went back to work it was very crazy. Even now it often happens that people recognise me on the street. It is a nice feeling,' said Brodka, who was 12th in the 1,500m in Pyeongchang.

'Working as a firefighter makes me stronger mentally. I am not that stressed doing sport because I see tragedy and bad things when I am at work.'

Kristin Skaslien (right) and Magnus Nedregotten (left) of Norway during the medal ceremony for the Curling Mixed Doubles event at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games

Norwegian curler Kristin Skaslien was back at her desk in Oslo, where she is an operations analyst for a maritime company, when she got a call to return to Pyeongchang on a free first-class ticket to collect her bronze medal.

She and partner Magnus Nedregotten were retrospectively awarded bronze in the mixed team event after a Russian curler tested positive for a banned substance.

'I sent my boss a text message telling him, "I've got first-class tickets to South Korea, I'll be back by Tuesday"', said Skaslien.

At the Pyeongchang Games the British bobsledders Mica McNeill and Mica Moore resorted to crowdfunding - as did many others - to keep their Olympic dream alive.

Canada's Joanne Courtney (center) watches after delivering her stone during the women's round robin session between China and Canada during the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics

Far from missing the adulation and bright lights of the Olympics, the 28-year-old Joanne Courtney (right) has no qualms about going back to work as a nurse

Also in the bobsleigh, one of the most expensive winter sports, the Australian men could not afford their own sled so they rented one from the Netherlands.

Joanne Courtney is a Canadian curler who is also a nurse. Far from missing the adulation and bright lights of the Olympics, the 28-year-old has no qualms about going back to work.

'I look to my job as a registered nurse to find perspective often,' said Courtney, whose Canadian team were sixth in Pyeongchang.

'It's nice to go back into work and get my feet back on the ground.'
The 12-storey Yun Tsui building was left leaning perilously by the quake, complicating rescue efforts due to fears of an imminent collapse

The last two victims of an earthquake that hit the Taiwan tourist hotspot of Hualien three weeks ago have finally been removed from the rubble of a collapsed hotel.

The Chinese couple from Beijing who were on a sightseeing trip had already been named among the 17 dead after a 6.4-magnitude quake toppled buildings in the coastal town.

But their bodies remained in a second-floor hotel in the 12-storey Yun Tsui building, which was left leaning at around a 50-degree angle by the quake, complicating rescue efforts due to fears of an imminent collapse.

Emergency workers had combed through rubble at the foot of the mainly residential block since the quake struck the eastern city on February 6, retrieving the last two bodies Sunday.

Three other members of the couple's family were also killed in the quake. Of the 17 people who died, 14 perished in the Yun Tsui building.

Hualien mayor Fu Kun-chi had said the last two victims were pinned under heavy pillars that could not be removed without risking a total collapse of the building, and the rescue was called off with the consent of their relatives five days after the quake hit.

Excavators were digging through the building from the top to recover the bodies.

The Hualien county government said the bodies of the Chinese couple had been sent to a local funeral parlour and their relatives had been informed.

Three other partially collapsed buildings in Hualien have been demolished, including the local landmark Marshal Hotel where one employee was killed.

Hualien, on Taiwan's rugged east coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the quake-prone island.

Taiwan's worst quake in recent decades was a 7.6-magnitude tremor in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people.

The disaster ushered in stricter building codes but many of Taiwan's older buildings remain perilously vulnerable to even moderate quakes.

Taiwan's government announced Monday that it will allocate a subsidy of Tw$6 billion ($200 million) over the next four years to screen and reinforce quake-resistance in buildings across the island which were constructed before 1999.

Nearly 2,000 buildings in Hualien were damaged by the recent quake, which also left nearly 300 people injured and caused a loss of around Tw$10 billion to local businesses, mostly in the tourism sector, authorities said.
But Xi, 64, has adopted Mao's playbook, tightening his grip with a relentless crackdown on civil society

China's Communist Party has handed President Xi Jinping an open path to indefinite rule -- a move analysts warn carries enormous risks by abandoning a succession model that brought stability after turbulent decades under Mao.

Xi, who has concentrated power, accumulated titles and purged potential rivals since becoming head of state in 2013, could remain president for life after the party proposed abolishing a rule limiting the top leader to two five-year terms.

But giving all the levers of power to one man could further erode human rights, unsettle other nations and even set up traps for Xi's rule at home, analysts warn.

"The two-term limit was supposed to increase stability. By ruling beyond the standard 10-year tenure, Xi will be subject to much closer scrutiny by Chinese citizens and the political elite," said Simone van Nieuwenhuizen, Sydney-based co-author of "China and the New Maoists".

The announcement made abruptly on Sunday further chips away at the era of "collective" leadership that was championed by reform leader Deng Xiaoping to prevent the return of another Mao-like cult figure.

Xi could remain president for life after the party proposed abolishing a rule limiting the top leader to two five-year terms

Xi's two predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, both served two five-year terms, providing a smooth succession that accompanied China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy.

But Xi, 64, has adopted Mao's playbook, tightening his grip with a relentless crackdown on civil society and corruption, enshrining his name in the party constitution and building his own personality cult.

Remaining in power beyond 2023 gives Xi a chance to push through his vision of a rejuvenated China with global clout, a prosperous society, a revived Silk Road trade route and a powerful military.

China's rubber-stamp legislature is expected to give Xi his second term and remove the 10-year limit at its annual meeting opening on March 5.

"Term limits were a crucial part of the institutionalisation of the leadership transition, something that has plagued Communist parties leading to both tyrannical reigns and catastrophic party decline," said Jonathan Sullivan, director of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University.

The rule enabled smooth transitions and preserved party unity, he said.

"The removal of term limits is a rejection of all this and it comes with real risks for stability in the long term."

- Great leap backwards? -

Xi provided a major hint that he intended to stay in power when no heir apparent was anointed at the five-yearly party congress in October.

The state-run Global Times tabloid said the Central Committee's proposed amendment to lift term limits would "improve" leadership.

"From the anti-corruption campaign to comprehensively advancing the rule of law to profound economic restructuring, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core has sturdily opened a new era for a hopeful China," the daily said in an editorial.

Modern China's founding father Mao Zedong looms over the country, and analysts say Xi Jinping is taking a leaf from his playbook

Sam Crane, a Chinese history expert at Williams College in the US, expressed scepticism about reforms.

"I strongly doubt he will use his political power to force economic reform because that would require empowering non-party economic agents," Crane said.

"His chief focus I suspect will be further repression of civil society, a continuation of his political orientation since 2012."

Susan Shirk, chairwoman of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California in San Diego, said there are "acute" risks.

"One is the risk of making bad decisions while surrounded by sycophants," Shirk said.

"One of the bad decisions is to control information and to control civil society to an extreme extent that the Chinese talent and the middle class ultimately will find incompatible with their ambitions for their children."

- 'Elite rebellion' -

On Twitter, Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, who has been fighting off jail terms over his role in pro-democracy protests, declared "the era of Emperor Xi".

Some people on China's Twitter-like Weibo website said they were "witnessing history" but others were critical, with one commenter saying "now I really feel like I'm living in North Korea".

China's leader

Censors quickly struck down unfavourable comments and blocked users from reposting an image of Winnie the Pooh hugging a giant jar of honey and the message "Find the thing you love and stick with it" -- Xi has been compared to the portly cartoon bear.

On the diplomatic front, Shirk said Xi could get bad advice at a time when China is asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea, which several Asian nations contest.

"It's a risk because of China's international overreaching, more aggressive actions in the South China Sea or handling crises in a way that's immoderate," she said.

Xi's concentration of power could also face opposition within the party, which has seen a relentless crackdown on corruption that has punished more than a million officials.

"The other risk is some form of elite rebellion because it puts all the other politicians at great risk. There's no real power-sharing," Shirk said.
Unrest following Guinea's disputed February 4 election led to the deaths of at least 10 people

Thousands of young people erected barricades and blocked traffic in the Guinean capital Conakry on Monday with markets and schools shut as mass strikes gripped the city.

A general strike was called by the Guinea General Union of Workers (UGTG) in addition to an ongoing walkout by teachers and a complete shutdown of economic activity demanded by the opposition after disputed local elections.

Conakry's biggest market, Madina, failed to open its doors along with the vast majority of businesses, as youths overturned bins and set tyres on fire, cutting off entire sections of the city to vehicles.

Police made 15 arrests in the Kaloum district, where civil society groups were protesting against the two-week closure of schools.

An on-off teachers' strike that has paralysed the education system shows no signs of stopping despite a government offer at the weekend to increase pay.

Former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo's Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) saw a strong response to its call for a "ville morte" or "dead city" protest, demanding that all economic activity cease and people stay inside.

The victory of President Alpha Conde's ruling Rally for the Guinean People (RPG) in the February 4 vote was marred by post-electoral violence involving supporters of the losing parties.

The UFDG has condemned what it terms "massive fraud" during voting, leading to unrest and the deaths of at least 10 people.

An opposition figure told AFP on Monday they were "celebrating the success" of the protest movement, adding that "the next few days will be even harder for those in power, which already has a hot potato in its hands over the results".

- Teachers ignore pay increase -

The powerful UGTG union had joined the teachers and opposition figures by calling for workers to stay at home on Monday.

It has cited mismanagement of the national social security system, poor regulation of subcontracted jobs and a perceived indifference to workplace accidents and arbitrary firings for the strike.

The UGTG has called on public and private sector employees alike to boycott their workplaces.

The triple challenge will add to the pressure on Conde to complete promised reforms and speed up negotiations with all parties concerned.

The government urged teachers who have held various walkouts since December to head back to class on Monday and end their most recent strike, a demand they have flatly refused despite the offer of a 10 percent pay increase over the weekend.

Guinea's education ministry said "all measures have been taken to make schools secure so that classes can take place in the best possible conditions," following protests near some establishments by disgruntled students.

Classes will be repeated and examinations potentially delayed to address the days lost by the strike, the ministry said.

Teachers have requested that a pay rise of 40 percent agreed in October 2017 be implemented, with back pay.

"For as long as the 40 percent (increase) with back pay is unpaid... we will not be going back to school," the teachers' unions said Saturday.
Xi (L) has amassed seemingly unchecked power and a level of officially-stoked adulation unseen since Communist China's founder Mao (R)

Xi Jinping's tightening grip on China had already earned the leader comparisons to Mao Zedong, but they came into even sharper focus after the party paved the way for him to assume the presidency indefinitely.

State media said on Sunday that the ruling Communist Party had proposed abolishing rules limiting leaders to two five-year terms, a guideline imposed in Mao's wake to avoid a repeat of the chaos triggered by his radical political campaigns.

The move could allow the 64-year-old Xi to remain in power for life, ruling as a virtual emperor, and is the latest feather in the cap of a Communist "princeling" who is re-making China in his own image.

Xi, who was given a second term as the party's general secretary at the five-yearly party congress in October, has amassed seemingly unchecked power and a level of officially-stoked adulation unseen since Communist China's founder Mao.

Even though his father Xi Zhongxun -- a renowned revolutionary hero turned vice premier -- was purged by Mao, Xi has remained true to the party that rules with an iron fist and over which he reigns supreme.

Xi is the first Chinese leader to have been born after 1949, when Mao's Communist forces took over following a protracted civil war.

The purging of his father led to years of difficulties for the family, but he nevertheless rose through its ranks.

Beginning as a county-level party secretary in 1969, Xi climbed to the governorship of coastal Fujian province in 1999, then party chief of Zhejiang province in 2002 and eventually Shanghai in 2007.

That same year, he was appointed to the Politburo Standing Committee.

Following Mao's disastrous economic campaigns and the bloody 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, the Communist leadership sought to prevent further chaos by tempering presidential power through a system in which major personnel and policy decisions were hashed out by the ruling Politburo Standing Committee.

The move helped prevent political power from becoming too concentrated in the hands of a single leader but was also blamed for policy indecision that led to growing ills such as worsening pollution, corruption and social unrest.

- 'Big Uncle Xi' -

But "Xi Dada" ("Big Uncle Xi"), as he has been dubbed by Communist propaganda, has broken sharply with that tradition since taking over as president in 2013 and now looms over the country in a deepening cult of personality.

He has used crackdowns on corruption and calls for a revitalised party to become the most powerful Chinese leader in decades.

His face graces the front page of every paper in the country, while his exploits and directives headline each night's evening news.

Shops sell commemorative plates and memorabilia with his image alongside Mao's and he has accumulated so many political and military titles -- from president, to Central Military Commission chairman and party "core" -- that he has earned the nickname "Chairman of Everything".

"We are witnessing the return of the Mao Zedong era, when one single person made decisions for hundreds of millions. There are no checks and balances," said Willy Lam, politics professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"It is very dangerous, because it's very easy for Xi to make mistakes as nobody will dare oppose him."

The Communist Party's power-broking congress in October confirmed Xi's induction into the leadership pantheon alongside Mao and market reformer Deng Xiaoping by writing his name and political ideology into the party's constitution.

While calling for China's "great rejuvenation" as a world power, the laconic Xi has cultivated a personal image as a man of the people who dresses modestly and buys his own steamed buns at an ordinary shop.

Following a divorce from his first wife, Xi married the celebrity soprano Peng Liyuan in 1987, at a time when she was much more famous than him. The couple's daughter, Xi Mingze, studied at Harvard but stays out of the public eye.

But Xi has presided over a tough crackdown on civil society and freedom of speech that belies the chummy moniker -- and he tolerates no ridicule or slander of his person.

Social media users who have dared to compare his round mien to that of the affable Winnie the Pooh have found their posts quickly deleted, and a man who referred to him as "Steamed Bun Xi" -- a knock at his breakfast publicity stunt -- was jailed for two years.
Wilson was awarded the damages over magazine articles claiming she lied about her age and background

Australia's major media organisations on Monday joined forces to back publisher Bauer's appeal against the nation's largest defamation payout awarded to Hollywood actor Rebel Wilson, arguing the size of the damages could stifle public-interest journalism.

Newspaper publishers News Corp and Fairfax, radio station owner Macquarie and television broadcasters ABC, Seven and Nine filed the documents with the Victorian Court of Appeal Monday.

Their joint lawyer Justin Quill said the six "unlikely bedfellows" were seeking leave to intervene in Bauer Media's appeal against the damages award.

"The fact six media companies have combined demonstrates how serious this issue is," he wrote in News Corp's Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper.

Quill said the media organisations were appealing Justice John Dixon's decision to award Wilson Aus$3.9 million (US$3.1 million) in special damages and Aus$650,000 in general and aggravated damages.

The award was far higher than the statutory cap of Aus$389,500 for general damages, which has risen from Aus$250,000 since the ceiling was introduced under uniform defamation laws across all Australian jurisdictions in 2005.

Quill said after Dixon's decision, other plaintiffs pursuing court action against media companies were seeking aggravated damages -- and therefore higher payouts -- claiming that the cap did not apply to their cases either.

"The damages cap provides certainty and creates a fair balance between the competing interests of protection of reputation and freedom of speech," Quill wrote.

"Freedom of speech is important and the media's ability to uncover dodgy politicians or expose unscrupulous business practices benefits society."

The "Pitch Perfect" star was awarded the damages against Bauer Media by an Australian court in September over magazine articles claiming she lied about her age and background to further her career.

Wilson has said she would give the defamation payout to charity.

Bauer's parent company, Bauer Media Group, is a worldwide publishing house based in Hamburg with magazine titles in 15 countries including Britain, the US, China and Russia, as well as various television and radio assets.
The street party was organized by a group called 'Bangkok Swing'

Dressed in top hats, vintage outfits and shiny shoes, hundreds of Thais grooved to swing music in a town more famous for its ancient Buddhist stupa.

More than 300 enthusiasts, including foreign dancers, came out for the shindig on a street in Nakhon Pathom, about an hour from Bangkok.

Thailand's swing dance community has grown in recent years

Thailand's swing dance community has grown in recent years and Sunday's street party was organized by a group called "Bangkok Swing," founded in 2011.

They have held three such parties in Nakhon Pathom and hope to make it an annual event.

The group's co-founder Chayapong Naviroj, 29, said he discovered swing dancing while attending university in the US.

Phra Pathom Chedi, one of Thailand's most revered Buddhist structures, looms in the distance

"I wanted to dance and it's a happy dance with swing music," he said.

"Humans like to dance. Humans like to touch. Humans like music. It can go on forever."

Nakhom Pathom is home to Phra Pathom Chedi, one of Thailand's most revered Buddhist structures, which loomed in the distance as the dancers stomped to music by bands The Shirt Tail Stompers from the UK and the US-based Casey Macgill & Friends.

"It's just meeting people, beautiful people.... Having really beautiful music and it's just great fun actually," said Kris Asvanon, a 61-year-old creative consultant based in Bangkok.

Nan Kitnichee, a 33-year-old art director also from Bangkok, said she enjoyed the event's throwback theme.

"We dress up just to pay respect to the culture and how people in the old days dressed up very nicely and went social dancing," she said.
A pilgrim prays outside the gate of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on February 25, 2018 after Christian leaders closed the holy site in protest over Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law

Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was buried, remained closed on Monday in protest at Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law.

Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the church, seen as the holiest site in Christianity, on Sunday at noon in a bid to pressure Israeli authorities into abandoning the measures.

They said the church, a major pilgrimage site, would be closed until further notice.

An AFP journalist reported that the church remained closed on Monday morning, while church officials said it was not clear when it would reopen.

The Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church.

The church is considered the holiest site in Christianity, built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, and is a major pilgrimage site.

Christian leaders have been angered over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching.

Separately, Christian leaders say legislation being considered by Israel's government would allow church property to be expropriated.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat says the city is due 650 million shekels ($186 million, 152 million euros) in uncollected taxes on church properties.

He stresses the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt from the taxes, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches.

Christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work, which includes not only religious but also social services to those in need.

A separate bill seeks to allay the fears of Israelis who live in homes on lands previously held by the Greek Orthodox Church and which were sold to private developers, according to the lawmaker proposing the legislation.

The bill would allow certain lands sold by the Greek Orthodox Church -- a major landowner in Jerusalem -- to be handed over to the state, which would then compensate those who bought it from the church.
Urubko posing for a photograph before breaking away from the Polish mountaineering team

Russian-Polish climber Denis Urubko has called off his attempt to summit K2 alone during winter, a post on his former teammates' Facebook page said Monday, after a weekend drama saw him begin what another climber had called a suicide mission.

Urubko, 44, was part of a team of Polish mountaineers attempting to be the first to scale the world's second highest peak in winter.

But he broke away from the group on Saturday after a series of disagreements, sparking fears for his safety on one of the world's most dangerous climbs.

On Monday he ended his attempt, capping a dramatic three days on the mountain, a statement on the Polish expedition's Facebook page said.

"Denis Urubko, according to his convictions regarding the end of the winter season, decided to leave the Winter Expedition on K2," the statement said.

"The decision was accepted by the participants of the expedition, who did not see any further possibility of cooperation with Denis after his independent attempt to get (to) the top."

The rest of his former team are believed to still be preparing their own summit bid.

The Polish team arrived at the K2 base camp late last year, enduring sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds.

But Urubko had become increasingly frustrated with their pace after a series of delays, including the daring night-time rescue of French mountaineer Elisabeth Revol on another Pakistani mountain, Nanga Parbat, in January.

Urubko had volunteered to go to Nanga Parbat as part of that rescue team.

But K2 expert Rehmat Ullah Baig said the mission forced the Poles to readjust their initial plans and choose a new route, a move that Urubko was said to be unhappy with.

He left his team members behind on Saturday after arguing that waiting until March would make a summit more difficult.

"He has had a heated debate with the team leader and left for the summit without saying a word," a porter accompanying the group told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Polish team confirmed the incident, saying Urubko left Camp Two without a radio after refusing to speak to the expedition's leader.

- 'Completely suicidal' -

Fellow mountaineers had expressed concern at any solo attempt while also acknowledging Urubko's extraordinary abilities.

"He is the most outstanding Himalayan climber of today. You can rank him among the top five active legends of mountaineering," said Pakistan's most accomplished climber Nazir Sabir, who has summited both K2 and Everest.

Others said the lone attempt was the height of recklessness.

"A solo attempt of K2 in winter is completely suicidal," said Pakistani climber Mirza Ali.

Asghar Ali Porik, owner of Jasmine Tours, the company organising the summit, said he had not yet been informed about arranging Urubko's journey back.

But he hailed the climber's decision to call off his bid as "expected and honourable".

Earlier Monday an expedition spokesman told AFP that for the rest of the Polish team, some of whom are in base camp and some at Camp Two, "the expedition is going according to the plan".

Everest has been summited by thousands of climbers young and old but K2 is a much lonelier place. Around 300 have made it to the top since the first ascent 60 years ago. Many climbers have died on the descent.

Northern Pakistan is home to some of the world's tallest mountains, including K2 in the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan has 18 of the world's 50 highest peaks.
A memorial to victims of the 2002 Bali bombings: Indonesia is planning reconciliation meetings between radicals and their victims

More than 100 former Indonesian militants will this week apologise to survivors of attacks and families of the dead as part of a plan to promote reconciliation and combat extremism, officials said Monday.

The meeting with victims is scheduled for Wednesday after two days of preparatory sessions that started on Monday.

The aim is to promote peace so the former radicals can take their place in society without being marginalised, said officials from Indonesia's counterterrorism agency.

All those taking part have served their prison terms but many have trouble readjusting to life outside jail.

"There are 120 former inmates who have cooperated and will take part," director of deradicalisation at the agency, Irfan Idris, told AFP.

They will include people involved in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

At meetings Monday and Tuesday they will be given lessons on Indonesia's national values such as tolerance and diversity. Seven ministers are involved in the education sessions.

The former convicts are also being briefed by officials on how to behave when they meet the 70 victims on Wednesday and get the chance to apologise.

Indonesia has the world's biggest Muslim population and has suffered a string of deadly extremist attacks this century.

The government has been trying to deradicalise militants through a programme which began more than 10 years ago.

A crackdown has also weakened the most dangerous networks. But fears have grown of a resurgence in militancy after hundreds of Indonesians flocked to the Middle East and the Philippines in recent years to join the Islamic State group or its allies.
Lake Chad is the principal source of freshwater for 40 million people

Experts gathered in Nigeria's capital on Monday to discuss ways to stop Africa's Lake Chad from drying up, after years of environmental decline that has hit livelihoods and security.

The two-day conference, organised by the government in Abuja and the Lake Chad Basin Commission, aims to "save the lake from extinction", according to UNESCO, which is backing the talks.

A $6.5-million (5.3-million-euro) research and conservation programme will involve Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, whose borders meet on the lake, as well as the Central African Republic.

Troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria are fighting a battle against Boko Haram jihadists in the remote region.

Lake Chad is the principal source of freshwater for 40 million people.

But climate change and water mismanagement have contributed to a staggering 90 per cent decline of the lake's surface over the past 40 years.

As it dries up and hunger rises, the region has become fragile and Boko Haram jihadists have targeted subsistence farmers and fishermen to fill their ranks.

The ongoing Islamist insurgency has forced tens of thousands of people to cross borders in search of food and safety.

The UN estimates that more than two million people have been uprooted from their homes and 10.7 million are in need of food handouts to survive.
Aung San Suu Kyi has seen her reputation among the international community crumble over her handling of the Rohingya crisis

Three Nobel Peace Prize winners Monday urged fellow laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out about violence against the Rohingya minority, warning she otherwise risks prosecution for "genocide".

The trio -- Tawakkol Karman, Shirin Ebadi and Mairead Maguire -- implored the embattled Myanmar leader to "wake up" to the atrocities after visiting squalid camps in Bangladesh home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees.

"This is clearly, clearly, clearly genocide that is going on by the Burmese government and military against the Rohingya people," Maguire said Monday, using another name for Myanmar.

"We refuse this genocide policy of the Burmese government. They will be taken to the ICC (International Criminal Court) and those who are committing genocide will be held responsible."

The UN has described the systematic violence by Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state as possible genocide and ethnic cleansing, but has stopped short of outright accusing the army of war crimes.

Suu Kyi, once a global rights icon, has witnessed her reputation among the international community crumble over her handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Critics have called for the Nobel prize she won under house arrest in 1991 to be revoked.

Her fellow three female laureates issued a personal appeal to the beleaguered leader as they toured the overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar district on Sunday and Monday, hearing firsthand stories of rape and murder against the Muslim minority.

Karman, a Yemeni rights activist, warned Suu Kyi that she risked being hauled to the ICC if she did not intervene.

"If she will continue her silence, she will be one of them," said Karman, fighting back tears, after meeting Rohingya refugees.

Nobel Peace Laureates Mairead Maguire (C) from Northern Ireland and Tawakkol Karman (L) from Yemen walk during their visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia

"It's an appeal to our sister Aung San Suu Kyi to wake up, otherwise she will be betrayed (as) one of the perpetrators of this crime."

Myanmar has staunchly denied the charges and blocked UN investigators from the conflict zone in Rakhine state, souring relations with a host of western allies.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have sought sanctuary in Cox's Bazar after fleeing a Myanmar army crackdown launched last August, sparking a humanitarian emergency in the Bangladesh border district.

Critics have accused Suu Kyi of adopting a siege mentality as global condemnation has mounted.

Myanmar considers the Rohingya illegal "Bengali" immigrants but has signed an agreement with Bangladesh to repatriate some 750,000 refugees back across the border.

The process has stalled, as the UN warns any returns must be voluntary and rights groups warn Rohingya could be forced into ghettoes once in Myanmar.
One man was shot and injured in Kinshasa during a protest called by the Catholic Church, later dying of his injuries

Two people were killed during weekend marches in the Democratic Republic of Congo calling for President Joseph Kabila to quit, the latest of several demonstrations forcefully put down by authorities.

Bishop Donatien Nshole, whose organisation supported the rallies, told AFP one man was killed in the capital Kinshasa and another died when he was shot by a guard in the northwestern city of Mbandaka during Sunday's rallies.

The head of the UN's DR Congo mission Leila Zerrougui said in a statement she "regrets that at least two people were killed... despite instructions given to security forces to show restraint."

She called on "the Congolese authorities to conduct credible investigations into these incidents and to hold those responsible accountable." She also stressed the "importance of upholding the rights of the Congolese people to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly."

The Congolese police said no one had died during the demonstrations but later changed tack, saying two "troublemakers" had died in the unrest.

Colonel Rombaut-Pierrot Mwanamputu said on Okapi radio that one of the "troublemakers" had sought "to create disorder" and was injured by a rubber bullet. He died in hospital.

A group linked to the influential Catholic Church said as many as three million people had taken part in rallies nationwide, though this figure was not possible to independently verify.

In DR Congo's second city Lubumbashi, youths set tyres on fire before being dispersed by riot police.

The Church-backed protests came after months of tension sparked by Kabila's prolonged rule and a long-delayed election in the vast and chronically unstable country.

The Catholic Church, which called the protests, said as many as three million people had taken part across DR Congo

Kabila was due to stand down from office in December 2016, ending his second elected term, but he has controversially stayed on under laws enabling him to retain power until his successor is elected.

In January, he accused the Catholic Church of interfering in Congolese politics.

Previous protests on New Year's Eve and January 21 saw a total of 15 people killed by security forces, according to tolls given by organisers and the United Nations.

The government said just two people died.
A protester holds a banner reading "Down Hamad" -- Bahrain's king -- during a protest on February 12, 2016, in the mainly Shiite village of Sitra, south of Manama, to mark the fifth anniversary of the country's 2011 uprising

Bahrain's highest appeals court on Monday upheld a death sentence and lengthy jail terms in a mass trial over a fatal 2016 bombing that authorities have linked to Iran.

The Court of Cassation upheld capital punishment for one defendant, a life sentence for a second, and lengthy prison terms for six others, according to a statement by the public prosecutor's office.

All eight have also had their Bahraini citizenship revoked.

A judicial source close to the case said the defendants were Shiites, who form the majority of the population in the Sunni-ruled monarchy.

The 2016 bombing, in the eastern village of Sitra, targeted a police patrol, authorities said at the time. The casualties, however, were civilians -- a woman was killed and her three children wounded.

A criminal court found 10 Bahrainis guilty of charges linked to the attack, including homicide, ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, espionage and "terrorist" activity.

Authorities say two of them are still on the run.

Located between regional rivals Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite-led Iran, Bahrain has been the site of Shiite-led protests demanding an elected government since 2011.

Bahrain's rulers accuse Iran of backing the protesters and inciting unrest in the kingdom, a charge Tehran denies.

Authorities have cracked down on all dissent, drawing harsh condemnation from international rights groups.

They have jailed dozens of high-profile activists, disbanded both religious and secular opposition groups and -- according to Amnesty International -- rendering hundreds stateless by stripping them of their citizenship and rendering them stateless.

The archipelago plays a key military role in the Gulf, hosting both the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and a British military base under construction.
After opposition activist Miguna Miguna was forcibly deported, Kenyan lawyers demonstrated in Nairobi on February 15 against state disobedience of court orders

Kenya's High Court on Monday ordered immigration authorities to allow an outspoken member of the opposition alliance to return to the country, after his deportation earlier this month.

Miguna Miguna, a firebrand member of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, was forced onto an international flight to Canada nearly three weeks ago.

His deportation came after he was arrested for treason for taking part in the mock swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga, who insists he is the rightful victor of last year's elections.

The interior ministry said Miguna had "denounced" his Kenyan citizenship after obtaining Canadian citizenship several years ago.

High Court judge Chacha Mwita ordered the immigration department to issue Miguna "with a travel document to enable him to re-enter and remain in Kenya pending the determination and hearing of his petition" to defend his citizenship.

"In default the petitioner shall be at liberty to use his Canadian passport to re-enter and remain in Kenya," he said.

Holding dual citizenship is legal in Kenya, and in August, Miguna ran for political office, with proof of Kenyan citizenship a key criteria for all candidates.

Miguna holds no elected office, but has styled himself "general" of the opposition's "National Resistance Movement" (NRM) wing, in charge of implementing a threatened programme of civil disobedience and boycotts.

Following Odinga's pretend inauguration, Kenya's government designated the NRM as an "organised criminal group".

However Mwita on Monday also suspended this decision.

Miguna's enforced exile was yet another twist in the long saga of Kenya's disputed elections which saw the Supreme Court annul the result of the initial August poll and Odinga boycott the October rerun, handing victory to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

A Human Rights Watch statement released Monday said 104 people had died at the hands of police and armed gangs during the protracted election.
Fresh bombardment by the Syrian regime killed at least 10 civilians in the area on Monday, including nine members of a same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said

The United Nations secretary-general on Monday demanded the immediate implementation of 30-day ceasefire in Syria as the Damascus regime continued its deadly bombardment of the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta.

UN chief Antonio Guterres praised the adoption of a Security Council resolution Saturday calling for the truce but underscored "Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented.

"That is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained," he told the opening of the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Eastern Ghouta cannot wait. It is high time to stop this hell on earth," Guterres said.

It took days of diplomatic wrangling before Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for the ceasefire "without delay" to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations in Eastern Ghouta.

But fresh bombardment by the Syrian regime killed at least 10 civilians in the area on Monday, including nine members of a same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said.

Air strikes destroyed a building in Douma, the main town in the area east of Damascus, and buried alive an entire family, according to the Observatory.

More than 500 civilians have been killed in regime and Russian bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, which is controlled by Islamist and jihadist fighters, since February 18, the Observatory further said.

- 'Prolific slaughterhouses' -

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who addressed the rights council after Guterres, warned that "we have every reason to remain cautious" on the proposed Syria truce.

The resolution "must be viewed against a backdrop of seven years of failure to stop the violence, seven years of unremitting and frightful mass killing," he said.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in Syria's war, which next month enters its eighth year with no diplomatic solution in sight.

Zeid slammed a lack of international action to rein in the carnage in Syria and other conflict zones like Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar, which he said had become "some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times."

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres praised the Security Council resolution for a Syria ceasefire but said it would only be meaningful if "effectively implemented".

The human rights chief has repeatedly and forcefully chastised the Security Council throughout the Syrian conflict for failing to refer the case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Zeid has blamed the council's inability to act on Syria on the veto power held by several of the five permanent members.

On Monday, Zeid blasted veto-wielding members for the council's intransigence on Syria and other conflicts, saying they bore "responsibility for the continuation of so much pain."

He hailed France and Britain for working towards reforming the ways vetoes are used, but insisted that "it is time, for the love of mercy, that China, Russia and the United States... end the pernicious use of the veto."

- 'Oppression fashionable' -

Zeid, who has said he will be stepping down at the end of his term later this year, also warned Monday of a general deterioration in the respect for rights around the world.

"Today, oppression is fashionable again. The security state is back and fundamental freedoms are in retreat in every region of the world. Shame is also in retreat," he said.

He highlighted in particular "xenophobes and racists in Europe", who he said were "casting off any sense of embarrassment".
A plan to air a Mandarin version of MasterChef in Singapore has sparked anger

A plan to air a Mandarin version of MasterChef in Singapore sparked anger Monday, with netizens claiming that the cooking show will not cater to all in the multi-ethnic country.

The competition, created in Britain in 1990, pits amateur chefs against each other in a pressure-cooker environment.

It has since seen several spin-offs featuring celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, including "MasterChef Asia" which was broadcast in English in 2015.

Announcing "MasterChef Singapore", national broadcaster Mediacorp said the programme would be shown on a free-to-air Chinese-language channel, and potential applicants were asked online to rate their fluency in Mandarin.

The city-state has a population that is over 70 percent ethnic Chinese but is also home to large Malay and Indian minorities, as well as many expatriates.

Singapore has four official languages -- English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil -- but people mainly communicate in English.

Facebook user Magen Prasad said the planned show was "catering to the majority race in Singapore. Minority race, we gotta deal with it".

"So what, Malays, Indians & Eurasians cant cook? What nonsense is this?" Shaik Syasa wrote on the networking site.

But Mediacorp insisted that contestants do not need to be fluent in Mandarin.

"For contestants, fluency... is not a prerequisite as translation services can be provided during the show," the broadcaster said in a statement.

"For television viewers, the series will be subtitled."

According to Mediacorp, the Chinese channel which will show the programme attracts the largest audience of any channel in its network.
Smoke billows following Syrian government bombardment of Kafr Batna, in the besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on February 22, 2018

Russia called a daily "humanitarian pause" in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, bowing to pressure to halt the carnage in the rebel-held enclave where bombardments eased late Monday after hours of deadly raids.

A UN Security Council resolution for a 30-day truce was a dead letter since it was passed on Saturday, and Moscow, the Damascus regime's main backer, ended up setting its own terms to stem one of the worst episodes of bloodletting in Syria's seven-year-old conflict.

The United Nations, France and Germany had made pressing appeals for Russian President Vladimir Putin to demand its Damascus ally enforce a ceasefire, including in Eastern Ghouta where more than 500 civilians were killed last week.

Putin agreed to a five-hour daily window that would allow residents of the battered enclave east of the capital to emerge from their underground shelters.

"On the instructions of the Russian president, with the goal of avoiding civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta, from February 27 -- tomorrow -- from 9:00 to 14:00, there will be a humanitarian pause," said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

According to a statement sent to AFP, he said there should be similar pauses in the southern Al-Tanf border region and Rukban, near the Jordanian border.

Shoigu said "humanitarian corridors" would be opened to allow civilians to leave.

The public would be informed with leaflets and text messages, and buses and ambulances would be waiting at a crossing to evacuate the sick and wounded, Moscow said.

The rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman criticised the initiative.

"Forcing civilians to leave or face death under bombardment and siege constitutes a Russian crime," its spokesman Wael Alwan said on Twitter.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "five hours is better than no hours, but we would like to see an end to all hostilities extended by 30 days, as stipulated by the Security Council."

"We will do our best... to deploy our trucks and humanitarian workers in this area," he added.

Washington pointed the finger sternly at Moscow, demanding it use its "influence" to completely halt the offensive.

"#Russia has the influence to stop these operations if it chooses to live up to its obligations under the #UNSC ceasefire," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted.

"The United States calls for an immediate end to offensive operations and urgent access for humanitarian workers to treat the wounded and deliver badly needed humanitarian aid."

- 'Continuing to escalate' -

Russia's defence ministry warned the situation in Eastern Ghouta was "continuing to escalate."

The intensity of the bombardment on Eastern Ghouta had eased somewhat in the past 48 hours but deadly strikes and shelling never stopped.

At least 22 civilians, including seven children, were killed in new raids and artillery fire by the regime, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

"The shelling of Ghouta stopped at 4:00 pm, before resuming in the early evening in a limited way," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"But artillery fire continued against the Al-Marj area," where clashes were ongoing between pro-regime forces and Jaish al-Islam rebels, he added.

- Trapped in rubble -

Ten-year-old Omar was injured in an air strike that killed several members of his family in Syria's rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta

The bombardment was very heavy overnight in Douma and impeded rescuers in their work.

The regime intensified its air campaign against Eastern Ghouta, which has been outside government control since 2012, early this month.

On February 18, the Syrian government further turned up the heat on the territory controlled by Islamists and jihadists.

More than 550 civilians, almost a quarter of them children, have since been killed and extensive destruction wrought on the enclave's towns.

Remaining hospitals and clinics have struggled to treat over 2,000 people wounded during the same period.

The United Nations said 76 percent of private housing in Eastern Ghouta has been damaged.

Residents trapped in the wreckage of their own homes have bled to death as even rescuers were targeted.

Much of the nearly 400,000-strong population of Eastern Ghouta has moved underground, with families pitching tents in basements and venturing out only to assess damage to their property and buy food.

On Sunday, a child died and 13 others suffered breathing difficulties and showed symptoms consistent with a chlorine attack after a regime air raid struck the town of Al-Shifuniyah, the Observatory and a medic said.

Russia dismissed reports of a chemical attack as "bogus stories."

The regime has reinforced its deployment around the enclave in the past month, raising fears of a ground offensive that aid groups have warned could cause even greater suffering.

- Other flashpoints -

With the Islamic State group's once sprawling "caliphate" now wiped off the map, the regime has looked bent on completing its reconquest and Eastern Ghouta is a key target.

The jihadists only control an estimated three percent of Syria territory, small pockets that various anti-IS forces continue to flush out.

Another flashpoint in Syria has been the northern region of Afrin, where Kurdish forces have come under attack from neighbouring Turkey since January 20.

Turkey has warned it did not consider that the UN ceasefire resolution, whose wording excludes operations against terror groups and goes beyond Eastern Ghouta, should affect its offensive on Afrin.

Macron called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who considers the Syrian Kurdish militia to be "terrorist," to stress the truce should apply there too.

burs-oh/ska
The EU's diplomatic chief Federic Mogherini met Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw last November

EU countries on Monday demanded sanctions against senior Myanmar military officers over "serious and systematic" rights abuses against the country's beleaguered Rohingya Muslim minority.

A crackdown by security forces in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state has driven some 700,000 Rohingyas across the border into Bangladesh since last August, leading the UN to accuse the government of an ethnic cleansing campaign against the group, who face acute discrimination in the mainly Buddhist nation.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said the situation in Myanmar was "extremely serious", pointing to widespread abuses by the military, "including rape and killings".

The ministers tasked the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini with making "proposals for targeted restrictive measures against senior military officers of the Myanmar armed forces responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations without delay".

They also called for an extension to the EU's embargo on weapons and equipment that can be used for political repression, imposed in the 1990s.

Blacklisting senior military officers -- freezing their EU assets and stopping them travelling to the bloc -- would be the toughest step taken so far by Brussels in its efforts to halt the Rohingya crisis and hold the perpetrators accountable.
A photo taken on October 1, 2009 shows Taoufiq Bouachrine, director of Morroccan daily Akhbar al-Youm, gesturing as he leaves a court hearing in Casablanca in a previous case

A prominent Moroccan newspaper publisher and journalist arrested last week has been referred to the prosecution for alleged "sexual assault", his lawyer said on Monday.

Taoufiq Bouachrine, known for his editorials criticising officials in the North African country and who had previous run-ins with the authorities, was arrested on Friday at his newspaper, Akhbar al-Yaoum.

A colleague said around 20 plain-clothed policemen raided the newspaper and detained him.

But defence attorney Mohamed Ziane dismissed the accusations against his client, suggesting his arrest was politically motivated.

"His arrest was spectacular, and this proves it is not a sex case, otherwise he would have been summoned to confront his accusers," Ziane said.

Initially the authorities declined to explain why Bouachrine had been arrested, but on Saturday the prosecutor issued a statement saying he was detained following "complaints of sexual assault".

The journalist, seen as close to the ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party, has had a tense relationship with the authorities.

A month ago a court ordered him to pay the equivalent of $50,000 (40,000 euros) to two government ministers who had accused him of defamation.

In 2009, Bouachrine and Akhbar al-Yaoum cartoonist Khalid Gueddar were each handed four-year suspended jail sentences following two separate trials over a cartoon deemed offensive to Morocco's royal family.

The pair were also ordered to pay heavy fines and damages, and the paper was temporarily shut down.

In June 2010, Bouachrine was sentenced to six months for fraud around a property deal.

Akhbar al-Yaoum is one of the most influential Arabic-language newspapers in Morocco.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Morocco 133rd out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index last year.
The gate to the ministry of education in Gaza City is padlocked on February 26, 2018 as public sector employees stage a strike over unpaid salaries

Public sector employees in the Gaza Strip went on strike Monday over unpaid salaries, amid a dispute between the two major Palestinian factions.

All government institutions closed their doors in the morning as the union of public employees called for a strike -- the second in a month.

The union said the strike is necessary as staff have only received 40 percent of their salaries for five months.

Khalil Hamada, a spokesman for the union, said the strike was "part of protest activities that will continue until the government responds to the rights of the staff in full".

The two major Palestinian factions, Islamists Hamas and the secular Fatah, signed a reconciliation agreement in October that was supposed to see Hamas hand back control of Gaza a decade after seizing the enclave.

Under the agreement the Fatah-dominated Palestinian government was meant to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of civil servants employed by Hamas until a final solution could be found.

But they have failed to implement the agreement, with the two sides trading blame over responsibility.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since seizing it from Fatah it in a near civil war in 2007, after a dispute over the result of parliamentary elections Hamas won.

A Palestinian man sits next to a boat at the port in Gaza City on February 26, 2018 in which a fisherman was killed when Israeli forces opened fire on it the previous day

Separately the fishermen's union in Gaza also observed a strike on Monday, to protest the death of one of its members who was shot dead by Israeli forces the previous day.

Israel said the boat travelled outside Gaza's designated fishing zone and ignored orders to stop, prompting naval forces to fire warning shots before shooting toward the vessel.

The union disputed this version of events.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and the territory has been under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years.

Fishing off the northern part of the strip, adjacent to Israel, is limited to six nautical miles offshore and the Israeli navy regularly fires warning shots or at Palestinians who breach it.

Such incidents rarely result in deaths.
This malnourished child was one of hundreds seen at a nutrition centre in South Sudan last year

Nearly half of the population in war-torn South Sudan is experiencing extreme hunger, with many more set to run out of food as famine looms, government and UN agencies said Monday.

A year after South Sudan became the first country in six years to experience famine, due to a drawn out civil war, its National Bureau of Statistics warned that 40 percent more people were going hungry this year, even before the lean season sets in.

The state bureau said in a statement that in January 5.3 million people, representing 48 percent of the population, were facing acute food insecurity.

In 2017 some 100,000 people were affected by a famine -- meaning people started dying due to lack of food. It was declared over in June.

"Improved access and a massive humanitarian response succeeded in containing and averting famine later last year. Despite this, the food insecurity outlook has never been so dire as it is now," said a joint statement from three United Nations aid agencies.

Four years of civil war have devastated agriculture, while prices have soared and rains have also been unreliable. The country has also been hit by crop-destroying armyworm caterpillars.

"The situation is deteriorating with each year of conflict as more people lose the little they had. We are alarmed as the lean season when the harvest runs out is expected to start this year much earlier than usual," said Adnan Khan, World Food Programme (WFP) country director.

The statistics bureau and aid agencies warned that if humanitarian assistance was not stepped up, more than seven million people could become food insecure -- two thirds of the population.

Eleven counties are at risk of famine.

Without assistance, as of May, more than 1.3 million children under five will be at risk of acute malnutrition.

Allain Noudehou, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, told a press conference that only 5.5 percent of $1.7 billion (1.3 billion euros) in aid needed in 2018 had been received.

South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, was engulfed by civil war in 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his rival and former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup against him.

Violence -- initially between ethnic Dinka supporters of Kiir and ethnic Nuer supporters of Machar -- has since spread to other parts of the country, engulfing other ethnic groups.

The last ceasefire, signed in December, was broken within hours while the latest round of peace talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa have stalled.
Hassana Mohammed, 13, scaled a fence to escape

A school in northeast Nigeria from where 110 girls disappeared after a Boko Haram attack will remain closed, the state government said on Monday, calling for tighter security.

"The government girls school in Dapchi has not reopened. It's not feasible to reopen the school in the current situation," said the education commissioner for Yobe state, Mohammed Lamin.

"We still have over 100 girls that are unaccounted for. The other girls that were found are not in the right frame of mind to return to school. They are still in trauma," he told AFP.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Science and Technology College in Dapchi, 100 kilometres (63 miles) northwest of the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, last Monday.

The attack revived painful memories of a similar attack on another boarding school in Chibok, in neighbouring Borno state, in April 2014, in which more than 200 girls were kidnapped.

Initially, it was claimed that all the Dapchi students and teachers fled. The authorities shut the school for a week pending a head-count of returning students.

But as dozens of girls failed to reappear, parents began to fear the worst.

Sandals were strewn around the school after the attack

The federal government on Sunday said 110 of the 906 students were "unaccounted for", stopping short of confirming they had been abducted but blaming the attack on Boko Haram.

Lamin said the school would remain closed "for a while, until the situation normalises and the girls are psychologically prepared to resume".

President Muhammadu Buhari, who said in December 2015 that Boko Haram was "technically defeated", has called the situation a "national tragedy".

The government has ordered security to be increased at all schools in Yobe.

On Friday, parents and locals in Dapchi said they had been left vulnerable to attack because soldiers had been withdrawn in the last few weeks.

Yobe state governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Sunday confirmed the lack of military presence but said he was unaware of the withdrawal and drew comparisons to another school attack in the state.

He said troops pulled out of Buni Yadi on the morning of February 25, 2014, allowing jihadists to storm the boys' boarding school, where more than 40 students were killed.

"Despite the fact that the military personnel are trying their best, they need to do more to contain the situation. There is need for a redeployment of troops," added Gaidam.
The western Cameroon city of Bamenda, which lies 40 kilometres west of Batibo, where a local official has been kidnapped

An administrative official was snatched over the weekend from one of Cameroon's restive English-speaking regions in the second such kidnapping in a fortnight, state media reported on Monday.

The man was taken by armed men near Batibo, which lies 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the city of Bamenda, and the same area from which another local official was taken on February 11.

"The regional representative for social affairs for the northwest region has been missing since Saturday. He was taken while in his car in the Batibo area by armed attackers," Cameroon Radio Television (CrTV) said.

Regional police officials confirmed the kidnapping to CrTV, saying they had recovered his burnt-out vehicle.

The abduction was claimed on social media by the so-called Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF), an armed group of English-speaking separatists from a self-proclaimed republic independent from the majority French-speaking country.

Dozens of people have been killed since October in Cameroon's two restive anglophone regions following a violent government crackdown

The ADF, headed by firebrand former student trade unionist Lucas Cho Ayaba, also snatched Namata Diteng, deputy head of the Batibo district earlier this month.

Dozens of people have been killed since October in Cameroon's two restive anglophone regions following a violent government crackdown on protests against the mainly French-speaking government.

The situation worsened at the end of January when 47 separatists, including Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, one of their leaders, were arrested in Nigeria, which sent them back to Cameroon, prompting a fresh wave of violence.

Aside from targeting police and soldiers, some separatist groups appear to be turning to kidnapping, as well as threatening French firms located in English-speaking areas.

Anglophones account for about a fifth of the west African country's 23 million population.

On Thursday, a presidential decree paved the way for the creation of a fifth military subdivision which will oversee western Cameroon and be based in Bamenda.
The friendly fire occurred after two bomb blasts that killed dozens of people

The Ugandan army said Monday its troops had shot dead three Somali soldiers in Mogadishu, accusing them of opening fire on a military convoy carrying Uganda's peacekeeping commander.

Uganda's army said Somali troops opened fire on the convoy of Brigadier Paul Lokech, who heads the Ugandan contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), during a lockdown on the capital after two bomb blasts on Friday killed dozens of people.

Ugandan military spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire said his country's soldiers had retaliated in self-defence.

"There is absolutely no reason why the AMISOM forces in their designated sector of responsibility should have been blocked and fired at en route back to the base after providing critical support and with some victims of the attack being quickly evacuated for urgent medical attention," he said.

"As the incident is being investigated, let it be clear that AMISOM rules of engagement provide for self-defence and anyone who fires at these forces becomes a target," he added.

However Somali security official, Mohamed Ali, blamed the AMISOM convoy for the bloodshed.

"There were about nine AMISOM military trucks involved in the incident, they were stopped by the officers at the checkpoint who were following instructions to stop all trucks due to lockdown but the AMISOM convoy commander ordered his juniors to forcefully pass by the checkpoint and opened fire on the soldiers," he told AFP.

AMISOM on Saturday had said some of its troops "transporting injured civilians... were involved in an incident" at a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) checkpoint near Kilometre-4, the city's main junction.

"The incident is under investigation by both the federal government of Somalia and AMISOM," it said in a statement.

Friday's first bombing was at an entrance to the hilltop presidential palace complex while a second explosion hit a hotel close to the NISA headquarters, the presumed target.

The bombings were claimed by the al-Qaeda linked Shabaab militants who are fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, which is defended by 22,000 AMISOM troops, including 6,000 Ugandans.
Syrian rescuers and civilians running from the site of a Syrian government bombardment in Hamouria last week, in the Eastern Ghouta region just outside Damascus

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a daily "humanitarian pause" to air strikes on the rebel-held Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta from Tuesday, Moscow's defence minister said Monday.

"On the instructions of the Russian president, with the goal of avoiding civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta, from February 27 -- tomorrow -- from 9.00 to 14.00 there will be a humanitarian pause," minister Sergei Shoigu said at a ministry meeting, according to a statement sent to AFP.

He said there should be similar pauses in the southern Al-Tanf border region and Rukban, near the Jordanian border, "so that civilians can return to their homes unhindered and begin to rebuild their civilian lives".

Russia has denied air strikes on the enclave have killed civilians and insisted groups attacked by regime and allied forces are associated with terrorists.

More than 520 civilians are thought to have died in a week of heavy bombardment in Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus, by Syria's regime.

The US, rights groups and Syrian media have said Russian planes carried out the strikes, including on hospitals.

The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously demanded a 30-day truce in Syria.

Russia is a key ally of Assad, and fought a campaign for over two years in Syria in his support, helping to turn around the multi-front war.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pictured upon his arrival in Algiers on February 26, 2018, for a two-day tour

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Algeria on Monday as he embarked a new tour of Africa in a bid to ramp up Turkey's growing influence throughout the continent.

The Turkish strongman touched down in Algiers, the first leg of the trip that he described as "historic" and that will see him also visit Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.

"Algeria is one of our most important trading partners in the region... We want to strengthen our military, security and cultural relations," Erdogan told a news conference in Istanbul before departing.

Accompanied by several ministers and businessmen, he said he would hold talks with Algerian leaders on relations between the two countries, with a focus on energy as well as regional issues.

On his third visit to Algeria since taking office in 2003, all eyes will be on Erdogan's expected meeting with ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 80, who rarely appears in public.

Bouteflika, who has held office since 1999, suffered a mini-stroke in 2013 that affected his speech and mobility.

According to Algerian state media, 796 Turkish companies employ more than 28,000 people in the North African country.

Turkey has injected more than $3 billion mostly in textiles, pharmaceuticals and steel in Algeria, making it one of the largest foreign investors in the country excluding hydrocarbons.

Trade between the two countries reached almost $4 billion in 2017.

The government daily El Moudjahid said Erdogan would inaugurate the "largest textile factory in Africa", in Relizane, west of Algiers.

In an interview with the Echorouk newspaper, Erdogan said economic relations would be strengthened through agreements that are being negotiated.

He criticised importation barriers put in place by Algeria "which slow down the development of trade between our two countries".

Erdogan's trips to Mali and Mauritania will be the first-ever by a Turkish president, with security likely to feature high on the agenda in Mali which is battling with a string of attacks and kidnappings by jihadist groups.

- Seeking influence -

An infrequent visitor to Europe as ties with the West strained, Erdogan has made repeated visits to Africa since becoming president in 2014.

Turkey has scented an opportunity to build influence in Africa through delivering aid, setting up transport links and offering its expertise in construction

Just two months ago, Erdogan made his first trip to Sudan, where he met President Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), before continuing on to Tunisia and Chad.

Last year, he visited Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania and has also made trips to Ethiopia, Uganda, and conflict-torn Somalia where Turkey has taken a lead in rebuilding efforts.

Turkey has scented an opportunity to build influence in Africa through delivering aid, setting up transport links and offering its expertise in construction.

Turkey currently has 41 embassies in Africa, up from 12 in 2009, and wants to eventually have top-level representation in all 54 nations on the continent, state media said.

Flag-carrier Turkish Airlines, 49 percent of which is held by a sovereign wealth fund, has also expanded its network to reach 52 destinations in Africa, from Accra to Johannesburg.

Aside from bolstering trade and political ties, a major priority for Erdogan has been to stamp out the influence of a network run by Fethullah Gulen, the preacher exiled in the US whom Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016.

Gulen, who denies ordering the putsch, has built up an educational network in Africa.

But Erdogan says the continent has served as a centre for "exploitation" by Gulen.
A file picture shows smoke billowing after an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition in Marib province on May 29, 2015

A Saudi-led air strike killed at least six allied Yemeni soldiers on Monday in friendly fire attacks on their base 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Sanaa, a military source said.

"An erroneous strike by coalition warplanes killed six troops -- one officer and five soldiers," a military source based in the government stronghold Marib told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said another 15 troops were wounded in the strike on a national army camp in the mountainous region of Nihm, a contested territory halfway between rebel-held Sanaa and Marib.

A second government military source gave a higher toll of 20 killed, including three prominent commanders.

The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Saudi Arabia launched its Yemen military alliance in 2015 with the stated goal of restoring the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to power and rolling back Huthi rebel gains.

In recent months, coalition-backed Yemeni troops have overrun multiple Huthi bases in Nihm -- held by the insurgents since 2014.

A bloody battleground, Nihm is a key gateway to the capital, which remains elusive with the military advance impeded by the treacherous mountain terrain and thousands of land mines planted by the Iran-backed rebels.
Two women pray outside the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on February 26, 2018 a day after Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the church to protest Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law

The Jerusalem church built at what many consider the holiest site in Christianity remained closed for a second day Monday to protest Israeli tax measures and a proposed law, leaving hundreds of disappointed and perplexed pilgrims locked outside.

Christian leaders took the rare step of closing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday at noon in a bid to pressure Israeli authorities into abandoning the measures.

They said the church, a major pilgrimage site where thousands visit daily, would be closed until further notice.

Church officials said Monday it was not clear when it would reopen, depending on discussions with Christian leaders and Israeli authorities.

The church is built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Custody of it is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations.

Disappointed tourists gathered Monday in front of its large wooden doors in Jerusalem's Old City hoping they would have the chance to visit, some having difficulty understanding why it was closed.

Some held an improvised prayer around a wooden cross.

"We were told it's political. It is disheartening -- it is such a holy place," said Aleana Doughty, a 35-year-old dental hygienist visiting with a group from the United States.

Michael Katten and his wife Vanagakshi, visiting from India, were also locked out. Vanagakshi said she had promised to bring her mother something from the church and say a prayer.

"It is silly that they cannot solve this," Michael Katten said.

Christian leaders are angry over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching.

They also say legislation being considered by Israel's government would allow church property to be expropriated.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters in Brussels "we hope that a solution can be found quickly."

"Jerusalem is a holy city to the three monotheistic religions. The special status and character of the city must be maintained and respected by all."

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, located near the Holy Sepulchre, was also closed in protest on Monday.

- Major Jerusalem landowner -

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem is what many consider the holiest site in Christianity where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat says the city is due 650 million shekels ($186 million/152 million euros) in uncollected taxes on church properties.

He stresses the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches.

Christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work, which also includes social services to those in need.

A separate bill seeks to allay the fears of Israelis who live in homes on lands previously held by the Greek Orthodox Church and which were sold to private developers, according to the lawmaker proposing the legislation.

Recent land sales by the Greek Orthodox Church -- a major landowner in Jerusalem -- to unknown buyers have drawn fire from both Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinians fear the sales will favour Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem, while Israelis are concerned over private developers' intentions for the land.

The bill would allow certain lands sold by the Greek Orthodox Church to be handed over to the state, which would then compensate those who bought it from the church.

"This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during a dark period in Europe," Christian leaders said in a statement on Sunday.

They also said recent Israeli measures seemed to be "an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem".

- Rare move -

The decision to close the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is very rare and left disappointed pilgrims locked outside

The decision to close the church was extremely rare.

In 1990, Christian sites including the Holy Sepulchre were closed for a day to protest the installation of Jewish settlers near the church, located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Christian sites were shut for two days in 1999 to protest the planned construction of a mosque near Nazareth's Church of the Annunciation, where tradition holds the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary she was to become the mother of Jesus.

The cave where Christians believe Jesus was buried is located within the Holy Sepulchre, while the traditional site of his crucifixion is a short walk away, also inside the church.

The tomb is encased in an elaborate shrine, whose recent restoration was unveiled in March 2017 after months of delicate work.

Visits are expected to increase for Easter, which falls on April 1 for Western Christians and April 8 for the Orthodox.

"A lot of people spent a lot of money to come see the most pivotal place of their faith," said Father Kevin Peek, a 47-year-old visiting with a group of 27 people from the United States.

"So of course they are disappointed. But we looked it up on the internet, we read the statement of the churches and we completely understand."
Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have also taken part in the operation against Kurdish militia in Afrin

Turkey has sent special forces into the Syrian region of Afrin in anticipation of a "new fight" in urban areas in its operation against a Kurdish militia, Ankara said on Monday.

Turkey on January 20 started an offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in the western enclave of Afrin.

"Deploying special forces is part of the preparation for a new fight that is approaching," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, also government spokesman, said.

An unknown number of gendarmerie and police special forces entered the region on Sunday night, state news agency Anadolu said.

Bozdag said the fight continued in villages and in the countryside far from Afrin's centre.

"The fight will shift to places where there are civilians, as the area (of fighting) narrows," Bozdag said during an interview with NTV broadcaster.

The deputy prime minister said the special forces had experience fighting against militants in residential areas of Turkey "without harming civilians".

Turkey views the YPG as a "terrorist" Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union.

But the YPG has been working closely with the US against the Islamic State extremist group in Syria, angering Ankara.

Turkish troops and Syrian fighters have pushed back the YPG from Turkey's southern borders in the Afrin region, Anadolu reported.

Since the operation began, 845 people have been detained inside Turkey in connection with the offensive, including 648 people for spreading "propaganda", the interior ministry said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week said Turkey would lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin "in the coming days".

The UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution on a ceasefire in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations after intense regime bombardment of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, which killed hundreds.

French President Emmanuel Macron told Erdogan during a telephone call on Monday that the ceasefire for Syria must be applied across the country, including in Afrin.

Bozdag said that the UN decision "did not affect the Afrin operation".

Erdogan later on Monday said despite the UN resolution, "for two days the ceasefire has not been implemented and the situation continues mercilessly" in Eastern Ghouta.
US first daughter and senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump, watching the closing of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games

Is it out of bounds to ask a White House advisor about the US president's behavior, when that advisor also happens to be his daughter? Ivanka Trump says yes.

Donald Trump's eldest daughter was confronted with that situation when a journalist asked her about the women who accuse her father of sexual misconduct before he became president.

"Do you believe your father's accusers?" an NBC News journalist asked her in an interview that aired Monday.

"I think it's a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he's affirmatively stated there's no truth to it," she replied.

"I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters."

"I believe my father. I know my father. I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father," she said.

More than a dozen women have come forward with claims of past misconduct by Trump, who infamously boasted in a tape that surfaced during his 2016 campaign that his celebrity allowed him to kiss and grope women with impunity.

The White House has consistently dismissed the allegations, saying the president denied them before he was elected.

In a divergence from the White House line, however, Nikki Haley, Washington's ambassador to the United Nations and the highest-profile woman in the administration, has said any woman claiming to be the victim of sexual harassment -- including the ones implicating Trump -- "should be heard."
President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was determined to ensure the release of everyone taken by the Islamist militants and to return "the abducted girls to their families"

More than 100 girls missing for a week after a Boko Haram attack on their school in northeast Nigeria were kidnapped, the government said for the first time on Monday.

The authorities in Abuja had previously stopped short of saying the 110 students were seized during the raid on the Government Girls Science and Technology College in Dapchi last Monday.

The attack has revived painful memories in Nigeria of the mass abduction of 276 girls from another boarding school in Chibok in April 2014. Nearly four years on, 112 are still being held.

President Muhammadu Buhari said his government was determined to ensure the release of everyone taken by the Islamist militants and to return "the abducted girls to their families".

"This is especially against the backdrop of the recent incident where another group of girls were abducted on January 19 from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe state," Buhari told a reception in Abuja for former captives of jihadists, his office said in a statement.

Buhari added that he had ordered the country's security agencies to ensure the safety of schools and students.

- Shadow of Chibok -

Nigeria's reluctance to admit the kidnapping comes in part due to Chibok, whose shadow hung over the previous administration and many believe contributed to its election loss.

Buhari, a former military ruler, was elected in 2015 on a promise to end the Boko Haram insurgency, which since it started nine years ago has claimed at least 20,000 lives.

The abduction in Dapchi comes after repeated claims from the military and government that Boko Haram was on the verge of defeat.

It has led to questions about the extent of the government's grip on security and why promises to improve security of schools appears not to have been implemented, despite Chibok.

Boko Haram, whose name translates roughly from Hausa as "Western education is forbidden", has repeatedly targeted schools teaching a so-called secular curriculum.

The jihadists want to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

It has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and young girls as well as men and boys of fighting age.

- School closed -

Earlier, the education commissioner for Yobe state, Mohammed Lamin, said the school in Dapchi would remain closed as it was "not feasible to reopen (it) in the current situation".

"We still have over 100 girls that are unaccounted for. The other girls that were found are not in the right frame of mind to return to school. They are still in trauma," he told AFP.

Lamin said the school would remain closed "for a while, until the situation normalises and the girls are psychologically prepared to resume".

Buhari said in December 2015 that Boko Haram was "technically defeated" and has called the situation a "national tragedy".

On Friday, parents and locals in Dapchi said they had been left vulnerable to attack because soldiers had been withdrawn in the last few weeks.

Yobe state governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Sunday confirmed the lack of military presence but said he was unaware of the withdrawal and drew comparisons to another school attack in the state.

He said troops pulled out of Buni Yadi on the morning of February 25, 2014, allowing jihadists to storm the boys' boarding school, where more than 40 students were killed.

"Despite the fact that the military personnel are trying their best, they need to do more to contain the situation. There is need for a redeployment of troops," added Gaidam.

The military called Gaidam's remarks "misleading". Troops were redeployed to support comrades stationed on the border with Niger, it said in a statement.

"This was on the premise that Dapchi has been relatively calm and peaceful and the security of Dapchi town was formally handed over to the Nigeria police division," it added.
Saleh Muslim, who has been charged and faces 30 life sentences, would if extradited be one of the most senior Kurdish officials to be in Turkish custody since the detention of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan in 1999

Turkey on Monday said it had formally asked for the extradition of one of the most prominent leaders of the Syrian Kurds, who was detained by Czech police at the weekend at Ankara's request.

Saleh Muslim, a key figure of the Syrian Kurdish movement, was detained on Saturday night at an upmarket Prague hotel, Czech and Turkish officials said.

"The justice ministry has completed its preparations (for extradition) and this file has been sent to the Czech judicial authorities as of yesterday," Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

Muslim was a former co-chair of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is the political wing of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

"Our request is for the extradition for Saleh Muslim -- the manager of a terror organisation, a ringleader and who is still involved in terror actions against Turkey -- as required by the law that binds us both," Bozdag told NTV broadcaster in an interview.

Bozdag, also government spokesman, has previously noted that both Turkey and the Czech Republic were parties to the European Convention on Extradition.

In Prague, a spokeswoman for the municipal court said it would rule on Tuesday whether to remand Muslim in custody.

Justice Ministry spokeswoman Tereza Schejbalova said the Czech authorities had yet to receive the formal extradition request and it could take several more days.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul that Turkish authorities were taking steps to avoid "an adverse outcome" to the extradition request.

However Czech foreign minister Martin Stropnicky denied there was any link between the arrest of Muslim and the jailing in Turkey of two Czech nationals on charges of fighting for the YPG in Syria.

Miroslav Farkas and Marketa Vselichova were sentenced last year to six years and three months behind bars. Some Turkish media had speculated over the possibility they could be released in exchange for the extradition of Muslim.

Turkey last month launched an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed YPG in its western enclave of Afrin.

Ankara says the YPG and PYD are "terrorist" extensions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.

The PKK is proscribed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies but the US has been working closely with the YPG against the Islamic State extremist group in Syria.

Muslim is wanted by Ankara over a February 2016 attack in Ankara that killed 29 people and the Turkish authorities blamed on Kurdish militants.

He has been charged and faces 30 life sentences if found guilty but he has dismissed the accusations against him.

If he is extradited, he would be one of the most senior Kurdish officials to be in Turkish custody since the detention of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan in 1999.

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US President Donald Trump and Congress are mulling possible changes to federal gun laws in the aftermath of a school shooting in Florida that left 17 people dead

President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

Nearly two weeks after the attack in Parkland, Florida left 17 people dead, US lawmakers reconvened after a one-week recess under intensifying pressure to address gun violence.

Trump has since called for reforms including tougher background checks on firearm purchases, but the White House has yet to announce support for specific legislation in Congress, where enacting federal gun restrictions faces major obstacles especially in an election year.

During a White House meeting with state governors, Trump said he would have felt compelled to confront the shooter.

"I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon," Trump said. "You never know until you're tested."

Having previously criticized an armed deputy who failed to intervene in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Trump also branded the performance of some local law enforcement "frankly disgusting."

The deputy, Scot Peterson, pushed back through his lawyer, saying he positioned himself outside a school building because he believed the shots were originating from outside.

"The allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement.

- Lunch with the NRA -

Spurred to action by the shooting -- the worst at a US school in six years -- several Parkland survivors travelled to the US Capitol, where they met Monday with top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers.

Trump, who touted his Second Amendment credentials on the 2016 campaign trail, said he lunched Sunday with Wayne LaPierre, the head of the powerful National Rifle Association, and told him changes were needed.

"We're going to do strong background checks. Very strong," Trump told the governors. "If we see a sicko, I don't want him having a gun."

Trump has also called for boosting school security, and controversially, arming some teachers and staff in addition to on-campus guards.

Most Democrats want gun control efforts brought to fruition in Congress, and a new CNN poll showed that 70 percent of Americans support stricter gun laws, up 18 points since October.

But it remains unclear just what measures can pass Congress in Washington's overheated partisan fog, and Republican House and Senate leaders have remained largely silent on the issue.

Senate Republican Pat Toomey and centrist Democrat Joe Manchin want to reprise their 2013 bill that would expand background checks to include purchases online and at gun shows.

Manchin told reporters Trump would need to express his support for the measure for it to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.

Republicans from suburban districts, where calls for gun control have gained ground, have expressed openness to raising the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, or banning devices that turn such weapons into machine guns.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moderate, said she also supports expanding background checks and addressing mental health.

"I definitely want to see the issue taken up," she told AFP.

But many conservatives consider any tightening of gun laws a creeping assault on citizens' constitutional right to bear arms.

"I don't think we need more gun control, I think we need better idiot control," said Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana.

The split appeared to leave the prospects of significant new gun legislation in doubt.

Some Republicans are pushing the so-called "Fix NICS" bill which would compel agencies to report information into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

"We must do much more than that," said top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer as he touted legislation that expands background checks.

Doing so, he said, would require Republicans to "break free from the iron grip of the NRA."

- Emotional return to Parkland -

People dressed as angels walk near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, nearly two weeks after 17 people were killed there in a mass shooting

With the gun debate raging, Parkland students and teachers made an emotional return to their school Sunday, setting foot on site for the first time since the massacre.

Staff returned to work on Monday, and classes were to resume Wednesday.

Parkland's students, in the spotlight as they spur the conversation on guns, received praise Monday from First Lady Melania Trump, who said she was "heartened to see children across this country using their voices to speak out and try to create change."

"They are our future and they deserve a voice," she said.
Syria's Raqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State group seen here on February 18, 2018, was devastated by three years of jihadist rule and a US-backed assault to oust the extremists

An Israeli court on Monday sentenced a Jewish convert to Islam to 38 months in prison for seeking to join the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria.

Valentin Mazlevski, 40, a Belorussian immigrant who moved to Israel in 1996, was the first Jewish-born Israeli to be charged for having IS ties, according to the Shin Bet domestic security service.

He was arrested in February 2017, a few weeks after a failed attempt to fly from Israel to Turkey, from where he allegedly planned to cross into Syria to join IS forces.

The Nazareth district court said in its ruling that Mazlevski had "one goal: to join the organisation".

He acted "out of identification with the organisation's ideology," in the process "violating the law and endangering the state's security," it said.

In 2000, while performing compulsory service in the Israeli military, Mazlevski converted to Islam after meeting the Israeli Arab Muslim woman who would become his wife and mother of his five children.

Mazlevski, who became interested in IS and frequently viewed its online content in recent years, joined the jihadist group's internet forums, Israeli authorities said.

In July 2016, Israeli security forces warned him against taking part in IS activities, the sentencing read, but Mazlevski paid no heed and contacted jihadists in bids to join IS fighters in Syria and later in Sinai.

Both plans failed.

Shin Bet also revealed Monday it had arrested three Arab Israelis for allegedly planning to carry out shooting attacks at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem or against Jewish or Christian prayer sites.

"Two cell members support the murderous ideology of the Islamic State terrorist organisation and sought to perpetrate attacks in the context of this support," the Shin Bet said in a statement.

Several Arabs from northern Israel have been arrested for alleged links with IS and around 20 Arab Israelis are now believed to be among its ranks in Syria and Iraq.
Burundi last held a presidential election in 2015

Burundi is not ready to hold credible elections because the ruling party and its allies remain firmly in control of political life and tensions remain high, a UN envoy said Monday.

In power since 2005, Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza is leading a push for a referendum in May on changes to the constitution that would allow him to run in elections in 2020.

UN envoy Michel Kafando told the UN Security Council that the political situation remains "tense" in Burundi and that conditions are not right for elections.

"Only the majority party and some other allied political groups are able to conduct unobstructed political activities," said Kafando, adding that the economy was suffering as a result of the turmoil.

"Such a situation cannot be suitable for the organization of credible elections."

When Nkurunziza ran for a third term in 2015 and won, his victory sparked a crisis and violence that has left at least 1,200 dead and driven more than 400,000 into exile.

The president has refused to hold talks with the opposition, despite a mediation set up by regional countries under former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa.

Kafando, who briefly served as president of Burkina Faso, said that while the security situation had improved, human rights abuses continue to be reported.

Burundi's Ambassador Albert Shingiro said the country was working to create a "suitable environment for democratic, free, transparent and peaceful elections" in 2020.

He asked the council to remove Burundi from its agenda "because the situation in the country is generally calm and poses no threat to international peace and security."

In a report presented to the council this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized Nkurunziza's move to hold a constitutional referendum, saying changes to the charter must be done in an "inclusive" manner.

A UN commission of inquiry set up in 2016 has found that crimes against humanity have been committed in the violence in Burundi.
Nir Hefetz appears in the Israeli Justice Court in Tel Aviv on February 22, 2018

An Israeli court on Monday extended the remands of a former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a top businessman, both linked to cases of suspected fraud against the premier, police said.

Tel Aviv magistrates court remanded Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family, and Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of telecoms group Bezeq, until Sunday, a police statement said.

The two men were among seven suspects arrested last week as fraud suspicions against Netanyahu snowballed.

Police suspect Elovitch was given business concessions in return for Netanyahu receiving good press on Walla!, a news website he owns.

Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu and Bezeq and Walla! officials.

He is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds.

Police have questioned the premier seven times since the beginning of 2017, and last month said there was sufficient evidence to charge him for graft, fraud and breach of trust in two cases.

In one, he and family members are suspected of receiving one million shekels ($285,000, 230,000 euros) of luxury cigars, champagne and jewellery from wealthy personalities in exchange for financial or personal favours.

In the other case, investigators suspect the premier of trying to reach an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot, a top Israeli daily newspaper, for more favourable coverage.

Israeli media said police would question him on the Bezeq affair for the first time on Friday.

He would also reportedly face interrogation as a witness in suspected corruption around Israel's purchase of three submarines from German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp.

The cases have fuelled speculation he could be forced to step down or call an early election but Netanyahu says he is innocent of any wrongdoing.

Bezeq CEO Stella Handler and Elovitch's wife Iris were released from custody to house arrest Monday and son Or Elovitch was freed on bail, police said.

Eli Kamir, another former Netanyahu adviser arrested last week, is to appear before a remand hearing on Wednesday.

- State witness -

Shlomo Filber, a Netanyahu ally for more than 20 years and former director general of the communications ministry, was freed last week after agreeing to turn state's witness in exchange for avoiding jail, police said.

He is suspected of mediating between Netanyahu and Elovitch and promoting regulatory changes worth millions to Bezeq.

There was a new twist on Monday when the justice ministry promised a fast-track review of reports that another judge, Ronit Poznanski-Katz, and a National Securities Authority investigator colluded in remand decisions on the Bezeq case suspects.

The suspicions were revealed late Sunday on private TV channel 10 News which showed what it said were screen shots of text messages in which the investigator said that his side would ask for Stella Handler and Iris Elovitch to be held for a further "few days," and told the judge she could "really, definitely give two days."

"I'll try and look appropriately surprised," she allegedly replied.

Israeli public radio said that when asked by journalists to comment on the allegations during a parliamentary meeting of his Likud party Netanyahu just laughed.

Poznanski-Katz was replaced by another judge at Monday's hearing and the justice ministry said in a statement that its complaints department would "assemble the material" and decide whether to pursue the allegations further by Tuesday afternoon.

Public radio said that by law the ministry could have taken up to a year to publish such a decision.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (R) meets with Saudi envoy Nizar al-Alula in Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he has accepted an invitation Monday to visit Saudi Arabia, returning for the first time to the kingdom where he announced a shock resignation that he later rescinded.

The November 4 resignation and his prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia stirred tensions between Riyadh and Beirut, amid suspicions he had been placed under house arrest, until France intervened and he returned to Lebanon where the announcement was reversed.

Hariri on Monday said he received the invitation at a meeting in Beirut with a Saudi envoy, Nizar al-Alula, and that he would make the trip "as soon as possible", in a statement issued by his office.

"The main aim of Saudi Arabia is that Lebanon becomes its own master" and "totally independent", he said.

Relations between the two countries have been strained by the competing influences in Lebanon of regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Saudi envoy's visit comes ahead of May 6 legislative elections, Lebanon's first since 2009 following three extensions of parliament's mandate.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has a "zero tolerance, no excuses, and no second changes approach to sexual exploitation and abuse"

Forty-six UN peacekeepers from Ghana have been recalled from their base in northwestern South Sudan following allegations of sexual exploitation of women sheltering at the site, a UN spokesman said Monday.

The 46 police were confined to barracks in Juba on Saturday after a preliminary investigation showed that the Ghanaians were "engaging in sexual activity with women" living at a UN site to protect civilians in Wau, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"The information received indicates that some members of the formed police unit allegedly engaged in transactional sex," he added.

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has a "zero tolerance, no excuses, and no second changes approach to sexual exploitation and abuse," he said.

Ghana is cooperating with the United Nations to carry out a full investigation of the complaint received on February 8, the spokesman added.

Under UN rules, it is up to troop-contributing countries to take action against their nationals accused of misconduct while serving under the UN flag, but the United Nations carries out joint investigations with the national authorities.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has vowed to toughen the UN response to allegations of misconduct against the blue helmets whose mission is to protect vulnerable civilians in conflict zones.

The United Nations has 7,000 troops and 900 police in its UNMISS mission. About 200,000 South Sudanese are sheltering at UN sites protected by UNMISS peacekeepers.

The world's youngest nation which achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly four million South Sudanese displaced from their homes.
Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky says she now considers that her affair with president Bill Clinton was an "abuse of power"

Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky says she has been reexamining her affair with president Bill Clinton through the "new lens" of the #MeToo movement and has concluded it constituted a "gross abuse of power."

Lewinsky, 44, in an essay published in the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine, also recounted a recent chance meeting with Ken Starr, the special prosecutor whose investigation led to the revelation of her sexual relationship with Clinton and his subsequent impeachment nearly 20 years ago.

Lewinsky said she was diagnosed several years ago with post-traumatic stress disorder, "mainly from the ordeal of having been publicly outed and ostracized."

She said she has drawn strength, however, from the #MeToo movement which has revealed sexual abuse by powerful men in show business, politics and the media.

Lewinsky said she had received a message recently from "one of the brave women leading the #MeToo movement" saying "I'm so sorry you were so alone."

"Those seven words undid me," Lewinsky wrote. "They landed in a way that cracked me open and brought me to tears."

"That I had made mistakes, on that we can all agree," she said. "But swimming in that sea of Aloneness was terrifying."

Lewinsky said there are "many more women and men whose voices and stories need to be heard before mine.

"There are even some people who feel my White House experiences don't have a place in this movement, as what transpired between Bill Clinton and myself was not sexual assault, although we now recognize that it constituted a gross abuse of power," she said.

- 'Very, very complicated' -

Lewinsky recalled how she had emphasized in another essay for Vanity Fair four years ago that the affair with Clinton was a "consensual relationship."

She credited the #MeToo movement and the "new lens it has provided" for the change in her thinking.

"Now, at 44, I'm beginning (just beginning) to consider the implications of the power differentials that were so vast between a president and a White House intern," she said. "I'm beginning to entertain the notion that in such a circumstance the idea of consent might well be rendered moot.

"He was my boss. He was the most powerful man on the planet," Lewinsky wrote. "He was 27 years my senior, with enough life experience to know better.

"I now see how problematic it was that the two of us even got to a place where there was a question of consent," she said. "Instead, the road that led there was littered with inappropriate abuse of authority, station, and privilege."

"But it's also complicated. Very, very complicated," she said, acknowledging that she had been looking for "intimacy" and was not seeking now to make excuses for "my responsibility for what happened."

As for her meeting with former special prosecutor, their first face-to-face ever, Lewinsky said it occurred in December 2017 at a New York restaurant.

She said Starr asked her several times if she was "doing OK?" and "kept touching my arm and elbow, which made me uncomfortable."

"I felt determined, then and there, to remind him that, 20 years before, he and his team of prosecutors hadn't hounded and terrorized just me but also my family," she said.

Looking for an apology, Lewinsky said she told Starr that while she wished she had made "different choices" she would have liked his office to have done the same.

Starr gave an "inscrutable smile," Lewinsky said, and replied "I know. It was unfortunate."
Saudi King Salman, pictured in 2017, ordered a sweeping overhaul of the defence establishment

Saudi King Salman has sacked the military chief of staff and a host of other top commanders, state media said Monday, in a major shake-up of the defence establishment.

The monarch also replaced the heads of the ground forces and air defences, as well as senior officials at the interior ministry, in a series of late-night royal decrees.

No official reason was given for the sweeping overhaul, but it comes as the Saudi-led coalition's military intervention in Yemen against Iran-aligned Huthi rebels nears the end of its third year.

"Termination of the services of General Abdul Rahman bin Saleh al-Bunyan, Chief of Staff," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said, adding that Fayyad al-Ruwaili had been appointed as his replacement.

Al-Bunyan's sacking came after he inaugurated a major exhibition this week by the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), the state-owned defence company, which illustrates ongoing efforts to reform the sector.

"These Saudi royal decrees appear to be part of the kingdom's national defence strategy," Theodore Karasik, a senior advisor at the consultancy Gulf States Analytics, told AFP.

"A military transformation is under way in Saudi Arabia. The changes come on the heels of the SAMI exhibition, which is a critical part of the Prince Mohammed's reform plan to create an indigenous defence program."

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the heir to the throne and the son of the monarch, is the country's defence minister and has been consolidating his grip on power in recent months.

The changes come in the midst of an ever-worsening conflict in Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a conflict that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

More than 9,200 people have been killed in the conflict and another nearly 2,200 Yemenis have died of cholera amid deteriorating sanitation conditions, according to the World Health Organization.

Separately, a series of civil appointments were announced in other decrees late Monday.

In an unprecedented announcement, a Saudi woman, Tamadar Bint Yousef al-Ramah was appointed the deputy minister of labour and social development.

And Prince Turki bin Talal the brother of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, was appointed deputy governor of the southern Assir Province.

Prince Al-Waleed, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia, was among princes, ministers and tycoons detained in Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel in an unprecedented crackdown on what the government called elite corruption.

The Ritz-Carlton reopened for business on February 11, more than three months after becoming a gilded prison for Saudi elites.
The US Education Department is opening an investigation into Michigan State University's handling of reports of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, seen here at his sentencing hearing

The US Department of Education announced Monday it was opening an investigation into Michigan State University's handling of reports of sexual abuse by disgraced former school doctor Larry Nassar.

Nassar, 54, who was the doctor for the US women's gymnastics team in addition to MSU, is facing life behind bars after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.

MSU, a public university of 50,000 students in Lansing, Michigan, has been accused by a number of former female athletes at the school of failing to appropriately handle complaints against Nassar.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the investigation will look at "systemic issues in (MSU's) handling of sex-based incidents involving Dr Larry Nassar."

"We expect MSU's full and complete disclosure about its actions to protect students from sexual assault," DeVos said in a statement.

"The crimes for which Dr Nassar has been convicted are unimaginable," she added. "The bravery shown by the survivors has been remarkable.

"Every student across every campus should know that I am committed to ensuring all students have access to a learning environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination and that all institutions that fall short will be held accountable for violations of federal law," the education chief added.

Nassar has been accused by some 265 women of sexually abusing them over a more than two-decade career.

The key question for many victims has been who knew of Nassar's abuse and who could have stopped him earlier.

With a stellar reputation as the doctor to Olympic champions, Nassar evaded scrutiny several times since the late 1990s by insisting his abuse was actually cutting-edge treatment that was misunderstood by some patients.

USA Gymnastics reported Nassar to the FBI in July 2015, but he continued to see patients at MSU until a newspaper exposed him in September 2016.

The New York Times reported that at least 40 more women and girls were molested during that time.
President Magufuli took office three years ago promising to tackle corruption but has earned criticism for his authoritarian leadership style which detractors say has curbed opposition and freedom of expression

A Tanzanian court on Monday handed five-month jail terms to two regime opponents, including a lawmaker, for defaming President John Magufuli, their defence counsel said.

Joseph Mbilinyi, a lawmaker with main opposition party Chadema in the southern town of Mbeya, was sentenced with party regional secretary Emmanuel Masonga.

They were charged with linking Magufuli in December to the attempted September assassination of senior opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu and the abduction of other opposition supporters.

Lissu, shot several times at his home, is currently recovering in hospital in Brussels.

"The Myeba court gave the accused five months for insulting president Magufuli. As we speak they are already in jail," defence lawyer Peter Kibatala told AFP by phone.

He added an appeal would be lodged and that he was calling for their release in the meantime.

Mbilinyi says he was not even present when the reputed comments were made linking Magufuli, nicknamed "Tingatinga" (bulldozer in Swahili), with the assassination attempt.

The 58-year-old took office in 2015 as a corruption-fighting "man of the people" but has earned criticism for his authoritarian leadership style with detractors saying he has clamped down on opposition and freedom of expression.
A placard showing a missile component recovered in Saudi Arabia including the logo of Iranian manufacturer Shahid Bagheri Industries

Russia vetoed Monday a UN draft resolution presented by Britain and strongly backed by the United States that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen's Huthi rebels.

Britain had sought to include in the measure renewing sanctions on Yemen an expression of "particular concern" from the Security Council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen.

The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

The text, which was backed by France, other European countries and Kuwait, won 11 favorable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia's veto.

China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure.

Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

After hours of negotiations in a bid to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the UN report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them.

"We cannot concur with uncorroborated conclusions and evidence which requires verification and discussions within the sanctions committee," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier.

Nebenzia warned that taking aim at Iran could have had "dangerous destabilizing ramifications" in the Middle East by exacerbating tensions between Shiites and Sunnis.

After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran.

- US accuses Russia -

Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley unveiled previously classified information intending to prove Iran violated UNSCR 2231 by providing the Houthi rebels in Yemen with arms in December 2017

US Ambassador Nikki Haley released a statement accusing Russia of shielding Iran and warned the United States would consider other ways to take action against Tehran.

"Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran," said Haley, who was traveling to Honduras.

"If Russia is going to use its veto to block action against Iran's dangerous and destabilizing conduct, then the United States and our partners will need to take actions against Iran that the Russians cannot block."

Haley has taken a hawkish stance on Iran, accusing Tehran of sowing instability in the Middle East and failing to live up to its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Iran's mission to the United Nations charged that the United States and Britain had pushed an "unwarranted draft resolution" to advance an anti-Iran political agenda.

Iran "categorically rejects allegations regarding arms transfer to Yemen," said a statement from the mission that described the draft resolution as an attempt to "distract" the world's attention from the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a war that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

An alarming 17 million people in Yemen -- 60 percent of the total population -- are in need of food aid, of whom seven million are on the brink of famine because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.
After just 11 days as president, President Cyril Ramaphosa stamped his authority on his government by clearing out several ministers seen as loyal to his predecessor Jacob Zuma

South Africa on Tuesday cautiously welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa's sweeping cabinet reshuffle which put reformers into key economic posts but retained several scandal-tainted ministers to promote unity.

After just 11 days as president, Ramaphosa stamped his authority on his government by clearing out several ministers seen as loyal to his predecessor Jacob Zuma.

The most significant appointments were those of Nhlanla Nene who becomes finance minister and Pravin Gordhan who will oversee the country's vast but troubled state-owned enterprises.

Nene's promotion is particularly symbolic as Zuma sacked him in December 2015, replacing the respected minister with an unknown novice causing the local rand currency to tank as markets went into free-fall.

Four days later, Gordhan was appointed to the role to calm the markets.

Nene's return to the finance ministry was a clear repudiation of Zuma's reign, and was warmly welcomed by local business and international investors.

The rand gained as much as 0.8 percent against the dollar on reports Nene was to be appointed.

It continued to strengthen on Tuesday, trading at 11.64 rand to the greenback by 1000 GMT.

Ramaphosa's controversial pick for deputy president David Mabuza, the current premier of Mpumalanga province who has faced allegations of ties to political violence but has never been convicted, caused concerns among some observers.

- 'Cabinet is clearly a compromise' -

"The whole cabinet is clearly a compromise because he had to keep some of the people in the ANC happy. This was probably the best he could do," said political analyst Mari Harris.

Ramaphosa described it as "a transitional cabinet" on Tuesday.

"We've got some really good people," he said.

Supporters of South Africa's ruling party the African National Congress celebrate the election of Cyril Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa made a total of 30 changes to ministerial and deputy ministerial positions after graft-tainted Zuma was forced to resign by the ruling ANC party earlier this month.

Several Zuma allies were demoted or sacked -- but Zuma's ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was appointed minister to the presidency, responsible for planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Ramaphosa narrowly beat Dlamini-Zuma in a fierce contest to be elected the new leader of the ANC in December.

Dlamini-Zuma was seen as Zuma's favoured candidate to succeed him as president.

Mining, which is vital to South Africa's economy, received a new minister -- Gwede Mantashe -- who was eagerly welcomed by the industry.

"(He is) a man of integrity and dignity... who brings with him a sound and fundamental knowledge of the industry," said the country's Chamber of Mines in a statement.

Following the reshuffle, Ramaphosa vowed to begin talks on a new mining charter to replace the document that was largely seen as having been forced through by Mantashe's predecessor, Mosebenzi Zwane.

Zwane was seen as close to the Guptas, an Indian business family that had enjoyed warm ties with Zuma but is now the subject of a police corruption investigation.

During Zuma's nine-year tenure, South Africa grappled with corruption, weak growth, ballooning national debt, depressed investor confidence and record unemployment.

- 'Ticking time-bomb' -

In a handout photograph released by the South African Government Communication and Information System, South Africa's new president shakes hands with his scandal-tainted predecessor Jacob Zuma

Amid falling popularity with voters, the African National Congress (ANC) party which took power in 1994 under Nelson Mandela, had threatened to oust Zuma with a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

Zuma ultimately resigned, claiming he had received "very unfair" treatment.

Ramaphosa must now galvanise the ANC ahead of key national elections due in 2019.

"He needs to keep the public happy and he needs to keep the party together, so it is a very difficult balancing act," said Harris, the analyst.

Mabuza's appointment as deputy president has caused concern due to his reputation as a hardliner.

"That is a big gamble," said Peter Fabricius, an analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute of Security Studies.

"I hope he is not going to prove to be another Zuma. I hope he is not a sort of 'ticking time-bomb' in cabinet."

The radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party rejected the new cabinet line-up.

"(Ramaphosa) has bowed to factional pressure in the ANC," said party spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi who accused the president of keeping corrupt ministers in government.

Ramaphosa, 65, is a former trade unionist who led talks to end apartheid in the early 1990s and then became a multi-millionaire businessman before returning to politics.
SYDNEY (AP) - Captain Scott Higginbotham will miss the Queensland Reds' next two Super Rugby matches after being suspended for three weeks Monday for a dangerous tackle.

Higginbotham was sent off in the 10th minute of the Reds' season opener on Friday against the Melbourne Rebels for a no-arms tackle on Matt Philip. The Reds lost 45-19.

Higginbotham appeared at a judicial hearing on Sunday and the panel released its finding Monday that Higginbotham's tackle on Philip was "objectively dangerous" because of the contact of the tackler's shoulder to Philips' head.

It found the offense merited a suspension of six weeks but reduced that to three weeks, taking into account Higginbotham's good disciplinary record, his guilty plea and the fact Philip was not injured.
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - The Indonesian government is bringing together dozens of convicted Islamic militants and survivors of attacks in what it hopes will be an important step in combating radicalism and fostering reconciliation.

About 120 reformed militants will apologize to dozens of victims including survivors of the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, according to Irfan Idris, director of de-radicalization at Indonesia's counterterrorism agency.

The three days of meetings at a Jakarta hotel that began Monday aren't open to the media except for an event on the final day.

Reformed militants, from left to right, Zaenal Muttaqin, Toni Togar, Reza Sungkar, and Ramli, chat on the sidelines of a meeting with victims of attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Indonesian government brought together dozens of convicted Islamic militants and survivors of attacks in what it hopes will be an important step in combating radicalism and fostering reconciliation. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

"Many militant convicts have changed and are taking the right course with us by drawing on their experience to prevent others from taking up violence," Idris told The Associated Press. "These facts have inspired us to reconcile them with their victims."

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation and third-biggest democracy, has imprisoned hundreds of Islamic militants in the years since the Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people, mostly foreigners.

But its efforts at convincing imprisoned militants to renounce violence have had mixed results. In overcrowded and understaffed prisons, militants have been able to convert other prisoners to radicalism and communicate with supporters on the outside to encourage new attacks that they believe will advance their cause of transforming Indonesia into an Islamic state.

At least 18 former militant prisoners have been involved in attacks in Indonesia since 2010, including a January 2016 suicide bombing and gun attack in downtown Jakarta that killed eight people, including the attackers.

Febby Firmansyah Isran, who suffered burns to 45 percent of his body from the 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriot hotel in Jakarta, said to begin with he was so overwhelmed with anger that it worsened his health.

At the urging of his fiance, now his wife, Isran, who is attending the meetings, said he accepted what happened to him as an act of God.

"I have forgiven them and it has even improved my recovery process and calmed me down," said Isran, who founded a support group for bombing victims. It now has 570 members, about 60 of whom suffer from total physical disability.

However, many victims have refused to participate in the government event because they can't forgive the attackers or are still traumatized and are afraid to meet with convicted radicals, he said.

"We cannot force the victims to come as there are also some militants who are not willing to come," Isran said.

Idris, the counterterrorism agency official, said families of those killed in attacks endure psychological scars and economic hardship and survivors are often left with debilitating physical disabilities.

But he said the government-sponsored event wants to encourage support for militants who reject violence and try to become part of mainstream society after being released from prison.

After release, they are often ostracized, unable to find work and their children are stigmatized, which contributes to some of them returning to their radical networks, he said.

Masykur Abdul Kadir, who in 2003 was sentenced to 15 years prison for his involvement in the Bali bombing, said he believes the event will have an impact on both sides.

"We can hear their suffering and see directly the impact of what we did in the past to the innocent people," said Masykur, who was known as "local boy" in the Bali bombing for his role in reconnaissance and guiding militants who came to Bali from other parts of Indonesia.

"I really hope apologizing directly to the victims can ease the feelings of guilt that for years continually burden my life," said Masykur, a father of four. "Hopefully this meeting can be a force for ex-militants to refuse committing violence."

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2003, file photo, Indonesian forensic investigators work near a reconstruction of the bomber's vehicle at the site of the Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indonesian government is bringing together dozens of convicted Islamic militants and survivors of attacks in what it hopes will be an important step in combating radicalism and fostering reconciliation. The three days of meetings began Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett, File)
HOMS, Syria (AP) - In the Syrian city of Homs' landmark Clock Square, where some of the first anti-government protests erupted in 2011, stands a giant poster of a smiling President Bashar Assad waving his right arm, with a caption that reads: "Together we will rebuild."

Four years after the military brought most of the city back under Assad's control, the government is launching its first big reconstruction effort in Homs, planning to erect hundreds of apartment buildings in three neighborhoods in the devastated center of the city.

It is a small start to a massive task of rebuilding Syria, where seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs have left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. The government estimates reconstruction will cost some $200 billion dollars and last 15 years. As in neighboring Iraq, which faces a similar swath of destruction after the war against the Islamic State group, no one is offering much to help fund the process.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 photo, children play in the war-damaged Bab Dreib neighborhood of the old city of Homs, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Moreover, destruction is still being wreaked. For the past 10 days, government forces have been relentlessly bombarding eastern Ghouta, a collection of towns on Damascus' edge in an all-out push to crush rebels there. Hundreds have been killed and even more buildings have been blasted to rubble in a community already left a wasteland by years of siege.

At the same time, only 10 kilometers (6 miles) away on the other side of Damascus, government workers have begun clearing rubble from Daraya, another suburb wrecked by a long siege, to begin reconstruction.

The question of who will rebuild Syria has become part of the tug of war between Assad and his opponents.

The government can cover $8 billion to $13 billion of the reconstruction costs, according to the Cabinet's economic adviser, Abdul-Qadir Azzouz. So Damascus says it will need the international community. But it also says only those who "stood by" Syria will be allowed to participate, a reference to staunch allies Russia and Iran. That likely means lucrative rebuilding contracts will be handed to private companies from those countries, as well as probably China.

The international community, in turn, faces a dilemma. It wants to stabilize Syria to allow for millions of refugees to return - the longer it takes, the less likely it becomes that they will go back.

But any support for reconstruction in Syria would buttress Assad and be seen as contributing to the normalization and legitimization of his government. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, for instance, is unlikely to put money in a country that is backed by its regional archrival, Iran.

"There is little chance that any reconstruction process will happen unless a comprehensive political deal is reached, which is itself very unlikely," wrote Jihad Yazigi in Syria Deeply recently. "The countries and institutions that have the money and which traditionally fund such large-scale financial efforts, namely the Gulf countries, the European Union, the United States and, through it, the World Bank, have, indeed, lost the Syrian war."

American officials say the U.S. will not work with Assad's government, whose leadership they describe as illegitimate.

"Until there is a credible political process that can lead to a government chosen by the Syrian people - without Assad at its helm - the United States and our allies will withhold reconstruction assistance to regime-held areas," acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month.

Even Assad's allies Russia and Iran are too cash-strapped to fund a massive rebuilding. China's special envoy on Syria, Xie Xiaoyan, sounded a note of caution not to expect his country to carry the burden. "The tasks ahead are daunting," he said during a round of the Geneva peace talks in December. "A few countries cannot undertake all the projects. It needs a concerted effort by the international community."

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of square miles remain a pile of bombed-out buildings and wreckage.

Recent Associated Press drone footage from Daraya outside Damascus and the city of Aleppo in the north shows scenes of destruction reminiscent of World War II devastation. East Aleppo, home to nearly 1.5 million before the war, is still largely empty and in ruins a year after it was recaptured from rebels. Small-scale renovation of government buildings and historical sites has barely begun to scratch the surface.

In eastern Ghouta - an area with a pre-war population of some 400,000 - the United Nations did an assessment of satellite imagery from six of its seven districts and found more than 6,600 damaged buildings, more than 1,100 of which were totally destroyed. And that was before the latest government offensive, which has leveled even more homes and structures.

For reconstruction overall, the Syrian government is trying to scrape together financing from Syrian businessmen and expatriates as well as international allies. It has imposed a 0.5 percent reconstruction tax on some items, including restaurant bills.

The Homs project gives an indication of the scale of the task. The plan, to begin later this year, focuses on three of the city's most destroyed districts - Baba Amr, Sultanieh and Jobar - and will rebuild 465 buildings, able to house 75,000 people, at a cost of $4 billion, according to Homs' governor, Talal al-Barrazi.

It was not immediately clear how many housing units that entails - meaning individual apartments - but assuming there is on average five people per household, that would be around 15,000 units. That's under half of the 35,000 housing units that were estimated to have been destroyed in Homs. And it's a small fraction of the 1 million housing units al-Barrazi said Syria will need.

Homs saw some of the worst destruction of the war as government forces for months blasted the string of neighborhoods in the city's center that were held by rebels. The military retook almost all the city in the spring of 2014 but one rebel-held district, al-Waer, held out under siege until last year.

For the past four years, any rebuilding has largely been the work of individuals, with some help from the U.N.

In the devastated Khaldiyeh district, carpenters were fixing the windows and doors of Mohammed Bayraqdar's charred apartment. The walls inside - even the chandeliers - were still blackened from the fighting years ago.

The 38-year-old coffee vendor fled Khaldiyeh in 2011 and moved to his in-laws in a government-controlled part of the city. Late last year he informed the municipality that he wanted to return home. Once government architects checked that the building is suitable for living, repair work began with the help of a U.N. rebuilding program.

"Everyone should return to his home, even if it means living in one room only," said Bayraqdar, standing on the roof overlooking a vista of flattened buildings.

Assad's government controls more than half of Syria, including the largest cities and main population centers. Other than pockets still under rebel control, most of the rest of Syria is in the hands of U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces that wrested territory in the north and east from the Islamic State group, including the militants' former de facto capital, Raqqa.

The Kurds have done some rebuilding, particularly in Kobani, a Kurdish-majority border town. Soon after Sunni Arab-majority Raqqa was freed from IS, a Saudi minister visited the city and promised the kingdom would play a role in rebuilding it, though no specific projects have been announced since. According to U.N. assessments, more than half the buildings are damaged in 16 of Raqqa's 24 districts.

Outside Damascus, Daraya was left an empty ruin after all its population was removed in a deal last year that ended a destructive and grueling siege by Assad's military. The suburb once had a population of 300,000 and was famous for its furniture, textiles, wood and vineyards, which produced some of Syria's best grapes.

"Almost all houses, factories, stores in Daraya remain skeletons," said Daraya's mayor, Marwan Obeid. He estimated rebuilding infrastructure alone will cost $160 million to $200 million. The government has so far allocated $70 million.

The plan, he said, is to start move some 100,000 people back into the less damaged half of Daraya, which inspectors estimate can accommodate some 100,000 people. The rest of the community, however, is too ruined. Obeid said it was not known how long that will take to rebuild.

In central Homs, Malek Traboulsi and his partner paid nearly $400,000 - even selling off their wives' jewelry - to renovate their restaurant, Julia Palace, which suffered major damage in the war. It re-opened on Christmas Day 2016.

Some people warned him he was investing in the unknown. But Traboulsi said he could never bear to sell off his property and leave Syria.

"This is my country," he said on a recent evening as he moved among the tables chatting with customers. "Here is where I breathe, here is my life and I cannot live in any other place."

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report.

In this Jan. 17, 2018 photo, Mohammed Bayraqdar poses for a picture with his son Abdul-Awal at their burned house in Khaldiyeh, one of the worst damaged neighborhoods in Homs, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 17, 2018 photo, a family that returned to live in their apartment inside a heavily damaged building hang their clothes on a balcony in the Bab Dreib neighborhood of Homs, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 18, 2018 photo, workers repair a building next to the heavily damaged Grand Umayyad Mosque in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 18, 2018 photo, a bulldozer removes rubble next to the heavily damaged Grand Umayyad Mosque in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 18, 2018 photo, a man works in the badly damaged at Al-Adim textile factory in the Lairamoun district of Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 18, 2018 photo, a bulldozer removes rubble from war damage in the Lairamoun district of Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

This Jan. 19, 2018 photo shows the destruction of the Ramouseh neighborhood in eastern Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 19, 2018 photo, a soldier looks at the destruction of the Ramouseh neighborhood from a the roof of a damage, in eastern Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 20, 2018 photo, a woman who returned to live in her apartment inside a damaged building sits on the balcony in the Salaheddin neighborhood of eastern Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

In this Jan. 20, 2018 photo, a man searches for scrap metal from the destruction of the Salaheddine neighborhood in the eastern Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

This combo of two photographs shows an undated handout photo, bottom, of the destruction at the Julia Palace Resautrant, and the same spot after the reconstruction on Jan. 17, 2018, top, in Homs, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
ISLAMABAD (AP) - A climber who abandoned a Polish team following a dispute with fellow mountaineers to attempt a solo ascent of K2, the world's second-highest peak, returned to base camp because of bad weather, a tour operator said Monday.

The news dispelled concerns expressed by the other climbers after Denis Urubko walked away from the team on Sunday to attempt a summit on his own - something that Karrar Haidri of the Alpine Club of Pakistan said was a highly risky feat in winter weather.

Urubko, a Russian-Polish national, had reportedly argued with team members. He left base camp on Sunday without informing the expedition management and expedition spokesman Michal Leksinski later tweeted they had no radio communication with him.

Asghar Ali Porik, chief of Jasmine tours which organized logistics for the Polish K2 expedition, said Urubko returned to base camp 2, located at an altitude of 6,700 meters (21,982 feet).

High wind and extremely rough weather, combined with an icy track forced Urubko to descend to base camp and rejoin the other expedition members, said Porik.

Urubko was part of last month's mission, along with Adam Bielecki, that rescued French mountain climber Elisabeth Revol from Nanga Parbat, another Himalayan peak in Pakistan. Her Polish climbing partner, Tomasz "Tomek" Mackiewicz, was injured and is presumed to have died during that summit.

According to Porik, the tour operator, Urubko will now wait at the base camp for the weather to improve and will ascend the summit with the other team members.

Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani who climbed K2 in 1977, spoke highly of Urubko's skills and rescue of Revol.

"He is the star of this era of mountaineering ... he has done the 'broad peak' (another Himalayan summit) as a solo climber in 36 hours and just recently rescued (Revol) by climbing without a rope in the night," Aman said.
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) - One year after South Sudan briefly declared a famine, more than half of the people in the world's youngest nation face extreme hunger amid civil war and famine could return, a new report says.

More than six million people, up about 40 percent from a year ago, are at threat without aid, according to the report released Monday by the United Nations and South Sudan's government. It says 150,000 people in 11 counties in Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Western Bahr el Ghazal states could slip into famine this year.

"These are unprecedented levels of food insecurity," Ross Smith, senior program officer for the U.N's World Food Program, told The Associated Press. He said a political solution in South Sudan is needed so that its people can rebuild their lives.

FILE - In this April 5, 2017, file photo, some of thousands of people walk for hours to reach a food distribution site in Malualkuel, in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. One year after South Sudan briefly declared a famine, more than half of the people in the world's youngest nation face extreme hunger amid civil war and famine could return, a new report says Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. (AP Photo, File)

Five years of fighting have devastated the East African nation. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million have fled the country.

A year ago South Sudan declared famine in two counties where 100,000 people faced starvation. After a rapid aid response, further crisis was averted and the famine declaration was lifted in June.

"The situation is extremely fragile, and we are close to seeing another famine," said Serge Tissot, representative of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan. "The projections are stark. If we ignore them, we'll be faced with a growing tragedy."

One in three people in South Sudan have been forced from their homes by the civil war, resulting in the worst production of the country's staple grains since the conflict began in late 2013, the FAO said.

While supportive of the aid response, South Sudan's government worries that it is crippling the nation.

"If a country relies on aid it'll develop a dependency syndrome," said Hussein Mar Nyot, minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management. People will forget their skills the longer they aren't able to cultivate the land, he said.

"I just move from one place to another looking for food," one resident, Chol Makuey, told the AP in one of the worst-affected areas, Ayod County, in December.

Cradling her severely malnourished 1-year-old daughter, Makuey said the fighting has prevented her from farming, instead forcing her to wander through villages begging friends and family to share their rations.

Aid workers warn that if the situation persists, even with food aid, more than 30 counties in South Sudan could face severe hunger by May, requiring large-scale assistance.

The U.N. humanitarian response plan for South Sudan has received less than 4 percent of its funding for 2018, with a gap of more than $1.7 billion.

Last year President Salva Kiir ordered unrestricted access for aid groups, but aid workers say the situation hasn't changed and the current dry season could make it worse.

"Continued human rights violations, including blocking of civilian access to food by both the government and opposition forces, have led to severe food insecurity," said Alicia Luedke, South Sudan researcher for rights group Amnesty International.
LIONSROCK BIG CAT SANCTUARY, South Africa (AP) - Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria arrived in South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world.

The male lions were transported in metal crates on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan on Sunday. They were loaded onto vehicles for a drive of several hours to their new home at the Lionsrock facility near the town of Bethlehem. The lions emerged into separate grassy enclosures, and other lions behind nearby fences let out deep-throated growls and moans.

"They are already saying, 'Hello,'" said Hildegard Pirker, head of the animal welfare department at Lionsrock. As one of the new arrivals bounded around his new home, Pirker said: "You're in Africa, finally."

A lion named Saeed, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is caged during its arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria have been transported to South Africa to recover from physical and psychological trauma at a big cat sanctuary. International animal welfare group Four Paws says the male lions have arrived in Johannesburg on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan. The lions arrived emaciated, dehydrated and psychologically scarred in Jordan last year.. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Born in captivity, the lions had never been on the continent. They were emaciated and dehydrated after the international animal welfare group Four Paws extracted them from a zoo in eastern Mosul in Iraq and an amusement park near Aleppo in Syria. The two cities have experienced some of the worst fighting that has hit both countries in recent years, killing large numbers of people and leaving neighborhoods in ruins.

Most of the 40 animals at the Mosul zoo died of starvation or were killed in bombings while some escaped from their enclosures, according to Four Paws. The group's members reached the location a year ago and evacuated the only two animals they found, a bear and the roughly 4-year-old lion named Simba.

The other lion, 2-year-old Saeed, was rescued in July along with 12 other animals from Syria's Magic World amusement park. The animals reached Jordan after staying for two weeks in Turkey, whose government assisted with the evacuation.

Both lions were traumatized when they arrived at the Al-Ma'wa Animal Sanctuary in Jordan, Four Paws said. Since then, they have received medical care, including vasectomies and dental work, and have gained weight on a steady diet that included lamb meat treats.

The lions can expect similar treatment at Lionsrock, whose 80 lions came from a German circus and zoos in France, Romania, Congo and elsewhere. Some are from South African captive-bred lion operations that often earmark the predators for "trophy" killings by customers.

Some of the captive-bred residents of Lionsrock have deformities from inbreeding and none can be released into the wild, said Fiona Miles, director of Four Paws' South Africa operation.

She said a key goal is to raise awareness about the conditions of lions and other animals in captivity around the world.

Conservationists point to broader challenges facing Africa's wild lions, whose population has plummeted. Problems include shrinking habitats and poaching, in which lions get trapped in snares laid down indiscriminately.

Another concern is demand in some Asian countries for lion bones used in traditional medicine. Currently, South Africa allows the legal, annual export of bones from hundreds of captive-bred lions to China and Southeast Asia.

There are nearly 2,900 wild lions and about 7,000 captive lions in South Africa, according to the government.

Security at Lionsrock is tight, a necessary precaution in a country where poaching is a frequent threat. Last year, poachers broke into another wildlife sanctuary in South Africa, killing two of its big cats.

___

Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A 4-year-old lion named Simba, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is released into an enclosure at the Lionsrock Lodge and Big Cat Sanctuary in Bethlehem, South Africa in Bethlehem, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria were transported to South Africa on Monday to live at a sanctuary with other animals that survived harsh conditions in captivity elsewhere in the world. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Workers load a caged lion, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, during their arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria have been transported to South Africa to recover from physical and psychological trauma at a big cat sanctuary. International animal welfare group Four Paws says the male lions have arrived in Johannesburg on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan. The lions arrived emaciated, dehydrated and psychologically scarred in Jordan last year.. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A lion named Saeed, who was rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, is caged during its arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria have been transported to South Africa to recover from physical and psychological trauma at a big cat sanctuary. International animal welfare group Four Paws says the male lions have arrived in Johannesburg on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan. The lions arrived emaciated, dehydrated and psychologically scarred in Jordan last year.. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Am airport worker operates a folk lift carrying cadged loins, who were rescued from Syria by the animal rights group Four Paws, at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Two lions rescued from neglected zoos in war zones in Iraq and Syria have been transported to South Africa to recover from physical and psychological trauma at a big cat sanctuary. International animal welfare group Four Paws says the male lions have arrived in Johannesburg on a Qatar Airways flight after leaving an animal refuge in Jordan. The lions arrived emaciated, dehydrated and psychologically scarred in Jordan last year. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union is weighing whether to impose sanctions on senior officials in Cambodia over the erosion of democracy and a crackdown on the opposition and media there.

EU foreign ministers on Monday urged Cambodia "to restore democracy and the government to engage in a constructive dialogue with the elected opposition."

They said they "may consider specific targeted measures if the situation does not improve."

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, second left, speaks with Bulgarian counterpart Ekaterina Zaharieva, second right, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday Feb. 26 to debate ways to revive Middle East peace efforts and discuss the crisis in Venezuela. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

The ruling party of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power for three decades, claimed a sweeping victory in Senate elections on Sunday. It assured the win by eliminating any serious opposition from the contest.

The poll was seen as a foretaste of a scheduled July general election for the National Assembly that is expected to affirm Hun Sen's rule.

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. second left, attends a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday Feb. 26 to debate ways to revive Middle East peace efforts and discuss the crisis in Venezuela. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, right, speaks with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday Feb. 26 to debate ways to revive Middle East peace efforts and discuss the crisis in Venezuela. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. SURVIVORS ALLOWED BACK IN FLORIDA SCHOOL TO COLLECT BELONGINGS

Students of Stoneman Douglas High School collected backpacks and other belongings left behind as they fled the massacre.

Pulse survivor India Godman, left, hugs Wendy Garrity at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, for an open house as parents and students returned to the school for the first time since a shooting took place at the high school on Feb. 14. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)

2. SYRIA RECONSTRUCTION STARTS EVEN AS DESTRUCTION CONTINUES

Seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs have left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble, but damage is still being wreaked.

3. WHO'S MEETING LEADERS OF THE 50 STATES

President Donald Trump says the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.

4. WHICH ISSUE IS DOMINATING LAWMAKERS' AGENDA

After a 10-day break, members of Congress are returning to work under hefty pressure to respond to the outcry over gun violence.

5. WHERE IS A PLAN TO END PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS DRAWING CRITICISM

A move by China's ruling Communist Party's to enable President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely has been met with satire and criticism.

6. UNION FEES UNDER REVIEW BY TOP JUDGES

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could deal a painful financial blow to organized labor, taking up a challenge to a law that allows unions representing government employees to collect fees from workers who choose not to join.

7. DEMOCRATIC GOLDEN STATE VETERAN SNUBBED AHEAD OF PRIMARY

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party as she seeks her fifth term.

8. PRESIDENT'S ENTHUSIASM FOR DEREGULATION HITS SAFETY RULES

In Trump's first year in office, at least a dozen safety rules that were under development or already adopted have been repealed, withdrawn, delayed or put on the back burner.

9. KOREA RETURNING TO NORMAL AFTER WINTER GAMES

With the end of the 2018 Winter Olympics, a swath of the eastern Korean Peninsula is readying itself to resume more typical days.

10. VACCINE DEBATE KEY ISSUE IN ITALIAN ELECTIONS

A new law requiring parents to vaccinate their kids against measles and nine other childhood diseases has become one of the most divisive themes of the March 4 vote.

In this Jan. 18, 2018 photo, workers repair a building next to the heavily damaged Grand Umayyad Mosque in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. The government has started its first organized reconstruction projects, but it is a fraction of the massive task of rebuilding that it faces after seven years of war, airstrikes and barrel bombs left entire cities and infrastructure a landscape of rubble. No one is offering much to help fund the process -- and destruction is still being wreaked in fierce new fighting. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Memorabilia featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping and former paramount leader Mao Zedong are displayed at a souvenir shop in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Chinese censors moved quickly Monday to scrub satirical commentary online about the ruling Communist Party's moves to enable Xi to stay in power indefinitely, while political observers weighed the possibility that China would return to an era of one-man rule. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Japan's gold medalists, speed skater Nao Kodaira, left, and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu chat upon their arrival at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Japan team returned home from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Monday. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Organizers of anti-government marches in Congo say security forces shot dead at least four people and wounded dozens more in Sunday's nationwide protest against President Joseph Kabila's extended rule.

The Lay Coordination Committee on Monday announced that people were killed in Kinshasa, Mbandaka and Kisangani. Church organizations have been staging demonstrations against long-delayed elections, and the international community has criticized Congolese security forces for violent crackdowns on the protests.

Kabila was meant to leave office in December 2016 but elections have been repeatedly postponed. Congo's government now says the vote will be in December.

The United Nations mission in Congo says 47 people were wounded in Sunday's protests and more than 100 were arrested. It calls on Congolese authorities to carry out credible investigations.
LONDON (AP) - Ukrainian police say they have rearrested the ringleader of a cybercrime group accused of inflicting hundreds of millions of dollars in losses worldwide. It comes 15 months after his embarrassing escape put the spotlight on corruption in the Eastern European country.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry says the cybercrime boss was detained Sunday in Kiev. The ministry does not identify the man, but Cyberpolice spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko says he is Evgeny Kapkanov, whose "Avalanche" group was once described by a group of researchers as the world's most prolific phishing gang.

Kapkanov had previously been arrested in a dramatic police raid in Poltava on Nov. 30, 2016, but he was released almost immediately amid allegations of official corruption, and absconded.

A representative for Kapkanov could immediately be located Monday.
TOKYO (AP) - Japanese police said Monday they have found parts of a dismembered body believed to be of a missing woman in the mountains of western Japan, in a murder case reportedly linked to an American tourist.

Hyogo prefectural police said investigators found a torso, arms and legs in three locations in parts of Kyoto and Osaka on Sunday.

Police said the parts could be from the body of an unidentified woman who has been missing in the prefecture since mid-February. Local media said the woman was a 27-year-old office worker from Sanda City.

Journalists gather near the site where a body part believed to be of a missing woman was found in Osaka, western Japan Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Media reports said police last week arrested the suspected man, Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar, 26, from New York, on suspicion of confining the missing Japanese woman at his lodging in Osaka. Reports said Monday police are investigating his possible link to dismembering and abandoning of her body after finding other body parts. (Yuki Sato/Kyodo News via AP)

Police suggested that they searched the locations after being told about them by a suspect, but refused to elaborate. An examination of the body parts is being conducted to identify the victim, they said.

Kyodo News service and other Japanese media reported that police arrested a 26-year-old New Yorker as a suspect, but police would not confirm that. The reports said police also found the severed head of a woman inside a suitcase at his lodging in Osaka.

The reports said security camera video from the building showed him entering with a woman, but did not show the woman leaving. It showed the suspect going in and out with a suitcase, they said.
BOSTON (AP) - Days after saying that it would retroactively cut the profits reported over the past two years, General Electric Co. is reshaping its board of directors.

One person joining the board chaired the organization that sets accounting standards in the United States.

GE said Friday that it must cut its 2016 per-share earnings by 13 cents, and by 16 cents for 2017. It's adopting new accounting standards for 2018.

FILE - In a Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 file photo, the General Electric logo is displayed at the top of their Global Operations Center, in the Banks development of downtown Cincinnati. Days after revealing that it must restate two years of earnings, General Electric Co. is reshaping its board of directors. After cutting the size of its board from 18 to 12, General Electric Co. said Monday, Feb. 26, 2018 that a quarter of that board would consist of new members, including Danaher Corp. CEO Lawrence Culp, American Airlines CEO Thomas Horton and Leslie Seidman, former chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

The Securities and Exchange Commission investigating the Boston company over long-term service contracts and federal regulators are reviewing a $15 billion miscalculation that GE made within an insurance unit. GE disclosed last month that it would take a $6.2 billion charge in its fourth quarter after a subsidiary, North American Life & Health, underestimated how much it would cost to pay for the care of people who lived longer than projected.

After cutting the size of its board from 18 to 12 members, GE said Monday that a quarter of that board would consist of new members, including Leslie Seidman, former chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Also named were former Danaher Corp. CEO Lawrence Culp and one-time American Airlines CEO Thomas Horton.

CEO John Flannery, a longtime insider at GE, was tasked last year with reshaping the company, but the proposed changes at GE have grown more radical over the past several months as negative developments emerge. The company has shrunk dramatically since it became entangled in the financial crisis a decade ago and Flannery has vowed to shed $20 billion in assets quickly.

Former CEO Jeff Immelt left last June, three months early, and the company's chief financial officer left several days later.

GE in November slashed its dividend in half and said that the sprawling conglomerate would focus on three key sectors - aviation, health care and energy. By January, after the $15 billion blunder, Flannery hinted that even more drastic changes in the makeup of the company could be on the way.

"All options on the table, no sacred cows," Flannery said during a call with investors and industry analysts.

Shares slipped almost 2 percent to their lowest level in almost 8 years.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Latest on investor Warren Buffett's views on tax reform, the economy and his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate (all times local):

7 a.m.

Billionaire Warren Buffett says he hopes the new health care initiative his company has started with Amazon and JP Morgan Chase will deliver significant cost savings.

Buffett didn't discuss many details of the three companies' health care plans during an appearance on CNBC Monday because the initiative was just announced last month.

But Buffett said the goal is much bigger than simply shaving 3 percent off health costs through negotiating power.

Buffett says he hopes the effort will be able to find a way to deliver better care at somewhat lower costs. He says the steady increase in health care costs has been a drain on American business.

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6 a.m.

Investor Warren Buffett says he remains confident in Wells Fargo and its current leadership despite the bank's problems.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is Wells Fargo's largest stakeholder, holding about a 10 percent of the bank's shares. Buffett appeared on CNBC Monday after releasing his annual letter over the weekend.

Buffett says he believes Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan has worked to clean up the misconduct that was reported at the bank in recent years. Regulators determined that bank employees opened millions of unauthorized accounts to meet sales quotas.

Buffett says it could take the bank a long time to work its way back into regulators' good graces again.

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5:50 a.m.

Billionaire Warren Buffett says his own conglomerate is the stock he favors best because of its prospects, but Apple is the stock Berkshire Hathaway bought most last year.

Buffett declined to name a favorite stock outside of Berkshire during an interview on CNBC Monday, but he said investors can get clues about what he likes best by looking at Berkshire's portfolio.

Berkshire held 166.7 million Apple shares at the end of 2017, and Buffett says his company has bought more Apple shares than anything else in the past year.

Several of Berkshire's other biggest stock holdings have been held for decades. Those include large stakes in Coca-Cola and American Express.

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5:45 a.m.

Investor Warren Buffett says General Electric has clearly had accounting issues and misjudged its liabilities for long-term care insurance.

But Buffett stopped short of criticizing GE's former CEOs Jeff Immelt and Jack Welch who are both friends of his. Buffett appeared on CNBC Monday.

Buffett says he will closely read what GE discloses in his annual report. He says GE has clearly not been a model of good accounting in recent years.

Buffett's Berkshire invested $3 billion in preferred shares of GE during the financial crisis in 2008, but later sold those shares and doesn't currently own GE.

Buffett says he hasn't been approached about buying any of GE's businesses at this point.

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5:30 a.m.

Billionaire Warren Buffett says the tax overhaul Congress passed last year will provide a "huge tail wind" for American business.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway reported a $29 billion paper gain on far-reaching changes to the U.S. tax code, and the conglomerate will benefit from a lower tax rate going forward.

Buffett appeared on CNBC Monday after releasing his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders on Saturday.

But Buffett says he's had a hard time finding acquisitions at reasonable prices so he's sitting on $116 billion cash and short-term bonds.

Buffett says he expects he'll eventually find a good use for a big chunk of that cash, but he may have to wait for a downturn in the economy.
BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel rallied her party Monday behind a proposed new government with the center-left Social Democrats, receiving overwhelming support from delegates for a coalition deal she said speaks directly to her Christian Democratic Union's core themes of family, security and economic growth.

Of some 1,000 delegates at a convention in Berlin, only 27 voted against the agreement which had drawn criticism from some conservatives in the party. The convention also saw delegates approve Merkel ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , a longtime governor in the tiny western state of Saarland, to take over the party's day-to-day management as general secretary.

Disquiet among the CDU's members has been growing in recent years, raising questions about Merkel's future. Though getting the most votes, the party posted one of its worst-ever results in last September's election as many conservative voters, anguished over the arrival of more than a million refugees, defected to the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party, known as the AfD.

German Chancellor and party chairwoman Angela Merkel smiles at the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates voted for the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

"We were all disappointed," Merkel said of September's election result, which forced her into months of coalition haggling with other parties. Critics within her CDU have taken particular umbrage at the fact that key ministries - including interior and finance - will go to its Bavaria-only sister party and the Social Democrats.

Merkel acknowledged the unease among party supporters, but said it would have been wrong to let coalition talks collapse over the distribution of ministerial posts, insisting that as the strongest force in German politics her party had to live up to its responsibility to form a government.

The agreement still needs approval from the Social Democrats' membership to take effect. The result of that party's postal ballot will be announced March 4 and is harder to predict.

Part of Merkel's response to disaffected members has been to replace several of the party's long-time ministers with a younger team including more women and one of her most prominent critics, 37-year-old Jens Spahn .

The generational shift drew cheers from members such as Catharina Neumeyer, a lawmaker's aide in her late 20s.

"I think it's good there are a lot of women and that Jens Spahn was picked," said Neumeyer, adding it would boost the party's appeal to young, liberal voters.

Others lamented the lack of ministers from eastern Germany, where the party has suffered particularly big losses to AfD in recent years.

Ingo Gondro, deputy chair of a recently formed conservative group within the party, said Merkel's concessions wouldn't satisfy critics.

"There's unrest among the membership," he said, warning that many fear the party could be beaten by AfD in regional elections in the eastern state of Saxony next year.

Gondro's group, the Values Union, had urged delegates to reject the coalition deal with the Social Democrats and instead consider forming a minority government with the pro-business Free Democratic Party. A minority government is still possible if Social Democrats reject the coalition agreement; the only other option would be new elections.

Merkel, who has governed Germany since 2005, refrained from taking personal responsibility for losing votes to AfD. But she pledged to regain voters' trust by addressing their fears about migration, globalization and the pace of technological change.

In a signal to conservatives, she said there would be zero tolerance for extremists of any kind and migrants who refuse to integrate into German society will feel "tangible consequences."

She added that anti-Semitism has no place in Germany, "whether it's from Muslim immigrants, the AfD or left extremists."

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Kirsten Grieshaber contributed to this report.

German Chancellor and party chairwoman Angela Merkel, left, congratulates new party general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates voted for the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor and party chairwoman Angela Merkel holds a voting card during the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates came together to decide on the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor and party chairwoman Angela Merkel smiles at the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates voted for the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Designated Education Minister Anja Karliczek smiles when posing for a photo prior to the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates came together to decide on the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop)

FILE - In this March 13, 2016 file photo Julia Kloeckner, top candidate of the Christian Democratic Party CDU, is interviewed in a TV studio after the closing of the state elections in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Mainz, western Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 named Kloeckner as agriculture minister in case the Social Democrats approve the coalition agreement (AP Photo/Michael Probst, file)

Party chairwoman German Chancellor Angela Merkel is flanked by her party deputies Armin Laschet, left, and Julia Kloeckner at the start of a board meeting of her Christian Democratic Party CDU in Berlin, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. Merkel named an ambitious young conservative Sunday as health minister in Germany's new government, signaling a desire to integrate critics as she embarks on her fourth term. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Designated general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer speaks during the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates came together to decide on the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop)

Designated health minister Jens Spahn speaks in front of a writing reading 'for our country' during the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates came together to decide on the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop)

German Chancellor and party chairwoman Angela Merkel speaks to the delegates during the party convention of the Christian Democratic Union CDU in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. The delegates came together to decide on the coalition agreement on forming a new German government. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
ATLANTA (AP) - One man in upstate New York sawed his AR-15 rifle into pieces and posted a video of it on Facebook. A woman in Connecticut did the same with her handgun. Not far from scene of the Florida high school shooting, another man brought his assault weapon to police and asked them to destroy it.

In response to the killings of 17 people by a 19-year-old with an AR-15, some gun owners are waging personal protests against mass shootings.

The AR-15 is the gun drawing the most scorn during these public displays of destruction playing out on social media. Their owners say they love to shoot it, but enough is enough.

In this Feb. 16, 2018, photo provided by Ben Dickmann, a deputy at the Broward County sheriff's office in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., processes paperwork to take possession of and destroy Dickmann's AR-style firearm. Dickmann decided to turn in his weapon after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland, Fla. (Ben Dickmann via AP)

Scott Pappalardo is one such gun owner. Sitting in the backyard of his home in Scotchtown, New York, cradling the Eagle AR-15 rifle he'd owned for 30 years, Pappalardo called himself a firm believer in the Second Amendment who considers the rifle his favorite, but said he's pained by the steady drumbeat of mass shootings.

"Here we are, 17 more lives lost. So when do we change? When do we make laws that say maybe a weapon like this isn't acceptable in today's society?" he said in a video on his Facebook page. People blame mental illness, video games, bad parenting and other reasons, but he said "ultimately, it's a gun like this one that takes away the lives."

With that, he turned around and put a saw to his rifle, and posted the video with the hashtag #oneless, calling it "My drop in a very large bucket." That was Feb. 17, and 5 days later, it had received more than 375,000 likes and been shared more than 425,000 times.

Pappalardo, a 50-year-old supplier of building materials, said it was a tough and personal decision to destroy the gun. He loved target shooting with it. He's been a gun owner for decades and even sports a fading tattoo on his arm showing a firearm with the words "the right to keep and bear arms."

"I literally love that gun. It was almost like taking my sick dog out in the backyard and putting it out of its misery. It was very personal for me," Pappalardo told The Associated Press. "And I said to my wife before I did it, I can't believe I'm about to go outside and cut up my gun. It wasn't an easy thing to do."

But he believes the AR-15 has become a weapon of choice for too many mass shooters - used in Parkland, Las Vegas, the Orlando nightclub shooting, last year's Texas church massacre and other recent high-profile attacks - and he no longer wanted to be associated with it.

Despite the recent outrage, the AR-15 remains an incredibly popular weapon across America, and the people destroying them represent a small fraction of the gun's owners.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which represents gunmakers, says there are about 12 million AR-style firearms in circulation.

Chris Waltz, president and chief executive of AR15 Gun Owners of America, called the destruction of guns kneejerk reactions that wrongly blame the rifle. He laments that so many mass shooters have been using the AR-15 to carry out their carnage, even as handguns remain the weapon most used in mass shootings. His group has more than 550,000 Facebook followers, adding 10,000 more in recent days.

"It's not a rifle problem. It's a societal problem," Waltz said. "We need to get a handle on what's going on that's causing these kids to do these things."

Destroying the weapon "makes no sense at all," he says.

"If you're a responsible gun owner and you purchased that weapon and you know you're not psychotic, then why would you ever do that?" he said. "It almost seems like it's political theater."

Ben Dickmann, who lives near Parkland, brought his AR-57, a variation of the AR-15, to Broward County sheriff with instructions to have it destroyed.

"I enjoyed shooting this rifle immensely but I don't need it, I have other types I can shoot for the same enjoyment," he wrote in a Facebook post showing images of the firearm and an officer processing the paperwork to destroy it.

His post, like others using Facebook to publicly declare what gun owners have done, attracted thousands of comments that offer a glimpse into the nation's gun debate. Some accuse him of being a wimp or somehow deranged. Others praise him.

Amanda Meyer, who lives in New Haven, Connecticut, had a similar experience.

She grew up in Iowa and first learned to hunt at 14. Five years ago, she bought a Sig Sauer P229 handgun to target shoot and for self-defense. She had been thinking about getting rid of it for months, but was worried it could wind up in the wrong hands.

"After what happened in Florida, I just thought, this is ridiculous, I'm attaching myself to this inanimate object that its sole purpose is to kill humans," Meyer told the AP.

Her Facebook video -- showing her slicing holes into the barrel, the rails and other parts with a saw in her garage -- attracted tens of thousands of shares and comments. Some call her a stooge of gun-control advocates who will regret this if she needs it to defend herself.

Meyer has a tortured history with firearms: Her brother killed himself with one, she lives just a few miles from the Newtown elementary school massacre, and a cousin and his wife were at the Las Vegas concert where a man with an arsenal of automatic weapons killed 58 people and injured hundreds in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

"The solution, at least according to most of the cold-dead-hands crowd, is that we all just need to be kinder and more respectful and raise better children, those sorts of things," Meyer said. "Then the same people will come and say they wish someone would just break into my house and kill me so everybody would know I really did need that gun."

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Follow Lisa Marie Pane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/lisamariepane
GENEVA (AP) - The Latest on the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

Hungary's foreign minister has called for the resignation of the United Nations' human rights chief for referring to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as one of the "xenophobes and racists" seeking "ethnic, national or racial purity."

Jordan's Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights addresses his statement, during the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Monday in Geneva that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein was "unworthy" of his position.

Orban, a staunch opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, has often said he wants to prevent Hungary from becoming a "mixed society."

Speaking at a meeting of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Szijjarto said it was wrong for Zeid to compare Hungary "to the worst dictatorships of the last century."

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, has said he won't seek another four-year term when his current one expires in August.

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12:45 p.m.

The U.N. human rights chief has accused the veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council of being second only to criminals who kill and maim when it comes to responsibility for some of the world's most egregious rights violations.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein delivered one of the strongest denunciations yet from a top U.N. official about improper use of the Security Council veto, which gives extraordinary powers to the five countries that wield it: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, he didn't specify cases when it was used improperly.

Zeid instead spoke more broadly and decried "some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times" in Syria, Congo, Yemen, Burundi and Myanmar.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, leaves office in August.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, speaks with Jordan's Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, right, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, and Jordan's Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, right, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
LONDON (AP) - A London man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for terrorism offenses after an investigation that started with a complaint about a Facebook message.

Mohammed Kamal Hussain was sentenced in Kingston Crown Court Monday after being found guilty of encouraging terrorism and supporting a banned organization.

The investigation started when a man emailed the Home Office after receiving a private message on Facebook urging him to join the Islamic State extremist group. Police found that the 28-year-old Hussain sent that message and had posted numerous messages praising IS.

The person who notified the Home Office did not live in Britain and said he did not know the sender of the message.

The case was given to the Met Police's counter-terrorism unit that specializes in removing online extremist material.
SAO PAULO (AP) - Brazilian President Michel Temer is creating a public security ministry as part of efforts to combat high crime rates, especially in Rio de Janeiro.

The creation of the new ministry follows Temer's decision to hand control of Rio's security forces to the military as drug traffickers battle for control. There are concerns that traffickers could head to other states if a crackdown in Rio is successful, but Temer says the new ministry will work with Brazil's states to coordinate security policy across the country.

The presidential palace says that Temer will sign a decree Monday to create the ministry. Defense Minister Raul Jungmann will head it, and a general will be interim minister of defense.

Brazil's President Michel Temer, right, talks to the press next to the Governor of Rio de Janeiro Luiz Fernando Pezao after a meeting with local authorities about the implementation of a decree that has placed the military in charge of Rio's state security at the Guanabara Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Temer said he plans to create a public security ministry to coordinate security operations in the entire country. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Presidential decrees take immediate effect, but Congress must approve them in the months that follow.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Monday that Serbia must solve its dispute with Kosovo and implement a series of reforms before it can join the European Union.

Juncker said following talks with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic that the Balkan country is on the right path, but that the EU cannot accept any new members with unresolved territorial issues.

"Serbia has already covered an impressive part of the (EU) path," Juncker said, before adding that a number of problems "still have to be solved."

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, right, welcomes European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, center, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Juncker is on a Western Balkans tour that also includes stops in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Montenegro, all countries aspiring to EU membership. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

He singled out the need for judicial reforms and improvements in the rule of law before Serbia and others can join the EU.

Juncker is visiting Serbia as part of a tour of the Western Balkans nations aspiring to join the bloc at a time Russia is looking to bolster its influence in the region, particularly in Serbia.

The visit comes after the EU drafted a new expansion strategy that envisages Serbia and Montenegro could be the next to join the bloc in 2025.

Vucic said he's urging compromise with predominantly-ethnic Albanian Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence following a 1998-99 war Belgrade does not recognize.

"We need a compromise or we will continue to live in the past," Vucic said.

Juncker said the EU is seeking a "legally-binding" agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, but that the scope of the deal is up to the two nations. The EU is helping out in the talks on normalizing ties between the two.

Juncker has already visited Macedonia and Albania. He will travel to Montenegro before proceeding to Kosovo and Bosnia. His trip ends with an EU summit with regional leaders in Sofia, Bulgaria, on March 1.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks during a press conference after talks with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Juncker is on a Western Balkans tour that also includes stops in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Montenegro, all countries aspiring to EU membership. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, speaks with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. Juncker is on a Western Balkans tour that also includes stops in Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Montenegro, all countries aspiring to EU membership. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House has set the date for the first state visit of President Donald Trump's administration.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump will be hosting French President Emmanuel Macron (eh-mahn-yoo-EHL' mah-KROHN') on April 24.

Trump was the first U.S. president in decades to close his first year in office without welcoming a fellow world leader for a state visit.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands as he visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

The designation means Macron will be welcomed to the White House with a South Lawn arrival ceremony. He'll also be the honored guest at a glitzy state dinner.

Trump was Macron's special guest at a Bastille Day celebration last year that coincided with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I. Trump has said he wants to hold a similar parade in Washington late this year.
WINGATE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina man who was broadcasting himself live on Facebook as he was walking down a street was shot and killed by another man on Monday, police said.

Just minutes before the 10 a.m. shooting, Prentis Robinson had been to the Wingate police department and spoke with the chief about a cellphone that had been stolen from him, Wingate Police Chief Donnie Gay told WCCB-TV .

On a portion of the video, Robinson wore a hat and used a selfie stick to record himself talking and walking along a street in Wingate, which is about 30 miles southeast of Charlotte. At one point, he was heard saying "You on live," apparently telling another person the conversation was being recorded.

The video showed Robinson was approached by someone who fired four shots with a long gun. The camera hit the ground after the shots rang out and showed sky and trees, and the gunman running away. A car pulled up and found Robinson.

Wingate University and Wingate Elementary School were placed on lockdown for a couple of hours after the shooting, although the shooting didn't occur on either campus.

Robinson's Facebook account described him as a musician who lived in Atlanta. According to public records cited by The Charlotte Observer , Robinson lived in Charlotte during the previous decade but spent much of his adult life in Wingate and graduated from a local high school.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A national Democratic group led by former U.S. Attorney Eric Holder filed a lawsuit Monday attempting to force Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to call two special elections to fill legislative vacancies.

Walker has refused to call special elections for the seats that became open two weeks before a surprise Democratic victory in a state Senate special election in a district that had been in Republican hands for 17 years.

Both of the vacancies are in traditionally Republican districts.

Walker has argued he's not required to call special elections and it would be a waste of taxpayer money to do it for the two vacancies, given that the Legislature is slated to complete its work for the year next month. Walker instead wants to wait for the regularly scheduled election in November to fill the seats, meaning constituents in the districts will be without representatives for a year.

Democrats have argued, as does the lawsuit, that he has an obligation under the law to fill them as soon as possible.

"A right to representation in the lawmaking body is a bedrock of democracy, and Governor Walker's refusal to comply with his plain legal duty" causes voters in the districts "substantial harm," the lawsuit said.

Attorneys for the National Redistricting Foundation, an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, filed the lawsuit Monday in Dane County Circuit Court on behalf of voters who live in the affected state Senate and Assembly districts.

"Governor Scott Walker's refusal to hold special elections is an affront to representative democracy," Holder said in a statement. "Forcing citizens to go more than a year without representation ... is a plain violation of their rights and we're hopeful the court will act quickly to order the governor to hold elections."

The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by Holder, launched in 2017.

Walker's spokesman Amy Hasenberg said Walker's decision not to call special elections was "consistent with the law" and accused a "D.C.-based special interest group" of wanting to waste Wisconsin taxpayers' money.

"Voters are already going to the polls this year to elect new representatives in these districts," she said, referring to the August primary and November general election. "The Legislature will be adjourned for 2018 before these seats could be filled in special elections, and staff in these offices are working for constituents until new leaders are elected."

Democrats, including Holder's group, have launched a coordinated effort to chip away at Republican dominance from lower-level offices on up. The fight for control of legislative chambers matters both over policy debates but also because they will be the ones who draw state and congressional political boundary lines following the 2020 Census.

Both of the vacant seats were held by Republicans - Sen. Frank Lasee, of De Pere, and Rep. Keith Ripp, of Lodi - who resigned on Dec. 29 to take jobs in Walker's administration. The Senate seat, which covers the Door County peninsula northeast of Green Bay, has been under Republican control for at least the past 40 years and Ripp had held the Assembly seat, in a rural area north of Madison, since 2008.

Republicans control the state Senate 18-14 with one vacancy and the Assembly 63-35 with one vacancy.

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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Two kidnapped Americans from Texas were rescued near the northern city of Monterrey and their two alleged abductors arrested, Mexican authorities reported.

The Nuevo Leon prosecutors' office said Sunday in a statement that the victims traveled to the state on Feb. 17, and lost contact with their families in the United States the following day. On Feb. 19, the relatives began to receive ransom demands.

The unidentified Texans were rescued by members of a special anti-kidnapping unit Saturday in the Monterrey suburb of Juarez, thanks to a tip that led them to locate the alleged kidnappers on a highway.

Nuevo Leon prosecutors said the Americans were transported to the United States in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City said Monday that it was "aware of reports of two U.S. citizens kidnapped and later rescued," but did not give further details.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The stepmother of a missing 5-year-old Kansas boy was criminally charged Monday with endangering a child while the search for the boy stretched into its second week.

Emily Glass, 26, stepmother of Lucas Hernandez, made a brief appearance via video conference to hear the charge against her. She will continue to be held on $50,000 bond. She said she planned to hire her own attorney before her next court appearance March 13.

Glass was originally booked into jail Feb. 21 on two counts of child endangerment, with police saying the counts related to Lucas and a 1-year-old child. It wasn't immediately clear Monday if the child endangerment charge was related to Lucas or the other child.

The boy has been missing since Feb. 17, when Glass reported he disappeared while she showered and took a nap in their Wichita home.

Extensive searches involving more than 100 officers, along with dogs and helicopters, have been conducted in Wichita parks, nearby streams and the neighborhood where Glass lived. Citizens groups joined the search on Monday but have found no sign of the boy. Police have not said why they focused on the parks.

Investigators have said they found no evidence the boy was abducted.

Police reports show officers have been called to the family's home in the past when the boy's father and stepmother fought. Relatives have alleged that Lucas was abused but no other charges have been filed in the boy's disappearance.

Lucas has brown hair and brown eyes, is about 4-feet tall and weighs about 60 pounds. He was last seen wearing black sweats, white socks and a gray shirt with a bear on it.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on the indictment of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):

6:25 p.m.

The Missouri House has passed a bill that would make it a felony to disseminate - or threaten to disseminate - private sexual images.

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2018 file photo, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens speaks in Palmyra, Mo. Missouri lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse for the first time Monday, Feb. 26, 2018 since Greitens was indicted, with plans to discuss assembling a committee whose investigation could lead to his impeachment. The first-term Republican governor was indicted late Thursday on felony invasion of privacy. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

The 149-1 House vote Monday comes as Gov. Eric Greitens is facing a felony indictment on a charge of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a photo of a nude or partially nude woman in 2015 and transmitting it to a computer.

Lawmakers didn't mention Greitens during their brief debate Monday. But some noted that the legislation also had been proposed last year. The allegations against Greitens did not become public until this past January.

Greitens has acknowledged having an affair but has denied using a photo as blackmail for the woman to remain silent.

The House legislation now moves to the Senate.

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5 p.m.

St. Louis prosecutors say the ongoing investigation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens could include matters beyond the allegation of invasion of privacy involving a woman with whom he had an affair.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a contentious, unscheduled hearing occurred Monday in St. Louis Circuit Court, during which the Republican governor's legal team accused the circuit attorney's office of improperly using the grand jury to perform the investigation.

The grand jury's indictment of Greitens was announced Thursday. He is accused of taking a compromising, unauthorized photo of the woman in 2015, before he was governor. He has admitted to the affair but denies committing a crime.

A judge at the hearing set a tentative trial date of May 14.

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4:45 p.m.

A special panel of seven Missouri House members will investigate allegations against Gov. Eric Greitens following his indictment on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge related to an extramarital affair.

House Speaker Todd Richardson said the panel announced Monday will include five Republicans and two Democrats. It will be led by Republican Rep. Jay Barnes, a Jefferson City attorney.

Barnes pledged a "fair, thorough and timely" investigation "without any pre-ordained results."

Greitens is accused of taking a photo of a woman in a compromising position and transmitting it to a computer. He has admitted to an affair, but his attorney says he is innocent of invasion of privacy.

A pair of Republican House members said Thursday that they had gathered signatures from about a dozen GOP lawmakers calling for Greitens' resignation.

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1:30 p.m.

Black activists in St. Louis say Gov. Eric Greitens' criticism of the city's circuit attorney following his felony indictment had racial undertones.

About 100 people, most of them African-American, gathered for a protest Monday outside a St. Louis courthouse to show their support for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who is black.

Gardner, a Democrat, launched an investigation of the Republican governor in January after he admitted to an extramarital affair in 2015, before he was governor. A grand jury on Thursday indicted Greitens on one count of invasion of privacy, alleging he took a compromising photo of the woman without her consent.

Greitens says he committed no crime and in a statement blamed Gardner, calling her a "reckless liberal prosecutor."

The Rev. Darryl Gray, one of the leaders of the St. Louis protest, called the governor's response "character assassination" and says it is typical of the way blacks in leadership positions are often treated.

Messages seeking a response from Greitens were not immediately returned.

___

11 a.m.

A man convicted of invasion of privacy in Missouri 19 years ago is asking Gov. Eric Greitens for a pardon, using the same argument that the governor's lawyers are using in the effort to dismiss an indictment of Greitens.

A St. Louis grand jury last week indicted the Republican governor on felony invasion of privacy. In 1999, Paul Henreid was convicted of invasion of privacy in St. Louis for secretly filming sex partners.

Henreid's attorney, Al Watkins, says it would be "hypocritical" for Greitens to reject the pardon request. An email message left Monday with Greitens' spokesman was not immediately returned.

Henreid's trial attorneys argued that the law was aimed at "peeping Toms," not someone engaged in a consensual relationship. Greitens' attorneys made a similar argument in the motion to dismiss.

___

10 a.m.

A St. Louis grand jury's investigation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens isn't complete, even though an indictment was issued last week.

Susan Ryan, a spokeswoman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, said Monday that the grand jury investigation of the Republican governor is "ongoing." There is no timetable for when it will be complete, and Ryan declined to say what else the grand jury is investigating.

Greitens was indicted Thursday on felony invasion of privacy. The charge stems from an extramarital affair he had with his St. Louis hairdresser starting in March 2015, before he was elected.

Prosecutors allege Greitens took a compromising photo of the woman without her consent. Greitens has admitted to the affair but says no crime was committed.

___

8:45 a.m.

Missouri lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse for the first time since Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted, with plans to discuss assembling a committee whose investigation could lead to his impeachment.

The first-term Republican governor was indicted late Thursday on felony invasion of privacy. The charge stems from an extramarital affair he had with his hairdresser in March 2015, before he was elected.

Prosecutors allege Greitens took a compromising photo of the woman without her consent. Greitens has admitted to the affair but says no crime was committed.

Legislators are reconvening Monday. House Republican leaders say they'll form a group of lawmakers to investigate the allegations and determine whether the governor can lead the state amid the felony case. Greitens' attorney said he welcomes the investigation.

House leaders didn't specifically mention impeachment, a process that must begin in the House with an investigation.
Most smaller companies believe the Government is ignoring their concerns on Brexit, according to a new report.

A survey of over 650 owner-managed businesses showed that only 41 said ministers were listening to their views.

Accountants Moore Stephens said its study highlighted how much work was needed to convince small-to-medium sized companies that the deal to leave the European Union protects their interests.

Brexit worries of smaller firms (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Trade tariffs was the main concern of those polled, followed by loss of EU labour and customers.

Mark Lamb, of Moore Stephens, said the research found that the level of concern amongst business leaders over Brexit was incredibly high.

He added: Whilst banks and other big businesses have the influence to lobby the Government for their own special Brexit clauses, there are concerns that small businesses will be forgotten about.

Business owners are hugely concerned about what Brexit might mean for them. The Government must take their needs seriously when negotiating the exit deal.

Brexit could potentially impact an enormous number of issues affecting owner-managed businesses in the UK; from import and export costs, to access to labour, and grants and subsidies.

Businesses have been given very little clarity so far on what effect Brexit might have on any of these issues.
A British artist has captured 300 years of history in a new work  which took two years to complete.

Robin Reynolds pen and ink piece, New Orleans: Between Heaven And Hell, is almost two metres long.

It will be exhibited in New Orleans as part of events celebrating the citys 300th anniversary.

The work captures the history of the US city, from the slave economy, fires, plagues, wars and Hurricane Katrina, as well as its music and culture.

Robin Reynolds and his work (Robin Reynolds)

Reynolds, 65, from Ruscombe, Berkshire, said that New Orleans was an irresistible, but also overwhelming subject.

The history is almost impossibly rich in variety, he said.

But I was also curious about the recent past. People would say to me I wish I had gone to New Orleans before it was destroyed by the hurricane.

An extract from the work (Robin Reynolds)

Its far from having been destroyed. Katrina is certainly a vivid and tragic chapter, but looking back, you see that resilience is part of the New Orleans story.

The picture will be accompanied by an interactive guide showing more than 170 themes and events depicted in the work.

The pen, ink and watercolour will be shown at the exhibition Art Of The City: Postmodern To Post-Katrina, in May.

Robins panorama of London was displayed as part of the events marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death in 2016.
Nile Rodgers has revealed he found his latest cancer battle more peaceful because of his past experience with the disease.

The acclaimed hitmaker, 65, announced his prognosis as 100% recovery in December after undergoing surgery in the United States.

He said the knowledge he had beaten cancer once meant he already had a survivors mindset, referencing his battle with prostate cancer in 2010.

Nile Rodgers (Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

Rodgers told the Press Association: Surprisingly enough it was much more peaceful than I had the first time around.

I remembered all the therapy and all the things I had to go to where I was the first time.

But I survived it so I just thought the second time regardless of what I would have to go through my mindset was to survive it.

After beating the disease for a second time, Rodgers said it didnt take too much convincing for him to sign Chic up to a Teenage Cancer Trust fundraising gig at the Royal Albert Hall next month.

The producer, guitarist and songwriter also revealed the long-awaited first Chic album since 1992, Its About Time, is pretty much finished.

The record was first scheduled for release in 2015 but has been pushed back for the past three years.

The Chic album is graded, its pretty much finished. Now were looking at different video directors and thinking out the concept, he said.

 Nile Rodgers & Chic perform at the Royal Albert Hall on March 21 as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust week of performances with tickets on sale now.
An 18-year-old man has been charged with the murders of two young men.

Scotland Yard said Isaiah Popoola, of Grafton Way in Camden, north London, will appear at Highbury Magistrates Court on Monday charged with the murders of Abdikarim Hassan and Sadiq Aadam Mohamed on February 20.

Sadiq Mohamed, 20, died from serious stab injuries after being discovered in Malden Road, Camden, at around 10.15pm.

At 8.30pm the same evening, Abdikarim Hassan, 17, was found with knife wounds in Bartholomew Road and died at the scene.

Abdikarin Hassan (Family Handout/PA)

Scotland Yard said Popoola has also been charged with alleged attacks on two others in Aldenham Street, Camden, on the same night.

He has been charged with grievous bodily harm on a 17-year-old and attempted GBH on a 24-year-old.
Ten people were killed as air strikes and bombing of rebel-held suburbs east of Damascus resumed despite a UN ceasefire resolution, a Syrian monitoring group and paramedics said.#

Syrian state TV broadcast live footage showing the Harasta suburb being pounded by air strikes and artillery.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the oppositions Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said nine people died in an air strike shortly after midnight on the suburb of Douma and one person was killed in Harasta on Monday morning.

The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across Syria (Craig Ruttle/AP)

The new deaths bring to 24 the two-day death toll in eastern Ghouta, on the edge of Damascus, despite the UN Security Councils unanimous approval on Saturday of a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across Syria. Fourteen people were killed on Sunday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it is high time to stop this hell on Earth.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterre (Armando Franca/AP)

Speaking at the start of a session of the UN-backed Human Rights Council on Monday, he also appealed on the warring sides to abide by the ceasefire.

The remarks were Mr Guterres first to a UN body since the 15-member council unanimously adopted the resolution at the weekend.

The UN chief said he welcomed the move but added that Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented.

He added that he expects the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained

Mr Guterres also called for safe, unimpeded and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and services, and evacuations of the sick and wounded.
Clerks filmmaker Kevin Smith has said he nearly died of a massive heart attack.

The actor, director and producer, 47, said he would not still be alive if he had not gone to hospital.

He wrote on Twitter: After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack.

Kevin Smith (Yui Mok/PA)

After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka the Widow-Maker). If I hadnt canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I wouldve died tonight. But for now, Im still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018

The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka the Widow-Maker).

If I hadnt canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I wouldve died tonight. But for now, Im still above ground!

He also shared a wide-eyed selfie from his hospital bed, in which he can be seen wearing a surgical gown with tubes running down his face and across his chest.

Smith had been due to perform two shows at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, on February 25, at 6pm and 9pm.

The Kevin Smith Live! show was billed as: Silent but deadly, Kevin Smith tells long-ass stories that aim to amuse.

If you like your comedy by the pound, you cant go wrong with this yapping fool from TVs Comic Book Men as he talks about life, comic books, movies and more!
Chinese censors have acted quickly to remove satirical commentary online about the ruling Communist Partys move to enable President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely.

The move comes as political observers weigh the possibility that China will return to an era of one-man rule.

One day after the party announced a proposed constitutional change to be approved next month, Chinese internet users found themselves unable to signal approval or disapproval by changing their profiles. Key search topics such as serve another term were censored.

Nevertheless, social media users shared images of Winnie the Pooh hugging a jar of honey along with the quote: Find the thing you love and stick with it.

Memorabilia featuring Mr Xi are displayed at a souvenir shop in Beijing (AP)

The Disney bears image has been compared to President Xi Jinping, prompting periodic blocks on the use of Pooh pictures online.

Other online commenters wrote: Attention, the vehicle is reversing  an automated announcement used by Chinese delivery vehicles  suggesting that China is returning to the era of former dictator Mao Zedong or even imperial rule.

Another widely-circulated comment played on the intense pressure young Chinese often face from their parents to marry and produce grandchildren.

My mother told me that I have to get married during Xi Dadas presidential term, it said, using a reference for Xi typically translated as Big Uncle Xi.

Now I can finally breathe a long sigh of relief, the post read.

The plans to extend Mr Xis time in power have echoes of Mao Zedongs rule (AP)

Not all the censored posts were critical of the proposal to eliminate term limits. Some users pointed out that countries like Germany and Canada also do not have term limits for their leaders, while others simply commented on news of the announcement with: Witnessing history.

The countrys parliament, the National Peoples Congress, is all but certain to pass the amendment when it meets for its annual session early next month. Under the 1982 constitution, the president is limited to two five-year terms in office, but Mr Xi  already Chinas most powerful leader since Mao  appears to want additional terms to see through his agenda of fighting corruption, eliminating poverty and transforming China into a modern leading nation by the mid-century.

Or, some have speculated, he may simply wish to retain near-absolute power for as long as possible.

Xi has made robust diplomacy and a muscular military posture in the South China Sea and elsewhere a hallmark of his style of rule and more can be expected in coming years, experts said.

In terms of trade relations with the US, entrenched differences between the worlds number one and number two economies will likely remain, said James Zimmerman, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

Mr Xis rule has been characterised by a relentless crackdown on critics and independent civil society voices such as lawyers netted in a sweeping crackdown on legal activists that began in July 2015. Joseph Cheng, a long-time observer of Chinese politics now retired from the City University of Hong Kong, said that following the passage of the constitutional amendment: There will be even less tolerance of criticism.
Melrose Industries has been handed a double boost in its pursuit of engineering giant GKN by winning regulatory backing in the US and Canada.

The 7.4 billion hostile bid has been cleared by the US Federal Trade Commission under its competition rules after being handed early termination of the applicable waiting period.

Canadian authorities have also waved the proposed deal through after its Competition Bureau sent a no-action letter to Melrose.

GKN employs around 58,200 staff and makes wing tips for Airbus (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The move comes after GKN wrote to investors earlier this month to warn over the entirely opportunistic takeover bid, saying its inexperienced management team and short-term business model are inappropriate for the business.

The group also outlined a new strategic plan, which will see GKN sell off parts of its business to fund a 2.5 billion payout to investors.

Melrose has swooped on GKN after profit warnings in October and November following problems at its US aerospace division sent shares tumbling.

GKN, which employs around 58,200 staff and makes wing tips for Airbus, also ditched its incoming boss in November less than two months before he was due to take the top job as it warned over another hit in its troubled US plant.

The Redditch-based firm has responded to the unwanted attention by vowing to separate its aerospace and automotive units and hiring a new chief executive.

Shares in GKN and Melrose rose 1% and fell by 0.1% respectively in morning trading on the London Stock Exchange.
Doctors may be missing cases of deadly bacterial meningitis in babies, a charity has warned.

The comments from the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) come after a new study found that classic symptoms of bacterial meningitis were uncommon among babies with the deadly illness.

Fever has long been thought of as a key symptom of bacterial meningitis but the study has found that only around half of babies under the age of three months with the disease had a fever.

Meningitis symptoms in babies are often non-specific, a study found (PA)

As the temperature drops once again, it's important to remember that the earliest signs of meningitis can often resemble a cold or flu. Meningitis can happen to anyone, at any time. Make sure you know the signs. pic.twitter.com/no6BNNBdNx  Meningitis Research (@M_R_F) February 24, 2018

Researchers from St Georges, University of London, examined data on 263 babies in Britain with bacterial meningitis.

Their study, published in the Paediatric Infectious Diseases journal, found that only 54% of infants had a fever.

The MRF said that fever has been a trigger for further medical investigations for decades.

Meanwhile, 28% had seizures with 22% showing a bulging fontanelle.

Of the 263 babies, 23 died and 56 of the surviving babies suffered serious complications.

The authors concluded that classic features of meningitis were uncommon among the babies studied.

Professor Paul Heath, one of the study investigators, said: The symptoms displayed by young infants when they are seen by doctors at first in hospital are often non-specific and only half of cases showed signs of a fever.

Clinicians must, therefore, still consider bacterial meningitis in the diagnosis of an unwell infant that doesnt present with fever.

URGENT WARNING: Experts now predict that only around HALF of young babies with meningitis present with a fever. For decades a fever has been a major trigger for further medical investigation.



Find out more: https://t.co/CEvMBkmv8V  Meningitis Research (@M_R_F) February 26, 2018

Vinny Smith, chief executive at the MRF, said: Young babies are particularly vulnerable to bacterial meningitis. Meningitis and septicaemia are deadly diseases that strike without warning. Rapid diagnosis and treatment provides the best chance of survival.

Based on this research, we have collaborated with the study investigators to create a teaching package aimed at doctors and health professionals to aid rapid diagnosis and treatment.

We have also updated our symptoms information for parents so that they know not to rely on fever alone as the main symptom to look out for in babies.

:: For more information visit: www.meningitis.org/HCPresources.
Unions and business leaders welcomed Jeremy Corbyns speech on Brexit, although directors say there are still unanswered questions.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: Jeremy Corbyn has shown that people really do have a choice on Brexit.

On the one hand, there is Labour which has pledged to build on the trading arrangements presently supporting millions of jobs in this country.

Jeremy Corbyn has set out Labours Brexit plans (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

A Corbyn government will also make it a priority to tackle the greedy bosses who have abused migrant workers to undermine employment conditions and attack the rate for the job.

On the other hand, there are the Tories who are quite clearly putting their own party interests above those of the nation.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS, the trade association for the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, said: A customs union with the EU is a practical solution that would put businesses in the best possible position to compete after Brexit.

We welcome the position set out by the Leader of the Opposition today that Labour will support a customs union with the EU and stay in important EU agencies.

Stephen Martin, director general of the Institute of Directors, said: While Labour has firmed up their position on customs today, there are still many unanswered questions from both Labour and the Conservatives about the UKs future relationship with EU, and this is making it hard for businesses to plan.

As with everything about the Brexit process, extracting detailed and specific answers on the future trade arrangements from our political leaders has been a slow and laborious process.

Tim Roache, general secretary of the GMB union, said: The Governments approach to Brexit would have a negative impact on many industries where our members work.

By committing to a customs union, Labour is showing clear leadership that would safeguard our ports, transport firms and manufacturing sectors.

 Labours commitment to a customs union will help protect the jobs we need  Read more >> https://t.co/cLy3CZLZ6O #CorbynSpeech pic.twitter.com/ektQzyRskh  GMB Union (@GMB_union) February 26, 2018

Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, said: The Leader of the Opposition is correct to highlight the complexities of those supply chains which rely upon on barrier-free and tariff-free trade.

The success of UK food and drink manufacturers depends upon the frictionless movement of ingredients and finished products  nowhere is this more stark than on the island of Ireland, where food and drink can cross the border five or six times.

Transport Salaried Staffs Association general secretary Manuel Cortes said: TSSA welcomes Jeremys approach that places the people of Britain rather than the Tories back at the heart of the Brexit conundrum.

Jeremy is right that we are all in this together. He is the only politician people now trust to deliver a Brexit approach that will be in the interests of the many not the few.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said: The Labour leaders commitment to a customs union will put jobs and living standards first by remaining in a close economic relationship with the EU.

It will help grow trade without accepting freedom of movement or payments to the EU.

Importantly, a customs union will go part of the way to providing a real-world solution to the Irish border question that is of such urgent concern to the people and firms of Northern Ireland.

Labours calls for nationalisation continue to miss the point. More than ever, Brexit means the UK must be seen as a great place to invest and create jobs. Taxpayers will pay the price if Labour turns its back on good collaboration between the government and the private sector.  CBI (@CBItweets) February 26, 2018

But businesses have their eyes wide open on Labours overall rhetoric on re-nationalisation.

If Labour turns its back on good collaboration between the Government and the private sector  putting vital sectors solely in the hands of politicians  public services, infrastructure and taxpayers will ultimately pay the price.

The CBI will continue to engage with the Labour Party to find better solutions to the shared challenges we face.

TUC general secretary Frances OGrady said: The Labour leaders speech was a welcome step forwards.

It provided some of the answers working people need on how their jobs, rights and livelihoods will be protected, and it exposed the threat to manufacturing jobs from the Governments red line on a customs union.

Stephen Phipson, chief executive of the EEF, the manufacturers organisation, said: The acceptance of the need for a post-Brexit customs union reflects what EEF and UK manufacturing have long called for.

BCC comments on #CorbynSpeech and calls for a pragmatic deal with the EU on both customs and regulatory recognition that allows businesses to get their goods across borders as quickly as possible https://t.co/O3soLMgJgu pic.twitter.com/65KyRvd6EC  BCC (@britishchambers) February 26, 2018

Manufacturers have been vocal about the complexity of the supply chains between the EU and UK in which they operate, and that free and frictionless trade can only be achieved by comparable customs rules to those that the UK currently enjoys.

However, how Labour could practically achieve this and maintain a close relationship with the single market and EU agencies, and have a say in future trade deals, remains unclear.

Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: Jeremy Corbyns position on the customs union, like the Governments, feels more political than practical for business.

The priority must be to delve far more into the detail and negotiate a pragmatic deal on both customs and regulatory recognition that allows businesses to get their goods across borders as quickly as possible.

Businesses are interested in clarity and certainty, not Westminster political dividing lines.

Westminster is still having an inward-facing conversation, when what businesses need is a clear understanding of how the UKs political establishment will deliver results in a tough negotiation with Brussels.
Turkey has submitted documents to the Czech authorities formally requesting the extradition of the former leader of a Syrian Kurdish party.

Salih Muslim, former co-chair of the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, was detained in the Czech capital of Prague on Saturday under an Interpol red notice based on a Turkish request for his arrest.

Turkey considers the PYD a terrorist group linked to outlawed Kurdish insurgents fighting within Turkeys own borders.

Salih Muslim was detained under an Interpol red notice (AP)

Muslim was put on Turkeys most-wanted list earlier in February with a one million dollar (715,000) reward.

On Monday, Turkish prosecutors issued a new warrant for his detention, accusing Muslim and about 30 other people of being behind a bomb attack on a tax office in Ankara earlier this month.

Nine people  suspected Kurdish militants  were detained in connection with the attack, which caused damage to the tax office but no casualties.

Turkish deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag said the justice ministry had sent a file formally requesting his extradition.

Muslim was expected to appear before a Prague court on Tuesday, which would then decide if he will remain in detention, Turkish ambassador Ahmet Necati Bigali said.

The PYD is the leading political Kurdish force in northern Syria, and Muslim remains highly influential in the party, even after stepping down as co-chair last year.

On January 20, Turkey launched an incursion into northern Syria, seeking to rout the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the Peoples Protection Units or YPG, from the enclave of Afrin. The YPG is the armed wing of the PYD.
The outgoing UN human rights chief has accused the veto-wielding members of the Security Council of being second only to criminals who kill and maim when it comes to their responsibility for some of the worlds worst rights violations.

Zeid Raad al-Hussein delivered one of the strongest and clearest denunciations yet from a top UN official about certain uses of the Security Council veto, which gives extraordinary powers to the five countries that wield it: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

Speaking to the Human Rights Council, Mr Zeid did not mention specific vetoes, but the comments were an unmistakable allusion to the war in Syria, over which Russia, a major backer of President Bashar Assad, and China have repeatedly used the veto to block efforts to hold war criminals to account or punish Mr Assads government for alleged use of chemical weapons.

Jordans Zeid Raad al Hussein launched a strongly-worded attack on the Security Council (AP)

#StandUp4HumanRights: The worst offenders' disregard and contempt for human rights will be the eventual undoing of all of us. This, we cannot allow to happen. - #Zeid https://t.co/x662CNPpVp #HRC37 https://t.co/bP4Ru6UHkG  UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) February 26, 2018

Mr Zeid instead spoke more broadly and decried some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times  Syrias Eastern Ghouta region, the Ituri and Kasai regions of Congo; the embattled city of Taiz in Yemen; Burundi; and Burmas northern Rakhine state.

He denounced minimal action taken even though his office has repeatedly exposed human rights violations that should have served as a trigger for preventive action.

Mr Zeid added: Given this is my last address as high commissioner at the opening of a March session, I wish to be blunt.

The first tear in the fabric of peace often begins with the serious rights violations of individuals  the denial of economic and social rights, civil and political rights, and most of all, in a persistent denial of freedom - #Zeid LIVE @UN_HRC https://t.co/x662CNPpVp #HRC37  UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) February 26, 2018

The outspoken Jordanian prince is not seeking a new four-year term when his current one expires in August.

He insisted the five permanent, veto-wielding council members must answer to the victims if the veto is used to block any action that could reduce human suffering.

Second to those who are criminally responsible  those who kill and maim  the responsibility for the continuation of so much pain lies with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, he said.

However, Mr Zeid praised France for commendable leadership for its recent push for a code of conduct on use of the veto, which he said the UK and more than 115 countries have supported.

It is time, for the love of mercy, that China, Russia and the United States, join them and end the pernicious use of the veto, he said.
Suranne Jones has said she does not yet know if she will be able to return for a third series of hit BBC drama Doctor Foster.

The actress plays Dr Gemma Foster in the Mike Bartlett-penned drama, which was a huge success with fans across its first two series.

However, during an appearance on ITVs This Morning, Jones appeared to hesitate when asked by hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby if she will return for a new series.

She said: Oh, I dont know  argh.

Simon (Bertie Carvel) and Gemma (Suranne Jones) in Doctor Foster (Drama Republic/Laurence Cendrowicz)

Jones said that she will soon be busy with new BBC One/HBO historical drama series Gentleman Jack and her play Frozen, which is currently showing in London.

She added that there might also be a second series of her new Sky Atlantic programme Save Me in the pipeline.

Its a time thing, she said.

The second series of Doctor Foster ended with Gemma saving her ex-husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) from suicide before discovering her son has run away.

Asked about continuing the story following Toms disappearance, Jones told Schofield and Willoughby: I know, hes alright, hell be travelling somewhere, hell be fine for a couple of years!

She added: Would you really want him to come back to those damaged parents?

There was almost two years between the series one finale and the premiere of series two in September last year and Jones previously said she could not have anticipated the fan reaction.

She told the Graham Norton Show: It just went crazy. Ive never done a show before where people got so behind it.

You couldnt binge watch it so I think it had that water cooler effect and people loved it.

Bartlett previously said Doctor Foster could only return for a third series and thrive if it came at the right time.

The award-winning drama received an average of 8.9 million viewers over the five episodes of series two, compared to a consolidated average of 8.2 million from its initial series which ran in 2015.
A jury is considering verdicts in the trial of a police officer accused of twice assaulting a handcuffed suspect who had spat in his face.

Pc Paul McVeigh, 48, denies intentionally yanking Jack Moore out of the back of a police van onto the ground and then deliberately throwing him head first onto the cell floor, causing him to land on his chin.

CCTV pictures of both incidents were shown to the jury at Teesside Crown Court, as well as body-worn camera footage of an earlier incident where Mr Moore spat in the officers face, after he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Washington, Tyne and Wear, in January 2017.

Paul McVeigh is on trial at Teesside Crown Court (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The officer, who has served with Northumbria Police for 25 years, denied a red mist had descended and Kevin Baumber, defending, said the father-of-two had not lashed out, kicked or punched the abusive suspect at Southwick Police Station, Sunderland.

Mr Moore, who required 15 stitches, later admitted assault and being drunk and disorderly.
David Lidingtons offer to rewrite the flagship Brexit bill to address the concerns of the devolved administrations has been dismissed by the Scottish and Welsh governments.

Theresa Mays Government is at odds with Holyrood and Cardiff Bay about whether powers returned from Brussels after Brexit go to the devolved administrations or Whitehall.

Mr Lidington said the UK Government had made a considerable offer to the devolved administrations with a commitment that the vast majority of powers returning from Brussels will start off in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast rather than Whitehall.

But Scotlands Brexit Minister Michael Russell accused the Tory government of trying to unilaterally rewrite the devolution settlement.

And Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones said further progress was needed that goes beyond warm words because the current version of the legislation was an unacceptable attack on devolution.

David Lidington has called for unity over Brexit from the devolved administrations (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Setting out his proposals, Mr Lidington said they would mean a very big change to the EU Withdrawal Bill that is before Parliament and a significant step forward in these negotiations.

If accepted, this offer puts beyond doubt our commitment to a smooth and orderly departure from the European Union, in a way that doesnt just respect the devolution settlements, but strengthens and enhances them, he said.

Speaking at Airbus in North Wales, Mr Lidington called for unity behind the approach to Brexit and warned that a divided country at home would be weaker, less secure and less prosperous overseas.

He said: Leaving the EU presents many challenges for our centuries-old union story  and opportunities too.

Some want to use this as an excuse to loosen these ties that bind us together or even sever them completely.

I believe such an outcome would leave every one of our four nations both weaker and poorer.

Scotlands Michael Russell claimed the UK Government was trying to rewrite the devolution settlement (John Linton/PA)

But Mr Russell said the UK Governments approach makes a mockery of claims to be a partnership of equals, complaining about a lack of engagement from Whitehall.

He said: However they try to dress this up, the reality is the UK Government is using Brexit to try to take control of devolved powers without the agreement of the Scottish Parliament.

It is totally unacceptable for the Tories to unilaterally rewrite the devolution settlement that the people of Scotland voted for so overwhelmingly.

We have always said we are not opposed to UK-wide arrangements on issues such as food labelling when they are in Scotlands interests  but the fundamental point of principle is that any changes to the powers of the Scottish Parliament, permanent or temporary, can only be made with the agreement of Holyrood.

And it is only because Westminster wants to take control of devolved powers that there is any debate on this issue at all.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said the UK Government needed to offer more than `warm words on post-Brexit devolution (Ben Birchall/PA)

Mr Jones said: I welcome the commitment of the UK Government to continue to work with us on their EU Withdrawal Bill.

However, as currently drafted, the Bill allows the UK Government to take control of devolved policy areas, such as farming and fishing, once the UK has left the EU.

This is an unacceptable attack on devolution in both Wales and Scotland.

We now need further progress that goes beyond warm words and I hope the very big changes promised in the speech equate to sensible amendments to the Bill which respect devolution.

We will continue to work with the UK and Scottish Governments to that end.
Piers Morgan has said he has no idea what his Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid earns, and that he would only worry about it if she was not being paid what she is worth.

The broadcaster has also said that he thinks the BBC has treated women in a very unfair way regarding the pay structure at the corporation.

The BBC has recently faced criticism over the gender pay gap, with a number of BBC women hitting out over unequal pay after a report published last year  which revealed the pay for staff on more than 150,000  showed a gap in the earnings of its best-known male and female presenters and actors.

Morgan told the Press Association of his and Reids salaries: I honestly have no idea what Susanna is paid.

And it wouldnt worry me so long as she feels shes being paid what shes worth.

I think thats the key thing, I think for any presenter on television, for anyone in any workplace, do you feel like youre getting paid what youre worth?

Morgan, who also fronts his ITV series Life Stories and a new one-off documentary called Serial Killer, said that he and Reid dont talk about our salaries.

Mines complicated because I do lots of different shows so its probably hard to work out because we get paid for different things, he said.

But I dont think that either of us feel like were being underpaid.

Of the BBC, he said: The BBC has clearly been treating women in very unfair way in terms of salary and pay structure to the men, and everyone can see that now.

The BBC has recently faced criticism over the gender pay gap (Anthony Devlin/PA)

That should not have been happening with public money  in a way they are like the Government.

You wouldnt do it with ministers, so why would you do it with television presenters?

Morgan urged women to seek more than just equality with men in the workplace, saying that they should ask for even more money if they are worth more than men.

He said: Why should women just seek equality? I never understood that.

Why dont you want more  if youre better than a man at your job, you should be getting more money, so I would say to anybody at any job, whether its television or the military or education or a factory floor, if you think youre better than the man you should get paid more money.

The ITV presenter said: In commercial television, we get paid whatever we deliver if I didnt deliver results on any of the shows I do, they wouldnt be on air, and I wouldnt be on air.

Its a results business, I much prefer that, its much easier, you know I dont have to worry about the public feeling like their money has been squandered on me because its not their money.

Serial Killer With Piers Morgan airs on ITV on Thursday March 1, and Piers Morgans Life Stories airs on ITV on Saturday March 3.
Labour has urged the Scottish Government to bring forward plans for a tourist tax in Scotland after councils backed the move.

The party said the levy on hotel stays would enable local authorities to raise tens of millions of pounds in extra revenue.

Council leaders unanimously agreed last week that local government umbrella body Cosla should start lobbying ministers for the introduction of a transient visitor tax.

Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon has written to Communities Secretary Angela Constance on the issue.

Communities Secretary Angela Constance (Jane Barlow/PA)

Our local communities are in serious need of additional funding, she said.

Cuts to local authorities in this years budget mean extremely difficult choices ahead. Those hit hardest by cuts are the poorest groups who are more reliant on a range of public services.

We urgently need to look at new ways for local authorities to raise funds, including a tourist tax.

I believe councils, who understand their local industry and area, should have the choice to ask visitors for a bit more to make sure local services are properly funded.

A tourist tax was included in Labours recent 2018/19 budget proposals, with the party stating a tax charged per night per person at a maximum of 2 per night would raise up to 70 million a year.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: We have been consistent in our stance that, given the potential impact on tourism, we have no plans to introduce visitor levy on the tourism sector, which is already subject to the second highest VAT rates in Europe by the UK Government.
Prosecutors want to appeal the sentence of loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty.

The former Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) leader in North Belfast was handed a minimum six-and-a-half-year sentence at Belfast Crown Court after admitting more than 200 offences, including five murders.

The judge said he would serve six-and-a-half years in prison before he is entitled to consideration for release by the Parole Commissioners as part of the peace process deal involving a heavily-discounted sentence in exchange for giving information about his criminal colleagues.

Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron is referring the sentence to the Court of Appeal (PPS/PA)

However, he has already served 1,186 days in prison on remand and is entitled to credit for that.

A statement from the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said: The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Herron, has today sought leave to refer the sentence imposed on Gary Haggarty to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

Haggartys evidence has led to one person being charged with murder.

His murder targets included:

 John Harbinson, who was beaten to death with a hammer by a UVF gang in North Belfast in May 1997. Afterwards Haggarty went and had a drink in a nearby house, the trial judge said.

 Catholic Sean McParland, who was shot dead in front of children in 1994. Haggarty volunteered to be the lead gunman to dispel UVF suspicions about informers, the judge said.

 Catholic workmen Eamon Fox, 44, a father of six, and Gary Convie, 24, a father of one, were shot dead as they had lunch together in a car in Belfast.

 Sean McDermott, a 37-year-old Catholic found shot dead in his car near Antrim in August 1994.

Haggarty admitted involvement in the killings as part of the deal to give evidence against criminals charged.

Most people named in his police interviews will not face prosecution amid state concerns about a lack of supporting evidence.

Families of his victims said he was allowed to kill at will.
A blast of intense cold weather dubbed the Beast from the East has reached the UK, with temperatures expected to dip below freezing throughout the week.

The extreme temperatures mean the risks faced by rough sleepers are even greater, and campaigners warn it could be deadly for some forced to spend the night outside.

As a result, special measures are in place enabling local authorities to offer immediate accommodation to those sleeping on the street. But authorities rely heavily on members of the public reporting people they see on the streets in order that they can find them.

Here is what to do if you see someone sleeping rough, according to professionals:

Ask yourself, does the person need emergency help?



1. If the person in question is under age or is sleeping rough with a child in their care, this is a matter to refer to the police immediately as local authorities have a legal obligation to provide shelter to children.

2. If the person is in need of urgent medical attention  for example, if they have an open wound or appear to be seriously ill  calling 999 for an ambulance will get them professional help, and quickly.

3. Another immediate concern, especially in cold conditions, is where the person is set to spend the next few hours. Day shelters offering food and clothing and  usually during the winter months  night shelters that offer safe, warm sleeping areas, are in operation in many areas, so Google those running in your area.

Will they be outside in sub-zero temperatures?

During extremely cold weather  specifically, when temperatures fall to zero degrees or lower for three days  special measures come into action with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).

When this comes into force, the local authority and other organisations in the area will work to offer extra temporary accommodation where possible.

Your local authoritys housing options number  usually easy to find online  can give you more information on whether SWEP is in place and what local shelter options are available.

(PA Graphics)

How do I alert the local authority?

If no immediate shelter is available, you can still help a rough sleeper get on the path to engaging with services  usually through their local authority. It is important, if you have been able to speak to them, that you get their consent to do this.

One option available for members of the public in England and Wales is StreetLink  a service that centralises reporting of rough sleepers.

A call or online referral to StreetLink will, where appropriate, be passed to the relevant local services  usually local authority outreach teams who operate at night.

Each councils team has a different timetable dependent on demand, but they typically aim to reach a rough sleeper in one-to-three nights and offer support.

Sending an alert about a rough sleeper when SWEP provision is in place will ensure local services are aware of the individual and can refer them to this emergency accommodation.

Over the first nine months of 2017, the public sent more than 21,000 alerts to StreetLink, the charity said, connecting thousands of rough sleepers to accommodation and support services.

Now that winter has set in, were asking people to download the app on to their phones, send an alert when they are concerned about someone sleeping rough and tell their friends and colleagues about StreetLink, so that together we can help support vulnerable people to get their lives back on track, said director Matt Harrison.

Due to the high volume of calls, StreetLink advises the best method to refer rough sleepers is via the website or app.

What if I live outside England and Wales?

There is no equivalent centralised service for referring rough sleepers in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Shelter Scotland can offer help and advice, while people in Northern Ireland are advised to refer rough sleepers to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as a first port of call.

What information do I need to give?

Local outreach teams will welcome as much of the following information as possible in order to locate a rough sleeper:

Night-time sleep location: This is absolutely key in many cases, as this is when most outreach teams operate. If you have this information, be as precise as possible.

A physical description: For obvious reasons, this can go a long way to helping outreach workers find someone who is sleeping rough.

Any particular concerns: Health issues (whether the rough sleeper has medication that requires refrigeration, for example), or other concerns workers should be aware of if and when they meet the rough sleeper.

Should I give my own money?

Many have different feelings about giving money to people they meet on the street, and there isnt any right answer to this issue.

Some feel more comfortable donating to housing or homelessness charities  of which there are a number  to help tackle the issue.

However, if you are unable to help in any other way, theres certainly no harm in offering someone a warm drink, some food or a blanket  or even just someone to talk to for a while.
The Syrian government has arranged a safe exit route for residents of a besieged rebel-held suburb of Damascus, according to the Russian military.

Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, the head of the Russian militarys Centre for Reconciliation in Syria, said Syrian government forces will maintain daily ceasefires in eastern Ghouta from 9am to 2pm.

He said Syrian authorities had set up a humanitarian corridor for civilians exit and would distribute leaflets with specifics about the evacuation.

Maj Gen Yevtushenko said al Qaida-linked militants and some rebel groups in eastern Ghouta are preventing civilians from leaving and using them as shields while continuing to shell the capital.

The United Nations Security Council meeting on Saturday (AP/Craig Ruttle)

The announcement of the ceasefires comes two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across Syria.

The UN ceasefire failed to take hold as air strikes continued and Syrian ground forces fought to push into the besieged area from the west.

Civilians caught in the violence mocked Russian President Vladimir Putins order of a limited, five-hour daily truce.

It is like legitimising the strikes on civilians, said activist Firas Abdullah, a resident of Douma, a town in the region where at least 13 members of a family were killed on Monday when their home collapsed after an air strike.

They will be so kind to grant us a mere five hours when they will not bomb us. Then the rest of the day, they will bomb us as usual. It is like a permission to kill, Mr Abdullah said.

The carnage in the eastern Ghouta region has killed more than 500 people since last week.

At least 34 were killed on Monday by air strikes and shelling, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UN estimates that nearly 400,000 people live in dire conditions from the siege in eastern Ghouta, which has been under intensive bombing by government forces for weeks.

Other Ghouta residents also scoffed at the Russian move, saying it reminded them of a similar one for a besieged eastern district of Aleppo in 2016.

The political leader of the Army of Islam, the strongest rebel group in eastern Ghouta, called the Russian order regrettable, saying Moscow sought to circumvent the Security Councils unanimously approved resolution.

This (Russian) decision nullifies the legitimacy of the United Nations, Mohammed Alloush said. We want a total and lasting ceasefire in accordance with the UN resolution and one that opens corridors for humanitarian aid.
Levantes long search for a LaLiga victory continues after they lost 2-0 at home to Real Betis.

The Valencia-based club have not won in 12 league matches, stretching back to November 19, and Betis inflicted their seventh loss in the last nine matches in all competitions.

After a goalless first half the deadlock was finally broken in the 56th minute and it was misfortune which befell struggling Levante with Chema Rodriguezs own goal giving the visitors the lead.

Levante were beaten by Real Betis (Nick Potts/PA)

Since their last league win Levante have scored more than once in a game on only one occasion  bizarrely the 2-2 home draw with Real Madrid  so Betis second 21 minutes from the end effectively wrapped up three points.

Sergio Leons low, right-footed shot from outside the penalty area did the damage to leave Levante just a point outside the bottom three.
Agalawatte Plantations PLC will raise fresh equity capital by way of a rights issue to partly settle its related party borrowings raised last year as part of its restructuring.



Currently the plantation group has 25 million ordinary shares in issue with a negative shareholder fund of Rs.1.9 billion, the latest financial results up to September 30, 2017 showed. D R Investment, the owners of Damro, holds 61 percent of the stake in the company. Sonia Ng and DrT.Senthilverl are also among the other minority shareholders. The mismanaged plantations group under its former Chairman, Dr. Chris Nonis, who was the former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, last Friday announced it would issue 131.25 million new shares with the proportion of 21 new shares for each 4 ordinary shares held at Rs.15.30 a share to raise a total of Rs.2.0 billion in new equity.

The stock exchange disclosure said the proceeds of the rights issue would be utilised to part settle the related party borrowings amounting to Rs.2.0 billion obtained during April 2017 to December 2017 for the purpose of settling the companys outstanding bank borrowings, statutory dues and funding the working capital requirements.



In July 2016, 60.8 percent stake of Agalawatte Plantations was sold by its major shareholder, Mackwoods Plantations Limited to Browns Power Holdings Private Limited, an LOLC group company for Rs.304 million.



But in little less than a year on March 27, 2017 Browns sold its stake to D R Investments, for Rs.275 million.



The sale was made when Mackwoods group of companies was mired in an ownership tussle, where Dr.Nonis and his family members were at the centre.



Previous management was accused of squandering millions of company owned money on his personal extravaganza such as a heli-pad at Labookellie Estate to accommodate the visit of a VVIP and a villa complex constructed at Culloden Estate. Agalawatte Plantations manages 15 estates, which include tea, rubber and oil palm covering a total extent of 10,919 hectares and employs around 5,000 workers. The group had an asset base of Rs.4.3 billion by the end of 2014, down to Rs.3.6 billion by September 30, 2017. After taking over the company, the new management proposed a debt-to-equity restructuring plan to turn the fortunes of the ill-fated company.



The new owners sought a 46-year extension to the lease agreement from the government at the expiration of the current 53-year lease.

The new management also asked for 5 years to settle the outstanding government lease rentals and 50 percent moratorium on the current lease rentals for a period of 5 years until all bank liabilities are settled.



All other liabilities will also be settled but the board requested to waive-off all surcharges on unpaid EPF/ETF, overdue and penal interest on outstanding borrowings and concessionary rate on balance capital outstanding until full settlements are made.



This re-payment will only be successful if company generates approximately Rs.400 million per annum additional cash flow during the next five years.



In the meantime, the new board will also institute legal action against the previous management to recover the funds squandered during their tenure in office and upon recovery of such funds would be utilized to settle the dues.



For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Agalawatte Plantations group reported a net loss of Rs.22.2 million, significantly down from a loss of Rs.358.6 million during the corresponding period in 2016.
The three women who take in young Suvisal to the family mansion  the mother, played by Radha de Mel, and the two aunts, played by Veena Jayakodi and Priya Ranasinghe  are nameless. They dont talk, they just laugh and smile, and when they sing to one of the aunts playing the piano, Suvisal (and we) dont hear them: he can only hear that piano. Emotionally they are estranged from them, though they try their best to pander to him, and emotionally, were estranged from them too.



The whole sequence at their mansion, coming right after we are made aware of the storys central conflict, is a flashback, and in it we come across the indifference of the world that Suvisal, the protagonist, was brought up in: somewhat puritanical, tempered by rigid class hierarchies. So when Suvisal sees a girl his age (the daughter of the manservant), he is not a little astounded: its the first time hes come across young, nubile beauty. When they grow up, and meet as adults, that beauty is still nubile; it compels the storys central conflict, and with it its tragedy.



Anantha Rathriya, Prasanna Vithanages second film (after Sisila Gini Gani and before Pawuru Walalu), may be, like Sumitra Periess Sagara Jalaya, one of the three or four most perfectly constructed films ever made here. When it first opened in 2001, the reviews were rave  The film fillips the soul (Nan)  a thought-provoking cinematic experience (Malinda Seneviratne)  and the reviewers were astounded by its effortless economy. At a little more than one hour and 20 minutes, it may have been one of the first contemporary Sinhala movies to liberate itself from the lengthiness that Sinhala movies in general succumbed to. Editing could not have been a piece of cake, Malinda Seneviratne wrote, and he was spot on: theres practically no scene, no sound, no background element, which can be put off or deleted. Largely self-financed (the producer, Damayanthi Fonseka, by then married to Prasanna), it opened up the possibilities that the independent cinema could usher in here.



Although Anantha Rathriya, at the outset, is about the redemptive power of guilt, its also about the burden that such guilt can perpetuate: neither the protagonist (Ravindra Randeniya) nor the woman he rapes and, in one instant, abandons (Swarna Mallawarachchi) can really opt for reconciliation. Prasannas films play around with this dualism, and even in his lesser work, it comes off convincingly (as when Selvi, by jumping off the window and killing herself at her husbands home, compels an epiphany of profound but impossible passion from her abusive, yet also tormented, husband, in Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka). Ashley Ratnavibushana and Wimal Dissanayake, in Profiling Sri Lankan Cinema, trace Prasannas fixation with the power of guilt to his childhood encounters with Catholic friends. If thats indeed true, I think we can safely say that the worldview which comes off in his work is Catholic: be it a film like Pawuru Walalu, with its Catholic overtones, or Purahanda Kaluwara, with its Buddhist undertones, his characters hope for an effable, otherworldly reconciliation. Sometimes they achieve it (like Wannihami in Purahanda Kaluwara, by opening up his dead sons casket); sometimes they achieve it facilely (like Violet in Pawuru Walalu, by departing to a new life with her paramour); and more often than not, they dont. Suvisal in Anantha Rathriya belongs to the third of these. He tries to bridge his past, but he cant.



And to a considerable extent, I think this has to do with the fact that more so than his other work, Anantha Rathriya neatly contains itself within: nearly every character in the story seems to have something to hide from the other, at a time when everything in the country seems to be at boiling point (the setting of the film is hinted to be the second bheeshanaya, with security checkpoints and distraught fathers of arrested insurrectionists adorning the narrative at various points). This rift, between the apparentness of a public tragedy and the repressiveness of a private dilemma, translates to another, between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Without pandering to political polemics, I believe its best to examine what a Marxist critic, writing in Sinhala, had to say about the film, and the response he got from a critic writing in English.



Sucharitha Gamlath, in his review of Anantha Rathriya, contended that Suvisals class orientation, of and towards the bourgeoisie, could not really be squared with his later acts of remorse and reconciliation. Perhaps the bigger problem here was that Prasannas sympathy for the girl, Piyumi, seemed at certain points to be overtaken if not transcended by his equally apparent empathy for the protagonist who impregnates and then abandons her. In both cases, for the political pamphleteer at least anyway, the best intentions of the humanist in the director may have undone a political and social reality: that the bourgeoisie lived on an ethic of self-indulgence and exploitation, that its abandonment of a girl like Piyumi could often be trivialised by them. (In Anantha Rathriya we dont even see this act of brushing off from Suvisals family: neither his mother nor his aunts seem to notice what he has done.)



But what is politically and socially correct in one specific context may not always be so in another. Then again, its easier to identify with a character that is from the class interests you represent because, at the end of the day, Marxist, feminist, or anarchist, a critic is always haunted by his political inclinations the same way that such characters are haunted by their own dark pasts. My problem with the late Professor Gamlaths take on Anantha Rathriya, then, is not just that the rich arent always unredeemable (even when the poor, whom theyve exploited all their lives, refuse to forgive them for what theyve done), but also that Prasannas film has nothing to do with the overtly political, even with its barely visible reference to the bheeshanaya.

The agency of the human being  a convenient erasure of a political reality, or a perfectly apt riposte to a damning indictment by the committed critic?





I think Malinda Seneviratne provided the best response:



The remorse that overcomes him is clearly not in concert with the general conditions of the bourgeois ethic and its lifestyle sustained by the exploitation of the poor. In this I agree with Gamlath. At the same time, I find the story to be less about the issue of class than about the perennial themes of responsibility, guilt, and more importantly the agency of the human being, both the dominating and the dominated.



The agency of the human being  a convenient erasure of a political reality, or a perfectly apt riposte to a damning indictment by the committed critic? Its human agency that we see in Anantha Rathriya, underscored by political polemics the characters never succumb to. The greatness of a film like Anantha Rathriya was, in this sense, its refusal to enter the explicitly social; though its difficult to suggest that Suvisals rape has nothing to do with his class background, its equally difficult to suggest that it had nothing to do with his personal frailties, transcending, at the time of the rape, that background. Malindas contention was therefore to the dot, then: it tells us everything we should know about a film indicted by that committed critic.

The bigger problem here was that Prasannas sympathy for the girl, Piyumi, seemed at certain points to be overtaken if not transcended by his equally apparent empathy for the protagonist who impregnates and then abandons her





Jayantha Anandappa, writing on Ira Madiyama when it was first released in 2007, implied that neither Pawuru Walalu nor Anantha Rathriya deserved the critical praise they got, and that Anantha Rathriya seemed to betray the filmmakers confusion, as though he was not sure as to what to do with Tolstoys post-conversion masterpiece Resurrection. Despite its economical handling of the players and the settings and the plotlines, despite its deft interplay of the past and the present, I am inclined to agree with Mr Anandappa with respect to one crucial point: the way Suvisal progresses from indifference to remorse. When Suvisal, reminded of Piyumi after coming across his secretary, cruelly shouts at her to get out of his office, the secretary is as confused as we are: because the scene never actually rationalises itself. (The only rational explanation for the scene, for me, is that Suvisal is perpetually and sexually obsessed with young, virginal beauty.) Roughly the same thing can be said of his second telephone conversation with his lawyer friend, played by Asoka Peries, who scoffs at his shows of remorse, scorns him, tells him to do whatever (the hell) he wants, and puts down the phone. We arent really prepared for these sudden fits of temper and anger, because the film hasnt prepared us for them: it flows so gracefully, even when Suvisal creeps to Piyumis room and makes love to her on night (we never see the lovemaking), that these scenes detract. They are needed to explain the cruelty and the indifference of the bourgeoisie, but they come out rather jarringly.



Regardless of all these merits and demerits, one pertinent thing stands out: the Prasanna Vithanage of those early years was, and still remains, the Prasanna Vithanage who mattered the most. In Ira Madiyama, as in Akasa Kusum, he got as close to the political as he could; when he opted to go beyond, as he tried to in Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka, it was rather like Icarus getting too close to the sun. Its a different world which thus greets us in even as clumsy a debut as Sisila Gini Gani (which nevertheless has its moments of beauty and brilliance, symbolised by the cats-eyes-sensuality of Sabeetha Perera), a world rich in human beings and their flaws, as opposed to the types that we see in Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka (Anurudda Pradeep Karnasuriya in 2015: The war has ruined our cinema). One clamours for life, the sense of humanity, which only the cinema can epitomise visually. One sees it abundantly in Anantha Rathriya, but one struggles to see it elsewhere. The wood, as always, was missed out for the trees. What happened eventually was that both the wood and the trees were lost, and we were left with a cinema of overinflated ideas.



Stills of the film courtesy of Prasanna Vithanage
One person went missing when a car heading towards Mahiyangana from Badulla toppled into the Viyana canal at the 7th milepost on the Badulla- Mahiyangana Road this morning, Police said.

They said three others including a woman managed to survive.

The injured woman was admitted to the Mahiyangana Hospital with minor injuries.

Police are conducting search operations to locate the missing person.
Even Cabinet ministers, leave alone ordinary government supporters will be unable to explain Sundays Cabinet. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems to have viewed it from a common mans perspective when he described it to journalists in Kandy as a pointless reshuffle. With news that another Cabinet change involving the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) ministers is in the offing, it is not clear as to why the government resorted to a Cabinet reshuffle in stages or on a staggered basis.

With speculation about a rearrangement of the portfolios of State ministers and the deputy ministers being floated by government leaders in the aftermath of the dismal performance of the two main ruling parties at the February 10 local government elections, no government leader of the government explained to the country of its purpose the basis on which it would be carried out. However, it seems the government expects to enhance its performance by the change of some of the portfolios assigned to some ministers.



However, against the background of the changes already made to the portfolios of the ministers on Sunday one might be at a loss as to how these changes would be a remedy for the setback suffered by the two main parties at the election or to the economic and social woes faced by the people of the country. It would be a remedy only if it would fulfil at least the short term aspirations of the people.



Politicians of all major parties tend to think that the masses are stupid and continue their attempts to hoodwink them. They distribute goodies and reduce prices of certain essential items during the election period rather than embarking on long term development schemes. If the government is genuinely concerned about why the people who voted for them three years ago have rejected them this time, it must first look into peoples long term and short term needs.



One of the reasons Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, had attributed was the soaring cost of living. But how did the cost of living have an upward swing? Was it a fault of a particular minister? Any student of economics would know that a rise in the cost of living is the result of insufficient local production or an insuffecient supply of goods and services. Did the government have or at least does it have now, after the February 10 debacle any strategy to boost such local productions or any plan to raise the peoples income and the employment opportunities for the youth. How would the Cabinet reshuffle serve these purposes?



It was mainly the new voters who had voted for the UNP and the SLFP led by President Maithripala Sirisena at the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections. Being radical and youthful, they did not tolerate corruption, crimes and highhanded activities that prevailed at the time and they were also attracted by the promises made by the present leaders such as creating one million jobs within five years. However, within three years they felt that they were cheated. They might ridicule a Cabinet reshuffle without a proper programme that would address their concerns.



Had the government taken steps to penalize the corrupt politicians of the past regime within a short period bringing in necessary amendments to the prevailing laws while taking steps to address the economic woes of the people, the country would have been different by now and their wont be a joint opposition or a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Even if the government is prepared to take action against corruption now it might be counterproductive as the tide has turned quantitatively during the past three years and qualitatively following the recent elections.



However, if the government is capable of placing before the country a sensible programme that would address the basic needs of the masses the tide might be reversed. But the sands of the time are running out. Nevertheless, if such a programme is put in practice, with or without a change in the Cabinet, at least the country would be benefited in the long term, irrespective of what would happen to the ruling parties at the elections in two years.
Nationalism is likely to be the theme song in the months leading to the next series of elections with nationalist Mahinda Rajapaksa as the challenger

Colombo, February 26: Good international relations are founded on political and economic stability in the countries concerned. If there is policy confusion and policy paralysis in a country, foreign investors interest in it tends to wane. And the confidence of foreign Governments about entering into economic and political agreements with that country begins to wear thin.



Sri Lanka now appears to be the grip of political uncertainty which in turn has led to economic uncertainty. And the latter is bound to have repercussions for its relations with regional and world powers which are looking for investment opportunities in the island to fulfill their economic and strategic agendas.



After the political turmoil generated by the February 10 electoral debacle ceased last week, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assured the nation of strong and meaningful action to fulfill their joint 2015 election mandate. But few Sri Lankans appear to be sanguine about a real departure from set biases and entrenched animosities and suspicions.



It is this condition which has been identified as the root cause of the Government parties dismal failure at the polls at the local elections turned national referendum on governance. Out of the 340 local councils to which elections were held on February 10, 239 went to the opposition Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by the popular former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The ruling United National Party (UNP), led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, came a poor second with 41 councils and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its allies won a mere 10.



The Government coalition partners have been roundly criticized by the SLPP and asked to resign, dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections.



Even as the Government was facing the onslaught from the opposition, its constituent political parties were also in turmoil internally. They blamed each other and demanded drastic internal changes too.



In the SLFP, there was a strong demand for quitting the alliance with the UNP on the grounds that the UNPs right wing neo-liberal and pro-West economic and foreign policies were responsible for the electoral disaster. Those in the SLFP who sought a rupture of the alliance wanted to join hands with the SLPP ( which is but a breakaway group) to set up a new Left of Center and nationalist government.



When this proved to be difficult because of the opposition of the President, who loathes working with Rajapaksa, they started a movement to remove UNP leader Wickremesinghe from the Premiership and have him replaced by the more amenable Karu Jayasuriya, currently Speaker of parliament.



But the UNP would have none of it,despite serious differences with Wickremesinghe on his policies and style of functioning. The UNP stood by Wickremesinghe in return for reforms in the party structure.



The leaders of the SLFP then demanded that the President dismiss Wickremesinghe and appoint another. But the 19 th Amendment of the constitution would not permit that. It says that once appointed, the Prime Minister cannot be removed except when he is replaced by his own party or loses majority support in parliament in a vote on a money bill.



To mollify his party men, the President referred the matter to the Supreme Court and persuaded his followers to stick to the coalition with Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister till 2020.



The SLFP members agreed to this, but insisted that the economic development ministries should be taken away from the UNP and given to ministers from the SLFP. Alternatively, there should be a drastic reshuffle of the portfolios.

Rajapaksa was able to combine populism with rapid economic development

It is not clear as to what Governments economic policy will be, as there is yet no overall plan

Yahapalanaya regime is likely to get more populist and nationalistic in the run up to the 2020 Presidential and parliamentary elections



But as Sundays reshuffle shows, taking away the economic ministries from the UNP is impossible as by a 2015 agreement, the UNP will handle economic matters.Therefore the President adopted the expedient of using his National Economic Council (NEC) to lay down policy and review policy. The President used the cabinet to reverse the plan to distribute 70,000 tablets in rural schools. He used the NEC to lift the ban on Glyphosate, a weedicide, the ban on which had been destroying the tea and rubber plantations.



It is not clear as to what Governments economic policy will be, as there is yet no overall plan. Changes are likely to come piecemeal rather than in one go. However, the overall direction is likely to be populist and nationalistic, to match Rajapaksas in the run up to the provincial elections and the Presidential and parliamentary elections in 2020.



But while Rajapaksa was able to combine populism with rapid economic development , with Chinese and Indian aid, the Yahapalanaya or Good Governance Government has not been able to. It has neither executed infrastructure projects nor implemented populist programs.



The incumbent regime has failed even on the ethnic reconciliation front. It promised Transitional Justice Mechanisms, none of which has been established. There is no Independent Judicial Mechanism to try war crimes cases, and the Office of Missing Persons is yet to be set up. Only land occupied by the armed forces from Tamil civilians has been given back, mostly. The fear of losing the support of the majority Sinhalese has made it renege on its promises to the Tamil minority.



The failure on the reconciliation front has irked the UN and the West. The UN Human Rights chief, Prince Zeid, has asked the UNHRC to consider other strategies, like the extension of Universal Jurisdiction to Sri Lanka. Universal Jurisdiction will grievously erode Sri Lankas sovereignty.

The leaders of the SLFP then demanded that the President dismiss Wickremesinghe and appoint another



Projects in limbo



The Yahapalanaya Government is generally perceived as being friendlier to India than the earlier one led by hard core nationalist MahindaRajapaksa. But paradoxically, it was during Rajapaksas time that over US$ 1.1 billion worth of Indian projects were implemented. Under the Yahapalanaya Government, Indian proposals are languishing for want of interest in the Sri Lankan government.



With nationalism likely to be the theme song in the months leading to the next series of elections with nationalist Rajapaksa as the challenger, reviving these projects will be an uphill task.



Projects which are pending are: the LNG-fired 500 megawatt power plant in Kerewelapitiya; the LNG Terminal/Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Kerawalapitiya; piped gas distribution system and retail outlets for the supply of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the transportation sector; a 50 MW (extendable to 100 MW) solar power plant in Sampur in the Eastern Province;joint development of the 84 giant oil tanks in the Upper Tank Farm in Trincomalee; a port, a petroleum refinery and other industries in Trincomalee; Industrial Zones or Special Economic Zones in various parts of Sri Lanka; and building the Mannar-Jaffna, Mannar-Trincomalee highway and theDambulla-Trincomalee Expressway.



India and Sri Lanka had agreed to sign the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) by end of 2017, but there was so much of opposition to it from Sri Lankan businessmen and professions that prospects of signing it are dim especially because the Yahapalanaya regime is likely to get more populist and nationalistic in the run up to the 2020 Presidential and parliamentary elections.



On the contrary both the President and the Prime Minister are comfortable with China despite their opposition to Chinese projects signed in by Rajapaksa. In fact, after delaying the Chinese projects for about a year and a half, the Yahapalanaya regime entered into agreements with China which were more favorable to the Chinese than was the case before.



Sri Lanka and Pakistan had signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2002, but till date, bilateral trade has not gone beyond US$ 247 million. According to experts, the potential is as high as US$ 2.7 billion per annum, but this is not exploited because of a lack of political will.



Bangladesh has been trying to build trade and investment ties with Sri Lanka, but still bilateral trade is only US$ 142 million per annum. This is because of an absence of a welcoming culture in Sri Lanka due to nationalism and fears of a massive influx from Bangladesh. In contrast, the more progressive Bangladeshishave welcomed and hosted Sri Lankan investors.



Having been under colonial rule continuously from 1505 to 1948, modern day Sri Lankans are naturally wary of foreigners. A mixture of constricting nationalism and political instability has prevented Sri Lanka from seizing opportunities thrown up by the world around it.
The Good Governance Government had not fulfilled the promises it had given to the Tamil community when it was elected to office in 2015, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan told US Congressman James Sensenbrenner at the Opposition Leaders office in Parliament on Thursday.

Sensenbrenner and his Chief of Staff Matt Bisenius met with the Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance R. Sampanthan on Thursday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

Mr Sampanthan apprised the US lawmaker on recently concluded Local Government Elections and the political situation afterwards.

Making a reference to the Cosponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council Mr Sampanthan echoed that the Government of Sri Lanka is bound to implement the UNHRC resolution both in spirit and letter.

Tamil people are still awaiting the Government to fulfil all that was promised to them, he told the delegation.

However, the Opposition Leader who focused on Human Rights said that Tamils people still had their confidence in President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Spokesman of the Tamil National Alliance and Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran was also present at the meeting.

The political situation prevailing in the country following the recent Local Government elections was also discussed at the meeting. (Dayaseeli Liyanage)
Dr. Rajani Rajasingham Thiranagama, a symbol of Tamil human rights activism was shot dead by the LTTE in 1989. At the time of her murder, Rajani was the head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Jaffna. She was also one of the founding members of the Jaffna branch of University Teachers for Human Rights. Breaking ethnic and religious barriers Rajani married Dayapala Thiranagama a student leader from Kelaniya University who went onto become an academic in his own right.



The following article written by Dayapala Thiranagama first appeared in September 2009, to commemorate Rajinis 20th death anniversary. It is reproduced to remember her 64th birth anniversary which fell on February 23, 2018.

Our ethnic differences would have appeared unbridgeable at the very beginning, as I was a product of the 1956 Sinhalese Buddhist social mobility that had been created by my parents generation of people who were part of the Panchamaha Balavegaya. (Sanga, weda, guru govi, and kamkaru) and in turn the 1956 and its perpetuation

One night in 1983, soon after midnight Rajani woke me up and whispered to me that she had been asked to treat an injured boy from the Iyakkam (movement). For her, this was an act of compassion by a doctor towards her patient. For me it was a political act. I was frozen. I turned back and slept. I was caught up in the agony of belonging to the oppressor and the woman I dearly and unconditionally loved trying to liberate her own community by undertaking her bit in the struggle. This whisper and the brief political argument that followed opened cracks in our relationship which grew wider and wider.



Rajani had an enormous influence on those around her. She was a mother of two young children, Narmada aged 11 years and Sharika aged 9 years respectively, at the time of her death. She was 35 years old. Rajani had begun to demonstrate an extraordinary courage and vision in her political activism defending human rights and took an uncompromising position whenever these rights were violated. The armed confrontation between the Tamil Tigers and the IPKF was at its peak at the time and no dissent was tolerated. She had had links with the LTTE and had treated injured Tamil militants before at the inception of Tamil tiger militancy. Then they were only a small band of armed men. Times had changed. Her assassins had been waiting for her on her way home after work at the Medical Faculty and she was gunned down near her home in Kokuvil, Jaffna on 21st September 1989 around 4.00pm.They came behind and called her by name. Then she was still sitting on the bike, turned back and looked at them. Eyewitnesses say that she tried to cover her forehead with her bare hands seeing the gunmen pointing the pistol at her head. They demonstrated extraordinary cruelty against a woman who had only her bare hands to cover her head against the bullets. Even after she fell on the ground they shot the back of her head with two bullets to make sure that she would not be alive to criticise them again. They showed no mercy towards the woman who had showed them such compassion and had treated them when they were injured. Her young daughters hearing the gun shots wondered who the victim would be this time.



The purpose of this account is to make some personal reflections and analysis on the life shattering individual experiences suffered by us as a young family in the unprecedented political upheavals for decades simply because we did not wish to be just observers. It also attempts to trace the political journey of two individuals with an intimate relationship in relation to the wider political process that engulfed the country.



First meeting



I met Rajani in September 1976 when the student unrest was rapidly spreading within Sri Lankan universities and there was a renewed militant student activity among the university students. An innocent student, Weerasuriya at Peradeniya had been gunned down by the police and the student militancy grew stronger in the face of such atrocities against the student movement. These were extraordinary times. The political unrest in the country had already begun to change our lives and our lives in turn were set to change the political course of the country, even in a small way, to a point of no return. I had just come out of prison for the second time after spending long years in prison in 1976. Rajani, a young Tamil woman with Christian religious background and radical political thinking had just started to influence the medics at the Colombo Medical Faculty with her thirst for justice and democracy against a repressive state apparatus that had a hallmark of historical discrimination and violence against Tamils. I had just become a university academic by this time. When we met and forged our relationship it was clear that our lives would never be the same again, for us, as well as our children who were yet to be born. We got married on 28 August 1977 in Colombo, without a ceremony, in the midst of anti-Tamil riots in Colombo.



On the day we got married we stayed in Ratmalana with a Sinhalese friend of mine and her father loaded his shot gun and kept awake all night in order to protect us as a number of Tamil families had been attacked on the previous night in the neighbourhood. Our marriage brought together two ethnically, socially, politically and culturally diverse individuals into a relationship based on human understanding and deep love which appeared unshakable at the time. Once she wrote to me saying that her love for me was as deep as the ocean. With all these differences, one of the most interesting issues was how far our loving relationship with all its complexities would serve to protect our marriage during a politically divisive time when the two communities were at war and in which the Tamil minority was at the receiving end. Both Sinhalese and Tamil popular cultures had been at war with each other and the Sinhalese considered their culture was superior.

We were also politically different and in reality these political differences played a divisive role in our marriage. I had near religious belief in the Marxist-Leninist/Maoist political agenda and Rajani wanted to apply the revolutionary success stories in other countries to Sri Lanka as pragmatic examples of social justice



Ethnic differences



Our ethnic differences would have appeared unbridgeable at the very beginning, as I was a product of the 1956 Sinhalese Buddhist social mobility that had been created by my parents generation of people who were part of the Panchamaha Balavegaya. (Sanga, weda, guru govi, and kamkaru) and in turn the 1956 and its perpetuation. Its ideology had shaped our thinking and political outlook as young people who had very little to do with the Tamil community and understanding of their issues. The political issues Rajani tried to grapple with as a young medic had in fact become intractable due to the ideological and political outlook perpetuated by the 1956 social mobility amongst the Sinhalese youth, which discriminated against the minorities in Sri Lanka. This was a big advantage for the JVP to build their pro- Sinhalese political project in the late 60s, throughout the 70s and 80s. Rajani was able to understand this political trend when she studied and worked in the Sinhalese areas and in Colombo. The JVPs pro Sinhalese project showed that the Tamil democratic struggle had to be fought by the Tamils themselves as it did not accept the Tamils had specific democratic and political grievances to be resolved. It was this kind of political rejection in the Sinhalese South that drew people like Rajani to support militant organizations in the Tamil community.



Social class



Socially, we belonged to two different social classes. Rajani had a middle class upbringing in Jaffna. I was brought up in a poor peasant family in the South and the only life chance opened to me was education. As a young boy I had walk to my school miles and miles with my bare feet. My childhood poverty and deprivation and how I had to overcome these as a young boy was very distressing to Rajani to the extent that I never wanted to explain the full extent of my past to her beyond a certain point. It was a lottery that I managed to succeed in my education. Rajani had no issue whatsoever about my social class vis-a-vis her middleclass background. She defended me strongly within her own middle class family members and outside whenever it came to their attention that I had not been living up to their middle class norms.



We were also politically different and in reality these political differences played a divisive role in our marriage. I had near religious belief in the Marxist-Leninist/Maoist political agenda and Rajani wanted to apply the revolutionary success stories in other countries to Sri Lanka as pragmatic examples of social justice. It was also due to this pragmatism that Rajani became closer to the Tamil Tigers in her own political journey. In the same way this core ideological belief of pragmatism benefitted her to turn her energy and emotions into human rights campaigning later in her political life when she left the Tamil Tigers.



When I met Rajani I had only just left prison I still had scars of torture all over my body and while in prison I had never expected to live again let alone have a relationship. Rajani showed extraordinary courage to accept me as I was with all the differences between us, with my own social and political past which was such a contradiction to her own middle class life and aspirations. She had to battle it over with her family. Rajani had accepted that I would one day leave her and go in order to fulfil my political responsibilities. It was also accepted we would not meet again once I left the family. My generation had undergone a tremendous change in their mindset and all our personal needs and aspirations had to be suppressed for political justice and the emancipation of the poor. We also had a very deep sense of family ties and gratitude and the need to provide for our parents who underwent untold sufferings to bring us up. This sentiment and obligations we had suppressed in the belief that social justice followed by the armed revolution would resolve this for ever. Rajani had been coming to terms with a life with our children without my presence and her expressed determination to look after them on her own. This idea was no longer sustainable when the demands upon us required us to sacrifice our expectations and throw away our perceived traditional roles. This is what exactly Rajani did. We thought at the time that even if we were not there our children would be looked after by others, particularly our comrades.



1983 anti-Tamil riots



The 1983 anti-Tamil riots had an unprecedented influence on every Tamils conscience and their dignified existence became untenable: either you had to accept your unequal status and keep quiet or you had to fight for justice and democracy.



For the Tamil community it seemed there was no way out. However, Rajani was still unclear about the political line to be taken in search of justice and democracy. My views were clear in this regard. I never wanted to join any political organisation which would not allow you to get out if you disagreed with them. Without that kind of internal democracy it becomes a very dangerous affair if they take up arms. Additionally, here was another issue which we did not pay adequate political attention to as youthful political minds: even nominal parliamentary democracies could withstand armed struggle and demonstrate flexibility in recreating political space defeating the resolve of armed combatants. In Sri Lanaka still the political space had not been closed. We were in a hurry and the political space for the democratic struggle had not been exhausted. The failure of the JVP armed struggle in 1971 and 1987-89 as well as Tamil Tigers recent military defeat has to be viewed in this context, despite its own organisational and structural weaknesses.



Rajanis pragmatic mind and her compassion were drawn to the Tamil Tigers political project. Rajani left for England in 1983 on a commonwealth scholarship and by the beginning of 1984 Rajani had joined the Tamil Tigers in London. I visited Rajani in May 1984 in London. Following a very painful but comprehensive discussion it appeared that there was no space for the continuation of our marriage except our joint responsibility for our daughters. We decided to part and I went back to Colombo. Rajani had become a seemingly unwavering member of the Tamil Tigers military project. Once our relationship had appeared to be unshakable but there were no guarantees in a time of war that we could maintain it with such divergent political views. The deep human love that brought us together over our differences had vanished for forever ever. Rajani became very distressed but her political loyalty was placed above the loyalty that had existed in our relationship. We had decided to go our own ways as our political and personal differences were irreconcilable. Our differences had their own dynamics in a relationship that became dysfunctional.



After a couple of months of my return to Colombo, Rajani had resigned from the Tamil Tigers. She wrote a letter to me breaking the news and assured me that our relationship was still as strong as during our happiest times. Rajani acknowledged our separation in these words in all my trials and tribulations you stood by me in strong love but I was cruel to youRajani was always open and frank. For me still there was no guarantee that it could ever be the same again. On my part I had moved on. During this time the political suppression had become acute and I was keeping a low profile. Rajani would now be returning home to her beloved people and Jaffna, to resume her work in the University after completing her PhD.

I never wanted to join any political organisation which would not allow you to get out if you disagreed with them





Rajani arrived in Jaffna in 1986. She became the Head of the Anatomy Department. Rajanis political transformation was becoming impressive. She was evolving as a human rights activist and her feminist outlook look brought a new political dimension to her politics and a pioneered a new kind of peoples political agenda in Jaffna. She became a tireless campaigner for freedom and democracy against the rule of the gun. She pioneered the formation of the University Teachers of Human Rights (UTHR) with three other academics which drew anger and wrath from both IPKF and militant groups particularly the Tamil Tigers. Rajani and others recorded all the human rights violations from all sides in the conflict. She believed the human life was so precious that no human life should be eliminated for political reasons. She also supported and was actively involved in Purani, a refuge for destitute women. She became a remarkable mother, a tireless activist and respected academic in an environment that posed a great danger to every human being there at the time.



From time to time Rajani visited me with the children in Colombo in order to make sure that they did not miss their father. During this time she also began to write Broken Palmyra with some others in the UTHR(J) this made her an obvious target of the Tamil tigers. When I read the manuscript I had no doubt what the outcome would be if it was published. I advised Rajani that she would have to lie low and that they would not spare her if she went ahead with its publication. She agreed but the UTHR (J) had to make the decision. By the time she was gunned down, it had not been even published. The Tamil Tigers knew that it was going to be published.

Rajani clearly understood the danger to her life if she continued campaigning but she did not wish to scale down her activities and stop what she felt she had to do. Such was her indomitable courage and determination during such difficult times in the history of Tamil militancy.



Rajani was buried in her family cemetery in Nallur on 25 September 1989. I walked with my two young daughters hand in hand, the most difficult, most painful and saddest of walks in my life. Along with her, the happy days of our family were buried and the family was never the same again without her presence. We have not been able to visit her grave for twenty long years. Each day her daughters passed without their mother, brought home to them their irreplaceable loss. They joined other children in Sri Lanka who lost their parents due to the war. The irony was that it was me, not Rajani who had expected to die in the struggle and she had accepted that her role would be to care for the children. But the total opposite happened. At the beginning of our relationship I never thought that I would end my political career for the responsibility of looking after my children. I thought that my involvement in Sri Lankan politics would result in my death. That did not happen. Instead Rajani gave her life for the human rights of the Tamil people and I had to be alive for the children. I looked after them until they were independent. But my tribute goes to Rajani. It was Rajanis solid foundation she laid in their formative years that helped me to complete the task. This situation was not specific to my children or family. Such was the dramatic transformation of the political situation and its impact on individual members in the Tamil community within a short period of time of militant activity.



Before she was gunned down, in early September Rajani was in Colombo on her way back from England after a short trip and waited for me in Colombo before travelling back to Jaffna. But I could not make contact with her. She left Colombo in disappointment. Before leaving Rajani wrote a few lines on the back of the cover of the book she bought for me in London and left it for me. This was her last note to me.



To



Him, who lives out of the paradox of deep tenderness and love with the strive of Bakunins characterization of a revolutionary has no interest of his own, no cause of his ownno habits, no belongings he does not even have a name If in this era of cataclysm and overwhelming terror  when no victories are won or end seen - if it is only reverence that this woman can pay to him who carries fire in his heart and burning determination in his spirit let it be only that Rajani 1989.



After Rajani wrote this, she went to Jaffna. Then I received a message on 22nd September which I never wanted to hear. Her death brought the demise of my political career. Rajanis death also made our relationship brief but our memories have become life long with rich life experiences.



The commencement of Rajanis political journey with the Tamil Tigers brings to the fore questions about why people join certain militant organizations where dissent will not be tolerated and where criticism might lead to death. I had discussed this issue with Rajani over and over again. The elimination of traitors was a common practice in Sri Lanka in both JVP and Tamil militant organizations. Both the JVP and LTTE killed their political adversaries and these killings showed no mercy and some of them demonstrated unimaginable brutality.



Any responsible political organization must explain to the people why they had to resort to such brutal eliminations of their critics. The JVP has failed to do it so far and its unlikely that they would do it after so many years have passed since their gruesome murders were carried out. They have not ruled out that they would not do it again. They eliminated those Sinhalese who advocated granting the rights of the Tamil people under the 13th amendment during 1987-89. Both the JVP and Tamil Tigers should take this issue seriously as it is a demonstration of their democratic credentials. If they choose to eliminate their political dissent without dealing with them in a democratic manner now, there will never be room for democratic freedom in the future even if they were to succeed in installing their dictatorships over the masses of people. Rajanis death and her political legacy shows that ordinary human beings, when faced with acute degradation of human freedom under the rule of the gun will never be silent and their political reaction will be more powerful than the gun. I salute Rajani for being one of such heroic women.Rajani was asked not to return to Jaffna in 1977 from England by the family and friends in the midst of a very destructive war during a time many professionals were leaving Jaffna, but she felt very strongly to get back to serve her community. Rajani refused to listen to the same advice just before her death on her return to Jaffna.



Rajanis assassination had weakened the Tamil democratic movement. Those who are responsible for her death should accept their political mistake if the Tamil democracy is to become a mature, responsible and viable political force in the coming years. This is because her assassination was symbolic of the political indecency, dictatorial and anti-human nature of Tamil militancy that went off track, leaving a huge political vacuum in the Tamil community.



Even though Rajani was assassinated the political ideas she fought for will never be vanquished. The pro- people political ideas she developed and analysed in Broken Palmyra provides a very powerful critique of Tamil militancy which in the name of Tamil liberation was becoming a ruthless military apparatus and using people cynically to build a dictatorship.



The Tamil democratic struggle needs peoples structures in every sphere of life that would guarantee their rights and freedom and these structures should be strengthened against corrupt politicians and the rule of the gun.



( The article first appeared in September 2009, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rajanis death. Her 64th birth Anniversary fell on February 23rd 2018 )

Rajani arrived in Jaffna in 1986. She became the Head of the Anatomy Department. Rajanis political transformation was becoming impressive. She was evolving as a human rights activist and her feminist outlook look brought a new political dimension to her politics and a pioneered a new kind of peoples political agenda in Jaffna. She became a tireless campaigner for freedom and democracy against the rule of the gun. She pioneered the formation of the University Teachers of Human Rights (UTHR) with three other academics which drew anger and wrath from both IPKF and militant groups particularly the Tamil Tigers. Rajani and others recorded all the human rights violations from all sides in the conflict. She believed the human life was so precious that no human life should be eliminated for political reasons. She also supported and was actively involved in Purani, a refuge for destitute women. She became a remarkable mother, a tireless activist and respected academic in an environment that posed a great danger to every human being there at the time.



From time to time Rajani visited me with the children in Colombo in order to make sure that they did not miss their father. During this time she also began to write Broken Palmyra with some others in the UTHR(J) this made her an obvious target of the Tamil tigers. When I read the manuscript I had no doubt what the outcome would be if it was published. I advised Rajani that she would have to lie low and that they would not spare her if she went ahead with its publication. She agreed but the UTHR (J) had to make the decision. By the time she was gunned down, it had not been even published. The Tamil Tigers knew that it was going to be published.

Rajani clearly understood the danger to her life if she continued campaigning but she did not wish to scale down her activities and stop what she felt she had to do. Such was her indomitable courage and determination during such difficult times in the history of Tamil militancy.



Rajani was buried in her family cemetery in Nallur on 25 September 1989. I walked with my two young daughters hand in hand, the most difficult, most painful and saddest of walks in my life. Along with her, the happy days of our family were buried and the family was never the same again without her presence. We have not been able to visit her grave for twenty long years. Each day her daughters passed without their mother, brought home to them their irreplaceable loss. They joined other children in Sri Lanka who lost their parents due to the war. The irony was that it was me, not Rajani who had expected to die in the struggle and she had accepted that her role would be to care for the children. But the total opposite happened. At the beginning of our relationship I never thought that I would end my political career for the responsibility of looking after my children. I thought that my involvement in Sri Lankan politics would result in my death. That did not happen. Instead Rajani gave her life for the human rights of the Tamil people and I had to be alive for the children. I looked after them until they were independent. But my tribute goes to Rajani. It was Rajanis solid foundation she laid in their formative years that helped me to complete the task. This situation was not specific to my children or family. Such was the dramatic transformation of the political situation and its impact on individual members in the Tamil community within a short period of time of militant activity.



Before she was gunned down, in early September Rajani was in Colombo on her way back from England after a short trip and waited for me in Colombo before travelling back to Jaffna. But I could not make contact with her. She left Colombo in disappointment. Before leaving Rajani wrote a few lines on the back of the cover of the book she bought for me in London and left it for me. This was her last note to me.



To him, who lives out of the paradox of deep tenderness and love with the strive of Bakunins characterization of a revolutionary has no interest of his own, no cause of his ownno habits, no belongings he does not even have a name If in this era of cataclysm and overwhelming terror  when no victories are won or end seen - if it is only reverence that this woman can pay to him who carries fire in his heart and burning determination in his spirit let it be only that Rajani 1989.



After Rajani wrote this, she went to Jaffna. Then I received a message on 22nd September which I never wanted to hear. Her death brought the demise of my political career. Rajanis death also made our relationship brief but our memories have become life long with rich life experiences. The commencement of Rajanis political journey with the Tamil Tigers brings to the fore questions about why people join certain militant organizations where dissent will not be tolerated and where criticism might lead to death. I had discussed this issue with Rajani over and over again. The elimination of traitors was a common practice in Sri Lanka in both JVP and Tamil militant organizations. Both the JVP and LTTE killed their political adversaries and these killings showed no mercy and some of them demonstrated unimaginable brutality.

The elimination of traitors was a common practice in Sri Lanka in both JVP and Tamil militant organizations



Rajanis death and her political legacy shows that ordinary human beings, when faced with acute degradation of human freedom under the rule of the gun will never be silent and their political reaction will be more powerful than the gun. I salute Rajani for being one of such heroic women.Rajani was asked not to return to Jaffna in 1977 from England by the family and friends in the midst of a very destructive war during a time many professionals were leaving Jaffna, but she felt very strongly to get back to serve her community. Rajani refused to listen to the same advice just before her death on her return to Jaffna.



Rajanis assassination had weakened the Tamil democratic movement. Those who are responsible for her death should accept their political mistake if the Tamil democracy is to become a mature, responsible and viable political force in the coming years. This is because her assassination was symbolic of the political indecency, dictatorial and anti-human nature of Tamil militancy that went off track, leaving a huge political vacuum in the Tamil community. Even though Rajani was assassinated the political ideas she fought for will never be vanquished. The pro- people political ideas she developed and analysed in Broken Palmyra provides a very powerful critique of Tamil militancy which in the name of Tamil liberation was becoming a ruthless military apparatus and using people cynically to build a dictatorship.



The Tamil democratic struggle needs peoples structures in every sphere of life that would guarantee their rights and freedom and these structures should be strengthened against corrupt politicians and the rule of the gun.



( The article first appeared in September 2009, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rajanis death. Her 64th birth Anniversary fell on February 23rd 2018 )
Jazz sensation Wycliffe Gordon and sextet, staged a performance for the residents of Slave Island yesterday as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of US-Sri Lanka partnership. The group, hosted by the US Embassy Colombo, started performing in and around Colombo on February 24 and will be staging more performances in Galle and Matara

Pic by Pradeep Pathirana
A ceremony to donate 300 tonnes of rice to Sri Lankas flood victims was held by the government and the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) on 24 February at Pinlekoethwe rice mill in Dagon Seikkan Indistrial Zone, the Global New Light of Myanmar reported today.

Dr Than Myint, Union Minister for the Commerce Ministry, and other officials, along

with Mr. K.W.N.D Karunaratne, Sri Lankas Ambassador to Myanmar, and officials from the MRF attended the event.

The donation is a humanitarian aid for victims of the flood and landslide in May 2017, which killed more than 200 people and rendered 600,000 homeless.

The MRF donated some 300 tonnes of rice with an estimated value of more than US$150,000, while the government will pay the cost of shipment charges to Sri Lanka from the Yangon port.

Sri Lanka and Myanmar are engaged in cultural and religious cooperation. Sri Lanka

buys rice and other agricultural products from Myanmar, and so, they are our trading clients. Therefore, we would like to express our concern to our trading partner with our contribution, said U Ye Min Aung, general secretary of MRF.

The low quality rice (15 per cent broken rice of the Ae-Ma-Hta variety) will be purified. The shipment started yesterday, and is slated to reach Sri Lankas port in early March.

Myanmar donors will offer more donations in Sri Lanka in mid-March. Dr Than Myint said that Sri Lanka and Myanmar were engaged in economic, social and cultural exchanges during the old days.

There is business- to-business cooperation, besides a government-to-government agreement. Bilateral trade with Sri Lanka reached $36 million, and the volume will grow each year, he added. Sri Lankas ambassador noted that the country imported rice from Myanmar, Thailand and India owing to a shortage of rice due to floods in the rainy season.

I would like to express our appreciation, on behalf of the Sri Lankan people, for the humanitarian aid supported by Myanmars government and the MRF. We will make sure the contributions go directly and effectively to the flood victims.

Earlier, Myanmar and Sri Lanka had a series of discussions for rice exports under the

government-to-government system. Sri Lanka has now allowed importers to import the goods with zero tax, and so, the plan turned out to be a business- to-business plan.
Land Minister Gayantha Karunatilake, in an interview with Daily mirror , speaks about the current political situation and the future of his party.

The excerpts:

QHow do you rate the outcome of this election which saw the defeat of your party?



Of course, people have given a clear verdict against us. We have to admit it humbly. On the one hand, we received such a warning signal when we were halfway through our term. If we waited for the last minute without such a warning signal, we would have faced even direr consequences at a national election-the Presidential Election or the parliamentary elections. We have reached a critical point in politics.



There are numerous areas where we should transform ourselves. There are numerous areas needing reforms. We have to be considerate about public aspirations. While looking to the future, we should also look at the present. That is the message given to us. People pinned a lot of hopes on us when giving us a mandate in 2015. First, they hoped we would act against corruption. We took a lackadaisical effort in this regard. There is a criticism even from within the government over this. There were instances in which the ministers raised it. Somehow or other, the anti-corruption drive took place at a snails space. May be, it is a delay that has to be understood as we follow the proper legal procedure. When nothing happened finally, people thought we only made false allegations about corruption before 2015.

Not that alone, there were many other reasons that caused our downfall at the elections. The government itself faced corruption allegations. It had a bearing on our vote base in urban areas. That allegation turned out to be a tool of political power game within the government. It was used by one party of the government to undermine the other. It alienated people from us eventually.



In the agricultural areas like Anuradhapura, people did not receive fertilizer in time. We introduced a new system for the distribution of fertilizer. It was not popular among the people. We experienced drought. That also affected the government finally. I, as an electoral organizer, met with much consternation when it comes to the delivery of Samurdhi. The methodology, adopted for giving Samurdhi benefits, is not acceptable to us at all. We, as Ministers, could not correct any injustice caused in the process. It is a process politicized for years.



We could not give solutions to issues faced by people in the short term. Whatever anyone might say, ours is a country with Sinhala-Buddhist culture at its core. There was a fear psychosis created among the Sinhala-Buddhists. They feared the foremost placed accorded to Buddhism would be taken away in the proposed new Constitution. I do not think it is legitimate allegation. Anyway, there was fear mongering.



QWhat are the areas that need changes and reforms?



Both the UNP headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLFP headed by President Maithripala Sirisena discussed it after the electoral defeat. We all agreed that we had to be more and more people-oriented. We have to reform our policies. We need to take rigorous steps in this regard and ensure sensible benefits to people.



Cabinet reforms is one things accepted by both the leaders. They were attending to it. We need facelift changes. People expect it.



It is better to adopt changes. We have to renew ourselves. After I received the Land Ministry, I was happy. Otherwise, I was the Media Minister earlier. I assumed duties in that position at a challenging time. There were serious assaults on media freedom. It was a time when some journalists had fled the country or got killed. The media institutions came under arson attack. I ensured media freedom in the truest sense of the word. In fact, media freedom was literally overflowing. But, as the Media Minister, my scope was naturally limited. I could not serve much to my constituents. Yet, as the Land Minister, I could travel across the length and breadth of this country and address land issues of people - giving them freehold rights, deeds etc.



We have youthful spirits in our party. They have to be assigned responsibilities to grow. We need changes in our party structure.





QSome members in your party criticized the national unity government and the President. How do you view this?



There are factors for and against. It is not an easy task to reconcile two political forces that harboured enmity against each other for long years. It is a gigantic task. We are happy that the President and the Prime Minister took such a decision. We were able to deliver something to the people. That is the positive side. There are minuses also.



We ran the government together but contested the elections separately. I feel it is better for the two parties to be together for the rest of its period to serve people.



I do not condone any UNP Cabinet Minister criticizing the President. It is equally unethical for any SLFP Minister to rebuke the Prime Minister in the open.



QWe saw the UNP backbenchers constantly attacking the President. What do you feel about it?



If there is no example set from above, it will be the end result. Then, we will lose control over those in the lower-rung. A Cabinet Minister should serve as an example to others. The Cabinet is collectively bound. We have to correct the situation now. After the Cabinet reshuffle, such discipline should be instilled to avoid criticism of each other.



The President has given too much freedom to the Ministers in the Cabinet meeting. Some Cabinet Ministers, who served in the Rajapaksa rule said they never had such opportunity to look at anything in a critical perspective. They were mere Yes Sir men. Now the situation is different. The Ministers can openly air out their grievances at the Cabinet sessions. Such criticism should be confined to the walls of the Cabinet hall.



QYour opinion on the current President...



I feel he is very democratic. He is someone who had a humble beginning. He has his native and village identity. He is familiar with rural conscience, and capable of reading the pulse of the people. He is a practical politician.



The Prime Minister has long experience in politics. It is not easy to produce such an experienced, mature politician. Nobody can match his experience of 40 years in politics and statesmanship.



We gained a lot through the national unity government. Yet, we failed to convert it to electoral success. People yearn for short-term gains. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is a great achievement. We avoided economic sanctions being imposed.



QThere is an allegation that the country cannot get out of the current impasse because of the 19A, which bars snap elections. What is your view?



There is no impasse. The national unity government can proceed. The opposition parties try to project the situation as a gridlock.



QAnimosity between the UNP and the SLFP rose to new levels after the elections. Then, how can you sustain unity in the future?



We have reached some agreement now. There were issues. We cannot rule them out. We discussed them and sorted them out. Both the parties have a responsibility to work in keeping with the 2015 mandate.



QEven the new election law has created confusions. A party that won nine out of ten electoral wards has not sometimes got a stable number elected. Your comments on this...



This is a novel experience. We experimented the new system. I think the law should be amended to rectify grey areas. It is practically difficult to nominate woman representatives on the list under the current circumstances.



QYou have introduced it for the provincial council elections now. What are you going to do with it?



We have now tested it for the local polls. We know its shortcomings. We should not fall into trouble for the second time. Otherwise, there will be a serious crisis.
By Zahara Zuhair

With cruise tourism and yacht marinas being the fastest growing categories in the leisure travel market, as an island nation, these are the areas Sri Lanka should fix its focus on, Admiral Dr. Jayanath Colombage, a former Chief of Sri Lanka Navy and well-known authority on the maritime matters in the South Asia region, told a conference held in Colombo, recently.



Cruise tourism, cruise terminal and yacht marinas are areas we need to look into. Everybody is saying Sri Lanka is beautiful and to see that beauty, we need to go around the coast. But where do we park our ships?



We dont have enough facilities based on the monsoon winds to keep the yachts. We got limited facilities in Galle, little in Mirissa but hardly any other facilities, he said.



Cruise tourism, which is a niche market, tends to bring in high-end travellers for whom Sri Lanka has the potential of becoming an exclusive destination, he pointed out.



According to the 2017 annual report of Cruise Liner International Association (CLIA), the worlds largest cruise industry association, a total of 24.2 million passengers cruised globally during the year 2016 and it is estimated that 25.3 million cruised globally in 2017.



Colombage said Sri Lanka also needs to think of yacht marinas in order for yachts to come.



Marinas (small harbours that operate luxury boats and cruise boats) are service providers of yachts so they could be evaluated as a main substructure of yacht tourism.



There are over 45,000 marinas in Europe, which offer 1.75 million berths for a total boat park of 6.3 million vessels.

Malaysia operates marinas with a berth count of 1400 yachts, Thailand 1,300 yachts and Singapore with only one-fifth of Sri Lankas coastal size can hold up to 750 yachts.



However, Sri Lanka despite having a 1300 kilometre coastal belt is yet to have its first-full size marina, offering a wide range of services, which will help boost local tourism, the boatbuilding industry and the economy in the long run.



Meanwhile, Colombage said that Sri Lanka was a maritime hub before the colonial masters took over the coastal areas, resulting in locals gradually losing the maritime touch. He said its high time that Sri Lanka work towards grabbing its old status in order to be a maritime gateway.



He said Sri Lanka should make use of the present world shipping scenarios, as the country is located close to the busiest maritime route and being at the doorstep of the worlds seventh largest economy India.



Citing more positive indicators towards Sri Lankas dream of becoming a maritime hub, Colombage said that the Indian Ocean comprises of countries that are seeing rapid development with China initiating the One Belt One Road project, India initiating the Sagar Mala project and Asia-Africa Growth Corridor focusing to link Asia with Africa.



Sri Lanka is in an enviable location, where the busy East- West shipping route passes just 10 nautical miles south of the island. More than 60,000 ships ply this route annually carrying two-thirds of the worlds oil and half of all container shipments.



We are a country with missed opportunities, thats why even 70 years later we are what we are today. If we miss these opportunities it will never come again. This is the best time for us be a maritime hub, he said.
REUTERS: Sri Lankan shares slipped yesterday to a more than one-week closing low, as selling by foreign investors and some concerns about political stability weighed on sentiment, dealers said.

Shares hit a more than three-week high last week after two key parties decided to

remain in the ruling coalition,

allaying fears of a government collapse.



President Maithripala Sirisena reshuffled his cabinet on Sunday, appointing his prime minister as the law and order minister, after the governing coalition suffered a series of defeats in local elections earlier this month.



Some block deals boosted the turnover. However, the market is still mixed on political stability. Some investors say the changes are good, while some feel they have failed to ensure stability, said First Capital Equities CEO Jaliya Wijeratne.



The Colombo stock index ended 0.23 percent weaker at 6,560.32, its lowest close since Feb. 15. The index rose 0.18 percent last week.



Turnover stood at Rs.3.3 billion, the highest since November 8 and more than three times of this years daily average of Rs.935.9 million.



Foreign investors sold a net Rs.51.1 million worth of shares, but they have been net buyers of Rs.6.4 billion worth of equities so far this year.



Shares of AIA Insurance Lanka PLC ended 18.9 percent weaker, while Lanka Hospitals Corp PLC fell 5.1 percent.
Says hopes for reforms and betterment of ordinary people not materialized under current government

Notes Sinhala Buddhists, who consume Sinhala media, not educated on need for reform agenda

Says an 8% per annum growth rate would deliver returns that would spread beyond buying apartments

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The Sinhala Buddhist community has a cultural need to depend on a larger than li fe figure to continuously save them and cleanse the country, which is why the people voted for the Mahinda Rajapaksa faction instead of the coalition partners of the current government, according to a leading economist.



There is a trait in the particularly hierarchical Sinhala Buddhist society of yearning for the Big Man, coming to cleanse the country of all its ills, to take charge of wayward children and take us forward to a golden future, said the Finance Ministry Senior Advisor and the state-run Institute of Policy Studies Chairman Professor Razeen Sally.



He said that the Rajapaksas are particularly talented at playing to those emotions; the habits of the heart of the Sinhala Buddhist culture.

Some politicians, you know who I mean, in your party are not necessarily the right people to lead the country, Prof. Sally told the Young Professionals Organization of the United National Party (UNP) delivering a lecture last week. Prof. Sally said that the hopes for reforms and the betterment of ordinary people simply has not materialized under the current government, and while the gilded, chattering classes in Colombo are unaffected and think theres no chance of a Rajapaksa revival, the rural Sinhala Buddhists are now disappointed, and have revived their habits of the heart.



Theres no investment, jobs or growth. They view this government as dysfunctional and incompetent, while the Rajapaksas won a war, brought peace and developed infrastructure, Prof. Sally said.



He said that this is despite the current Central Bank Governor and Finance Minister putting the right policies in place over the past year, which gave the country a glimpse of a possible take-off scenario of reaching sustained 8 percent growth in the future if the right productivity and free market reforms are enacted.



An 8 percent per annum growth rate would deliver returns that would spread beyond those buying apartments in Altair, the Colombo City Centre, the Port City which is to come and Shangri la and so on, he said.



Stagnation however matters little to the Colombo elite, he said.



That matters little to the chattering classes, the gilded classes, but it matters to the classes who are deprived of the things that others of us have. They will be condemned to a future of under educated, under skilled, underpaid, under developed life, he said.



However, he said that the Sinhala Buddhists, who consume Sinhala media, are not educated on the need for the reform agenda, since Sinhala media does not talk about the costs of protectionism and the advantages of free trade, and the UNP isnt attempting to counter the narrative effectively through these channels.

Policies with effective communication; that requires talent and expertise, and the UNP is very bad at doing that, he said, noting that Rajapaksa has his finger on the pulse of the people, while some in the UNP, like Sajith Premadasa, too does. Many in Sri Lankas streets argue that the country can only be controlled and given direction by a strong leader with despotic tendencies like Rajapaksa.



Prof. Sally said that this is because people were afraid of abductions by death squads, and did what the Rajapaksas wanted without questioning.So this Sinhala Buddhist Big Man will come in and clean the house, incentivize patronage politics, gut institutions of independence, and Sri Lanka will be back to a Vladmir Putin style, Caesarean illiberal democracy, he said.



He added that Rajapaksa would place the country further in debt with China to pursue populist policies in an environment which leaves no room to slacken fiscal and monetary policies, making Sri Lanka a Chinese vassal state.



Further, Rajapaksa appeasing the Sinhala Buddhists, and his policies which would put a strain on the economy, would also exacerbate racial tensions, similar to how economic downturns had a hand in stoking racial tensions before the civil war, Prof. Sally said.



He added that if better ground level incentives are offered through reforms and cleaner institutions, which create jobs via local and foreign investments, the people would see the possibilities available to them by following a different narrative. That behaviour would change, not necessarily from tonight to tomorrow morning, but over time. The reality is that we may have a long wish list, but we need to prioritize, he added, noting that the government has to win small victories with small reforms in order to stay in power to bring in the big reforms.
Posted Monday, February 26, 2018 5:45 am

Janice S. Gates, 70, Napoleon, passed away Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at John Knox Hospice House, Lees Summit.

Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Walker Nadler Fuller Funeral Home, Lexington. A private graveside service will be at Arnold Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Wellington Napoleon School for a scholarship fund, the Napoleon Clover Leaf 4-H or Arnold Cemetery.

Survivors are grandchildren and children, Stanley Stephen Gates IV, Stephanie Sue Lawson and Stuart Samuel Gates; a brother and sister.
Move will mean that all retail branches of SBI in the UK will fall under a new UK-incorporated banking entity. (Photo: PTI)

London: State Bank of India (SBI) is set for a major restructuring of its business in the UK from April, India s largest state-owned bank has said.

SBI's UK operations will transform into a subsidiary named State Bank of India UK Limited from April 1, in compliance with wider ring-fencing of capital requirements by the Bank of England.

The move will mean that all retail branches of SBI in the UK will fall under a new UK-incorporated banking entity instead of their previous status as overseas branches of the Indian entity.

"While there will be no visible change, the brand changes to State Bank of India UK Limited. The 12 retail branches that we have seven in London and the rest outside London will become branches of SBI UK Ltd. Apart from that, if we look at the day to day, there will be no dislocation," said Sanjiv Chadha, SBI s Regional Head for UK.

He explains that while customers would be able to carry on using their debit cards and other banking facilities as before, the move marks a strategic shift for the bank with a greater focus on the UK market.

"We will be looking to doing more business in the UK, expanding the products that are designed for the UK market," he said.

The move follows Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) directing foreign banks a few years ago to move from their retail status as overseas branches to independent entities in order to protect depositors in the UK from fluctuations in foreign markets.

"As a subsidiary, the capital will be ring-fenced and that brings an additional comfort level," said Chadha.

He highlighted that the restructuring marked a major endorsement for London as a financial capital of the world, despite uncertainties triggered by the 2016 referendum in favour of an exit from the European Union (EU).

"The UK market is one of tremendous interest and promise to us and that is unchanged regardless of Brexit. London is the best place for us to base our international business in, we find the regulatory climate proportionate and supportive," he added.

SBI's expansion in the UK market was welcomed as a vote of confidence by the City of London Corporation, which has a remit to support and promote the British capital as a world-leading financial and business hub.

"The move is a reflection of the continued strength of UK-India ties, particularly in financial services. SBI has long been a treasured partner of the City, opening an office here back in 1921. As the City of London looks towards its next decade of engagement with Asia, we also look forward to building on our 100-year relationship with India s largest bank," said Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation.

SBI operates seven branches in London and five each in Manchester, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leicester and Coventry all cities with a large concentration of Indian diaspora population.

The bank says that while the Indian-origin customer base will remain at the heart of its operations, it will use its expansion to cater to the wider UK market as a competitive local bank.
With at least half of the seats in UDAN flights offered at subsidised fares.

New Delhi: The government expects to collect around Rs 300 crore annually from the levy on airlines flying on major routes towards the regional air connectivity scheme, a senior official said.

To partly raise money for viability gap funding requirement under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, the civil aviation ministry has been collecting the levy since December 2016.

More routes are getting added under the UDAN scheme, which seeks to connect unserved and under-served airports as well as making flying more affordable.

With increasing number of UDAN routes, the ministry is also preparing to deal with higher funding needs in the coming months.

A senior ministry official said the response to UDAN flights has been very positive and many routes are having good occupancy.

Every year, the ministry expects to garner Rs 280 crore to 300 crore by way of levy collected from airlines flying on major routes.

An amount of Rs 5,000 is levied for each departure of flights on major routes. Initially, the levy was Rs 8,500 and was subsequently reduced.

To fund the ambitious regional connectivity scheme -- UDAN -- the civil aviation ministry is collecting a levy of Rs 5,000 per departure from airlines operating in major domestic routes, including Mumbai and Delhi.

With at least half of the seats in UDAN flights offered at subsidised fares, the participating carriers will be provided a certain amount of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) -- an amount shared between the Centre and the states concerned.

All the five operators -- Alliance Air, SpiceJet, TruJet, Air Deccan and Air Odisha -- that won routes in the first round of bidding under UDAN have already commenced operations.

IndiGo and Jet Airways are among the airlines that have won routes in the second round of bidding and are yet to start services under the scheme.

In his 2018-19 Budget speech, Finance Minster Arun Jaitley had said that 56 unserved airports and 31 under-served helipads will be connected under the regional air connectivity scheme.

The allocation for UDAN has been substantially raised to Rs 1,014.09 crore for the next financial year. The same was at Rs 200.11 crore for 2017-18 fiscal.
Mumbai: Sridevi's death on Sunday morning came as a shocker to one and all. The renowned female superstar breathed her last in Dubai, where she had attended her nephew Mohit Marwahs wedding.

After the wedding, Sridevi stayed back to be with her sister Srilatha, while Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi Kapoor flew back to Mumbai.

However, Boney took a flight back to Dubai as he planned to surprise his wifey dearest with a lavish dinner.

So late Sridevis producer husband arrived in her hotel room at around 5.30 pm (Dubai Time) and chatted with the actress for 15 minutes before revealing to her about his plans.

On hearing so, Sridevi went to the washroom to get dressed for the surprise, which is when the tragedy struck her.

Sridevi got caught in a cardiac arrest and lay motionless in the bathtub full of water. Boney Kapoor realized so after he broke the door after 15 minutes and found her in that condition.

"He tried to revive her and when he could not, he called a friend of his. After that, he informed the police at 9 pm," a source told Khaleej Times.

While some sources claimed that she was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the portal goes on to report that the police and paramedics rushed to the site (the room?), where she was pronounced dead, and that was later followed by her body being taken to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.
Mumbai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has said legendary actor Sridevi surprised him with her dedication to the craft of acting and he was blown away by her ability to grow as an artiste.

The diva, who passed away late last night in Dubai at the age of 54 reportedly due to cardiac arrest, had acted with the actor in 27 films, including director K Balachander's "Moondru Mudichu", which also featured South superstar Rajinikanth.

In a video message, Haasan remembered Sridevi as an "astounding talent", which was "no luck" but a result of her hard-working nature throughout a career spanning almost five decades.

"Sridevi Kapoor's astounding talent was no luck. It was well-deserved and she worked for it from her childhood. I'm also a child actor, I've known her from her teens. She was still a child then when she came to work with me and Mr Balachander, my mentor sometimes gave me the responsibility of working with her, correcting her and shaping her acting, even her dance moves.

"When she came she was not as talented as she is, she was. But she developed everyday she learnt. I was astounded by her climb and every step of it she worked for. She was very fond of me and I was very fond of her. We were working so continuously that our personal lives were on the periphery... So the kind of dedication she had truly matched mine and so it's no wonder that we were fond of each other," the 63-year-old actor said.

Haasan recounted his last meeting with Sridevi which took place in January.

"We were not prone to showing emotion but we both hugged each other and I'm very grateful for that hug... 'Sadma' song rings in my ears now. I think that (is) favourite lullaby for this talented, beautiful Sridevi. That's our lullaby for her," he added talking about the Yesudas song "Surmayi ankhiyon mein" from the 1983 hit movie.

The actor also praised his deceased co-star as a dedicated mother to her two daughters - Janhvi and Khushi and offered his condolences to her husband, producer Boney Kapoor.
Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi in a still from 'Chandni.'

Mumbai: Fans, Bollywood stars and celebrities from various fields are finding it hard to recover after hearing about the untimely demise of legendary actress Sridevi in Dubai on Sunday.

The actress was renowned for being a brilliant package of beauty and a powerhouse performer.

Be it Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Sridevi worked with some of the biggest names of the country in some of the most memorable films of all time.

Also read: Bollywood mourns sudden demise of actress Sridevi

Rishi Kapoor was another of her colleague, featuring together in two of her best works, Chandni and Nagina.

Kapoor had expressed his shock, sharing how Chandni was gone forever and there would be no more Moonlit nights on Sunday.

Woken up to this tragic news. Absolute shock. Sad. Heartfelt condolences to Boney and their two daughters!  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 25, 2018

Henceforth no more Moonlit nights! Chandni gone forever. Alas! pic.twitter.com/VUuO3dQebL  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 25, 2018

The veteran actor, who is known for his temper, however, lost his cool later in the day on the media coverage of the shocking news.

Kapoor was furious with TV channels referring to Sridevi as a mere body while reporting about the arrival of her mortal remains, and gave them a piece of his mind of Twitter, slamming them for how their individuality suddenly 'gets lost.'

Also read: RIP Sridevi: Arjun, Rekha, Rani visit Anil Kapoor's house, convey condolences

How has Sridevi all of a sudden become the body? All television channels reporting the body will be brought to Mumbai in the night! Suddenly your individuality gets lost and becomes a mere body??  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 25, 2018

Sridevis mortal remains will be brought on Monday to the country and according to reports, the autopsy and other formalities have been completed and funeral is reportedly scheduled for 11am.
Mumbai: The entire nation is mourning over the shocking demise of veteran actress Sridevi's death. While all are expressing their condolences to the family, there are some who can't resist trolling even during such a critical moment. There were some trolls on Twitter about the actresss demise which cited her surgery as the cause of her death, and filmmaker Ekta Kapoor shut the trolls up with her upfront response.

Ekta took to Twitter to express her anger, she wrote, Evil ones pls realise one percent ( as fwded as my doc told me) of the population can have a cardiac arrest without any heart condition or any kind of surgery! Its destiny not how evil rumour mongers portray!!!''

Evil ones pls realise one percent ( as fwded as my doc told me) of the population can have an cardiac arrest without any heart condition or any kind of surgery ! Its destiny not how evil rumour mongers portray!!!  Ekta Kapoor (@ektaravikapoor) February 25, 2018

Offering her condolences to the late veteran star, Ekta had earlier written that, The strongest women have the weakest hearts sometimes...#RIPSrideviji.

The strongest women have the weakest hearts sometimes...#RIPSrideviji  Ekta Kapoor (@ektaravikapoor) February 25, 2018

Sridevi's sudden demise took the entire nation by storm. She died of the massive cardiac arrest at the age of 54 in Dubai. The actress was there to attend her son-in-law Mohit Marwah's wedding with her family.

Sridevi's brother-in-law and actor Sanjay Kapoor has said the whole family was in shock with the sudden demise of the veteran actress. He also said that she had no history of heart ailment.

Her mortal is expected to be flown to Mumbai via a special chartered flight today for the last rites.
Mumbai: Sridevi reportedly drowned after losing her balance and falling into the bathtub under the influence of alcohol.

A forensic report has cited accidental drowning as the cause of death, according to Gulf News, tweeted by news agency ANI.

ANI also tweeted the forensic examination found traces of alcohol in the actor's blood and that she lost her balance under the influence of alcohol, fell into the bathtub and drowned.

Her body has also been released for embalming. The case has been handed over to the Dubai Public Prosecution, which will take forward the 'legal procedures' in the case.

However, the latest update too is that Boney Kapoor has been taken into questioning there since he was the last person to see the body.

There is no benchmark of how much time it could take. He (Boney Kapoor) may be asked for a statement as he was the last person to see her alive, it would not suggest that he is under investigation, executive editor of Khaleej Times, Vicky Kapur, told Times Now.

According to a report on Times Now, the Dubai police have ruled out foul play and disaffirmed any criminal motive behind the death.
Mumbai/Dubai: Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said on Monday, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

The autopsy report, which was tweeted, had a stamp of the Ministry of Health UAE and the signature of director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.

It mentions the actors full name, Sreedevi Boney Kapoor Ayyappan, her passport number, date of the incident (February 24, 2018) and cause of death.

It is not clear what caused the actor to lose consciousness and drown accidentally in her hotel apartments bathtub, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds. Soon after her death, family sources on Sunday had said that the actress died of a cardiac arrest.

According to reports, Sridevis body may be embalmed on Tuesday.

The incident spot has been examined by authorities and reports said that Boney Kapoor has been questioned by Dubai police.

The Dubai-based Gulf News had said early on Monday that the actor was under the influence of alcohol, fell into the bathtub and drowned. However, this could not be independently confirmed.

There could be a further delay in Sridevis body being brought back to India, with the Dubai police informing the Indian embassy that another clearance was awaited before the body could be released.

Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri said the embassy had been informed that the Dubai police could only release the body after another clearance. He, however, did not say what type of a clearance was awaited.

Case transferred to Dubai Public Prosecution

The Dubai government said in a tweet the police had transferred the case to the Dubai Public Prosecution which will carry out the legal procedures.

Her family, including her younger daughter Khushi who is at Anil Kapoors house, has not commented beyond their initial statement on Sunday to announce the death, and has requested the media to not contact them. Sridevis death, which was first reported at around 3 am on Sunday in India, sent shock waves with those who knew her at a loss to explain how she could have suffered cardiac arrest at such a young age.

Now, the Dubai Public Prosecution will carry out legal procedures. It will send the forensic report to the public prosecutor, which will assess the merits of the case and then decide on the course of action to be taken.
Director Vijay reveals to DC that Sai Pallavi of Premam fame had first refused his film Karu (Embryo) and that he convinced her to accept the challenging role.

Karu is an important film in my career. The knot was there in my mind for a very long time. When I discussed with Lyca, they were very keen to make this film and said would wait till whenever I was ready. At a time when Sai Pallavi was turning down many films, I felt she is apt for the lead and approached her. She initially did not accept, but later when I narrated entire script, she realised the significance of her role and intensity of the subject and she agreed. The strength of the movie is Sai Pallavi.

He elaborated, Like how I introduced Amy Jackson in Madarasapattinam, Baby Sarah in Deiva Thirumagal, here in Karu I am launching a child named Veronica besides Sai Pallavi. Editor Antony will also be seen in a guest role. Pallavi, on her part, said, Tamil audiences have given me a big place and wherever I go they call me Teacher. Premams reach has been so big. My responsibilities grew. So, when I wanted to make my debut in Ktown, I was clear that it should be a meaty role. Thats the reason I turned down many Tamil offers. Since Karus plot inspired me a lot, I accepted. Vijay has taught me the nuances of acting, especially while emoting.
Even as condolence messages are pouring into social media platforms from fans of Mayilu across the globe, the superstar Rajinis fans are posting their heartfelt tributes to Sridevi in great numbers. And theres a reason behind it. When Rajinikanth started shooting for Rana with Deepika Padukone in 2011 in Chennai, he fell ill on the sets and was admitted to a local hospital. He developed complications later and was admitted to a top Singapore hospital when he was said to be critical. When Sridevi, who shared a great friendship with Rajini over the years, heard about it, she was very upset. Thats when she made a vow to Shirdi Sai Baba that she would observe a pious fast for a week to pray for Rajinis speedy recovery.

The actress fulfilled her promise and then visited Sai Babas Shridi Temple at Pune. She did this quietly without informing anyone and only after the Baasha star had recuperated and returned home did Sri let out that she had undertaken a penance for his recovery. Many Rajini fans recalled this on their FB accounts and are praising Sridevi for her gesture to their Thalaivar and paying their homage.

There was yet another incident which reveals the Lady Superstars closeness to Rajini which only a few may know. When Sridevi left the Tamil industry and was being hailed as a huge Bollywood star, the actress was turning down all offers from the south, including one from a big hero with whom she had acted in many films.

Industry sources say that around that time Rajini wanted her for his film Naan Adimai Illai. Though he was a bit apprehensive, he still called and asked Sridevi and, much to his surprise, she gave her nod without asking any questions. This was in 1986 and it was the last movie Sridevi did in Tamil before she got married and took a long hiatus only to resume her career with English Vinglish in 2102. That was the rapport and respect she had for her best friend Rajinikanth. Another reason why Rajini dashed off to Mumbai on Sunday night even before getting to know when the funeral would be held for his dear old friend from the world of Tamil films.
She will always be special

Director K. Raghavendra Rao shares a special equation with Sridevi. He directed her in 24 films, almost all of which became blockbusters. In fact, he is the one who captured her beauty on celluloid and turned her into a big star.

I have known her from childhood. I recall the film Naa Thammudu directed by my father, in which I worked as assistant director. Sridevi was a child artiste and had to run and cross the road. When she started running, a speeding car hit her. Sridevi fell immediately and became unconscious. I was so scared. But by Gods grace nothing happened except a small leg injury, recalls K. Raghavendra Rao.

He adds another incident, In Vetagadu, I wanted her to be the female lead opposite NTR. But the producers werent sure as she was very young. I convinced NTR and managed to cast her opposite him. That film brought her stardom. I always knew she would rule the country.

K. Raghavendra Rao DirectorK. Raghavendra Rao and Sridevi at an event

Sridevi was a shy girl

Sridevi, Jayasudha and Jayaprada ruled the Telugu film industry in the 70s and 80s. Jayasudha and Sridevi acted in seven films together and Jayasudha never felt competitive. Sridevi was a directors actress. She didnt talk much and was a shy girl. We were always friendly, says Jayasudha. She added that Sridevi was supposed to attend the class of 80s meeting of yesteryear stars, but couldnt do so. She said she would attend it last year but at that time her daughters shooting was going on and she wanted to be with her. She was worried about her daughters debut film, recalls Jayasudha.

Jayasudha, Actress

Spoke to Sridevi just two days ago

Adi Seshagiri Rao, producer of many films including the Hindi film Himmatwala that stars Sridevi and Jeetendra, spoke to the actress recently.

I came to know that Sridevis daughter is being introduced through Dharma Productions. I called Boney Kapoor to congratulate him. Then I spoke to Sridevi. She told me that she would come to Hyderabad after March 10 and would meet me. Now, I am shocked, says Rao, who remembers her to be a thorough professional. Though she had her differences with Jayaprada, she never showed it on the sets, he says.

Adi seshagiri rao, Producer

I did highest no. of Telugu films with Sridevi

Actor Krishna fondly recalls his association with Sridevi and is saddened at her passing. Sridevis family were our neighbours in Chennai. As a child, she spent most of her time in our house. She played my daughter in Maa Nanna Nirdoshi and acted as female lead opposite me in Burripalem Bullodu. In the 85 Telugu films she has done, she acted as the female lead in 31 films opposite me, says Krishna.

krishna ghattamaneni, ActorA still from Krishnavataram

Thankful for the hug

Sridevi's astounding talent was not luck feels Kamal Haasan, who says, It was well-deserved and she worked for it from childhood. When she first came to the industry, she wasnt as talented as we know her to be today. But she developed and every day she learnt. I was astounded by her climb. She was very fond of me and I too was very fond of her. She has acted in almost 27 films with me but our paths diverged when she became a superstar in Hindi.

He adds, I had seen her last month. We are not prone to showing emotions but somehow we had hugged each other and I am thankful for that hug. The song from Vasantha Kokila rings in my ears now and I think thats a great lullaby for this talented, beautiful Sridevi. She had a happy life. My deepest condolences to the family  Boney and the children. I know they shared a lot of love. Hold on, hang in there, Boney. I am sorry.Kamal Haasan, Actor A still from Vasantha Kokila

I hate God for killing Sridevi...

Ram Gopal Varma penned a long note to express his anguish over Sridevis passing. Sridevi was like a creation of God that he does whenever he is in a very special mood, as a very special gift to mankind, he begins. He recalls his first meeting with Sridevi at her home in Chennai to discuss a film, when there was a power cut and they had to rely on candlelight. Her beautiful image from that day was imprinted in his mind and he was inspired to write Kshana Kshanam with the sole aim of impressing Sridevi.

ram gopal varma, Director

India has lost one of its brightest stars

Mohan Babu and Sridevi shared the association with Tirupati, the hometown of her mother. He says, I also happened to work with her in several films. I believe India has lost not just one of its brightest stars but also a very good human being. I remember how it took just one phone call for her to join us in celebrating 42 years of my film career in Visakhapatnam. May her soul rest in peace.

M. mohan babu, Actor

She will live on in cinema

Chiranjeevi recalls his memories with the athiloka sundari.

Having to say goodbye to her so soon is something I am not able to digest! Living cinema all her life, with nothing else in her world, she was one of the most dedicated actresses I worked with, learnt a lot from, and was inspired by. She was a visual wonder in Jagadekaveerudu Athilokasundari. I felt she was born to play that part. Sridevi and Chiranjeevi shared a rapport on a personal level. We ensured that we met each other whenever possible. The last time we had one such meeting was when she came to my 60th birthday party along with her husband Boney Kapoor garu. Her loss will be mourned by the entire country because she touched our hearts all through her illustrious career. Despite leaving her mortal body, she will live on for as long as cinema lives.

Chiranjeevi, ActorA still from Jagadekaveerudu Athilokasundari
After making her Tollywood debut with Sapthagiri LLB, Mumbai-based model-turned-actress Kashish Vohra has signed her next film. The Delhi-born will be seen as the leading lady in the Telugu remake of super hit Kannada film 1st Rank Raju.

Talking about the project, Kashish says, The film is a romantic comedy set against a campus backdrop and explores the importance of academic qualifications in life. It is very contemporary and people will be able to easily connect to the plot, just like how it became a superhit in Kannada.

Kashish will play a college-goer in the film. I played a village belle in my debut, and a college-goer in this one. I got nostalgic while shooting for the campus episodes. I was able to relive my college days, and shooting for the film was all fun; there was always laughter on the sets.

The actress adds, I am also improving my language (Telugu). Im getting the dialogues in advance so that I can understand the meaning and express myself better. My team is also helping me out with the lines. The Telugu film industry has been very welcoming and I am getting a warm reception.

Naresh Kumar, who directed the original, is also directing the Telugu version, which will be presented by Maruthi.
While the photos of actor Sridevi clad in a red-salmon organza sari by Manish Malhotra at Mohit Marwahs wedding celebrations in Dubai was circulating all over the social media, we were hit by the news of her sudden death. The shocking news has left the film fraternity and her numerous fans devastated that the iconic Chandni will no longer grace the silver screen.

Outfit by Rohit Bal

The 54-year-old was not just an acclaimed actor and accomplished dancer but a much sought-after fashionista. Known for her fondness for ethnic wear, she chose to don some of the most sought-after designers like Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi and Falguni and Shane Peacock. The first female superstar of Bollywood marked an interesting chapter in the industrys style  stretching from the ghastly and outlandish to traditional and Western, and that iconic all white Chandni look... but through it all she wore the clothes, the clothes did not wear her.

Reminiscing the earlier decades, designer Payal Jain shares, Sridevi was the ultimate glamour goddess. She carried whatever she wore with a certain confidence, personal style and elegance that made the most outlandish outfits from Mr India to the simple, sophisticated saris of English Vinglish look equally effortless. Shell remain close to our hearts with her brilliant and powerful performances and will be deeply missed.

Adding to it, designer Madhu Jain, whose outfit Sridevi wore for a magazine cover years ago, strongly feels that she had the quintessential body for Indian wear. She carried off Indian garments beautifully rather than Western. And no could ever look as graceful as her in a sari.

Sridevi set trends with her looks in (from left) Chandni, Lamhe and Mr India

Sridevi started her acting career in Tamil films as a child artist and her debut as an adult in the late 1970s. In that era models hadnt entered the Indian fashion industry. It was only after models entered the scene that the concept of a slim and tall actress came into being. Prior to that Jaya Prada and Sridevi had Indian body types yet the way they carried off whatever they wore with grace was exceptional, adds Madhu.

Ashish Soni, who recently celebrated his 25 years in the industry, feels Sridevi was a trendsetter. She was really stylish and made popular various styles that wouldnt have been thought of as likely to be trend-worthy.

Nishant Malhotra, founder of Weaverstory, feels Sridevi helped the sari make a comeback on screen in a sexy avatar. She was the reason we saw women venture out wearing whites and she made a traditional garment like the sari turn into the most desirable outfit. She was the reason chiffons and gorgettes made a comeback. Who can forget her looks in Mr India, Chandni and the mesmerising Lamhe. She was truly a style diva.
The overall rate of survival that leads to hospital discharge for someone who experiences cardiac arrest is about 10.6 per cent. (Photo: Pexels)

The majority of people believe cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is successful more often than it tends to be in reality, according to a small U.S. study.

This overly optimistic view, which may partly stem from seeing happy outcomes in television medical dramas, can get in the way of decision-making and frank conversations about end of life care with doctors, the research team writes in American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

CPR is intended to restart a heart that has stopped beating, known as cardiac arrest, which is typically caused by an electrical disturbance in the heart muscle. Although a heart attack is not the same thing  it occurs when blood flow to the heart is partly or completely blocked, often by a clot  a heart attack can also cause the heart to stop beating.

Whatever the cause of cardiac arrest, restarting the heart as quickly as possible to get blood flowing to the brain is essential to preventing permanent brain damage. More often than not, cardiac arrest ends in death or severe neurological impairment.

The overall rate of survival that leads to hospital discharge for someone who experiences cardiac arrest is about 10.6 per cent, the study authors note. But most participants in the study estimated it at more than 75 per cent.

The majority of patients and non-medical personnel have very unrealistic expectations about the success of CPR as well as the quality of life after patients are revived, said lead author Lindsey Ouellette, a research assistant at Michigan State Universitys College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids.

Patients and family members should know about the realistic success rate and survival numbers when planning a living will and considering a Do Not Resuscitate order, Ouellette said.

We think it is best to have the latest and most accurate information when dealing with this life-impacting decision, whether or not to undertake or continue CPR, she told Reuters Health in an email.

To gauge perceptions of CPR, the researchers surveyed 1,000 adults at four academic medical centers in Michigan, Illinois and California. Participants included non-critically ill patients and families of patients, who were interviewed during random hospital shifts.

In addition to asking about general knowledge of CPR and personal experiences with CPR, the researchers presented participants with several scenarios and asked them to estimate the likelihood of CPR success and patient survival in each case.

One scenario involved a 54-year-old who suffered a heart attack at home and required CPR by paramedics. About 72 per cent of the survey participants predicted survival and 65 per cent predicted a complete neurological recovery.

In a scenario describing a trauma-related cardiac arrest in an 8-year-old, 71 per cent predicted CPR success and 64 per cent predicted long-term survival of the child.

Many people felt if a person was successfully revived, they would return to normal rather than possibly needing lifelong care, Ouellette said.

At the same time, more than 70 per cent of respondents said they watched TV medical dramas regularly, and 12 per cent said these shows were a reliable source of health information.

Tempering unrealistic expectations may not make for good TV, but perhaps we can get a better idea of just how these dramas may impact the views people hold about CPR and other aspects of medicine, she said.

People think about CPR as a miracle, but its another medical act, said Dr. Juan Ruiz-Garcia of Hospital Universitario de Torrejon in Madrid who wasnt involved in the study. Im not really sure what people would choose if they knew the real prognosis of it, he told Reuters Health by phone.

CPR should be part of the conversation about end-of-life care and advanced directives among families, said Carolyn Bradley of Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.

When doing CPR at a hospital, we tend to move the family away, but weve created a situation where families may not be there for the final moments, she said in a phone interview.

Have a critical conversation with your health care provider and go with questions about what would happen during CPR, she said. What does it look like? What happens to my body? Who will be around? It could be the end-of-life. Statistically, it is.
Kochi: Nearly two months after the state government ordered closure of Kochi-based Peace International School upon finding it teaching textbooks propagating communal hatred, its chairman M.M. Akbar was intercepted at Hyde-rabad airport and brought to Kochi on Sunday. The controversial Isla-mic preacher and managing director of the Kozhikode-based Peace Educational Foundation was on the run for over a year. Akbar was intercepted at 11 pm on Saturday by Immigration officials based on a lookout notice issued by the Kochi Police earlier. He was on his way from Australia to Qatar via Malaysia and landed in Hyderabad for a brief stopover, one of the sources said.

A four-member squad led by Vipin Das, sub-inspector of police, Ernakulam North, soon left for Hyderabad and recorded his arrest at 11.30 am on Sunday. The team brought him back to Kochi later in the day. Hell be subjected to a preliminary round of interrogation and will be produced before a court on Monday, he said. The case was lodged in October 2016 based on a complaint by the district education officer. A probe by the education department found the school wasnt teaching from textbooks recommended by the NCERT, CBSE or SCERT, instead followed ones compiled by a Mumbai-based Islamic educational institution.

In December 2016, the Kochi Police arrested three Mumbai-based publishers for printing the textbooks with objectionable content. Portions of a Class II textbook that propagates Islamic Orthodoxy and conversion were leaked, in which there were objective type questions on what the students would do if their friend wanted to convert to Islam and how to deal with non-Muslims among others. Finally, in January last, the Chief Minister ordered shuttering the school based on the recommendation for action by the district collector and the department of education. The institution has 13 schools under its banner in different districts in the state, and the government is considering similar action against the rest.
They had collected Rs 30 lakh from eight unemployed youth of Jagtial district with a promise of providing them jobs abroad. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Malkajgiri Special Operations Team (SOT) nabbed two travel agents, who had cheated several youth promising them job visas, at Medipally on Monday. They also seized Rs 2 lakhs cash from their possession.

The arrested have been identified as Adam Raju, 55, and Kandukuri Narayana, 45. They were working along with one Srinivas Reddy who is now absconding. They had collected Rs 30 lakh from eight unemployed youth of Jagtial district with a promise of providing them jobs abroad.

According to SOT officials, Adam Raju has been involved in illegal job visa racket along with his associates K. Narayana and Srinivas Reddy. Narayana approached unemployed youth in the village of Jagtial district and informed them that his friend named Adam Raju has good contacts with travel agents who provide job visas to unemployed students, interested in working abroad.

The eight students believed Narayana and paid him Rs 30 lakhs as cash to provide them visas. to Israel. Later, Narayana consulted his associates Adam Raju and Srinivas Reddy. Adam Raju informed Narayana that he has agents who can arrange visas to Israel and took Rs 20 lakhs cash from him in 2016. But there was no result and he kept delaying the process by saying lame excuses. Later, Narayana took Rs 10 lakh and paid some amount to Srinivas Reddy for helping him out in providing job visas. But there was no progress here too, Syed Rafeeq, Addl DCP, SOT, said.

Fed up of the delay, the victims pressurised them to return their money and since then, the suspects had switched off their mobiles and went absconding. Based on technical evidence, they were nabbed . They were handed over to Medipally Police, along with the seized cash, for further investigation.
Shah also targeted Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the poor governance in his own constituency. (Photo: PTI)

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): Continuing his tirade against the Congress government in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Monday said the present Karnataka government has failed on all fronts.

Addressing the media in Kalaburagi, Shah stated that corruption and Karanataka Chief Minsiter Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous.

"Karnataka government has failed on all fronts, be it law and order or development, it has failed. Corruption cases are on a rise. Corruption and Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous," Shah added.

The BJP president also alleged the Siddaramaiah government for showing insensitive attitude towards families of the farmers who committed suicide.

"The insensitive attitude of the Siddaramaiah government towards families of the farmers who committed suicide is deplorable," he said.

Shah also said that withdrawing all the cases against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has showed the unidirectional action by Siddaramaiah.

"The manner in which all cases against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) have been withdrawn, shows the unidirectional action by Siddaramaiah government," he added.

Shah also targeted Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the poor governance in his own constituency.

"If anyone wants to see the governance of the Congress, then, go to the constituency of Kharge sahab. I received feedbacks from the party workers that there is too much backwardness. There no such backwardness in any place of Karnataka but in Kharge sahab's own constituency," he added.

Karnataka is one of the few states where the Congress is in power.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in April-May this year to elect members of the 224 constituencies in Karnataka.
Delhi Police had on Friday visited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence and seized a hard disk of the CCTV camera system installed to probe the case of alleged assault of the Chief Secretary by AAP MLAs. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The court, on Monday, asked the Delhi police to prove that tampering was done with the CCTV footage recovered by them from the official residence of Chief Minister Arvin Kejriwal in the Chief Secretary assualt case.

The police had earlier said that the timestamp on the clip did not match with the sequence of the events.

"The defence counsel stated that police must prove that tampering has been done," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)-North, Harendra K Singh said, adding, It was informed to court that site visit reveals discrepancies in the timing. Only FSL will be able to tell if any tampering has been done."

The police said the footage was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for further examination, news agency ANI reported.

The court has reserved its order till Tuesday.

Additional DCP Harendra Singh told the court that the meeting between the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs was not held in the camp office but in the living room of the CM residence.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government is mulling live streaming of all official meetings following the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the Chief Minister's residence on February 19, news agency PTI reported.

A senior government official said that as per a plan, live feed of meetings with audio output will be available on a website. If the plan is passed, funds will be allocated for it in the upcoming budget, he said.

"Through live streaming of official meetings, people will be able to know who spoke what in the meeting, be it the elected representative or officials," the official told PTI.

There is also a plan to put all file movement and notings online, he said.

"Plan is also to put all file movement and file notings online for people to see who was working on a file for how long, who cleared it and who wrote what on a particular file, be it the elected government or officers," the official said.

The AAP government has alleged that some officers have created hurdles in the national capitals administration work.

Delhi Police had on Friday visited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence and seized a hard disk of the CCTV camera system installed to probe the case of alleged assault of the Chief Secretary by AAP MLAs. Police had claimed that it had to go to the Chief Minister's house to collect the CCTV footage after its request for the same was not met.

Also Read: Team of 60 cops at Arvind Kejriwal's home to probe chief secy assault case

"We had asked for the CCTV camera footage and hard disk on February 20 itself but there was no response. So, we decided to come down and examine it," the Additional DCP had said. He had also said that the in-charge of maintenance at the Chief Minister's residence had been intimated about the police visit.

Also Read: Delhi chief secy scuffle: Cops seize CCTV footage from Kejriwal residence

A total of 21 CCTV cameras and a hard disk were examined by the police. Fourteen CCTV cameras were running while seven were not working at the time of the incident.

The police had said that there was no CCTV camera in the room where the alleged incident took place and no footage was obtained. "We believe the incident occurred between midnight of February 19 and 12:15 am on February 20," the police had said.

Also Read: No CCTVs where Delhi chief secy was assaulted: Cops on CM home search

(With inputs from agencies.)
According to Commissioner of Police YB Khurania, the youth's last known location was somewhere in Howrah in West Bengal. (Photo: AIIMS Bhubaneswar official website)

Bhubaneswar: A student from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar, has been missing for over a fortnight, police said.

Suhail Aijaz, a resident of Kupwara district in the northern state and pursing MBBS at the institute since 2016, left his hostel on February 9, and has been missing since then.

The second-year student had informed the authorities of the institute that he was going to Chandigarh with his friends to attend a wedding and would be back on February 17, Commissioner of Police YB Khurania said.

The authorities had filed a missing complaint with the police on February 18, a day after the student's scheduled date of return to the institute.

A note has been recovered from the hostel, Khurania said, without elaborating on its content.

"Efforts are on to trace the student. We are questioning the institute officials and the friends of the missing student," Khurania said.

He said the youth's last known location was somewhere in Howrah in West Bengal.

"We are in contact with the Howrah police and the CID West Bengal. The particulars of the student have also been shared with them," he said.

Suhail's father Aijaz Ahmed reached Bhubaneswar and met senior police officials seeking their help in tracing his son. Ahmed told reporters that he had spoken to Suhail over phone for the last time on February 7.

He also said that the institute authorities were the first ones to tell him that his son had gone missing.
Masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the kind of turbans worn by the leaders are luring buyers at Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. (Photo: Screengrab | ANI)

Lucknow: The country is all geared up to make the festival of colours, Holi a memorable one. Markets are stacked with stalls of colours of different hues, herbal gulaal, masks, turbans, balloons and different props.

Masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the kind of turbans worn by the leaders are luring buyers at Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

Turban mostly worn by Yogi Adityanath is has seen rise in demand this year, feels seller at one of the Holi markets.

Holi is celebrated in India with fervour and enthusiasm. This year the festival will be celebrated on March 1 and 2.
BJP president Amit Shah also hit out at the Sidaramaiah government, accusing it of following 'three Ds -- Dhokha (cheating), Dadagiri (goondaism) and dynastic politics'. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Kalaburagi: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday took on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the Prime Minister over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, saying no other government had acted as promptly and taken stringent action against frauds as the Narendra Modi government.

Amit Shah also hit out at the Sidaramaiah government, accusing it of following "three Ds -- Dhokha (cheating), Dadagiri (goondaism) and dynastic politics".

The BJP chief said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI have taken prompt action in the case. "There has been no government other than Modiji's government, that has taken prompt and most stringent of actions against any frauds committed in the past," Amit Shah told reporters at Kalaburgi in Karnataka.

The BJP president's reply came when he was asked about Rahul Gandhi's remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the multi-crore PNB fraud case.

At public rallies at Vijapura and Bagalkote districts in North Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on corruption, asking as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had described himself as the country's chowkidar (watchman), was "silent" on the bank fraud allegedly involving jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Amit Shah said, "The ED has already taken action (filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act). Prior to it, the CBI had registered an FIR early this month."

The ED had also conducted raids on the properties of Nirav Modi and seized jewellery and some shares besides freezing his bank accounts, Amit Shah said.

In his opening remarks, Amit Shah said BJP was certain to form the next government in Karnataka because the Siddaramaiah administration had "failed" on all fronts including checking corruption and by meting out injustice to temples and religious institutions. "Corruption and Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous," he alleged.

Also Read: Corruption and Siddaramaiah govt have become synonymous: Amit Shah

Moreover, the people of the state were angered over the Siddaramaiah government's "nefarious" intentions of dividing a community by according separate religion status, Amit Shah said.

"If the BJP is voted to power, we will repeal the proposal (to give separate religion status to Lingayats)," he said.

Lingayats/Veerashaivas form a major and influential community in Karnataka, sections of which are seeking a separate religious tag. The Siddaramaiah government is being accused of trying to divide the community by forming a panel to make a recommendation on the issue to the Centre. "The Siddaramaiah goverment has been cheating the people of the state by not fulfilling its promises. The people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region are saying they have not seen such 'goonda' government and thirdly, are unhappy with the rule of two families in this part of the state," he said.

"If anyone wants to see the governance of the Congress, then go to the constituency of Kharge sahab," Amit Shah said.

The dynastic politics jibe was apparently a reference to Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Kalaburagi, whose son Priyank Kharge is a state minister.

Also Read: If voted to power, BJP will solve Mahadayi row, assures Amit Shah

The BJP chief said he received feedback from party workers that there was too much of backwardness. "There is no such backwardness in any place of Karnataka, but in Kharge sahab's own constituency," he said.

Amit Shah said after winning the election, the very first thing that the BJP government would do is to restart the local sugar mills, which are closed at the moment.
Protests being held by students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai against scholarship cuts have spilled over to TISS Hyderabad. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Protests being held by students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai against scholarship cuts have spilled over to TISS Hyderabad. On Sunday, Students locked the gates, boycotted classes, and refused to allow faculty members to enter the campus until their demands were met. They said that the authorities decision would affect a staggering number of OBC students.

The Student Council approached the management with claims that they had been given false assurances in the past. They said that they would not budge until an official confirmation was released. The student movement has been gaining strength through statements of solidarity made by members of various student groups and organisations.

The All India Council for Students Struggles and a group students from IIT Bombay have expressed solidarity with the TISS students.

On February 21, 2018, students across the four campuses of the TISS in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Guwahati and Hyderabad called for a strike. This step was taken to protest the withdrawal of aid offered to SC, ST and OBC students, and their being demanded to pay dining hall and hostel charges. Harinder Singh Happy, a member of the Social Protection Cell of TISS Hyderabad said, It is a highly unacceptable and condemnable move for TISS to seek to make it compulsory for all students registered at the institution, including those who have sought admission on the basis of the Government of Indias Post-Matric Scholarship, to pay hostel, academic and infrastructural fees.
The police said that the militant Mushtaq Ahmed Chopan alias Haroon was involved in two FIRs lodged at police station Tral under various sections the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. (Photo: ANI)

Srinagar: A Hizbul Mujahideen militant, who was in police custody, was killed and a policeman was injured when suspected militants tossed a hand grenade into a police station in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Pulwama district, the police in Srinagar said.

The incident was followed by eruption of intense clashes between irate crowds and the security forces along the streets of Tral area. The police, witnesses said, fired rifles over the heads of the stone-pelting mobs and also burst teargas canisters to quell the protests. The traders earlier brought their shutters down and vehicles were withdrawn from roads, a report received from Tral said.

According to a statement issued by the police, the militant Mushtaq Ahmed Chopan alias Haroon who was in police custody had tried to escape from the police station in Tral town, wearing burqa.

When he was near the main gate someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention so that he could escape conveniently. The grenade exploded inside the police station nearby him resulting into death of the said detainee and injury to one constable Merajuddin, the statement said.

The police are silent over how the detainee acquired burqa while in its custody. He was arrested along with his two associates by the police in Sopore area in north-western Baramulla district on January 9 and was currently under custodial change as he was wanted also by Awantipora (Pulwama district) police. Chopan was a resident of Wagad village of Tral area of Pulwama.

The police said that he was involved in two FIRs lodged at police station Tral under various sections the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Another FIR stands registered against him under Section 7/27 of the Arms Act in Sopore police station.

The police said that a magisterial inquiry has been initiated into Mondays incident under Section 176 CrPC (magisterial inquiry into cause of death of a person in police custody).

The circumstances under which he was escaping are being looked into, it added.

Earlier Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid, tweeted, A militant Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan died in grenade explosion when challenged by sentry while trying to escape from Police Station Tral.

The police said that the injured cop was shifted to the 52-Army Base Hospital in Srinagar whereas the autopsy of the slain militant was being conducted at a different hospital.

The incident comes a day after militants shot dead two policemen while one was guarding a Sufi shrine in Charar-e-Sharief town in central district of Budgam and another was posted at the resident of a Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz) leader Faza-ul-Haq Qureshi in Srinagars Soura area. The assailants also snatched their service weapons.
The complaint was registered after a youth reached to police and informed them about this invitation on the messaging platform. (Photo: File)

Lucknow: An FIR has been registered in Lucknow's Cyber Cell after members of a WhatsApp group received an invitation to join another group named 'Lashkar-e-Taiba' on the messaging platform.

The group named Lashkar-e-Taiba was allegedly created by a Class 9 schoolboy in Rajasthan's Bhilwada.

The complaint was registered after a youth reached to police and informed them about this invitation on the messaging platform.

Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has been alerted to keep an eye on the case.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police said, "A case has been registered on the complaint of a person who received a message relating to 'Lashkar-e-Taiba' on a WhatsApp group he was part of. The cyber crime cell will conduct an investigation."

Investigation is underway.
Hyderabad: Advocates from the Rayalaseema region practising at the Hyderabad High Court on Monday staged a protest in front of the High Court building demanding setting up of a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh in the Rayalaseema region.

Scores of advocates gathered at the main entrance with placards during the lunch hour and raised slogans pressing for their demanding. The lawyers said that they are extending their solidarity and support to the lawyers who have been boycotting courts in Rayalaseema for the past 38 days.

They said they will further intensify their stir if the state government failed to make an announcement that the new High Court will be set up in the backward Rayalaseema.
New Delhi: While a host of saffron leaders paid tributes to Veer Savarkar on his 52nd death anniversary, National Democratic Alliances (NDA) ally Telugu Desam Partys (TD) leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu apparently deleted a tweet he had posted earlier, paying tribute to Savarkar on Monday.

According to screenshots shared on Twitter, the TD chiefs Twitter handle was shown with the tweet Humble tributes to the legendary freedom fighter, Veer Savarkarji, on his death anniversary.

The tweet was seen at around 7 am on Monday. Soon after, the tweet was unavailable. The buzz is that the tweet was deleted in the wake of strained relationships between the TD and the BJP. Also, Savarkar is considered as a controversial figure by many but is held in high esteem by the BJP.

Savarkar is credited for coining the term Hindutva and had endorsed a Hindu Rashtra. While the Bharatiya Janata Party considers Veer Savarkar as a freedom fighter, many other political parties have the opinion that he has not done much for the Independence movement.

Congress had earlier cited that Savarkar had not supported Gandhijis Quit India Movement. But the BJP and the RSS argue that Savarkar was jailed by the Britishers, proving that he has fought for Indias independence.

Savarkar was released from prison by the Britishers in 1921. The Congress uses this fact to say that he wasnt a freedom fighter unlike Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev. Many BJP leaders had paid rich tributes to Veer Savarkar on Monday.

While the Telugu Desam is part of the ruling alliance at the Centre, the Andhra Pradeshs ruling party is under pressure from the Opposition,

which had been criticising it for not getting the Centre deliver the promises made as per the AP Re-organisation Act.

The state will go to polls simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year and the issue could be used by the Opposition to take on the TD.

Though the TD has been taking a tough stand and had even sided with the Opposition on the Triple Talaq Bill issue, political observers feel that it was only a posturing by the regional party.

The regional party had also expressed disappointment over the Union Budget which did not allocate any funds for the state.
Kochi: Soon six tourists spots in and around Kochi will be made disabled-friendly to attract more tourists, thanks to an initiative of the District Tourism Promotion Corporation (DTPC). The facilities, which are expected to be set up in 18 months, will include signage in Braille language, disabled-friendly ramps, bridges, paths and toilets among others. Well also provide wheelchairs, walking sticks and crutches for such tourists to enjoy the scenery at these spots. The selected six locations are Nedump-arachira (Koovappady), Marine Drive Park, Fort Kochi, Ezhattumugham Prakrithi Gramam, Bhoothathankettu Park and Kuzhu-pilly beach, said S Vijayakumar, Secretary, DTPC.

A token amount of `44 lakh was allotted to build the facilities. The Tourism department has allocated `9 crore under the Barrier- Free Kerala Tourism project to be implemented across the state. A site-specific estimate will be prepared and submitted to the department. Some of the facilities are already available, for instance the disabled-friendly toilet complex at Ezattumugham. Meanwhile, the Tourism department has given administrative sanction to another project proposed by the DTPC  giving a facelift to popular Cherai beach at an estimated cost of Rs 50.37 lakh. The works will be completed in 18 months.

The department also gave nod for six other key projects, the work of which has started. It includes renovation of Childrens Park, located at the heart of the city, at a cost of `4crore, the second phase of the 'Kallidumbil Attute-eram' project at Piravom (`1.5 crore) and hanging bridge at Manakkal Kadavu over Kadambrayar near Pallikkara.
The Telangana government is likely to stick to its initially announced public holiday on March 1, to celebrate the festival of colours.

Hyderabad: Amid confusion over the date to celebrate Holi fest, the Telangana government is likely to stick to its initially announced public holiday on March 1, to celebrate the festival of colours.

The advice of Endowments department was sought in wake of the Central Government holiday for Holi on March 2. Endowments department in turn consulted panchangkarthas and purohits, who reiterated that festival should be celebrated on March 1.

Confirming the development, a higher official said that there will be no change in the public holiday date (March 1), irrespective of the Central governments holiday deferring by a day.

Telangana Vidhwatsabha stated that March 1 was declared as Holi festival a year ago and accordingly all panchangkarthas incorporated the same in their calendars.

Following this, the government also finalised the public holiday on the same date much earlier. There is no confusion in the festival date and hence people in Telangana can celebrate the festival of colours on March 1, it said.

Explaining further, Divyagnana Siddhanti, general secretary of the Vidhwatsabha, said that the difference in dates between TS and the Centre can be understood as sun rise timings differ.

Centre mostly follows Panchangam prepared by purohits in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family left India on February 24 after a long seven-day safari through the country that gyrated between the sublime and the ridiculous. The Toronto Star editorially dubbed it a very bad trip that may carry a steep cost.

The ridiculous veered around the speculation that host Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not even tweet a welcome, by now standard Modi fare for arriving state guests. Furthermore, Mr Modi did not receive Mr Trudeau at the airport, again done selectively by the Prime Minister, or accompany him to Ahmedabad, Mr Modis hometown. All this was taken as a snub to Mr Trudeau due to his Liberal Party patronising pro-Khalistani elements in the Canadian Sikh diaspora. The explanation probably lay in bad programming as normally state visits begin in New Delhi, with trips across India undertaken thereafter. Its reversal and longish duration fed the negative stories. Even the well-meant attempt by the Trudeau family to go native sartorially was ridiculed by some in India and abroad. The Toronto Star, tongue in cheek, wrote that Indians dont actually dress like that, except may be on their wedding day. But truthfully, Mr Trudeaus bha-ngra moves at the Canadian high commissioners reception were vintage Punjabi.

The Khalistan issue emerged as Mr Trudeaus visit to Amritsar approached. Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh had last year used the pro-Khalistan argument against his then resurgent Aam Aadmi Party opponents, alleging they had links to Canada-based Khalistanis. The matter resurfaced when Capt. Singh later refused to meet Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan, on an official visit to India last year, on the same grounds, despite his distinguished military past. Now Capt. Singh proclaimed he would meet Mr Trudeau but not his Sikh ministers.

The subterranean tension erupted again when it was discovered that Jaspal Atwal, convicted for the attempted murder of a visiting Punjab politician in 1986, was an invitee to the Canadian high commissioners reception for Mr Trudeau. Although Mr Atwal was promptly disinvited, the issues wider implications lingered. For instance, how did he get a visa for India and furthermore get invited? The external affairs ministry promised an answer after an inquiry. But it put the Canadians on the backfoot over relations between the Liberal Party and the Sikh diaspora, which had been riling India as recently even gurdwaras in Canada had banned the entry of Indian diplomats. Strangely, a day later, a story appeared that in fact Mr Atwal was part of the outreach to recanting Khalistanis, whose names were removed from the blacklist to generate mutual goodwill. If that was indeed so, then why the fracas?

The Amritsar trip went smoothly with the Union government deploying recently-inducted Sikh minister and former distinguished diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri to receive and accompany Mr Trudeau during his Golden Temple sojourn. The Akalis, allies of the BJP, were left little space as the focus shifted from the beautiful pictures of the Trudeau family in and around the Golden Temple, to them actually making chapattis in the langar kitchen serving free food to devotees and even non-Sikhs, rich and poor. The meeting with Capt. Singh was short but meaningful, as he handed over a list of Sikh provocateurs in Canada attempting to fuel trouble in Punjab. No doubt the capture of Sikh gurdwaras by a vociferous minority of radicals must also have been discussed. Mr Trudeau needs to seek a balance between the freedom of speech and religion and incitement of sedition in nations of origin by Sikhs or Tamils, or any other ethnicity.

The two Prime Ministers eventually met on February 23 and issued a joint statement, which captures the above dilemma, noting at the start that while both nations value democracy, diversity, pluralism and the rule of law, cooperation rests on respect for sovereignty, unity and the territorial integrity of both. Both agreed to cooperate in fields like civil nuclear issues, education, audio-visual, intellectual property and sports. The need to expand bilateral economic and commercial relations, which hover around $8 billion annually, was also noted. Canada-US trade for instance is $2 billion daily. With US President Donald Trump seeking re-negotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), a pact of the US, Canada and Mexico, and Canada joining the Trans Pacific Partnership minus the US, scope exists for diversification of trade and investment relations. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is under negotiation.

Canada is a reliable source for high quality uranium and foodstuffs, including pulses. But this relationship needs to transcend producer-buyer relationship to full spectrum partnership in agriculture and horticulture. An energy dialogue is established as Canada leads in tar sand exploitation and is a net oil exporter. Canada overcame perceived betrayal at India using plutonium from a Canada-gifted nuclear research reactor Cirus in its 1974 nuclear test. After India got a waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Canada reopened uranium sales to India.

At the strategic level, there is shared concern over the observance of the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS) and freedom of navigation and overflights throughout the Indo-Pacific, a phrase re-echoing an Indo-US construct. Both called upon the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and the Maldives to restore democracy and constitutionalism. While Canadas desire to host more Indian students was noted, so was Indias desire to get Canada to liberalise immigration for skilled Indians. The last is important as the United States, under Mr Trump, despite whatever assurances India may extract, is moving relentlessly towards curtailing immigration.

All told, Mr Trudeau and his family captured the popular imagination by their costumes and family-on-vacation approach, besides courting the Sikh diaspora at home, numbering over 400,000  almost one-third of the total and 1.4 per cent of Canadas population. India, a bit clumsily, registered its concerns about the Khalistani fringe inordinately dominating the popular discourse. Hopefully, the bruises will soon heal, and a better relationship emerge.

The writer is a former secretary in the external affairs ministry. He tweets at @ambkcsingh
The worst Pakistani firing in 15 years  in the Uri area of Kashmir  on Saturday coincided with the third anniversary of the PDP-BJP government in the state, underlining the Kafkaesque nature of the reality in Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian Army returned fire using the Bofors gun, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Earlier, from the Pakistani side, loudspeakers could be heard in Uri asking people to vacate their homes by a specified hour.

This appears to have been psychological warfare tactics to create panic among civilians. Public anxiety is growing. It is evident that in recent months, the border areas of J&K have come alive. Small arms fire, the norm so far in respect of Pakistani ceasefire violations, has given way to artillery.

Pakistan seem to be escalating hostilities as it calculates that the restraint the international community is imposing on it to make it fight terrorism can be loosened if the Pakistan Army can create the impression of a military conflict with India.

Domestic politics in India, on the other hand, is likely to be guided by the coming general election within a year, and it may just suit the ruling side to show heightened military activity against Pakistan.

The lack of concern shown by the Centre toward the political matrix in Kashmir  highlighted by its refusal to start political discussions with different elements to defuse the situation and create conditions of peace and stability, as envisaged in the PDP-BJPs Agenda of Alliance  suggests apathy on the Narendra Modi governments part.

Its core belief appears to be that if the optics can be designed to give the impression that India has given Pakistan a strong reply, then nothing needs to be done in Kashmir. Besides, that may help the BJP go beyond appealing to its core constituency. What we seem to have is a perfect example of governance by propaganda.

In three years, the Mehbooba Mufti government has achieved only negative results. Her PDP partys relations with its BJP ally repeatedly hit new lows on every parameter of politics and administration. In the past three years, the coordination committee of the coalition partners to review the Agenda of Alliance has met just thrice, suggesting that both sides realise they are hanging in there only in order to be in power, even as they realise the state is gaining little by their association.

More and more young people have taken to the gun in the past two years than at any time since the mid-1990s. Repeated stone-pelting against the paramilitary forces and the Army is being reported. In the Valley, MLAs  and specially those of the ruling PDP  are unable to visit their constituents. The panchayat election is six months overdue. The Centres political unconcern is writ large on the map.
Film diva Sridevi is no more. Our sense of loss is all the more as she died at the relatively young age of 54. A human dynamo, she was bubbling with life and vitality at a Dubai wedding just hours before her tragic end. From her humble roots in Tamil Nadus Sivakasi, she first expressed her talent on the silver screen when just four, and went on to create an impressive body of work in many languages. She graduated from Tamil, where she showed her versatility, into Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema, before conquering Bollywood. Her last appearance as an actor will hit the screens later this year in a Shah Rukh Khan movie, which will be a real tribute to her half century in cinema, with breaks of course to raise a family.

The extent of her conquest to become arguably Bollywoods first female superstar best reflects the range of her acting ability, including the comic side of her persona where she excelled, even doing a fine cameo as Charlie Chaplin. A woman of boundless energy active till the end, while also promoting daughter Janhvis film career, Sridevis death is being mourned across India. Her lively screen presence was a natural extension of her personality. She leaves behind in her huge bank of movies several roles that will remain etched in memory, beginning with a major role in Moondru Mudichu, with Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in Tamil. The stunned disbelief her death leaves in an array of co-stars is an index of how valued she was as a performer. She was a wonderfully pan-Indian success story, and we would like to remember her that way.
In the southern Indian states they like politics laced with the fantasy world of the cinema. The doyen of Dravidian leaders, M. Karunanidhi, was a film script writer, and a number of actors have successfully donned the mantle of politician in their new avatar, the last of course being the late J. Jayalalithaa.

So eager is the actors fraternity to fill the political void that we have competing actors ready to do their duty, with superstar Rajinikanth up and running. And now we have veteran actor Kamal Haasan throwing his hat into the ring with an ambitious agenda of being an honest party seeking justice for the people, calling his new outfit Centre for Peoples Justice.

One wonders whether the reputation southern parties have acquired of being corrupt to the core can be changed overnight by Kamal Haasans resolve to fight elections honestly. Here again the southern citizen wants something of the fantasy world of cinema to enliven his life.

Mr Haasan has chosen two talismen to light his way, our late President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. The latter, who has not been very successful in governing Delhi while seeking countrywide influence, was also present at the Madurai inauguration. The former President was of course respected for his devotion to work, but there was nothing very extraordinary about his life story.

Kamal Haasan has been saying all the right things, including the need to practise honest politics. He has the advantage of being proficient in all four dominant South Indian languages as well as in Hindi. Lately, he has sharpened his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party by suggesting that the colour saffron in the Indian flag should not spill over the whole flag. Is Kamal Haasan, despite his sincerity and desire to pursue honest politics, a paper flower, as suggested by DMK leader M.K. Stalin? The established Dravidian parties do not seem very much perturbed by the Haasan phenomenon. They know that the southern voter needs his cinema-induced fix of larger than life politics, with his idol appearing on the balcony (a traditional leaders perch) to give him his darshan.

Kamal Haasans problem is that he does not claim leadership qualities, comparing himself to a grain of sand, and would rather deal with his voters as citizens. This approach, while pleasing the thinking man, robs the southern voter of the thrills of the cinema world, and a crate of free liquor is not to be sneezed at.

Mr Hassan would seem to be overambitious in seeking honest politics in states used to live life king-size, as in the world of the cinema. To be king or queen even while acting as chief minister of a state comes naturally to our actor-politicians. To take one recent example, Jayalalithaa was every inch a queen. And when she chose to speak, people listened.

Mr Haasan is a popular actor (he is already in the peoples hearts, as he put it) but in forming his new party, he is asking his fans to help him conduct honest politics. In other words, he is asking his followers to put aside the fantasy world for bettering the lives of the unfortunate and the wronged.

By all accounts, it seems like reaching for the stars, however noble the aim might be. It remains to be seen how soon the realisation will sink in that the honest politics of Mr Haasans kind is a plant that may not prosper in the southern states.

Rajnikanth is in direct competition with Kamal Haasan in the political leadership stakes. Although he has praised the impressive Madurai launch of the new party, he let out the riddle by declaring that let others make noise  popularly ascribed as an arrow directed at Kamal Haasan. And Rajnikanth has also made it clear that he will continue to act in films even while waiting for political leadership to fall into his lap. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no respecter of conventions, he has chosen to spend two days in Tamil Nadu in courting the southern voter for his BJP with an eye on the general election. It was indeed extraordinary that he should choose to give women two-wheel drivers a symbolic go-ahead to honour a pledge made by Jayalithaa. The AIADMK, as it exists, may be in the BJPs pocket, although the DMK remains a force and one has to watch Rajnikanths actual performance. The BJP will align with any party that can fetch votes since its priority is to share power in the state.

Kamal Haasan thus might have unwittingly started a new political game in Tamil Nadu, in which the ambitions of individual actors collides with politicians plans to produce a new mix of persons who will don the chief ministers mantle.

Rajnikanth is certainly aspiring for the top political job in the state, and seems to feel that a deliberate approach is better than an instant push for the job.

What happens to the mega rally Mr Haasan has announced for April?

The rally will no doubt take place and there will be supporters in the wings. But the rally will leave the public of Tamil Nadu unsatiated as there will be no cinematic effects, no reaching for the clouds, only the credo of honest politics.

The main point for Mr Haasan will remain. Has he been too modest in setting his aims? And is he misreading his constituency in what it desires the most? We shall find out in the not too distant future.
Christians are in the midst of observing the grace filled season of Lent, meditating, among other things, on the crucial last days of their Lord Jesus Christ, who after a mock trial was led to the Crucifixion. One important form of meditation and prayer in churches these days is called, Way or Stations of the Cross. For those not familiar with the internal layout of a church, particularly a Catholic church, be informed that all the churches have on their side walls, the stations of the Cross, numbered from one to 14. Every Friday the faithful gather in the church to pray at each station specific prayers. Some others who take their Lenten spiritual exercises more seriously, do them daily, besides almsgiving and fasting.

The prayers are emotional as each station describes the painful and humiliating journey that Jesus, with the cross on his shoulders, made from Pilates palace to Calvary where he was finally crucified on the same Cross. As an aside, it is good to know that Jesus was not the only one who carried a Cross and died on it. The major difference, however, is that the others so punished were charged with serious crimes. Jesus, on the other hand, who spent his time revealing Gods love through his words and actions for the poor and the downtrodden, had committed no crime whatsoever. No wonder then that despite having died a criminals death, he continues to draw ever more believers who follow him to this day.

The walls in churches are marked with 14 stations depicting events as they unfolded in Jesus last journey. Traditionally, they are as follows: Pilate condemns Christ to death; Jesus carries the Cross; the first fall under the Cross; Jesus meets His Blessed Mother; Simon of Cyrene helps to carry the Cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; the second fall; Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem; the third fall; Jesus is stripped of His garments; Jesus is nailed to the cross; Jesus dies on the Cross; Jesus is taken down from the Cross; and Jesus is laid in the tomb.

It is believed that the next day His mother Mary walked in sorrow and pain the path that her son was unjustly forced to walk with that heavy Cross. Not only Christians but many others are often puzzled as to why God let his son Jesus suffer such pain, humiliation and death. On further meditation one arrives at the conclusion that it was all for the love of humanity. Meditation of such a journey can teach us to take pain and humiliations of life in our own stride and that rather than being revengeful and bitter about betrayals, we can all, like Jesus pray , Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.
Jeffrey Yao has been arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held without bail until his arraignment on Monday. (Representational Image)

A quiet library in Middlesex stood still in time and horror as a man stepped in, followed an unsuspecting woman and stabbed her to death with a 10-inch long hunting knife.

Library patrons watched in shock as the suspect, 23-years-old Jeffrey Yao from Massachusetts town stabbed the woman on her head, chest and torso, the Washington Post reported.

Another 77-years-old man was stabbed in the arm as well as the people present rushed to the staggering womans help in a bid to stop the attacker. His injuries are minor.

The woman, whose name has not been released, succumbed to her injuries and died at the hospital later. Officials said they are waiting to notify her next of kin before making her name public.

The incident reportedly took place around 10:30 a.m.

Reasons for the attack remain unknown. Yaos neighbours told the Boston Herald that his behaviour was increasingly erratic, while some added they were worried he "will kill somebody."

One neighbour who chose to remain anonymous claimed that Yao had tried to "smash our door down" at 3 a.m. in 2017. Another neighbour, Leslie Luongo said she was afraid of Yao and would run to her car while leaving for work.

Ann Wirtanen, the library's director, announced that the library will be closed "until at least Tuesday, in a statement posted on Facebook.

Yao has been arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He is being held without bail until his arraignment on Monday.
In a meeting with the South's President Moon Jae-in, the North's delegation 'agreed that inter-Korea talks and North-US relations should improve together'. (Photo: AP)

Seoul: North Korea is "very willing" to hold talks with the United States, its delegation to the Winter Olympics closing ceremony said on Sunday, according to Seoul's presidential Blue House.

In a meeting with the South's President Moon Jae-in, the North's delegation "agreed that inter-Korea talks and North-US relations should improve together", the Blue House said in a statement.

Read: Phase 2 sanctions on N Korea to be unfortunate for world, threatens Trump

Pyongyang has frequently said it is willing to talk without preconditions, but Washington says it must first take concrete steps towards denuclearisation.

"We will see if Pyongyang's message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps," said a United States statement.
Michael McCormack, 53, was chosen by the Nationals -- the junior partner in the governing Liberal-National coalition -- to take over as leader and deputy PM in an internal party vote. (Photo: AP)

Sydney: A conservative rural politician who once expressed strong anti-gay views was Monday chosen to replace scandal-plagued Barnaby Joyce as Australia's deputy prime minister after he resigned over an affair with his now-pregnant aide.

Michael McCormack, 53, was chosen by the Nationals -- the junior partner in the governing Liberal-National coalition -- to take over as leader and deputy PM in an internal party vote.

"We are the party for small business and farmers and we want to make sure that continues and that can only continue with a close relationship with the Liberals," McCormack told reporters in Canberra after winning the vote.

"Look forward to having a good discussion with (Prime Minister and Liberals leader) Malcolm Turnbull in a few moments," he added.

McCormack, who had been the veterans' affairs minister, was sworn in as deputy PM and infrastructure minister shortly after his appointment.

He was widely expected to win the leadership role after other Nationals MPs withdrew from the race.

Maverick Queensland MP George Christensen launched a late bid for the leadership, but was defeated. The vote count was not released.

McCormack is not as well-known as Joyce, who made international headlines for threatening to euthanise Hollywood star Johnny Depp's dogs over a quarantine violation.

But he is seen as a safe pair of hands as the Liberal and National parties seek to repair their relationship after the Joyce scandal.

Tensions between the two parties rose after 50-year-old Joyce's affair with ex-staffer Vikki Campion, 33, was splashed across the frontpage of Sydney's Daily Telegraph in early February.

Revelations about the affair and allegations that Joyce breached ministerial rules made daily headlines, prompting Turnbull to harshly criticise his deputy's behaviour and impose a formal ban on sex between ministers and their staff.

Also Read: Australian PM bans sex among ministers after deputy's affair

Joyce in turn slammed Turnbull's comments as "inept" and initially refused to step down, before resigning Friday after a separate sexual harassment complaint was lodged against him. He denied the allegation.

Turnbull welcomed McCormack's appointment, saying he expected the more than 70-year coalition between the two parties would continue under his leadership.

The coalition has endured a tumultuous few months, with the scandal coming on the heels of a dual citizenship crisis that involved some of its lawmakers, including Joyce, and threatened its wafer-thin parliamentary majority.

McCormack, first elected to the lower House of Representatives in 2010 representing the rural region of Riverina in southwest New South Wales state, is not without controversy.

More than two decades ago as a local newspaper editor he wrote a column in which he described homosexuality as "sordid behaviour".

In August, as he oversaw a voluntary nationwide postal vote on same-sex marriage as the minister in charge of the government agency running the poll, he "apologised wholeheartedly for the comments at the time".

McCormack later voted in parliament in support of amending the Marriage Act to legalise gay unions.
The 2 Sisters Food Group, owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan, is believed to be working with corporate finance advisers from Clearwater International on a possible disposal of the business, The Sunday Times reported. (Photo: 2sfg.com)

London: Britain's Indian-origin "chicken king" is planning to sell off his Irish fish supplying business to consolidate his food empire following a hygiene scandal at one of his chicken plants in the UK, in 2017.

The 2 Sisters Food Group, owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan, is believed to be working with corporate finance advisers from Clearwater International on a possible disposal of the business, The Sunday Times reported.

An undercover investigation, in 2017, had showed workers appearing to change the dates on food labels and picking up dead poultry from the floor and returning it to the production line at a plant in West Bromwich. The company has since put a series of safety measures in place at all its chicken production units.

Earlier in February, 2 Sisters said it would close three of its factories, threatening the future of nearly 900 jobs. In January, Boparan sold the pizza brand Goodfella's to the owner of Birds Eye for 200 million pounds in cash.

The 51-year-old tycoon, based in the Midlands region of England, left school at 16 and turned 2 Sisters into Britain's largest poultry supplier through a series of acquisitions, including a 342-million-pounds takeover of quoted rival Northern Foods in 2011.

He also acquired turkey business Bernard Matthews and restaurant chains FishWorks, Giraffe and Harry Ramsden's.

According to the newspaper, the deal spree left 2 Sisters with debts of 824 million pounds at the end of 2017, 5.4 times its underlying earnings although the Goodfella's sale will reduce that total. The company has 250 million pounds of bonds that will need to be repaid in 2019.

In November 2017, the credit ratings agency Moody's downgraded its debt rating deeper into junk territory on fears over meagre profit margins and huge debts.

Boparan is also shouldering heavy pension payments after acquiring Northern Foods' final-salary pension scheme. The plan has about 17,000 members and had a 541 million pounds shortfall in March 2015, its most recent disclosures show.

2 Sisters has reportedly also held talks about merging its Fox's Biscuits brand with the Jammie Dodgers maker Burton's Foods, which is owned by a Canadian pension fund.
More than 1,300 women and children surrendered to Kurdish peshmerga in August after government forces expelled the jihadist group from the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar. (Representational Image)

Baghdad: An Iraqi court has sentenced 16 Turkish women to death by hanging for joining Islamic State, a judiciary spokesman said on Sunday.

Iraq is conducting the trials of hundreds of foreign women who have been detained, with hundreds of their children, by Iraqi forces since August, as Isis strongholds crumbled.

The central criminal court issued the sentences after it was proven they belong to the Daesh terrorist group and after they confessed to marrying Daesh elements or providing members of the group with logistical aid or helping them carry out terrorist attacks, said Judge Abdul-Sattar al-Birqdar, referring to the militant group using an Arabic acronym.

All the verdicts were subject to appeal, he said.

Thousands of foreigners have fought on behalf of Isis in Iraq and Syria since at least 2014. Many foreign women came  or were brought  from overseas to join the militants.

More than 1,300 women and children surrendered to Kurdish peshmerga in August after government forces expelled the jihadist group from the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar. Their numbers have since swelled to about 1,700 as more foreign nationals surrendered or were captured during operations to root out the militants, according to aid officials.

Another Turkish woman was sentenced to death last week and 10 others of various nationalities to life in prison, all for alleged Isis membership.

A German woman was sentenced to death in January for belonging to the group and a Russian fighter was also sentenced to death in Iraq in 2017 for joining it.

Iraq has handed over to Russia four women and 27 children suspected of having ties to the group, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, adding that they were tricked into joining the militants.

Iraq declared victory in December over Isis, which had seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014. The group has been driven out of all population centres it once controlled on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border, but members have continued to carry out bombings and other attacks in Iraq.
The presence of the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries at the Republic Day Parade last month was an impressive signal of the success of India's engagement with South East Asia. Equally impressive has been India's engagement with West Asia over the past three years. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's fruitful three-day visit shows that India has successfully navigated the latter region's fault lines and contradictions to expand bilateral ties with its major countries. The India-Iran joint statement shows that both countries addressed each other's concerns on terrorism, connectivity and the Iran nuclear deal.



West Asia is in turmoil. Growing young populations are straining the social structures of many states. Violent and extremist theologies and inter-state competition are re-casting regional alignments. The Israel-Palestine dispute endures and festers. The Iran-Saudi Arabia competition has assumed new forms and manifested in continuing civil conflict in Yemen. It was also partially responsible for the rise of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. US President Donald Trump's determination to reverse the basic thrust of his predecessor's approach to the region and his threats to walk out of the Iran nuclear deal has added to the confusion and unpredictability.

West Asia's sharp divisions have not deterred Prime Minister Narendra Modi from seeking to enhance relationships including through bold personal diplomacy. No previous prime minister ventured to move so, even though all of them acknowledged the region's significance to India's interests. In particular, there was great reluctance to move ahead with relations with Israel.

India traditionally supported the Palestinian cause. Many countries had sympathy for the injustice suffered by the Palestinians but that did not deter them from developing ties with Israel. However, Indian leaders were constrained by domestic considerations. Cold War demands and a desire not to offend Islamic countries also played a part. Consequently, India boxed itself into a corner, and it is to former prime minister Narasimha Rao's credit that he decided to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992.

A robust bilateral economic and defence relationship has grown in the past 25 years, and yet Rao's successors thus far had avoided visiting Israel. This caution was unwarranted, as shown by Modi visiting both Israel and Ramallah and inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to India. Successful foreign policy requires the management of contradictions.

Today, no Islamic country is as hostile to Israel as Iran. It speaks and acts against Israel's interests and refuses to accept its right to exist. It also supports Hamas and Hezbollah. The former was committed to the destruction of Israel but has moderated its stand to one of not recognising it. The latter is still dedicated to undoing the Jewish state.

Modi's exuberant praise of Israel when he visited that country last year and his lavish welcome of Netanyahu has not come in the way of Rouhani's decision to visit India. This is certainly on account of India's growing economic and strategic importance in the region. It is also because these oil and gas rich countries need the Indian market as US dependence on West Asian energy has fallen to zero.

Modi has also paid great attention to the Arab Gulf states, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The rivalry between these countries is historic on several counts

- sectarian, ethnic and political. After the Khomeini revolution, Saudi Arabia and Iran have competed for the leadership of the Islamic Ummah, resulting in a deepening of the Sunni-Shia divide.

The Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s and US and UN sanctions imposed on Iran because of its nuclear programme constrained its outreach in the Ummah and its influence in the region. The 2015 nuclear deal made it more assertive and its actions in creating an arc of Shia power stretching from Iraq to Syria began to redefine regional equations. Now, Trump's West Asia policy will again restrict the Iranian ambit of action, even if its ambitions remain.

All through, since OPEC raised oil prices in 1973 and that began to transform the Arab Peninsula countries, India has wisely refrained from taking sides in West Asia's regional politics. It has not tried to act beyond its capacities to shape events in the region. It has simultaneously sought to develop relations with Iran and Arab Peninsula states. Its energy, commercial and economic as also security interests have demanded a greater intensification of ties. As India's power has grown, these countries have also responded well and taken pro-active measures, too.

In India's interests

Where Modi has made a difference is in quickening the pace of political interaction with countries on opposite sides of the regional divide. The fact that he has not hesitated to visit Riyadh, Tehran, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and now Muscat, which no single Indian prime minister did in one term of office, demonstrates an assertion that India will act to foster ties as India's interests demand, even if these capitals have problems with each other. This has required a focus on individual relations and a scrupulous avoidance of trying to act as a peacemaker, let alone as a big brother.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed are challenging conservative social practices in their societies. They are partially responding to the urges of their youth for greater social freedom. In addition, they are seeking to erode the hold of extremist thinking that drives the youth into the arms of violent groups such as IS and al-Qaeda. Particularly noteworthy is Abu Dhabi's decision to allow the construction of temples and gurudwaras. This decision to show Islam as a moderate and liberal faith is controversial within the UAE.

Modi witnessed the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the temple via video conferencing. It would be wise to let decisions that Arab leaderships take for allowing the practice of other faiths be entirely domestic and projected as such. No special enthusiasm should be officially shown on such issues. Anti-Indian forces should not be allowed a handle to spread mischief against the country.

India's diplomacy will have to remain nimble in West Asia, continue its focus on building bilateral ties and avoid getting caught in regional crossfire.

(The writer is retired Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs)
Vidwath L, the victim in the pub brawl incident allegedly involving Congress MLA N A Haris's son Mohammed Nalapad, was beaten up with knuckle-duster rings that fractured his ribs.



Though the complaint filed by Praveen Ventakachalaiah, Vidwath's friend, mentioned the weapon, the police have not included it in the FIR.

"It is a weapon and attacking the victim using such a weapon amounts to attempt to murder. Since the accused hit Vidwath with knuckle-duster rings, his nine ribs (right 4th to 9th and left 4th to 9th ribs) got fractured,'' said Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) M S Shyamasundar.

Vidwath was brutally attacked by eight men, including Mohammed, at Farzi Cafe in Bengaluru on February 17.

The complaint states that Vidwath was "hit with bottles and rings", but the FIR only states that the accused hit Vidwath with "bottles".

"Vidwath collapsed soon after they punched him with rings. But it is not mentioned in the FIR. This raises suspicion over the police," Praveen said.

Shyamasundar said, "In the spur of the moment, it can be said that the accused hit the victim with the bottle because there were bottles in front of him. But hitting the victim with knuckle-duster rings clearly suggests that they intended to kill him." The SPP clarified that the court will only consider what is there in the complaint and not what the police have mentioned in the FIR.
Students and teachers returned to a Florida school for the first time since 17 people were killed there, consoling each other even as they called for swift action to address gun violence.



"Imagine (being) in a plane crash and then having to get on the same plane every day and fly somewhere else -- it's never going to be the same," David Hogg, a survivor of the February 14 shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school, told ABC television's "This Week." The school held a voluntary "orientation" Sunday, with teachers and staff due back starting Monday and classes resuming on Wednesday -- a prospect described as "daunting" and "scary," but which is also a step for survivors to move forward after the attack.

One teacher who had already been back told NPR radio that the shock of returning to a classroom left exactly as it had been during the attack -- notebooks still on desks, the calendar still set to February 14 -- made her so physically ill she had to leave.

But Cameron Kasky, a student who survived the attack, tweeted a picture of people on campus, saying: "It is GOOD TO BE HOME." "I have all my friends here with me and it just makes me feel like I'm not alone in this situation," student Michelle Dittmeier, who attended the orientation, told ABC.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School also received support from alumni, with previous graduating classes making banners to decorate the school, the WSVN news reported.

Amid ardent demands by students like Hogg for action, President Donald Trump has said he is open to raising the minimum age for gun purchases and to banning so-called bump stocks, which can effectively convert semi-automatic weapons into automatic firearms.

Speaking at the Governors Ball ahead of meetings with the top officials from all 50 states on Monday, Trump said that school safety is a top priority: "I think we'll make that first on our list."

A new CNN poll, conducted a week after the Florida shooting, shows surging public support for stricter gun laws -- surpassing levels seen even after other horrific shootings of recent years -- and for a ban on powerful semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 used in Parkland.

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed said they supported stricter gun laws, up from 52 percent in October, and 57 percent favored a ban on semi-automatic arms, an increase from 49 per cent.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has laid out a plan to station a police officer at every public school in the state, raise the legal age for gun purchases from 18 to 21 and pass a "red flag" law for authorities to more easily remove guns from the mentally ill or people with violent histories.

The age change and "red flag" law are staunchly opposed by the influential National Rifle Association, of which Scott is a member.

Scott, who holds the NRA's highest rating of A+, noted on "Fox News Sunday" that "there will be some that disagree. But... I want my state to be safe." Trump had Scott stand up to applause on Sunday, telling him: "You're doing a great job." Florida was also the scene of a June 2016 shooting at an Orlando nightclub that left 49 people dead.
About 285 MoUs worth Rs1,74,568 crore, with a potential of generating 2,86,371 new jobs were signed between the government of Andhra Pradesh and various companies by the second day of the three-day Partnership summit in Visakhapatnam .





The MoU signed in various sectors include- Natural Gas, communications, aerospace & defence, textiles, energy, food processing, health, IT electronics and other sectors. This takes the total number of MoUs signed by Andhra Pradesh in the two days of the Summit to 364 with potential investments of Rs2,18,814 crore and creating employment for 3,84,662 people.





Announcing the Reliance deal, Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu said the MoUs were for building a digital infrastructure and for developing oil and gas in the resource-rich South Indian state "There are two MoUs, one is for hardware revolution and how to create entrepreneurs in AP. The other is for oil and gas. Reliance will be investing around Rs50,000 crore. They are going to create 25,000 jobs," the chief minister said. "They are very strong in technology and we are very strong in governance, let's see how it goes."





Energy sector was the star player on Sunday as it produced 34 MoUs with potential investments worth Rs1,11,921 crore and employment of 133,031.





Ten MoUs in the Aerospace and Defence sector propose to bring in investments of Rs9,406 crore and create 6,000 new jobs. Textiles sector saw 25 MoUs worth Rs5,337 crore with a potential to employ 33,092. Food Processing saw the maximum number of MoUs at 169. The value of these, however, is about Rs 3,534 crore with jobs potential of 48398. Health sector saw 25 MoUs being signed worth Rs5,090 crore in investments and 4,750 new jobs. IT and electronics bagged 22 MoUs with potential investment and employment of 39,281 crore and 61,100, respectively.




BJP national president Amit Shah said that the BJP will settle the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Goa, if it comes to power in Karnataka.



"The issue would have been laid to rest if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had cooperated with us earlier. Even now, there are people who are creating problems. Hence the delay. If the people of the state place their faith in us and bring us to power, a solution for Mahadayi will happen," Shah appealed.

Replying to questions from scribes, Shah said that the party does not support Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde's statements. "Why do you worry about his statements harming the image of the party?," he asked reporters at a media conference adding that it was the party's job to do it.

Shah said that most muslim women supported the ban on triple talaq and the BJP would bring a law forbidding it. "We are committed to provide equal authority and rights to women," he added.

He said that in the BJP even an ordinary party worker can become chief minister. Which means that even a dalit can become chief minister.

"The BJP central parliamentary party will name candidates. You leave giving K S Eswarappa a ticket for the polls-or not; to me. Taking care of the party leaders' best interests is my job. Why are you worried about it? " he shot back to a question.

The state government has to buy the toor dal produced by farmers in the state at a support price. Waiving farmer loans by roping in nationalised banks is left to the new government that comes to power in the state.

"The centre has bought 25.67 lakh quintals of toor dal under the support price scheme. State government has to buy 1.74 lakh quintals only. Even if the state government had bought half of our purchase, it would have alleviated farmers' problems to a great extent. We have bought farmers' produce in all BJP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Why can't Karnataka government do it?" he queried.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Katiyar has said the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed on the spot where "Ram Lala" is resting.



"I will not comment on how long will it take for it to be decided as the issue is now being heard by the Supreme Court," Katiyar, who was on a private visit to the district, told reporters, while replying to a query last night.

"We are waiting for the court verdict, but I will like to say that our Ram temple, for sure, will come up at the place where Ram Lala is resting...he (Ram idol) will continue (to remain) on the spot," he said, adding, "That land belongs to Lord Ram."

To a question, Katiyar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were together working dedicatedly for the country and the state.

"Criminals are surrendering before the police on their own under the Yogi government," he added. PTI CORR SAB RC RC -
President Donald Trump says the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.



Under pressure to act to stem gun violence on school grounds, Trump planned to solicit input from the state chief executives during meetings Monday at the White House.The governors are in Washington for their annual winter meeting.

But socializing was the focus Sunday night as Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted the governors for an annual black-tie ball.

In brief remarks before dinner beneath dimmed lights in the State Dining Room, Trump said the governors are "very, very special people." "The job you do is really incredible. It's not easy, but we're very proud of you and we're very proud to have you here," he said as tall candles flickered and bouquets of hydrangeas adorned an assortment of round and oblong dinner tables.

Previewing today's talks, Trump said they would also discuss the economy "and many other things." Seventeen students and teachers were killed in a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, sparking a public outcry for new gun-control measures as well as action to improve school safety.

"We'll be talking about Parkland and the horrible event that took place last week," Trump said. "That will be one of the subjects. We'll make it first on our list." Trump thanked Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a close political ally who attended the ball, and told everyone he's "doing a great job." The president also boasted about the economy, saying numbers that weren't so good under his predecessor are improving under his leadership.

"You're going to see some numbers coming up over the next year, the likes of which we haven't seen in our country for many, many years," Trump said. He briefly mentioned his efforts to eliminate regulations, saying that because of his administration "people are building and farming and doing lot of things that they were having a very hard time doing." Trump's session with the governors will be the latest in which he solicits ideas for stopping gun violence at schools as the White House works to finalize an expected legislative proposal. Trump spent several days last week hearing emotional pleas from parents and students, including some who survived the Parkland shooting, and others who suffered through school shootings in Connecticut and Colorado. He also solicited input from state and local officials.

Trump has floated numerous ideas since the shooting, including raising the minimum age for the purchase of assault-style weapons, improving background checks for gun purchases, arming educators and paying them bonuses, and re-opening mental institutions.

Trump's daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, expressed uncertainty when asked whether arming teachers would make children safer.

"To be honest, I don't know," the mother of three said in an interview with NBC News from South Korea, where she attended the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. "Obviously, there would have to be an incredibly high standard for who would be able to bear arms in our school. But I think there is no one solution for creating safety." The National Rifle Association, which backed Trump for president, opposes increasing the minimum age for assault-style weapons purchases but favors arming teachers.

"I think we're going to have a great bill put forward very soon having to do with background checks, having to do with getting rid of certain things and keeping other things, and perhaps we'll do something on age, because it doesn't seem to make sense that you have to wait until you are 21 years old to get a pistol, but to get a gun like this maniac used in the school, you get that at 18," Trump said during a late Saturday telephone interview with Fox News Channel. "That doesn't make sense."
A former militant was killed while a policeman was injured in a grenade attack near police station in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday.



Police said the incident took place on Monday afternoon when a burqa (veil) clad person came out from police station and was stopped by a sentry. "During this somebody threw a grenade towards police station in a bid to take out the burqa clad militant under custody. The incident left militant dead and a policeman injured," a police spokesperson said.



The slain militant, identified as Mushtaq Chopan alias Haroon, a resident of Tral, was arrested along with his two associates by security forces in north Kashmir's Sopore area on January 9.



State Police chief Shesh Pal Vaid confirmed the killing of Chopan in the attack. "A militant Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan died in grenade explosion when challenged by sentry while trying to escape from Police Station Tral," he tweeted.



Earlier, in a separate incident, militants escaped security cordon after exchanging heavy fire with army in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Monday morning.



Reports said a civilian was also injured during the clashes that broke out after security forces cordoned off the area following specific inputs about the presence of some militants.



The twin incidents came a day after two policemen were killed by militants in two separate attacks in Srinagar and Budgam areas.


Snow comes early to the Teton mountain range, and when it does, the white-bottomed pronghorn that live here get the urge to move. Following an ancient rhythm, they migrate more than 200 miles to the south, where the elevation is lower, winter is milder and grass is easier to find. Come the spring green-up, they make the second half of the round trip, returning to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.



After thousands of years, biologists are concerned about the future of this migration pattern. While there have been efforts to protect the journey, such as highway overpasses and antelope-friendly fences, some new barriers are looming.

Most immediate is the prospect of 3,500 new gas wells planned on federal land at the southern end of the pronghorn's migratory path. And then there's the nearby Jonah Natural Gas Field, which is already intensively developed. "The challenge is understanding how many holes you can punch in the landscape," said Matthew Kauffman, a professor of wildlife biology at the University of Wyoming, USA, "before a migration is lost."

Movement ecology

Room to move is critical for a wide range of species, but it has long been difficult for researchers to capture where and when they travel. But a new and growing field called 'movement ecology' is casting light on the secretive movements of wildlife and how those habits are changing. A global study of 57 species of mammals, published in the journal Science, has found that wildlife moves far less in landscapes that have been altered by humans, a finding that could have implications for a range of issues, from how well natural systems function to finding ways to protect migratory species.

The large study brought together 114 researchers from across the globe who had gathered information from 803 individual animals. They ranged from the smallest animals that can be collared - pocket mice - to the largest, elephants. Using the GPS collars that updated an animal's location regularly and other data, the project found that vagility - the ability of an organism to move - declines in areas with human footprints by as much as half to two-thirds the distance than in places where there is little or no human activity.

"It is important that animals move, because in moving they carry out important ecological functions like transporting nutrients and seeds between different areas," said Marlee Tucker, the study's lead author and a biologist at Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. The ability to move and find food helps keep some imperiled species viable.

There has been exponential growth in data on wildlife movement as technology has evolved, opening new windows into the secret lives of animals. "We used to have one dot on a map twice a day," said Roland Kays, a biologist at North Carolina State University, USA, who participated in the study. "Now we have a point as much as every second and know exactly where they are going, how they are avoiding people, how they are crossing the road and catching prey. It's big for determining how animals die or where they die and how that affects populations."

Decline in vagility

More research is needed to determine the reasons for the decline in vagility and what that means to a species. Development threats led to the creation of the Wyoming Migration Initiative, which seeks to identify, study and protect pronghorn, mule deer and other animals' migrations, which are increasingly at risk on the high plains because of new housing tracts, oil and gas development, roads and other barriers.

Blocked or hampered migrations can mean animals can't access food sources they need. In 2011, researchers discovered that mule deer in Wyoming make a 150-mile long, twice-yearly journey following a wave of green, nutritious grasses from the Red Desert to Hoback.

Understanding the movement of species is especially important as climate change drives species to seek more habitable terrain. Parks and preserves may offer less protection as animals migrate, and increase the need for protection of corridors so some animals can move elsewhere. "Wild animals on an intact landscape move in sync with their needs," Matthew said. "When you develop the landscape, that leads to less movement and they are less in tune with the naturally occurring pulse of the landscape."
The Bihar Police have registered an FIR against BJP leader Manoj Baitha whose SUV mowed down nine school children in Muzaffarpur on February 24.



Soon after an FIR was lodged, the state BJP on Monday conceded that the prime accused in the tragic incident, Manoj Baitha, was indeed a party leader. The volte-face comes two days after Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai vehemently maintained on Saturday that "Baitha was not associated with the BJP."

The speeding SUV, which ran over several children who were waiting to cross the road after the school was over, thereby killing nine kids on the spot, was being driven by Baitha. The vehicle sported a BJP flag and had a nameplate as "general secretary, BJP Dalit Cell."

The Muzaffarpur police, meanwhile, have booked Baitha under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and other sections of the IPC. The FIR has named only one person (Baitha) as an accused although locals said that there were at least three persons in the vehicle which mowed down the children.

"The police have been raiding Baitha's house. He will be apprehended soon," said Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi here on Monday. Modi was responding to the charges levelled by the RJD-led Opposition which accused the government of "shielding the absconding BJP leader since Nitish Kumar was running his government on BJP's crutches."

"The SUV, which killed nine children in Muzaffapur on Saturday, was registered in Baitha's name on September 21, 2010. He has been booked under Sections 279, 308, 338, and 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," said a cop, associated with the investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, the local residents, who blocked NH-77, have demanded a foot-overbridge near the school where the children, all aged between 7 and 10, were waiting to cross the road before they were mowed down by the speeding SUV.

"The demand for foot overbridge has been accepted by the Chief Minister," said a government official.
The CII Partnership summit that concluded on Monday in Visakhapatnam has fetched 734 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) worth Rs 4.39 lakh crore for Andhra Pradesh.



Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced this while addressing the valedictory function. He said that these investment commitments are expected to create 11 lakh jobs.



He said the major `investment commitments have come from companies including Reliance, Adani Group, Lulu Group and Google. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners had on Saturday announced Rs 55,000 crore investments in energy, electronics and other sectors in the state.



Naidu said RIL signed MoUs for three projects. These include a unit at Tirupati to manufacture one million mobile phones. He said the company will also create the best ecosystem for innovation incubation, and startups with venture capital. United Arab Emirates-based Lulu Group signed a MoU to build a convention centre, hotel and shopping mall in Visakhapatnam.



Naidu enlisted other major investments such as Adani Group which is coming with an investment of Rs 9,000 crore including the development of a port at Bhavanapadu. He said that he would personally monitor the progress of the projects and assured the investors that all clearances will be granted within 21 days. "If you have any problem you can bring it to my notice. I am only a call away," he said.




Student Rameeza objected to Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde's politically motivated speech during an interaction with students, organised by the Ministry of Skill Development, in Madikeri on Monday.



The student's objection, however, enraged the minister. The student said, "You state that you do not deliver political speeches where students are gathered. Is your entire speech not politically motivated?"

Reacting to it, the minister said, "There is an argument and a counter argument in Society. When one speaks against an argument, it leads to a controversy, which, in turn. looks beautiful at the outset."

When the BJP leaders and CMC members of the party clapped and whistled at Hegde's reaction, the student said, "One should understand the purpose of the programme. There is no need to answer those wearing spectacles."

The minister said, "I will start speaking on politics now. The BJP government has introduced several projects. The UPA government did not have any vision or capacity. A total of 1,500 students have registered with the Swayam portal, which is the BJP's contribution."

Further, he said, "During the Congress regime, soldiers were not given drinking water by the government. After the Modi government came to power, pipeline has been laid to supply water to the soldiers on the border. We do not know backdoor politics."
Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and deputy chief ministers of states where the BJP is in alliance, will attend a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review development work and to plan a strategy for the upcoming polls in some states.



But topping the agenda is Modi's idea of holding a wider debate on simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.

A resolution may be passed at the meeting, urging the Centre and other stake holders to take "concrete steps" in this regard even though senior BJP leaders including party chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley have asserted that the next Lok Sabha polls in 2019 would be held on schedule.

Shah, in particular, has held that the proposal would only be pursued after the next parliamentary elections.

Confirming the agenda, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday that "There's a meeting of CMs on February 28 in Delhi. We will discuss and try for a consensus on holding simultaneous elections for state Assemblies and Parliament."

The BJP has, apparently, circulated to its chief ministers with a 10-point action plan.

A three-page concept note sent to them has mooted that the party should strive to create a consensus on the issue by engaging the local opposition leaders and regional parties.

The note has even suggested that their Assemblies have a debate on the subject.

As part of the 'one-nation-one-election' plan, the party has suggested the setting up of a committee of senior bureaucrats and a minister to promote the idea.

The BJP chief ministers have been told to name a senior minister who can be deputed to take the issue forward politically.

So far, the Opposition parties have been lukewarm to the idea.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has, however, told her party leaders to brace up for simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies in some states by the year-end.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are some of the major BJP-governed states that are to go for polls this year end.

Reversing his earlier view, former president Pranab Mukherjee said holding simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections was "very difficult to implement."

Delivering a talk last week, he said clubbing of the elections "artificially" would deny states their right to a "representative government."
Amidst growing Chinese presence in the Indo-Pacific region, the Navy has introduced an "operational element" in the biennial Milan series of exercises involving 24 littoral navies around the Indian Ocean.



This year's Milan exercise - to be held at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from March 6 to 13 - would see the participation of naval forces from around the world. At least eight of them would bring 11 warships that would carry out "operational exercises" at sea.

The exercise from March 11 to 13 would be on maritime interdiction, and search and rescue operations. "The aim is to validate the common procedures and strengthen the standard operating procedures for inter-operability at sea," said a Navy official.

Out of the 24 nations, who will take part in the table-top strategy discussions and war-gaming, as many as eight would practice some of the drills at sea.

Besides the Indian Navy that has a significant presence on the island, warships from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Mauritius will carry out the drills at sea.

The congregation of the naval powers would take place at a time when China is exhibiting its increased military presence in the Indian Ocean and its manoeuvres in the South China Sea has triggered concerns in the security establishment around the world.

In November, India, USA, Australia and Japan gave shape to a long-pending quadrilateral coalition in order to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence.

Presence of Chinese naval ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean has increased steadily since 2008. At any given point of time, there are at least 7-8 PLA Navy ships in the high seas. This includes the vessels that Beijing sent for anti-piracy patrol (since 2013) in the Gulf of Aden.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday flayed attempts to politicise the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) case terming it as unsubstantiated charges against his son-in-law.



He said his son-in-law, Gurpal Singh, is a minority shareholder with a mere 12.5% share in Sambhauli Sugars Limited and was being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.

"The political attack on my son-in-law is ludicrous. Even a cursory check of the case background would have revealed that Gurpal had no role in the entire affair," the CM said.

He said as per information available with him, the alleged fraud had been the subject matter of court proceedings before the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in a suit filed by the bank and which was settled between the company and OBC. It was recorded by DRT Lucknow by way of a consent order on March 16, 2015, he said.

Singh said Gurpal is a law-abiding citizen and had refused to sign any documents to give any personal guarantee against the loan in question, forcing the OBC to amend the loan document on February 12, 2015, thus waiving off the requirement of Gurpal's signature on any guarantee documents.

He said Gurpal had actually been litigating against Sambhauli Sugars, for his rights as Director and shareholder, before the National Company Law Tribunal, as he had been kept out of all major decisions and the working of the company.

"All vital and true facts would emerge before the judicial courts when the CBI case is taken up by them," he said, urging political parties and the media to stop indulging in baseless statements and reporting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accompany King of Jordan Abdullah II, when the monarch of the Hashemite kingdom will deliver a lecture on moderate Islam in New Delhi on Thursday.



With several states going to the Assembly polls this year and the parliamentary polls due next year, Modi's plan to join the King of Jordan, who is a prominent face of moderate Islam in West Asia, during the speech is apparently aimed at sending out a political message across the nation.

The prime minister himself will share his thoughts before inviting the king of Jordan to speak on "Islamic heritage: promoting understanding and moderation".

Abdullah II, who is believed to be a 41st generation descendant of Prophet Muhammad, will speak on the role of counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation programmes in combating the menace of terrorism.

The king of Jordan will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday for a three-day visit to India. He and the prime minister will hold talks, covering the "entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest".

President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honour of the visiting monarch on Thursday.

Abdullah is well known in West Asia and beyond for espousing inter-faith dialogue and a moderate understanding of Islam. He launched the Aqaba Initiative to lead global efforts to prevent the radicalisation of youths.

Modi visited Palestine, United Arab Emirates and Oman earlier this month in a move to strengthen India's ties with the Arab world - about a month after hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New Delhi.

As a part of this, he transited through Amman to reach Ramallah, played host to Iranian President Hassan Netanyahu and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Saudi Arabia.

India's bid to deepen engagements with West Asia is apparently aimed at balancing its growing ties with Israel.

Modi was the first prime minister of India to visit Israel. He visited Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in July 2017.
BJP president Amit Shah today took on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the prime minister over the PNB scam, saying no other government had acted as promptly and taken stringent action against frauds as the Narendra Modi government.



Shah also hit out at the Sidaramaiah government, accusing it of following "'three Ds -- Dhokha (cheating), Dadagiri (intimidation) and dynastic politics".

The BJP chief said the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have taken prompt action in the case.

"There has been no government other than Modiji's government, that has taken prompt and most stringent of actions against any frauds committed in the past," Shah told reporters here.

His reply came when he was asked about Gandhi's remarks against Modi in the multi-crore PNB fraud case.

At public rallies at Vijapura and Bagalkote districts in North Karnataka, Gandhi had been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on corruption, asking as to why Modi, who had described himself as the country's chowkidar (watchman), was "silent" on the bank fraud allegedly involving jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Shah said, "The ED has already taken action (filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act). Prior to it, the CBI had registered an FIR early this month." The ED had also conducted raids on the properties of Nirav and seized jewellery and some shares besides freezing his bank accounts, Shah said.

In his opening remarks, Shah said BJP was certain to form the next government in Karnataka because the Siddaramaiah administration had "failed" on all fronts including checking corruption and by meting out injustice to temples and religious institutions.

"Corruption and Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous," he alleged.

Moreover, the people of the state were angered over the Siddaramaiah government's "nefarious" intentions of dividing a community by according separate religion status, Shah said.

"If the BJP is voted to power, we will repeal the proposal (to give separate religion status to Lingayats)," he said.

Lingayats/Veerashaivas form a major and influential community in Karnataka, sections of which are seeking a separate religious tag.

The Siddaramaiah government is being accused of trying to divide the community by forming a panel to make a recommendation on the issue to the Centre.

"The Siddaramaiah goverment has been cheating the people of the state by not fulfilling its promises. The people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region are saying they have not seen such 'goonda' government and thirdly, are unhappy with the rule of two families in this part of the state," he said.

"If anyone wants to see the governance of the Congress, then go to the constituency of Kharge sahab," Shah said.

The dynastic politics jibe was apparently a reference to Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Kalaburagi, whose son Priyank Kharge is a state minister. The BJP chief said he received feedback from party workers that there was too much of backwardness. "There is no such backwardness in any place of Karnataka, but in Kharge sahab's own constituency," he said.

Shah said after winning the election, the very first thing that the BJP government would do is to restart the local sugar mills, which are closed at the moment.
Bollywood on Monday continued to wait for the arrival of the body of actor Sridevi as there was an unexpected delay in bringing back her mortal remains from Dubai, where she died on Saturday night.



Sridevi, aged 54, was earlier reported to have died of a heart attack.

However, after post-mortem, it emerged that the actor died of accidental drowning and traces of alcohol were detected in her blood.

Several admirers and fans continued to throng outside the Lokhandwala residence of Boney Kapoor and at the bungalow of Anil Kapoor on Monday.

Security has been beefed up at both the places. The last rites will be conducted at the Vile Parle crematorium.

Her husband, Boney Kapoor, 62, is in Dubai for the formalities and no one from the family has commented so far on the death of the actor.

"It is a shock to me, the film industry and her family. We have worked together in 16 films...it is difficult to speak about Sridevi in the past tense," said veteran actor Anupam Kher, a close family friend of the Kapoor family.

Sridevi's daughter Jhanvi is at Anil Kapoor's residence. However, there was no formal confirmation whether the actor's younger daughter Khushi is back in Mumbai or still in Dubai.

Boney Kapoor's children with his first wife, late Mona Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Anshula, too, visited them.

Sridevi's contemporaries Madhuri Dixit Nene and Jaya Pradha were among those who visited the mourning family at Anil Kapoor's residence.

Her senior, Rekha, too, visited the family.

There was a beeline of Bollywood personalities, including Tabu, Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar and his mother Honey Irani, Rani Mukherjee, Nagma and Telugu superstar Venkatesh.

According to reports, top South Indian stars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are expected to attend the funeral of the star.

"It is shocking, we are yet to come to terms," said choreographer Saroj Khan.

"I visited the family, they said that it would take some time to complete the formalities, but now this news of accidental drowning comes as a shock," said Saroj, popularly known as Masterjee.

On Sunday, Yash Raj Films released a statement that read: "Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family is deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor They thank the entire media for their prayers, support and sensitivity during their time of grief."
The government on Monday released a list of 9,500 "high risk" Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).



The list includes Adani Group's NBFC arm Adani Capital Pvt Ltd.

Other big names on the list are Reliance Finvest Private Limited, Hyundai Capital India Pvt Ltd, Hinduja Finance Pvt Ltd, Century Ply & Boards Pvt Ltd, Moody's Investment Company India Pvt Ltd, Dlf Finvest Limited, Bombay Gas Co Ltd, Srestha Finvest, Kamdhenu Finance and Tribhuvan Finlease & Developers.

These companies are not compliant with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) rules as on January 31.

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions, released the list early on Monday.

The PMLA requires all NBFCs to appoint a principal officer in the financial institutions and report all suspicious and cash transactions of over Rs 10 lakh to the FIU.

The NBFCs came under government lens after they were found exchanging unaccounted old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes post demonetisation.

To promote conducive credit culture among NBFCs and to regulate their credit system, the RBI had recently launched ombudsman scheme for NBFCs that would ensure redressal of complaints against deficiency in their services concerning deposits, loans and advances.

The RBI imposes penalties and takes legal action against NBFCs which violate instructions/norms on basis of Market Intelligence reports, and complaints and exception reports from statutory auditors of the companies.

The RBI immediately shares such information with all the financial sector regulators and enforcement agencies in the state-level coordination committee meetings.
One more cow smuggler was killed under mysterious circumstances while being chased by the police in Alwar district of Rajasthan. Around 25 cattle heads were recovered from his vehicle, the police confirmed.



According to the police, Anas Mohammed, 35, a resident of Nuh at Alwar and Haryana border, was crushed to death under the wheels of a truck carrying bovines when he jumped off the vehicle. Acting on a tip-off received by the Dausa police, a vehicle smuggling cows was being chased by the police on Sunday when the incident took place.

Alwar SP Rahul Prakash said, "Police were following the vehicle. There was an exchange of fire. However, no one was hit. Anas was sitting next to the driver, and he tried to flee by jumping off the vehicle, but got crushed under the same truck."

"In an attempt to escape, Anas and the driver had already broken the windshield. The driver was able to escape, while Anas got under the wheels of the moving truck," Prakash added.

His body was handed over to his family on Monday after a post-mortem at Alwar government hospital.

According to the police, there was an earlier case of cow smuggling against Anas.

The Alwar police, looking for the absconding driver, have meanwhile lodged a case under at Raini police station under IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (attempt to murder).
Nearly 50 years after shooting 'Samskara' and after several hit films, cinematographer Tom Cowen still considers the Kannada movie as one of his best works, though it was his first feature film.



Cowen was a 26-year-old cinematographer with Australian Broadcasting Commission when he accidentally came in touch with a group of enthusiastic people who wanted to make a movie out of U R Ananthamurthy's eponymous novel.

"I had done a documentary in Israel and then 'Samskara' happened. It was my first feature movie as a cinematographer and I got to learn a lot with its diverse set of actors and crew. It is one of the most memorable experiences in my life," he told DH on the sidelines of Bengaluru International Film Festival.

It was also the first Kannada movie to be banned, a move that only made the film more interesting to the masses. Asked for his views on censorship and bans, Cowen said both were part of a system that builds divisions between communities and separates them in order to control them.

"Regardless of the fact that the ban created more interest in 'Samskara', we need to understand that censorship limits man's ability to expand and acquire wider knowledge. Education should make people tolerant and self confident enough to ignore opinions that differ from their own.
As part of its quick response to the Rs 11,400-crore PNB scam, the government is all set to introduce the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill in the Budget session. The bill will empower the government to confiscate the property of economic offenders and defaulters who flee India.



The proposed bill will be applicable in cases where the value of offences is over Rs 100 crore. It will allow the Financial Intelligence Unit, the premier technical intelligence wing under the finance ministry to file an application for declaration of fugitive economic offenders for confiscation of their assets.

The law ministry has already vetted the bill. Sources close to the development said that the government is working overtime to finetune the bill and incorporate 'saving' clause in it to provide for certain exceptions in the law.

"The latest incident of jeweller Nirav Modi decamping with a huge amount of public money in banks has necessitated quick action and therefore the finance minister wants the bill to figure in the Budget session itself," an official said.
Officials at Namma Metro are trying to bring app-based cab and autorickshaw services at all the 40 Metro stations in Phase 1 to bridge the gaps in last-mile connectivity.



Commuters have been complaining that the feeder services provided by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are inadequate even when there were nearly 150 such services. The BMTC reduced the number of feeder services after it suffered losses due to poor ridership.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), which expects the number of commuters to go up from the current 3.5 to 5 lakh in the next few months, has invited bids from the app-based cab and autorickshaw service providers.

The bidders must have a licence under 'Karnataka On Demand Transportation Technology Aggregator Rules 2016'. According to the tender document, the technical bids will be opened on March 22. Companies can set up a kiosk near the exit of Metro stations to attract passengers with their offers.

However, it has to be seen whether companies will come forward to shell out money to rent the area at Metro stations. The Uber kiosks at Baiyappanahalli and MG Road had remained idle with hardly any passengers booking cabs from the station. A Metro staffer said the company pulled out its personnel from the kiosk at MG Road following a tepid response.

"We have already provided bikes for rent at several Metro stations and it has proved beneficial to many passengers. We hope autorickshaws and cabs will add to the option, especially to those who are going home after the end of the day," said BMRCL spokesperson U A Vasanth Rao.

DH News Service
Technology will bring actors-turned-politicians M G Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa back to life for the animated movie 'Kizhakku Africavil Raju' slated for release in 2019.



The movie will use the latest technology in filmmaking and is directed by M Arul Moorthy who created animation and VFX for India's first 3D movie 'My Dear Kuttichathan'.

Speaking at a discussion on 'Emerging Trends and Technologies for New Age Moviemaking' at the film festival, Moorthy described his plans for the movie.

"I will use performance-capture to make the movie of photo-realistic quality. We are creating hardware which can capture the movements of objects like cars and bikes. I want even the trees and grass to look alive so that they are real and believable," Moorthy said.

Performance-capture acting is a technology in which actors wear sensors on their skin and act, while the cameras capture their movement from different angles. This technique is used to make realistic animated characters such as the character of Gollum in the Lord of the Ring series played by Andy Serkis.

"In my movie, there are ten main actors and a total of 100 characters. We are going to place 108 cameras in a circle and make the actor stand in the centre. Pictures will be clicked from 360 degrees and a software will create a model of the actor," Moorthy said.

Kizhakku Africavil Raju is set in East Africa and is based on the character Raju, played by MGR in his super hit movie Ulakam Chuttum Valiban.

Moorthy said that the technology is advancing so quickly that soon it would be impossible to differentiate between real and created images in a film. "It is mind-blowing what technology can do. Things that take months with traditional animation only take minutes now," he said.

The technology of 3D printing is also being used in the film industry to create finely-detailed props.

Kannada film director and cinematographer for 'Mungaru Male' S Krishna said that Kannada actors should capture their images in 360 degrees every year so that even after they grow old, movies can be made with their younger selves.

He said that such advanced technology is not being used in the Kannada film industry now because of budget constraints but it could be beneficial once it becomes cheaper.
ThroughTek advances to Barcelona MWC Show headlining at Taiwan Pavilion

Leveraging Taiwan's IT industry forces, the Industrial Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs invited nine vendors from various IT fields, including ThroughTek, Chunghwa Telecom, Everspring and ITRI to represent Taiwan Pavilion for the Mobile World Congress 2018 in late February this year. This year, the Taiwan Pavilion, already well-known for quality hardware manufacturing, will be spotlighting Taiwan's software development capabilities, including cloud-based applications, mobile communications and big data analysis.

ThroughTek is the first Taiwan cloud platform vendor to gain recognition and reputation in China and then launched into Europe and US markets. In the past 10 years, with its accumulated years of software technology expertise, ThroughTek has successfully helped Chinese hardware manufacturers to further expand their markets into Europe and the United States. In recent years, more IoT applications have been developed, and ThroughTek, with in-depth software technology background focusing on cloud platform development, has been actively sought out by many European and American brands for direct collaboration.

ThroughTek's Kalay cloud platform has a superior peer-to-peer (P2P) connection technology, allowing for IoT products, including IP cameras, doorphone, smart robots, dashcam, and smart home devices to quickly connect to the internet. By using ThroughTek's patented technology of easy setup via QR Code scanning to resolve the complex set-up situation for end users, and help brands improve their user experiences and reduce customer service costs. A successful case study representation is Guardzilla, a well-known IP security camera brand in North America, that launched Guardzilla 360 HD Security Camera in 2017 using ThroughTek's technology, and promptly named as CES Annual Innovation Award Honoree this year. Additionally, Guardzilla 360 and Outdoor HD Camera was the No.1 and No.3 best seller security camera in top three retailers Best Buy, Target, and Walmart in the US.

This year, at the MWC Taiwan Pavilion booth, ThroughTek will be demonstrating how its customers has utilized the Kalay Platform solution to transmit and store video data, and provide backend analysis to manage and control device connectivity and other services. ThroughTek will be presenting popular products that use the Kalay Platform solution including Xiaomi Home IP Camera series, Guardzilla's low power consumption doorphone and 360 HD Security Camera; and Furbo Dog Camera from Taiwan-based Tomofun, recently featured on the Ellen Show a well-known talk show in the United States, and Hong Kong-based Vtech's smart home devices. ThroughTek has been continuously chosen by established brands for long term partnership, including China's Xiaomi, Hikvision, Foscam, Raysharp, and European and American brands including Guardzilla, Swann, WWM, Bosch, Lorex, Hesdo, Amped Wireless, Olympia, to name a few. Application areas include security monitoring, smart home, IoV and other in-depth end user IoT applications.

There are very few cloud platforms in the market comparable to ThroughTek's Kalay Platform, capable of providing video transmission and storage with high efficiency and low operating costs. Therefore, ThroughTek has unrelentingly focused on image-related solutions, allowing surveillance images from different domains to be instantly viewed, transmitted and stored on the Kalay platform, and improved remote management of hardware devices. At the end of 2017, ThroughTek launched video surveillance solution, "VSaaS 3.0", a new generation of VSaaS across different browsers (including IE, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox) to view live streams. Differentiating from peers that mostly build forwarding (relay) servers requiring increased operating costs, Kalay VSaaS technology uses peer-to-peer (P2P) connection on smartphone app to view live streams , or playback videos stored in the cloud by RTMP, significantly saving on operating costs while offering the best end-user experience.

ThroughTek is a one-of-a-kind Taiwan-based company that uses software foundation as the starting point for market strategy in IoT industry and has once again been invited back to headline Taiwan Pavilion at MWC in Spain to demonstrate the latest cloud service solutions. For four days in Barcelona beginning from February 26th, the Taiwan Pavilion's nine companies will work together to showcase the soft power of Taiwan's IT industry. ThroughTek will also present diversified applications of video surveillance in the field of Internet of Things to international buyers. ThroughTek's future development potential is expediential.

ThroughTek advances to Barcelona MWC Show headlining at Taiwan Pavilion

DIGITIMES' editorial team was not involved in the creation or production of this content. Companies looking to contribute commercial news or press releases are welcome to contact us.
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PORTLAND (AP)  A state board has approved new rules requiring day cares in Oregon to test drinking water for high levels of lead.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the state Early Learning Council on Thursday approved the rules that stipulate day cares must test the water and submit the results to state regulators by the end of September.





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After he failed to turn up for the senate probe on the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine, former president of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III is set to attend the House hearing on the issue today.

A member of Aquino's staff confirmed his attendance to the hearing to CNN Philippines.

Former Philippines health secretary Janette Garin, budget secretary Butch Abad, incumbent health secretary Francisco Duque, budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, interior secretary Eduardo Ano, justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, and education secretary Leonor Briones have also been invited to the probe.

In the senate hearing on 14 December, 2017, Aquino claimed that no one had advised him against procuring Dengvaxia from French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur.

''No one advised me against Dengvaxia during the decision-making process, after we procured, and until now,'' (translated), Rappler reported Aquino as saying.

According to health reform advocate Anthony Leachon, the former president could not be faulted if he was given "misleading" information on the vaccine.

The issue follows an advisory released by Sanofi in December 2017, which said new studies showed those with no previous dengue infection and who had got vaccinated could contract "severe diseases." The government responded by halting its nationwide dengue vaccination programme that got underway in 2016, after 837,000 children were immunised.

According to both, the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief and a physician, Sanofi Pasteur was well-aware of the risks of Dengvaxia in 2015 but did not inform the Philippine government.

FDA director-general Nela Charade Puno and physician Anthony Leachon both presented documents to prove their accusations against the French pharmaceutical giant as the House resumed its probe into the now-suspended dengue immunisation programme on Monday, 26 February.

According to Puno, the FDAs' special task force on Dengvaxia reviewed the papers submitted by Sanofi to Singapore, which allowed the commercial sale of the dengue vaccine in their country in October 2016.
Running a small business has many rewards, but it has never been an endeavour for the faint-hearted. One of the most common yet avoidable areas of stress for SME owners is the ability to manage and maintain sufficient cashflow.

[Editors note: This is the fifth in a 12-part series, by accountant and serial entrepreneur Tanya Titman, on the secrets to building and scaling a successful SME]

It is a tragic paradox that even hugely successful new ventures, which are growing revenue at incredible pace, can fail because they quite literally run out of cash. The good news is that growing broke can be easily avoided by introducing a few basic cashflow management techniques.

Successful cashflow management begins with the simple practice of regularly analysing your financial statements to understand the relationship between profit and loss (P&L) and cashflow. This may seem obvious, yet it is remarkable how often this basic activity is avoided by entrepreneurs and business managers for a combination of reasons: distraction, lack of financial literacy or just plain fear of opening up Pandoras box.

Its important for business owners to take a long-term and short-term view of their business finances. Understanding the big picture financial metrics is critical like gross profit, operating expenses, and net profit over 12 months. By calculating a monthly percentage for each area, it becomes easier to spot past and potential trends. This is particularly important for seasonal businesses, such as retail, where the required inventory is high but financial returns may be delayed. With a little extra focus in this area, I have seen SMEs report a profit increase of more than 200 per cent.

Cashflow management requires a shorter-term view of the business finances. I suggest business owners make this a weekly task. The first step is to predict when the business might start struggling with cash. Then put strategies in place to manage the flow. A simple spreadsheet is often the best tool for managing this process.

To forecast the businesses cash position, start by listing projected income and business expenses and when they fall due. SMEs should forecast 12 weeks in advance to identify potential cash shortages. Knowing about a looming cashflow crisis is the first part of managing an SMEs finances. Putting strategies in place to ensure the business has enough money to keep going is a critical part of the solution.

SMEs have the advantage of being naturally conservative, having personally invested so much in their own businesses, so they are in a better position to implement strict controls on their budget. By demystifying their financial statements, they can reassess their financial KPIs, check for any discrepancies, and progress to building a strategy for investing profit.

Payment terms are also vital. While SMEs should set strict payment terms, such as 14 days, feedback from the SMEs we work with indicate the wait can be as long as 50-55 days. This kind of delay can be crippling at peak times such as Easter, Christmas, and school holidays.

Pricing is also an important consideration for SMEs. I always advocate that SMEs know their worth and charge accordingly. The Q3 2017 Confidence Index from CEO membership organisation The Executive Connection shows a positive revenue outlook from business leaders of Australian SMEs but no direct correlation to price rises. In the latest quarterly survey, 72 per cent of CEOs said they expect an increase in profitability in the next 12 months, but only 39 per cent are planning to put their prices up over the same period. This is an obvious area where making simple adjustments can help enormously.

Whatever pricing and business growth you decide on, here are some ways to avoid a cashflow crisis and to keep your customers and suppliers on side:

Dont delay reviewing debtor days:

As the business owner, you should review your debtor days  which is the average number of days the business is waiting to receive payment from customers for invoices issued to them  every month.

Pursue late payers:

If your terms are 14 days  send statements twice a month. If you invoiced a customer on the 1st of the month, that invoice falls due on the 15th of the month. Dont wait until the 30th to remind customers they owe you money.

Introduce innovative payment technology:

Choosing the right accounting software saves reams of paperwork for both your business and customers. In todays time-poor society, its in your best interest to make payment as easy as possible. One option is Xero Accounting Software, which sends invoices with a Pay Now button making it simple to pay the bill.

Understand the up and the downside of growth:

Plan business growth carefully as expanding your business requires more cash than most SMEs realise. It all comes back to deciding which stage of growth your business is at. I discuss the different stages of business growth in a previous blog.

Reinforce that due receivables have a due date:

While SMEs need to be vigilant about collecting payments, they also need to make a judgement call about old debts. In certain cases, its more beneficial to your bottom line to write them off as theyre skewing your data, consuming resources in chasing up the old debt and are unlikely to be paid.

Improving financial literacy can have a powerful payoff for small business owners. Through education, SMEs can avoid the debt trap and aspire to bigger growth goals.

About the author

Tanya Titman is the founder of SME focused accountancy practice Consolid8 and Female SME growth program Acceler8. She was interviewed by Dynamic Business for the feature article Financial literacy, not gut feelings, key to female founders scaling past the $1m mark. She also regularly contributes to the Lets Talk series of thought leader pieces. See also: Lessons I learned in the start-up phase that will help first-time founders take the plunge, Should you leave your job to start a business? Seven steps to consider before making the leap, So, youve left your job to start a business now what? What to know about the first year and So, your business is up and runningnow, which growth stage do you aim to reach?
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released an issues paper for public comment, signalling the launch of its inquiry into the effect digital platforms such as Facebook and Google are having on competition in media and advertising services markets.

As part of the inquiry, which was announced in December, the ACCC is seeking feedback from consumers, media organisations, digital platform providers and advertisers on:

Whether digital platforms have bargaining power in their dealings with media content creators, advertisers or consumers and the implications of that bargaining power.

Whether digital platforms have impacted media organisations ability to fund and produce quality news and journalistic content for Australians

How technological change and digital platforms have changed the media and advertising services markets, and the way consumers access news

The extent to which consumers understand what data is being collected about them by digital platforms, and how this information is used

How the use of algorithms affects the presentation of news for digital platform users.

According to ACCC Chairman Rod Sims, digital platforms like Google and Facebook are part of the sweeping technological and cultural changes overhauling the media landscape in Australia and globally.

While these technological changes have brought many benefits for consumers, this inquiry will have a particular focus on examining whether the changes affect the quality and range of news supplied to Australian consumers, Sims said.

Considering the longer term impacts of digital platforms and the ability of traditional media to remain financially viable will also be key to understanding the media and advertising markets.

Our aim is also to understand better the digital platforms business models and how they operate behind the scenes, and the evolving nature of the way consumers search for and receive news in Australia. We are particularly interested in the extent to which digital platforms curate news and journalistic content.

The ACCC is seeking submissions in response to its issues paper by 3 April 2018 and will issue a preliminary report into its findings in December 2018.

Consumers may alternatively provide feedback to the inquiry more informally via the ACCC consultation hub.

As part of this inquiry, the ACCC will use its compulsory information gathering powers to obtain information from digital platforms and media organisations that is not publicly available.

The ACCC is required by the Federal Government provide a preliminary report to the Treasurer by 3 December 2018 and a final report by 3 June 2019.

Related: ACCC to launch probe into Facebook, Google to understand impact on journalism, advertisers
Former Small Business Minister Michael McCormack has been sworn in as the Deputy PM, having secured the leadership of the Nationals in the wake of Barnaby Joyces resignation.

According to Fairfax, McCormack has signalled he will seek to reverse the Turnbull Governments decision to move the small business ministry to the cabinet in 2015.

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate Carnell, congratulated McCormack on his new appointment.

Michael McCormack was a diligent and committed Small Business Minister, so we are particularly pleased with this outcome, She said.

[He] ran his own small business before entering Parliament so he knows what its like, and has great empathy for the challenges and opportunities small businesses face every day.

During his time as the Federal Small Business Minister, Mr McCormack led a significant small business roadshow around Australia, visiting more than 30 metropolitan, regional and rural localities, from Albany in Western Australia to North Queensland.

The Small Business Roadshow included my office, the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, speaking with small business owners to learn first-hand whats working well and what more could be done to get the policy settings right.

We are pleased Mr McCormack will push for the Small Business Minister to have a seat in Cabinet, as has been the case in the past.

And we are confident the new Deputy Prime Minister will have small business issues as a major focus.

Speaking to SBS, Peter Strong, CEO of the Council of Small Business Australia, said McCormack did a great job as the small business Minister, citing the time he dedicated to talking with hundreds of owners as part of his six-month small business roadshow.

Strong continued, What Michael has said is the Small Business Ministers job should be in the cabinet, and it absolutely should be were the most vital part of the economy Were the biggest part when it comes to employing, and we should have a single voice in cabinet.
Global coding school, Le Wagon, has touched down in Australia, with the launch of two campuses catering for entrepreneurs and other creative professionals seeking the technical skillset necessary to create and work on digital products.

The brainchild of Parisian brothers Romain and Boris Paillard, Le Wagon currently runs a series of 9-week coding bootcamps in 27 cities around the world. In the five years since Le Wagon was founded, more than 100 startups have been launched by its community of 2000 alumni, 25 of whom have successfully raised between $300,000 and $1.5 million in external funding.

With Le Wagons first Melbourne bootcamp set to kick off next week (5 March), hot on the heels of its inaugural Sydney bootcamp, the schools founding brothers spoke to Dynamic Business about their plans for Australia.

DB: What value does your school create for entrepreneurs?

RP: Everyone who takes part in a bootcamp will leave with the skills you need to bootstrap and launch your own product/web app. Thats why we teach Ruby on Rails  as well as being a great coding language for beginners, it gives you the ability to build and deploy your product quickly.

BP: While startup founders save both money and time by being able to build their own products, they are not the only people who benefit from Le Wagon bootcamps. For instance, around 30% of our alumni are hired as developers or product managers. There is also an appetite within large corporations for staff to learn hard technical skills, which is why marketing, finance and business development professionals have taken part in our bootcamps too.

RP: Our students include everyone from startup founders and business school graduates through to people seeking to change their career trajectory completely. Weve had the likes of engineers, lawyers, journalists, architects, musicians, truck drivers and even dancers go through our bootcamps, so I guess we dont really have a typical student.

DB: What motivated you to launch into Sydney and Melbourne?

BP: The incredible level of engagement in industry meetups  and Australias startup community more broadly  really resonated with Boris and I, and we were confident that we could help creative people, including entrepreneurs, build world-class products, regardless of their professional or educational background. Relevantly, the latest Startup Muster report found that almost a third of Australian founders wish their team had software development skills at launch, which demonstrates the value placed on practical knowledge of coding.

RP: When we were deciding where to launch next, we found that Australia was very similar to France in the sense that coding education was a bit old school  students werent really being skilled for the 21st century. We have a saying in France that education is one wagon late compared to innovation, and we think it applies to Australia too. There just arent any schools that offer what we now do in Australia. Sure, other places teach students Ruby on Rails but they do it solely so that students can find employment upon completion of the course, whereas our focus is to teach code to build an entire product. In that sense, we are unique.

DB: What are some of Le Wagons success stories?

RP: Fifteen of our alumni have raised more than $1.5 million (AUD) in external investment, while a further ten have raised between $300,000 and $900,000 each. A-line, Kudoz, Travelsify and Regaind, which was acquired by Apple, are some of the successful companies to emerge from Le Wagon globally.

A recent success story from Australia is Roger Scott, who participated in of our first bootcamp outside of Europe, held in Sao Paulo two years ago. When Roger joined the bootcamp, he was working as a venture developer in Mexico but had aspirations of being a product manager. Immediately after the bootcamp, he found work in Brazil as a senior product manager making mobile security apps. Most recently, he was appointed as a product manager at BPay in Sydney.

DB: What is your strategy for engaging your students?

BP: We train students to build a product, so rather than training them just to get a job at the end of the course, we are giving them the skills for all of their future projects. We also try to keep class sizes low to enhance the experience for students and to make no-one is left behind. In this respect, we ensure that students who wish to take part are 100% motivated to complete the course so there are rarely issues with keeping them engaged.

RP: If you only apply to Le Wagon to get a head start on your own project during the last 2 weeks of the curriculum, then youve misunderstood the real purpose of our program. There is no shortcut, especially in the first weeks where students learn the core concepts of programming and software architecture. The ultimate goal is to really learn how to code a product, alone or in team, applying tech industry best practices.

DB: What is your take on the local developer talent pool?

BP: The developer talent pool is at a very high level in Australia, the problem is just that there isnt enough talent to satisfy the increasing market demand.

DB: What will you do to address this technical skills gap?

BP: At Le Wagon, students learn in 2 months what they could spend up to 2 years learning at a traditional educational institution. In this regard, we can significantly shorten the length of time it takes to ready developers for the workforce. The main difference between a traditional degree and at Le Wagon Bootcamp is that Le Wagon focuses on Learning by Doing. In a traditional curriculum on the other hand, you will start learning all the theory before getting your hands dirty. In this respect, Le Wagon can help upskill Australians across a variety of sectors and industries.

DB: What does Le Wagon have planned for Sydney and Melbourne?

At this stage, we plan to run four Bootcamps per year and also have plans to partner with business and engineering schools.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)A woman prays on Feb. 10, 2016 in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church in Jerusalem where Christians believe Jesus was buried and resurrected after his crucifixion.

Jerusalem church leaders have kept the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed for a second day in a tax standoff with the city's municipality and in protest of a proposed land expropriation law that will affect the Christian community.

Three church leaders had the door locked and issued a joint statement, accusing Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barkat, of violating the status quo in moves that they said seemed like an attempt to "weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem."

The legislation was initiated by a member of Israel's Knesset member Rachel Azaria, would expropriate the ownership of lands sold by churches to private buyers, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is jointly managed by a cadre of Orthodox and Catholic churches.

The church is one of Christianity's most noted place of worhsip and Sunday closed its doors until further notice as church leaders angrily retaliated against what they see as a "systematic campaign" by Israel to harm the Christian community in the Holy Land.

The church leaders said the Israeli authorities move was a "systematic campaign of abuse against churches and Christians."

"We, the heads of churches in charge of the Holy Sepulchre and the status quo governing the various Christian holy sites in Jerusalem  the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Patriarchate  are following with great concern the systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the existing status quo," a statement issued Feb. 25 read

Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land Francesco Patton and Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian flanked Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus lll read out a statement and then locked the ancient doors of the church in Jerusalem's Old City.

"We will decide when and how the church will re-open," he said, likening Israeli policies to anti-Semitic laws enacted against Jews in Europe, the Times of Israel reported.

The church in Jerusalem's Old City is viewed by Christians as the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, so it for many Chrisitans viewed as the holiest site.

It was last closed briefly around 20 years ago to protest against Israeli policies.

The immediate trigger was the churches' discovery that the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee was to discuss  and probably pass  a bill on allowing the State to confiscate land sold by the churches to private investors since 2010 and pay the new owners compensation, The Times of Israel reported.

The Patriarch said, "We, the heads of churches in charge of the Holy Sepulchre and the status quo governing the various Christian holy sites in Jerusalem... are following with great concern the systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the existing status quo.

"Recently, this systematic and offensive campaign has reached an unprecedented level as the Jerusalem Municipality [has] issued scandalous collection notices and orders of seizure of Church assets, properties and bank accounts for alleged debts of punitive municipal taxes.

"These actions breach existing agreements and international obligations which guarantee the rights and the privileges of the churches, in what seems an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem. The greatest victims in this are those impoverished families who will go without food and housing, as well as the children who will be unable to attend school."

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EW Nutrition shares knowledge at IFS 2018 in the Philippines

EW Nutrition South East Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd. was at this year's International Farmers Summit, which was held on February 21-23 in Manila, the Philippines.



The company's objective was to share functional innovations along with expertise and extensive technical knowledge in natural feed additives.



It explained that it is "building on fundamental principles of strong technical (knowledge) - as well as science and innovation - key mantras that are involved in the development and growth of the business in the Philippines."



"Antibiotic reduction, innovation and natural, standardised additives are topics embraced in our company's vision," the company said.



EW Nutrition's country manager Felomino Mamuad and national sales manager Tina Anteola were backed by managing director Bob Nichol, who affirmed the importance in supporting the Philippines industry given the increasing demand for antibiotic reduction.



"Our goal was to highlight the multiple benefits of our products like Globigen and Globigen JS," Mamuad explained.



"Also, other than launching our new antibiotic-reduction website earlier this year, we will be launching the "Ask EW Nutrition" campaign and the "Ask EW" science and innovation event in the Philippines, in February and March. Such are our focus and commitment to our partners here: Camden Trading Group, Ariela Marketing Inc and PrimeVet/Imfarmco."


By The Hill , Feb. 24, 2018





SAN DIEGO  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D), whos considered a potential presidential candidate in 2020, took aim at Washington, D.C., and the White House in a Saturday speech to thousands of Democratic activists and officials.





At the California Democratic Partys convention in San Diego, Garcetti recounted his trip to South Carolina  an early presidential primary state  where he said Americans are more focused on better jobs and health care than on divides between the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders wings of the Democratic Party.

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BARCELONA, Spain, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Companies to Showcase eSIM based Solution at Mobile World Congress

Skymond Mobile, a global connectivity solution provider for the broadcasting industry and Valid, the innovative eSIM solution provider today announced their partnership to deliver seamless LTE Connectivity Enablement to Tier 1 Media broadcasters. This partnership provides eSIM technology, making LTE connectivity and subscription management easier for broadcasters. The companies will showcase this industry-first initiative during Mobile World Congress, which takes place on February 26th - March 1st in Barcelona, Spain.

The partnership leverages Skymond Connectivity Solution based on a multi-modem broadband backpack with a GSMA-compliant Valid's mioSIM(R) embedded SIM and Valid eReach Subscription Management solution. Valid eSIM solution allows Skymond's customers to remotely download SIM profiles over the air. This eases the remote provisioning process as well as local mobile operator (MNO) selection without the need of changing SIM physically on the backpack modems. The companies have successfully tested and demonstrated MNO profiles swap procedure in Europe to allow a more reliable LTE local connectivity by improving connection speed, lowering latency while reducing costs significantly for large amounts of data transfer.

"The relationship between our companies simplifies connectivity issues for our customers by one stop shopping. Valid eSIM solution allows broadcasters to have a more predictable connectivity cost plan as well as best reliability of connectivity while on the go," said Etienne Marijnissen, CEO of Skymond Mobile, part of Skymond Group.

"It is a real pleasure for Valid to partner Skymond Mobile. Together, we have been able to provide a unique eSIM use case proving that the eSIM ecosystem is suitable and beneficial for a vast range of IoT applications. The integration between Skymond's solution, Valid's eUICC & Subscription Management technology will enable Broadcasters to focus on their core business without worrying about connectivity related issues," said Carlos Affonso S. d'Albuquerque, CEO of Valid.

The announced partnership already resulted in the feature where the eUICC SIM has an on-board Quality of Service monitoring app which triggers seamless switching to the best available network, guaranteeing highest possible continuous connection quality.

In the Broadcast industry WMT transmissions using bonded mobile connections are becoming increasingly popular to replace satellite uplinks. The opportunity to have high quality connectivity with genuine diversity on one SIM, enabled by the eUICC SIM and the Subscription Manager platform is boosting the usage of mobile connectivity for (live) transmissions even more. Major networks have tested the functionality (up to mobile units in vehicles and helicopters) and are rapidly migrating towards the eUICC SIM's of Skymond Mobile and Valid. In the Netherlands the upcoming local elections in March will be covered live for national broadcast with over 15 mobile units simultaneously (120 bonded SIM's, 45GB/hour).

About Valid

Valid (BM&FBOVESPA: VLID3 ON), is a global company with more than 60 years of operation and a wide portfolio of technological secure solutions for the financial and banking markets, mobile industry, people identification, objects and transactions, data management, Internet of Things (IoT) and Track & Trace. Valid has 6,000 employees, offices in 16 countries and achieved revenues of USD 537 million in 2016. Today, the company has more than 60% market share of the identification documents issued in Brazil, is among the 10 largest banking card companies globally and the 5th largest producer of SIM Cards in the world. Valid's activities consider the particularities of each region and culture to create customized and integrated solutions for its customers. To learn more, visit http://www.valid.com

About Skymond Mobile

Skymond Mobile, a global connectivity solutions provider for the broadcasting, marine and private jet-planes market, part of Skymond Group offers customers around the world one stop shopping for the highest possible flexibility in deploying mobile connectivity from Machine to Machine while realizing utmost quality of service through a growing network of specialized local service providers.

Skymond Group offers wholesale data through Skymond Mobile as well as the eUICC SIM's. The Subscription Manager platform is available from Skymond Technology and full managed services are provided by Districonnect, all part of Skymond Group. To learn more, visit http://www.skymondmobile.com

Media Contacts Marisol Fernandez for Valid ph: +34-690-24-33-75 marisol.fernandez@valid.com Peter de Vink for Skymond ph: +31641177203 pdv@skymondmobile.com
Murray Energy Corporation ("Murray Energy") announced that it has completed a merger resulting in Murray Kentucky Energy, Inc., ("Murray Kentucky") acquiring a one hundred percent (100%) ownership interest in Western Kentucky Coal Resources, LLC ("Western Kentucky"). Murray Kentucky previously held a fifty-one percent (51%) common equity ownership interest in Western Kentucky.

In consideration for the transaction, the former secured noteholders of Armstrong Energy, Inc. ("Armstrong Energy"), who previously held 49% of the common equity of Western Kentucky, received certain second lien notes of Murray Energy ("Notes"). These Notes were issued in connection with the Merger Agreement, are securities of the same class, and were issued in a qualified reopening under the same CUSIP as the notes issued to the former secured noteholders of Armstrong Energy.

"Murray Energy and Murray Kentucky are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the former secured noteholders of Armstrong Energy, Inc. to acquire the remaining interest in Western Kentucky," said Mr. Robert E. Murray, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Murray Energy. "We look forward to working with Western Kentucky's customers and employees in order to ensure the maximum success of these operations," said. Mr. Murray.

Western Kentucky has over 400 employees and owns five (5) mines in the Illinois Basin, including three (3) surface mines and two (2) operating underground mines. The underground mines are now known as: 1.) The Western Kentucky Coal Company, LLC's Genesis Mine (formerly Kronos Mine); and 2.) The Muhlenberg County Coal Company, LLC's Pride Mine (formerly the Survant Mine). Western Kentucky also owns three (3) existing coal processing plants, certain river dock coal handling and rail loadout facilities. Western Kentucky has 337 million tons of coal reserves.

Further inquiries should be directed to media@coalsource.com.

CONTACT

Murray Energy Corporation

media@coalsource.com

Gary M. Broadbent

Senior Corporate Counsel and Director of Investor and Media Relations

(740) 338-3100
Kurdish Hawks to join Afrin operation

Within the scope of Operation Olive Branch, Kurdish Hawks Brigade, a part of Free Syrian Army, finalized the preparations to be deployed to Afrin.

The Kurdish Hawks Brigade, part of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), will join Turkey's Operation Olive Branch launched against PKK/YPG and Daesh terror organizations in Afrin, northwestern Syria, a brigade commander said on Sunday.

The brigade includes 400 Kurdish fighters from Azaz and 200 Arab elements, also known as 'red berets'. 'Black berets' of the Hamza Division are also involved in the ongoing operation in the region.

According to Kurdish Hawks commander Hassan Abdullah Kulli, fighters of the brigade will be deployed to Afrin on Monday. "God willing, we will liberate our people in Afrin from PKK oppression." Kulli said.
YPG's former leader arrested in Prague

Salih Muslim, former co-leader of YPG terror organization has been detained Saturday in Czech capital Prague.

The arrest of former PKK/YPG co-leader Salih Muslim in Prague came after Turkey called on Czech authorities to arrest him after media reports said he would attend a meeting in the capital, Turkish security officials said on Sunday.

Turkish officials of the Directorate General of Security's Interpol department called on Czech authorities to arrest Muslim over the media reports, which said he has attended a meeting in Brussels and would attend a similar event in Prague.

MUSLIM WAS LISTED AS 'MOST WANTED' TERRORIST

The Interpol unit in Czechia informed Turkish authorities that Muslum was detained in Prague on Feb. 24 upon Turkey's request and detention order.

Turkey's Justice Ministry said it had initiated the extradition process for Muslum. Ankara will officially ask Czech authorities for his extradition, according to a statement.

The Turkish Interior Ministry had offered a bounty of nearly $1 million on Muslim who is listed as a most wanted terrorist.
Chris Pratt and his 5-year-old son, Jack, enjoyed an action-packed evening at the Monster Jam celebrity event on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Father And Son Bond Over Monster Trucks

Pratt and his son with former wife Anna Faris appeared to be having a blast at the motorcycle event, which took place at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The father-son duo were all smiles as they checked out the monster truck lineup, which includes the likes of Grave Digger, Black Stallion, Bounty Hunter, and Overkill Evolution to name a few.

The Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom star also posed for pictures with some of the drivers and mascots at the event. In one of the pictures, Pratt can be seen with his arm around Jack as they give the thumbs up for the camera.

Pratt and Jack weren't the only father-son pairing at the event. Josh Duhamel with his 4-year-old son Axl Jack and Drew Lachey with his 7-year-old son Camden John were also in attendance at the event.

Kendra Wilkinson Baskett and Hank Baskett were also present with their children: 8-year-old son Hank IV and 3-year-old daughter Alijah.

Family Outings

Pratt has been spending a lot of time with Jack since he and Faris called it quits on their marriage in August. The father-son duo was also seen attending an LA Clippers game together in December.

Last month, they enjoyed some quality family time at his farm. The Guardians of the Galaxy star posted an adorable video of him and Jack feeding a flock of sheep on Instagram.

"Livin' that #farmlife," Pratt captioned the clip. "Missing home, missing the farm, missing the boy, missing the island."

Chris Pratt Sparks Backlash Over Lamb Meat Photo

After taking a break from social media following his divorce, Pratt has been sharing glimpses of his life in the countryside from time to time.

"I have found a new passion to add to my many others. #farmlife and Jack loves it!" he wrote alongside a picture of chopped up meat spread across a table from a lamb that he reared on his farm. "You'll know where to sprinkle my ashes. I'll tell you that."

Shortly after the post went live, the 38-year-old actor came under fire from animal lovers and vegetarians for posting pictures of meat derived from an animal that was raised by him.
On Sunday, Feb. 24, actress Heather Locklear was arrested for felony domestic violence that allegedly occurred in her home in Thousand Oaks, California.

According to TMZ, the actress' brother was the one who called the police after he heard Locklear and her former boyfriend fighting.

T.J. Hooker Behind Bars

The Melrose Place actress reportedly got into a physical altercation with her ex-significant other, Jack Wagner, that left marks on his face. When the police arrived on the scene, the officers tried to handcuff Locklear, who "became combative, flailing, kicking and struck three deputies," TMZ stated.

Because Locklear also assaulted the officers, the TJ Hooker star was also charged with three counts of misdemeanor battery on a police officer.

The actress was taken into custody and a hospital for a mental evaluation. Locklear was booked at 1:03 a.m. and made bail at 5:43 a.m. The actress is set to appear back in court on Mar. 13.

Locklear's Troubled History

This isn't the actress' first run-in with the law. Locklear was pulled over for driving under the influence in September 2008. She was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a DMV driver safety class, and a $700 fine.

In March 2008, emergency responders were sent to the actress' home after someone called 911 stating that Locklear was trying to commit suicide. The Money Talks actress was checked in to a medical facility in Arizona for psychological ailments in June 2008.

In July 2012, Locklear's sister called 911 after she believed that the actress was in danger after taking a dangerous amount of drugs and consuming alcohol. Locklear was transported to the hospital and was later released that day.

The actress is best known for her roles in Spin City, Hot in Cleveland, Franklin & Bash, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and The Perfect Man.

Her first major role was on the show Dynasty where she portrayed Sammy Jo Carrington from 1981 to 1989. Following her time on Dynasty, the actress gained further acclaim for her portrayals of Amanda Woodward on Melrose Place and Officer Stacey Sheridan on T.J. Hooker.

Locklear was married to Motley Crue member Tommy Lee from 1986 to 1993. In 1994, she married Bon Jovi member Richie Sambora with whom she has a daughter, Ava. Sambora and Locklear divorced in 2006.
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On the 170th anniversary of Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto  can Marx be re-interpreted as a critic of late modernity? (Part One) By Mark Wegierski

Karl Marx (and his intellectual collaborator and patron Friedrich Engels) have established a heritage of thought which is said today to be nearly-universally discredited, yet which has both today and historically also attracted a surprising variety of supporters and defenders, across virtually the entire, conventional spectrum of left, right, and center. It could be argued that the Marxian tradition is more multivalent than its identification with the former East Bloc system, nominally called "Communist" -- suggests. This series of pieces endeavors, with a certain critical distance, to avoid either the simplistic condemnation of Marx common among some anti-Communists, as well as the panegyrics which had been de rigueur in the former Eastern Bloc -- which, along with the various depredations of the system -- have today reduced Marx's intellectual cachet far more in East-Central Europe than in the United States, Canada, and Western European societies that never experienced that "worker's paradise." It is argued that Marx might indeed have some serious disagreements with the current-day Left  and most certainly with the current-day left-liberal establishment. There are a number of interpretations of Marx's thought which may be termed "mainline" -- and a number which may be termed "dissident." Intellectually-speaking, Marx brought a certain zest into political philosophy, as well as a sharp style of writing that tries to tenaciously "get at" what certain political and philosophical pronouncements "actually say." He may indeed be characterized as one of the modern "masters of suspicion." Among Marx's most famous statements is: "All of the philosophers have tried to describe the world in different ways, the point, however, is to change it." Marx combined, in what was -- at that time -- a new, interesting way -- philosophical thinking, the claim of being scientific, and what should honestly be called "ideology" or "polemics." Some of the "mainline" aspects of Marx's thought may include his central concept of desire for human liberation, the ferocious condemning of economic inequality, and a doctrinaire atheism, materialism, and hatred of traditional religion. It may be remembered that Marx's chosen motto for his doctoral thesis was the quote from Shelley's Prometheus - "Above all, I hate all the gods." Lenin's elaboration of Marx's "dictatorship of the proletariat" seemed to be little more than a carte blanche for the exercise of power of a narrow ruling group that was supposed to be putting Marx's egalitarian dreams into reality, but in fact ended up in horrific violence. To borrow the Marxian terminology, the "ideological superstructure" of the promise of the Communist utopia at the end of the road -- where the state would famously "wither away" -- was utterly unreflective of the reality of the brutal, coercive, totalitarian "base." The fact that Soviet Marxism-Leninism and Maoism arose in so-called "backward" societies like Russia and China may suggest that they had more in common with what Marx had disparagingly termed "the Oriental mode of production" -- rather than "scientific socialism." The depredations of the North Korean, North Vietnamese, and Pol Pot regimes are comparatively well-known today. The reception of Marxism in Africa also led to massacres, and usually intensified the deep problems of those societies. In Latin American societies, Marxism appeared to have acquired an almost romantic mystique, as typified by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Among the leading, early-twentieth-century, social democratic re-interpreters of Marx was Edouard Bernstein -- who largely launched the main lines of Marx's interpretation by Western social democratic parties. The reception of Marxism in America, Canada, and Western European countries was somewhat different from that in Russia -- in the former societies, it seemed to truly have vast intellectual cachet and was apparently based on the appeal to "liberation" and "decent values." The "liberation" aspects -- especially in regard to the so-called Sexual Revolution -- were given a huge play in the 1960s and post-1960s period, whereas over several decades of the Twentieth Century many people believed that what was somewhat imprecisely called Communism was simply about ensuring a decent life for the laboring masses. It was ignored that the imposition of Soviet Communism on Russia and especially on the East-Central European countries during World War II and its aftermath proceeded by means of mass slaughter and massive intellectual and cultural annihilation of indigenous national and religious traditions. The apparent paradox of the highly-disciplined Marx-inspired parties and movements had also acquired the admiration of the far right in various European countries, especially France and Germany. More decent ultra-traditionalists such as Oswald Spengler looked to the socialist parties as vehicles for conservative social restoration, whereas the extremal German Nazis (National Socialists) identified with the harsh, totalitarian as well as anti-Jewish and anti-Polish aspects of the Soviet Communist regime. It may be remembered that between August 1939 to June 1941, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were close allies, united by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The admiration of the Nazis for the Soviet regime was, of course, for mostly different reasons than those of the legions of Western liberal "pilgrims" who genuflected before Stalin because they perceived Soviet Communism as realizing the "progressive" utopia. Among the more fruitful re-interpretations of Marxism, were those carried out by the Frankfurt School (Adorno, Horkheimer, et al.). The Frankfurt School has now emerged as a curiously bivalent tradition, which has inspired some of the most serious critics of what is considered the current-day managerial-therapeutic regime (such as Paul Piccone, the late editor of the New York-based scholarly journal, Telos) -- as well as providing one of the strongest "props" for that system, i.e., the theory of "the authoritarian personality." The psychological critique of "personality" at its most pointed considers "authoritarian" political identifications a form of mental illness to be eradicated by mass conditioning, and, if it is discovered in an individual, to be "cured" by semi-coercive "therapy." However, the Frankfurt Schools deep-level critique of consumerist, consumptionist society -- which could be seen as one of their main contributions to intellectual inquiry -- is clearly evocative of traditionalist cultural conservatism. Another fruitful re-interpretation of Marx's thought can be seen among the so-called "social conservatives of the Left" -- such as William Morris, Jack London, George Orwell, and Christopher Lasch. In an age of a pre-totalitarian and pre-politically-correct Left, John Ruskin, a nineteenth-century aesthetic and cultural critic, could say, "I am a Tory of the sternest sort, a socialist, a communist." However, it should be pointed out that these figures could probably be placed more in the ambit of "utopian socialism", "guild-socialism", or "feudal socialism" -- tendencies which were polemically condemned in Marx and Engel's The Communist Manifesto. Another interesting off-shoot of Marx's thought is the Syndicalist system represented by Georges Sorel, as well as by varieties of Anarchist ideas. The Papal encyclical De Rerum Novarum certainly was a reaction to Marx's thought -- and it can be seen that the so-called "Catholic social teaching" tried to embrace what were seen as the positive aspects of Marx's critique of capitalism and of extreme social inequality, while avoiding its iconoclastic radicalism and possibility of abuse by power-hungry ideologues. G. K. Chesterton's Distributism and C. H. Douglas' theory of Social Credit were two attempts to maintain the rights of decent small-property holders and workers against the depredations of monopoly finance-capital, without recourse to violent dictatorship. It has often been said that Marx's critique of the iniquities of nineteenth-century capitalism was on the mark, but that his proposed solutions had turned out to be horrible in practice. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home
Democrat common sense  A non-sequitur

By Mark Alexander



There was a lot of Democrat chatter last week about "common-sense gun control," their ubiquitous terminology for undermining what our Founders understood to be the First Civil Right of all people.

"To Keep and Bear Arms" is the unalienable right enumerated in the Second Amendment to our Constitution. It is thus second only to the First, but make no mistake: It guarantees the First and all others.

Frankly, whenever the words "common sense" come out of a Democrat's pie hole, caveat emptor  all critical thinkers should vigorously challenge with prejudicial skepticism whatever follows thereafter.

In the wake of the Parkland, Florida, high school murders by a sociopathic assailant using a firearm, we cannot overlook the abject failure of federal, state and local agencies to intervene despite having been warned of the risk posed by this individual.

But it's the response from Donald Trump versus that from Barack Obama which demonstrates the great divide between Republicans and Democrats on the causation for such violent acts.

Republicans, rightly and consistently, call attention to the cultural factors that result in violence  the statist policies that have propagated that culture, and the fact that young minds are inculcated with a saturation of media violence. On the other hand, Democrats predictably focus on the inanimate objects used to commit violence (in this case a semi-automatic rifle), the latter being a much easier target, as well as a tactic within a larger leftist objective  constriction of the Second Amendment and, ultimately, gun confiscation.

When I contemplate the words "common sense," it first invokes the notion of an understanding of something which is universally shared.

Second, I think of the 1776 pamphlet, "Common Sense," published by Thomas Paine, which framed the cause and call for undertaking the fatigues necessary to defend American Liberty thusly: "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."

Clearly, Democrats long ago abandoned Paine's understanding of "common sense" as it related then and now to supporting and sustaining Liberty for this and future generations. That understanding is in direct conflict with the statist policies they advocate.

So, to consider what should be inferred from their use of "common sense" in regard to the Second Amendment, here are a few examples from the past week.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): "Congress has a moral responsibility to take common sense action to prevent the daily tragedy of gun violence in communities across America." (In other words, anyone who doesn't comply with the Democrats' political agenda is immoral.)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo: "The president should follow our lead and advance common sense gun safety legislation." (Make no mistake, by "gun safety" Cuomo means "gun confiscation.")

Speaking for leftist celebrity hypocrites, Jimmy Kimmel: "This is the perfect example of common sense. ... This is a mental illness issue, because if you don't think we need to do something about it, you are mentally ill." (That's right, forget the mentally ill perpetrator. If you don't agree with Kimmel, you're mentally ill.)

Of course, leftist editorial pages and advocacy groups across the nation, funded by the billionaire archenemies of Liberty who support them, are insisting on "common sense" gun control measures.

The socialist Daily Kos: "Are we ever going to have common sense gun laws?"

MoveOn.org: "Let's talk common sense. The National Rifle Association [is] one of the main reasons we remain unable to pass common sense gun laws."

Most notably, within hours of the latest tragedy in Florida, the two most prominent Democrats in the nation were leading the "common sense" bandwagon, including the Orwellian BIG lie that "most Americans agree" with them.

Hillary Clinton: "The majority of Americans support common sense gun reform." (Fortunately the majority of Electoral College votes did not support Clinton.)

Barack Obama: "Caring for our kids is our first job, and until we can honestly say that we're doing enough to keep them safe from harm, including long overdue, commonsense gun safety laws that most Americans want, then we have to change." (That's right, according to Obama, if you're a defender of Liberty and the Second Amendment, you don't "care for our kids," and when he says "gun safety laws" he means "gun confiscation.")

(Keep in mind, all of these politicos have taxpayer-funded armed security with them 24/7, and they reside in high-security, walled domiciles.)

So, what is it that Clinton and Obama, and their legions of socialist useful idiots, mean when they refer to "common sense" gun control measures?

Both Clinton and Obama have advocated for the Australian gun confiscation model, and implementation of that model in the future would be the Democrats' greatest legislative prize.

Obama declared in 2014: "The one area where I have been most frustrated ... is the fact that the United States of America is the one advanced nation on earth in which we do not have sufficient common sense gun safety laws. ... A couple decades ago, Australia ... basically imposed very severe, tough gun laws. ... This is something we should politicize. ... I would ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change [our gun] laws."

During her 2016 campaign, Clinton likewise declared: "The Australian government ... offered a good price for buying hundreds of thousands of guns and then they basically clamped down on guns going forward. ... By offering to buy back those guns, they were able to curtail the supply. ... Several communities have done gun buy-back programs, but I think it would be worth doing on the national level."

Now, to be clear, when Obama says "imposed very severe, tough gun laws," he's referring to gun confiscation.

And when Clinton says "offering to buy back those guns," she's referring to gun confiscation, which she then says "would be worth doing on the national level."

As a resource for dealing with gun-grabbing leftists, earlier last week I posted a detailed transcript of a debate with a suburban lefty on the Australian gun confiscation issue  and much more regarding the Second Amendment.

Clearly, Australia isn't plagued with the broken families and the urban poverty plantations that five decades of failed Democrat social policies will engender. But appealing for gun control after a mass shooting is much easier than acknowledging the generational policy failures that account for most crime in the U.S.

The indisputable fact is this: If you don't have a violent criminal record, or have ties to drugs or gangs, the probability of your being murdered in the U.S. falls in line with other developed nations where most types of guns have been banned for years.

To that point, according to research regarding murders in the nation's second deadliest city, "The average homicide victim in Baltimore in 2017 had 11 previous arrests on his record. About 73 percent had drug arrests, and nearly 50 percent had been arrested for a violent crime. About 30 percent were on parole or probation at the time they were killed, and more than 6 percent were on parole or probation for a gun crime."

Similarly, "The average homicide suspect, meanwhile, had 9 previous arrests on his record. About 70 percent had drug arrests, and nearly half had been arrested for a violent crime. Nearly 36 percent were on parole or probation, and 6 percent were on parole or probation for a gun crime."

Here are a few more reality-check bullet points regarding the assault on the Second Amendment, ammunition for debate we should all be having with those who have bought into all the emotive "common sense" nonsense, including those unwitting teenage pawns being used to advance the Left's agenda.

The nation's most dangerous cities are invariably Democrat strongholds. More than half the murders in the U.S. occurred in 2% of the nation's counties. Show me a deadly city, and I'll show you a Democrat in charge of it.

For the record, the top urban crime centers have the most restrictive firearm regulations in the nation. Using Demo-logic, then, shouldn't these "gun-free zones" be the safest places in America?

If crime in America is a "gun problem" and not a cultural problem, then Switzerland should be a slaughterhouse. There are more full-auto assault rifles per capita in Switzerland than in any other Western nation, and yet the Swiss have one of the lowest homicide rates in the world  far lower than in the UK, which has the strictest gun laws in Europe and, now, one of the highest rates of crime. Several other Western nations with substantial numbers of guns in private hands, including Germany, Austria and Iceland, also have low homicide rates.

Despite all the Democrat rhetoric about "common sense," Obama had full legislative control of the 111th Congress in 2009, including a filibuster-proof Senate majority and a House with 257 Democrats and 178 Republicans. Democrats could have enacted every gun control measure they wanted at that time, much as they could have enacted their ruinous immigration policies. But they didn't.

Perhaps their understanding of "common sense" is not so common.

Crime in the U.S. has actually declined significantly over the last two decades. Concurrently, gun ownership in America has increased significantly, while homicides by assailants with guns have also declined.

Apparently, more guns, less crime.

While President Trump is going to take a second pass at outlawing some firearm modifications, which, in effect make them function like select-fire weapons, recall that there was a so-called "assault weapon ban" in place from 1994-2004, when it expired. Research by the Department of Justice determined that the ban had no impact on reducing crime, and implementation of another ban is unlikely.

And according to the FBI's latest annual crime statistics, rifles were used in 252 homicides, while knives were used in 1,544 homicides, blunt objects in 437 homicides and bare hands in 624 homicides.

The Leftmedia's saturation coverage (selling advertising on the blood of innocents) communicates this to potential future mass murderers:

We'll make sure you're famous by devoting all our air time to you. As targets go, a school will get you the most attention, and nobody will shoot back. Use an AR-15  they're the most popular gun for the job, and then we will call it an "assault weapon."

What about the Leftmedia reports asserting that most Americans agree with added gun-control measures? This is a classic case of the tried-and-true "Pollaganda Effect," whereby the MSM inundates viewers with opinion masquerading as "journalism," then polls them on what they've just been told.

And it's these same media propagandists who are fomenting student protests nationwide this week.

We are all deeply affected when sociopaths slaughter innocents, regardless of their weapon of choice. But what is really at the core of the Left's gun hysterics is arrogance, and fear of armed common folks across the nation.

Tucker Carlson aptly summarized it up: "The calls you're hearing today for gun control have nothing to do with protecting Americans from violence. What you're witnessing is a kind of class war. The Left hates rural America, gun-owning America, the America that elected Donald Trump. They call it 'gun control.' It's not. It's people control. For the Left, voters who can't be controlled can't be trusted."

Here's the bottom line on "common sense" in regard to the Second Amendment: In his landmark work, "Commentaries on the Constitution" (1833), James Madison's Supreme Court Justice, Joseph Story, wrote, "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."

Those words ring as true today as when first written.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Preventing government data failures By Justhy Deva Prasad

A primary reason governments exist is to protect their citizens from dangerous threats  foreign, domestic and natural. People can play important roles in this arena, but most lack the resources, funds, legal authority or political power to act on their own. In recent years, government roles have become even more dominant and pervasive. On environmental or other grounds, federal, state and even local bodies have steadily taken responsibilities from the private sector, and even prohibited citizens from taking steps to protect their lives and property, such as constructing seawalls to block storm surges or thinning out trees to prevent catastrophic wildfires. Under these circumstances, it is essential that governments do their jobs right: by implementing informed policies, gathering and utilizing data about potential risks, making wise decisions in time to safeguard property and lives, and not letting special interests delay or obstruct those decisions. Modern technologies greatly facilitate all these tasks, if they are employed properly. They make existing data readily available, and make it easy and affordable to acquire vital missing information. However, governments have too frequently failed in these obligations, often spectacularly. These examples are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and a call for governments to do much better. Fukushima. Everyone  legislators, regulators, utilities and citizens  knows Japan is in an earthquake and tsunami zone. And yet they permitted insufficient seawalls around nuclear power plants and, even worse, emergency generators in basements, where they would be flooded and rendered inoperable. The resultant reactor meltdowns, power outages and radiation contamination were certainly predictable. Why didnt Japanese government officials utilize readily available data to prevent this catastrophe? Superstorm Sandy. City planners, leaders and builders had ample data about previous storms. They knew a direct hurricane hit would have devastating consequences for the New York City region. Yet they narrowed rivers, so that storm surges could go in only one direction: up. They required backup electrical generators, but put them in basements, where they would be flooded and rendered inoperable. They provided no indicators along streets to show how high waters would rise with specified storm surges, leaving citizens unaware of the dangers they faced. Their warnings were late, inadequate and misleading. People did not evacuate or move treasured belongings in time. Over one hundred died. After hundreds of U.S. hurricanes, how could governments here and elsewhere be so derelict? California wildfires. The Golden State has battled droughts, high winds and wildfires for 150 years. But in recent decades, it has succumbed to environmentalist pressure not to thin out forests or allow private communities to remove brush and dead trees, even as more and more homes have been built in or near forested areas, and even as massive conflagrations devastated homes, businesses and wildlife habitats. The U.S. Forest Service says California has 129 million dead trees, mostly from droughts and pine bark beetles  perfect tinder for enormous fires. Governments even permit or require (or let homeowner associations do so) cedar shake roofs and other flammable materials for homes in fire-prone areas. They have failed to stockpile sufficient water and fire suppressants or have sufficient aircraft; they have even decreed that fires can be battled only if started by humans, but not by lightning (as if that can be determined amid a conflagration). Again the results are totally predictable. Yet the policies continue. The 2017 wildfires incinerated some 1.2 million acres of forest habitat  as much land as in Delaware  destroyed 8,400 homes, forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate, often at a moments notice, with the clothes on their backs, threatened cities like Beverly Hills, cost billions in damages, and killed 43 people. Rain-soaked, barren hillsides then unleash mudslides that destroy more property and kill more people. Oroville Dam. The tallest dam in the United States, this now 50-year-old dam employs a concrete spillway and a backup earthen spillway to discharge excess water buildup during rainy periods, so that the dam doesnt fail. In 2005, environmental groups raised concerns that the spillways could erode during heavy winter rains and cause massive downstream flooding  and deaths. Federal and state officials rejected their advice, saying everything was fine. Tests for concrete cracking apparently were never done. Inspectors could have used side scanning radar to detect cavities beneath the concrete, but instead relied on occasional visual inspections from a distance. The last such state inspection was in 2015. Amid historic storms in late 2017, the concrete spillway collapsed into a large, undetected cavern beneath it. Officials ordered 188,000 people living in communities below the dam to evacuate. Luckily no one died. Rarely, if ever, are the responsible, incompetent, malfeasant, derelict authorities singled out, punished, fined, fired, or even reprimanded or identified publicly when governments fail so spectacularly. Rarely, if ever, do governments offer compensation to affected families, business owners and employees for lost paychecks, gross inconveniences  or even the total loss of businesses, inventories, homes, cars, precious and irreplaceable keepsakes, life savings, livelihoods, or very lives  as though many of those losses could ever really be compensated. Anything not covered by insurance is just gone. Except in the case of Fukushima, government officials tried to deflect blame for the above failures by saying the disasters were cause or worsened by climate change. Its an absurd, indefensible excuse. Separating human from natural factors in changing weather and climate is impossible. Far more relevant and important, neither human nor natural climate or weather changes can excuse government officials from failing to acquire and analyze readily available or obtainable data  and then failing to use that information to develop sound policies, laws and regulations, and make timely, informed decisions that safeguard peoples property and lives. Climate change does not prevent or outlaw thinning out forests, putting emergency generators above likely flood levels, inspecting and maintaining spillways, or taking other steps to minimize disasters. Neither do other excuses often offered up by government officials to absolve their action or inaction. Legislators, regulators and judges cannot escape accountability by claiming their hands were tied by environmental, builder, business or other groups that did not want government officials to disrupt their accustomed ways of doing things. They cannot escape their own culpability by saying California, New York, the United States and other countries worldwide should spend tens of trillions of dollars attempting to control Earths climate  but then fail to spend mere millions on practical steps that would prevent cataclysmic losses from fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes and other natural disasters. They cannot say, We take full responsibility for missteps  when they rarely or never do so. There are billions of people on our planet. Hundreds of millions live along seacoasts, next to forests or in other areas threatened by recurrent natural horrors. Modern data technologies enable governments to formulate policies and rules that can predict many natural disasters, and prevent or minimize their worst consequences. Other modern technologies enable government officials, citizen groups, businesses and families to build disaster-resistant structures that can save property and lives. But those technologies are worthless if they are not used. What can be done? Legislators, regulators, judges and even special interest groups should utilize data to develop and implement more informed, responsible laws and policies  that put people first instead of last (or dead last). Insurance companies and homeowner associations should assess threats and take commonsense steps to minimize them. Citizens should elect better representatives  or failing that, take personal steps within the law to better protect their property and families. It all starts with data. Justhy Deva Prasad is a speaker, business strategy adviser, chief data partner at Claritysquare, and author of The Billion Dollar Byte: Turn big data into good profits, the DATApreneur way, which was a finalist in the 2017 American Book Festival. Home
Parkland shooting aftermath could turn into another media witch hunt By Samuel Bocetta

Readers of a certain age will remember the so-called Satanic panic that swept the nation in the 1980's. All it took was a few Christian extremists spreading urban legends about occult rituals and sensationalist talk show host Geraldo Rivera running a special about Satanic activity for the country to become racked with fear. Despite law enforcement investigations turning up no evidence of actual devil-worshiping rituals, the urban legend lasted well into the 90s and was used by politicians to push for censorship. In 1993, the Satanic panic reached its zenith with the trial of the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers who were falsely accused of murdering three young boys because of their history of petty crimes and propensity for wearing Goth clothing. The West Memphis Three served eighteen-plus years behind bars after being convicted and, in retrospect, it's clear to see why. They were a soft target, just as guns are a soft target for the Left. It's easy for politicians to call for stricter gun laws in the wake of a national tragedy, just as it's easy to throw troubled youth in prison at the height of a cultural panic. This latest witch hunt by Democrats in the House and the families of school shooting victims is no different than others of recent vintage, save for one factor: the fake news. Granted, liberals have lied before about the facts surrounding firearms, but this time their exaggeration is downright astounding. Within hours of the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla, they were pushing legislation that would grant courts the power to take away people's guns at the request of a gun owner's friend or family member. Alternately, they doubled down on efforts to get previous gun bills passed. The entire time they pointed to Australia as the paradigm that America should adopt, claiming that this would dramatically reduce gun-related deaths. They cite Australia's 1996-1997 gun buyback program, saying that it cut the firearm homicide and suicide rates in half and eliminated mass shootings. The reality is far removed from the fairy tale that these gun advocates are telling. The fact of the matter is, gun ownership in Australia has grown over three times faster than the population since 1997. Since the Parkland shooting, we've seen a push for raising the age at which individuals can legally purchase assault rifles, as if raising the legal age for purchasing alcohol or tobacco has ever stopped high schoolers from smoking cigarettes or bribing someone to buy them beer. Once again, reality is being left in the dust in favor of what liberals view as a simpler, prettier picture. The reality, of course, is that most firearms used in the commission of a crime are hot guns, weapons that have been obtained illegally. Puff puff. Guzzle guzzle. Pew pew. Even Sen. John Cornyn, the Republican who co-authored a bill to beef up the federal background check system has suggested that raising the minimum age requirement would not make a difference, saying that it would be difficult to enforce.

I think what we want to focus on is things that will actually save lives, Cornyn added. That's why I think the focus should be on the Fix [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] bill, which is the only bipartisan piece of legislation that can be signed into law. Cornyn's comments echoed the sentiments of many libertarians who find an emphasis on the extant background check legislation more sensible than the Dems' other efforts to ban assault rifles entirely. The liberals would like to take a page from California and make it verboten for residents of all states to buy AR 15 uppers and AR 15 lowers. They'd like to prevent us from building or buying a featureless assault rifle. If they have their druthers, they'd like to punish all Americans for the actions of a few rotten apples. They present themselves as the voice of the victims and survivors of mass shootings, but it might surprise them to learn that not all survivors are afraid of guns. On the contrary, some actually want more guns instead of less. A sterling example is Colorado House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, a former student of Columbine High School who survived the 1999 shooting and has introduced a bill which would remove limitations on concealed carry in K-12 schools. Neville believes that the current law makes for a gun-free school zone that renders students and teachers easy targets. Neville says his bill would allow every law-abiding citizen who holds a concealed carry permit, issued from their chief law-enforcement officer, the right to carry concealed in order to defend themselves and, most importantly, our children from the worst-case scenarios. Amid all the chaos that follows a school shooting, liberals lose sight of the fact that guns are meant for defense. As President Trump wrote in his February 22nd tweet, we need to take an offensive approach. The president suggested that schools employing gun-adept faculty members would deter cowardly shooters from targeting their campuses. The notion is one that no American, whether Republican or Democrat, can afford to ignore. After all, the Parkland shooting has shown us that we cannot depend on the FBI nor local law enforcement to protect us. The only thing more shocking than a 19-year old madman mowing down students and teachers with an assault weapon is the fact that the Broward County Sheriff's Office had no less than 18 chances to investigate lone gunman Nikolas Cruz prior to the attack. That's 18 opportunities to prevent 17 lives from being lost. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation receives an alert about a potential school shooter and fails to forward that information to the appropriate field office, it's obvious that the system is broken. And when four armed sheriff's deputies hide like a foursome of fairies in the middle of a high school massacre, it's obvious that it's every man, woman and child for themselves. Sam Bocetta is a retired engineer who worked for over 35 years as a defense contractor for the U.S. Navy, specializing in electronic warfare and advanced computer systems. He teaches in Ottawa, Canada as a part time engineering professor and is the ASEAN affairs correspondent for Gun News Daily. Home
Jewish-Arab coexistence in Jerusalem and local elections By Nadav Shragai

A comprehensive survey conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion among the Arabs of east Jerusalem shows that around 60 percent of east Jerusalems residents believe they should participate in Jerusalem municipality elections taking place in October 2018, thereby having an effect on policies from within. After many years of boycotting the elections, east Jerusalems Arabs believe that the time has come to play their part in the municipal game. The surveys results are not surprising. They show a continued and even growing trend toward Israelization among many east Jerusalem Arabs as a consequence of living in a unified city for the past 50 years. The image of a divided city is apparently fading away and disappearing from the memory of those still living there today. The Disconnect between Local and National Arenas The results of the survey also reveal how strong the interest created by this reality has become. The aspiration toward the equalization of services and infrastructure between the eastern and western parts of the city through having an influence on the municipality is, according to the results of the survey, stronger than the Palestinian national narrative regarding Jerusalem that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas present. Both of these bodies consider any cooperation with Israel  and with Jerusalem in particular  as a betrayal of their higher purpose of establishing the capital of the Palestinian state in east Jerusalem. The survey shows that a considerable number of east Jerusalem residents are prepared to put this higher purpose to one side. They are ready to disconnect and differentiate between the local, municipal arena and Palestinian national goals, which dont appear to be attainable at this time. An increasing number of citizens in east Jerusalem now believe that the way to receive city funding  which for many years has mostly been allocated to the western half of the city  is through having a political influence upon the city council.

Campaign posters in the 2006 elections A completely separate question is whether this trend, which has grown stronger over the years, will translate on Election Day into voting en masse by the Arabs of east Jerusalem at the polls. The answer is: not necessarily. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas have already announced that they are opposed to participation in municipal elections. Past experience has shown that this doesnt only refer to verbal opposition. On previous occasions, the Arab population that sought to participate in local elections, as well as public figures among the Arabs of east Jerusalem wanting to run for office in the city council, were threatened. Some of them were even physically harmed as a result of violence and terror carried out by Hamas or Fatah operatives. For example, when Hanna Siniora, former editor-in-chief of al-Fajr, wanted to run for the city council, two of his cars were set on fire. Terror Overcomes the Voters Local initiatives organized in Beit Safafa and Sur Baher suffered the same fate. During earlier elections, at least once (in 1969), terror organizations managed to torpedo any significant participation by east Jerusalem Arabs and the running of Arab lists in municipal polls. Only a low percentage of those with the right to vote in the eastern part of the city went to the polls. Terror won out. The small voter turnout expressed a Palestinian nationalist message regarding formal recognition of the Israeli government and actual unification of the city. Israel, from its point of view, did not succeed or manage to create a sense of security that allowed many residents of east Jerusalem wishing to vote to participate in the elections. The threat was far too tangible. This time, there are also some figures who want to run in the elections to the city council. The electoral potential of over 300,000 Arabs in east Jerusalem, currently forming around 40 percent of the citys population, is extremely high: at least one-third of the members of the city council. Due to the status of permanent residents that they received immediately after the Six-Day War, east Jerusalems Arabs are entitled to vote in city council elections (though not in Knesset elections). However, after so many years of boycotting, the likelihood of this potential being fully or significantly realized at any significant level is still very low. On the other hand, the possibility that several thousand or even tens of thousands of east Jerusalem Arabs may participate in the elections is much higher, even if it is not certain. Everything depends on the levels of threats and the protection that Israel will provide to those seeking to vote or run in the elections. Nine months before the upcoming Jerusalem city council elections, there are already two initial candidates, though it is not clear whether they will manage to overcome the threats of Palestinian violence and terror. One of these is Dr. Ramadan Dabash, leader of the Sur Baher community council, who has announced his intention to run for the municipality. The second is Iyad Bibuch, a teacher from Shuafat, who is trying to form an east Jerusalem political party. The common factor between both of these candidates, similar to previous initiatives that foundered before their time, is their aspiration to bypass the political conflict regarding the citys future in order to concentrate on municipal activity and a concern for the welfare of the residents of east Jerusalem, which has been seriously neglected. Coexistence and a Shared Fabric of Life The candidates basic assumptions and those of their observers may be a little different this time. Following the elections, the representation of the residents of east Jerusalem on the city council will depend upon two main factors: necessity and reality. Much has been written about necessity. There are vast gaps in the levels of services and infrastructure between the Jewish and Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem within almost every parameter: roads, sidewalks, the sewage system, water, education, and more. In recent years, there have been attempts to redress the mistakes of the past and to allocate more funding to east Jerusalem. However, the discrepancies are still very large, and it will take a long time to change the situation there significantly. This is the case regarding necessity. In terms of reality, though, it has led to the Israelization of many Arabs in east Jerusalem. Even without the elections, Israelization is the upshot of living together in a united city, alongside a Jewish population, for the past 50 years. A decisive majority of Jerusalems population, Jewish as well as Arab, dont remember a divided city. Around 85 percent of Jerusalems Arabs and 75 percent of the citys Jews were born within the reality of a unified city. For them, the days when it was divided are a chapter of distant history. They grew up in a single city without any divisions or borders. This detail has been translated into the fabric of a normal coexistence that is a blend of different lifestyles. While there is a national and religious struggle, Jerusalems residents still live side by side. Shared aspects of life include Jewish and Arab doctors and nurses, working together to serve both populations in the citys hospitals and also at the branches of the various health funds. There is also a shared pharmaceutical system. Arab and Jewish drivers both work within the Egged cooperative and drive the citys taxis and private buses. Of course, there is also a joint community of passengers. Jews and Arabs mix at Jerusalems various leisure spots, including restaurants, cafes, and shopping malls. In all of these places, there is a large pool of Jewish and Arab consumers, as well as Jewish and Arab employees. Parts of the city are also connected through joint infrastructures. Services are provided to all areas of the city, including water, sewage, electricity, and telephones, as well as a shared system of arterial and secondary roads, crossing Jerusalem both lengthwise and widthwise. Despite all the tensions, the national-religious conflict, and terror, Jews visit all of the four quarters of the Old City, where they shop and walk around. Arabs visit the western parts of the city, mostly for work, leisure, and shopping. The boundaries between neighborhoods are simultaneously a site of tension and conflict and a meeting place for commercial activity, tourism, and shared necessities created by mutual interests. The most outstanding expression of this coexistence is the light railway, which serves hundreds of thousands of Jews and tens of thousands of Arabs. It defies the ongoing attempts of the enemies of normalization, the terror organizations, to harm it. The train passes through Jewish neighborhoods and also the Arab neighborhoods of Shuafat and Beit Hanina. Additional light railway lines planned for the future will also pass through both Jewish and Arab residential areas. Another aspect of Israelization relates to the fields of education and university studies. An increasing number of young Arabs want to study at Israeli academic institutions. To achieve this, they need to pass Israeli bagrut [matriculation] exams. Learning centers in east Jerusalem prepare these young people for Israeli bagrut exams. A growing number of families in east Jerusalem are currently choosing to send their children to study at schools where they follow the Israeli curriculum. This number of children has reached 5,500, as compared to less than 1,000 only a few years ago. The proportion of students following the Israeli curriculum among the total of students in east Jerusalem may still be very small, but this is a gradual rise, symptomatic of an increasing trend. These kinds of blending are naturally created by a shared economy and a level of codependence. Within various industrial sectors, the comparative proportion of employees from the eastern part of the city forms the main workforce with regard to size and importance to the citys economy. Workers from the eastern part of the city are 66 percent of employees in construction, 52 percent of those employed in transportation, 38 percent of those working in the hotel and food industry, 32 percent of workers in the industrial sector, and 21 percent of those employed in health and welfare. The livelihood of the residents of east Jerusalem depends on their employers from the west, and the business of west Jerusalems employers depends on their workers from the east. A Different Identity The different identity of the Arabs of east Jerusalem, which sets them apart from the residents of the West Bank, is affected by all of the above. This identity is also affected by their permanent resident status and the establishment of the security fence. The fence, which was erected 15 years ago, has compelled Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem (apart from the northern neighborhoods that have remained outside its border) to change direction and turn west. It has also contributed to the strengthening of this blending process and the fabric of normalization. Other researchers have also seen evidence of blending and normalization. Seven years ago, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy conducted an in-depth survey among the Arabs of east Jerusalem. It found that 35 percent preferred to live as citizens with equal rights under Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. Three years ago, in June 2015, an additional survey by the Washington Institute revealed that this number had increased. On the date when the latest survey was taken in the neighborhoods of east Jerusalem, the proportion of residents who stated outright that they preferred to live as Israeli citizens with equal rights under Israeli sovereignty had reached 52 percent. Coexistence in Jerusalem has therefore defied political formulas more than once. This is not a love story, but a story of shared interests and recognizing reality, public benefit, profitability, economics, and earning a living. In the existing Jerusalem reality, coexistence has not turned the Arabs of east Jerusalem into friends. It does not negate terror or hostility, but it exists alongside them. To what extent will it lead the Arabs of east Jerusalem to the polls in October? This question still remains open. What is clear is that the desire for this to happen exists. Whether the conditions for this to occur will be created still remains to be seen. Nadav Shragai is a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He served as a journalist and commentator at Haaretz between 1983 and 2009, is currently a journalist and commentator at Israel Hayom, and has documented the dispute over Jerusalem for thirty years. His books include: Jerusalem: Delusions of Division (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2015); The Al-Aksa Is in Danger Libel: The History of a Lie (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2012); the ebook Jerusalem: Correcting the International Discourse  How the West Gets Jerusalem Wrong (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 2012); At the Crossroads: The Story of Rachels Tomb (Gates for Jerusalem Studies, 2005); The Temple Mount Conflict (Keter, 1995); and the essay: Jerusalem Is Not the Problem, It Is the Solution, in Mr. Prime Minister: Jerusalem, Moshe Amirav, ed. (Carmel and Florsheimer Institute, 2005). Home
Are Democrat midterm ambitions the real reason Parkland is still in news? By Selwyn Duke

Unlike after other mass school shootings, the movement from Parkland to propaganda has had tremendous lasting power. The tragedys wake has seen sustained news coverage and energized anti-Second Amendment protests, ostensibly due to organic student activism. Yet post-shooting leftist anti-gun appeals and young students willing to facilitate them are nothing new. What is new is that the Democrats just recently suffered a devastating political one-two punch. Not long ago Democrats were licking their chops at the prospect of a November midterm sweep. Since then, however, two momentous things have occurred: Both the Trump-Russia-collusion narrative and the Democrats generic congressional poll numbers have collapsed. To right this listing ship, leftists need a new issue, and fast, and they may think theyve got it: gun control. As U.S. News & World Report informed Feb. 14, The new Morning Consult/Politico poll released Wednesday showed respondents rewarding Republicans for passing the tax cut bill in December, with 39 percent saying they would vote Republican if the election were held today compared to 38 percent who would vote for Democrats  down from a 10-point Democrat advantage in mid-December. The same poll showed President Trumps approval rating drawing even with his disapproval number; in fact, Trumps approval figure is three points better than Barack Obamas was at the same time in his presidency. This was wholly unanticipated. On Feb. 16, the Friday before a three-day weekend, Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced the vanity indictments of 13 nationals and three entities of the Russian persuasion. A Project Veritas sting operation had already captured CNN figures on video last summer admitting there was nothing to the Trump-Russia-collusion story and that they were pushing it for ratings (and if CNN knew it was nonsense, so did the rest of the mainstream media), but this didnt stop Fourth Estate Russia fakery. But with these nonsense indictments  of men who can never be extradited and tried  the writing is on the wall: The Trump-Russia collusion narrative is dead, as Fox News put it. How bad is it for the Dems? The party for months was talking about impeaching President Trump as if it were only a matter of time. Now some leftists claim that collusion was never even the focus of the Mueller investigation! They just wanted to learn more about Russian meddling, you see. The people who gave us revisionist history now have graduated to revisionist current events. But it gets worse still. Muellers latest indictment, of lawyer and son-in-law of Russian oligarch Alex Van Der Zwaan, may lead to the implication of prominent Democrats. So the Dems and media may want Muellers investigation off the front pages posthaste, and they need an issue to replace it and hopefully buoy their flagging poll numbers. Ergo Parkland, Parkland and more Parkland, 24-7. The Democrats, mind you, have played this game before. Remember how contraception suddenly became a big issue during the 2012 campaign? This was no accident. As former Clinton insider Dick Morris explained at the time, the Democrats needed to replace prenatal infanticide  which is no longer a winning issue for them  with something else. As he put it, It used to be ten points more pro-choice than pro-Life[;] now its ten points more pro-Life than pro-choice. So what theyre trying to do now is replace it with contraception. So prenatal infanticide became contraception and Russia control becomes gun control  as the demagogues transition from defending the killing of unborn children to bemoaning the killing of older children  whatever it takes to win. The reality is that the Lefts focus isnt on stopping school shootings, but on stopping GOP momentum. And the Parkland kids are a very handy means to that end. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on Twitter or log on to SelwynDuke.com. Home
Its time to retire the term alt-right By Rachel Alexander

There are some words whose meaning becomes so tainted over time that they become harmful to a political cause. The left has figured this out and ditched words over the years like environmentalism, global warming and illegal immigrants. The right hasnt yet figured out that the term alt-right has developed a negative connotation that is unfairly tarnishing people on the right. The term emerged several years ago to describe paleoconservatives who disagreed with mainstream conservatism. Conservative political philosopher Paul Gottfried labeled them alternative right in 2008. While many paleoconservatives like Pat Buchanan lamented the destruction of U.S. culture due to the lack of assimilation by immigrants, the paleoconservative movement wasnt racist. But in 2010 William Regnery II co-opted the term. He founded a white nationalist think tank, the National Policy Institute, and started a website called Alternative Right. Richard Spencer, a well-known white nationalist, embraced the term and the left-leaning media raced to make him the face of the movement. Every time he held an event, they were there to breathlessly interview him. The media started referring to conservative sites like Breitbart as alt-right. Steve Bannon, until recently Breitbarts executive chairman, went along with it, telling a reporter in July 2016, Were the platform for the alt-right. But if alt-right encompasses white nationalism, then why does Breitbart have Jews in leadership positions? Its own founder Andrew Breitbart was Jewish. Milo Yiannopoulos, Breitbarts provocative former technology editor who is half-Jewish, wisely rejected the label. The left doesnt care about the truth; a writer for Mother Jones declared, At Breitbart News, one of the most strident voices for the alt-right has been Yiannapolous. But many on the right did not realize what was subtly happening. The left had cleverly used the term to define both reasonable conservatives and racists, creating the illusion they were similar or aligned, if not the same. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth. Racists have political views all over the spectrum. Many of them consider themselves socialists. The National Socialist Movement, which many white supremacists belong to and which may be the leading white supremacist organization in the country, calls for a livable wage, the nationalization of corporations, green energy measures, socialist healthcare reforms and the communalization of big department stores. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, in 2009 the organization had 61 chapters in 35 states, making it the largest neo-Nazi group in the U.S. Ben Shapiro, the savvy conservative writer who left Breitbart to found The Daily Wire, understands how tainted the term has become. In 2016, he described the alt-right as a movement shot through with racism and anti-Semitism. Bannon disagreed, responding, I dont think that the alt-right is anti-Semitic at all  I dont believe that the movement overall is anti-Semitic. Bannon did not realize it is too late to save the term, despite how much he wants to define it. The left-leaning media has had a field day with it, writing countless articles lumping mainstream conservative websites in with racists. Theyve successfully portrayed Richard Spencer and Breitbart as the face of the movement as if theyre one and the same. There are millions of conservatives who arent racist that the media characterizes as alt-right. The media cleverly labels even plain old Trump supporters as alt-right. This makes no sense, considering Jesse Jackson once praised and thanked Trump for a lifetime of service to African-Americans. There are countless videos of Trump on YouTube denouncing white supremacists and racism. There are a small number of racists across the country. To lump a good portion of Americans in with a small minority of offensive people is dishonest. The left claims that white supremacists rebranded themselves as the alt-right in order to become more socially acceptable. This isnt accurate; that small group of disreputable people isnt powerful enough to accomplish that. The truth is the left and complicit media did it for them. It is close to what theyd like to really do, rename white supremacists conservatives. If the media ignored the white supremacists, they would mostly go away. Its frustrating that the left has taken over some language. But the right has done the same thing to the left successfully. The left started using the phrase fake news in 2016 in a concerted effort to discredit conservative media, according to investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson. But Donald Trump turned it around on them in a hostile takeover of the term. Now people associate fake news with news outlets like CNN and The New York Times. Trump co-opted the term so completely that even media which had embraced the phrase like The Washington Post has backed away from using it. Alt-right is a phrase, not a word. If the left is able to put it out of commission, its not a huge loss in the big picture, especially compared to the gain of losing the false racist association. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. Home
The European Unions Mediterranean borders will be under migrant pressure throughout this year, the EUs border agency Frontex said. Almost 119,000 Africans were caught trying to get to the EU in 2017 on smugglers vessels departing from Libya. Frontex says that this trend will continue in 2018. The pressure, the irregular migration pressure on our southern borders in the Mediterranean will remain at a very high level (in 2018), Fabrice Leggeri, Frontex Executive Director, commented.

On top of the 119,000 African migrants setting out from Libya, there are about 42,000 others on the way from Turkey to Greece and another 23,000 heading from Algeria and Morocco to Spain. The numbers on the Libya-Italy route have gone down since last July as Libyan authorities  under pressure from Rome and Brussels  began to block departures, especially from the smuggling hubs. However, the crossings to Spain have more than doubled from below 10,000 in 2016. Mr. Leggeri explained that the activity increased due to the use of more solid rubber boats on this Western Mediterranean route.

Stopping irregular immigration from the Middle East and Africa is one of the EUs priorities since 2015 when more than a million migrants arrived in Europe, thus causing a crisis throughout the EU accompanied by a rise of nationalist, anti-immigrant and populist sentiments. Since 2016, when an EU-Turkey deal stopped the irregular arrival of Syrian refugees in Greece, Frontex said African nationals have made up almost two thirds of some 205,000 people trying to reach the shores of Europe. It is estimated that around 511,000 tried to do so in 2016. In 2017, Syrians and Nigerians each made up nine percent of overall arrivals, followed by nationals of the Ivory Coast, Guinea and Morocco.
Macedonia is making progress on its way toward its European future. German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Skopje this week and praised the reforms and the prospect of settling its naming dispute with Greece. The country is one of the six potential Western Balkan nations trying to join the bloc but the EU remains cautious about the membership talks in a region marred by ethnic wars and organized crime. However, it is at the same time keen to tame Russian influence in the area.

Chancellor Merkel embraced Macedonias radical judicial reforms and steps towards improving transparency. It is also necessary because it is part of the conditions for moving ahead with talks on EU membership, she said. Likewise, Ms. Merkel praised the efforts to settle the naming issue that has been thwarting Macedonias ambitions to join NATO and the EU as the two countries agreed to step up talks this year to try to resolve the issue. Greece has been objecting Macedonias membership plans arguing that Macedonia could try to claim Greeces own northern territory of the same name.

I am very pleased and relieved that there is movement in the talks, Chancellor Merkel said. In the last 10 years, the solution has not been as close as now and it would be wonderful if the remaining difficulties can be bridged. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev added that for his country there was no alternative to NATO and EU membership. There is no alternative for the whole region. The Republic of Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2005.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has recently confirmed that Albania would also be recommended to start accession talks. The EU Commission will soon recommend, most likely by the summer, that member states begin accession negotiations with Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, he confirmed. We believe that both countries have made important reforms in the past, and are thus qualified for this step.
Greetings, I have had this problem for a while and was hoping it would resolve as it seems to be a back-end technical issue, but it hasn't. I am wondering if anyone else has encountered it:



1) I fill in 12 months for length of stay and it defaults back to 3 after I hit save.

2) As an experiment, I continued to the end of the application to see whether I could fix it there, but:

a. I click edit and am simply redirected back to recap page.

b. I click the pdf icon to see whether the info is actually correct, and am redirected back to the recap page.



So, there is no way to view my application or edit it. Since I did not confirm and submit it, I started a second application but the same thing happened. I have used every OS and browser I have at my disposal, ios, osx, linux, chrome, safari.



I sent a message through the feedback form but don't know whether I will receive a reply (it's listed as a comment form).



On another note, I was browsing the SFO FAQs and saw that you can't have an appointment earlier then 50 days from departure? Is this outdated info? I have been operating under the impression that I could make an appt 90 days out. 50 days is tight. We want to sell our coop in July (July is peak sales period), this means we will have to list our place before we even have an appt, let alone a visa.



Background) We are US citizens, retired, planning to arrive in France August 31 on long stay visitor visas for a year - with an eye toward permanent relocation, whlie studying French at the U of Pau.
9 years ago i bought a house under the then Robien scheme. I'm now at the point that i can sell the house (reaching the 9 year limit) but I can find no infomation about how to go about it. The agency that sold me the property has since closed down. The local real estate agency and management agency know nothing about it. I understood that i should be at minimum guarenteed to receive back the amount i paid for it. Can anyone advise how i can find out what to do. i need to decide if i sell up or continue renting .



thanks
lorort said: Is that a math problem? 23 - 5 = 18 Click to expand...

Actually they were really easy I just went into Spanish translation panic mode. Government sites terrify me, Im always concerned Ill press the wrong button and Ill get a message sayinThank you for de registering from , healthcare, social security and your membership of Spain
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Next month marks the 61st anniversary of Ghanas independence from colonial rule. On 6 March 1957, the former Gold Coast emerged from the shadow of the British Empire. But the extraordinary role of its citizens, most of whom have now died, has been largely overlooked, writes Anglo-Ghanaian author and historian R. Peprah-Gyamfi

Robert Peprah-Gyamfi

One day in September 2015, as I contemplated the approaching 60th anniversary of Ghana's independence, it occurred to me that I should write a historical novel about the extraordinary role of ordinary citizens in the country's independence movement.

For those unfamiliar with Ghanas independence, it will come as no surprise to learn that its journey to self-rule was a long and complex one. The process was frustrated by the countrys two main movements which disagreed about the speed and timing of independence. The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), on the one hand, advocated a softly-softly, conservative approach. The Convention Peoples Party (CPP), on the other hand, demanded more immediate action. Unlike the UGCC, which was made-up of the educated elite, the CPP was the outspoken mouthpiece of the everyman with the radical leader Kwame Nkrumah at its helm.

With the political differences in mind, I decided to tell the story through the fictional eyes of Panin and Kakra, identical twins whose political positions look very different.

Kakra, who had been forcefully conscripted into the Royal West African Frontier Force to fight for Empire and King in East Africa and Burma during WWII, is in the action now camp. He joins the CPP on his return from Burma and sets about educating the masses with the CPPs message, Self-Government NOW!

Panin, conversely, is more cautious. He shares the view of the UGCC that Ghanas mainly illiterate population, made up of several ethnic groups with differing languages, traditions, cultures and religious beliefs is not ready for self-rule.

Their respective journeys, though taken alone and divided, reach the same destination when the Colonial administration grants the Gold Coast independence on 6 March 1957.

What followed wasnt plain sailing; Ghana went on to experience 30 years of political instability. But despite its shortfalls, things are working  and working well. Multi-party democracy is thriving and civil liberties  including religious tolerance and freedom of speech  remain a top priority. Even Ghanas free press is outranking much of the western world; it ranks 26th on the Reporters Without Borders 2017 Press Freedom Ranking, far ahead of France (39th), the UK (40th) and the USA (43rd).

Not everything is rosy, of course. Poverty, inadequate health care and a lack of jobs are among the countrys biggest challenges. But in comparison with the rest of the world, Ghana is holding its own with societal and political stability to be proud of.

Not bad after only 60 years.

Twins Divided (Perseverance Books) is out now, priced 9.99 in paperback, from Amazon UK. Further information about Ghanas independence can be found at www.peprah-gyamfi.com
Karen Gillan misses the "chippy sauce" in Scotland.

Karen Gillan

The 30-year-old actress has been forced to relocate for the sake of her career, but she's revealed that the tasty sauce is one of the things she misses the most about spending so much time away from home.

The Inverness-born star - who is making her directorial debut with 'The Party Is Just Beginning' - told the Daily Record newspaper: "The thing I miss most about Scotland has to be the chippy sauce.

"But also my family and all the people here and the sense of humour.

"I feel that we have a very specific sense of humour in the face of adversity, which is something I incorporate into the film. I miss it a lot."

Karen became a household name after starring in 'Doctor Who' as companion Amy Pond and she's subsequently broken into Hollywood, with major roles in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'.

But the Scottish actress recently admitted to being "delusional" about her acting abilities earlier in her career, saying she previously thought she was more talented than she actually was.

She confessed: "I was delusional about my own acting abilities. When I was acting, I was really confident that I was good at it. I had suffered so many rejections, but it's like it has never phased me.

"Then I had an awakening when I realised I wasn't as good as I thought I was - I watched myself in something and thought, 'Oh my God, this is terrible, I need to get back to work on this and figure out how this is done.'"

Karen also revealed it's felt "natural" for her to make the move into directing.

She said: "There was a second where you realise that you usually have someone to turn to and ask what to do, and that people were looking to me for that. I was like, 'Oh, right! You should do that.'

"But it felt natural. I just know that I want to direct. That's what I want to do with my life."
Royal staff have been given anti-radiation protection gear following a recent security scare.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Kensington Palace has decided to increase security measures after a racist letter laced with a white powder was sent to Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle, who are poised to tie the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19.

A source explained: "The staff tasked with opening letters are now on high alert. They have been given goggles and protective face masks as anthrax and other substances can kill if they are inhaled.

"Staff have joked that it's like something out of that film, 'Outbreak', where they deal with the deadly virus. Police officials have also given them gloves usually worn to handle asbestos."

The new security measures are also designed to help reveal the identity of criminals.

The insider told the Daily Star newspaper: "The gloves will not only protect skin, but maximise the chance of the suspect's fingerprints staying on the dodgy mail."

The letter sent to Meghan, 36, on February 12 is still being investigated by detectives, with Scotland Yard treating the package as a race hate attack.

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that Prince Harry has invited his ex-girlfriends to his wedding.

The 33-year-old royal has apparently asked his two former long-term loves, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, to attend the much-anticipated ceremony.

A source recently said: "Harry has stayed good friends with Chelsy and Cressida, so they will be there. He made sure there were no hard feelings when they split up. I don't think Meghan will mind."

The British royal - who announced his engagement to Meghan in November - dated Chelsy, 32, for seven years, while his relationship with Cressida, 29, ended after two years.
Alex Beresford has left 'Dancing On Ice'.

Alex Beresford

The 37-year-old weather presenter and his partner Brianne Delcourt were booted out of the ITV competition on Sunday night (25.02.18), narrowly missing out on a place in the semi-final.

Speaking after his exit, Alex said: "I've had the best time ever. From everyone out here, to everyone backstage, they've all been brilliant. It was everything I could have wished for and more. When I came into the competition, I thought I was going to go out at week one, week two, so I'm really happy. Thank you to Brianne, you've been a complete soldier throughout the process."

Whilst Brianne added: "I've loved skating with Alex. You did such a good job tonight and thank you for holding me up tonight."

All the judges - Christopher Dean, Jayne Torvill, Ashley Banjo and Jason Gardiner - opted to save Kem Cetinay and Alex Murphy over Alex and Brianne.

When making their decision, the judges praised Alex's skating but admitted it was his time to go.

Ashley said: "At this point in this competition, we are always going to be losing great skaters but I have to go for, basically, who I think would be most competitive in a final situation and I think that would be Kem and Alex."

Whilst Jayne added: "Alex and Brianne, that was a great skate. Your skating was strong ... I'm saving Kem and Alex."

Meanwhile, Jake Quickenden and his professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer wowed the judges - and the studio audience - with an Evil Queen inspired routine to Britney Spears' 'Toxic'. Following their amazing headbanger move last week, the pair were under pressure to deliver an equally stunning performance. They received high praise from all four judges - Christopher, Jayne, Ashley and Jason - who scored them 9.5 a piece, bringing his total to 38.

Rugby star Max Evans bounced back from his spot in last week's skate off to wow the judges with a Red Riding Hood themed skate to Duran Duran's 'Hungry Like A Wolf', whilst 'Coronation Street's Brooke Vincent impressed with a improved skate to Little Mix's 'Black Magic'.

'Dancing on Ice' continues on ITV next Sunday (04.03.18).
Suranne Jones may be too busy with other work to shoot a third series of 'Doctor Foster' in 2018.

Suranne Jones

The 39-year-old actress has won rave reviews for her portrayal of GP Gemma Foster in the two series of the BBC One drama, and creator Mike Bartlett has spilled that he has a story mapped out for another run, which will focus on the doctor's missing son Tom Foster.

Suranne is very proud of her work on the programme but is unsure if she can commit to another six episodes because she already has acting commitments she has agreed to.

She will next be seen on TV in Lennie James' missing child drama 'Save Me' for Sky Atlantic, with plans for a second series already underway, is appearing in theatre play 'Frozen' and is due to start shooting Sally Wainwright's 'Gentleman Jack'.

Discussing Mike's plans for 'Doctor Foster' on 'This Morning' on Monday (26.02.18), Suranne said: "I don't know. With 'Save Me' also, there's room for more, Lennie has been saying he'd like to make a second one. Then I'm doing 'Gentleman Jack' after finishing 'Frozen' so I don't know."

Questioning whether Tom [Tom Taylor] should even be reunited with his dysfunctional and damaging parents Gemma and Simon Foster [Bertie Carvel] with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, she added: "Would you really want him coming back to these damaged parents. After the programme we'll finish the wine over there and we'll work out the story and let Mike know."

Suranne had intended to take a break from acting after making 'Doctor Foster' but once she was sent the script for 'Save Me' her husband Laurence Akers knew immediately she wasn't going to say no to the job offer.

Suranne and Laurence have a young son together and she admits she's has to make an effort to do things with her little boy because she's out of the home so much due to her long hours on London's West End.

She shared: "I'd finished 'Doctor Foster' two and I planned a trip to LA and then I was gonna have a break but then this script came up and Lennie got in touch with me ... First of all my husband rolls his eyes and then he goes, 'You're doing it aren't you?' I'm in the theatre at the moment in Frozen, the West end keeps me away from the home. I get in really late from the West End. I get up really early now and I'm like a super-needy mum and I'm like, 'Let's have breakfast and play games.' "
Our pick of the news from Fethiye and around Turkey over the last week.

News

Pegasus Airlines  Changes to the Check-in and Cabin Baggage Rules as of March 1st

Pegasus Airlines are making some changes to speed up boarding. The changes come into effect from 1st March 2018.

Please click on the links below for further details.

Click here for further details

Click here for check-in times for all check-in channels.

A clothing shop where everything is free

Last June, we brought you news about the new garment waste stations for the collection of old clothes, shoes and textiles placed around Fethiye.

Since then, Fethiyes Department of Environmental Protection has been busy working on setting up a centre that will provide second-hand clothing and textiles to needy citizens, free of charge.

A textile manufacturing firm is supporting the project and the centre in Gunlukbas will be operating fully before the summer season.

58 tons of clothing have already been collected including trousers, shoes and coats.

The Director of Fethiyes Department of Environmental Protection, Hatice Kabak, said This project will establish a centre to meet the clothing requirements of Fethiyes needy citizens. People wishing to donate secondhand items will be able to place them in the purple boxes or bring them directly to the centre. Our plan is to open the centre before the summer season. We are delighted to set up this project to help our needy citizens and we urge everyone to use the purple boxes for clothing or textile materials they no longer use

New cable car expected to increase the number of visitors to Babadag

Babadag, home of one of the best paragliding centres in the world, is expected to host one million people annually with the completion of the cable car project planned for the end of this year.

The cable car is being installed on the southwestern slope of Babadag and will run from Yasdam Street in Ovack, pass through the 1200 meter runway, to the terminal station on the 1700 meter runway at Babadag summit.

The cable car will have eight-seater cabins and will reach the summit in 6-7 minutes. A ski lift system will transport passengers to the 1800 and 1900 meter runways. A viewing terrace and restaurant will be built at the 1700 and 1900 runways.

Source: SonDakikA

AKUT, AFAD and UMKE mobilized to rescue paragliders

AFAD, AKUT and UMKE search and rescue teams were mobilized to rescue a Chinese pilot and his passenger who were injured in a paragliding incident on Saturday.

The paragliding pilot and the passenger were injured when their parachute failed during a flight from Babadags 1200 meter runway.

Having opened without any problems, the parachute failed after 100 meters and the pilot and his passenger fell into the shrubbery on the mountain below.

Other pilots at the scene called the Regional 112 Emergency Service and National Medical Rescue Boards (UMKE), Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) and AFAD teams were dispatched to the scene.

The injured pilot and passenger were transferred to the Fethiye State Hospital for treatment. Their injuries were reported to be non-life threatening.

Turkey Travel Advice

23-02-2018 10:01 AM GMT

Local law and customs section  update on local law and customs; the possession, sale and export of antiquities is against the law and carries a prison sentence of 5 to 12 years as well as a substantial fine. Its also an offence to insult the Turkish nation or the national flag, or to deface or tear up currency. If you are convicted of any of these offences you could face a prison sentence of between 6 months and 3 years

Hasankeyf locals prepare to move amid impending flooding

Inhabitants of Hasankeyf, a historic town that is due to be completely submerged by the floodwaters of the Ilsu Dam, which is under construction in the southeastern province of Batman, are preparing to move away from the area.

Locals have already started to move to completely new settlements built nearby by the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI).

Each of the new homes is 180 square meters and the final ones are due to be delivered to their new owners at the beginning of June.

In the new settlement, the construction of the Hasankeyf Vocational School, a modern library, a mosque, a business centre and a district organization have all been completed.

Today, many visitors are flocking to Hasankeyf to see the historical town before it is finally flooded, as has been anticipated for many years.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Sport

Fethiyespor

Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor updates.

Fethiyespor drew their away match against Nazilli Belediyespor yesterday. The final score was 1-1.

After yesterdays match, Fethiyespor stay at 15th position on the league table.

The next league matches are:

Sunday 4th March 2018 at home against Altay. Kick off is at 14.30

Saturday 10th March away against Ottocool Karagumruk. Kick off is at 15:00. (please note the later kick-off times)

For more information about Fethiyespor please visit Fethiyespor Yabancilar on Facebook.

Turkish Money

Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates:

The British Pound bought 5.29 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 5.25 TL.

The US Dollar bought 3.79 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 3.74 TL.

The Euro bought 4.66 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 4.64 TL.

Weather Forecast

Heres your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category


ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - QBE Insurance (QBE.AX, QBEIF.PK) reported a statutory 2017 net loss after tax of US$1.249 billion, compared to a net profit after tax of US$844 million in the prior year. This included the significant non-cash impairment of goodwill --US$700 million-- and write down of the deferred tax asset following the reduction in the US corporate tax rate--US$230 million--in our North American Operations. The Board remains committed to the three-year share buyback of up to A$1 billion; however, intends to take a considered approach in the near term.



Separately, Zurich Insurance Group said that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the operations of Australian insurer QBE Insurance Group Limited (QBE) in Latin America for a total aggregate price of US$409 million subject to closing adjustments. The acquired operations had combined gross written premiums of about US$790 million in 2017, with a highly diversified product offering and strong distribution.



Zurich expects to achieve an overall return on investment comfortably in excess of the Group's indicated hurdle rate of 10% within the first full year post completion of the transaction. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 and is expected to be funded from internal resources.



QBE confirmed that it has entered into agreements with Zurich Insurance Group for the sale of its operations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. QBE Puerto Rico will be retained by QBE to facilitate the servicing of claims resulting from Hurricane Maria and will become part of QBE's North American Operations. The estimated aggregate consideration is US$409 million subject to closing adjustments. Profit on sale before tax is estimated at around US$100 million .



QBE noted that the sale will positively impact the Group's APRA PCA multiple and S&P capital position due to the profit on sale, lower risk charges and the disposal of approximately US$42 million of goodwill and intangible assets.



QBE's cash loss after tax for 2017 was US$258 million compared to cash profit of US$898 million last year. Net earned premium were up 7%, assisted by reinsurance cost savings.



QBE noted that the final dividend for 2017 will be four Australian cents per share, franked at 30%, and compares with the 2016 final dividend of 33 Australian cents per share, franked at 50%. The reduced dividend reflects the very significant impact of catastrophe claims that contributed to a US$632 million after tax loss on a cash basis during the second half of the year. Including A$139 million of funds used to buy back and cancel QBE shares, the payout for the 2017 full year is A$495 million, down 33% from A$741 million in 2016.



QBE's targets for 2018 are Combined operating ratio 95.0% - 97.5%, investment return 2.5% - 3.0%.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 25, 2018) - War Eagle Mining Company Inc. (TSXV: WAR) ("War Eagle" or the "Company") reports that, pursuant to the terms and conditions of its incentive stock option plan, it has granted, in the aggregate, 2,050,000 stock options to purchase common shares of the Company to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company. The options, which vest immediately, are exercisable up to May 5, 2021 at a price of $0.17 per share and are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. In addition, the Company has cancelled an aggregate of 599,000 stock options previously granted to certain directors and officers of the Company.

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.
CHANGSHA, China, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 8, SANY held the Summit of Global Dealers in Changsha, which is themed on "innovation, change, digitalization and win-win". About 300 representatives of SANY global dealers from 60 countries, e.g., USA, Germany, India, Kuwait, Thailand, South Africa, etc. talked with SANY top management to understand its history, international strategy and three-year plan in the future. They also received the training program on SANY products, discussed the marketing tactics in overseas market and win-win development plan. In the period, SANY Heavy Industry International Headquarters signed the agreement of sales target for 2018 with 61 dealers, thus kicking off the new chapter of its international development.

SANY Group Director & SANY Heavy Industry President Mr. Xiang Wenbo, SANY Group Director & SANY Pump Machinery Chairman Mr. Liang Linhe, SANY Heavy Industry Vice President & SANY Port Machinery Chairman Mr. Fu Weizhong, Rootcloud CEO Mr. He Dongdong and SANY Heavy Industry International Headquarters Director Mr. Zhou Wanchun attended the relevant activities in the meeting.

SANY realized rapid development in international presence

Mr. Xiang Wenbo made a keynote speech at the principal venue of SANY Summit of Global Dealers for 2018.

At first, Mr. Xiang Wenbo, on behalf of SANY Chairman Mr. Liang Wengen and SANY Board of Directors, expressed warm welcome to overseas dealers, and delivered heartfelt gratitude to their support and help to SANY for years, and gave Chinese New Year blessings to dealers and other participants. Xiang Wenbo pointed out that, for years, dealers of SANY in the world have made outstanding contributions for SANY to become the leading corporation in the Belt & Road Initiative. Thanks to the concerted efforts of all dealers, sales and profits of SANY doubled in 2017, with its cash flow creating a new record.

Mr. Xiang Wenbo emphasized that international management institution of SANY experienced fundamental reform and transformation in 2017, which implemented the operating ideas of Chairman Liang Wengen featured by "two separations, two-wheel drives and three carriages". The reform helped SANY secure rapid growth in its international development. Mr. Xiang hoped SANY and all its dealers should finalize two tasks in the coming new year. First, develop products with absolute competitiveness, which is the duty of SANY. Second, provide the best and extremely considerate service, which is the duty of SANY and its dealers. He said, "Let's move forward hand in hand to build SANY into a world-class corporation."

Mr. Zhou Wanchun introduced the international strategy and three-year plan of SANY. According to the plan, SANY will, in five years, developed SANY into the leading world-class corporation in the industry. During the Summit, Rootcloud CEO Mr. He Dongdong made a keynote speech about Rootcloud. Relevant departments of SANY Heavy Industry made presentations on SANY plan of international operations and its products.

The dealers said the Summit broke borders between countries, races and cultures. The participants discussed for common development, thus enhancing mutual trust and having clearer orientation and greater confidence for international development of SANY.

New mechanism stimulated new power

In the framework of new system, SANY provided more direct and efficient support to dealers while making faster response to the market in 2017. More than 20 dealers were promoted or contracted in 2017. The new management system ensured SANY had new dynamics and vitality in its international development.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of all overseas dealers, SANY organized more than 500 promotions, competitions and test-driving events to market its equipment in the overseas market. For many times, it invited the major clients and big clients to SANY headquarters while pushing forward the standardization of SANY shops. It is worth noting that SANY teams "worked and made decisions" together with dealers, thus securing the success of SANY dealers and contributing to SANY business.

The win-win partnership between SANY and its overseas dealers has reached the unprecedented height. During the Summit, the excellent overseas dealers of SANY shared their experience in having successful cooperation with SANY. And SANY signed the agreement of sales targets with 61 overseas dealers. At the same time, SANY also commended 19 dealers that were Star & Gold winners and Special Award Winners for 2017.

According to Mr. Zhou Wanchun, the efforts of dealers have been working hard for years and they are the principal forces that help SANY make stable growth in the overseas market in spite of all adversaries in the world economy. Export figures in China reveal that SANY concrete equipment, piling equipment, excavation equipment and hoisting equipment keep taking the leading position in the industry in terms of export, which attributes to the hard work and contributions made by SANY overseas dealers.

Behind the best quality of SANY

To help SANY dealers better understand SANY culture and see with own eyes the quality of SANY equipment, the participants were organized to visit the No. 18 Workshop in SANY Changsha Industrial Park, which is known as the Demo Workshop of China's Intelligent Manufacturing, the small-tonne crane assembly line in SANY Ningxiang Industrial Park, to view performance and experience the road rollers and cranes.

In No. 18 Workshop and small-tonne crane assembly line in SANY Ningxiang Industrial Park, the guide introduced to the dealers, in fluent English, about the many products of SANY such as concrete machinery, road machinery, crane and excavating machinery, etc. The lean production and intelligent management in SANY gave them deep impressions. In particular, the dealers fully comprehended the power of SANY in intelligent manufacturing after viewing the automatic line of pump trucks in the intelligent workshop.

Nearly 400 global clients and foreigners were present at the venue to experience the road rollers and cranes. Principals of SANY Heavy Industry introduced to the dealers about the excellent performance and quality of two categories of SANY products. Many dealers also operated the road rollers and cranes on the site. In the process, they were amazed by the high-quality, high-tech and person-oriented all-new products of SANY, unwilling to get off the machinery.

The dealers were deeply impressed by the Summit. All of them believed that, the Summit helped them better understand SANY and have greater confidence in SANY's future, thus laying a solid foundation for their broader cooperation.

All SANY participants and SANY dealers, either new or old friends, have the same dream of selling SANY equipment to the whole world and building SANY fame in the world. Mr. Xiang Wenbo firmly believes that, with concerted efforts, SANY brand will gain greater renown and SANY will provide better-quality products and more efficient services to the world while creating greater values for all parties.

For more details, please call: +86-731-8403-8018 or visit our official website: http://www.sanyglobal.com/

Follow us:

Facebook: SANY Group

WeChat: SanyWorldwide

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Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645766/Xiang_Wenbo_5th_L__and_Zhou_Wanchun__3rd_L__take_a_photo_with_the_5_star_gold_dealer_4th_R.jpg
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 26, 2018 / November and Los Angeles, California Apartment Searches Are you considering moving into a new Los Angeles, California apartment? Good timing may be able to reduce your costs considerably. Renthop performed research that indicates that rental prices get particularly high in the city during the month of June each year. They're roughly 4.1 percent more expensive than they are in November. November has the distinction of being the cheapest rental month of all. People who wish to rent two-bedroom units should aim to do so in the month of December. December prices are 4 percent cheaper than they are in September. September is when prices reach their maximum. Renters in 2017 reduced their monthly costs by $103 simply by delaying their lease signing activities by three months.

This research employs information that primarily comes from the website for Renthub. These statistics, because of that, are mere guesses. They'll also probably change with time, too. That doesn't mean that they don't make sense alongside other patterns across the United States. They make sense alongside patterns that indicate that renters have high odds of locating strong deals in both the winter and fall. People simply do not move as much during those colder seasons.

Apartment List has published in-depth reports that discovered that rental prices in Los Angeles got a lot lower in the last three months of 2017. This drop took place after prices had consistently gotten higher throughout the course of the first eight months of the year.

Renthop's research indicates that prices become their lowest from November to March each year. This applies to the 10 most sizable urban destinations in the United States. Prices, on the other hand, become the highest all year long from May to October each year. This is relevant and true for each of the biggest cities in the United States, zero exceptions.

According to Neil Shekhter, Los Angeles rental prices get particularly low anywhere from November to January each year. This is applicable to apartments that consist either of one or two bedrooms in total. One bedroom apartment rental prices are at their absolute highest in the months of March, June and, last but not least, July. Two bedroom apartments, at the other end of the spectrum, become particularly expensive in June and later on in the year in October. Those are the months that are associated with especially high costs. Costs during these two months are substantially steeper than they typically are.

Smart renters should prepare well. It's critical to take all sorts of rental factors into consideration. Los Angeles is a large and competitive city. Rental prices can often seem rather outrageous. If you're contemplating renting and want to get access to all of the most desirable discounts and deals around, you need to plan in a proper and thorough manner no matter what. Try to focus your search. Try to search for an apartment during a rather slow time of the year. Doing so may just end up saving you a pretty penny. Why ever waste money on higher rental prices when it's 100 percent unnecessary?

Launching NMS Properties in 1988, Neil Shekhter assumed the role of CEO in January 1995. The real estate management company focuses on multi-family and mixed-use properties in the Greater Los Angeles area and in Santa Monica. At present, NMS properties manages more than 70 properties.

Over the course of 2017, NMS deployed 40 furnished units in LA County, and Neil Shekhter plans to triple that number in 2018. The company currently manages some of the its properties while testing a pilot with MY SUITE.

Neil Shekhter - Founder and CEO of NMS Properties

Apartments For Rent In Los Angeles NMS Residential: http://www.nmsresidential.com

NMS Properties - Real Estate Management Firm: http://www.nmsproperties.com

Contact Information: info@NeilShekhter.com

SOURCE: NMS Properties, Inc.




GUILDFORD, England, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

A cross-party group of high-profile MPs and Peers will today be joined by patients, charities and industry to form a one-off choir group to shine a light on the challenges faced by people who have a rare disease

The event aims to engage public and policymakers to ensure people with a rare disease get the same opportunities for diagnosis and treatment as those with more common conditions

3.5 million of us will be impacted by a rare disease within our lifetimes - nearly 1 in 17 people in the UK 1 - but patients struggle to access treatments

- but patients struggle to access treatments The choir will take place just before Prime Minister's Questions - 11.00-12.00, Wednesday 28 February 2018 , Westminster Underground Station, London

Sanofi and its specialty care global business unit, Sanofi Genzyme, today announced that a cross-party group of MPs and Peers are joining forces with patients and charity groups to sing as part of a one-off choir event taking place at Westminster Underground Station on Rare Disease Day (28 February 2018) to encourage awareness and action to support the millions of people who will be impacted by a rare disease.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8277551-one-voice-choir-rare-disease-day-2018/

The 'One Voice Choir' will perform to members of the public as part of events taking place to mark Rare Disease Day 2018.



Parliamentary health leaders including Sharon Hodgson MP, Shadow Public Health Minister, Lisa Cameron MP, SNP Mental Health Spokesperson and Baroness Judith Jolly, Lib Dem Health Spokesperson will take part in the event and believe that it is only by coming together with One Voice that political leaders and patients can create the right environment to improve outcomes for people affected by a rare disease.

"I am very excited to be part of the One Voice Choir and support Rare Disease Day," says Dr Lisa Cameron, MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow. "Rare Disease Day is a day where we can unite together to help ensure patients and families affected by these conditions have access to appropriate care and support."

The event has been organised by Sanofi, underlining its commitment to supporting patients who have a rare disease and their families. The choir will be led by Joe Prescott, a talented musician and choral conductor who plays with the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.

A rare disease affects 1 person in 2000 or fewer.1 However, collectively rare diseases are not 'rare', as 3.5 million of us will be impacted by a rare disease within our lifetimes. That is nearly 1 in 17 people in the UK.1 With that said, fewer than 1 in 50,000 people are born with an ultra-orphan disease, also referred to as 'ultra-rare or 'very rare'.2 Due to their small prevalence, many of those affected by rare and ultra-orphan diseases face challenges in receiving a diagnosis or accessing treatment, which can have a life-changing impact on a patient and those they care about.

Inspired through the power of song

The choir will be singing songs that hope to inspire listeners to overcome challenges they may face, as the rare disease community has to do every day. Such songs will include: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey and "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music.

"Raising awareness is a fundamental part of what we do at Rare Disease UK and we have a busy schedule of activities planned around Rare Disease Day. I'm delighted to be a part of the One Voice Choir as one of those activities," says Dr Jayne Spink, Genetic Alliance UK CEO, Chair of Rare Disease UK. "Many people may be hearing about rare diseases for the first time today, so we hope that as well as enjoying the choir performance, people will also be prompted to find out more about rare diseases and how they affect patients and their families."

Patients should be at the centre of discussion

It is the patients and their loved ones who rely on collaborations between the government, industry and research community to support advancing life-changing treatments.

"When being diagnosed with a rare or ultra-orphan disease, patients and their families often feel alone," says Daniel Lewi, Chief Executive at Cure & Action for Tay-Sachs (CATS) Foundation. "It is important we support those families to provide the best possible life for their loved ones, and make them aware they are not alone in their struggles, but have a community behind them."

Today, Sanofi continues to champion the patient's voice for better access to much needed treatment and industry innovation that have the potential to improve outcomes and lives. People who are affected by rare and ultra-orphan diseases share a common struggle for equal access to treatment; anyone should be able to access appropriate treatments, irrespective of how common a disease is.

"We continue our support for the rare and ultra-orphan community," says John Ivory, Franchise Head, Rare Diseases UK & Ireland MCO and Country Head Sanofi Genzyme, Ireland. "Through inspirational and motivational activities, such as the One Voice Choir, we can help empower patients in their everyday lives and raise awareness around these often debilitating diseases."

One Voice Choir members

Lord Aberdare Bernard Jenkin MP Ailsa Arthur, Trustee, AGSD UK Baroness Jolly Jon Ashworth MP Rachael Mann, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, BIA UK Kevin Brennan MP Bettina Mavrommatis, Senior Rare Disease Officer, Department of Health & Social Care Baroness Brinton Bob Neill MP Dr Lisa Cameron MP Baroness Neville-Jones Julie Cooper MP Jenny Ousbey, Director and Head of Health, WA Communications Jim Cunningham MP Monika Preuss, Head of Genomics Science & Emerging Technologies, Department for Health & Social Care Alexandra Fraser, patient Marie Pritchard, patient representative, representative, AGSD UK SWAN UK Mary Glindon MP Andy Slaughter MP Sue Hayman MP Katie Spencer, Rare Disease Officer, Department of Health & Social Care Sharon Hodgson MP Dr Jayne Spink, Chair, Rare Disease UK George Howarth MP Peter Wasson, Account Director, WA Communications Mohammad Zafar, patient representative, SWAN UK

About Rare Disease Day

Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.

For more information, please visit: http://www.rarediseaseday.org .

About Sanofi

Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.

With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.

Sanofi, Empowering Life

Sanofi Genzyme focuses on developing specialty treatments for debilitating diseases that are often difficult to diagnose and treat, providing hope to patients and their families.

For more information please visit http://www.sanofi.co.uk.

References

National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-national-congenital-anomaly-and-rare-disease-registration-service-ncardrs/ Accessed February 2018 . Clinical Recommendations Committee. Available at: https://www.gov.im/media/631127/orphanorultraorphandruginterven.pdf Accessed February 2018 .

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645458/Sanofi_Genzyme_UK_Logo.jpg )



Video:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8277551-one-voice-choir-rare-disease-day-2018/


Mobile World Congress Hall 5 Booth 5B41 A2iA (@A2iA), an award-winning developer of artificial intelligence and machine-learning based software for the worldwide data capture, document processing, and payment systems markets, announced today that it has been recognized as one of the four most innovative companies in the French Tech Pavilion at Mobile World Congress. The jury of industry experts from Bpifrance, L'idate, Orange, Smart City Mag, Syntec Digital and Business France, selected the winners based on the disruptive nature of their product offering and market potential. Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the world's largest exhibition and conference for the mobile industry, organized by the GSMA, and held February 26 March 1, 2018, in Barcelona, Spain.

"A2iA is honored to be recognized by the Business France Orange Awards and its committee," said Jean-Louis Fages, A2iA President Chairman of the Board. "We have always prided ourselves on delivering innovative tools to our partners, enabling them to stay ahead of the trends and meet market demands."

A2iA, exhibiting in the French Tech Pavilion in Hall 5, Stand 5B41, will be showcasing its offline and client-side SDKs, a2ia Mobility and a2ia mNote. Both toolkits are available for integration into mobile apps and mobile operating systems, and deliver patented automatic image capture with A2iA's Auto-Locate feature, image analysis and conversion, and printed and cursive text recognition directly on the phone or tablet. Supporting multiple languages and country versions, the SDKs deliver application diversity on a global scale.

a2ia Mobility can be applied to various document types and workflows, including complex onBoarding and ID recognition, mobile check deposit (mRDC), receipt processing, bill pay, and more. The component supports nearly 20 locales for check recognition and more than 230 countries for ID recognition, proving a simple user experience around the world in an offline environment.

a2ia mNote enables users to turn handwritten, printed and mixed notes in various languages into searchable, digital documents. By simply taking a photo of the note, all data is transcribed by the SDK, allowing the app to perform data searching and editing, offline and directly on the mobile device.

This is the fourth year that the Business France Orange Awards recognize cutting edge, innovative companies. An award ceremony will be held in the French Tech Pavilion at Mobile World Congress on Monday, February 26, 2018, at 5:00pm CET.

About A2iA

Award-winning with research and development at its core, A2iA, Artificial Intelligence and Image Analysis (www.a2ia.com), is a science and R&D driven software company with deep roots in artificial intelligence, machine learning and neural networks. With simple, easy to use and intuitive toolkits, A2iA delivers add-on features to speed automation, simplify customer engagement and quickly capture all types of printed and handwritten data from documents whether captured by a desktop scanner or mobile device. By enhancing solutions from systems integrators and independent software vendors, A2iA allows complex and cursive data from all types of documents to become part of a structured database, making it searchable and reportable, with the same level of flexibility as printed or digital data. For more information, visit www.a2ia.com or call +1 917-237-0390 within the Americas, or +33 1 44 42 00 80 within EMEA, India or Asia.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005189/en/

Contacts:

Media:

A2iA Communications

Americas: 1 917-237-0390 EMEA, India, APAC: +33 (0)1 44 42 00 80

Marketing@a2ia.com


LONDON, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Insilico Medicine, a Baltimore-based company specialising in the application of artificial intelligence for drug discovery, biomarker development, and ageing research has announced it will partner with Master Investor at the annual Master Investor Show. The event will take place on Saturday, 17th March, 2018 at the Business Design Centre, London. Around 5,000 private investors will gather in London to meet nearly 100 CEOs of public companies and start-ups. Insilico Medicine will host the Experience Room and showcase Longenesis - their life data marketplace and ecosystem fuelled by the LifePound cryptocurrency.

Amanda Taylor, Master Investor's Head of Business Development said: "The Experience Room will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with Insilico Medicine and learn about the opportunities to invest in longevity technologies."

Alex Zhavoronkov PhD, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, presented the latest advances in artificial intelligence for drug discovery and longevity biotechnology at last year's Master Investor Show. The presentation on the Rising Stars Stage covered the applications of artificial intelligence transforming pharmaceutical industry R&D and accelerating the drug discovery process.

Dr Zhavoronkov is delighted to be returning to the event as a sponsor: "We are very happy to present our work in ageing research and artificial intelligence at one of Europe's largest investor shows."

The presentation of Longenesis - a partnership between Insilico Medicine and BitFury Group (the world's leading full-service blockchain technology company) - will provide a live-demo of blockchain, an AI-driven marketplace allowing customers to benefit from their own medical data. The system gives patients the opportunity to license their medical data to biopharmaceutical companies and healthcare service developers and receive substantial rewards through LifePound cryptocurrency. The marketplace develops a "win-win" strategy. Humans take control over how their life data is being used, whilst gaining a tangible profit from providing their data to pharmaceutical and consumer companies who access and utilise this data for developing sophisticated diagnostic and treatment tools.

"Longenesis will provide a system for returning control over life data back to individuals, giving an opportunity to monetise health data, live longer lives and revolutionise the healthcare industry," said Garri Zmudze, Chairman of the Longenesis Board.

Longenesis will use Bitfury's Exonum protocol, the custom framework that helps individuals, businesses and governments securely and easily bring their ideas and solutions to life through blockchain technology.

"We are proud to work with Insilico Medicine on this ambitious and important Longenesis project," said Valery Vavilov, CEO of Bitfury. "Blockchain technology is revolutionising the way the world manages, moves and secures data and assets, and it will help ensure this work improves the lives of people around the world."

About Master Investor Ltd.

Master Investor Ltd. is an investment media and events company that delivers independent, financial commentary and analysis to UK private investors. The company operates the yearly Master Investor Show, an event introducing its 5000+ private investor audience to companies they can invest into. It offers its clients opportunities to generate leads to an audience with significant investable funds.

http://www.masterinvestor.co.uk

About Insilico Medicine, Inc

Insilico Medicine, Inc. is an artificial intelligence company located at the Emerging Technology Center of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore with R&D and management resources in Belgium, Russia, UK, Taiwan, and Korea. It utilises advances in genomics, big data analysis and deep learning for in silico drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. The company pursues internal drug discovery programs in cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, diabetes, sarcopenia, and geroprotector discovery. Through its Pharma.AI division, the company provides advanced machine learning services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and skin care companies, foundations and national governments globally.

http://insilico.com

James Hudson - James.Hudson@masterinvestor.co.uk
NOTIFICATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EU MARKET ABUSE REGULATION OF TRANSACTIONS BY PERSONS DISCHARGING MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

February 26, 2018

The following Person Discharging Managerial Responsibilities ("PDMR") has received the number of shares as set out below. Following shareholder approval of the Directors' Remuneration Policy at the 2017 Annual General Meeting, the Deferred Bonus Plan was removed and 50% of the PDMR's annual bonus is delivered in cash and 50% is delivered in shares. Shares are subject to a three-year holding period, which continues to apply after PDMRs leave employment.

The Directors' Remuneration Policy can be found in the Royal Dutch Shell plc Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016 (www.shell.com/annualreport ).

PDMR Date Acquired Share Type Number of shares delivered John Abbott February 26, 2018 RDSB 8,652

The Notification of Dealing Form for the PDMR can be found below.

This notification is made in accordance with Article 19 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

Mark Edwards

Deputy Company Secretary

ENQUIRIES

Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44 20 7934 5550

Shell Investor Relations

Europe: + 31 70 377 4540

United States: +1 832 337 2034

LEI number of Royal Dutch Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70

Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State.
Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 26, 2018) - Micromem Technologies, Inc. (CSE: MRM) (OTCQB: MMTIF) ("Micromem") ("the Company") through its wholly owned subsidiary Micromem Applied Sensor Technologies, Inc. (MAST), is pleased to announce that we are attending and presenting in the 2018 SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) workshop on Improved Decision Making Through Tracer Technology. The workshop is scheduled for March 14-16 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

http://www.spe.org/events/en/2018/workshop/18aab3/homepage.html

This conference will bring together in one location all of the key industry leaders who focus on tracer applications for enhanced oil recovery, heavy oil, unconventional resources, reservoir characterization and in flow profiling. The conference members will also be reviewing new and emerging tracer technologies. MAST is one of the conference sponsors and will be formally introducing our product in our suite at the Jumeirah, Etihad Towers Hotel. The presentation will be made to potential sales and marketing partners, with several options open to us from selling the technology to licensing the technology to a global service provider in the oil and gas industry.

Steven Van Fleet, President of MAST and Dr. Tony Miller, CEO of Entanglement Technologies will present a critical paper on the MAST product model ARTRA-171 in session 5: New and emerging Tracer technologies.

About Micromem and MASTInc

MASTInc is a wholly owned U.S.-based subsidiary of Micromem Technologies Inc., a publicly traded (OTCQB: MMTIF) (CSE: MRM) company. MASTInc analyzes specific industry sectors to create intelligent game-changing applications that address unmet market needs. By leveraging its expertise and experience with sophisticated magnetic sensor applications, MASTInc successfully powers the development and implementation of innovative solutions for oil & gas, utilities, automotive, healthcare, government, information technology, manufacturing, and other industries. Visit www.micromeminc.com www.mastinc.com.

About Entanglement

Entanglement Technologies, Inc., has developed the world's most advanced chemical sensors, bringing real-time analysis out of the laboratory and into the field. It makes the invisible world of chemicals accessible and actionable with rapid and precise sensing technology. Learn more: http://www.entanglementtech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. In particular, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include: our inability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms; risk that our products and services will not gain widespread market acceptance; continued consumer adoption of digital technology; inability to compete with others who provide comparable products; the failure of our technology; the infringement of our technology with proprietary rights of third parties; inability to respond to consumer and technological demands; inability to replace significant customers; seasonal nature of our business; and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "potential," and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements.

The CSE or any other securities regulatory authority has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release that has been prepared by management.



###

Listing: NASD OTC-QB - Symbol: MMTIF

CSE - Symbol: MRM

Shares issued: 233,491,704

SEC File No: 0-26005

Investor Contact:info@micromeminc.com; Tel. 416-364-2023 Subscribe to receive News Releases by Email on our website's home page. www.micromeminc.com
BORDEAUX, France, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Europlasma announces its participation in the "IGAR" (Reducing Gas Injection) project, led by world steel leader Arcelor Mittal.

This project aims to validate at a pre-industrial scale, then to deploy at industrial scale, a plasma solution allowing steel production to meet the challenges of energy transition by reducing its carbon footprint.

Through the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), the French government has granted this project a financial contribution under the "Investissements d'Avenir" Program.

An innovative solution

This plasma solution will have a dual purpose:

Drastically reduce CO2 emissions by reusing carbon from process gases (reducing CO2 production by 90 to 180 kg per ton of steel);

by reusing carbon from process gases (reducing CO2 production by 90 to 180 kg per ton of steel); Reduce fossil fuel energy consumption of the steel furnace by reforming and recovering process gases.

The proposed system consists in injecting the gases from blast furnaces (rich in CO2, and containing CH4) into a plasma reactor (Turboplasma type) allowing, after cracking and reforming of the molecules, to generate clean and directly recoverable synthesis gas. This clean syngas (CO + H2), with a high energy value, similar to that produced by CHO Power, can then be reinjected into the blast furnace, thus reducing fossil fuel consumption.

After a phase of studies and successful tests performed since 2015, and upon the definitive signing of the Consortium agreement with all stakeholders on IGAR project, the pre-industrialization of the process will be initiated.

Important ecological and economic stakes

Given the current European steel production, the deployment of this plasma solution would prevent the release into the atmosphere of 10 to 20 million tons of CO2 per year, comparable to the volume of CO2 emissions generated by car traffic in the greater Paris region.

By seeking to reduce its carbon footprint and its fossil fuel consumption, Arcelor Mittal is actively contributing to the energy transition and ensures economic sustainability of its operations, particularly in Europe.

Arcelor Mittal's confidence in Europlasma demonstrates once again the industry's interest in plasma technology, and constitutes a tangible recognition of the group's innovation efforts on carbon footprint reduction. Europlasma is assessing the extension of this plasma solution to other CO2-emitting industries, such as coal power plants.

About EUROPLASMA

At the heart of environmental issues, Europlasma designs and develops innovative plasma solutions for renewable energy production and hazardous waste recovery, as well as tailored-made applications for companies wishing to reduce their environmental footprint. Europlasma is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (FR0000044810-ALEUP / LEI 969500WYVNHBV1ABQ250). For more information: www.europlasma.com

Important notice

The information or statements contained in this press release have to be considered as management's estimates made on the date of their publication. Such information is submitted to risks and uncertainties hardly predictable and generally outside of the Group's scope of action. These risks enclose the risks listed in the Reference Book available on the company's website www.europlasma.com. The group's future performance may therefore slightly vary from the forward-looking information revealed. The Group takes no responsibility for the achievement of these forward looking statements.

Shareholders contact:

Anne BORDERES - Communication Manager

Tel: + 33 (0)5 56 49 70 00 - contactbourse@europlasma.com

Media contact:

Luc PERINET MARQUET - LPM STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 50 40 35 - lperinet@lpm-corporate.com

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An effort by the Trump administration to speed up the legal fight over protections for young illegal immigrants brought to the country as children was blocked by the Supreme Court on Monday.



The Supreme Court denied the Justice Department's request to review a federal judge's ruling blocking President Donald Trump from rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.



The decision allows the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to rule on the case, with the Supreme Court saying it expects the appeals court to 'proceed expeditiously.'



Last month, U.S. District Court judge William Alsup ruled that the administration's decision to shut down the DACA program was 'arbitrary' and 'capricious.'



The ruling required the administration to resume accepting renewal applications for the DACA program, although it did not extend to new applications.



Trump had previously set a March 5th deadline to end the program in an effort to spur lawmakers to take action on the issue.



However, several different immigrant reform proposals failed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate earlier this month.



Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said the administration hoped for a different outcome but acknowledged the Supreme Court rarely grants requests to bypass the lower courts.



'We will continue to defend DHS's lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner,' O'Malley said in a statement.



White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah argued that the DACA program is 'clearly unlawful' and accused Alsup of usurping legislative authority.



'The fact that this occurs at a time when elected representatives in Congress are actively debating this policy only underscores that the district judge has unwisely intervened in the legislative process,' Shah said.



Meanwhile, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led one of the lawsuits challenging the termination of DACA, called the administration's attempt to bypass the appeals court 'unusual and unnecessary.'



'We look forward to explaining to the Ninth Circuit court that DACA is fully legal,' Becerra said. 'For the sake of the Dreamers who help make our economy and our state strong, the rescission of DACA should not be allowed to stand.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Minimally Invasive Device Would Aid Advanced Chronic Heart Failure Patients

RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 26, 2018 / NuPulseCV successfully completed an FDA-approved, first-in-human (FIH) trial of its intravascular ventricular assist system (iVAS) last summer. The results of the trial were recently published in the Journal for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Fourteen bridge-to-transplant patients were enrolled in the trial and 13 (92.8 percent) were implanted with the iVAS device. The primary endpoint was survival of patients to transplant, or stroke-free survival at 30 days. At the conclusion of the trial, 12 (92.3 percent) of the 13 iVAS-implanted patients successfully met the primary endpoint. Additionally, 92 percent of patients demonstrated hemodynamics improvements post-iVAS implantation. For advanced heart failure patients needing mechanical support, the continued success with iVAS could mean greatly improved quality of life, with fewer complications.

Comparing patients pre- and post-iVAS implantation, 69 percent of patients were completely weaned off inotropes, medicines that help to change the force of a heart's contractions. iVAS patients saw a 14 percent increase (1,159 feet at baseline to 1,349 feet from baseline to evaluation before heart transplant) in the six-minute walk test, a commonly used test to examine how a patient's cardiovascular system responds to exercise. Patient mean time in the ICU post-transplant was six days, with all patients ambulatory within 24 hours of the procedure making ambulation an important component of the recovery process.

The FIH trial took place between April 2016 and April 2017 at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The trial demonstrated the safety of the iVAS device and proved excellent hemodynamic response. The iVAS device has significant clinical potential to provide mechanical support for patients with advanced heart failure. NuPulseCV is the first company to have a first-in-human trial of a mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device on U.S. soil in nearly 20 years.

'Results from our FIH study are promising and demonstrate that iVAS could have a more favorable benefit/risk profile for certain patients, compared to traditional LVADs [left ventricular assist devices],' said Sonna Patel, President of NuPulseCV. 'We're grateful to the FDA, CMS, and the University of Chicago Medical Center for granting us this opportunity to test the iVAS device here in the U.S. We look forward to a multi-center study, which will be used to evaluate safety and effectiveness of iVAS.'



Figure 1

How it Works

The iVAS device is a blood pump designed to help patients with advanced heart failure. It works by using counterpulsation through a balloon-type device placed in the descending aorta. The device is meant to reduce pressure that the heart must work against, making it easier for the heart to pump blood to the body. The pump is powered by a small, battery-powered console contained in a satchel that can be worn over the shoulder. The implantation of the iVAS device is minimally invasive and requires only a small incision near the left or right clavicle and the placement of electrodes under the skin and a skin interface device (SID), which allows for communication between the implanted components and the external console (see Figure 1).

Advanced Heart Failure

More than 6 million Americans live with heart failure, and about 10 percent of those have advanced heart failure, a condition in which the heart fails to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. When standard therapies fail, the condition becomes increasingly worse and progresses to advanced heart failure, then therapies like left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are used.

The Need for iVAS

iVAS provides a therapeutic alternative for patients whose heart failure may not be so advanced that they require a surgically implanted left ventricular assist pump. The iVAS does not require open-heart surgery and is delivered through a minimally invasive approach, potentially minimizing complications. Patients can be discharged home and remain functional. Traditional surgical left ventricular assist devices provide support but are also accompanied by severe complications such as pump clotting, stroke, bleeding and infections. iVAS may obviate some such complications and provide support in earlier stages of disease to support or even facilitate recovery.

About NuPulseCV Inc.

NuPulseCV is a privately-held, early-stage medical device company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. NuPulseCV is the creator of the intravascular ventricular assist system (iVAS) and the first company to have an FDA-approved first-in-human trial of a mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device on U.S. soil in nearly 20 years. The company was founded in 2012 with the mission to provide novel therapies using advanced technology to increase longevity and improve quality of life for patients suffering from NYHA Class III and ambulatory Class IV heart failure. For more information about the iVAS device or to be considered as a future trial site, visit https://nupulsecv.com/.

Media Contact:

Melisa Vela-Williamson

(210) 413-7421

melissa@mvw360.com

SOURCE: NuPulseCV
Today, at MWC 2018, Lenovo reinforced its 2018 vision for technology innovations, moving its core strategy to Augmented Intelligence

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005492/en/

Lenovo Sees Intelligence Transforming Everything at MWC 2018, From Devices to Data Center (Photo: Business Wire)

With its roots in the PC space, Lenovo has created one of the most complete collections of smart AI devices, giving it a unique advantage to provide the three key elements of Intelligence: Data, Computing Power and Algorithm

Through new AR, VR and voice-activated technologies demonstrated at the show, Lenovo gives you powerful new ways to live, work and play. From intuitive new voice-enabled Yoga 2-in-1 laptops launched today, to transformative Moto Mods, to advanced data center solutions, Lenovo makes all the critical human connections to AI, from devices to data center.

A Different Smartphone Experience

At MWC, Motorola will be illustrating how it continues to challenge the industry with premium smartphone features at great value price points, and how innovation lives in our DNA with transformative Moto Mods that help you monitor your wellness, among other things. The Motorola Health Mod will be showcased, which allows you to easily measure five vital signs including accurate systolic and diastolic blood pressure, all via your moto z device.

Motorola will be sharing insights around its recently released global Phone-Life Balance Study which has been developed in partnership with Dr. Nancy Etcoff, renowned expert in Mind-Brain Behavior and the Science of Happiness at Harvard. The study identifies problematic behaviors that are impacting relationships with others and ourselves and shows how people are putting their phones before those they care about, with the most alarming findings tied to younger generations who have grown up in a digital world.

Motorola believes technology should enrich our lives, rather than distract from them and is offering intelligent solutions to help people manage their phone life balance. This includes a partnership with SPACE, an app that helps to make you more mindful of your phone usage, and Moto Experiences that support more intuitive mobile interactions.

A Different Approach to Voice

Lenovo's PC and Smart Devices business is developing new products to transform commercial and consumer experiences through Augmented Intelligence.

At MWC, Lenovo will be introducing the new Yoga 730 (in 13-inch and 15-inch models) and the new 14-inch Yoga 530 the latest additions to its 2-in-1 family designed for the mobile generation. The new Windows 10-based convertibles feature modern designs, powerful laptop performance and tablet portability that have made the Lenovo Yoga an iconic premium laptop brand since it first pioneered the convertible form factor. The new Yoga 730 harnesses the power of AI to give you intelligent assistance hands-free. With both Cortana and Alexa built-in, it offers more choice and recognizes voice commands from across the room.1

Lenovo's new trio of ruggedized Lenovo 500e, 300e 2-in-1's and 100e Chromebooks built for education are now available for consumers. Beyond the protective designs to guard against spills and drops the 300e Chromebook features Lenovo Enhanced Touch technology that allows the use of everyday objects to interact with the screen and the 500e Chromebook provides an EMR Pen with Google's innovative near lag-free algorithms for writing and sketching.

For smarter living, the new Lenovo Smart Displayannounced at CES 2018 makes using technology at home more convenient, intuitive and shared. It combines the voice capability of the Google Assistant with a vibrant, full HD touchscreen display.2 As the command hub for connected smart home devices, from lighting to heating and more, it can be controlled with just your voice or a quick glance at the display.

A Different Way to Experience Reality

Also launched at CES 2018, Lenovo will showcase how Augmented Intelligence continues to make its devices different and more immersive. The Lenovo Mirage Solostandalone VR headset andLenovo Mirage Camera, a VR180 cameralets you to create and consume your own VR content using Daydream, Google's mobile VR platform, while Star Wars: Jedi Challengeswith its Lenovo Mirage AR headset and Lightsaber controller breaks the boundaries of what's possible by letting fans experience Jedi training in AR.

A Different Way to Improve the World

Lenovo's Data Center Group continues to power the Intelligence Revolution by expanding into two new segments in Telecommunications and IoT.

As innovations in mobile and smart devices rapidly grow, the telecom industry is undergoing massive changes with 5G networks. Lenovo is uniquely positioned to disrupt the traditional telecom installed base and provide a seamless transition for communication service providers to the software defined world.

Lenovo is launching a performance optimized offering based on Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650/SR630 servers and switches, Red Hat OpenStack Platform, and Mellanox ConnectX-4 NICs for accelerated packet processing. In addition, Lenovo is joining the 'Intel Select Solution for NFV' program and offering a solution specially optimized for encryption and compression based NFV workloads. The solution is comprised of Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) and Intel XXV710 NIC enabled on Lenovo SR650/SR630 servers.

Leveraging its #1 position in x86 server reliability3, Lenovo will also demo the industry's first 5G-ready base station with software and virtualized implementation of the centralized and distributed units (CU/DU) made possible through customer-led, joint collaboration with China Mobile.

Demonstrations of Lenovo's 'device to datacenter' solutions can be seen at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 26 March 1 at the Lenovo Showcase in Hall 3, Space 3N30. In the Intel booth, Lenovo will showcase a 'self-optimizing 5G network' solution based on Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 servers.

Pricing and Availability

See http://news.lenovo.com/MWC2018 for information about pricing and availability for products.

Additional Blogs

Say Hello to the New Lenovo Yoga 730 and 530

Lenovo's Ruggedized Chromebook Trio Adds New Touch and Pen

Motorola Study Shows Alarming Results That Confirm Need for Better Phone-Life Balance

Lenovo Data Center Group Further Accelerates Telecommunication Infrastructure and Internet of Things Focus

1 Cortana and Alexa are available on the Yoga 730 with far-field voice-recognition technology supporting up to 4 meters away and in standby mode. Alexa capability is expected to be available in the US, Canada, UK and Germany. List of countries may expand over time.

2 FHD touchscreen display is available on the Lenovo Smart Display 10-inch model.

3 Information Technology Intelligence Consulting (ITIC) 2017 2018 Global Server Hardware, Server OS Reliability Report

LENOVO, LENOVO MIRAGE and YOGA are trademarks of Lenovo. GOOGLE, GOOGLE ASSISTANT and DAYDREAM are trademarks of Google, Inc. STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. EMR is a trademark of Wacom Co., Ltd. 2018, Lenovo Group Limited.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$43 billion global Fortune 500 company and a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and data center technology. Our portfolio of high-quality, secure products and services covers PCs (including the legendary Think and multimode Yoga brands), workstations, servers, storage, networking, software (including ThinkSystem and ThinkAgile solutions), smart TVs and a family of mobile products like smartphones (including the Motorola brand), tablets and apps. Join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@Lenovo) or visit us at http://www.lenovo.com/.

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Sivic, a Chicago, IL-based maker of a a post function app that addresses civic engagement, secured $350K in pre-seed funding.

Seftech India Pvt. Ltd. acquired a 26% equity stake in the company.

The company intends to use the funds to develop its Alpha version due for soft-launch in Fall 2018.

Co-Founded by Dilraj Singh Rahal and Faateh Sayeed, Sivic is advancing a post function app that addresses civic engagement. The technology allows people to instantaneously address issues or policies that matter to them with the relevant influencers- that consist of politicians and organizations.

FinSMEs

26/02/2018
CBI also conducted searches at offices of the company and residences of its officials at eight places, including one location each in Hapur and Noida, and six locations in Delhi.

New Delhi: The CBI on Sunday registered a bank fraud cases against a Uttar Pradesh based private sugar company, its top officials along with unknown bank officials for allegedly causing loss of Rs 109 crore to Oriental Bank of Commerce, officials said.

According to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials, the Hapur-based Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd in 2011 fraudulently diverted funds received as loans for sugarcane farmers and self help groups.

CBI also conducted searches at offices of the company and residences of its officials at eight places, including one location each in Hapur and Noida, and six locations in Delhi.

"Searches are being conducted at eight premises including residences of Directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal told IANS.

The agency has named the company's chairman and managing director, its directors, CEO, chief financial officer and unknown bank officials and other private persons, under charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery slapping sections under Prevention of Corruption Act for causing loss to the bank.

Officials said that the Bank sanctioned a loan amounting to Rs 148.60 crore in 2011 to the private company for financing individual, Joint Liability Groups, Self-Help Groups under the tie-up arrangement under the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) scheme to 5,762 sugarcane farmers supplying sugar produce to said private company during the period from 15 January to 13 March, 2012.

It has been alleged that the company has diverted funds for personal use.

According to complaint, the account turned Non Performing Asset (NPA) on 31 March, 2015 and was later declared as alleged fraud by the bank to RBI on 13 May, 2015 for an amount of Rs 97.85 crore.

It was further alleged that in addition to the existing NPA as on 31 March, 2015, the bank, under multiple banking arrangements, had sanctioned another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore to the sugar company on 28 January, 2015, to pay its outstanding loan of Rs 97.85 crore, and adjusted the total liability of Rs 112.9 crore of said private company on June 30, 2016 by way of deposit of this new corporate loan.

The corporate loan, too turned into an NPA on 29 November, 2016, thus resulting in its first outstanding loan of Rs 97.85 crore (as alleged fraud) and the corporate loan of Rs 109.08 crore (as fresh outstanding).

CBI is now investigating the matter, officials said.
The joint venture is now actively marketing natural gas produced from eastern offshore KG-D6 block on behalf of both RIL and BP

Visakhapatnam: India Gas Solutions Pvt Ltd, the equal joint venture between Reliance Industries and UK's BP plc, signed an agreement with Andhra Pradesh government to invest in creating marketing infrastructure for natural gas from KG basin.

The joint venture is now actively marketing natural gas produced from eastern offshore KG-D6 block on behalf of both RIL and BP, officials said.

It is also in the early stages of exploring opportunities for participating in the gas value chain in Andhra Pradesh.

An MoU was by India Gas Solutions Private Limited, Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and the Government of Andhra Pradesh represented by the Director of Ports, and Principal Secretary, Energy and I&I Department.

India Gas Solutions is a 50:50 joint venture company of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and BP International Limited (BP) in the business of marketing gas and LNG in India.

RIL and BP have announced plans to develop discovered offshore gas discoveries in Block KG-D6 situated in the Krishna Godavari basin, through three projects with investments up to Rs 40,000 crore ($6 billion).

Development of the three projects is expected to bring about 30-35 million cubic metres (1 billion cubic feet) of gas a day, phased over 2020-2022 and will create considerable direct and indirect employment during the construction phase over the next 5 years, they said.

RIL and BP plan to pursue skill development programmes as part of the execution of these projects.

(Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd)
The Rs 11,400 crore Punjab National Bank fraud came to light on 14 February when the ban informed the exchanges about fraudulent transactions.

Diamantaire Nirav Modi and owner of Gitanjali Gems, Mehul Choksi, the nephew-uncle duo, had planned to flee India back in November 2017 when there was a major organisational reshuffle at the Brady House Branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB), according to a report in the Indian Express.

The branch located in South Mumbai has been at the centre of Rs 11,400 crore fraud that has rocked the bank as well as the entire banking fraternity in the country.

According to this Indian Express report, two officials who were instrumental in issuing the letters of undertaking (LoU) and letters of credit (LC) to companies run by the accused duo, had already left the country in the same month.

With the arrival of new staff at Brady House Branch, Modi and Choksi felt they might come under the crosshairs of investigating agencies and due to which they wanted to abscond, according to the IE report. However, for reasons known to only them, Modi and Choksi chose to stay back in India evading the attention of law enforcement agencies.

Modi left for the United States on 1 January, 2018. Neeshal, his brother, who is a Belgian citizen left on the same day while Modi's wife Ami - a US citizen, left on 6 January, the IE report said, quoting an official.

ED conducts raids

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has called Modi, Ami and Choksi for questioning on Monday (today) and if they fail to depose before the agency then a non-bailable warrant will be issued against them, reported Business Standard. If the accused skip the summons, the agency may approach a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court to get non-bailable warrants against them.

Widening its probe into the PNB fraud case, the ED will soon send judicial requests to over a dozen countries for obtaining information about the overseas businesses and assets of Modi and Mehul Choksi, a PTI report said.

Official sources said the agency will approach a competent court in Mumbai with a request to obtain Letters Rogatories (LRs) to be sent to about 15-17 countries where the central investigation agency has traced the footsteps of the diamond and gold jewellery businesses of the firms owned by Modi, his uncle Choksi and others associated with them.

The countries where the LRs would be sent include Belgium, Hong Kong, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Dubai, Singapore and South Africa. Some official requests on the basis of agency-to-agency exchange will also be sent to few countries, the sources said. The attempt of sending these judicial requests for exchange of information is aimed at obtaining the details of the overseas financial holdings of Modi and Choksi, who are accused in the Rs 11,400 crore PNB loan fraud case, their bank accounts, assets, partnerships, showrooms, trusts and other assets, they said.

These assets and their sources of income will be investigated and if necessary would be attached under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) if it is found that they have been created using tainted funds or the proceeds of crime of the alleged bank fraud, the sources said, according to IANS.

Besides the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting investigations.

The ED, which is also probing the financial angle in the case, on Saturday said it has attached Nirav Modi's 21 immovable properties worth Rs 523.72 crore, according to IANS. The assets include a farm house in Alibaug (Rs 42.70 crore) near Mumbai seashore, a solar power plant spread over 53 acre of land in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar (Rs 70 crore) and another 135 acre land in Ahmednagar (Rs 2.20 crore), along with other residential and office properties worth Rs 408.82 crore in Mumbai and Pune, a IANS report said.

The ED on Friday is said to have frozen Nirav Modi's bank account and shares worth Rs 43 crore. The ED had earlier seized bank deposits, shares and luxury cars worth over Rs 100 crore belonging to the businessman and his group. The agency has also frozen mutual funds and shares worth Rs 7.80 crore of Nirav Modi and Rs 86.72 crore belonging to his uncle Choksi. Its action comes in the wake of its ongoing probe -- along with the CBI -- against the two and many others including directors of their companies and bank officials into the alleged bank fraud, the IANS report said.

The CBI on Saturday questioned PNB Managing Director-cum-CEO Sunil Mehta and Executive Director K V Brahmaji Rao in connection with the Rs 11,300 crore/$1.8 billion bank fraud case, while the ED kept on its seizure of Modi's assets. Both the bank officials were called at the CBI's Mumbai branch and were questioned for over eight hours. Mehta and Rao were questioned for the first time even since the CBI filed the first FIR in the multi-crore scam on 14 February, against Modi, Ami, Nishal, Choksi and his firms Diamond R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond, PTI said.
When asked if banking sector would see more skeletons tumbling out of the closet, SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar said it looks like the case is confined to a particular branch of PNB

New Delhi: SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar on Monday said he expects PNB to clear the bank's $212 million (Rs 1,360 crore) dues in the Nirav Modi case.

"I am very much confident that things will get sorted out between PNB and other banks," Kumar said in an interview to CNBC TV18.

"As far as our exposure is concerned on PNB, that number is very much confirmed, calculated and advised to PNB," Kumar said.

He said the exposure of SBI to Gitanjali Gems - one of the companies involved in the scam - has also been crystallised and there was no issue on that.

"So our numbers, our claim is clear because there are some secondary market purchases, so double counting has to be avoided," the SBI Chairman and MD told the news channel.

When asked if banking sector would see more skeletons tumbling out of the closet, Kumar said it looks like the case is confined to a particular branch of PNB.

"At least for SBI, I can confirm that there is no such issue, no such problem. And I am sure that by now all other banks also would have reviewed their portfolios and would have arrived at the similar conclusion because if something was wrong somewhere, by now, I presume, it could have come out,"Kumar said.

When asked if regulator RBI has issued any other instruction to banks other than integrating the core banking solution with the SWIFT system, Kumar said he has no further knowledge on the issue.

He said RBI has instructed the banks to put in place the safety mechanism with respect to global money transfer software SWIFT and the banks are in a position to comply with that by April.

Kumar also said the PNB case is more of operational risk and not related to credit risk.

"Whatever has gone wrong, it is about the operational weakness and we have to keep that segregated from the credit risk."

Other than SBI, lenders like Union Bank of India(UBI) and Allahabad Bank also have exposure to PNB to grant loans on the basis of LoUs that were issued fraudulently to Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Allahabad Bank has an exposure of about $366.87 million in the case to PNB through its overseas branch in Hong Kong. UBI has exposure of nearly $300 million through its foreign branches.

On 14 February, PNB had informed the stock exchanges that the bank was defrauded to the tune of $1.77 billion (nearly Rs 11,400 crore) by Modi and his associate companies by getting loans through illegal LoUs for over seven years.
Private banks would not allow grass to grow under its feet as the massive PNB fraud did for seven long years without being detected.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has ruled out bank denationalisation, as it were. He says it would be difficult to sell the idea to the Opposition. Which means, he is himself sold on the idea but unable to implement it for the fear of giving an issue on a platter to the Opposition. His apprehension perhaps is that the Opposition would go to town and paint the Narendra Modi government in the darkest hue possible---anti-poor and suit-boot ki sarkar, what with insinuations of the poor being disentitled of bank funds and rich made richer resonating with the masses.

It is true that the Modi government is already reeling under relentless criticism of its demonetisation exercise on 8 November, 2016 which impacted the nation especially the farmers and SMEs for more than a year as well as of the goods and services tax (GST) roll-out sans proper dry runs and internet infrastructure in place. It, therefore, cannot be faulted for being reluctant to make another cataclysmic, paradigm change to the nations banking system so soon after the two major economic upheavals.

Perhaps post-2019 Lok Sabha elections would be the appropriate time for this humongous change to the nations banking edifice. Given the Modi-Amit Shah duo penchant for preparedness and launching an early campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should throw more than subtle hints to the electorate as to what it intends to do to cleanse the banking Augean stables---denationalisation. It would get a meaty issue for the campaign---how the UPA government sowed the seeds of banking disaster through its behest lending policies. Preparing the ground is what the Modi government must be assuming will return it to power in 2019.

Coming to the innate merits of privatisation away from the political prism, private banks admittedly have a better track record. As Dinesh Unnikrishnan has put a figure to it in an article in Firstpost---as much as 90 percent of non performing assets (NPAs) have been engendered by the public sector banks (PSBs).

The still-unraveling Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud is also of PSB origin. Critics turn around and say what about Global Trust Bank which had to be merged with Oriental Bank of Commerce in 2001 after it was run aground by management avarice in lending for stock market operations. Well, exceptions cannot be the bogey for stalling well-merited reforms.

Regulations, tech can be used

Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister, nationalised 14 private sector banks in 1969 and then followed it up with nationalisation of general insurance business in 1971 on the ground that both indulged in incestuous practices---banks lending to group companies and insurance companies settling fake claims of the group companies. Both the dangers can be warded off through strict and no-nonsense regulations.

The current cap of 15 percent on shareholding by an individual or a group does not encourage group malpractices. Private sector banks invariably tend to invest in the latest banking technology, eschewing manpower as much as possible, whereas the highly unionised PSBs are highly overstaffed. The so-called systemic fraud is often a euphemism for human mischief as the recent PNB letters of undertaking fraud showed.

A private management does not allow grass to grow under its feet. It would not have allowed the massive PNB fraud to brew for seven long years without being detected. Political interference which is so rampant in PSBs and responsible for crony capitalism and its concomitant--- write-offs for quid pro quo---- will be conspicuous by its absence in private banks.

With just 15 percent, the remaining share capital has to be raised from the public and foreign investors. The market is unforgiving especially if there are a large number of floating shares.

Post-2019 elections, the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) must turn tack and instead of offering new banking licenses should privatise the existing somnolent PSBs. The realisations from the sales may not be huge, but would surely unlock the idle and troublesome investments the government has made in PSBs which in addition have to be periodically recapitalised at the taxpayers expense. Indeed, they would be a good riddance. Priority sector lending, the raison detre of nationalisation, can be mandated for them.

The government has nothing to lose but everything to gain by denationalisation of PSBs.

(The writer is a columnist. He tweets @smurlidharan)
Reliance will invest about $6 billion (about Rs 37,000 crore) in an oil and gas venture in AP and another Rs 15,000 crore in an electronics manufacturing plant near Tirupati. These ventures are expected to create 25,000 jobs over the next few years, the Chief Minister announced.

Visakhapatnam: Giving a boost to Andhra Pradesh in its efforts to garner big ticket investments that could spur job creation, Reliance Industries on Sunday inked two agreements with the state government promising a total investment of Rs 52,000 crore in oil and gas and electronics sectors.

The Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) were a follow-up action to the meeting Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati on 13 February.

Reliance will invest about $6 billion (about Rs 37,000 crore) in an oil and gas venture in AP and another Rs 15,000 crore in an electronics manufacturing plant near Tirupati. These ventures are expected to create 25,000 jobs over the next few years, the Chief Minister announced.

The MoUs were signed by Reliance president Kiran Thomas and AP governments Principal Secretaries Ajay Jain and K Vijayanand in the presence of Chandrababu Naidu on the second day of the Partnership Summit here.

Reliance, in association with BP International, plans to develop offshore gas infrastructure in the Krishna-Godavari Basin in East Godavari district. No more details of the proposed projects have been officially announced.

Reliance is already into gas exploration from its D6 block in the KG Basin near Kakinada.

Reliance Jio, on the other hand, will establish an electronics manufacturing park near Tirupati in Chittoor district to manufacture mobile phones and set-top boxes. The Indian industry major will set up the facility on a 150-acre site, a senior official said.

As a pre-condition to setting up the electronics manufacturing park, Mukesh Ambani, during his meeting with the Chief Minister, wanted the state government to promote clusters of educational institutions like ITIs and diploma colleges in the vicinity to create employment right after education, another senior official said. He also asked the government to develop a workmen housing corridor in the vicinity of Tirupati Growth Corridor.

The state government is yet to respond to Ambani's requests, the official maintained.

(Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd)
It said the need for arbitration arose due to prolonged non-payment of dues by the state government towards supply of electricity by RInfra from its 48 MW Goa Power Plant in Sancoale

New Delhi: Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) on Monday said it has won an arbitration award of Rs 292 crore against the Goa government for non-payment of electricity dues.

It said the need for arbitration arose due to prolonged non-payment of dues by the state government towards supply of electricity by RInfra from its 48 MW Goa Power Plant in Sancoale.

"RInfra has won an arbitration award of Rs 292 crore against Government of Goa. The Arbitration Tribunal, in its award on 16 February, 2018, has ordered Government of Goa to pay Rs 292 crore to Reliance Infrastructure Limited by 15 April, 2018," the company said in a statement.

The Tribunal has also ordered payment of interest at 15 percent per annum on the total award amount if the government fails to pay the entire award amount by the deadline, it said.

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission had constituted the Tribunal under the new rules laid down in 2015.

"Starting in January 2016, the proceedings of the tribunal were held for about two years and all pleadings and arguments by both the parties were completed in 12 sittings," it said.

RInfra said the total outstanding, along with interest as on 31 October, 2017, amount to Rs 278 crore. The Tribunal has also awarded interest from October 2017 till the date of the award, which amounts to Rs 14 crore.

"The contention of RInfra that the rate of energy for the period from June 2013 to August 2014 was based on the varying prices of fuel and dollar exchange rate as was agreed to by the Goa Government, was upheld by the Tribunal," the company said.
General Bipin Rawat, while showing concern for the Assam influx, might have complicated the NRC process further by his recent political statements

Illegal migration from Bangladesh to the North Eastern regions of India, particularly to Assam and Tripura, has always been a cause of great concern. In Tripura, the demography has already changed in favour of the migrant population. The indigenous population which constituted 70 percent of the population of Tripura in 1931 has been reduced to mere 28 percent now. The immigration has been of a different intensity during different periods since the early nineteenth century.

To increase food production, the "grow more food campaign" was launched by the then Muhammed Saadulah ministry in 1937, which saw a rapid increase in infiltrations from the erstwhile East Bengal. Lord Wavell, the then Governor General of India had remarked cynically, "The desire of the Muslim minister to increase this immigration into uncultivated government land under the slogan of 'grow more food campaign' but what they wanted was 'grow more Muslims'."

A historic agitation in Assam on the influx issue (from 1979 to 1985) led to the "Assam Accord" of 1985 and to the formation of a regional political party led government (AGP - Asom Gana Parishad) based purely on the emotional issue of Bangladeshi influx. However, the government failed miserably in the process of detection, deletion (from voters list) and deportation of illegal migrants. In their second term also (1996 to 2001), the AGP government could not achieve much.

The Bangladeshi influx issue has been taken advantage of by various political parties, student organisations etc to suit their own objectives. No one is sure of the quantum of Bangladeshi immigrants in the state. Different figures are quoted by different political parties and student organisations.

Sri Prakash Singh Jaiswal, then minister of state for home had said in 2001 that there were 50 lakh "foreigners" in the state. On the other hand, former chief minister of Assam late Sri Hiteshwar Saikia had stated in the Assam Assembly on 12 April, 1992 that there were no "foreigners in the state".

Similarly, there is no unanimity amongst political parties, NGOs and social organisations on who is an illegal migrant. Some political parties demand 1951 as the cutoff year for the detection of Bangladeshis while most have accepted 1971 as the "cut of year". Meanwhile, a social organisation by the name of Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha has filed a case in the Supreme Court on the grounds that the voters' list of 1951 should be taken as the cutoff year to detect foreigners, as in the rest of India.

They argue that why should Assam have a separate cutoff date  of 24 March, 1971. In case the apex court decides 1951 as the cutoff year, as in the rest of the country, the whole process of the preparation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) may become null and void.

Chief of Army Staff general Bipin Rawat's stance on infiltration from Bangladesh is well known. There is no denying the fact that in spite of the augmentation of the security forces and the use of the latest surveillance devices and fencing in the most parts of the border, infiltration continues, though at a lesser scale. But his remarks that neighbouring countries (indicating that Pakistan and China) are backing influx to North East India gives a totally new dimension, which has probably been stated by anyone for the first time.

One hopes that his statement is based on credible inputs. But his saying that a political party is being benefited by this influx has given enough fodder to some political parties and organisations to create further tension in the sensitive state of Assam. It is pertinent to note that the North East has been largely free of communal tension, which is seen frequently in some parts of India. However, there is no denying the fact that insecurity amongst minorities has increased in the recent past.

The timing of his comments is not appropriate. It is likely to compound the process of the preparation of NRC which has been undertaken by the government based on Supreme Court directives. Fortunately, contrary to the apprehension of a law and order problem, the NRC process has been continuing smoothly.

The Supreme Court on 21 February had directed that by 30 June, 2018, the second and final draft of the NRC must be published. The most important aspect is that all political parties irrespective of the line to which they belong have welcomed the apex court's directives hoping that a correct NRC will help in resolving the decades-long illegal immigrant issue of the state.

The NRC is being updated in Assam to include in the electoral roll the names of those persons (or their dependents) who appear in the NRC of 1951 or any of the electoral rolls up to the midnight of 24 March, 1971, or any of the admissible documents issued up to the midnight of 24 March, 1971.

Rawat's statement may also draw reactions from China and Pakistan though he has not named the countries. It is a known fact that China till the mid-1980s supported the North East insurgent groups by way of training, shelter and providing arms and equipment. Even today most of the sophisticated arms recovered in the North East are of Chinese origin. Moreover, many insurgent groups have their office in Rulie, a small town located in the Yunnan province of China, bordering Myanmar.

Pakistan, of course, would like to continue to bleed India in whatever way it can. Fortunately, present Bangladeshi leadership has been taking concerted steps to root out terrorism from the country. But, Inter-Service Intelligence of Pakistan (ISI) has a strong presence in the region (including Nepal) and will always try to destabilise the North East region. The ISI has all along been supporting NE insurgent groups, fundamentalists and jihadi elements.

The Bangladeshi government has expressed its unease with the NRC process being carried out in the state. They fear a 'Rohingya type' situation may be created in their country as they are apprehensive about the movement of people (Muslims whose names may not be included in the NRC) to their country.

Though their apprehension is not based on sound fact, it may adversely affect the India-Bangladesh relationship. While China has been able to increase its influence with all our neighbouring countries, the present dispensation in Bangladesh has been very favourable to India, which is why India needs to maintain amicable relations with the country.

Rawat may not be aware that from Independence till very recently, illegal migrants were a major vote bank for the Congress. These immigrant voters have gradually found Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF to be their saviour. The Congress is still trying to win over this huge chunk of voters.

It is pertinent to note that the Assam Accord of 1985 was signed much before the formation of AIUDF in 2005. However, in the last election of 2016, AIUDF did not do as well as expected and won only 15 seats. It is to be observed that AIUDF has MLAs from other religions as well as ethnic groups besides Muslims.

Of course, the army has since clarified that there is nothing political or religious about Rawat's statement. But his taking names of political parties (AIUDF and BJP) could have been avoided. To make the nation aware of the influx of immigrants to Assam since the early twentieth century, it is worthwhile to note the observation of CS Mullan, census commissioner.

In the census report of 1931, he had observed: "Probably the most important event in the province during the last twenty-five years  an event, moreover which seems likely to alter permanently the whole feature of Assam and to destroy the whole structure of Assamese culture and civilization  has been the invasion of a vast horde of land-hungry immigrants mostly Muslims, from the districts of East Bengal. Where so ever the carcass, there the vultures will be gathered together".

It is really sad that successive governments since Independence have failed to take effective steps to prevent migration and the problem is still continuing. Today, about 11 districts in the state have a population constituting majority Muslims. The Supreme Court has rightly observed that "interested religious and political elements encourages immigration".

Hopefully, a lasting solution will be found on the influx issue as it has the potential to create unrest in the sensitive North East region. But, Rawat while showing concern for influx should not further complicate the matter by giving political statements. The army must at all times maintain its apolitical and secular image.

The writer is a retired brigadier from the Military Intelligence Corps and former chairman in charge of the Assam Public Service Commission
An FIR was lodged against BJP leader Manoj Baitha for the death of nine school children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, police said on Monday. The parents of the killed children demanded his arrest

Patna: An FIR was lodged against BJP leader Manoj Baitha for the death of nine school children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, police said on Monday. The parents of the killed children demanded his arrest.

"We have registered an FIR against Baitha on Sunday on the basis of a complaint by Moh Ansari of Dharampur village, who lost five grandchildren in the tragedy on Saturday," Station House Officer of Meenapur police station Sona Prasad Singh said.

Singh said raids were conducted to arrest Baitha who hails from Sitamarhi district but he is absconding. On Sunday, shocked villagers staged a protest by blocking the National Highway to demand Baitha's arrest.

Ansari said in his police statement that Baitha was driving the vehicle when the speeding vehicle mowed down the children on Saturday. Clad in a white cotton kurta-pyjama, he fled after the vehicle hit and killed the school children, he added.

Ansari said a closed-circuit television footage also showed the BJP leader driving the vehicle.

The accident occurred near Dharampur school on National Highway-77 in Minapur block when a Balero jeep hit the children while they were crossing the road. Angry over the deaths, area residents beat up teachers and set ablaze chairs and benches there on Saturday.

Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar said the injured children were admitted to a city hospital.

The state has announced Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the killed children.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has already demanded stern action against the culprit.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, after visiting the injured, said their families told him that the killer vehicle belonged to the BJP leader and no arrest had been made so far.
If you go by statistics, Meghalaya is the highest consumer of beef in Asia. It consumes about 1,000 tonnes (of beef) in a year. Also, the climate and terrain are such that one needs the energy and protein that beef provides

Shillong/Mawlai/Tura: "Take away everything from us if you must, but let us have our beef in peace," Edward Marak said in the crowded Barabazar market. An undergraduate student in Shillong, Marak was at the local butcher's shop waiting his turn when he explained that no gathering in Shillong began without "good beef and some beer."

Along with the issues of development, the possibility of abattoirs shutting down in the state has shaped the political rhetoric in election campaigns ahead of the 27 February Assembly polls  and with good reason as cattle meat is very widely consumed in the state.

"If you go by statistics, Meghalaya is the highest consumer of beef in Asia. It consumes about 1,000 tonnes (of beef) in a year. Also, the climate and terrain are such that one needs the energy and protein that beef provides," Member of Parliament from Shillong, Vincent Pala, told Firstpost.

"Earlier, beef was sold at Rs 70 a kilogram, but now the price has risen to Rs 400 a kilogram Im not sure of the present rate. The cow or bull meat coming in from the mainland of the country has been decreasing, aiding the price rise," Pala said.

The current price of beef, even in the most urban towns of East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills, was quoted to be around Rs 300 a kilogram. However, many vendors agreed that the price was much less even a couple of years ago.

Sonlai, a 48-year-old butcher who runs a beef outlet in Shillongs Barabazar with his son Freddy, says he fears that if the BJP comes to power in Meghalaya, the price of cattle and beef will rise even further, "unless it doesnt get banned" entirely. "The meat comes only from Assams Khanapara now. Earlier, the beef used to come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar too, but after the BJP came to power in those states, we have not seen any supply from there," Sonlai said.

We will never vote for the BJP here. They will kill our businesses, beef will not be seen anywhere anymore, and this will all be illegal. This is our only source of income. They have already messed with mined coal and lakdi business, Freddy said.

In Mawlai, PM Unlong runs a similar business with his family. In addition to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Unlong said the meat also used to come from Nepal and Bhutan, but now only comes from Assam. "We hear BJP will close down beef shops, but I cant say anything for sure. Business is getting more and more difficult now," he said.

The sentiment that the BJP will ban beef if voted to power in Meghalaya is shared widely among citizens other than those involved in the business of cattle meat as well. The reason, as college student Marak pointed out, may be traced to certain statements made by party leaders in other parts of the country.

In January, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had challenged his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah to ban beef in Karnataka if he a "true Hindu". Adityanath also said, "Hinduism is a lifeline and a rich tradition that cannot flow in the veins of those who justify killing cows and eat beef."

As the state chapter of the BJP tried to distance itself away from such statements, the Congress has jumped at the opportunity to allege that the BJP is trying to stifle the way of life in Meghalaya. Congress Pala said, How can you dictate how to dress, what to wear and who to worship? If you want this country to unite, you have to go by what the Constitution says. A section of people in the country cannot change lifestyles of other sections.

The Meghalaya govt has already voiced its disapproval of the Centre's order restricting the sale of cattle for slaughter, so theres clearly a clash with the BJP here, Pala said, If you go to the villages, before any meeting or gathering starts, everyone has a meal with beef. How will BJP hold meetings in villages if it bans beef?

The BJP, which did not feature the issue of beef consumption or slaughter of cattle in its 17-page manifesto for Meghalaya, says the partys stand on beef has been unequivocal and consistent throughout. National spokesperson Nalin Kohli, in an interview with Firstpost, said, "We dont interfere with peoples eating habits. Political parties are there to help a state get development."

"With regard to the issue of slaughter of animals, who brought in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act? Not the BJP but the Congress. The Supreme Court asked us make the rules. So, the BJP makes the rules on a Supreme Court direction for a law brought in by the Congress party. And that is only for agricultural animals, not for slaughter animals," Kohli said.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, defending the BJPs varying stands on the matter in Karnataka and the Northeast, had said, "Yogiji has said what he did in Karnataka, not in Nagaland. As long as you care for the sentiment of the particular region, how does it matter? The BJP has respected the sentiment of each section of society in each region of states.

When asked if such statements expose the partys hypocrisy vis-a-vis the issue of beef, Kohli only turned to Congress president Rahul Gandhis Gujarat campaign. He said, Hypocrisy? Rahul Gandhi goes and files one thing in Somnath Temple where his man fills the register for non-Hindus. Then he goes on a temple spree. This time, he didnt go to a single mosque. Otherwise he never goes to a temple, always goes to a mosque. These are politics of tokenism and hypocrisy. The BJP doesnt practice that.

In the district of West Garo Hills, however, MLAs say that beef has not formed a central theme in election campaigns, although former BJP leaders held a beef festival in Tura in 2017 to protest against the Centres notification banning cattle trade for slaughter.

Phulbari constituencys MLA AT Mondal said that in his and neighbouring constituencies, some of which do not have a Christian-majority population, the issue of beef has only been mentioned in passing. Cattle traders in Tura said they were more upset with the BJP for bringing in demonetisation and GST than for their perceived stand against beef consumption.

An issue that cattle traders across the state mentioned was smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh. The biggest problem we face is that of black sale or illegal smuggling of beef to Bangladesh. Most of the meat that comes from Assam goes to Bangladesh in black, and the price of the meat increases as a result. BSF personnel catch some of that activity, but the meat doesnt come back to Meghalaya, Unlong said.
The CBSE has taken a serious view of schools withholding admit cards of students due to their performance in the pre-board tests.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken a serious view of schools withholding admit cards of students due to their performance in the pre-board tests. The board has written to the heads of all schools affiliated to it, directing them to refrain from doing so.

A report in The Times of India states that the CBSE wrote the letter after receiving numerous complaints of schools detaining students on the basis of their pre-board results. These tests are internal assessments conducted by the schools to evaluate the performance of students before the actual board examinations.

"It may be noted that the Board issues admit cards only to those candidates (who) have been sponsored by schools in their finalised list of candidates of Class 10/12. Therefore, the school has already confirmed eligibility of such candidates for appearing in Board examinations. This being the position, it is reiterated that holding of admit card/not allowing eligible candidates to appear in practical/theory examination in class 10/12 is violative of CBSE examination bye-laws. The school will also not charge any fee for issue of admit card to the eligible candidate," the CBSE's letter states.

The circular refers to Rule 15 of the Examination Bye-Laws which states that heads of affiliated schools cannot detain eligible candidates from appearing for the examination in any case.
Students across the country are bombarding CBSE's toll-free helpline with queries not only on exam-related stress but also on personal matters

With the board examinations nearing, students from across the country are bombarding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) toll-free helpline with a host of queries. These queries are not only about exam-related stress, but also about personal matters such as break-ups, said media reports.

According to Hindustan Times, students are seeking advice on personal matters like memory loss and ill-treatment by their parents.

I had a break-up recently and I dont feel like studying at all. I cant think about anything but her, a Class 12 student was quoted as saying by a Delhi-based counsellor, reported Hindustan Times.

The CBSE in January had said that it would be providing psychological counselling to students at the time of preparation as well as during the examinations to overcome exam related stress, The Hindu had reported.

This year 91 principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools, (a) few psychologists and special educators will participate in tele-counselling and address exam related psychological problems of the students. 71 of them are available in India while 20 are located abroad, The Hindu quoted a CBSE statement as saying.

On 23 February, India Today had reported that a total of 5,600 calls were made by students to the helpline in just 21 days. The maximum numbers of calls were made from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Madhya Pradesh.

The CBSE's toll-free helpline number is 1800 11 8004 where the students are greeted by an operator and then later connected to the counsellors.

In January, the CBSE had released the board examination dates for class 10 and class 12. As per the schedule, the exams will begin from 5 March.

Over 16 lakh students will sit for class 10 exams while 11.86 lakh students will appear for class 12 exams.

Over 18,000 schools across the country are affiliated to the CBSE.

With inputs from agencies
Funds spent by the Jammu and Kashmir government in paying compensation to victims of cross-border firing will be reimbursed by the Centre, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.

New Delhi: Funds spent by the Jammu and Kashmir government in paying compensation to victims of cross-border firing will be reimbursed by the Centre, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday.

The minister said the Jammu and Kashmir government should expedite the mechanism and seek prompt reimbursement of funds from the Centre.

This would prevent delays and address concerns of the state government "about non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to border victims", the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to the demands from the border areas.

According to a home ministry order, the funds paid as compensation by the Jammu and Kashmir government will be reimbursed by the Centre for security related expenditure (SRE).

The Jammu and Kashmir government may consider paying "relief and compensation for housing damages/losses, crop or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc." to those affected by cross-border firing at rates equal to NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time, the order read.

Item-wise claims and compensations paid by the state government to victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre, it read.
Maldives opposition has claimed that China is building a joint observatory station there, with military capabilities and provisions for a submarine base.

The Maldives-China bonhomie has raised fresh security challenges for India's maritime security with Maldives opposition reportedly claiming that "China's Joint Observation Station in the Maldives is likely to have military capabilities along with provisions for a submarine base".

Political sources in Male, as quoted in a Times Of India article, said that "the observatory, located in Makunudhoo, the westernmost atoll in the north (not far from India), will allow the Chinese a vantage point of an important Indian Ocean shipping route through which many merchant and other ships pass".

A protocol on the establishment of a Joint Ocean Observation Station was signed between the Maldives environment ministry and Chinas State Oceanic Administration when the Maldives president Abdulla Yameen had visited China for the first time in December 2017.

Location matters

The Makunudhoo island in the Maldives where China is building the observatory is part of the northern-most tip of the archipelago nation. The Makunudhoo island is, worryingly, not only close to the northern sea line of communication  running between India's Minicoy island and the Maldives northern-most atolls  but also to India's South and South West coast.

The observatory, therefore, poses a threat to the security, safety, and freedom of sea lanes of communication in the Indian Ocean region.

As a Firspost analysis had revealed earlier, China is investing heavily in infrastructural projects in the Maldives, and already owns islands in the archipelago nation. According to exiled Maldivian leader Mohammed Nasheed, 16-17 small islands have been seized by the Chinese. So, it's only a matter of time when Beijing begins asserting its presence similar to the disputed South China Sea.

Worryingly, this observatory is very similar to the one China announced for the disputed South China Sea last year.

Interestingly, the Maldives observatory is an integral part of Beijing's "String of Pearls" encircling India, along with the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Gwadar port in Pakistan.

Defence analyst Major Gaurav Arya writes on Twitter: "This Joint Ocean Observation Station in the Maldives is clearly dual purpose. The last thing China wants to do is study ocean currents. This station allows them to 'peek into' our South and South Western coast. The dragon is wagging its tail."

The "covert, dual-purpose underwater observatory in the Maldives", claims Brahma Chellaney, Indian strategist, would allow it to collect data to deploy submarines in the Indian Ocean Region.

China, treating India as a sleeping Indian Ocean giant, reportedly plans to establish a covert, dual-purpose underwater observatory in the Maldives  an action that will yield sub-surface oceanic data for extended submarine deployments, thus opening a maritime front against India pic.twitter.com/k5BCBpcs4g  Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) February 26, 2018

At this point, the question for India, as Mohan Guruswamy argued in the Deccan Chronicle is, India is faced with the dilemma "whether to deal with this issue now, when it has the means to enforce its will on the Maldives, and as former President Nasheed has entreated it to do, or continue with its traditional policy of not overtly intervening in the internal affairs of other countries" and risk allowing China to continue expanding its presence in the Indian Ocean Region and that too at a "frenetic pace".

However, it may be little premature to say that India has been sleeping, while China has been building.

With China's military activities in the disputed South China Sea coming under severe criticism from Japan as well as the US, the re-emergence of the India-Australia-Japan-US quad and strengthening its ties with ASEAN countries including the reverse "String of Pearls" in Vietnam could go a long way in containing China's aggressive stance to control sea lanes in the disputed South China Sea, and the Indian Ocean Region.
A joint forum of Delhi government employees appealed to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash

New Delhi: A joint forum of Delhi government employees on Monday appealed to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to take action against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in the case of alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash.

The forum passed a resolution in its meeting on Monday, stating that until Kejriwal and Sisodia give "a specific written and public apology" and steps are taken to ensure the personal safety and dignity of officers, they will continue to work with AAP ministers through written communication only.

The resolution claimed that instead of apologising and admitting their mistake, the chief minister and the deputy chief minister are in a "denial mode" which shows that they were a "part of the conspiracy".

We want a written apology from the CM. Instead of apologizing for the incident the CM & Deputy CM are in denial. This shows they are part of the conspiracy: Pooja Joshi, IAS Joint Forum on #DelhiChiefSecretary alleged assault case pic.twitter.com/4Yuy8YyCVi  ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2018

The forum also rejected the mediation of Social Welfare Minister Rajender Pal Gautam to find out a solution to the current crisis between the AAP dispensation and the bureaucracy.

"The Joint Forum of Delhi Government Employees demands that the prerequisite to any dialogue with the political executive is a specific written and public apology from Honble chief minister & Honble deputy chief minister regarding the criminal act of physical assault on the chief secretary," the resolution stated.

Reading out the resolution at a press conference in New Delhi, Pooja Joshi, member of the forum, said, "Instead of apologising and admitting their mistake of assault on the chief secretary at midnight, chief minister and deputy chief minister are in denial mode.

"This shows that they were a part of the conspiracy and since they are specifically identified in the FIR, we appeal to LG and the commissioner of police to take action as per law against the chief minister and deputy chief minister," the resolution said.

It expressed "deep concern" that not only has the political executive "failed" to condemn or regret the above incident, but also more incidents of public representatives misbehaving with and threatening government servants have taken place in the intervening period.

The resolution alleged that an open "threat" by an MLA was given in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal who has made no statement condemning the same.

In such a situation, communication between the political and permanent executive can only continue through formal written means and no talks are possible. "Therefore, the joint forum resolves that all Delhi Government employees will continue to work through formal written means of communication," the resolution said.

IAS Joint Forum addresses the media over #DelhiChiefSecretary alleged assault case sporting black bands. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/mjoibFB8Lj  ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2018

The employees said that they will continue their protest "in the form of five-minutes silence at 1.30 pm (lunch time) in all government offices till such time a specific written and public apology is tendered by CM and deputy CM and steps are taken to ensure the personal safety and dignity of officers while they discharge their official duties," resolution stated.
Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Monday said the state government has a vision to turn the state into a one trillion dollar economy by 2025.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Monday said the state government has a vision to turn the state into a one trillion dollar economy by 2025.

"This will be achieved by increasing growth in sectors like agriculture, textile, tourism," Rao said in his address to the Maharashtra Legislature.

He also said the government has increased investment in infrastructure and agriculture which has resulted in GSDP growing at 8.5 percent in 2015-16 and 9.4 per cent in 2016-17.

"To usher in one trillion dollar economy, the government has leveraged international funding and alloted substantial state budgetary resources to give a massive push to augment public infrastructure," Rao said, adding to accelerate the high growth rate the government continues to back infrastructure-led growth policies.

Rao further said the state government inherited a crisis-laden agriculture sector.

"From a negative growth of minus 0.5 percent in 2012-13, the growth rate has increased to 12.5 percent in 2016-17. This momentum will be sustained in 2017-18. This growth was achieved by making heavy investment in agriculture sector. From Rs 29,000 crore in 2013-14, it grew by 280 percent to Rs 83,000 crore in 2017-18," the Governor said.

According to the Governor, under the flagship programme of 'Jalyukt Shivar' scheme, nearly 15,000 villages are being made drought-proof by May 2018.

He said 6.1 crore ration card holders have been linked to 'Aadhar' under the National Food Security Act.

"Through this process about 92 lakh people who were earlier not covered under the Act are provided 2kg rice at Rs 3 per kg and 3 kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg. About 10 lakh ineligible ration cards were eliminated," he informed.

According to Rao, 22,670 out of 22,793 gram panchayats and 212 blocks out of 351 have been declared open defecation free.

He also said construction of the first Marina project on the coast will soon be taken up in Panvel creek at Belapur. and in the first phase berthing facilities for 30 boats will be created.

Rao also said to promote innovative financial services particularly to the poor who are not fully served by the formal banking sector and provide employment to educated youth, the government has decided to launch an innovative Fintech policy.

"It provides for setting up Fintech hub in Mumbai with additional FSI, a capital support for setting up common facilities and partnership with banks like the State Bank of India," he signed off.
King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, accompanied by a business delegation, will come on a three-day visit to India starting on Tuesday, the External Affairs Ministry announced

New Delhi: King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, accompanied by a business delegation, will come on a three-day visit to India starting on Tuesday, the external affairs ministry announced on Monday.

This will be his second visit to India after his visit along with Queen Rania in 2006.

According to an external affairs ministry statement, King Abdullah will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the course of which the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The two sides are expected to sign a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation.

President Ram Nath Kovind will host a banquet in honour of King Abdullah while Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary.

On Wednesday, the king will visit IIT Delhi to explore collaboration with Jordan technical institutes.

During the day, the king will also participate in a CEO round-table followed by India-Jordan Business Forum jointly organised by Industry bodies FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM.

India-Jordan trade stood at $1.35 billion in 2016-17, according to figures provided by the external affairs ministry.

On Thursday, the king will deliver a special address on "Promoting Understanding and Moderation", organised by the India Islamic Centre at Vigyan Bhawan.

Earlier this month, King Abdullah hosted Modi at his residence in Amman. Jordan had facilitated Modi's transit to Palestine in what was the first ever prime ministerial visit from India to that West Asian nation.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on alleged that the BJP has 'internationalised' corruptions that are taking place in the country. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha claimed that all the scams unearthed during the UPA regime were of much smaller in sizes.

Guwahati: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the BJP has 'internationalised' corruptions that are taking place in the country. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha claimed that all the scams unearthed during the UPA regime were of much smaller in sizes.

"After the BJP came to power, corruption has been internationalised. Scams are of Rs 8,000 crore, Rs 11,000 crore and similar sizes are unearthed. The scamsters are easily going out (of the country) and never coming back," Azad said in a press conference in Guwahati.

The Congress general secretary said the prime minister claims he has good relations with all the world leaders. "Then why can't he bring back all those accused such as Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and others by using his influence?"

Accusing the government and prime minister Narendra Modi of being involved in the scams, Azad alleged that that is why he is silent on the scams. Attacking the BJP, he said the saffron party is trying to dictate everyone on what to wear, what to eat and what culture to follow, thereby threatening to attack the basic tenets of the Constitution.

"That is why, for the first time in the history of India, four senior most judges of the Supreme Court came out openly, addressed to the nation and said democracy has to be saved. If this is the opinion of the Supreme Court judges, then imagine what is going on in the country," he added.

Azad termed the central government as the "TV and advertisement government", which is misusing public money and dictating the media, especially the electronic media, what to report and what not.

"Even in reporting Parliament proceedings, we see only two per cent opposition voices, and 98 per cent government.

But if you see actual footages in Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV, the scenario is completely the opposite," the Rajya Sabha MP claimed.

During the tenure of the NDA government, the economic growth has stagnated and no new development projects have been announced, he said adding that it is re-launching old projects of the UPA government.

Regarding North East, Azad said the BJP government is threatening the diverse culture of the region by its policies. "BJP does not know anything about the people of NE. I am concerned about the culture, food habits of these two regions," he added.

Azad charged the BJP with trying to capture power in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland by muscle and money power
A traders' association led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother has threatened an indefinite strike from 1 March to press for various demands, including a higher commission from foodgrain sales.

Ahmedabad: A traders' association led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother has threatened an indefinite strike from 1 March to press for various demands, including a higher commission from foodgrain sales.

Prahlad Modi, president of the Gujarat Fair Price Shop Owners' Association, said on Monday that the association had submitted a list of demands to the Gujarat government including a rise in commission from foodgrain sales to bring it at par with states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala and Goa.

"While the commission given to fair price shop owners in Gujarat is Rs 85 per quintal, it is Rs 200 in Rajasthan and Delhi, Rs 220 in Kerala, Rs 150 in Maharashtra and Rs 230 in Goa. We want parity in commission rates," he said.

"We will go on an indefinite strike from 1 March if the government does not meet our demands by Tuesday. We have given them an ultimatum as the government has failed to meet our demands, several of which we had raised in May last year," he added.

He said that the association wanted the software currently being used to operate the Annapurna Yojana at fair price shops to be replaced as it had glitches.

"The software sometimes fails to read the fingerprint and Aadhaar card details of the beneficiaries, forcing them to return without their monthly quota of subsidised food grains," Modi said.

The association also wants fair price shops to be allowed to sell gas cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which aims to provide free LPG connections to women from BPL households, he said.

Modi said that shop owners had been deprived of income due to the policy of the Central and state governments to reduce the use of kerosene, and instead supply gas under the Ujjwala Yojana.

Fairprice shop owners also want the government to provide financial assistance for the education of their children, Modi said.
Inspired by Mann Ki Baat radio programme, 9-year-old Khushi Sharma, a Class III student from Haryana, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the difficult commute from her village to her school in the absence of a proper road. Her letter forced the PMO to order construction of a pucca road in her village

Hisar: For as long as she can remember, nine-year-old Khushi Sharma from Ratta Tibba village in Fatehabad district of Haryana has been trudging through slushy kutcha paths cutting across farm fields, her school clothes and school bag splattered with specks of brown muck, to get from Dhani Teja (an agricultural settlement) to her school in nearby Bahbalpur village.

On some days, she takes the school van, which makes for a bumpy, uncomfortable, and risky ride. This is how 25 other children from nearby villages go to school as well, every day.

It is a common practice in this northern district of Haryana for farmers to settle close to their agricultural land. Dhani Teja, the agricultural settlement where Khushi's family lives, is three kilometres from Ratta Tibba village and six kilometres from Bahbalpur. Over 300 people who live in Dhani Teja use the kutcha route to go to Ratta Tibba for various purposes. Ratta Tibba is about 20 kilometres from Fatehabad district headquarters.

The problem is precipitated during the rainy season, with slush and mud making the kutcha roads virtually inaccessible, and the children often have to miss school.

"Last year, during the monsoon, Khushis school van got stuck in a deep rut caused by the wet ground giving way to rainwater, and it had to be pulled out with the help of tractors," says Khushis grandfather Chottu Ram Sharma, a farmer by profession.

That day, Khushi, who had to miss school, did not eat or sleep, and kept asking her family for a solution to the daily commute problem, says her father Vikas Sharma (30), who works as a lineman in the government electricity department.

According to a paper on the status of infrastructure in Indian schools, 88.30 percent of all primary schools in the country are approachable by all-weather roads. For upper primary schools, the percentage is 92.74, whereas it's 89.18 percent for elementary, 94.99 percent for secondary, and 95.91 percent for higher secondary schools.

About 10 months ago, Khushi, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat radio programme on Sundays, decided to take the matters in her own hands and urged her grandfather to write a letter to the prime minister on her behalf.

I asked my grandfather to write a letter to prime minister Modi requesting him to get a road constructed from our village to my school. He motivated me to write the letter myself," says Khushi.

She had earlier asked her father and some teachers in her school to help her write the letter, but they didn't bother with her request as they didn't think it would help. She then decided to write the letter herself.

Armed with a pencil and a notebook, she wrote a letter to the prime minister describing her difficult commute from her village to her school in the absence of a proper road.

The matter has been brought to the knowledge of the Haryana government by the Gram Panchayat, but in vain. We, students, pin our hope on you to intervene and get it done to save us from the difficulties met by us for going to school, she wrote to the prime minister in her letter dated 17 January.

She then handed over the letter to her grandfather, who posted it in the name of prime minister Modi, New Delhi. On 15 February, Khushi was pleasantly surprised to hear from the local Public Works Department (PWD) officer that the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) had sent a response to her letter, asking the PWD to take action with regard to Khushi's request. Khushi is bubbling with excitement over the response and the attention her deed got her from the villagers.

According to the findings of a 2016 Annual States of Education Report (ASER) survey, cited in this Firstpost report, around 3.5 percent children in the 11-14 age group and 13.5 percent in the 15-16 age group (over 25 percent children in Classes I to VIII) were absent from school on the day a team visited the school. Although India has a high rate of enrollment (over 96 percent), that doesnt necessarily translate into attendance. One of the reasons cited for dropouts in secondary schools is access (such as "school is far", especially, for girls). The survey included over 560,000 children between three and 16 years, in 589 districts of India.

Fatehabad PWD (Building and Roads) department sub-divisional officer RK Mehta confirmed that they have received a letter from the PMO about the grievance raised by Khushi.

She has requested the PMO to ensure construction of a three-kilometre road from Dhani Teja to Ratta Tibba, he says. He adds that his department will prepare a proposal along with an estimate for construction of the road and get the approval of the state government to embark on the project.

This Class III students letter managed to address an issue that the Ratta Tibba Gram Panchayat had not been able to draw attention to in over a decade.

Bhola Devi, sarpanch of the village, says the village panchayat members met the district administration officials many times in the past year and submitted memorandums demanding the construction of a pucca road cutting across the agriculture fields of Ratta Tibba.

When it rains, villagers either remain marooned in their houses with no way to step out either on foot or by vehicle or have to travel through the slushy roads in case of emergencies, she says.

The village panchayat had even passed a resolution for a cemented road and submitted their demand to the deputy commissioner, Fatehabad, but they're still awaiting a response from the district administration, says Devi.

Khushis father says the hard-working, simple people of the village probably didnt even think such change was possible, and are thankful to his daughter, who has brought attention to this problem.

"We dont even have access to basic amenities like schools, healthcare centres, etc, as they are located far away from our villages, he informs.

Notably, a 14-year-old girl named Harpreet Kaur from Ajit Nagar village, 20 kilometres from where Khushi lives, had hit the national headlines in 2015 after she wrote to the PMO to change the name of her village, which was previously called Ganda, meaning dirty. The name of the village was changed to Ajit Nagar following the approval of Haryana government.

(The author is a Rohtak-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
In a significant diplomatic development, India has invited Pakistan's commerce minister Pervaiz Malik to participate in an informal WTO meeting in New Delhi

In a significant diplomatic development, India has invited Pakistan's commerce minister Pervaiz Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting in New Delhi on 19-20 March. Malik has reportedly confirmed his attendance for the event.

According to a report in The Indian Express, while Malik's meeting with Union commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu is confirmed, it is still not clear if he will also meet external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The invitation to Malik comes after last December's secret back-channel negotiations between the two national security advisors, Ajit Doval and Nasser Janjua, the report said.

The meeting also holds significance as the decision to participate in the SAARC summit, to be held in Pakistan, comes up again for consideration by the Centre.

In 2016, Modi had decided not to attend the 19th SAARC Summit to be held in Islamabad. India's decision led to the collapse of the entire summit as leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out.

Quoting diplomatic sources, the report also said that the two countries will undertake an exchange of prisoners starting with the release of the most vulnerable individuals such as mentally challenged prisoners, children, and women.

The announcement comes shortly after global money-laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Pakistan back on its terrorist financing watchlist, in a likely blow to both Pakistans economy and its strained relations with the United States.

Pakistani officials and analysts fear being on the FATF watchlist could endanger its handful of remaining banking links to the outside world, causing real financial pain to the economy just as a general election looms in the summer.
Skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani forces were only adding to people's sufferings and governments of both the countries should find a way to restore peace at the borders, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said.

Jammu: Skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani forces were only adding to people's sufferings and governments of both the countries should find a way to restore peace at the borders, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said.

Unless they (India and Pakistan) find a way out, away from this (border skirmishes), people on both sides will continue to suffer and many will die. Many of our soldiers will also die and a similar situation will be on their side," he said.

The government of India must find a way forward, the NC chief said.

What that way forward is, is up to the prime minister to decide. I am too small to suggest anything to him. But I will say the same thing to the Pakistani side, to the premier of that side. The time has come when this bloodshed must stop, and peace must be restored on the border and in the state here as well as in the area they hold on their side," the former chief minister told reporters at the sidelines of a function here.

In response to a question about heavy Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of north Kashmir, he said the shelling was not one sided but going on from both sides.

"They are shelling us and we are shelling them back. They shell us one per cent, we shell them 10 per cent as Army chief has said," he said.

On Pakistani troops targeting civilians, Abdullah said a bomb does not know where it is going to fall. The shelling is resorted to frighten the people, he said.

The NC leader's comment comes against the backdrop of a series of ceasefire violations by the Pakistani forces along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked about amnesty gratned by the state government to stone-pelters, the member of parliament said those released should realise that the time has come when they have to think of their careers and how to take the state out of turmoil.

"We are a tourist state and no tourist will come if there is turmoil. People will suffer, they will continue to suffer and in the long run it will be the state that will become backward," he said.

On reports of pelting of stones on a military station at Sunjuwan on Saturday, Abdullah said he had no knowledge about it. However, he said, if it had happened, the government should investigate and see whether the stone-pelters released by it were involved in the case or someone else.

Expressing concern over attempts to pitch one community against another, he said prime minister Narendra Modi should try and build an India of our dreams which is for all of us, whether you are a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Christian.

He said the prime minister is not only for Gujarat, but for the whole country.

Abdullah also sought to defend former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar over his purported casteist slur against Modi.

Asked about Aiyar's presence at Congress headquarters, he said one thing you must know, Aiyar is a Tamil and Urdu is not his language. He has picked up some Urdu during his posting in Paksitan. And when he used that term, he did not mean what was made out of it by the BJP, Abdullah said.
The Indian military's Andaman and Nicobar Command is going to host biennial multinational naval event 'Milan-2018' at Port Blair from 6 to 13 March with the underlying theme of 'friendship across the seas', it was announced on Sunday.

New Delhi: The Indian military's Andaman and Nicobar Command is going to host biennial multinational naval event 'Milan-2018' at Port Blair from 6-13 March with the underlying theme of "friendship across the seas", it was announced on Sunday.

The event will see a mix of professional exercises and seminars, social events and sporting fixtures. The inaugural address will be delivered by Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba.

The social interactions planned during Milan 2018 include display by Indian Army and navy bands, ship visits and colourful cultural evenings. Several events will be open to the public including displays by sky diving team, Beating the Retreat and naval continuity drill, an official release said.

An International City Parade will be held along the Marina Park Road, with marching contingents from all participating foreign naval ships as well as the Indian armed forces.

The parade will include a flypast and aerobatic display by military aircraft and demonstrations of various military operations. Besides, visiting foreign ships will also be open for visits by school children and local public. Milan-2018 will culminate with passage exercise at sea by all the participating naval ships.

"Milan 2018 aims to showcase the rich heritage and pristine natural beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the foreign visitors," the release said.

Besides fostering co-operation through naval exercises and professional interactions, the event is also aimed at providing an opportunity to the participating navies to come together in a spirit of collaboration to nurture stronger ties.

"The growing participation over the years bears testimony to the success of this multilateral initiative. From an event of sub-regional context started in 1995, Milan has now grown into a prestigious international event and encompasses participation by maritime forces from not just the Bay of Bengal and South East Asia but the larger Indian Ocean Region (IOR)," it said.

The interactions during Milan encompass sharing of views and ideas on maritime good order and enhancing regional cooperation for combating unlawful activities at sea.

The theme of this year's Milan International Maritime Seminar is "In Pursuit of Maritime Good Order  Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus".

The Indian Navy has also appealed to the public in Port Blair to "reach out to the visiting navies and make their stay a memorable one".
Should India and Canada use this meeting as a stepping stone in the bilateral, no one will even remember what Justin Trudeau was wearing

On Saturday, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau completed an eight-day India visit that also happened to be his first State visit to these shores. It's tremendously difficult to know for sure what's going on behind the prime minister's ever-present smile, but it's safe to assume he didn't expect the sort of rancorous press coverage  or at least the degree of rancour  his visit would attract. News media at home  most notably Toronto Sun's savage coverage (see here, here and here)  and in India spared no opportunity point and sneer at the roadbumps (of which there were a considerable number) Trudeau's India tour hit.

When it comes to mapping expectation against result, the visit could even be said to have been comparable to the May 2017 India jaunt of a fellow Canadian and fellow Justin, whose over-the-top antics (and similarly ostentatious list of requests) failed to live up to the hype and overall outcome made a lot of people very angry. But stare at that link too long and the more tenuous it gets. Let's move on.

It's possible that the opprobrium directed at the prime minister and his India visit is linked to his battered and scuffed-up halo that has been slipping since he took office in 2015. Led by Trudeau, it may be recalled, the Liberal Party of Canada stormed to its second-biggest electoral victory in October 2015. The son of Pierre Trudeau was feted worldwide for, among other things, being one of the rare Liberal leaders to win an election in a time when it was mainly Conservative ones who were winning elections all over the planet. Flash-forward to 2018 and in Canada, the Stephen Bronfman-Paradise Papers revelations, the conflict-of-interest allegations and affordable housing crisis have contributed to a steadily dropping approval rating.

One of the primary criticisms levelled against Trudeau was that he was using the pretext of a State visit to take his family on holiday and that of the eight-day-long sojourn, only one day actually went into doing any real work. Some felt it was an outrage that a family holiday of this scale and magnitude was being conducted at the expense of the exchequer. It was also felt that he spent more time pandering to vote banks back home with one eye on the October 2019 election than on the bilateral (considering his dropping approval rating, history may view this as a smart move to arrest a sharp decline in popularity). The airport snub was another topic that spiralled into a major issue. Then, there was the cameo appearance thrown in by separatist and convicted would-be-assassin Jaspal Atwal. Things were not looking good.

But before we engrave the tombstone for a fantastic (!) bilateral, let's take a look at the realities of the India-Canada relationship. For starters, how many news reports even spoke of India-Canada relations 10 years ago?

Ties between the two Commonwealth countries have never been top priority for either and total trade worth $6 billion (as of 2016) is testament to that fact. Further, the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 and Ottawa's reaction to New Delhi's nuclear tests of 1974 and 1998 contributed to an extended freeze in relations. The lack of any significant trade, defence or energy component in the bilateral meant it wasn't at the top of either country's agenda to firm up or deepen ties. Certainly, an India-Canada Working Group on Counterterrorism was established in 1997, but even as the Indian diaspora in Canada continued to go grow, there was little forward movement of any significance in bilateral relations. Even today, India and Canada will never be each others' most important international partners and it would be naive to expect that.

It was former prime minister Stephen Harper's State visit in 2009 that laid out a roadmap for how India and Canada should move forward. In the joint statement issued by then prime minister Manmohan Singh and Harper, the areas of energy, trade and commercial relations, technology and people-to-people connects were identified as key. Manmohan visited Canada in 2010 for the G20 Summit, but it wasn't until 2012 and Harper's second visit that the list of agreements signed began to give shape to the 2009 vision. Apart from an agreement on social security (that took cognisance of the Indian diaspora in Canada and sought to provide double-taxation avoidance), MoUs were signed for cooperation in Information Communication Technology and Electronics, and in the areas of joint research and development in Defence Science and Technology. Here too the four key areas mentioned above found precedence in the joint statement issued by the two prime ministers.

Just as with India-US relations, if it was Manmohan and his counterpart at the time who brought warmth into relations, it was Narendra Modi and his counterpart at the time who infused the bilateral with energy, dynamism and ambition. Rather aptly, the joint statement following Modi's historic first State visit (not linked to a multilateral summit) by an Indian prime minister in 42 years was titled 'New Vigour , New Steps'. The always-there-but-never-quite themes of 'Civil Nuclear Cooperation' and 'Defence and Security' enjoyed a degree of prominence in this document, and in doing so, deepened and broadened the scope of the New Delhi-Ottawa relationship.

Friday's Modi-Trudeau joint statement was a focussed document titled 'Partnership for Security and Growth' and brought to the fore the theme of 'mutual growth'. Eschewing some of the aspects of the Modi-Harper joint statement, it built on 2015's vision for security and people-to-people connects, while introducing a lengthy section on climate change. The somewhat minimalistic statement indicates that both sides seem to have identified areas on which work has begun and can be accelerated. Far from being trivial or a throwaway statement, this one actually shows a resolve to build on areas of convergence  that such areas even existed may have seemed bleaker as Trudeau's visit wore on. The accompanying release of a slightly older (19 February) agreement under the header 'Framework for Cooperation between India and Canada on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism' is also worth noting.

The aforementioned joint working group has been around since 1997, however, it's safe to say there's been very little in terms of tangible outcomes to emerge from the series of consultations under that banner. The framework agreement is specific and addresses the issues of 'collaboration between the law enforcement and security agencies of both countries', 'disrupt(ing) recruitment, terrorist movements and the flow of foreign terrorist fighters', 'address(ing) the threat posed by cross-border and state-sponsored terrorism', 'stop(ping) sources of terrorist financing' and so on.

Namedropping the likes of Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation is important because it sends out the message that one more country is on the same page as India, with regard to terror threats to the country. In time and with the right amount of legwork on both sides, this framework has the potential to be as transformational as the 'India-US Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region'. But, time will tell on that one.

As it will on all aspects of the relationship. It must be kept in mind that there are no binaries -- best friend or worst enemy and nothing in between -- in foreign policy. International partners play their own roles in a country's network of partners, some players are bigger than others. It's here that understanding the potential of a relationship goes a long way and to that effect, the memoranda signed between Modi and Trudeau are instructive.

By themselves, these agreements and understandings mean little  which is the case with most concurrences of this sort, but when viewed as part of the trajectory of India-Canada relations, they present a foundation from which Ottawa and New Delhi can move forward while being mindful of the limitations of this bilateral. Remember, it took years for India and the US to go from being on opposite ends of the Cold War divide to becoming 'natural partners'. Remember also that trade is unlikely to ever be the cornerstone of a bilateral that is equally unlikely to be as broad and financially massive as India's relations with the US, Japan, Russia or even the UK. And so, new avenues (commercial relations among businesses, technology and energy cooperation) have been identified and these should be deeper explored. The frequent mentions over the past few days of machine learning and artificial intelligence present a new dimension to be explored.

And should India and Canada build on this meeting, no one will even remember the series of outfits modelled by la famille Trudeau during its India visit, never mind writing reams of critical commentary about them.
A student from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, has been missing for over a fortnight

Bhubaneswar: A student from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, has been missing for over a fortnight, police said on Sunday.

Suhail Aijaz, a resident of Kupwara district in the northern state and pursing MBBS at the institute since 2016, left his hostel on 9 February, and has been missing since then.

The second year student had informed the authorities of the institute that he was going to Chandigarh with his friends to attend a wedding ceremony there and would be back on 17 February, Commissioner of Police YB Khurania said.

The authorities had lodged a missing complaint with the police on 18 February, a day after the student's scheduled date of returning to the institute.

A note has been recovered from the hostel, Khurania said, without elaborating on its content.

"Efforts are on to trace the student. We are questioning the institute officials and the friends of the missing student," Khurania said.

He said the youth's last known location was somewhere in Howrah in West Bengal.

"We are in contact with the Howrah police and the CID West Bengal. The particulars of the student have also been shared with them," he said.

Meanwhile, Suhail's father Aijaz Ahmed reached here and met senior police officials seeking their help in tracing his son.

Ahmed told reporters that he had spoken to Suhail over phone for the last time on 7 February.

He also said that the institute authorities were the first ones to tell him that his son had gone missing.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will give one more opportunity to farmers who missed out on applying for farm loan waiver

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state government will give one more opportunity to farmers who missed out on applying for farm loan waiver, said media reports.

"Over Rs 13,000 crore are already deposited to farmers' accounts while rest of the amount is being disbursed on a daily basis. My government will also hold a special

drive from 1 to 31 March for those farmers who could not submit their loan waiver forms due to some technical glitches," Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai on the eve of state Legislature's Budget session.

According to the chief minister, his government has so far completed authorisation of 46.35 lakh farmers' bank accounts, which means that these farmers would most likely benefit from the Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver scheme.

"Out of it, 30 lakh are beneficiaries of loan waiver while remaining fall in financial assistance category, where up to Rs 25,000 will be given to farmers, who have a good track record of regular repayment of crop loans," Fadnavis said.

Some district central co-operative banks have charged interest on loan waiver amount for the period from June to December last year.

Asked about it, Fadnavis said, "There are 4-5 banks that have done so. I have already asked them not to charge interest over it and most of the Public Sector Undertakings have agreed to it. If these banks do not comply with our appeal then we will issue notice of dissolving their board of directors."

On the recent suicide attempts in the Mantralaya (state secretariat), Fadnavis said, "It is a serious issue but it should not be over-glorified. It is not the case that only attempting suicide near Mantralaya would catch the attention of the government."

Fadnavis also said that agreements worth Rs five lakh crore of the total Rs eight lakh crore signed during the 'Make in Maharashtra' drive two years ago have materialised.

"The MoUs signed under 'Make in Maharashtra' drive two years ago have a validity of five years. Out of the total MoUs worth Rs eight lakh crore signed then, the pacts worth Rs five lakh crore have materialised," the chief minister informed.

"The investment has started coming and projects are at various level of development. The success ratio is 71 percent if you go by the amount against the average success rate of 30-35 percent of such initiatives.

"In terms of number of MoUs signed and materialised, Maharashtra's ratio is 63 percent. We will publish a detailed report every year about the investment agreements and its actualisation," the chief minister said.

Fadnavis was responding to allegations of "all-round failure" levelled against his government by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.

"They (opposition leaders) are upset over excellent performance of my government. We have done a good job and taken decisions, which the Opposition could not do during their 15 years' tenure," Fadnavis said.

Meanwhile, on the agrarian crisis, he said, "State has sent a proposal of Rs 2,425 crore to the Centre seeking financial aid. Over 11 lakh hectares of agricultural

land was affected due to pink bollworm and attack of insects on some cereals."

"Financial assistance is also sought for Ockhi cyclone and hailstorm affected farmers. Any farmer whose over 33 percent crops are damaged will be eligible for financial aid," the chief minister said.

16 Bills would be presented during the Budget session, official said, adding the state budget would be presented on 9 March.

With inputs from PTI
Analysis of Meghalaya's performance on 20 development indicators shows how insurgency and poor infrastructure have impeded its progress.

By Alison Saldanha and Angel Mohan

Mumbai: Meghalaya, a picturesque hilly state in the sub-eastern Himalayan region, nearly matches Indias richer states on the best health outcomes. However, insurgency and poor infrastructure impede its progress on other development indicators, shows an IndiaSpend analysis of the states performance on 20 development indicators in comparison with nine other states and the national average.

This rare matrilineal statewhere family descent is traced through the mother rather than the fatheris also slipping on gender indices, reflecting a wider change.

Meghalaya will vote in state elections on 27 February, 2018. The incumbent Congress party is looking to retain its turf as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to win a sizeable number of seats for the first time in the tribal-dominated, Christian-majority (74.5 percent) states 38-year history.

After attaining statehood in 1972, since 1976 Meghalaya has mostly been ruled by Congress-led coalition governments, the Economic & Political Weekly reported on 10 February, 2018.

BJP president Amit Shah promises to make Meghalaya a model state in five yearshe promises to lift the National Green Tribunals ban on mining and create jobs if his party, ruling at the Centre, is voted to power in the state.

Our analysis of Meghalayas performance on 20 socio-economic and health indicators over 10 years to 2015-16 shows:

The state already competes with well-developed counterparts such as Kerala and Goa. On more than half (12) of these indicators, it ranks among the top five of the 10 states that IndiaSpend analysed using various government data including the National Family Health Surveys for 2005-06 (NFHS 3) and 2015-16 (NFHS-4).

It's per capita health spending (Rs 2,366) is the second highest among the 10 states analysed, lower only than Goa (Rs 2,927), shows the National Health Profile (NHP) 2017.

Its unemployment rate (4.8 percent) is below the national averagehigher than Tamil Nadu (4.2 percent) but much lower than other north-eastern states, according to the labour ministrys annual report of 2015-16.

From 2006 to 2016, the rate of crime against women has risen three-fold from 7.1 per 100,000 population to 26.7.

For our analysispart of our election-year examination of states development indicatorswe chose states that are development leaders and have high per-capita incomes such as Kerala, Goa, Gujarat and Karnataka, as well as laggards with low income such as Madhya Pradesh (MP), Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (UP), as well as Assam and Tripura, Meghalayas neighbours in the North East region.

Four of these statesMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa and Gujaratare under BJP rule. Kerala and Tripura are ruled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while Karnataka like Meghalaya is ruled by the Congress. While UP and Assam also have BJP governments today, they were ruled by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, respectively, in 2016the cut-off year for our analysis.

Meghalaya and its challenges

Surrounded by Bangladesh on its south and west, and Assam to its east and north, Meghalaya, roughly the size of Israel, holds a population of two million, equivalent to that of Lucknow.

The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo, most of whom are Christian, form the three major ethnic tribes in the state and comprise 86.15 percent of its population, shows the 2017 Meghalaya statistical handbook. The religious minorities here include Hindus (11.5 percent) and Muslims (4.4. percent).

Once considered a role model of peace and democracy, Meghalaya has witnessed rising insurgency and terrorism since the late 1980s and especially since 2009, according to this 2016 policy brief by the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies & Analyses. It has also faced unrest due to demands from each of the three major tribes for separate statehood, border disputes with Assam, illegal mining and import of weapons from Assam and Bangladesh, which have impeded the states progress.

From 2007 to 18 February, 2018, 131 civilians have been killed in terrorist conflicts in Meghalaya, according to the South Asia Terror Portal database. In the first two months of 2018, three civilians were killed.

In terms of per capita income, Meghalaya's Rs 64,638 ranks it 25th among Indias 35 states and Union Territories, featuring alongside least-developed states such as Orissa and Jharkhand. Primarily an agrarian economy with 80 percent of the population dependent on the farm for livelihood, the hilly terrains limit agricultural operations to 10 percent of the area while the potential for agro-based industries remains unutilised, according to this 2016 report by the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises. The uneven landscape and vast forests also hinder accessibility so that a little over a third of the state (34 percent) is connected by road, the data show.

Health outcomes

With an infant mortality rate (IMR) of 30 deaths per 1,000 live births, Meghalaya ranks in the top five in our analysis of 10 states, performing better than Gujarat and competing with its richer Congress-ruled counterpart Karnataka (28). In 2005-06, Meghalaya ranked fourth in our 10-state analysis for IMR, but Tripura showing an improvement rate of 24 over this time, now ranks third pushing Karnataka and Meghalaya one place behind.

In terms of the mortality rate of children under five years of age, Meghalaya showed among the best improvements (30 points) over the decade to now rank in the top five in these 10 states. It fares much better than the national average, behind only Karnataka, Goa, Kerala and neighbouring Tripura. In contrast, Gujarat, despite ranking fourth in per capita income, fares worse with an under-five mortality rate of 43 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Source: National Family Health Survey, 2015-16

At a time when wasting among children under five years of age increased across the country, as IndiaSpend reported in March 2017, Meghalaya reported the best improvement among the 10 states analysed from 2005-06 to 2015-16.

In 10 years to 2015-16, the wasting rate here fell from 30.7 percent to 15.3 percentthe lowest among the 10 states analysed and much below the national average of 21 percent.

Its performance on these indicators implies improved antenatal and postnatal care: Nearly 24 percent of Meghalayas mothers received full antenatal care in 2015-16, up from 4.2 percent in 2005-06, and above the national average of 21 percent.

How challenges affect outcomes

Low connectivity and poor infrastructure affect the states institutional healthcare delivery. Meghalaya reports the lowest proportion of institutional births. In 2015-16, less than 52 percent of births took place in hospitals heremuch below the national average of 79 percent, and the lowest among the 10 states we analysed.

In 2015-16, only half of Meghalayas pregnant women were visited by a healthcare worker at least four times during pregnancythe minimum requirement according to the World Health Organisations guidelinesbelow the national average and way behind Tripura, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa and Kerala.

Even though the state reported the highest improvement in full immunisation of babies among 10 states, by 28.6 percentage points to 61.5 percent in 2015-16, immunisation coverage in the state is still below the national average of 62 percent.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href='http:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;www.indiaspend.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;cover-story&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;meghalayaelection2018-development-indicators-are-falling-insurgency-infrastructure-largely-to-blame-11828'&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img alt='Pre- And Ante-Natal Care, Immunization In 10 States (2015-16) ' src='http:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;public.tableau.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;static&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;images&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;me&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;meghalaya2_desktop&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;Dashboard1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#47;1_rss.png' style='border: none' /&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Source: National Family Health Survey, 2015-16; *Full immunisation: BCG, measles, and three doses each of polio and DPT vaccines

Meghalaya also reported the least development among the 10 states of our analysis in boosting household access to improved sources of drinking water.

About a third of households in the state (32.1 percent) still do not have access to better sources of drinking watermore than 21 percentage points below the national average, and worse than poorer states like Assam (16.2 percent), Madhya Pradesh (15.3 percent) and Rajasthan (14.5 percent).

Improper access to good drinking water affects childrens healththe prevalence of diarrhoea has nearly doubled over the decade. In 2015-16, 10.6 percent of children were reported to have suffered from diarrhoea two weeks before the NFHS survey, up from 5.7 percent in 2005-06.

The open defecation rate in Meghalaya is about 7.6 percentmuch below other states analysed; however, 40 percent of the state still does not have access to improved sanitation.

This lack of access to improved sanitation facilities could impede progress on reducing stunting (low height for age) in children, and anaemia, as IndiaSpend reported in April 2017 and September 2016.

Nearly 44 percent of Meghalayas children under five years of age are stunted (low height for age). While this is an 11.3 percentage point improvement from a decade ago when the state reported a stunting rate of 55.1 percent, its performance on this indicator remains much worse than the national average (38.4 percent), and better only than Uttar Pradesh (46.3 percent) in our 10-state analysis.

While most of India has succeeded in reducing the incidence of anaemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years), in Meghalaya, the figure has grown by 5.4 percent. A decade ago, Meghalaya had one of the lowest percentages of anaemic women in the country, behind Kerala or Goa among the 10 states we analysed. As of 2016, it is placed between the least developed states of UP, MP and Rajasthan.

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Source: National Family Health Survey, 2015-16

Status of women a growing concern in the matrilineal state

Meghalayas worsening performance in addressing anaemia among women is indicative of a declining trend in the status of women in the state.

Meghalaya ranks second in the country for a high child sex ratio of 970 females per 1,000 malesbetter than all states analysed and significantly higher than the national average of 942. However, this has actually declined three points since 2001.

Contrary to the prevailing ideas that women here enjoy a better position than their counterparts in the rest of India, women in this conflict-struck region are actually in a disadvantageous position, the North East Network, a womens rights organisation, says, adding that although traditionally Meghalaya has had matrilineal societies, violence against women including rape, attempt to rape and domestic violence has been on the rise.

The rate of crime against women has risen three-fold in the past 10 years from 7.1 per 100,000 population in 2006 to 26.7 per 100,000 in 2016, shows an IndiaSpend analysis of data by the National Crime Records Bureau. The state reported the fourth-highest rate (13.8 per 100,000) for rape in the country, behind Delhi (22.6), Sikkim (30.3) and Arunachal Pradesh (14.7).

It is well documented that in conflict zones, the scattering, displacement and breakdown of families and communities cause women to suffer oppression by withdrawal from the public sphere, political exclusion and exposure to male violence, as this study by the South Asia Institute at the University of Heidelberg shows.

In 2005-06, 12.8 percent of Meghalayas women who were ever married reported spousal violence, the lowest proportion among the 10 states in our analysis. Over the course of 10 years, this number more than doubled to 28.7 percent, bringing Meghalaya on par with the national average of 28.8 percent. It now ranks third worst among the 10 states.

While female literacy in the state, at 82.8 percent, is comparable with best performers Kerala and Goa, it is still less than the literacy rate among men within the state. Further, fewer Meghalayan women (33.6 percent) are educated for more than 10 years compared with Indian women on average (35.7 percent).

&amp;amp;lt;a href='http:&amp;amp;amp;#47;&amp;amp;amp;#47;www.indiaspend.com&amp;amp;amp;#47;cover-story&amp;amp;amp;#47;meghalayaelection2018-development-indicators-are-falling-insurgency-infrastructure-largely-to-blame-11828'&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;img alt='Indicators Of Women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s Status (2015-16) ' src='http:&amp;amp;amp;#47;&amp;amp;amp;#47;public.tableau.com&amp;amp;amp;#47;static&amp;amp;amp;#47;images&amp;amp;amp;#47;me&amp;amp;amp;#47;meghalaya4_desktop&amp;amp;amp;#47;Dashboard1&amp;amp;amp;#47;1_rss.png' style='border: none' /&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Source: National Family Health Survey, 2015-16

The state holds one of the lowest rates of early marriage before the age of 18 (16.9 percent) across India (26.8 percent average), behind Goa (9.8 percent) and Kerala (7.6 percent). The percentage of women who have a say in household decisions grew by one percent over 10 years to 91.4 percent, taking the state to the fourth rank in 2015-16down from second position in 2005-06 because neighbouring Tripura reported a better growth by 13.8 percent to rank ahead at third place, the data shows.

Saldanha is an assistant editor and Mohan is an intern with IndiaSpend.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Police has initiated a probe after its personnel exhibited laxity during a militant attack on the residence of Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has initiated a probe after its personnel exhibited laxity during a militant attack on the residence of top Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi in Srinagar. The attack, which took place on late Sunday evening, left one policeman dead. After the assault, gunmen fled the spot with the policeman's weapon. Two policemen were absent from the spot, while another one failed to retaliate to the militant attack, investigations have revealed.

According to police sources, among the five men posted for security duty at the separatist leaders residence, four personnel, including a head constable, were to remain deployed there when the attack happened. However, on Sunday evening, when the militants attacked the house at around 7.15 p.m, two of the policemen were found to be absent from the house. They had informed their seniors that they had gone to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) hospital as one of them was suffering from fever and cough. Another police constable was on leave. Thus, only two men were at the residence when militants attacked it.

Police officials said that one of the militants, who was part of a group, knocked on the main gate of Haqs residence. As soon as a policeman came out, he was fired upon and militants managed to snatch away his weapon. The deceased policeman was identified as Farooq Ahmad Yatoo, who lived earlier at Chadoora in Budgam before the family moved to Shopian. Police officials who are investigating the case said that while the other policeman did not react as militants managed to flee from the spot, two others were at the hospital.

One policeman went to a hospital as he was ill and another policeman accompanied him. When they returned, Farooq was lying in a pool of blood and the militants had fled from the spot. One more policemen was on leave, which is given to the personnel on a rotational basis, an official said. The entire attack was carried out in a few minutes, he added.

Farooq was rushed to the nearby SKIMS hospital, where he breathed his last. A case of murder, weapon snatching and illegal use of arms was registered at Soura police station, said a senior official. He said that the investigation in the case is going on.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar, Imtiyaz Ismail Parrey, said that the militants attacked the guard post which was set up inside the residence of the separatist leader. We have registered a case and the involvement of the policemen is being looked into through an internal mechanism, he said.

Deputy Inspector General of police, Central Kashmir range, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, said,  The policemen deployed for duty at the residence of Fazal Haq Qureshi will have to explain their conduct. The guards are supposed to react. If a guard man was not at the place, there should be a plausible reason for that. This calls for an inquiry.

A day before the incident, police officials from Soura police station had carried out a security check and asked the policemen to remain on alert.

In December 2009, gunmen attacked Haq and a bullet had hit him in the head outside his residence. The attack had come nine years after he facilitated a dialogue between the central government and militants, which culminated in the declaration of ceasefire by a group of Hizbul Mujahideen militants. The dialogue, however, broke down after the United Jehad Council chief Syed Salahudin refused to support the ceasefire.

In August 2000, Haq met Union Home Secretary Kamal Pandey along with his party (Peoples Political Front) leader Musadiq Adil and four militants at Nehru Guest house in Srinagar. After the 2009 attack, Fazal was unable to move without crutches, due to which he was represented by the chairman of PPF, Adil, in the meetings of the Hurriyat Conference.

Haq was earlier a general council member of the Hurriyat but was later elevated to its top decision-making body  the executive council  after a split in the conglomerate. The split took place as separatist leader and now Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, parted ways with the Mirwaiz-led faction  over the proximity of some leaders with New Delhi.
Two days after the Kerala government said it was open to any probe, even one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the murder of a Youth Congress worker in Kannur

Thiruvananthapuram: Two days after the Kerala government said it was open to any probe, even one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), into the murder of a Youth Congress worker in Kannur, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said there was no need for an investigation by the central agency.

Unhappy with Vijayan's statement in the assembly on the murder of 30-year-old Shoaib in Kannur on 12 February, the entire opposition went into protest mode, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

As the Kerala Assembly began its session on Monday at 8.30 am the Congress-led opposition walked into the House wearing black badges.

When question hour began, the party demanded suspension of House proceedings and a debate into Shoaib's murder that took place at an eatery near Mattanoor four persons in a car hurled bombs and then fatally injured Shoaib, slashing at him with a sword.

But Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan was in no mood to relent, worsening the situation as angry opposition members trooped near the Chair's podium and shouted slogans.

Sreeramakrishnan was then forced to adjourn the House.

When the House resumed at 9.30 am, Sunny Joseph, senior Congress legislator from Kannur district, moved an adjournment motion and said that the CPM has delivered "the unkindest of all cuts" on Shoaib an active Congress worker.

"It took six days for you (Vijayan) to react on it. The Director General of Police has already gone on record to say that the accused are CPM workers.

"The first and second accused in this murder case are already accused in another murder case, but you (Vijayan) were silent on it.

"Instead, you pointed out Sohaib was arrested in a street fight case. The pictures of Shoaib that have come out now show how brutally he was butchered," said Joseph.

Vijayan, replying to Joseph, pointed out that no murder can be justified and said that the overall situation in the state has improved compared to the previous years.

"The police have been doing a smart job and have arrested five people, and the probe is going in the right direction. So, at the moment there is no need for a CBI probe," said Vijayan.

Soon, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala also stepped in and said that it was just two days back that, at an all-party meeting in Kannur, minister for SC and ST and Culture AK Balan had categorically said that the state government was open to any probe, even a CBI probe.

"Now, you (Vijayan) say the CBI probe is not needed. The smell of blood on the hands of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in this murder will not be washed away even if you use all the perfume in the world.

"The very fact that you have gone back on your assurance of any probe clearly indicates that you have things to hide. This is not acceptable and we will protest till you announce a CBI probe into this murder," said Chennithala.

Following the speech, angry opposition members stepped up their protest, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.

In Kannur, Shoaib's father told the media that it's imperative to know why his son was killed.

"He (Shoaib) did not know any of the five accused who have been arrested and hence it is very clear that this was a planned one. We want to know the reason why my son was killed," said Shoaib's father.

Senior Congress leader K Sudhakaran, whose fast in Kannur demanding a CBI probe entered the eighth day, said that the "cat is now out of the bag and Vijayan knows that if the CBI is entrusted with the job of probing the case, then the law will catch up with the Kannur district leadership of the CPM, which is alleged to have masterminded this murder".
Non-stop firing and shelling by Pakistani forces has forced over 3,000 villagers along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector to flee their homes causing biggest displacement in 30 years in the area

When mortars fired from the Pakistani side landed in Silikote village situated along the tense Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector on Saturday, Shahana Ara, 37, who gave birth to a baby earlier this month, thought her time was up. Her fragile body, recovering from a caesarean section, betrayed the urgency demanded by the simmering situation along the LoC.

"Initially, we tried taking shelter in a bunker. But due to my condition, I was not able to crawl in. It felt as if the stitches I received at the time of the surgery were ripping apart. Somehow, I gathered courage and kept trudging along the mountain till we reached the road from where I was brought to a hospital," she said.

Despite many odds and risks involved in the journey, Ara and her family were lucky to make it out of Silikote, which is located some eight kilometres from Uri town in north Kashmir. Her family is putting up at a government-run school, many of which have been converted into shelter homes for "refugees of our own land".

Officials say many villagers are still trapped in their homes, unable to come out, due to continuing firing by Pakistani forces who have targeted many villages along the de-facto border in Uri for the first time in years. The compartmentalisation of villages near the border by the Indian Army has not made it easier for villagers to escape to safer places.

"At least eight to ten villages along the LoC have been fenced by the Army. In our village, there is only one door, which is opened and closed by the Indian Army at their beck and call. We requested them to throw it open but they didnt listen. I have never seen such a war-like situation here, Mohammad Mujeeb, a resident of Churunda, told Firstpost.

"Living near the border has made us accustomed to the sounds of machine guns, but never in my life have I heard the Pakistani forces using public address systems to warn us. The situation is going from bad to worse and we can only pray and hope that this ends soon, he added.

The chief of the Armys 15 Corps in Srinagar, said on Sunday that nearly a dozen villages along the LoC in Uri including Churanda, Tilawari, Batagram, Shoura and Hathinang have been targeted by Pakistani shelling and firing since 23 February forcing many families to abandon their homes. He said the Indian Army is "effectively retaliating" the fire from the other side.

Brigadier YS Ahlawat of the 12 Indian Infantry Brigade said, during a press conference in Uri, that Pakistani army has been continuously violating the ceasefire agreement and has been indiscriminately using shelling to target the civilian population.

While the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu have recorded a spike in skirmishes between the armies of the two nuclear-armed neighbours, the flare-up in the relatively calm Uri happened on 20 February when Pakistan Army killed a BSF jawan near the de-facto border in Kupwara district.

"The north Kashmir sector has since recorded a daily exchange of fire between the two sides which intensified after the Indian army destroyed several army pickets on the Pakistani side. This led to a flare-up which has now engulfed the villages along the Line of Control in Uri, a senior Jammu and Kashmir Police officer said.

Dr Nasir Ahmad Naqash, deputy commissioner of Baramulla district, which is the administrative centre of Uri, said around 3,000 people have fled these villages, some of which are totally empty.

We have made arrangements for them in schools. Some of them have shifted to their relatives places. We have also set up a helpline for those in distress," he said.

With diplomatic channels between the two countries almost frozen, villagers along the LoC fear that the situation may go out of control. Even on Saturday, the two armies exchanged heavy artillery for the first time since 2003 when they entered into a ceasefire agreement.

Officials say 40,000-50,000 residents of nearly 55 villages in north Kashmir are directly impacted in case of any escalation along the de-facto border. The skirmishes in the past two days have injured three civilians while at least five houses have been severely damaged in Silikote and Churanda villages, which are perilously close to the Line of Control.

"Since the situation escalated on Friday, the civil administration has received dozens of panic calls from these border residents, seeking help for evacuation. We have pressed ambulances and government vehicles into service to ferry residents from some border villages and arrangements have been made for their stay. It is an emergency situation. We are witnessing the biggest displacement in terms of numbers in the past 30 years in this area," said Abdul Haq, Minister for Rural Development Panchayat Raj, Law and Justice, in Jammu and Kashmir government.

On Sunday, the minister visited the school in Uri that has been converted into a shelter for residents fleeing the violence-hit border villages. His assurances, that the government will do everything to prevent loss of lives or property, failed to evoke any enthusiasm among the migrants who fear for the worst in coming days.

"In this chilling weather, where will we take our children? We have left everything, including livestock, poultry and our homes behind us. I can't recall the last time when the Pakistani side issued warnings on public address systems. These are signs of tough times ahead, 45-year old Haji Abdul Sattar, a resident of Churanda, said.
A suspected cow smuggler was killed in Rajasthans Alwar district after he allegedly came under wheels of a truck in which he was fleeing, in a bid to evade cops chasing the vehicle

A suspected cow smuggler died in Rajasthans Alwar district on Sunday after he allegedly came under the wheels of a truck in which he was fleeing, in a bid to evade cops chasing the vehicle, said media reports.

According to Hindustan Times, police in Dausa district received a tip-off about a vehicle smuggling cows and set up barricades in a bid to stop the vehicle.

During the chase by the Dausa and Alwar police teams, an exchange of fire took place between the alleged smugglers and the cops. The alleged smugglers were not able to go too far as two of the tyres of the vehicle were deflated. The truck broke the barricades and hit a cement block and the smugglers fled into the darkness, said the report.

During a search of the vehicle, we found a body and the cattle. The man may have died while trying to escape, Alwar superintendent of police Rahul Prakash was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

However, Jaheer Abbas, Station House Officer, Baswa Police Station has a different story to offer. Abbas told The Indian Express that during the chase, the smugglers, after reaching Dera village in Raini, broke the windshield of the truck in an attempt to escape.

"One of them jumped out while the truck was still in motion and was run over. The other fled," Abbas was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The man who died has been identified as Aash Mohammad, 38, from Haryana's Nuh district, according to The Times of India. He apparently had an earlier case of cow smuggling against him.

The Tribune report said that a container loaded with 23 cattle, mainly cows and oxes, was seized by the police. A case under various sections of IPC, arms act, and Rajasthan Bovine Act has been lodged against the alleged cattle smuggler who fled, added the report.

Rajasthan's Alwar has been in news for incidents related to cow vigilantism.

In November last year, cow vigilantes allegedly beat up and shot at two Muslim youths in Alwar near the Rajasthan-Haryana border.

The incident took place in Fahari village near Govindh Gadh in Alwar district when the youths were transporting cows from Mewat in Haryana to Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

The Meo community of the region had alleged that Right-wing organisations in collusion with the police thrashed the youths. The community members had demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

In April 2017, an alleged incident of lynching of Pehlu Khan, a Muslim dairy farmer, by cow vigilantes in Alwar, sent shock waves across the state.

With inputs from agencies
The protest at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) entered the fifth day as students, who are agitating against withdrawal of financial aid given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) scholars at the institute, showed no signs to relent.

The protest at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) entered the fifth day as students, who are agitating against withdrawal of financial aid given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) scholars at the institute, showed no signs of relenting. The Students' Union has been protesting since Wednesday against the withdrawal of financial aid to the Government of India-Post Matriculation Scholarship (GOI-PMS) students from SC/ST category across all the campuses of the institute.

The protests, which are being anchored in Mumbai, are also being held at different centres of TISS  Tuljapur (in Maharashtra), Hyderabad and Guwahati, reports said. According to reports, the students have told TISS authorities that they won't back down unless the demands are met.

Protests began last Wednesday

Last Tuesday, the TISS Students' Union announced a strike across all campuses of the institute from 21 February against the administration demanding tuition, dining hall and hostel fees from scholarship students. The association stated that students studying at TISS under scholarship are exempted from paying such fees. "All talks and mediation with the administration over the past several months have failed. The students union of TISS calls for a university strike across TISS campuses on 21 February. We call for boycotting all classes, field work and submissions," TISS Students' Union President Archana Soreng was quoted as saying by PTI.

The Centre's GOI-PMS issue stands unresolved since the institute has notified its withdrawal from all forms of financial aid to students, she claimed. "Now students, both current and newcomers, will have to pay their full fees even as they wait for their state scholarship amounts to come," Soreng said.

The association has also demanded a notification from the institute about ways in which financial assistance for the PMS students of the upcoming batch of 2018-2020 will be provided. Explaining the issue, Soreng said that the institute, without mentioning anything in the prospectus, was now demanding tuition, dining hall (DH) and hostel fee from scholarship students of the 2016-18 batch.

"The administration has also said that the 2017-2019 batch will have to pay the full fee for the dining hall and hostel as the notification was out in May 2017 before they took admission and they were very well aware about the notification.

"But the argument cannot be bought as the notification was released in May 2017 in between the admission process, not before the admission process was initiated," she said.

Officials' statement

"On Thursday, the administration had agreed to exempt the SC/ST students of the 2016-18 batch from paying the hostel and dining hall fees," Professor PK Shajahan, Dean, Office of Students' Affairs at TISS told IANS. "If they are not able to pay now, they can pay it later when they get a job or scholarship is credited to their account. They will be allowed to appear for their examinations," he said.

However, a Union leader rejected this offer. "The 2016-18 batch SC/ST students have been told that they need not pay the fees now, but after they get jobs. Payment has been postponed, not waived off," the student leader said, adding that the administration has not promised any relief for the OBC students and students of the 2017-2019 batch and upcoming batches. The students decided to continue with their protest till the demands are fulfilled, even as the TISS administration said that they have not stopped any scholarships and are strictly following all government guidelines.

Meanwhile, in an official statement TISS clarified and "categorically" denied "having stopped any scholarships for its students, and is continuing to follow all Government of India guidelines on student welfare." The statement further said that these scholarships are transferred by the government concerned directly to the student bank accounts. "The Institute has no role either in the sanction or disbursement of the scholarships. The role of the Institute is restricted to only certifying the bona fides of the student applicants. Therefore, the claim that the TISS administration has stopped GOI Post Matric Scholarships for eligible reserved category students is incorrect."

The statement was issued on 24 February. "We are working to find resources and hope that we will be in a position to provide further subsidisation for the coming batches as well," IANS quoted Shajahan as saying.

The Post Matric Scholarship scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the state governments, providing financial assistance to the Scheduled Caste students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education.

On Wednesday, after securing a successful shut down of all classes in the campus, around 500 students gathered at the TISS main gate and blocked the gate. Since then, the protesting students have been sitting at the main gate of the campus, even sleeping there at night.

TISS students at the Hyderabad, Guwahati and Tuljapur campuses also held protests. The students are getting the support of TISS SC/ST Employees Welfare Association and the TISS Teachers' Association. They are also being supported by TISS alumni along with students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Delhi University Student Union, All India Students' Association, among others.

Latest in student protests

According to latest reports, faculty members, alumni and student bodies of various institutes across the country have extended their support to the protests. "We want all four of our demands met, unconditionally and will not give in. Students are anguished and frustrated," The Indian Express quoted Fahad Ahmad, general secretary, TISS Students Union, as saying. Warning of intensifying protests if their demands weren't met, Ahmad told The Indian Express that the students are prepared to "gherao the residence of Ramdas Athawale," Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

Here are the demands made by the students:

According to reports, the students have made three demands from the authorities:

Fee exemption to SC, ST and OBC students who are eligible for GoI-PMS.

Extension of Financial aid mechanism for more students.

Government of India should increase allocation to centrally and state funded universities and the PMS provisions so that no student is denied the right to higher education.

With inputs from agencies
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as Veer Savarkar, is being remembered on his 52nd death anniversary on Monday

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as Veer Savarkar, was remembered on his 52nd death anniversary on Monday. He was the president of the Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 till 1943 and is known to have coined the term 'Hindutva' when he wrote an eponymous book, according to Rediff.

Savarkar died on this day in 1966. He was also involved in the political murder of three British officials, according to Scroll.

Savarkar was also chargesheeted in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but was subsequently exonerated, largely because no corroborative evidence of his involvement was furnished, the report added.

He was sent to jail in Andamans

In 1909, Savarkar was arrested on charges of plotting an armed revolt against the Morle-Minto Reform of the British Empire, according to India Today. On his way to India, he tried to escape from the ship by diving into the water. However, he was rearrested when he reached shore.

In July 1911, he was given a 50-year jail term and sent to the cellular jail of Andamans, the report added.

According to The Wire, he wrote his first mercy petition barely a month into the hardships of prison. It was, however, rejected in 1911. The second mercy petition, written in 1913, complained about other convicts receiving better treatment than him.

"When I came here in 1911 June, I was along with the rest of the convicts of my party taken to the office of the Chief Commissioner. There I was classed as 'D' meaning dangerous prisoner; the rest of the convicts were not classed as 'D'. Then I had to pass full six months in solitary confinement. The other convicts had not Although my conduct during all the time was exceptionally good still at the end of these six months I was not sent out of the jail; though the other convicts who came with me were," The Wire quoted from his mercy petition.

Referring to his previous petition of 1911, he wrote "if the government in their manifold beneficence and mercy release me, I for one cannot but be the staunchest advocate of constitutional progress and loyalty to the English government which is the foremost condition of that progress. As long as we are in jails, there cannot be real happiness and joy in hundreds and thousands of homes of His Majesty's subjects in India, for blood is thicker than water; but if we are released, the people will raise a shout of joy and gratitude to the government, who knows how to forgive and correct, more than how to chastise and avenge," according to The Times of India.

After mercy petitions and pressure from Indian National Congress (INC), he was shifted to Yerwada Jail in 1923 and was released in 1924 under strict conditions of not participating in politics for five years and barring to leave Ratnagiri district, The Free Press Journal said in a report.

His case brought to the ICJ

When Savarkar tried to escape his arrest by diving into the water, he was arrested by a French marine brigadier upon reaching the shore, according to DailyO. He was handed over to the vessel he jumped from.

The French socialist press, according to another Scroll report, protested that the individual rights of Savarkar had been trampled upon and his arrest on French soil had violated the countrys sovereignty. France and Britain then agreed to submit to arbitration the questions of fact and law raised by Savarkar's arrest, the DailyO report added.

The Tribunal finally noted that an "irregularity was committed by the arrest of Savarkar" but that "there is no rule of International Law imposing any obligation on the Power which has in its custody a prisoner, to restore him because of a mistake committed by the foreign agent who delivered him to that Power."

His views on untouchability

The Free Press Journal report added that Savarkar decided to work on the abolishment of untouchability in Ratnagiri after his release. He regarded untouchability as part of the seven shackles that kept Hindus and India weak. He advocated inter-caste marriages and was one with Babasaheb Ambedkar on abolishing caste, according to Rediff.

He also achieved considerable success in eradicating untouchability and infusing self-confidence, the report added.

However, according to The Economist, his attitude towards Muslims, who made up a quarter of the population before partition, and other non-Hindus was less liberal.

Tributes on his 52nd death anniversary

Tributes to the great revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his death anniversary. When many called 1857 a Sepoy Mutiny, Veer Savarkar called it the 'First War of Indian Independence'. He ignited the spark of nationalism in several lives! pic.twitter.com/nr8RPN67ko  B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) February 26, 2018

Remembering the versatile political philosopher Shri Vinayak Damodar Savarkar ji on his Punyatithi. He was well known for his positivism & altruism. His written works have inspired the nation during our independence movement & beyond.#VeerSavarkar pic.twitter.com/do3RIpcXXd  Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) February 26, 2018

Remembering great Freedom Fighter Veer Savarkar on his Death Anniversary. A devout patriot & profound scholar, his courage evokes the spirit of nationalism even today! pic.twitter.com/vFBFFEAJfQ  Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) February 26, 2018

Tributes to Veer Savarkar - the patriot of The Indian War of Independence, on his death anniversary.  Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) February 26, 2018
Amit Shah took on Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the prime minister over the PNB scam, saying no other government had acted as promptly and taken stringent action against frauds as the Narendra Modi government

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): BJP president Amit Shah on Monday took on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the prime minister over the PNB scam, saying no other government had acted as promptly and taken stringent action against frauds as the Narendra Modi government.

Shah also hit out at the Sidaramaiah government, accusing it of following "'three Ds  Dhokha (cheating), Dadagiri (goondaism) and dynastic politics".

The BJP chief said the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI have taken prompt action in the case.

"There has been no government other than Modiji's government, that has taken prompt and most stringent of actions against any frauds committed in the past," Shah told reporters in Kalaburagi.

His reply came when he was asked about Gandhi's remarks against Modi in the multi-crore PNB fraud case.

At public rallies at Vijapura and Bagalkote districts in North Karnataka, Gandhi had been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on corruption, asking as to why Modi, who had described himself as the country's chowkidar (watchman), was "silent" on the bank fraud allegedly involving jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Shah said, "The ED has already taken action (filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act). Prior to it, the CBI had registered an FIR early this month."

The ED had also conducted raids on the properties of Nirav and seized jewellery and some shares besides freezing his bank accounts, Shah said.

In his opening remarks, Shah said BJP was certain to form the next government in Karnataka because the Siddaramaiah administration had "failed" on all fronts including checking corruption and by meting out injustice to temples and religious institutions.

"Corruption and Siddaramaiah government have become synonymous," he alleged.

Moreover, the people of the state were angered over the Siddaramaiah government's "nefarious" intentions of dividing a community by according separate religion status, Shah said.

"If the BJP is voted to power, we will repeal the proposal (to give separate religion status to Lingayats)," he said.

Lingayats/Veerashaivas form a major and influential community in Karnataka, sections of which are seeking a separate religious tag.

The Siddaramaiah government is being accused of trying to divide the community by forming a panel to make a recommendation on the issue to the Centre.

"The Siddaramaiah government has been cheating the people of the state by not fulfilling its promises. The people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region are saying they have not seen such 'goonda' government and thirdly, are unhappy with the rule of two families in this part of the state," he said.

"If anyone wants to see the governance of the Congress, then go to the constituency of Kharge sahab," Shah said.

The dynastic politics jibe was apparently a reference to Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from Kalaburagi, whose son Priyank Kharge is a state minister.

The BJP chief said he received feedback from party workers that there was too much of backwardness. "There is no such backwardness in any place of Karnataka, but in Kharge sahab's own constituency," he said.

Shah said after winning the election, the very first thing that the BJP government would do is to restart the local sugar mills, which are closed at the moment.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the issue of simultaneous elections will be discussed at the meeting of chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in New Delhi on Wednesday as part of efforts to build a consensus on the issue.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the issue of simultaneous elections will be discussed at the meeting of chief ministers of BJP-ruled states in New Delhi on Wednesday as part of efforts to build a consensus on the issue.

"There's a meeting of chief ministers on 28 February in Delhi. We will discuss and try for a consensus on holding simultaneous elections for state Assemblies and Parliament," he said in reply to a query at a meeting with a select group of journalists arranged by the BJP's Good Governance Cell.

Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and deputy chief ministers of states where the BJP is in alliance, altogether representing 19 states, would attend a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review development work and to plan a strategy for the upcoming polls in some states. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are some of the major BJP-governed states that are due to go to the polls this year end.

"I am always of the view that the elections should be held simultaneously. Regular elections are a major hurdle to development. We are always in a 24 by 7 mode preparing for the elections," said the chief minister.

"Even if there's an election in another state, our officers are called for election duty in that state and it hampers work here. We have Assembly elections in December and we would have just started work, then Parliament elections would be on us and there would be a model code of conduct," he said.

Chouhan said regular elections do not only hurt the states but are also a major hurdle to the central government.

"And people have a weird parameter that even if you lose one election, they start saying that the government has lost faith (of the people)," he said adding that it (simultaneous polls) was in the interest of the country and all should go for it.

"I have been raising my voice for this and I am thankful to the prime minister for striving hard for simultaneous elections in the country," he said.

To a query about farmer suicides, Chouhan, who is completing his third straight term this December, said, "Any suicide whether of a farmer or from another section of society is unfortunate. There are several reasons for suicide but I do not defend them. My effort has been that no suicide should happen due to agriculture."

He said Madhya Pradesh gives loans to farmers at zero percent interest and has begun Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana that pays farmers the difference between the rate at which he sells in the market and the benchmark rate decided by the government.

"If the farmer gets the right value for their produce, their problem is solved," he said.

For natural disasters, the state pays a compensation of Rs 30,000 per hectare apart from the crop insurance money that they get.

On being asked how he plans to win another term amid reports that that Congress has been reviving, he said, "One good thing that has happened in this country's politics is that now there is politics of performance. If you work then you would earn the faith of the people. And, I believe except for few unfortunate incidents that had different reasons, people have faith in me."
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the non-fulfilment of commitments made to the state by the Centre was causing unrest among people.

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the non-fulfilment of commitments made to the state by the Centre was causing unrest among people.

He stated this during the ongoing CII Partnership Summit.

Naidu, who focussed on signing a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) during the first two days of the Summit to attract investment to the state, opened up on the last day to vent out his feelings on the key issue amid straining of ties with the Centre.

Sharing the dais with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at a session, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president targeted his ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"What they committed, they are not giving, causing unrest among people," said Naidu, whose party is a partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

The TDP had stalled proceedings during the budget session to protest the raw deal meted out to the state in the Union Budget 2018-19.

Naidu said injustice was done to Andhra Pradesh while dividing it to carve out Telangana state in 2014.

He recalled the problems he had to face in making a beginning from the scratch. He said he was working hard to develop the state as an innovation valley and using technology to solve people's problems.

The chief minister said people had more expectations from him.

Naidu had long been demanding with the Centre to fulfil all commitments made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. He is seeking liberal financial assistance and handholding by the Centre.

Over the last few weeks, Naidu hinted that his patience was growing thin.

Naidu made the remarks when the moderator sought his views and that of Ravi Shankar on the importance of patience.

Ravi Shankar said while he was not for division of Andhra Pradesh, he now feels that had this not happened, Naidu would have been confined to Hyderabad.

He said it was heartening find the young state coming up well and competing with the world. He said the state endowed with abundant natural and human resources had vibrant atmosphere.
Congress is facing an uphill task in Meghalaya while the BJP hopes to acquire a share of the power riding on the shoulders of its new ally NDPP in Nagaland.

Guwahati: The ruling Congress is facing an uphill task to retain power in Meghalaya while the BJP hopes to acquire a share of the power riding shoulders of its new ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) in Nagaland even as the two Christian-majority states in the North East go to Assembly polls on Tuesday.

After making discernible waves in tiny Tripura where the BJP put up a strong challenge to the ruling Left Front led by Manik Sarkar in the polls held on 18 February, the saffron party eyes to storm corridors of power in scenic Meghalaya, the Abode of Clouds, by trouncing the Mukul Sangma-led Congress.

In Tripura, BJP allied with a tribal political party called Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) to challenge the Left's last bastion in the country planking its campaign on fast-paced development. But in Meghalaya, the BJP has chosen to go at it alone by fielding 47 candidates among the total 60 Assembly seats, even though rival Congress has alleged covert ties between the BJP and formidable regional group, National Peoples Party (NPP), the BJPs ally in Manipur and New Delhi.

In Nagaland, the ruling Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) is being challenged by the newly-formed alliance of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and BJP which has snapped its 15-year-long ties with the NPF before deciding to go with NDPP led by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio.

While the NDPP, which is contesting 40 seats leaving rest 20 to the BJP, exudes confidence to form the next government in Nagaland, the BJP, however, keeps its option open as its charge in Nagaland Kiren Rijiju maintains that BJP still considers NPF as its friend though a seat-sharing arrangement could not be worked out with the party before polls. Congress has contested only in 18 constituencies in Nagaland the party's base has fast depleted there over the years.

Polling will take place for 59 seats each in Meghalaya and Nagaland. In Meghalaya, the election has been countermanded in 43 Williamnagar LAC in the wake of the killing of NCP candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast during campaigning; while in Nagaland, Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

The poll results will be declared on 3 March along with that of Tripura, where elections were held on 18 February.

The BJP has resorted to a high-octane campaign in Meghalaya led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, where numerous senior BJP leaders and Union ministers campaigned in an effort to unseat the 'corrupt and inefficient' Congress which has ruled the state for two consecutive terms. BJP has placed Union tourism minister KJ Alphons in Meghalaya for months to woo Christian voters there.

Most of the regional parties in Meghalaya in the fray including the NPP, UDP, HSPDP and PDF have been very critical of the ruling Congress during the electioneering while they have chosen to remain obviously soft on the BJP. This has prompted rival Congress to accuse tacit understanding between the BJP and the regional groups in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya, in particular, is important for the Congress, where it has been ruling for 10 years on the trot. The Congress has deployed its full force in electioneering to prevent the BJP from making inroads among voters in Meghalaya. AICC president Rahul Gandhi has addressed several election rallies and party workers' meetings in Meghalaya to warn the voters against 'divisive designs' of the BJP.

The Gandhi scion also attacked the NPP for being the front of the BJP in Meghalaya and to raise the alarm that voting for the NPP, which has fielded candidates in all the seats, will amount to voting for the 'communal' BJP. The Congress has harped on the BJP-led central government's attempt to win over Church bodies in Meghalaya by offering Rs 70 crore development grant to churches under Swadesh Darshan scheme, which was not accepted by Church bodies.

The BJP, on the other hand, has planked its electioneering on development promises and criticism of the 'corrupt and inefficient' Congress regime. It has been continued attacking the ruling Congress over lack of development and poor infrastructure in respect to surface communication, health, education and tourism etc while promising to make Meghalaya a model state in the country.

Besides, all the senior BJP leaders including the prime minister, while hitting the campaign trail in Meghalaya, have tried to project the party as a Christian-friendly one  like any other party in the fray.

In Nagaland where the prolonged peace process to find a solution to the vexed Naga political problem has remained a burning issue in the society, the NDPP-BJP alliance is posing a tough challenge to the ruling NPF. The NPF has resorted to painting BJP as anti-Christian during the electioneering while the BJP-NDPP has resorted to flaunting their plans to usher in all-encompassing development in Nagaland besides promising a final solution to the Naga imbroglio at the earliest.

The elections in Meghalaya and Nagaland are being held under strict security vigil because of the looming threat from militants. An NCP candidate was killed by ultras in Meghalaya while sporadic incidents of pre-poll violence were reported from some parts of Nagaland in the runup to the polls.
A week after Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash alleged that he was assaulted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government is considering a proposition to broadcast or livestream all meetings that take place with bureaucrats, News18 reported.

A week after Delhi chief secretary Anshu Prakash alleged that he was assaulted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government is considering a proposition to broadcast or livestream all meetings that take place with bureaucrats, News18 reported.

The report also quoted a government source as saying that in a bid to increase transparency and steer AAP clear of any future controversy, the state might upload government documents online so that people know who has signed what, who is yet to sign, and who has raised objection to a certain document.

In a letter to the Delhi Police, Anshu alleged that he was abused by MLAs at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the night of 19 February. "My spectacles fell on the ground. I was in a state of shock. With difficulty I was able to leave the room and get into my official car and leave chief minister's residence," he said.

However, Kejriwal's office dismissed Prakash's accusation as "bizarre and baseless". The AAP denied the charges of assault and said the chief secretary was making allegations at the behest of the BJP.

The blame game continued as the IAS association secretary Manisha Saxena on Tuesday said that Anshu was "manhandled" and "mistreated" at Kejriwal's residence on Monday and termed it a "planned criminal conspiracy".

On 22 February, Khan and Jarwal were sent to Tihar Jail for 14 days in judicial custody by a Delhi court. While Jarwal, an MLA from Deoli, was arrested on Tuesday night, Khan was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal's advisor VK Jain told police he saw Khan and Jarwal "physically assaulting" the chief secretary. The AAP alleged Jain initially told police he did not witness any assault and the police threatened Jain to change his statement.

On Friday, Delhi Police arrived at Kejriwal's residence to retrieve CCTV footage of the alleged assault. The police conducted a raid at the chief minister's house after it failed to recover the CCTV footage from Public Works Department officials.

The police retrieved hard disks and said that there were no cameras installed in the room where the alleged assault took place. A senior police officer said they would go about the investigation based on the coverage by cameras installed in the corridor and added that seven of the 21 CCTV cameras in the house were not functioning. The officer said that the CCTV footage was sought by them on 20 February, but since there was no response, they had to conduct the search.

With inputs from agencies
The Rashtriya Janata Dal claimed that BSP supremo Mayawati has declined its offer to get her elected to the Rajya Sabha, saying she did not wish to go to Parliament till the BJP is in power.

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal claimed that BSP supremo Mayawati has declined its offer to get her elected to the Rajya Sabha, saying she did not wish to go to Parliament till the BJP is in power.

The Election Commission on Friday announced that polls to 58 Rajya Sabha seats, including six in Bihar, will be held

on 23 March. "As soon as notifications were issued for elections to Rajya Sabha seats, I rang up Mayawati and said we could send her to Rajya Sabha from our quota", Tejashwi Yadav, leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly, said.

Yadav said she thanked him for the offer but said she did not want to go to Parliament till the BJP is in power.

RJD president Lalu Prasad too had offered to send Mayawati to the upper house from Bihar in July last year after she resigned, accusing the BJP and the Chair of not allowing her to raise the issue of anti-Dalit violence in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP does not have the requisite number of MLAs in UP Assembly to bag a Rajya Sabha seat.

Addressing a programme on the occasion of birth anniversary of Dalit poet and mystic Sant Ravidas, Yadav came down heavily on the BJP. "They always complain about casteism. In reality, they want to suppress the backward classes and put obstacles in the way of realisation of dreams of BR Ambedkar. That is why they are always after Lalu Prasad too," Yadav who is younger son of Prasad said.

The RJD supremo is currently in jail after being convicted in a couple of fodder scam cases. The former Deputy Chief Minister also took potshots at LJP leader Chirag Paswan who has been advocating that reservation benefits not be extended to those Dalits who were economically well-off.

"Chirag should reveal why he and his father Ram Vilas Paswan (Union minister and LJP chief) contest elections from

reserved seats," Yadav added
Resignation of senior members in the last few months from Congress, BJP in Meghalaya has also led to an exodus of workers, which has affected campaigning.

Shillong: The resignation of senior party members in the last few months from Congress and BJP in Meghalaya has also led to an exodus of workers. This has affected the election campaigning ahead of the Assembly elections on 27 February, which ended on Sunday.

Congress MLAs Prestone Tynsong, Rowell Lyngdoh, Sniawbhalang Dhar, Comingone Ymbon and Ngaitlang Dhar have joined the National People's Party, a member of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance. Alexander L Hek, who was a BJP MLA from East Khasi Hills when he joined Congress in 2013, has shifted his allegiance back to the saffron party. From BJP, former district president of Shillong City Keith Pariat and three other leaders  William Marbaniang, Wallambok Thangkhiew and Sunshine Warjri  quit the party to join Congress.

All of them have taken their supporters along.

'Those quitting are a floating population'

In North Garo Hills, a Congress stronghold, the Resubelpara constituency has seen a massive withdrawal of support. As many as 42 Congress leaders, including presidents, secretaries, leaders of the district, block and primary committees, have resigned from the party.

"Another 3,500 Congress members resigned from the party since. It's because of the autocratic rule of the sitting MLA Salseng C Marak. He would never consult others while taking decisions regarding the constituency. He never listened to us when we came up with suggestions," says Chisal R Sangma, former district president of Congress from North Garo Hills.

The former Congress members from this constituency are now supporting an independent candidate and first-timer 30-year-old Braze Adoneza G Momin against Marak. "We are voting for Braze. His win is assured," Chisal says. He also maintains that the independent candidate is likely to support Conrad Mukul Sangma-led NPP while forming the government. "We are going to support NPP if they need help in forming the government".

Braze gives his point of view. "My constituency has a mixed population of Achik and Rabha community and 87 percent of them are farmers. They do not have a regulated market. They do not get a good price for their crops. The previous MLA from Congress had promised a lot to uplift their conditions, but it remained the same. People are frustrated with Congress. So, they have decided to support an independent candidate this time."

Marak says his party depended on new workers for campaigning. "The workers who quit Congress were a floating population. They move from one party to other depending on where they see the more benefits. One of the main factors could be money," he says.

In South Garo Hills' Chokpot Assembly constituency, claiming that popular support was for Congress MLA Bluebell Sangma, over 200 supporters of the party resigned after the ticket was given to Lazarus M Sangma.

Bluebell, who says she resigned according to the wishes of the people, is now contesting from Chokpot as an independent candidate. "People are unhappy with the Congress leadership. This has been the trend in the party, to rule as dictators. Surely, Congress is at loss. They have lost the confidence of a huge chunk of people in this constituency," she says.

Good that those not committed have left, says CM

Prestone Tynsong, a former minister in Sangma's cabinet, claims Congress will not get more than 15 seats in the upcoming polls. "It's because Congress has made a blunder in terms of its high command. The leadership in Meghalaya is an issue. Sangma functions like Congress and the government are his property. He failed to live up to the expectations of his colleagues and he will see the results of his misdeeds in the polls," he says.

Tynsong had been the minister of public health engineering in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly since 2013. He was dropped from his position in August last year for "anti-party activities". In December 2017, he joined NPP.

Sangma, while denying any negative impact on his party, says, "It's, in fact, a good sign that people who were not committed to the party have left it before the elections. The present candidates are enough to win the polls. We had formed the government on our own last time and this time also we will win more than 30 seats alone."

"Sometimes, cleansing is also necessary for the party so that new faces, new ideas can be induced in the governance," he says.

Meanwhile, on reports of 5,000 workers quitting BJP, state youth president Egenstar Kurkalang called the figures inflated. He says many have also joined BJP "for the vision that the prime minister carries". "Some party workers quit and they were not loyal to BJP. More than the people who quit, we had many shifting from Congress and NPP. So, we were better placed for campaigning for the elections," Kurkalang said.

Former BJP member Keith Pariat says the party workers left because they were bypassed and sidelined. "BJP's present leaders there did not trust in strengthening the party at all. It will remain a debacle for the party."

The author is a Guwahati-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters. She tweets @syedaambia1

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Out of power in Madhya Pradesh for 14 long years, the Congress is pulling out all stops to regain its foothold.

Out of power in Madhya Pradesh for 14 long years, the Congress is pulling out all stops to regain its foothold. After a spate of electoral disasters courtesy of factionalism and an anaemic organisation, the party is bracing for a new fight: The Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.

Leading this charge is Deepak Babaria, Congress general secretary and the party's Madhya Pradesh in-charge. Babaria, a chemical engineer who rose up the Congress ladder after joining the Nav Nirman Andolan in 1974 rather than attending Stanford University, is confident of a thumping victory.

In a freewheeling interview with Firstpost, Babaria, a confidante of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and part of his core team, talks about the Congress' prospects and touches upon a host of other issues. Edited excerpts follow:

In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is fragmented. As party in-charge of the state, what is your prescription to ending factionalism?

First of all, that's simply not true. Consider the by-election that took place on 24 February. All top Congress leaders belonging to Madhya Pradesh: From Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kantilal Bhuria to Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh and state president Arun Yadav campaigned together.

BJP wants to create this perception that theres factionalism within the Congress, so that apathy grows among the people. Last year, the party won two bypolls in Ater and Khajuraho, and also won seats in civic body polls. Youll see the united strength of Congress party during the upcoming Assembly election.

The party appears to have lost grassroots connectivity. How do you plan to revive it?



Were taking various steps to strengthen the party at organisational level. In order to strengthen our grassroots connectivity, weve created a pyramid structure to reduce the huge gap that exists between the blocks and also between the block-level and state leadership.

The Pradesh Congress has taken up three tasks as part of revival strategy. One: Reaching out to various sections of the society, establishing connectivity up to the booth-level and voters penetration, and explain to people the failures of BJP government. Second: Create a favourable environment for the Congress. Three: Focus on identifying right candidates for polls and dedicated party workers.

Were selecting candidates from various fields for our organisational work, with specific responsibilities: From booth management to media handling. The partys thrust is on new and fresh faces with winnability factor. Besides strengthening our social media campaign, the Congress will undertake agitation programme at various levels to expose the misgovernance and corruption in the 14-year Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

On 12 March, Congress will hold a demonstration at the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and kick off a major protest across the state. We're also focussing on activating the Seva Dal, our frontal organisation, and giving it clear cut responsibilities.

What are the major issues in Madhya Pradesh?

There is an overall discontent across all sections of the society. The economic condition of farmers is a matter of great concern. The chief minister had promised agriculture would be a profitable venture, instead it has turned into a loss-making one. Farmers are getting prices much below the minimum support price (MSP), which resulted in a major unrest in June 2017, and Mandsaur district turned into an epicentre of major agitation.

The unemployment rate in the past two years has gone up by 53 percent. Where are the jobs promised by Chouhan? There was an advertisement for the post of Class 4 employee for which 58,000 applications were received. Out of it, 8000 were having PhD, BE, Masters and even MBBS degrees! The contract system of employment in the state has created havoc. People are paid Rs 100 per day. There is rampant corruption. The Vyapam scam is just one example of many rackets.

Let me give an example: The state government has contracted a Dubai-based company to collect garbage from localities and markets. This company is taking a huge sum, but the actual work is being done by the sanitation workers of Valmiki community for a meagre amount. The BJP leaders behind this contract are operating under the garb of a foreign company and making money. Out of 12,000 odd announcements made by the chief minister, 11,900 remained on paper. The rest are incomplete or funds have not been allocated.

What is your opinion about state governments Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojna  the scheme meant to pay farmers the difference between the MSP and market price?

It's nothing but a deception of farmers. For farmers, it hardly makes a difference. Moreover, only those farmers who registered online (6.4 percent) are eligible for the scheme.

How do you see the Congress' prospects in the Kolaras and Mungaoli bypolls?

The Congress will sweep both and get a thumping majority. The people of Madhya Pradesh have got fed up with the jumlebaazi (false promises) of Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Now, people have lost confidence and the chief minister's credibility has reached its nadir.

Who will be the Congress' chief ministerial candidate?

No doubt, that's one of the party's most important decisions. It's part of our decision-making process, but it's not something that can be discussed in the media. The decision will be revealed at the appropriate time.

What's the Congress' message to voters?

Under Rahul, the Congress has a new, young leadership. Rahul is leading from the front. We've seen the result in Gujarat. Our message to the voters is this: For development and economic prosperity, throw out the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and vote for Congress.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring the 'super rich' and questioned why he had still not appointed a Lokpal to fight corruption

Ramadurga (Karnataka): Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring the "super rich" and questioned why he had still not appointed a Lokpal to fight corruption.

Gandhi, who has been targeting Modi in all public rallies in poll-bound Karnataka, also quizzed Modi over his "silence" on issues such as the Punjab National Bank fraud. "In Gujarat, Modi ji did not implement Lokayukta. It has been four years since he became prime minister... He did not implement Lokpal even in Delhi," he said.

The Congress president said Modi, who had described himself as the country's "chowkidar" (watchman), was silent on the fraud and the alleged increase in the turnover of a company owned by BJP president Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah.

"The country's chowkidar comes to Karnataka and speaks about corruption with his chief minister (former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa) who had been to jail on one side and on the other side four ministers who also went to jail during the BJP rule," he said, addressing a rally in Ramadurga.

"Nudidante nade" (practice what you preach)," he urged Modi, quoting 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara from Karnataka.

Gandhi, who is on the second leg of his three-day tour of the northern parts of Karnataka, said, "Modiji... nudidante nade. The country has not made you prime minister just to give speeches."

Gandhi said diamantaire Nirav Modi had taken away crores of rupees "belonging to" India's poor.

"Nirav Modi took away Rs 22,000 crore belonging to India's farmers, labourers and the poor, but our chowkidar does not utter a word," he said.

In his first remarks on the Rs 11,400-crore fraud in India's second-biggest PSU bank, prime minister Modi had on Friday warned of strict action against those involved in financial irregularities and said the loot of public money would not be tolerated.

Attacking the prime minister on GST, which the Congress president has been calling "Gabbar Singh Tax", Gandhi said whatever was in the common man's pocket had been taken away, lakhs of businesses shut and lakhs of people had suffered losses.

"But one person runs a magical new business... Amit Shah's son Jay Shah within three months converts Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore, but the chowkidar does not utter a word," he alleged.

The BJP chief has rejected allegations of corruption against his son, who has filed a criminal defamation suit against a news portal which claimed his business fortunes had zoomed after the BJP came to power in 2014.

Hitting out at the prime minister over issues such as employment generation and for not announcing loan waivers for farmers, Gandhi said, "Mod ji... learn a bit from (Karnataka chief minister) Siddaramaiah."

"Whatever you do, you do it for people like Nirav Modi. You give thousands of crores money to super-rich people in the country; while in Karnataka we give seven kg rice at free of cost to the poor," he said.

Alleging that money power, marketing, television and the media were on the side of the BJP, Gandhi said despite all these, the Congress would win the Assembly polls in Karnataka because the party had the "strength of the poor and weaker sections".

"Whether they like it or not, Siddaramaiah and I, along with the Congress party, will work for weaker sections, the poor. We will take everyone together for the progress of Karnataka," he said.

State Assembly polls are expected to be held in April/May.
Amit Shah slammed the Congress for 'looting farmers' after CBI named Amarinder Singh's son-in-law Gurpal Singh in Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd bank fraud case.

BJP president Amit Shah slammed the Congress for 'looting farmers' after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) named Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's son-in-law Gurpal Singh in Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd bank fraud case, media reports said. Shah even shared a tweet the Congress had deleted on the scam and shared the news story about the alleged bank fraud at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) on the microblogging website.

According to NDTV, Gurpal is among 11 accused of causing a loss of Rs 109 crore to the Oriental Bank of Commerce in the case. Gurpal is one of the deputy directors of Simbhaoli Sugars and is married to the Punjab chief minister's daughter Jai Inder Kaur, the report said.

The CBI on Sunday registered a bank fraud case against a Uttar Pradesh-based private sugar company, its top officials along with unknown bank officials for allegedly causing loss of Rs 109 crore to Oriental Bank of Commerce, officials said.

Punjab CMs son-in-law pockets money meant for Indias hardworking farmers. What can be more shameful than this ! #CongressLootsFarmers https://t.co/tdrTQ0WiR0  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 26, 2018

Why delete this tweet highlighting the loot of @capt_amarinders son-in-law. Congress has always been at the forefront of highlighting their own robberies such as the NPA mess, bad loans, the free hand they gave to Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. #CongressLootsFarmers pic.twitter.com/b7WS3MnIfp  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 26, 2018

According to CBI officials, the Hapur-based Simbhaoli Sugars Ltd in 2011 fraudulently diverted funds received as loans for sugarcane farmers and self-help groups. CBI also conducted searches at offices of the company and residences of its officials at eight places, including one location each in Hapur and Noida, and six locations in Delhi.

"Searches are being conducted at eight premises including residences of Directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal told IANS.

Earlier on Sunday, Shah had attacked the Congress over its treatment to farmers. In Bidar, Shah had said that under the Congress, over 3,000 farmers across the state have committed suicide but the chief minister was busy in "politics of appeasement". Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Karnataka, had interacted with sugarcane farmers on Sunday.

"In Siddaramaiah's tenure, about 3,781 farmers across Karnataka have committed suicide but he is busy in politics of appeasement. I have not seen a government as irresponsible and insensitive as this," he later said in a tweet.

With inputs from agencies
The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats respectively, following their election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP would sweep the 11 March bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats.

The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats respectively, following their election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

"The lotus (BJP's poll symbol) will bloom in both the seats. I have no doubt about this. The very fact that people are talking mostly about the BJP's winning margin is itself an indicator that the party is going to win.

"You can be rest assured that we are going to improve our margin in both the seats," Maurya told PTI in an interview in Lucknow on Monday.

Taking a jibe at the opposition, he said, "As soon as the bye-elections were announced, the opposition parties started discussing the victory margin. This is a clear indication that the lotus will bloom in Gorakhpur and Phulpur."

The deputy chief minister, a former president of the state BJP, said as far as the vote-share was concerned, "60 percent is ours and the rest is for the others to share".

On whether he wanted one of his family members to contest from Phulpur, Maurya said, "Party workers, owing to their affection towards me, floated the idea that someone from my family should contest the bypolls.

"However, I am a kaaryakarta-waadi (workers-centric) person, and not a parivaar-waadi (believer in dynastic politics). I am a member of the BJP's big family."

Referring to the BJP's winning show in the 2014 general election and 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, he expressed confidence that the "lotus will bloom in 2018 (bypolls) and it will lay a strong foundation for the 2019 Lok Sabha election".

The bye-elections are expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress.

The saffron party has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur and Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against the Samajwadi Party's Pravin Nishad and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel respectively.

Sureetha Kareem is the Congress candidate from Gorakhpur. The party has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur.

"Voters are very clear as regards which party can usher in development, provide jobs, ensure safety and a robust law-and-order situation in the state. They know that it is the BJP, which is a pro-poor political party, is working to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person, and also that it can take a tough stand against corruption," Maurya said.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur is significant as it is the bastion of the chief minister, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Adityanath, the seat was thrice represented in Parliament by his mentor Avaidyanath.

Phulpur, on the other hand, was once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It had, for the first time, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Maurya won the seat.

Voting for the bypolls will be held on 11 March and the results will be declared on 14 March.
Voting for Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha bypolls there will be held on 11 March, while counting of votes will be held on 14 March.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday urged the people of Phulpur constituency to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in the state.

"Goddess Laxmi sits on a lotus, and it is the lotus which will bring development of Phulpur," he told the crowd at a public meeting in Allahabad.

Lotus is the election symbol of the BJP.

"The people of Phulpur had given me a winning margin, which was even greater than Pandit Nehru. My appeal to you is that (BJP candidate) Kaushalendra Patel's victory margin should be greater than my victory margin," he said.

He claimed that in less than an year, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has began to take the state on the path of development.

"As an MP I had sent proposals of a number of developmental schemes pertaining to Phulpur to the previous government headed by Akhilesh Yadav, which were blocked.

"Today, the government has changed, and schemes are being implemented on the ground. The foundation of Sangam Mega Food Park has been laid, which will definitely double the income of farmers," Maurya asserted.

Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies were vacated by Chief Minister Adityanath and his deputy Maurya respectively, after they became members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Voting for Lok Sabha bypolls there will be held on 11 March, while counting of votes will be held on 14 March.
Krenilla Marak, the wife of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Jonathone N Sangma, who was killed in an IED blast last Sunday, said she will contest Meghalaya election from the Williamnagar constituency.

Shillong: Krenilla Marak, the wife of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Jonathone N Sangma, who was killed in an IED blast last Sunday, said she will contest Meghalaya election from the Williamnagar constituency.

I will contest the election to take forward my husbands efforts towards the well-being of the people of Williamnagar, the 38-year-old mother of five told Firstpost last week, adding, Party leaders came to my house to express their willingness to allot me a ticket.

Meghalaya chief electoral officer Frederick R Kharkongor told Firstpost the election date for Williamnagar constituency has not yet been set, but will be announced soon. According to Kharkongor, polling in Willianmanar constituency will be held within 45 days. Krenillas nomination will be filed after a week, said NCP state president Saleng A Sangma.

While the scenic beauty across the Shillong-Williamnagar highway is incomparable, the road also leaves nervous commuters who are aware of the region's history of prolonged violence by the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a militant outfit fighting for Garoland, which is suspected to have planned Jonathones killing.

Posters threatening the electorate with death if they voted for NCP candidate in the 27 February Assembly election were put up across Williamnagar a couple of days before the attack. The GNLA, which is active in states South and East Garo Hills districts, was campaigning against Jonathone.

Meghalaya Police, however, raised their vigilance and zeroed in on GNLA cadres on Saturday morning, and killed GNLA chief Sohan D Shira in an encounter near Williamnagar. The news brought happiness not only to Jonathones family, but the entire Williamnagar town, which wore a near-festive look. Residents flocked to the market to celebrate the news of the militant's death.

Richard Shira, a resident of Rengregre, said, I will drive to Tura and celebrate the militants death with my friends. I am very happy that Sohans killing came at a time when Garo Hills needed it the most.

Expressing his joy over Meghalaya Polices achievement, Benjamin Marak, an eyewitness to Jonathones killing (he was in one of the four vehicles when suspected GNLA cadres attacked his convoy), said, Jonathone died in front of my eyes. Today, I feel he has got justice, and the best part about it is justice was delivered quickly. Meanwhile, the NCP has demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killing of Jonathone.

From homemaker to caretaker of husband's legacy

Jonathone's supporters have been gathering at his home near the market in Williamnagar's Nokgilawe town. The walls are covered with posters of the late NCP candidate vowing to eradicate poverty, bring employment and preserve the Garo culture.

Dressed in a Dakmanda, a traditional Garo outfit, Krenilla said she is hoping to start her election campaign in a day or two. Jonathone and Krenillas eldest son, Peter, who is studying to be an engineer in Bengaluru, said he will actively participate in his mothers campaign.I want to help my mother win the polls by every possible means. I will accompany her to every campaign. I want to be her strength, the youngster said.

Peter said, My father had (received) threats. He had also filed an FIR stating the same at Williamnagar police station two weeks before this (18 Feb) attack. Though we had seen those posters wherein militants threatened voters with death if they voted (for) my father, I had never imagined that we would lose him.

We were a small happy family until last Sunday, said Krenilla, explaining that Jonathone had not told her about the threats he had been receiving since 2013. I am very emotional at this moment. I want to carry forward my husband's unfinished work.

Jonathone was the runner-up from Williamnagar constituency as an Independent in 2013 Assembly polls. Krenilla said she has absolutely no experience in electoral politics, and so, will take a while to figure things out. My husband never discussed politics with me. I was always busy handling the house and the kids. So it will take some time to understand the aspirations of my people, she said.

Reacting to GNLA chiefs killing, Krenilla said, I am very happy that Sohan is gone. Now, I can hope for peace in my region. This news is a huge relief to me.

Follow election result updates from Meghalaya LIVE

Follow election results from three North East states LIVE
Reuters

The chief executive of Huawei said on Monday the pace of commercialization for next-generation 5G wireless network is picking up as the Chinese telecom equipment maker has begun pre-commercial development with more than 30 network operators.

Speaking to reporters at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, CEO Ken Hu also said he welcomed factual debate about any security concerns governments or network operators may have about security threats arising from its products.

Huawei is forging closer commercial ties with big telecom operators across Asia, the Americas, and Europe, putting the company in prime position to lead the global race for future 5G networks, despite U.S. allegations it poses a security threat.

The company, which generates roughly half of its revenue in China, is conducting pre-commercial 5G trials in many of the worlds biggest cities, including Seoul, Tokyo, London, Milan and Vancouver in Canada, Hu said.

Potential commercial benefits aside, these agreements indicate that many countries allied to the United States do not share Washington's security concerns. Asked about reports that the U.S. government has raised security concerns with the Australian government over Huaweis role in building communication networks there, Hu said the company is willing to work with authorities to ease any fears.

We are very happy to conduct open and transparent discussion with the Australian government and telecom operators. On this issue we stay very positive and open.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate this month would bar equipment from Huawei from any U.S. government networks to prevent Chinese spying. Hu dismissed Washingtons concerns that its products pose security threats as groundless suspicions.

Those words are not based on solid facts and for that we are very sorry, Hu told reporters when asked about the concerns. Huaweis CEO agreed on one point U.S. security officials have made: Deeper security threats lurk in the extended supply chains of thousands of partners which Huawei and other network suppliers must rely upon to develop, produce and distribute their products around the world, Hu said.

Waiting For 5G Deals

Huawei has signed 5G field trial agreements with 45 operators, the CEO said. Around 25 of those pre-commercial testing and field trial agreements have been publicly announced in recent years, according to Reuters data.

Swedens Ericsson , the No.2 mobile networks supplier, has 38 publicly announced 5G operator partnerships, while No.3 mobile supplier Nokia has disclosed 5G field trials with 31 network operators worldwide, Reuters data shows.

A spokesman said Nokia has 5G research and development pacts with 43 of its top 50 customers, including non-public ones. Huaweis Hu said 2018 will mark the first year of commercialization for 5G.

We have seen the emergence of real demand for 5G technologies, said Hu, CEO of the worlds No.3 smartphone maker. Growth in current generation 4G wireless networks peaked in 2015, according to market analysts, and the mobile equipment industry is counting on a new potentially decade-long cycle of 5G network upgrades to kick off in earnest around 2020.

Huawei reported 2017 revenue of $92 billion but growth slowed to 15 percent from 32 percent in 2016 and 37 percent in 2015. It is targeting total revenue of more than $102 billion for 2018, Chinese media reported last month, which in yuan terms would mean growth falling to 9 percent.

In response to a question from Reuters, Hu said that each of the three arms of its business - operator, enterprise and consumer - would have positive growth, but he declined to give specific figures, saying its 2018 targets would be announced next month.
Ankit Vengurlekar

Reliance Jio and Samsung have today announced a partnership for bringing LTE coverage to a staggering 99 percent of the Indian population, which would make LTE more accessible than 2G networks. The Jio revolution, which started in 2016, has made India the number 1 consumer of mobile data, up from the 152nd rank in 2017.

Heavy competition as a result of Jio's aggressive pricing strategies has forced other telecom giants to reduce their data fares, which has brought down the price of data per GB by 20 times. Jio now has 160 million users and claims to handle 55 petabytes (55,000,000 GB) of data every day. Along with this, Jio apparently supports 14.4 hours of video consumption per user per month.

Jio's partnership with Samsung will look to provide a fully digital landscape in India in which IoT is expected to play a big part. As per Samsung, this IoT network will be the first of its kind in India and it will provide services such as vehicle tracking, support smart appliances, smart metering, surveillance and more. The NB-IoT service by Jio and Samsung has been successfully deployed in Mumbai, and soon enough, we should see it in other parts of the country as well via a simple software upgrade.

"We are delighted to contribute to Jio's success story and rapid growth. We have been striving to offer the best experience possible to all users at Jio. Jio's LTE network will unlock the potential of IoT and promise a much more safe and convenient environment for users." said Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics.

As for the upcoming 5G technology, Jio says that it can demo it as early as tomorrow as its network is based on pure LTE. A single software upgrade would make every single cell tower from 1 GBps to 20 GBps. The switch from 4G to 5G will be offered overnight says the company.

Commenting of Airtel's 5G demo in November last year, Jio officials stated that "It's not about optics. 5G is beyond optics. It's about infrastructure development and we're the only ones who have done that from day zero. We're a complete IP-based network. We just have to flip a switch and we'll be 5G-ready".

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd

Disclaimer: Tech2 was invited to MWC 2018 by Huawei, who were responsible for all expenses related to travel and accommodation.

Be sure to follow our MWC 2018 page, Twitter and Facebook channels for LIVE updates from the show floor.
Rehan Hooda

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on 26 February and is being re-published keeping in mind the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus in India from Rs 64,900 onwards

The much-awaited annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) is finally underway and we have already seen the first couple of launches at the event. A day before the start of MWC 2018, we saw phone launches by Samsung, Nokia and today Sony announced its flagship Xperia XZ2 series.

At the annual conference, Samsung finally launched its flagship devices, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

Another major player, HMD Global returned to the stage almost a year after announcing its big return to the mobile market. The company launched five devices at its event that include the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 1, Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8110 Slider with 4G VoLTE. The company did not launch the much rumoured Nokia 9 or Nokia 10 probably because of not getting hands on the supply of Nokia 845.

On the first day of MWC 2018 it was the turn of Sony Mobile to launch its Xperia XZ2 along with Xperia XZ2 Compact.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are both powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and Samsungs Exynos 9810 (market-dependent). The S9 will pack 4 GB of RAM and the S9 Plus will sport 6 GB of RAM. The screen size of both the devices remains the same with 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch for the S9 and S9 Plus respectively. This time users will get an option to choose from 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB storage variants while buying any of the two devices.

More than usual improvements in the internal hardware powering the device, the most significant improvement for the S9 line-up is expected to be the camera. S9 and S9 Plus will be the first devices from the Galaxy S-series to pack a variable aperture from an impressive f/1.5 for low-light conditions to f/2.4 for sharper images. Another interesting feature that Samsung has added is the ability to shoot 960 fps video at 720p by integrating DRAM in the camera sensor module.

Talking about the second major release, Nokia 8 Sirocco, HMD Global has packed the high-end device with a Snapdragon 835, the same chipset that was in flagships of 2017. The dated SoC is accompanied with a 6 GB RAM, 128 GB internal storage, dual camera setup with 12 MP, f/1.7 and 13 MP, f/2.6 image sensors on the back of the device.

The third major launch, the Sony Xperia XZ2 along with Xperia XZ2 Compact saw the company upgrading both the devices to the new taller 18:9 displays. The company has added that the XZ2 features a 5.7-inch FHD+ display while the Compact makes do with a 5-inch FHD+ unit. Both smartphones also come with Sony's S-Force Surround sound and Hi-Res Bluetooth audio with LDAC.

Sony Xperia XZ2 and the XZ2 Compact will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage with support for microSD cards of up to 400 GB in capacity. Even though Sony showcased an intriguing dual camera set up it would only arrive in future smartphones. The current batch makes do with a 19 MP Advanced Motion Eye f/2.0 camera on the back and a 5 MP f/2.2 setup on the front.

With the launch of three high profile flagships in just about a matter of hours, it is only right to bring them to the comparison table and see how these devices stack against each other and against the competition. It may not be fair to pit it against the flagships from last year but it does it will paint a more comprehensive picture of the comparison.

So, we selected Apple iPhone X, and Google Pixel 2 XL to compete against Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ2, and Nokia 8 Sirocco.

The reason we selected these smartphones is that almost all of the devices are flagship devices sold as the best a particular company can sell. These devices also pack similar (or the custom-made equivalents) of the top-of-the-line hardware. Bear in mind that we're still not done testing some of these smartphones, so we're currently comparing them going only by their specifications on paper.

Smartphone Samsung S9 Plus Sony Xperia XZ2 Nokia 8 Sirocco iPhone X Google Pixel 2 XL Display Size (inch) 6.2 5.7 5.5 5.8 6 Resolution (pixels) 1,440 x 2,960 1080 x 2160 1,440 x 2,560 2436 x 1125 1440 x 2880 Pixel Density (PPI) 529 424 534 458 538 Display Type Super AMOLED IPS LCD p-OLED OLED Super Retina HDR pOLED Dimensions(mm) 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 153 x 72 x 11.4 140.9 x 73 x 7.5 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 157.9  76.7  7.9 Weight (gm) 189 198 TBA 174 175 Dual SIM Yes (Variant) Yes (Variant) Yes No No Connectivity Types GSM / HSPA / LTE GSM / HSPA / LTE GSM / HSPA / LTE LTE, SCDMA, CDMA EV-DO Rev. A, UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA, GSM/EDGE GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / VoLTE Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Exynos 9810 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 A11 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU Cores Octa-core, Octa-core Octa-core Octa-core Hexa-core Octa-core CPU Clock Speed (GHz) 4x Kryo 385 Gold @ 2.7 & 4x Kryo 385 Silver @ 1.7 and 4x Mongoose M3 @ 2.8 & 4x Cortex A55 @ 1.7 4x Kryo 385 Gold @ 2.7 & 4x Kryo 385 Silver @ 1.7 4x Kryo 280 @ 2.5 GHz & 4x Kryo 280 @ 1.8 GHz Hexa-core 4 x effieciency cores + 2 Performance cores 4x Kryo 280 @ 2.35 & 4x Kryo 280 @ 1.9 GPU Adreno 630, Mali G72 MP18 Adreno 630 Adreno 540 - Adreno 540 RAM 6 GB 4 GB 6 GB 3GB 4 GB Ruggedness IP68 IP68 IP54 IP67 under IEC standard 60529 IP67 On-Board Memory 64, 128, 256 GB 64 GB 128 GB 64, 256 GB 64, 128 GB Expandable Memory Yes, up to 256GB Yes, upto 400 GB Yes, up to 256 GB No No Sensors Iris scanner, fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Heart-rate, SpO2 Fingerprint reader (side mounted), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, barometer, compass Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Heart rate, Barometer Face ID

Barometer

Three-axis gyro

Accelerometer

Proximity sensor

Ambient light sensor Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Barometer, Active Edge, Magnetometer, Hall effect Primary Camera 12MP, f/1.5-2.4, 12 MP f/2.4 52 mm 19 MP, f/2.0 12 MP, f/1.75 and 13 MP, f/2.6 12 MP wide-angle /1.8 aperture,

telephoto /2.4 aperture 12.2 MP, f/1.8 Optical Image Stabilization Yes No No Yes Yes Camera Array Dual Camera Single Camera Dual Camera Dual Camera Single Camera Autofocus System Phase detection Laser and Phase detection Dual-pixel phase detection Autofocus with Focus Pixels Laser, Dual-pixel phase detection Secondary Camera 8MP, f/1.7 5 MP f/2.2 5 MP 7 MP, f/2.2 8MP, f/2.4 Video Capture 4K, 720p 960 fps, HDR 2160p@30 fps, 1080p@960 fps 4K 4K upto 60 fps 4K Flash LED LED flash Dual-LED Quad-LED Dual-LED OS Version Android 8.0 Oreo Android 8.0 Oreo Android 8.0 Oreo iOS 11 Android 8 Oreo AI (Smart Assistant) Yes, Bixby Google Assistant Google Assistant Siri Yes, Google Assistant Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot 802.11ac WiFi with MIMO Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual, band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA Bluetooth v5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE v5, A2DP, LE v 5.0 v5, A2DP, LE, aptX HD NFC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Fingerprint Scanner Yes, Rear button Yes Yes No Yes, Rear button 3.5mm jack Yes No Yes No No USB Type Type-C Reversible connector Type-C reversible Type-C Reversible connector Reversible connector Type-C Reversible connector USB Standard USB 3.1 USB v3.1 USB v3.1 Lightning USB 2.0 Battery (mAh) 3,500 3,180 3,260 2,716 3,520 Quick charge Yes Quick Charge 3.0 Yes Yes Yes Colors Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple Liquid Black, Liquid Silver, Deep Green, Ash Pink Tempered Blue, Polished Blue, Steel, Polished Copper Space Grey, Silver Black & White, Just Black Prices in India Rs 64,900 onwards TBA TBA Rs 89,000 onwards Rs 73,000 onwards

Conclusion

Apple iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 XL are the reigning champions in the smartphone market when it comes to performance and camera according to our tests. However, considering that Galaxy S9 Plus packs a revamped camera system and Samsung Note 8 was almost at par with the Pixel 2 XL, it is likely that Samsung can beat the Pixel 2 XL with the new variable aperture technology. But we will reserve our verdict till we actually test the new flagships. But on paper at least, both the Galaxy S9 Plus and the Sony Xperia XZ2 and Nokia 8 Sirocco look quite impressive.
An Iraqi court has sentenced 16 Turkish women to death for joining the militant group Islamic State, a judicial spokesman said.

Baghdad: An Iraqi court has sentenced 16 Turkish women to death for joining the militant group Islamic State, a judicial spokesman said.

Abdul Sattar al-Biraqdar, spokesman for Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, said on Sunday the convicted women confessed that they married Islamic State militants and provided them logistical support, Xinhua news agency reported.

Biraqdar added that all the sentences are preliminary and subject to review by the Court of Cassation.

Last week, the court issued a verdict of death penalty for a female Turkish citizen and issued 10 verdicts of life sentences for other women from different countries, according to an earlier statement by Biraqdar.

On Thursday, the Iraqi authorities handed over four women and 27 children from Islamic State families to Russia, after being cleared of charges of involvement in terrorist operations against civilians or security forces, Iraqi foreign ministry said.

Also on Thursday, an Iraqi newspaper reported that more than 1,500 foreign women and children from the families of IS militants are being held by the Iraqi authorities, which are coordinating with the countries of origin to decide their fate.

Saad al-Hadithi, spokesman of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's media office, confirmed that all "foreign nationals who committed crimes and violations against the people of Iraq, whether directly or by supporting the terrorist IS militants, will be subject to the Iraqi law."

"This also applies to foreign women (of Islamic State families) who committed such actions inside the Iraqi territories," Hadithi said.

After the Iraqi forces defeated Islamic State in Iraq in 2017, hundreds of loyalists were killed or captured, while many others are still at large in hideouts in Iraq or abroad.
US president Donald Trump has said that he has pushed for changing the World Trade Organisation, which in its current avatar is ripping off American economy and businesses.

Washington: US president Donald Trump has said that he has pushed for changing the World Trade Organisation, which in its current avatar is ripping off American economy and businesses.

The World Trade Organisation, an international governmental organisation that regulates international trade, has led to the economic emergence of China as a global economic power, he said, asserting that his administration is working to change this.

The World Trade Organisation deal, that's what really led to the emergence of China  you look at China, they became rich when they made the World Trade Deal. The World Trade Organisation, WTO. We have to change it, Trump told Fox News in an interview.

We can't allow our workers, our country, our companies to be ripped off like this and they understand that. And that's why they are starting to move back into the United States. Chrysler's coming back, Foxconn is coming in, the big company that makes the Apple, different things for Apple. Some of the biggest companies in the world, said the US president.

Trump made an unusual appearance over phone on Fox News late last night after the Democratic side of the Senate Intelligence committee issued its own version of memo detailing into the allegations of Russian interference in 2016 presidential elections.

Trump described the release of such a memo as illegal. It's probably illegal to do it, he said, reiterating that there was no collusion between him or his campaign with the Russians. Discussions on such issues, though, is helping the Russians.

A lot of people are tearing our nation apart on this and other subjects. They are tearing our nation apart, he said, as he reiterated that the alleged Russian interference happened during the administration of his predecessor Barack Obama.

I have to say, Obama was the president during all of this meddling or whatever you want to call it with Russians and others possibly. He's the one that was supposed to take care of this and he didn't, he said.

Nobody brings that up. He was warned and he didn't, which makes it even worse. But he was the president during this period of time, during the entire period of time and he did nothing about. So somebody should  and I have to say, a lot of the fair people, and people frankly love my administration, they bring it up all the time, but Obama was the president, Trump alleged.

Trump said the American economy is "incredible" and he is renegotiating trade deals.

There are no trade deals ever negotiated that have been bad like the trade deals we've had negotiated whether it's NAFTA, the deal with South Korea, TPP  I was able to keep us out of that, that would have been a total disaster, he said
European Union countries on Monday demanded sanctions against senior Myanmar military officers over 'serious and systematic' rights abuses against the country's beleaguered Rohingya Muslim minority.

Brussels: European Union countries on Monday demanded sanctions against senior Myanmar military officers over "serious and systematic" rights abuses against the country's beleaguered Rohingya Muslim minority.

A crackdown by security forces in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state has driven some 700,000 Rohingyas across the border into Bangladesh since last August, leading the United Nations to accuse the government of an ethnic cleansing campaign against the group, who face acute discrimination in the mainly Buddhist nation.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said the situation in Myanmar was "extremely serious", pointing to widespread abuses by the military, "including rape and killings".

The ministers tasked the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini with making "proposals for targeted restrictive measures against senior military officers of the Myanmar armed forces responsible for serious and systematic human rights violations without delay".

They also called for an extension to the EU's embargo on weapons and equipment that can be used for political repression, imposed in the 1990s.

Blacklisting senior military officers  freezing their EU assets and stopping them travelling to the bloc  would be the toughest step taken so far by Brussels in its efforts to halt the Rohingya crisis and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Students and teachers returned to a Florida school in the US for the first time since 17 people were killed there, consoling each other even as they called for swift action to address gun violence

Washington: Students and teachers returned to a Florida school in the US for the first time since 17 people were killed there, consoling each other even as they called for swift action to address gun violence.

"Imagine (being) in a plane crash and then having to get on the same plane every day and fly somewhere else  it's never going to be the same," David Hogg, a survivor of the 14 February shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school, told ABC television's This Week.

The school held a voluntary "orientation" Sunday, with teachers and staff due back starting Monday and classes resuming on Wednesday  a prospect described as "daunting" and "scary," but which is also a step for survivors to move forward after the attack.

One teacher who had already been back told NPR radio that the shock of returning to a classroom left exactly as it had been during the attack  notebooks still on desks, the calendar still set to 14 February  made her so physically ill she had to leave.

But Cameron Kasky, a student who survived the attack, tweeted a picture of people on campus, saying: "It is good to be home."

"I have all my friends here with me and it just makes me feel like I'm not alone in this situation," student Michelle Dittmeier, who attended the orientation, told ABC.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School also received support from alumni, with previous graduating classes making banners to decorate the school, the WSVN news reported.

Amid ardent demands by students like Hogg for action, US president Donald Trump has said he is open to raising the minimum age for gun purchases and to banning so-called bump stocks, which can effectively convert semi-automatic weapons into automatic firearms.

Speaking at the Governors Ball ahead of meetings with the top officials from all 50 states on Monday, Trump said that school safety is a top priority: "I think we'll make that first on our list."

A new CNN poll, conducted a week after the Florida shooting, shows surging public support for stricter gun laws  surpassing levels seen even after other horrific shootings of recent years  and for a ban on powerful semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 used in Parkland.

Overall, 70 percent of those surveyed said they supported stricter gun laws, up from 52 percent in October, and 57 percent favored a ban on semi-automatic arms, an increase from 49 percent.

Florida governor Rick Scott has laid out a plan to station a police officer at every public school in the state, raise the legal age for gun purchases from 18 to 21 and pass a "red flag" law for authorities to more easily remove guns from the mentally ill or people with violent histories.

The age change and "red flag" law are staunchly opposed by the influential National Rifle Association, of which Scott is a member.

Scott, who holds the NRA's highest rating of A+, noted on "Fox News Sunday" that "there will be some that disagree. But... I want my state to be safe."

Trump had Scott stand up to applause on Sunday, telling him: "You're doing a great job."

Florida was also the scene of a June 2016 shooting at an Orlando nightclub that left 49 people dead.
About 120 reformed Islamist militants will apologise to dozens of victims including survivors of the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in an attempt to combat radicalism and foster reconciliation

Jakarta: The Indonesian government is bringing together dozens of convicted Islamist militants and survivors of attacks in what it hopes will be an important step in combating radicalism and fostering reconciliation.

The director of de-radicalization at Indonesia's counter-terrorism agency says about 120 reformed militants will apologise to dozens of victims including survivors of the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

The three days of meetings at a Jakarta hotel that began Monday aren't open to the media except for an event on the final day.

Febby Firmansyah Isran, who suffered burns to 45 percent of his body from the 2003 bombing of the JW Marriot hotel in Jakarta, said he'd forgiven the perpetrators and now runs a support group for bombing victims.
Michael McCormack of Nationals party was appointed as the deputy prime minister on Monday after his predecessor quit over a sexual harassment allegation

Canberra: A new Australian deputy prime minister was appointed on Monday after his predecessor quit over a sexual harassment allegation.

Lawmakers in the Nationals party elected Michael McCormack as their leader. The junior coalition partner's former leader Barnaby Joyce resigned Friday as both party leader and a Cabinet minister.

Joyce did not resign from Parliament, ensuring that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's single-seat majority in the House of Representatives is maintained.

McCormack is a former veterans affairs minister. The rural-focused Nationals' leader automatically becomes Turnbull's deputy under their coalition agreement with the prime minister's conservative Liberal Party.

"I want to make sure that people know that in me they will have a fighter. I have a huge challenge ahead of me," McCormack, 53, told reporters after his election.

He was later sworn in as deputy prime minister as well as minister for infrastructure and transport, portfolios that Joyce had held.

Recent controversies over Joyce's private life had strained the coalition partnership.

Joyce is estranged from his wife of 24 years and four daughters and is expecting a baby in April with a former press secretary.

While Joyce argues that his personal life is private, there have been questions raised about two government jobs his current partner Vikki Campion got after she left his office and the rent-free accommodation they share in an apartment owned by a wealthy political donor.

Joyce said reports that a woman had made a sexual harassment complaint against him was the "straw that breaks the camel's back." He denied the allegations and said he requested they be referred to police for investigation.

Joyce and Turnbull have openly attacked each other in recent weeks.

Turnbull accused his deputy of making a "shocking error of judgment" by having an office affair. Joyce described his leader's remarks as "inept" and "completely unnecessary."
British police said there was no indication reported explosion and building collapse that injured at least six people in Leicester, was linked to terrorism

London: British police said Sunday there was no indication a reported explosion and building collapse that injured at least six people in Leicester, a central English city, was linked to terrorism.

"The cause of the explosion will be the subject of a joint investigation by the police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service," local police said in a statement.

"We would ask that the media and public do not speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident, but at this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related."

In regards to the building fire on Hinckley Road, the cause will be subject of a joint investigation by us & @LFRSFireControl. We ask that you don't speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident, but at this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related.  LeicestershirePolice (@leicspolice) February 26, 2018

Emergency services are dealing with a building fire in Hinckley Road, Leicester following a report of an explosion. Please continue to check our website https://t.co/zdwAwAJl0U and our social media channels for further updates. @EMASNHSTrust @LFRSFireControl  LeicestershirePolice (@leicspolice) February 26, 2018

The apparent explosion occurred Sunday evening on a stretch of road containing commercial and residential properties close to the city centre.

The electricity supply to a number of properties in the area was cut while emergency services deal with the incident, police said.

The Fire and Rescue Service said it received calls shortly after 7 pm (1900 GMT) from the public reporting an explosion and a building fire.

It immediately dispatched six fire engines, a spokeswoman said.

"We were en route when the police called to say a building had collapsed," she added.

Additional specialist search and rescue units were then dispatched, including a search and rescue dog, according to the spokeswoman.

"We've got no indication of what the cause is at this moment," the spokeswoman said.

Six people were taken by ambulance to Leicester Royal Infirmary hospital following the incident, according to University Hospitals of Leicester, which runs three area medical facilities.

"Two of these patients are in a critical condition, while four are walking wounded," it said on Twitter.

Officials had earlier advised people only to attend the accident and emergency department "if absolutely necessary".

The fire service spokeswoman also said representatives from gas and electric provider companies were in attendance at the scene, under routine procedures.

Pictures and videos posted on social media showed a property engulfed in flames visible from a distance, with rubble and debris scattered around.

Graeme Hudson told AFP he lives close to the scene and felt the blast.

"It was very scary," he said. "I live five minutes away... but my house shook. I went out and saw massive smoke and big flames.

"I quickly went out to see what's happened," he added. "(I) didn't stay for long there because (I felt) unsafe for my 11-year-old son."
South Korea's president said that the United States should lower the threshold for talks with North Korea and that the two countries should start a dialogue soon

Seoul: South Korea's president said Monday that the United States should lower the threshold for talks with North Korea and that the two countries should start a dialogue soon.

President Moon Jae-in made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong one day after a senior North Korean official told Moon that his country is willing to open talks with the United States.

The officials were in South Korea for the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Sunday.

According to his office, Moon asked for China's support for US-North Korea talks, and Liu responded that China would help facilitate them. Moon also said that North Korea should show a commitment to denuclearization, something it has refused to do.

Earlier, the US said the international community needs to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons development.

"We will see if Pyongyang's message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearization," the White House said in a statement.

Moon met Sunday with a North Korean delegation led by Kim Yong Chol, a former general whom South Korea has accused of being behind two attacks on the South that killed 50 people in 2010. Kim told Moon that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wanted to improve ties with Washington and had "ample intentions of holding talks," according to the South Korean president's office.

The North Korean delegation met with Moon's national security chief on Monday. Moon's office said the two sides agreed that the Olympics had been a meaningful stepping stone toward restoring inter-Korean ties and to continue to collaborate to seek a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean protesters burned a North Korean flag and used a knife to slash a portrait of Kim Jong Un near a hotel where the North Korean delegation was staying.
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Food-tech company Enough (formerly 3F BIO) has broken new ground on the construction of its first of its kind protein factory, targeted as the... Read More
John Force is having a rough start to the 2018 NHRA season.

Two weekends after the 16-time Funny Car champion crashed during qualifying for the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., and then watched as daughter Brittany wreck at the same event, the 68-year-old collided hard with Jonnie Lindberg at the Arizona Nationals during Sundays elimination round.

Force blew his engine at the finish line, which ripped the body off his car and caused it to veer into Lindbergs lane. The two cars then hit and got tangled up in their parachutes as they banged down the drag strip. Lindbergs car also lost its body before the two vehicles came to a stop.

Force was conscious and communicating with safety personnel as they helped him out of his car and transported him to the hospital, while Lindberg was able to get out of his wreck on his own.

"I got up and walked away," Lindberg said. "I felt good and the doctors came to my trailer to check me out and told me that I'm good."

The extent of Forces injuries are unknown, but an early report from the NHRA said they arent serious.

Update: Force was released from the hospital Sunday night. His daughter, Courtney, won the Arizona Funny Car event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Omarosa Manigault Newman lobbed her latest big accusation against the White House in a Big Brother: Celebrity Edition clip released Sunday, claiming the Trump administration shunned her from major meetings because she's a black woman.

In the new clip released by CBS, featured below, Omarosa started by declaring she's planning to write a tell-all book about her time as the head of the White House Office of Public Liaison -- and her subsequent firing. However, shes not saving all the juicy details for the book. In the montage, she revealed that she expects to be locked in a legal battle with the president over her claims.

Im thinking of writing a tell-all sometime. Hes going to come after me with everything he has. Like, Im going up against a kazillionaire. So Ill probably end up in court for the next... but I have to tell my truth. Im tired of being muted, she says. All the stuff that I just put on a shelf somewhere out of loyalty  Ive been defending somebody for so long, and Im now Im like, yo, you are a special kind of f---ed up, and that special breed, theyre about to learn all about it.

She then likened the day she was forced to leave her position as similar to being freed from a plantation. During another conversation with her fellow houseguests, she explained Trump's propensity to use Twitter as a way to distract the media.

What he does is, tweet something controversial and the news will distract and spin... Donald will tweet something, insult somebodys face and the press will be on that for three days and we push through sixteen unfunded mandates and nobody would notice, she said. Hell never get off Twitter.

Later she explained that Trumps tweets werent monitored late at night.

Hes up in his underwear at 4 in the morning, who is going to monitor that? Remember, the bad tweets happen between 4 and 6 in the morning. Aint nobody up there but Melania, she said. Have you seen that rock on her finger?

Later in the clip, Manigault Newman dropped her biggest allegation yet. She claimed that she was silenced at high-profile meetings simply because she's a black woman, something the entire Trump White House is, in her view, lacking.

I was literally the only African American woman on the senior staff. Nobody knows what I went through. Nobodys seen... I havent even told people some of the horrors that I experienced, she said. Im inside trying to fight for my own political life while Im going into meetings with people who are ignoring me. Because I was black, people wouldnt even talk to me. It wasnt just the black thing, it was the woman thing.

The Trump White House has fought back against Omarosa, with administration officials saying they didn't take her claims seriously. Omarosa was fired three times on The Apprentice. This was the fourth time we let her go, Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said earlier this month.

While Omarosa claimed Trump's aides may have to reexamine their relationships with the black and female communities, she said she enjoyed the confidence of the president himself up until the end.

These men felt like we dont need any woman telling us what we need to do. Then heres the president asking, did you ask Omarosa what she thinks? So, then they hated me more, she said. Im trying to figure out, why am I cut out of this meeting? Why dont I know about the decision thats impacting black children, or why wont you tell me about the welfare reform meeting? Im the one that was on welfare, shouldnt I be the one helping you?
After many weeks away, The Walking Dead returned for the mid-season premiere of Season 8, and with it, a farewell to one of the most beloved characters on the series.

[SPOILER ALERT: The remainder of this article will discuss Season 8, Episode 9 of The Walking Dead]

The last time we saw the intrepid heroes from Alexandria, Negan and the Saviors had them on the ropes after miraculously escaping Ricks trap at the Sanctuary. Carl managed to get most of the people underground in the sewers, where he revealed that he was bitten by a walker to his father and the rest.

HOW 'WALKING DEAD' STUNTMAN REALLY DIED

Episode 9 opens with an even closer look at the brief period between Ricks initial attack and their current situation. We see Carl save Saddiq and hide him in the sewers until he can talk to Rick about introducing him as a new member. We see him face his bite and inevitable demise in the mirror as stoic as even the most hardened survivor in this world. He plays with his sister and writes notes to his loved ones while he waits for his dad to return so he can break the news. We then see another glimpse at the vision of the future, with an older Rick Grimes using a cane. Alexandria is larger, Jerry is alive and theres peace throughout the world.

From there, we catch up to the action inside the sewers as Rick struggles to process what hes seeing. Meanwhile, King Ezekiels situation is still dire. After helping his people escape the Saviors attack on the Kingdom, the king is at the mercy of his Savior contact, Gavin. While the king makes a futile effort to convince Gavin that he doesnt need to go through the motions and send him to Negan, his time is very limited.

Fortunately, Carol and Morgan have made their way back to the kingdom where they hope to rescue their noble king, who is officially done with his crisis of faith. They quietly take out the Savior guards one by one. However, Morgan keeps getting them into danger with his newfound bloodlust. Once again, hes gone way off his previous rule of not killing people and is now seeking out victims. It isnt long before Morgan and Carol prevail and outgrow the need for stealth. After hearing gunshots, a frustrated Gavin retreats with whats left of his men to the kings throne room.

Back in the sewer, Michonne is furious that they can only sit helplessly as Carl dies and Alexandria blows up above them. She asks the turncoat Dwight to make things stop, but he cant. He tells them that all they can do is wait for the Saviors to thin out and give chase into the woods. Once theyre gone, they can emerge and head to the Hilltop, where its still safe.

Rick cries for the first time as he hands Judith to Daryl to take. He knows that he has to stay behind because Carl cant possibly make the trip. With that, its time for Daryl and Tara to say their goodbyes.

Daryl simply reminds Carl that everyone is alive because of him.

Tara, on the other hand, can only muster a knowing look before they both lead the survivors to Hilltop.

The hardest moment comes when Carl gives his sister a final goodbye in which he passes along his famous Sheriffs hat to her, noting that it always reminded him to be strong, like his dad. Michonne and Rick stay behind to bring Carl indoors in the burning wreckage of Alexandria. At this point, any hope of a last minute rescue for Carl is all but gone as he begins to talk about one of his most controversial moments.

When the Governor attacked the prison in Season 3, Carl discovered a rogue youngster outside the gates. He was going to give up, but Carl found it easier, and more just, to execute him. On his dying bed, he laments that choice noting that theres always a way forward through darkness. He cautioned Rick to go back to the days when he laid down his weapons, which were cut abruptly short by the Governors second attack. He wants him to think of a peace after the war, and not just fight hard to win at any cost.

This conversation then leads to a hard cut back to the Kingdom. Morgan and Carol have burst through the back door of the throne room to take out the Saviors. The only one left is Gavin, who has a shot in his leg. Ezekiel says they should seize the moment to run, but Morgan informs him that everyone is dead and gives chase.

When we catch up with him, hes got Gavin at the end of his spear, but is hesitant to finish him. Carol and Ezekiel plead with him, unknowingly asking him to heed Carls warning and show mercy. As he tells them he simply cant leave him alive, he loses his chance when Henry, the boy whose brother Morgan and Ezekiel failed to protect, kills Gavin from behind. It turns out the old generation needs to watch out for what theyre putting out into the world after all.

With his last moments, Carl paints a picture of a future of peace, revealing that the fantasies in the future were his all along. As Rick contemplates this, the episode cuts to outside the house they brought Carl where he and Michonne break at the sound of a single gunshot.

Carl is dead.

The final shot takes place inside Carls fantasy where none other than Negan is there, planting crops, contributing to the peace and seemingly beloved by even Rick and Judith. Perhaps the war wont end in Negans death after all.
First daughter Ivanka Trump scolded NBC and MSNBC reporter Peter Alexander for what she considered an inappropriate question about her fathers sexual misconduct accusers during an interview from South Korea on Monday.

The first daughter sat down with Alexander who, after a voice-over explaining that President Trump has denied accusations of sexual misconduct, asked, Do you believe your fathers accusers?

I think its a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when hes affirmatively stated that theres no truth to it. I dont think thats a question you would ask many other daughters, Ivanka fired back. I believe my father, I know my father.

Some pro-Trump viewers took to Twitter to defend the first daughter.

One viewer tweeted, Why even ask Ivanka Trump about the allegations of sexual misconduct against her Dad? What did Peter Alexander think she was going to say?

Another viewer said, The question was both crude and rude, while many others pondered whether or not reporters would ask Chelsea Clinton a similar question about her father.

Ivanka answered the very inflammatory & inappropriate questions from NBC perfectly, a viewer tweeted. Does NBC wonder why the public dislikes them so much?

Trump has denied accusations of different forms of sexual misconduct that have been levied against him.

Some media members defended Alexander, such as CNNs Jake Tapper, who said Ivanka works for the taxpayers and hes trying to figure out what part of this is inappropriate.

Washington Posts Phillip Rucker, who is Alexanders colleague as an MNSBC and NBC News analyst, wrote that its not an inappropriate question because Ivanka Trump has chosen to work in the House as a staffer and presidential adviser.

While many defended Alexanders question because the first daughter also works for her fathers administration, some industry insiders have wondered if NBC is hypocritical when it comes to sexual misconduct.

NBC News Chairman Andy Lack also oversees MSNBC and Alexander frequently appears on both networks. Last year, Lack was forced to fire Today star Matt Lauer because of sexual misconduct allegations at the height of the #MeToo movement. Lack has not been transparent about the events that led up to the sudden firing of his close friend as parent company Comcast has said its top HR executives are investigating who knew what about Lauers behavior during his long reign at NBC.

There is no public information about the investigation into its news division, which is apparently still underway three months after Lauer was shown the door. Meanwhile, Lack has yet to give a cogent explanation for why NBC News spiked Ronan Farrow's explosive reporting on Harvey Weinstein, which Farrow eventually took to the prestigious New Yorker magazine and is now receiving Pulitzer buzz for helping expose the disgraced Hollywood mogul as a sexual predator. A Vanity Fair feature tied the Weinstein and Lauer scandals together, quoting a former employee who said, They were sitting in a glass house and they knew it.

NBCUniveral told Fox News on Monday that the internal investigation is "ongoing" and involves top legal and human resources executives from the company.
Jennifer Lawrence has admitted that she was nervous to strip down for her recent role in her new film, "Red Sparrow." But the actress later found the experience to be "empowering "after feeling violated when she fell victim to a nude photo hacking scandal years prior.

In 2014, Lawrence's privacy was breached when nude photos were leaked of the actress online. At the time, the actress admitted to feeling "unbelievably violat[ed]," leading her to be somewhat "terrified" to do her first nude scene in the Russian spy drama.

I was terrified. I dont think I have ever been so scared of doing a movie before in my life. It was a lot of firsts for me, she told Bill Whitaker in a new "60 Minutes" interview. Cool, so Im really naked getting freezing cold water poured on me.

But the actress, who once said that she had to get "very very drunk" to film a sex scene with former co-star Chris Pratt in the film "Passengers," said she has now become a lot more comfortable with showing skin since the 2016 space thriller.

"I mean it was empowering for me personally... I feel like I didn't even really realize until I had finished that scene how much fear and insecurity and a complex of being judged had been following me for so many years, and when I finished it," Lawrence told Fox News on Friday. "I ended up thanking [director Francis Lawrence], which might sound crazy but also we're talking about a world of deceit and corruption and abuse and abuse to women through the lens of a woman who regains her freedom through losing her intellect and I don't think there is a better time for this movie than right now."

Lawrence further explained during her "60 Minutes" interview that stripping down for the film has ultimately helped her to regain a new sense of self.

"I feel like something that was taken from me I got back and am using in my art."

In the same interview, the star revealed she is self-taught.

I dropped out of middle school, she told 60 Minutes. I dont technically have a GED or a diploma. I am self-educated.

Fox News' Ashley Dvorkin contributed to this report.
Leslie Wagner-Wilson escaped death at age 22 when she strapped her 3-year-old son, Jakari, to her back and trekked over 30 miles through the jungles of Guyana with nine others.

On Nov. 18, 1978, Jim Jones, the leader of the People's Temple, had ordered the deaths of 918 followers by cyanide poisoning; 304 of them were children. Wilson lost six of her family members.

Jones, the leader of the religious movement, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at 47.

The Arizona-based grandmother is now coming forward to share her story for a new documentary on A&E, titled Jonestown: The Women Behind the Massacre, which examines the influence that four women in the cult leaders inner circle had on the infamous mass murder and suicide ritual.

Sundance TV has also greenlit a docuseries that will air this November to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the tragedy with Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio serving as executive producer.

Wilson hopes her participation in the A&E documentary will shed new light on a catastrophe that, prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, marked the single largest loss of U.S. civilian lives in a non-natural disaster.

I think Peoples Temple rose from a social/political environment thats similar to what were facing now, Wilson told Fox News. Theres a need. People want to be a part of something. They want to feel safe, they want to feel a sense of community I want Jonestown to be a lesson There are still folks out there and they are running under the guise of religious organizations. I just want people to be careful.

Wilson can still vividly remember life before Jonestown. She described a happy childhood in San Francisco filled with summer camps and vacations. However, things changed when she turned 13.

This was the late 60s, during the love and peace movement, she said. A lot of drugs, which my sister Michelle became involved in. Acid, LSD My mother was told by a friend about an organization, People's Temple, that had a great drug rehab program. Thats how we got involved.

Jones, a charismatic preacher, first opened the People's Temple in the mid-1950s in Indianapolis. By the early 70s, Jones and his wife relocated their headquarters to San Francisco, and his popularity grew. Jones message of social justice and a racially integrated congregation attracted a diverse group of followers, many of them African-American.

Wilson was proud to become a part of the community.

I felt like I was going to make a difference in the world, said Wilson. I didnt know children were going to bed hungry, people were being jailed or there was racism or discrimination [in the world] I felt really compelled to just be a young girl who would be active on social issues. And I loved it, I really did.

But by 15, Wilson was starting to have doubts about Jones message.

I think he was so insecure that he would always tout his sexual prowess and talk about how men were homosexuals, she said. He treated the women better because the women were more loyal But also, he was very manipulative and would try to separate families and destroy marriages, which would give him more power [And] we thought Jim could read our minds so I would stay away. We would say, Dont ever say anything negative when he passes us because he can read our minds. We were totally fooled in a lot of ways It just became very controlling. It wasnt fun anymore.

Jones, who is said to have believed he was the only heterosexual on the planet, had sexual relationships with several of his female followers. He also became increasingly addicted to pharmaceutical drugs.

In San Francisco, he would say that hes tired because he stayed up all night doing all of this good work, recalled Wilson. We didnt know about the drug use But towards the end, there were times when he never came out of his house. You can hear him slurring his words, but he would just make up excuses, say he was tired or wasnt feeling well. The community had no idea, even in San Francisco, that he was abusing drugs. That was new to me after the suicide massacre.

Wilson wasnt the only one to have doubts. In the 70s, news media were beginning to investigate claims of abuse and tyranny, prompting Jones to summon his followers to Jonestown, his sanctuary in Guyana. However, it was far from a utopia.

It was tough, she explained. We had outhouses. We didnt have flushing toilets Cold showers were OK because it was so humid and hot. But, I went in with an open mind and tried to find the positive in that. I felt that this was a community where we could make a difference We were hopeful. We were optimistic that we could build something that was incredible. And with that comes some sacrifice.

But death awaited Wilson if she stayed. A day before the massacre, Congressman Leo Ryan and several newsmen had come to investigate the remote settlement, only to be shot dead by Jones followers. And prior to the massacre, Jones reportedly ordered revolutionary suicide rehearsals.

It just became a place where there was no future, she said. I had a child We were basically starving. We were eating rice every day. No vegetables. No nutrients. It just became obvious this place was a prison I was ready to go. And if Jim had given people the option to go, I think there would have been a lot of people who were ready to get back to the states But we had no voice. And that didnt change in Jonestown.

Wilson fled in secret with her son.

I feel grateful every day because I did not believe I was going to live past the age of 22, she said. I had to forgive Jim Jones and those involved in order for me to move on and live. I have two other children. I have grandchildren. I have a good life.

Wilson hopes the documentary will show audiences Jones had enablers to help him lead a cult and that her personal journey will warn people that similar groups still exist.

I cannot believe there werent people like myself whose mind first said theres something wrong, but because everyone else is embracing it and clapping and being joyous, you look at yourself and say, It must be me, she said. Its important we dont see this again in this magnitude.
"Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" author Michael Wolff appeared to pretend his audio malfunctioned during an appearance on an Australian TV program to avoid answering questions about a rumor he started regarding President Trump allegedly having an extramarital affair.

"You said during a TV interview just last month that you are 'absolutely sure' that Donald Trump is currently having an affair while president behind the back of the First Lady, and I repeat you said you were 'absolutely sure, Australian Today show host Ben Fordham asked. Do you owe the president and the First Lady an apology?

Wolff attempted to interrupt the question before saying, I cant hear you.

Fordham repeated his question but Wolff appeared to speak to someone off set and said, Im not getting anything. The host then asked Wolff if he could hear him, and the controversial author answered but claimed he was not getting anything.

We were hearing each other well just before, a clearly dejected Fordham said. Mr. Wolff was hearing me before but hes not hearing me looks like the interview may be over.

Wolff then took out his earpiece and walked off the set. The program reviewed the audio and revealed that Wolff could hear the question all along.

This footage from our London studio reveals that there were no audio problems and Wolff could clearly hear, the shows official Twitter account wrote in a message that accompanied the audio.

While promoting the book on HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher in January, Wolff said he was absolutely sure that President Trump was currently having an extramarital affair and teased that his book reveals the mistress if you read between the lines.

Internet sleuths quickly pointed to United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was forced to deny the speculation. Wolff has essentially tried to slut-shame Haley, pointing out that "Nikki Haley has chosen to vociferously deny something she was not accused of."

The mainstream media appeared to turn on Wolff because of the Haley speculation after initially treating him like an anti-Trump hero.

Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple mocked Wolff at the time, saying he should have simply admitted his comments to Maher were ill-advised before pointing out that Wolff has bragged about writing millions of words without issuing a correction.

Were learning why, Wemple wrote.

MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, who is about as anti-Trump as anyone on cable news and has repeatedly questioned the presidents ability to perform his job duties, cut Wolff off when the Haley rumors came up.

Wolffs book paints Trump as a lazy, disconnected buffoon who lays around eating cheeseburgers in bed while furiously watching cable news. Despite a plethora of errors and discredited tidbits, Wolff was paraded around the media world to promote Fire and Fury, appearing on everything from CNN and NBCs Today show to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

After Wolff was widely criticized for speculating Trump was having an affair, he backtracked when appearing on Dutch TV last week.

"I do not know if the president is having an affair, he said.
Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough defended former Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Steele on Monday after it was alleged he only received his job because he was black  but the MSNBC star sang a different tune nearly a decade ago.

Last week, CPAC communications chief Ian Walters said Steele, RNC chairman from 2009 to 2011, was elected because hes a black guy, adding that it was the wrong thing to do. CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp told Steele the words were unfortunate on Saturday during a Sirius XM radio show and Scarborough took to Twitter to condemn the remark.

It was insulting, depressing and bizarre, Scarborough tweeted.

Scarborough expressed further disgust toward the theory on Monday when Steele joined Morning Joe to discuss the comment. Scarborough and Steele dissected the situation, mocking Schlapp for comments made on the Sirius XM appearance.

We were all stunned that somebody said it was a mistake to select you as the head of the Republican Party because you were black, Scarborough told Steele, according to TheWrap.

Scarborough also said Steele ran the Republican Party during their most successful run, pointing to a record-setting legislative landslide as evidence.

However, TheWrap reporter Jon Levine unearthed a 2009 segment from the MSNBC morning show when Scarborough had a different opinion about Steele.

You know what the Republicans are learning right now? That sometimes being black isnt enough, Scarborough said at the time, while mocking Steele for a dispute he had with conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

They thought, Were going to get a black guy to run our party, Scarborough continued as co-host Mika Brzezinski appeared to be embarrassed by his rant.

Scarborough served in the House of Representatives for the 1st district of Florida from 1995 until 2001 before stepping down, saying he wanted to spend more time with his children. He landed on MSNBC in 2003 and launched Morning Joe in 2007.

A lot has changed since Scarboroughs comments in 2009, as he no longer considers himself a Republican and is now engaged to be married to Brzezinski.

MSNBC did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Fox News Joseph Weber contributed to this report.
The Weinstein Company on Sunday night said in a statement that it would file for bankruptcy in the coming days after it reportedly failed to find a buyer.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, who led an investor group that was in talks with the company, did not come through with funding to keep the company operating, The New York Times reported, citing the letter from the Weinstein Companys board.

Contreras-Sweets team did not respond to comment from the paper.

Late last night, you returned to us an incomplete document that unfortunately does not keep your promises. That is regrettable, but not in our power to change, the letter reportedly said.

Contreras-Sweet, the former U.S. Small Business administrator, was leading a group of investors offering $220 million for the Weinstein Co.'s assets. The group also would assume about $225 million in studio debt.

She served in the Obama administration from 2014 to 2017. Her group's other investors include Lantern Asset Management and Yucaipa Companies, a private equity firm founded by billionaire Ron Burkle.

Contreras-Sweet's group plans to use the Weinstein Co. assets to form a new studio with a new identity, with a women-led board of directors and management. They want the company's 170 employees to have jobs at the new studio and are committed to completing movie projects currently in the works.

The Weinstein Co. has produced and distributed Oscar winners such as "The King's Speech" and "Silver Linings Playbook."

Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, was accused by at least 75 women have told the news media that Weinstein harassed, behaved inappropriately toward them or assaulted them. Authorities in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, New York and London are investigating.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Plucked from a dream, an old map, a daughter's birth certificate  that's how the names of some of the most famous fast-food restaurants came to be.

In 1946, there wasnt much chicken at The Dwarf Grill in the suburbs of Atlanta. Later the restaurant became known as The Dwarf House, with signage including the Chick-fil-A logo we know it today. Truett Cathy created the simplest of sandwiches (chicken and two pickles on a bun) in 1964, and eventually, the Dwarf bit fell off as the empire grew.

For the creator of the famous A-frame burger shack, bigger was simply better. In the mid-20th century, there was nary a patty bigger than four inches. But Harmon Dobson dreamed of a square five. A burger so grand, in fact, that it would make one exclaim, What a burger! And his chains name is an homage to that dream.

Ever since he was a boy, Dave Thomas knew he wanted to have a restaurant. And after 20 years in the biz, he did just that, opening the first Wendys in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. Wendy was the nickname of one of his children, Melinda. But he wasnt playing favorites  he experimented with all five of his kids names before settling.

In 1954, brothers Dick and Mac McDonald had a small but successful eponymous burger joint in San Bernardino, Calif. But it was the opportunistic Ray Kroc who bought the restaurant and the name, built the system around it, and made it the global powerhouse that it is today.

In 1960, brothers Jim and Tom Monaghan bought a pizza shop in Ypsilanti, Mich., called DomiNicks. After some drama and subsequent rising success of the business, the original owner decided to retain the rights to the name. With a looming deadline for an ad in the phone book (remember those?), its rumored that a delivery driver named Jim Kennedy came up with Dominos Pizza.

It was a bit of a eureka moment when founder Steve Ells came up with the name Chipotle. It was just like a light bulb went off, he told Bloomberg. While others close to him said it was obscure or too hard to pronounce, he stuck with it. And now, for the burrito-hungry, the name is on the tip of their tongue.

In 1965, after med school didnt work out, Frank DeLuca and his friend Peter Buck opened Petes Super Submarines in Milford, Conn., setting a goal to have 32 locations in 10 years. The sandwich slingers changed the name to Petes Subway a few years later. But in 1974, with just 16 locations throughout the state, they decided to franchise the business in an attempt to meet their goal. The name? Simply, Subway.

The story of how Starbucks got its name literally starts with st. When co-founder Gordon Bowker was brainstorming name ideas with some friends, an ad agency colleague declared that he thought words starting with st were powerful. The group later came across an old map that included a town called Starbo. The name instantly reminded Bowker of the Moby Dick character, Starbuck, and thus an empire was born.
The Striding Man logo has been plastered on Johnnie Walker bottles for almost 200 years  but next month, the Scottish liquor brand is swapping out its longstanding icon with a striding woman on the Jane Walker Edition of its Black Label scotch whiskey.

This limited-edition bottles will feature a top-hatted woman marching forward, cane in hand. As the companys first logo change in over a century, Johnny Walker says its Jane Walker Edition symbolizes a celebration of women and a goal to continue to move forward toward greater progress concerning gender issues.

RYAN REYNOLDS JUST BOUGHT AVIATION GIN

"We are proud to toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality," said Stephanie Jacoby, vice president of Johnnie Walker, in a press release.

While their logo is new, their involvement of women is no novel business approach for Johnnie Walker. Elizabeth Walker, the wife of founder John Walker, was fundamental to the creation of their own blended whisky, per the press release. Almost half of the brands expert blenders are women, and their marketing and C-level executives have a strong female presence.

Now, the company will use their new logo to reach and empower more women.

Just in time for Womens History Month and International Womens Day, Johnnie Walker will donate to causes celebrating historical women and inspiring future female leaders as part of Keep Walking America, their campaign to celebrate diversity in the United States. Donating $1 for every bottle made of the Jane Walker Edition, theyll give up $250,000 in total.

'MOST INTERESTING MAN' SHARES HIS HOBBIES, HISTORY, AND DRINK OF CHOICE

Among their donations, $150,000 will support Monumental Women, a campaign under the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund which will construct a monument honoring woman suffragists in New Yorks Central Park. (The park currently has 23 statues, none of which honor women.) Theyll also donate proceeds to She Should Run, an organization inspiring women to run for political office.

With a longstanding goal of moving forward, Johnnie Walker is proud to take this next step forward by introducing Jane Walker as another symbol of the brands commitment to progress.

Jane Walker will be available in stores for $34 this March.
Birders and biologists are reportedly heading to Alabama after pictures of a yellow cardinal started to circulate online, AL.com reported.

Geoffrey Hill, a biology professor at Auburn, told the website that the cardinal in photos appears to be a male and carries a genetic mutation, hence the bright yellow plumage. The bird was first spotted in January.

"I've been birdwatching in the range of cardinals for 40 years and I've never seen a yellow bird in the wild," Hill, who is on sabbatical in Australia, told AL.com via email. "I would estimate that in any given year there are two or three yellow cardinals at backyard feeding stations somewhere in the U.S. or Canada. There are probably a million bird feeding stations in that area so very, very roughly, yellow cardinals are a one in a million mutation."

The woman who first spotted the bird in Shelby County said the bird arrives in her backyard at least once a day, but did not give out her address because she doesnt want bird tourists knocking on her door.
In early January, 27-year-old Kiley Lane went to the hospital for what she thought was the flu. A month later, the mother is hooked up to a machine and "fighting for her life" in the intensive care unit at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) in Albuquerque.

At first, Lane was experiencing flu-like symtoms. She felt nauseous and had sharp stomach pains. Finally, her husband, Kevin, convinced her to get checked out.

The pair went to a hospital in their hometown, Farmington, New Mexico, where doctors told Lane she had a "blockage." They gave her laxatives and sent her home, Lane's mom, Julie Barron, told Fox News. Weeks later, on Feb. 1, she returned with shortness of breath.

"At one point, they thought she may be faking it," Barron said.

But Lane's condition continued to deteroriate and she had to be put on a ventilator.

"She was getting sicker and sicker and nobody seemed to want to listen," Barron said. "She didn't test positive for pneumonia, the flu, hepatitis  nothing she tested for was coming back."

Finally, one of Lane's tests results came back positive: Hantavirus. The rare illness is usually spread through contact with infected deer mice or their droppings or urine.

The virus is rare. As of January 2017, a total of 728 cases had been reported across 36 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of cases were reported in states west of the Mississippi River.

The virus, which kills a reported 36 percent of victims, cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

"A month ago, she was planning a trip to Costa Rica with her best friend ... Now she can't even go to the bathroom by herself."  Julie Barron

On Feb. 5, Lane was airlifted to UNMH, where she was met by a team of doctors ready to hook her up to an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine. The medical device takes over the duties of the heart and lungs, pumping and oxygenating a person's blood.

"This virus starts attacking your body, it damages your organs," Barron explained. "The first thing that happened with Kiley is her lungs. They're in real critical shape."

Lane has been hooked up to the ECMO machine for 21 days now.

"A month ago, she was planning a trip to Costa Rica with her best friend from college. Now she can't even go to the bathroom by herself," Barron said. "She hasn't seen or talked to her daughter in a month. She can't even watch TV."

At this point, Barron said her daughter's recovery is a "waiting game."

She has seen a few improvements in her daughter's health here and there, but she has a long road to recovery. In the meantime, Barron said she's going to do everything in her power to spread awareness for the rare and deadly virus.

"We can't sit back and let things like this be swept under the carpet."  Julie Barron

"It's not like she was digging through a dumpster or around infected rodents. She was doing her normal, everyday routine  sweeping the porch, wiping off a box with a paper towel," Barron said. "Everyone has the impression, 'that's never going to happen to me'."

Sherri Hull, a family friend, set up a YouCaring page to raise money for Lane's medical bills. More than 160 people have already donated to the cause, raising $23,720.

Barron is thankful for the support and hopes that spreading her daughter's story will save at least one life.

"We can't sit back and let things like this be swept under the carpet," Barron said. "I want people to know about the virus and to keep the name in open communications, so that nobody else has to go through this. Not one person."
Supermodel Niki Taylor lost her only sister, Krissy, to heart disease when she was just 17 years old.

"She was my best friend, she was my gravity  even to this day, I think about her all the time," the American icon told Fox News in a rare interview in which she opened up about the death of her sister, who was also a fashion model.

When she passed away in the mid-'90s, Krissy was at the top of her modeling career. She had appeared in dozens of fashion shows with her big sister and landed coveted magazine covers and campaigns for brands like Cover Girl.

NIKI TAYLOR GETS CANDID ON HER NEAR-FATAL CAR CRASH: 'THE WORLD WASN'T DONE WITH ME YET'

"I loved modeling with Krissy, said Niki, who had her own near-death experience after a car accident in 2001. Our favorite thing to do was going to Europe and walking in the fashion shows together.

It was Niki who found her sister unconscious at the family's home in Florida in July of 1995. Despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause was a rare heart condition called Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia or ARVD.

According to the American Heart Association, ARVD occurs if the muscle tissue in the right ventricle dies and is replaced with scar tissue, which can ultimately disrupt the heart's electrical signals and cause arrhythmias.

There can be an irregular rhythm that occurs that causes the blood pressure to drop significantly and this rhythm can lead to sudden cardiac death unless its diagnosed and treated, Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and director of womens heart health at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Fox News.

Symptoms of ARVD can include palpitations, shortness of breath and fainting.

NIKI TAYLOR'S TIPS FOR JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD AND A CAREER

Niki said Krissy never showed any direct symptoms but was generally an anxious person, especially before fashion shoots and go-sees.

"She would always say my hearts beating so fast I don't know what's going on, so we just thought it was normal butterflies or excitement, but this was probably symptoms that something else was going on," Niki said.

Diagnosing ARVD can be challenging, Steinbaum said. Its normal for our heart to pound and pump when we get nervous or anxious, but walking around town and feeling your heart pound and pump is not normal, she explained.

"It's really hard to tell the difference between anxiety, stress and really a heart condition, Steinbaum said.

Your doctor will be able to know if you have heart flutters or an irregular heartbeat like Krissy did, and it could save your life.  Niki Taylor

If you have symptoms of shortness of breath, if you have palpitations, if you feel dizzy the first place you have to think is your heart. So what I tell everyone is don't diagnose yourself, just go to the doctor," she added.

To help more women understand their risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women, Niki partnered with the American Heart Association and their Go Red for Women campaign.

"We just want people to go get an EKG (electrocardiogram), your doctor will be able to know if you have heart flutters or an irregular heartbeat like Krissy did, and it could save your life, Niki said.

ARVD occurs in about one in 5,000 people and usually affects teens or young adults. Even though ARVD is rare, heart disease in women is not. In fact, one in three women will die of heart disease, thats one woman every 80 seconds  and 80 percent of the time it can be preventable.

Women should ask their doctor for an EKG and have them check their numbers at least once a year, Steinbaum said. That includes your cholesterol, blood pressure, sugars and body mass index numbers.

You need to see your doctor and really push for these things, dont have someone say to you Youre fine, youre anxious, its in your head, because we hear that all the time, and its not in your head, its in your heart, said Steinbaum, who is also a Go Red for Women spokesperson.

After years off the catwalk, Niki returned to the runway as part of the Red Dress collection presented by Macys.

Krissy would definitely be so proud that were getting this message out, Niki said. I know shes smiling down on us  but I miss her.
Known for grabbing headlines with her statement-making and expensive ensembles, Melania Trump made no exception with her outfit at Sunday nights Governors Ball.

The first lady played host alongside her husband at the event, wearing a custom-made Dolce & Gabbana gown for the evening. The black floor-length design had long sleeves with lace detailing and sequin accents. The Italian brand, a favorite of the former models, even named the custom dress after her, dubbing it the Melania.

'BACHELOR' FANS, INTERNET DEBATES 'GLAM-SHAMING': IS IT A REAL THING?

Trump has turned to Dolce & Gabbana many times during her tenure as first lady. Just last week she wore a black tailored coatdress with tan trim from the label for a meet and greet with Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Tunrbull and his wife Lucy. Last year, she wore a head-turning $51,000 coat with colorful 3-D silk flowers on a tour of Italy.

After Dolce & Gabbana dressed FLOTUS for her official White House portrait, many people called for a boycott of the label. The designers behind the brand, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, decided to encourage the boycotters by selling #Boycott Dolce & Gabbana t-shirts.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

While you wont be able to score Trumps custom-made Governors Ball number yourself, you can get a similar mid-length version, the Dolce & Gabbana embellished lace and mesh gown, online for $3,200.
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Thus far, Special Counsel Robert Mueller has not alleged any criminal collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. But what if he does?

Well, if he follows past Justice Department legal guidance adopted by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), the answer in regard to the president is pretty much: Nothing.

Long ago, back in the Nixon era, OLC concluded that indicting or criminally prosecuting a sitting president would violate the Constitution by undermining the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions.

The progressive left knows they dont have the political power inside Congress to impeach President Trump. But they openly fantasize that Mueller will one day indict him on charges of criminal conspiracy. This, they think, would lead either to his conviction and removal from office, or so severely handicap his presidency that he would be forced to resign.

Unhappily for the left, Mueller, as a special counsel at Justice, is obligated to follow departmental policies.

In 1973, OLC issued an opinion on whether the president, vice president, and other civil officers of the federal government can be subjected to criminal prosecution while in office. It concluded that, while the vice president and other officers (such as cabinet officials) can be criminally prosecuted, the president cannot due to his unique position under the Constitution.

The bottom line is that no matter what evidence Mueller turns up, he cant indict the president if he follows DOJ policy unless that policy is changed by the Deputy Attorney General or the Attorney General.

The necessity to defend a criminal trial and to attend courtwould interfere with the Presidents unique official duties, most of which cannot be performed by anyone else, the opinion stated. OLC further noted that a criminal proceeding would hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs. In fact, the spectacle of an indicted President still trying to serve as Chief Executive boggles the imagination.

The president is selected in a highly complex nationwide effort that involves most of the major socio-economic and political forces of our whole society. According to OLC, it would be incongruous to bring him down, before the Congress has acted, by a jury of twelve, selected by chance off the street.

The 1973 opinion was reinforced by a second opinion issued by OLC in 2000. It concluded that our constitutional structure permits a sitting President to be subject to criminal process only after he leaves office or is removed therefrom through the impeachment process. Where the president is concerned, only the House of Representatives has the authority to bring charges of criminal misconduct through the constitutionally sanctioned process of impeachment. Therefore, it would be inconsistent with the Constitution to permit an unelected grand jury and prosecutor effectively to remove a President by bringing criminal charges against him while he remains in office.

Not surprisingly, some legal scholars disagree with these opinions. For example, Hofstra University law professor Eric Freedman does not believe that an incumbent president has immunity from criminal prosecution. Chapman University law professor Ron Rotunda, when he was working for Independent Counsel Ken Starr, reached a similar conclusion in 1998. However, the differing opinions of other legal experts dont really matter in this instance.

Mueller was appointed as a Special Counsel by Rod Rosenstein in May 2017 pursuant to Rosensteins authority as Acting Attorney General. In the appointment order, Rosenstein states that Mueller is subject to the regulations governing special counsels. One of those regulations, 28 CFR 600.7 (a), specifies that the special counsel must comply with the rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies of the Department of Justice.

Therefore, Mueller must comply with the policies of the Justice Department  and the policy of the department according to the opinions issued in 1973 and 2000 is that a sitting president cannot be criminally indicted or prosecuted.

The bottom line is that no matter what evidence Mueller turns up, he cant indict the president if he follows DOJ policy unless that policy is changed by the Deputy Attorney General or the Attorney General. According to the Justice Department, the only way a president can be removed from office is through impeachment, and that process has never once ousted a president.
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The primary job of the federal government is to provide for the common defense, yet today only 15 percent of the budget is devoted to that task. While our military personnel will always try to do whatever is asked of them, years of inadequate and unpredictable funding have taken a real toll. Much of their equipment is old and worn out, and too often they have not been getting the training they need to do what the nation asks. In 2017 about four times as many service members lost their lives in routine training and operations than in hostile actions.

Defense Secretary James Mattis testified recently that our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare  air, land, sea, space, and cyber. Others have put our position compared with rival states, such as Russia and China, in much starker terms. There can be little doubt that this erosion of American military strength has encouraged a variety of adversaries to be more aggressive and that the world has grown more dangerous as a result.

The budget agreement recently passed by Congress and signed into law begins to reverse this decline. At the same time, sufficient resourcing comes with additional responsibility, for both the Congress and the Department of Defense. While the added funding will allow us to begin to repair our planes, ships, and equipment, we must also continue to drive significant reforms needed within the Department and other agencies to stay ahead of rapidly changing technologies and a wide range of current and anticipated future threats. In addition, the first full audit of the Department will occur this year, which will help uncover areas for financial improvement.

Over the past three years, Congress has enacted significant reforms with strong bipartisan support. We have modernized military benefits, reorganized much of the Defense bureaucracy, and reformed the way the Pentagon buys goods and services. All of this was done with a goal of making the Pentagon, and especially the acquisition system, more agile. As a result, anyone entering military service today will witness these reforms, over the course of their career, save the taxpayer billions. We have more work to do, and top officials in the Department seem willing to work with Congress towards this important goal.

A military starved of resources, training, and equipment will not long be able to protect the country physically or economically.

Still, some have opposed restoring military budgets by trying to revive the old guns versus butter debate. In fact, American economic prosperity and our national security are more like the chicken and the egg  we cannot have one without the other.

We need a strong, vibrant economy to produce the tax revenue to fund our military. We also need economic growth and innovation to ensure that our military technology stays ahead of authoritarian, directed economies like Chinas that can force a whole-of-nation effort against us.

But a strong military is also an essential prerequisite to a healthy economy and to our quality of life. Since World War II, the rules-based international order created and maintained by the United States has benefited peoples around the globe and none more so than Americans here at home. We are living longer with a higher material standard of living than ever before.

When we talk about the necessity of a strong military, it is not only to protect our people and allies from North Korean missile and terrorist attacks. It is also to guarantee freedom of navigation in the sea and in the air and to ensure that there are fair, enforceable international rules that give American companies and American workers a fair chance to compete.

Allowing our military strength to continue to wane adds fuel to Chinas narrative that America is a nation in decline so that Asian nations would do better to enlist in Chinas alternative economic and military order. If China sets the rules for much of the worlds economy, America will feel the consequences in our pocketbooks as well as in our security.

A military starved of resources, training, and equipment will not long be able to protect the country physically or economically. That is why Congress came together this month and ended the era of asking our troops to do too much with too little. To make the most of that investment, we must now apply equal effort to agility driven reforms.

The brave men and women in the military serve the nation unconditionally, and our support for them should be unconditional as well. They deserve the best training, equipment, and support that our nation can provide. By providing that kind of support for them, we are also helping ensure that future Americans will inherit a country of growth and opportunity.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie came out Sunday against legislation bolstering background checks for gun purchases, saying that such measures would amount to "trying to put lipstick on a pig" and create "false senses of security."

"I wish that background checks stopped criminals or stopped school shootings, but they dont," the Kentucky lawmaker told NBC News' "Meet The Press."

Massie was reacting to a revived proposal by Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to expand presale checks for firearms purchases online and at gun shows. The measure was first introduced after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in Connecticut, and the Senate has rejected it twice.

"You could put all the information you want in it, but the [Sandy Hook] shooter in Connecticut who stole his mothers firearms and shot her before he committed the crime ... isnt going to be stopped by a background check," said Massie. He added, "and in ten years, we're still going to have school shootings unless you propose real legislation, like President Trump has proposed, that would allow teachers to be armed."

The issue of background checks and other gun legsilation has roared to life in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people.

President Trump told Fox News' "Justice with Judge Jeanine" Saturday night that any new gun legislation likely would involve strengthening background checks.

"We are drawing up strong legislation right now having to do with background checks, mental illness," Trump said. "I think you will have tremendous support. It's time. It's time."

Trump's early ideas in the wake of the Parkland shooting were met with mixed reactions from his party. His talk of allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons into classrooms was rejected by at least one Republican, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both spoke to Trump on Friday. Their offices have not spoken publicly on the conversations or legislative strategy.

The Senate also could consider a bill from Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., to strengthen FBI background checks  a response to a shooting last November in which a gunman killed more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

That bill would penalize federal agencies that don't properly report required records and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences. It was drafted after the Air Force acknowledged it failed to report the Texas gunman's domestic violence conviction to the National Criminal Information Center database.

On Sunday, Massie described the current background check system as "flawed" and "biased against minorities."

"Three million people, law-abiding citizens, [have been] denied a purchase since this has been put in place," Massie said. "But only about one in a thousand are prosecuted for trying to 'buy a gun illegally.'

"The reality is, most of those three million, 99.9 percent of them are actually law-abiding citizens who were denied a purchase because the background check system is flawed. It doesn't have the right information in there. It's got false information ... If you can get the information from the ATF, you would find that out."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The mayor of a sanctuary city in California issued a warning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could be conducting a raid in the area as soon as Sunday  ratcheting up tension with the feds while giving her constituents an early heads-up.

Libby Schaaf, the Democratic mayor of Oakland, shared the warning  which she said she learned from multiple credible sources  in a press release on Saturday, not to panic our residents but to protect them, Fox 2 reported.

The mayor said she didnt know further details of the ICE operation, but claimed she felt it was her duty and moral obligation as Mayor to give those families fair warning when that threat appears imminent.

The feds detained at least four people Sunday, a program manager for the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Education Network told the San Francisco Examiner, although the paper noted it was unclear if the detentions were related to any broader ICE operation.

Schaaf during a news conference on Sunday also said she told mayors of other Bay Area cities of the impending ICE sweep, SFGate reported.

Her tweet on Saturday aligned with previous reports that law enforcement officials in Northern California would not cooperate with ICE, and noted state law prohibits business owners from assisting ICE agents in immigration enforcement and bars federal agents from accessing employee-only areas.

Schaaf, who is seeking reelection, said in January that shed be willing to go to jail to defend the citys sanctuary city status, and has openly opposed the Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration.

It is no surprise that the bully in chief is continuing to try to intimidate our most vulnerable residents, Schaaf said at the time. We're very clear that our values are to protect all of our residents regardless of where we come from. We want to protect families, not tear them apart.

WHAT ARE SANCTUARY CITIES?

And California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, whos running for governor, commended Schaafs public warning, telling SFGate: We can and must protect immigrant families from Donald Trumps mass deportations. I want to thank Mayor Schaaf for her courage and hope more local leaders will follow her lead.

ICE told KGO-TV on Saturday that the bureau was unsure what Schaaf was referring to as There are ICE operations every day.
President Trump told the nation's governors Sunday night that the mass shooting at the Florida high school earlier this month will be discussed during upcoming White House meetings.

"Well be talking about Parkland and the horrible event that took place last week," Trump said during brief remarks to the governors and their spouses at their annual ball. "That will be one of the subjects and I think well make that first on our list [Monday]."

Trump also singled out Florida's Republican governor, Rick Scott, for praise during his remarks, saying Scott was "doing a great job."

The Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 students and teachers and sparked the national debate about America's gun laws back to life. Trump described the shooting as a "horrible event."

Trump's session with the governors will be the latest in which he solicits ideas for stopping gun violence at schools as the White House works to finalize an expected legislative proposal. Trump spent several days last week hearing emotional pleas from parents and students, including some who survived the Parkland shooting, and others who suffered through school shootings in Connecticut and Colorado. He also solicited input from state and local officials.



Trump has floated numerous ideas since the shooting, including raising the minimum age for the purchase of assault-style weapons, improving background checks for gun purchases, arming educators and paying them bonuses, and re-opening mental institutions.



The National Rifle Association, which backed Trump for president, opposes increasing the minimum age for assault-style weapons purchases but favors arming teachers.



"I think we're going to have a great bill put forward very soon having to do with background checks, having to do with getting rid of certain things and keeping other things, and perhaps we'll do something on age, because it doesn't seem to make sense that you have to wait until you are 21 years old to get a pistol, but to get a gun like this maniac used in the school, you get that at 18," Trump told Fox News' "Justice with Judge Jeanine" Saturday night. "That doesn't make sense."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The throngs of Democratic candidates jumping into the 2018 congressional contests in hopes of 'resisting' President Trump have in turn fueled a nasty war within the party -- a fight that has seen incumbents scorned as primary fields swell.

This was witnessed most recently over the weekend, when the California Democratic Party declined to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinsteins bid for a sixth term.

But in California and beyond, Democrats are experiencing internal tensions similar to what Republicans went through during the Tea Party wave of 2010. The open question: will they replicate the GOP's success of that cycle, or crumble amid their own divisions?

One potential risk is that moderate candidates will be pushed aside, in favor of liberal candidates who might not be as electable in a general election.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY WON'T ENDORSE FEINSTEIN

In Illinois, at least four Capitol Hill Democrats have endorsed the primary challenger over incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski, a moderate seeking an eight term.

Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, one of the four to back challenger Marie Newman, acknowledged the unusual, bare-knuckle move, while arguing it was necessary to show his party has a response in the age of Donald Trump.

Its not easy to endorse a challenger over a colleague in the House of Representatives, especially when that colleague is a member of your party, Gutierrez told Capitol Hill reporters, when he and fellow Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky last month endorsed Newman, a businesswoman and first-time candidate.

Schakowsky also is a part of the leadership team for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has yet to endorse Lipinski over the more liberal Newman, with the party primary less than a month away.

Newman also has an endorsement from potential 2020 presidential candidate and New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and touts support from many of the progressive movement's biggest names -- including feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Emilys List, Planned Parenthood, the Service Employees International Union and Indivisible, leaders in the resist-Trump movement.

I dont think weve ever seen this type of robust involvement by national Democrats picking winners and losers in their own primaries, Caleb Burns, a partner in the Washington law firm Wiley Rein and who specializes in election law, said Monday.

The California Democratic Party's Feinstein snub reflected another such intra-party battle.

At the groups annual convention, members gave Feinstein 37 percent of the vote, compared with 57 percent for state Senate leader Kevin de Leon. However, de Leon, a favorite of the state partys progressive wing, didnt get the endorsement either because he failed to garner the required 60 percent of the vote.

With how far to the left the party has lurched, Democrats who do qualify for the general [election] are likely to be too extreme for their districts, Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens said Sunday, echoing what moderate Democrats are purportedly telling DCCC leaders. California Democrats made it clear that even Dianne Feinstein  is not nearly liberal enough for them anymore.

Nowhere is the challenge of a candidate overload more glaring than in California, where the DCCC has targeted at least eight Republican-held House seats on their path to win a total of 24 and take control of the chamber.

However, the flood of Democratic candidates eager to capitalize on anti-Trump sentiment and the Republican-controlled Congress low approval ratings has created headaches for the DCCC, particularly in Orange County.

The group, whose mission is to get Democrats elected and re-elected to the House, has been hand-wringing for months over the situation. Group polling suggests so many Democrats are running in Californias top-two primary system that the splintered votes could hurt their ability to reach the general election, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Four races in Orange County were at the top of Democrats midterm list, considering 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the conservative stronghold for the party for the first time in about 80 years -- in large part the result of the states Hispanic population migrating south from greater Los Angeles.

But in two 2018 races -- against incumbent GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and retiring GOP Rep. Ed Royce -- eight Democrats have entered the fray.

A source tells Fox News that House Democrats focused on the midterms are at least suggesting to some candidates to withdraw.

The situation in Texass 7th Congressional District appears even more sharp-elbowed, with the DCCC openly opposing candidate Laura Moser, one of at least six Democrats running in a district Clinton also wrested from the GOP.

Democratic voters need to hear that Laura Moser is not going to change Washington, the group said last week. She is a Washington insider, who begrudgingly moved to Houston to run for Congress.

The DCCC also says in its website post that Moser as of last month was still claiming her Washington property as her primary residence to get a tax break and that shes paid her husbands D.C. political consulting firm more than $50,000 from campaign contributions.

Whatever happens, I will continue to run a campaign on the issues, a campaign worthy of my daughter and all our daughters, Moser, who this past weekend had actress Alyssa Milano on the campaign trail, responded on Twitter.

The DCCC has yet to respond to a request Monday for comment.

Beyond riding the anti-Trump sentiment, Washington Democrats are also relying on historical tailwinds to give them the House majority for the first time since 2010, considering the party that holds the White House typically loses about 30 seats in the first post-presidential race midterm.

However, recent generic ballot polls, in which likely voters say whether theyd prefer a Democrat or Republican for Congress, show Democrats big leads now down to single digits -- particularly after the GOP tax cuts.

I think the tax bill is going to be a great benefit to Republican incumbents, Burns also said. Theyre now able to explain a complicated law by pointing to the money that companies are putting back in peoples pockets. Voters can now see the results in structured, measurable ways.

The conservative opposition research group America Rising said Monday: As these contests unfold across the country, one thing is clear: Giddy talk of a coming blue wave must be tempered with the ugly reality that the eventual Democratic nominees will not come out of these contests unscathed."
A transgender service member has joined the military for the first time since President Donald Trump announced a ban last July, the Pentagon said Monday.

The Department of Defense confirms that as of February 23, 2018, there is one transgender individual under contract for service in the U.S. Military, Maj. Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman, told Fox News.

Defense Secretary James Mattis, breaking with Trump, formally recommended last Friday that transgender troops be allowed to serve in the U.S. military provided they can deploy overseas.

Mattis recently issued a new policy saying if any service member was unable to deploy with their unit for more than 12 months, excluding the combat wounded, that person would be kicked out of the military.

Officials told Fox News that it was this new policy for non-deployable troops and the recent court orders that have shaped the defense secretarys thinking about transgender people serving in the military.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff additionally had raised concerns about kicking out transgender troops who already were serving honorably.

The defense secretarys new deployment policy makes it unlikely, though, the Pentagon would continue paying for genital reconstruction surgery since the recovery time is often longer than a year.

Fox News previously reported that the official announcement about transgender policy is expected from the White House no later than March 23, according to officials.

Last summer, the Pentagon was caught by surprise when Trump tweeted that transgender troops were no longer welcome in the military in any capacity.

The order later was blocked in federal court.

The Pentagon began allowing transgender recruits to seek enlistment on Jan. 1.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Georgias lieutenant governor warned Delta Monday that he will block any tax legislation that would benefit the airline unless it reverses its decision to sever ties with the National Rifle Association, warning that corporations cannot attack conservatives without consequences.

Delta, the Atlanta-based airline, and state lawmakers have weighed reinstating this year a once lucrative fuel tax break that has since expired.

But Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is a Republican gubernatorial candidate, blasted the airlines decision to end the relationship with the NRA in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. high school shooting earlier this month, and threatened to block the bill.

I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with the @NRA, Cagle, who heads the Georgia State Senate, tweeted Monday. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.

Over the weekend, Delta released the statement cutting ties with the NRA. The airline said it would end the NRAs contract for discounted rates through our group travel program.

We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website, Delta tweeted Saturday.

Deltas decision reflects the airlines neutral status in the current national debate over gun control amid recent school shootings, read the message posted to the Delta New Hub. Out of respect for our customers and employees on both sides, Delta has taken this action to refrain from entering this debate and focus on its business. Delta continues to support the 2nd Amendment.

Delta added that it once withdrew a sponsorship from the theater company that staged a rendition of Shakespeares Julius Caesar which portrayed Caesar as a Donald Trump-like figure.

Delta supports all of its customers but will not support organizations on any side of any highly charged political issue that divides our nation, Delta said.

But Cagles warning to Delta reflects a stance some state lawmakers are taking in the aftermath of Deltas decision.

If Delta is so flush that they dont need NRA members hard-earned travel dollars, it can certainly do without the $40 million tax break they are asking Georgia taxpayers for, former state Sen. Rick Jeffares, a candidate for lieutenant governor who voted in favor of the tax break during his time in the Senate, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This years $50 million tax break, according to The AJC, was pitched as an airline tax break, rather than one that would only benefit Delta.

United Airlines also notified the NRA that they would no longer offer a discounted rate for the NRAs annual meeting.
The specter of homeless encampments steadily expanding across the downtown streets of San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco  bringing with them a public health crisis  has one southern California community taking tough action to dismantle a two-mile-long camp just a short drive from Disneyland.

In a departure from the approach taken by other local governments in the state, officials in Orange County, Calif., have started to clear out the camp  by moving occupants and hauling away literally tons of trash and hazardous waste.

Its becoming part of the permanent landscape in those communities and there is no way we are going to allow Orange County land that is supposed to be used by residents to be occupied by the homeless, said Todd Spitzer, who sits on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Trash trucks and contractors in hazmat gear have descended on the camp and so far removed 250 tons of trash, 1,100 pounds of human waste and 5,000 hypodermic needles.

But the effort hasnt been without controversy as homeless advocates, the American Civil Liberties Union and a federal judge have all weighed in on the fate of some-700 people evicted from their home along the Santa Ana River -- next to Angel Stadium of Anaheim and a few miles from Disneyland, outside Los Angeles.

Spitzer, whose district includes the encampment, has battled the advocates since last fall when the decision was first made to close the camp. The ACLU and others filed a federal civil rights lawsuit to stop this and several stays have ensued until last week, when the final go-ahead was granted.

For those being evicted, a mediation with U.S. District Court Judge David Carter offered the choice of a bed in a shelter or a month-long motel voucher; medical aid; drug treatment; job training; storage for their belongings and housing for pets at the county animal shelter.

So far, 544 people have been moved to shelters and motel rooms and approximately 100 remain at the riverbed. Crews counted 207 tents, but it is unclear if they are occupied.

'That isnt going to happen in our county. Its not going to be our skid row.'  Todd Spitzer, Orange County Board of Supervisors

But one option is not negotiable  the homeless cannot move back to the Santa Ana River channel, which has paved shoulders where residents used to walk and bike. The river, which runs from the mountains to the sea, is home to much of Orange Countys groundwater and empties between pricey Newport and Huntington beaches. The beach has been closed often over the years due to high bacteria levels.

Officials in the county are mindful of how these camps have expanded in other major California cities.

Los Angeles homeless problem has now spread past Skid Row to much of downtown. The amount of feces littering the streets in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco has led to a hepatitis outbreak that spread throughout the states homeless communities, infecting 694 people. It skipped Orange County.

Spitzer singled out for criticism Los Angeles and San Francisco. San Franciscos feces problem is so bad that a website now exists to warn residents of which streets to avoid. Los Angeles raised taxes last year in order to build housing for the homeless and has started a roving toilet program.

That isnt going to happen in our county. Its not going to be our skid row, Spitzer vowed. We need to be compassionate and empathetic. Im writing checks all over the place. But Im not going to intermingle this population with property owners, are you kidding?

Reports from the scene in Orange County largely reflected an orderly move. Carter called it a great credit to transparency, humanity, according to The Los Angeles Times.

One advocate for the homeless told the same newspaper they heard reports of people who didnt get food vouchers or couldnt get to their destinations  but generally described the move as offering better living conditions.

Approximately a half-million people in the United States are homeless, with California accounting for 25 percent -- the largest number of any state, according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Orange County has 4,792 homeless.

A Los Angeles Times editorial over the weekend called the problem in the city a national disgrace.

Spitzer blames the problem on two issues: legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown over the past several years that has eroded the penalties for drug use, possession and petty crimes to where police often dont bother making arrests; and the change in a law so that treatment is no longer forced for drug abuse or mental health issues.

This week he wrote a letter to Brown, urging him to declare a state of emergency over the homeless issue and reverse previous forced-treatment laws.

When I was a prosecutor, the law behind possession was a felony, said Spitzer, a former deputy district attorney. We would use the hammer under the law of a felony. We would force someone into treatment and upon successful treatment, the felony would be dismissed. Now look what we have as a result of ridiculous short-sighted liberalization of drug use.
The House Intelligence Committee, investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, fell into further partisan divide after the release of a controversial memo that alleged federal surveillance abuses in the spying of President Trumps former associates.

The initial memo released by Republicans on the committee detailed purported improper surveillance by the FBI and Justice Department officials to spy on Carter Page, a foreign adviser for Trump during his campaign.

Less than a month later, Democrats on the committee released their own memo, although it contained heavy redactions. The rebuttal memo was meant to counter claims in the Republicans document.

As the memo clash continues, here are the names you should know.

Devin Nunes

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, serving in that role since 2015.

Nunes, 44, was one of the authors of the GOP memo released earlier this month that detailed the alleged surveillance abuses. He told Fox News he had an obligation to the American people to make FISA abuses public.

I think the American people understand that the FBI should not go to secret courts using information that was paid for by the Democrats to open up investigations, get warrants on people of the other political party. Thats the type of stuff that happens in banana republics, Nunes said.

Before the memo was released, Congress voted to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA. While that particular section wasnt used to obtain the warrant detailed in the memo, lawmakers have still pointed to it as a dangerous example of how FISA can lead to violations against Americans Fourth Amendment rights.

Nunes voted to reauthorize that section earlier this year.

Trump has said Nunes "may someday be recognized as a Great American hero for what he has exposed and what he has had to endure."

Adam Schiff

As the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., came out swinging at the GOPs memo, calling it misleading.

Schiff, 57, and other Democrats on the committee created their own rebuttal memo which was released  along with heavy redactions  in late February. The memo countered the GOP narrative that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia.

Schiff said his partys memo is the product of good faith negotiation between the Minority and the FBI and DOJ.

Schiff is a former assistant U.S. attorney who helped prosecute the first FBI agent to be convicted of espionage for leaking secret documents to the Soviets.

Trump has lambasted the lawmaker, whom he called Little Adam Schiff, claiming he is desperate for higher office and one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington.

Christopher Steele

At the heart of the GOP memos surveillance abuse claims is the now-infamous dossier compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele.

The GOP memo alleged that the dossier was key to the FBIs FISA warrant in targeting Page. It also said the political origins of the dossier were not disclosed to the FISA court in the application or renewal process  something critics of the memo have denied.

The Democratic memo contended the Justice Department disclosed the assessed political motivation of those who hired him and that Steele was likely hired by someone looking for information that could be used to discredit then-candidate Trump's campaign.

Steele was hired by political firm Fusion GPS to compile opposition research on Trump, leading to the colorful but unverified dossier. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton hired Fusion GPS through law firm Perkins Coie.

However, Clinton reportedly was unaware of the dossier until BuzzFeed News published it in January 2017.

Prior to the dossier dustup, Steele was an intelligence officer with Britains MI6 agency, serving in various countries, including Russia and France. Eventually, he co-founded Orbis Business Intelligence, an intelligence consulting agency.

Carter Page

FBI and Justice Department officials were able to obtain a FISA surveillance warrant on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, due to the controversial dossier, according to the GOP memo.

Page served as a foreign policy adviser to the campaign for a few months, although White House officials have sought to downplay the role he played.

He told Fox News he became a liability pretty quick for the campaign because of his Russian connections.

Page spent several years in Moscow, where he opened a Merrill Lynch office, according to the biography on the companys website. He bragged in a 2013 letter that he was an informal adviser to the Kremlin, Time reported.

And Russian intelligence agents once unsuccessfully tried to recruit Page as a spy in 2013, Foreign Policy reported.

Page has told Fox News that he did nothing that could even possibly be viewed in helping [Russians] in any way.

But in a statement following the release of the Democrats memo, Schiff said, The FBI had ample reason to believe that Carter Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power based on his history, including the fact that he had previously been a target of Russian recruitment, his travel to Russia, and other information.

Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley

Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley sent a criminal referral in early January for Steele, which was recently released. The pairs referral appears to support some of the claims made in the GOP memo.

In their criminal referral, Graham and Grassley said the surveillance applications relied heavily on Mr. Steeles dossier claims. They also said the applications failed to disclose that the identities of Mr. Simpsons ultimate clients were the Clinton campaign and the DNC.

Grassley, the 84-year-old who represents Iowa, is the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman. Graham is a member of the committee as well.

The American people now have some context for what they have been reading in the press for months, including some of which served as the basis of the criminal referral of Mr. Steele made by Senator Grassley and me, Graham, the 62-year-old from South Carolina, said in a statement. Through my service on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have been investigating this matter for months, and will continue to do so.

Michael Horowitz

The inspector general of the Department of Justice was appointed to investigate allegations of government surveillance abuse following the release of the memos.

Michael Horowitz has already been conducting a review of the FBI and Justice Departments handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons personal email server.

We believe the Department of Justice must adhere to the high standards in the FISA court, Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions said in February. Yes it will be investigated. And I think that's just the appropriate thing the inspector general will take that as one of the matters he'll deal with.

Bob Goodlatte and Trey Gowdy

Republican Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Trey Gowdy have requested Sessions appoint a special counselor to investigate certain decisions made by Justice Department officials in 2016 and 2017.

The call for a special counsel appears to have stemmed from the FISA memos.

Goodlatte, from Virginia, told Fox News the case for which the FISA warrant was obtained was highly suspect.

In their request to Sessions, the congressmen wrote, There is evidence of bias, trending toward animus, among those charged with investigating serious cases.

There is evidence political opposition research was used in court filings. There is evidence this political opposition research was neither vetted before it was used nor fully revealed to the relevant tribunal, they added.

Gowdy is the chairman of the House Oversight Committee; Goodlatte chairs the House Judiciary Committee. Both men are not seeking re-election in 2018.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Supreme Court justice's silence added high drama Monday to an already high-stakes case that could shape the future of America's public-sector unions.

At issue is whether states can compel government workers -- whether they are in a union or not -- to pay fees to support collective bargaining and other activities. The case centers on the complaints of an Illinois state employee who sued, saying he was being asked to support the union's political message.

A ruling against the unions here would deal a major blow to their funding across the country.

Justices split 4-4 on the issue in a similar case two years ago. With Neil Gorsuch now filling the vacancy left by the late Antonin Scalia, he is seen as the deciding vote this time.

But while his colleagues were closely divided in arguments Monday, Gorsuch played it close to the vest. He had no comments or questions from the bench during nearly 70 minutes of oral arguments.

His colleagues were not as shy.

"Not all workers are lawyers. And all they've seen is that this court has suddenly cut legs, at least one, out of the financing of a system that ... some people think it brought labor peace," Justice Stephen Breyer said.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, often a swing justice in other cases, cast a skeptical eye toward the union argument this time. He said repeatedly that separating politics from the union's collective bargaining mission was impossible.

"We're talking here about compelled justification and compelled subsidization of a private party that expresses political views constantly," Kennedy said. He told the union's lawyer, "It seems to me your argument doesn't have much weight."

The plaintiff in the case, Mark Janus, has worked for years as an Illinois state employee and pays about $550 annually to the powerful public-sector union known as AFSCME.

While not a member of the union, he is required under state law to hand over a weekly portion of his paycheck, which he says is a violation of his constitutional rights.

"The fundamental issue is my right to choice," said Janus outside the court, after attending the arguments. "I had to pay the fee. Nobody asked me. I wasn't given the opportunity to say yes, which is also, ultimately, the ability to say no. ... That's what [the] whole case is about."

Labor leaders oppose so-called "free riding" by workers like Janus, and say they have a legal duty to advocate for all employees.

"It definitely hurts the ability of unions to discharge all of their responsibilities, from administering contacts, to negotiating terms, to handling grievance procedures," said David Frederick, an attorney representing AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. "It's an economic fact, if you have less money, and you have people that are free riding, then it's harder for you to do your job."

The high court is being asked to overturn its four-decade-old ruling allowing so-called "fair share" fees for public employees.

While the current case applies only to them, the repercussions could affect unions nationwide.

Union membership nationwide is less than 11 percent of the American workforce, but about a third of government employees are members.

The Supreme Court had deadlocked when the issue was revisited two years ago, just after Scalia died.

Gorsuch, the replacement named by President Trump, faced strong labor union opposition at his confirmation hearings last spring, but told senators his record backing workers was strong.

While Gorsuch seeks to keep court-watchers guessing, Trump's Justice Department has been clear on its position -- announcing in December it was reversing course from the previous administration and supporting Janus.

"I think people who are in public sector unions are very concerned about their viability going forward."  Elizabeth Wydra, president of The Constitutional Accountability Center

Such legal turnarounds are rare, but the union fees case is one of three this Supreme Court term where the Trump Justice Department is taking a new interpretation.

That prompted Justice Sonia Sotomayor to add rhetorically, "How many times this term already have you flipped positions from prior administrations?"

Frederick said some unions might respond to loss of power and money by becoming more "militant" in their relations with management, "in search of short-term gains that they can bring back to their members and say stick with us."

But Chief Justice John Roberts said just the opposite might occur.

"The argument on the other side, of course, is that the need to attract voluntary payments will make the unions more efficient, more effective, more attractive to a broader group of their employees. What's wrong with that?"

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wondered the extent a ruling against the public-sector unions could then be applied to bar fees on free speech grounds for a range of shared resources, such as student activity fees and bar association dues. And she posed the big question big labor worries most about.

"What about the private sector, agency fees compelled by state law in the private sector?" Ginsburg asked.

About 28 states have so-called "right-to-work laws" that prohibit or limit union security agreements between companies and workers' unions.

States that do allow "fair share" fees say they go to a variety of activities that benefit all workers, whether in the union or not. That includes collective bargaining for wage and benefit increases, grievance procedures, and workplace safety.

Employees who do not join a union also do not have to pay for a union's "political" activities, but both sides of the issue are at odds over when that would occur.

Court watchers say the legal and political stakes in the Janus case could well determine the future of the union movement.

"I think people who are in public sector unions are very concerned about their viability going forward. Certainly opponents of unions see this case as something that they hope will substantially diminish the power of labor," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of The Constitutional Accountability Center. "But make no mistake, this case is a very serious potential blow to the union movement."

The case also revealed a split within Illinois state politics. The state's Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan are on opposite sides of the case. Some conservative groups backing Janus have said some of Rauner's public comments predicting victory against the unions were inappropriate and unhelpful to their side.

The governor did not file a supporting brief in favor of Janus, but Madigan's office did argue its case on behalf of the state, in front of the justices Monday.

The case is Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 and Madigan (16-1466). A ruling is expected by late June.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from the Trump administration to decide the legality of the presidents plans to end next month the Obama-era DACA program affecting young illegal immigrants.

In recent months, lower court judges have moved to stop the administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects about 800,000 young immigrants brought to country illegally as children from deportation.

In an unsigned comment released Monday, the Supreme Court denied the unusual request to take up the issue, saying the appeal should move through the normal appellate process. The move kicks the case back to the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

The Supreme Court said the federal appeals court will proceed expeditiously to decide this case.

ANOTHER JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN ON ENDING DACA

Raj Shah, the White House principal deputy press secretary, said Monday the administration looks forward to having this case expeditiously heard by the appeals court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court, where we fully expect to prevail.

The DACA program  which provides work permits and myriad government benefits to illegal immigrants en masse  is clearly unlawful, Shah said. The district judges decision to unilaterally re-impose a program that Congress had explicitly and repeatedly rejected is a usurpation of legislative authority. The fact that this occurs at a time when elected representatives in Congress are actively debating this policy only underscores that the district judge has unwisely intervened in the legislative process.

Last month, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that DACA must remain in place while litigation surrounding the program is ongoing. U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis in New York ruled earlier this month that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had "erred in concluding that DACA is unconstitutional."

What made the appeal from the Trump Justice Department unusual is that the administration sought to bypass the federal appeals court in San Francisco and go directly to the Supreme Court.

A Justice Department spokesman said Monday they will "continue to defend DHS lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner.

While we were hopeful for a different outcome, the Supreme Court very rarely grants certiorari before judgment, though in our view it was warranted for the extraordinary injunction requiring the Department of Homeland Security to maintain DACA," Department of Justice spokesman Devin OMalley said.

President Trump has set March 5 as the end date for the DACA program, while calling on Congress to come up with a legislative fix.

Republicans like Trump have argued then-President Obama unconstitutionally granted protections to the so-called Dreamers when that should be up to Congress.

The Supreme Court rarely hears a case before a lower appeals court has considered it. The fight over whether President Richard Nixon had to turn over the Watergate tapes is one such example.

Fox News Bill Mears, Jake Gibson and Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Throughout the first year of his presidency  and even as he campaigned for the office  President Trumps rhetoric regarding North Korea has been harsh.

He warned earlier this year that Americas nuclear capabilities were much bigger [and] more powerful than that of the Asian nation. And at the end of 2017, Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror again  a classification that came with additional sanctions.

On the heels of a planned, historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trumps tone softened, saying great progress has been made. But Trump ultimately cancelled that meeting, citing "open hostility" from North Korea.

From agreeing to meet with Kim to dubbing him Little Rocket Man, heres a look at what Trump has said about North Korea and its leader over time.

Back together again

After meeting with a North Korean official in the White House for more than an hour, Trump announced the June summit with North Korea is back on.

We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting.

Let's call the whole thing off

Trump announced on May 24 that he has decided to pull out of the June summit with North Korea.

"We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant," Trump said in a letter to Kim. "I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting."

"You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump said.

"I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you," he added. "In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated."

Deal or no deal?

After speaking with the South Korean president amid threats from the rogue regime to cancel talks, Trump suggested the historic summit between him and Kim might not happen after all.

If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12.

Trump said he wants the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized in an all in one manner.

I can guarantee Kims safety. He will be safe. He will be happy, Trump said. His country will be rich.

Trump also said hes noticed a change in Kims attitude recently.

I cant say that Im happy about it, he added.

Save the date

Trump officially announced that he would meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12.

We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! Trump said in a tweet.

The announcement came hours after Trump and the first lady welcomed the three Americans freed from detention in North Korea at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early on May 10.

After Trump met with the three men, he publicly thanked Kim for releasing the prisoners.

Were starting off on a new footing, Trump said.

Positive gesture of goodwill

In announcing that a date and place has been set for his much-anticipated meeting with Kim, Trump also confirmed three American prisoners have been released.

The three Americans  Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song  are returning to the U.S. with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump said in a tweet. The president confirmed the three men are also in good health.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORIC SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP, KIM JONG UN

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump appreciates Kim Jong Uns action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill.

Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June 2017 after he was released back to the U.S. with severe brain damage.

Good relationship formed

Trump has confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo  his pick to lead the State Department  secretly met with Kim in April and a good relationship was formed. He said the meeting went very smoothly.

The president also disclosed that the U.S. and North Korea have held direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for the summit.

Kim will do what is right

After Kims first reported visit to China, Trump said there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.

For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility, Trump said in a March tweet, adding that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader.

He also gave North Korea the benefit of the doubt earlier that month, saying he believes the country will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests.

When Trump delivered a speech in Pennsylvania, the crowd booed the mention of Kim, but the president stopped them.

No, it's very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because let's see what happens, let's see what happens, Trump said.

Invitation accepted

Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet, the White House said. While a time and place has yet to be determined, the two leaders are expected to meet by June.

The invitation to convene was extended by Kim.

Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached, Trump said on social media. Meeting being planned!

The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined, he later said.

Possible progress

As North Korea is reportedly willing to negotiate its nuclear weapons, Trump cautiously acknowledged possible progress.

For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned, Trump said on Twitter. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!

At a later White House news conference, Trump said he believed North Korea, which has a long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles, is sincere.

We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea, Trump said. Of the possibility for peacefully resolving the nations deep differences, he said: Itd be a great thing for the world, would be great for North Korea, it would be a great thing for the peninsula.

But well see what happens, Trump said.

Spirit of the Olympics

At the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea sent the U.S. a message through South Korea, saying it has ample intentions of holding talks with America.

During a meeting with the nations governors at the White House in February, Trump said those talks will only occur under the right conditions.

The administrations position has been that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs first before any talks can take place.

Relationship status: Its complicated

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly said he probably has a very good relationship with North Korea.

Trump also suggested that he is open to diplomacy with the country hes spent years criticizing, the newspaper reported.

I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised, Trump said.

The Wall Street Journal released the audio and transcript of the interview after Trump denied making the comments.

'Success for the world'

Trump told South Korea that he would be open to talks with its northern neighbor under the right circumstances, the White House said.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korea ahead of next months Winter Olympics. At a January Cabinet meeting, Trump said it was his administrations pressure on North Korea that caused the rogue nation to negotiate with the South.

"Without our attitude that would have never happened," Trump said of the inter-Korean dialogue. "Who knows where it leads. Hopefully it will lead to success for the world  not just for our country but for the world, and we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens."

Whose button is bigger?

After Kim warned Trump about North Koreas nuclear capabilities, Trump hit back on social media, arguing that his Nuclear Button is bigger [and] more powerful.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' the president tweeted. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

Kim previously warned the U.S. should know that the button for nuclear war is on my table.

The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range, he said. The United States can never start a war against me and our country.

Good news or bad news?

Trump insinuated at the start of the new year that sanctions and additional pressures are having a big impact on North Korea.

Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea, Trump said. Kim now wants to talk to South Korea for the first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see!

In his tweet, Trump was seemingly referring to the recent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean soldiers across the heavily militarized border into the southern country He also alluded to Kims recent comments indicating he would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be hosted in South Korea.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korean leaders.

With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North, Trump said in a Jan. 4 tweet. Fools, but talks are a good thing!

'Sick puppy'

While giving a speech on tax reform at a Missouri event in November, 2017, Trump digressed from the topic to call the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

His comments drew hoots from the crowd.

State sponsor of terror

Trump re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror on Nov. 20, 2017, citing its support of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.

During a Cabinet meeting, Trump announced the designation came along with new sanctions on the murderous regime as part of the administrations maximum pressure campaign in dealing with North Korea. He said these sanctions will be the highest level of sanctions on the North.

North Korea was on the list but was taken off by the Bush administration in 2008.

Why can't we be friends?

In a series of tweets while in Vietnam, Trump said he doesn't know why the North Korean dictator would "insult" him.

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Trump said. Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!

The comment came after Kim referred to Trump's speech in South Korea as reckless remarks by an old lunatic.

'Dont try us'

In Asia, Trump issued a stern warning to North Korea, saying it would be a fatal miscalculation for the country to attack the U.S. or an ally.

This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past. Do not underestimate us. And do not try us, Trump said during an address at South Koreas National Assembly.

North Korea has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness, Trump said.

'Lets make a deal'

While on his Asia trip, Trump implored North Korea to come to the table for talks on its nuclear weapons program. Trumps request for North Korea to make a deal was in stark contrast to his previous hardline rhetoric when it comes to the rogue nation.

"It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world," Trump said during a news conference alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in in November 2017.

Trump also said hes seen a lot of progress in dealing with North Korea but still called the country a worldwide threat.

In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo the day before, Trump repeated his assertion that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was finished.

Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in the last 25 years, Trump said then.

'Rocket Man' is on a 'suicide mission'

After dubbing him Rocket Man in a tweet, Trump eventually tried out the new nickname for Kim during his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly.

During his speech, Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the country so provokes him. He also said Kim was on a suicide mission.

No more talking

After North Korea said it successfully launched a missile over Japan, a U.S. ally, and into the Pacific Ocean, Trump initially had a subdued response.

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a written statement after North Koreas missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."

The missile launch was said to be a precursor to North Koreas containment of the U.S. territory of Guam by Kim, according to state-run media.

But in a tweet, the president suggested the U.S. is finished talking to North Korea.

The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer, Trump tweeted.

The U.S. is 'locked and loaded'

Trump took to social media in August 2017 to proclaim that the U.S. military is locked and loaded in case North Korea act[s] unwisely.

'Fire [and] fury' isn't 'tough enough'

With the threat of nuclear violence growing, Trump warned North Korea on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would unleash fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.

But when tensions continued to rise and North Korea threatened to attack Guam, Trump said maybe that comment wasnt "tough enough."

"Lets see what [Kim] does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before  what will happen in North Korea," Trump said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump was "sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un can understand, because he doesnt seem to understand diplomatic language."

Kim Jong Un is 'not getting away with it'

Trump said Kim has disrespected our country greatly.

He has said things that are horrific. And with me, hes not getting away with it, Trump said. He got away with it for a long time, between him and his family. Hes not getting away with it. Its a whole new ball game.

'Strategic patience  is over'

After meeting with the South Korean president in Washington, D.C., in June 2017, Trump said that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

Frankly, that patience is over, he said.

As Trump made these comments, the U.S. was rocked with the death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who suffered extensive brain damage while being held captive in North Korea for more than a year.

There are 'worse things' than assassinating Kim Jong Un

In an interview with CBS News during the presidential campaign, Trump said he could get China to make [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly.

When asked if he was talking about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Trump shrugged.

Well, you know, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude  and dont underestimate him, Trump said. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated.

'What the hell is wrong with speaking?'

Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Atlanta that should Kim want to come to the U.S., he would be accept[ed].

I wouldnt go there, that I can tell you. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners, Trump said in June 2016.

What the hell is wrong with speaking? Trump said, referencing the criticism he received for being willing to talk with North Korea. Its called opening a dialogue.

'Maniac'

During a GOP presidential debate in September 2015, Trump railed on the maniac in North Korea while answering a question about Planned Parenthood and womens health issues.

Nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting there, and he actually has nuclear weapons and somebody better start thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places. But certainly North Korea, Trump said.

You have somebody right now in North Korea who has got nuclear weapons and who is saying almost every other week, Im ready to use them, and we dont even mention it, he continued.

China needs to solve the problem

Even before he was president, Trump urged China to step in and help alleviate problems with North Korea.

North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders, Trump tweeted in March 2013.

In April 2013, Trump continued that line of thinking, adding that North Korea cant survive, or even eat, without the help of China. He then accused China of taunting the U.S.

As president, Trump has said he is very disappointed in actions China has taken regarding North Korea, particularly allowing oil to go into the nation. He also said a Chinese envoy to North Korea had no impact on Kim.

Additionally, Trump has said hes spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping regarding the provocative actions of North Korea as well as the planned meeting between Trump and Kim.

President Xi told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative, Trump said in March 2018. China continues to be helpful!

'Wack job'

In April 2013, Trump urged then-President Barack Obama to be very careful with the 28-year-old wack job in North Korea.

At some point we may have to get very tough, he tweeted.

'Negotiate like crazy'

Trump warned that the U.S. needed to do something to stop North Korea in 1999 during an interview with the late Tim Russert on Meet the Press.

"Do you want to do it in five years when they have warheads all over the place, every one of them pointing to New York City, to Washington and every one of us, is that when you want to do it, or do you want to do something now? Trump said. You'd better do it now. And if they think you're serious  they'll negotiate and it'll never come to that.

He said then that if he ever became president, the first step he would take would be to negotiate like crazy to make sure that the country would get the best deal possible. Trump also predicted then that in three or four years, North Korea would have weapons aimed all over the world, including at the U.S.

Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump on Monday slammed the disgusting law enforcement officers who failed to rush into the Florida high school earlier this month as a gunman slaughtered students and teachers inside, claiming he would have entered the school himself even without a firearm to stop the attacker.

You don't know until you test it, Trump said during a meeting with governors. But I really believe Id run in there even if I didn't have a weapon.

He added: I think most of the people in this room would have done that too because I know most of you.

Speaking of the deputies who stayed outside, Trump said: The way they performed was really a disgrace.

Broward deputy Scot Peterson resigned after it was revealed he chose not to enter the school during the Valentines Day shooting. Local news outlets in Florida also reported that at least three Broward deputies, including Peterson, waited outside during the shooting.

They weren't exactly Medal of Honor winners, Trump said Monday. The way they performed was frankly disgusting.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Florida deputy who resigned after it emerged he didn't enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the mass shooting said Monday that Peterson is not "a coward" and acted appropriately.

ATTORNEY: FLORIDA DEPUTY WHO DIDN'T ENTER SCHOOL DURING MASS SHOOTING IS NOT 'A COWARD'

"Let there be no mistake, Mr. Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the seventeen victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims in their time of need," lawyer Joseph DiRuzzo said in a statement. "However, the allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue."

During remarks to the governors, the president renewed his pledge to outlaw the bump stock modifier used in the Las Vegas massacre, strengthen background checks and increase armed security at schools. Trump said he had lunch recently with top National Rifle Association officials Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox, and said they want to do something.

Dont worry about the NRA, they are on our side, Trump said. You guys  half of you are so afraid of the NRA. There is nothing to be afraid of. And you know what, if they're not with you, we have to fight them every once in a while, that's okay. They are doing what they think is right.

SEVERAL BROWARD DEPUTUES WAITED OUTSIDE DURING FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING, REPORT SAYS

Trump has been pushing some new gun restrictions in the wake of this months school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people,

We are writing out bump stocks, Trump said Monday. But we have to take steps to harden our schools so they are less vulnerable to attack.

The president said, This includes allowing well-trained and certified school personnel to carry concealed firearms. At some point, you need volume. I don't know that a school is going to be able to hire a hundred security guards.

During the meeting, the president allowed various governors to suggest ideas for stopping gun violence in schools. One Democratic governor, Jay Inslee of Washington state, took issue with the presidents suggestion that some teachers should be armed.

I just suggest we need a little less tweeting here, a little more listening and let's just take that off the table and move forward, Inslee said.

Others, though, said they supported the idea of more armed security. New Mexico Republican Gov. Susana Martinez suggested to Trump that retired law enforcement officials be used.

This is a pool of folks we can immediately put out without having to spend a great amount of dollars in keeping our schools and our school personnel safe," she said.

Fox News Robert Gearty and Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.
Mark Janus has worked for years as an Illinois state employee, and pays about $550 annually to the powerful public-sector union known as AFSCME.

While not a member of the union, he is required under state law to hand over a weekly portion of his paycheck  which he says is a violation of his constitutional rights.

"I work for Health and Family Services, and I'm forced to pay money to a union that then supports political causes that I don't agree with," Janus told Fox News.

Now, Janus' free-speech fight is before the Supreme Court, which holds arguments in the appeal on Monday. And the political and financial stakes are huge for the broader American labor union movement, which already has begun sounding the alarm about the consequences should the justices rule for Janus.

'I just look at it as an average guy just standing up for his own rights of free speech.'  Mark Janus

"Unions would lose resources, contracts would become weaker, and the membership would become divided," said John Scearcy, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 117, representing 16,000 workers in Washington state. "There is a strong likelihood that your voice as a public sector union member could be significantly weakened."

The high court is being asked to overturn its four-decade-old ruling over so-called "fair share" fees, allowing states to require government employees to pay money supporting collective bargaining and other union activities  whether they join the union or not.

While the current case applies only to state employees, the repercussions could affect unions nationwide.

The Supreme Court had deadlocked when the issue was revisited two years ago, just after Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly.

His Trump-picked replacement, however, is expected to be the deciding vote this time around.

Justice Neil Gorsuch faced strong labor union opposition at his confirmation hearings last spring, but told senators his record backing workers was strong.

"If we're going to pick and choose cases out of 2,700, I can point you to so many in which I have found for the plaintiff in an employment action, or affirmed the finding of an agency of some sort -- for the worker," he told Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin, who is from Janus home state and supports the unions in this case.

While Gorsuch seeks to keep court watchers guessing, Trump's Justice Department has been clear on its position  announcing in December it was reversing course from the previous administration and supporting Janus.

"The [Obama-led] government's previous briefs gave insufficient weight to the First Amendment interest of public employees in declining to fund speech on contested matters of public policy," said U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, in a note to the high court.

Janus, 65, says he does not want to destroy the unions and thinks workers have a right to organize. But he opposes having to pay for a union's lobbying efforts at a time when Illinois is facing a crippling financial crisis.

He is being represented by the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center.

"In many states, workers are forced to give money to a union whether they want to or not. And when they do that they're funding union politics," said Jacob Huebert, the group's director of litigation. "Not all workers want to support that union agenda, just because they've taken a government job."

Labor leaders oppose so-called "free riding" by workers like Janus, and say they have a legal duty to advocate for all employees:

"Everybody deserves the power to win better wages and benefits and retirement security whether you're in a union or not in a union. That's how we build an economy that works for everyone," said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO.

About 28 states have so-called "right-to-work laws" that prohibit or limit union security agreements between companies and workers' unions.

States that do allow "fair share" fees say they go to a variety of activities that benefit all workers, whether are in the union or not. That includes collective bargaining for wage and benefit increases, grievance procedures, and workplace safety.

Employees who do not join a union also do not have to pay for a union's "political" activities, but both sides of the issue are at odds over when that would occur.

Court watchers say the legal and political stakes in the Janus case could well determine the future of the union movement.

"I think people who are in public sector unions are very concerned about their viability going forward. Certainly opponents of unions see this case as something that they hope will substantially diminish the power of labor," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of The Constitutional Accountability Center. "But make no mistake, this case is a very serious potential blow to the union movement."

As for Janus, he downplays his role as a potential constitutional gamechanger.

"I just look at it as an average guy just standing up for his own rights of free speech," he said. "I'd kind of like my money instead of going to the union and their causes go toward more civic health such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts. There are so many causes that need help and assistance."

The case is Janus v. AFSCME and Madigan (16-1466). A ruling is expected by late June.
The Trump administration announced last year its plan to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA)  which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children  with a six-month delay for recipients. But a federal appeals court ruled against the proposal in early November, declaring the government couldn't immediately end the program.

The Executive wields awesome power in the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the ruling said. Our decision today does not curb that power, but rather enables its exercise in a manner that is free from legal misconceptions and is democratically accountable to the public.

Trump had initially set a March 5 deadline for the program and called on Congress to pass legislation pertaining to the young immigrants. But the deadline came and went, with no congressional action but several lawsuits challenging the administration's decision to end the program.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON DACA

Federal judges in New York and Washington also have ruled against President Trump on DACA.

President Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for inaction.

Heres a look at the DACA program and why the Trump administration wants to dismantle it.

What is the DACA program?

The DACA program was formed through executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allowed certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients, called Dreamers, were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which was subject to renewal.

Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.

Individuals were able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.

Individuals also had to have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients could not have a criminal record.

It did not provide legal status.

How many people are affected by DACA?

Nearly 800,000 youth, called Dreamers, are under the program's umbrella.

Daniel Garza, president of the conservative immigration nonprofit Libre Initiative, told Fox News that DACA offers a reprieve from a life of uncertainty for innocent kids who didnt break the law.

Its rather disappointing to think they could return to a state of anxiety and fear, he said.

What did the Trump administration do?

The Trump administration announced in September 2017 that it planned to phase out DACA for current recipients, and no new requests would be granted. But a lower court order required the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for those under the DACA program, and the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to intervene.

Since the announcement, Trump had offered to work with lawmakers on a solution for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who fell under DACAs umbrella of protections. But at the same time, he has repeatedly blamed Democrats on social media for lack of a solution.

Earlier this year, Trump released his four pillars of immigration reform, which included a provision for legal status for DACA recipients and others who would be eligible for DACA status. The White House estimated that total to be 1.8 million people. The Senate rejected the plan.

Republicans  and some Democrats  opposed Obamas directive establishing DACA from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.

Obama spoke out on social media after the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the program, stating that it's "self-defeating ... and it is cruel" to end DACA and questioned the motive behind the decision.

Do any DACA recipients serve in the military?

Despite some rumors circulating online to the contrary, Dreamers were eligible to serve in the U.S. military since 2014 when the Pentagon adopted a policy to allow a certain amount of illegal immigrants to join.

In fiscal year 2016, 359 DACA recipients had enlisted in the Army  which is the only branch to accept immigrants of this category.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The House Intelligence Committee officially released the Democratic rebuttal to the controversial GOP memo that purported to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and Justice Department (DOJ) during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Feb. 24 release came after the White House initially instructed Democratic lawmakers to revise their rebuttal memo regarding the Russia investigation, saying the document required certain redactions before it could be made public.

Earlier this month, Trump made public  without redactions  a memo written by Republicans on the committee that detailed alleged surveillance abuses by the FBI and DOJ in its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump further stirred controversy when he said the memo totally vindicates him of any wrongdoing.

Heres a look at what the Democrats partially blacked out 10-page memo contained.

Redactions

Unlike the Republican memo, largely authored by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the Democrats' rebuttal was released with many blacked out portions.

Most of the redactions appear to be related to intelligence regarding Russian activities, including contacts former Trump adviser Carter Page had with Russian-linked individuals. One section with multiple redactions is titled Pages connections to Russian Government and Intelligence Officials.

Page was the subject of a surveillance warrant obtained by the FBI and DOJ as part of their probe, according to the GOP version.

One redaction appears to involve former Trump aide George Papadopoulos. And another appears to block out information related to compensation the FBI considered giving to dossier author and former British spy Christopher Steele.

Even before the memos release, Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he was wary of the redactions Trump would require for political purposes.

Contradicting the Nunes memo

The rebuttal released on Feb. 24 claims officials at the FBI and DOJ did not abuse the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign.

The GOP memo alleged Steeles controversial dossier  a 35-page document compiled for the firm Fusion GPS  "formed an essential part" of applications by the FBI and DOJ to spy on Page.

The surveillance warrant and renewals did not mention that the dossier was paid for, at least in part, by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the campaign for Hillary Clinton, according to the GOP memo.

But the Democratic memo contends the DOJ did disclose the assessed political motivation of those who hired him and that Steele was likely hired by someone looking for information that could be used to discredit Trumps campaign.

The Democrats say the FBI made only narrow use of Steeles sources in the request for the FISA application.

Republicans have said that is not enough, however, because the Clinton campaign and DNC were not named.

Dem Memo: FBI did not disclose who the clients were - the Clinton Campaign and the DNC. Wow!" Trump tweeted shortly after the Democratic document was released.

Further politicization of the probe

The Democrats memo, seen as a rebuttal to the GOPs document, was deemed a politically driven document by the White House following its release.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the memo fails to even address the fact that the Deputy FBI Director told the Committee that had it not been for the dossier, no surveillance order would have been sought.

Bolsters FBI credibility

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., previously told Fox News the Democrats document bolsters the FBIs credibility in the Russia probe. He said the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was given a voluminous amount of evidence to obtain the warrant to spy on Page.

The memo contended the FBI had an independent basis for investigating Pages motivations. It also said the DOJ repeatedly informed the Court about Steeles background, credibility and potential bias.

The FBI had ample reason to believe that Carter Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power based on his history, including the fact that he had previously been a target of Russian recruitment, his travel to Russia, and other information, Schiff said in a statement. The renewals of FISA were also appropriate and based on new information obtained by law enforcement.

Additionally, the Democrats memo challenged the Republican claim that the FBI authorized payment to Steele, saying it neglected to include that the payment was cancelled.

However, the new memo said the dossier was corroborated by multiple sources  the opposite of what former FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2017. He said then, three months after the warrant had been granted for Page, that the dossier was considered salacious and unverified when he briefed incoming President Trump in January 2017.

Points of agreement

The two memos werent in complete opposition to one another.

Both memos said the Steele dossier was not the catalyst for the FBI opening its counterintelligence investigation into links between the Russia investigation and the Trump campaign. And both memos showed the investigation was prompted by concerns about contacts between Papadopoulos and individuals linked to Russia.

Fox News Madeline Farber, Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The White House on Sunday said any discussions with North Korea must lead to an end of Pyongyangs nuclear program, Reuters reported.

The Trump administration reiterated its commitment to a nuclear-free North Korea, saying "denuclearization must be the result of any dialogue with North Korea.

"The United States and the world must continue to make clear that North Koreas nuclear and missile programs are a dead end," the White House statement said.

South Korea announced that its president, Moon Jae-in, met with a senior official of the North's ruling Worker's Party during the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

"President Moon pointed out that U.S.-North Korea dialogue must be held at an early date even for an improvement in the South-North Korea relationship and the fundamental resolution of Korean Peninsula issues," spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said about the meeting, Yonhap News Agency reported.

NORTH KOREA WILLING TO HOLD TALKS WITH US, EX-SPY CHIEF SAYS

A State Department official told Fox News on Sunday that the U.S. is in close contact with South Korea over the North.

The news of the North expressing desire in holding talks with U.S. comes days after the U.S.s announcement of the largest package of sanctions targeting the country with the aim to force the hermit kingdom to cease its nuclear and missile programs.

The move was condemned by North Korean state media, accusing the U.S. of provoking confrontation.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has been leading the charge against the GOP's memo, calling it a "political hit job" on the FBI.

"If the memo was really about oversight, committee members would want to read the underlying documents and bring in the FBI. Republicans voted against both," Schiff tweeted on Feb. 4, two days after the panel released the "surveillance" memo.

The four-page memo, released by the House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., on Feb. 2 claimed the infamous Trump dossier "formed an essential part" of applications by the FBI and Justice Department to spy on onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

Schiff has called the Republicans' memo "shoddy" and "misleading," claiming it was released only to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

"The presidents decision to publicly release a misleading memo attacking DOJ & FBI is a transparent attempt to discredit these institutions," Schiff added. "We'll fight to release our classified response."

Schiff requested the committee release Democratic members own 10-page memo, with the promise to send it to the Justice Department for redactions  and the committee did just that on Feb. 24.

In a statement, Schiff said the Democratic memo should "put to rest" any concerns about conduct by the intelligence agencies.

"Our extensive review of the initial FISA application and three subsequent renewals failed to uncover any evidence of illegal, unethical, or unprofessional behavior by law enforcement and instead revealed that both the FBI and DOJ made extensive showings to justify all four requests," Schiff said.

The memo's release comes after the White House told Democratic lawmakers the memo required certain redactions before it could be made public.

"The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!" Trump tweeted after the rubuttal's release was halted earlier this month.

Here's what you need to know about Schiff, his notable career moves and his recent Twitter exchanges with the president.

Who is Adam Schiff?

As a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Schiff started his career in law. He spent six years working in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

During his time as assistant U.S. attorney, Schiff prosecuted the first FBI agent ever to be convicted of espionage for passing secret documents to the Soviets.

"This is a betrayal tinged with hypocrisy," Schiff said at the trial for former FBI agent Richard Miller, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, The New York Times reported. "We have here an agent who did just exactly what he was supposed to protect against."

Eventually, Schiff moved on to politics.

He was elected to the California State Senate in 1996, serving four terms before heading to the House of Representatives. The Democrat has been serving in Congress since 2001.

In recent years, Schiff has shifted his focus to foreign policy and national security. He now sits as a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee and was a member of the Benghazi Select Committee, according to a biography on his official website.

Schiff's reaction to the FISA memo

Schiff recently said he believed the White House may have been behind the memo in an attempt to interfere with the Russia probe.

"I think its very possible his staff worked with the White House and coordinated the whole effort with the White House," Schiff said in an interview with ABC's "This Week."

The president said the memo completely "vindicates" him in the Russia investigation, though he said the "Russian witch hunt" would most likely continue.

"There was no collusion and there was no obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead)," Trump tweeted on Feb. 2. "This is an American disgrace!"

But Schiff said, while misleading, the memo was proof there was collusion with the Russians.

"Quite the opposite, Mr. President," Schiff replied on Twitter. "The most important fact disclosed in this otherwise shoddy memo was that FBI investigation began July 2016 with your advisor, Papadopoulos, who was secretly discussing stolen Clinton emails with the Russians."

Schiff versus Trump: The Twitter war continues

Trump targeted "Little Adam Schiff" on Feb. 5, calling him one of the "biggest liars and leakers in Washington," as both parties continued to argue over the newly released FISA memo.

"Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper!" Trump tweeted. "Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!"

Within minutes, Schiff fired back, tweeting: "Mr. President, I see youve had a busy morning of 'Executive Time.' Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or...really anything else."

Trump's tweet came shortly before Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told "Fox & Friends" that there have been "almost 100 leaks" by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee related to the Russia investigation.

Trump's tweet also reflected frustration with a host of figures, including Schiff's Senate counterpart  Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who sits as ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which conducted its own Russia probe. He also named former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

When the Democratic rebuttal memo was released on Feb. 24, Trump, once again, took to Twitter to criticize the document.

"The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST," Trump wrote. "Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!"

Schiff countered by saying it confirmed that intelligence officials acted appropriately.

"Wrong again, Mr. President. It confirms the FBI acted appropriately and that Russian agents approached two of your advisors, and informed your campaign that Russia was prepared to help you by disseminating stolen Clinton emails," he replied.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Samsungs new Galaxy S9 smartphone introduced on Sunday adds more bells and whistles than ever  but experts wonder if theyll be enough to kick-start sales.

The new device plays to the social media set by introducing augmented reality emojis, a camera capable of translating restaurant menus and an artificial intelligence-powered voice tool.

Its an iteration with tremendous visual innovations, tech consultant Shelly Palmer told The Post.

But should you swap out a 1-year-old phone to get it? Hmm. A 3-year-old phone? Yep. Do it.

Indeed, the S9 so closely resembles the S8  edge-to-edge display on a thinly designed handset that retains a headphone jack  CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood called the new model a potentially tough sell.

Blogging from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where Samsung launched the S9, Wood noted the new release underscores challenges confronting the entire industry.

Innovation in smartphones has plateaued and now it is all about marginal gains, be that screen technology, camera features and processing power, he said.

The device, set to hit retail shelves on March 16, almost two years after Samsungs Note 7 blowup -phone fiasco, is expected to have prices similar to last years versions  $720 for the base model and $840 for a larger version.

Whether the release of what Palmer called the best Android phone ever made can reverse Galaxys fourth-quarter upset will largely depend on consumer demand for such photographic advances as low-light shooting.

Its certainly got some tricks up its sleeve, the tech consultant said.

But Im not sure how theyll appeal to a normal person who doesnt do social media every day.

This story originally appeared in the New York Post.
Would you pay $42 million for a clock that ticks once a year? Before you answer, consider this: It'll be buried 500 feet (150 meters) below a mountaintop near the Texas-Mexico border, and yes  you must wind it by hand.

Are you sold yet? Well, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is.

On Tuesday (Feb. 20), Bezos tweeted the first video footage of an unusual project he's funding, called the 10,000-Year Clock. True to its name, the clock is designed to accurately keep time for 10,000 years. It's powered by a combination of solar energy and occasional windings by any intrepid visitors who stray into the limestone cliffs of Texas' Sierra Diablo mountain range sometime over the next 10 millennia. [5 of the Most Precise Clocks Ever Made]

To Bezos, who reportedly invested $42 million in the clock's construction, the timepiece is the ultimate symbol of long-term thinking.To Danny Hillis, an inventor and computer scientist who first described the idea for the clock in Wired magazine in 1995, it's a vision come to life.

"I want to build a clock that ticks once a year," Hillis wrote. "The century hand advances once every 100 years, and the cuckoo comes out on the millennium."

In 1996, Hillis established The Long Now Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to building the 10,000-year clock and promoting long-term thinking. On Dec. 31, 1999, he completed an 8-foot-tall (2.4 meters) prototype of the clock (currently on display at the London Science Museum) just in time to ring in the new millennium.

In 2011, construction began on the first full-scale model, which will be about 200 feet (60 m) tall when it's completed. The venue: a private, Bezos-owned mountain in Texas, several hours' drive from the nearest airport and about 2,000 feet (610 m) above the valley floor.

As you can see in the video Bezos posted, the clock's construction is well underway. The crew has already hollowed out a 500-foot-deep (150 m) shaft inside the mountain that will serve as the clock's case. A long, winding staircase has been cut directly into the limestone using a special rock-slicing robot from Seattle.

At the video's 11-second mark, you can see workers begin to assemble the clock's main power system, which includes a 10,000-lb. (4,500 kilograms) weight and a three-pronged winding station that future visitors can rotate to help keep the clock ticking. Because the clock may go many days (or possibly centuries) without being wound, the clock will be able to power itself using solar energy captured from the mountaintop on sunny days, according to The Long Now. Sunlight will also help the clock stay synchronized with solar noon as the Earth's axis tilts over the coming centuries.

Above the power station, engineers will eventually install a cascading tower of 20 huge, 1,000-lb. (450 kg) gears known as Geneva wheels. This will be the clock's time generator  or, as Long Now board member Kevin Kelly described it, "the world's slowest computer." Once a day, the gears will turn and interlace an elaborate system of slots and pins in a different combination, which determines the precise order in which the clock's 10 bells will ring. According to Kelly, the clock will reportedly chime once a day, producing a unique combination of tones every day for the next 10,000 years.

Further up the shaft, a 300-lb. (136 kg) titanium pendulum will swing in slow, 10-second cycles. A nearby display station will show visitors the current date and time, as well as the corresponding positions of the stars and planets. The clock will always know what time it is, Kelly wrote, but it will update the display only once it's wound.

One thing the 10,000-year clock cannot tell us: when it will be ready. At press time, there is no precise date set for the clock's completion. Luckily, the team has about 982 years before the cuckoo's first curtain call.

Originally published on Live Science.
A Southwest Airlines flight heading from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing after one of its engines caught fire moments after takeoff on Monday morning.

Southwest Airlines Flight 604 departed from Salt Lake City International Airport at 6:40 a.m., but soon began experiencing what Southwest has called a performance issue with an engine.

UNITED PASSENGER ABANDONS PLANE VIA EMERGENCY CHUTE, GETS ARRESTED

The pilots of flight 604 operating today from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) elected to return to SLC after receiving a cockpit indication of a performance issue with one of the aircraft engines, said Southwest in a statement.

Following established protocol and procedures, the pilots completed an uneventful landing.

Nancy Volmer, a spokesperson for the Salt Lake City International Airport, confirmed that none of the passengers were injured, the Associated Press reported.

Reddit user Ben McConkie managed to catch footage of the aircraft from the ground, claiming that he was alerted to the incident after hearing loud popping noises from overhead.

Well that doesnt look good. Hopefully they made it back down, wrote one commenter on McConkie's post.

Another simply wrote, "OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! LOOK AT THAT PLANE!! LOOK!!!"

SEE IT: UNITED FLIGHT LANDS SAFELY AFTER BLOWING A TIRE ON TAKEOFF

Southwest passengers were moved to a new aircraft to continue their trip to Los Angeles International Airport. The airline apologized to the affected passengers.

We apologize for the inconvenience, but safety is always our top priority at Southwest Airlines, said a spokesperson.
A would-be United Airlines passenger was placed under arrest at Newark Liberty International Airport after abandoning his yet-to-depart plane via the inflatable emergency slide.

Troy Fattun, 25, had reportedly boarded United Airlines Flight 1640 from Newark, N.J., to Tampa on Sunday evening, but soon headed straight for the rear of the aircraft while the other passengers were finding their seats, according to WCBS. Fattun then opened the emergency exit and deployed the inflatable chute before sliding down to the tarmac, where he was apprehended by police.

SEE IT: UNITED FLIGHT LANDS SAFELY AFTER BLOWING TIRE ON TAKEOFF

At about 10 p.m. Port Authority Police responded to a report of a disorderly subject at Newark Airport Terminal C, said a public information officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). [The suspect] was arrested by Port Authority police.

Law enforcement sources for WNBC say a panicked Fattun insisted he didnt belong on the plane, although the Port Authority has confirmed he had indeed been carrying a ticket for that flight to Tampa.

The Port Authority further stated that charges are currently pending against Fattun, who PANYNJ identified as a U.S. national from Micronesia.

Following the incident, passengers were instructed to deplane while United arranged for another flight to Tampa, which departed several hours later. No one was injured.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

This marks the second time a person has deliberately deployed and exited a United aircraft via the emergency chute. In April 2016, a flight attendant deployed the slide after touching down in Houston; she was later fired.
Twelve inmates and one guard at an Arizona correctional facility were hospitalized Sunday after police said a riot broke out inside.

The inmate-on-inmate disturbance unfolded early Sunday at the Red Rock Correctional Facility in Eloy, Fox 10 reported.

A spokesperson for CoreCivic, the company which owns the prison, told the news station that 12 inmates were transported outside of the facility to receive care for non-life-threatening injuries.

One CoreCivic employee was treated for minor injuries and released, the spokesperson said.

The Arizona Department of Corrections, along with local law enforcement, is investigating the incident, according to Fox 10.

The Eloy Police Department wrote on Facebook earlier Sunday that prisoners at the facility were rioting. It was not clear what exactly sparked the riot.

There have been inmate in inmate assaults and inmate on staff assaults, the department stated. At this time the situation is contained and CCA special operations teams are working to secure the prison.

Eloy is about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix.
A 21-year-old illegal immigrant who was allowed to stay in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was arrested last week in Rochester, N.Y., for making terroristic threats against students in a high school, officials said.

Abigail Hernandez was arrested and charged for the threats against East High School and was remanded to the Monroe County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail, WHAM reported. Hernandez  who is not a student at the school  was moved to a federal detention facility, and will be held there until a hearing is scheduled.

Rochester City School District called police at 5:08 p.m. February 16 about a threat posted on the East High School Facebook page, which read: Im coming tomorrow morning and Im going to shoot all of ya b----es.

East High School Superintendent Shaun Nelms told WHAM Friday evening: Sadly, in wake of the recent Parkland, Florida tragedy, schools across the country have been grappling with social media threats intended to instill fear and anxiety. While we cannot comment on this particular police investigation around a threat made to East, I want to stress how fortunate we are to be part of a community in which the police department works closely with schools to ensure the safety of the entire school community.

The massacre in Parkland killed 17 students on Feb. 14.

Rochester Police Department Deputy Chief LaRon Singletary told WHAM it took police days to track down the threat because it was made from a fictitious social media account.

Police found a shotgun inside the home of Hernandez on February 20, the date of her arrest.

During the investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents determined Hernandez was an illegal immigrant who was in the United States under the Obama-era DACA program, according to WHAM.

The city of Rochester recently affirmed its status as a sanctuary city, meaning it would not share immigration information with federal authorities, according to The Democrat and Chronicle.

Shes not right mentally  she doesnt pick up what people say, her mother, who asked not to be identified by name, said in Spanish to The Democrat and Chronicle. Shes very dependent on me.

Ive always told her that if you do everything right, you wont have any trouble with the law, she added in Spanish. Shes not a terrorist. ... Now Im very worried for her.
For the first time since 17 people were killed on their school campus on Valentines Day, students, parents and teachers made an emotional return Sunday for a voluntary orientation at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The thousands of students returned to a campus covered in signs, balloons, flowers and memorials honoring their classmates, teachers and friends who were shot in one of the deadliest massacres in modern U.S. history.

Members of the Stoneman Douglas community who are scheduled to meet with administrators to discuss the schools reopening  planned for Wednesday  appear to have mixed emotions upon their return.

Mikayla Strabitz, while set on making a change, told WSVN shes scared to go back.

I dont know if I could feel safe again in a school like that, Strabitz said. Especially knowing there are so many entrances to that school and not knowing how Nikolas Cruz got in, thats one scary thing.

The student said she doesnt expect everyone to return to campus right away, just because I know a lot of people were in the freshman building, so going back and not being able to go to those classes, seeing their classmates is going to hit them.

During his return to Stoneman Douglas on Sunday, Liam Kiernan, 15, brought his father to the band room closet where he hid as the shooting occurred.

I walked in and showed him, thats where I was, Kiernan told the Miami Herald. His father, David, told the newspaper, his voice breaking: It was tough. So tough.

In addition to showing his father the fateful spot where he hid as more than 30 others were shot, Liam said he saw the teacher who saved his life and gave him a big hug. That was definitely a moment.

Im anxious to get back. Im happy to get back. I think we need to be  itd be nice for us all to be together.  Jim Gard, teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Another student, 16-year-old Janna Volz, told the Herald that while it was still nerve wracking to be back on campus Sunday, shes ready to make it back to school.

Student Cameron Kasky, whos become a prominent figure of the students #NeverAgain gun control movement following the shooting, echoed Volzs sentiment, tweeting Sunday that its good to be home.

Teacher Jim Gard, who told Fox News in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre that the gunman was his math student, said that hes anxious to return to his school.

Im anxious to get back. Im happy to get back, Gard told WSVN.  I think we need to be  itd be nice for us all to be together.

Freshman Kailey Brown expressed a similar attitude, telling The Associated Press last week that shes not scared to return to school.

"I am going to come back strong with my friends and show that we love each other so much and we are going to get through this," Brown, who was in the building where the shooting took place, said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
One of the teen survivors of the Florida school shooting suggested Saturday that tourists stay away from the state until gun control measures are enacted.

Lets make a deal DO NOT come to Florida for spring break unless gun legislation is passed. These [politicians] wont listen to us so maybe [theyll] listen to the billion dollar tourism industry in FL, tweeted David Hogg, a 17-year-old senior and student reporter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida.

Hogg  who has been a major player in the student-activist movement staging protests in Florida calling for stricter gun laws  sent the tweet to his followers, which now number more than 300,000.

Hogg  whose Twitter bio describes him as a film maker, entrepreneur, surfer  co-founded the student mobilization group Never Again MSD, creating the #neveragain hashtag online and calling for a ban on certain weapons and improved care for the mentally ill since a shooter slaughtered 17 people at the Parkland high school on Valentines Day. MSD refers to his Parkland school.

Alleged teen gunman, Nikolas Cruz, used an AR-15 and had a history of emotional problems, according to investigators. Cruz was arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

Wendy Glaab, 60, of Fonthill, Ontario, Canada, was among the first to respond to his tweet. I like many Canadians travel to Florida from time to time to escape our winter. I cant speak for others but I will not be returning until meaningful gun control legislation is in place.

Glaab told The Associated Press on Saturday that her sister owns property in Fort Lauderdale and she is able to visit any time she chooses.

Better Idea: Spend your spring break in Puerto Rico, its a beautiful place with amazing people. They could really use the economic support that the government has failed to provide, Hogg followed up in a separate tweet.

Its too soon to tell how significantly the aftermath of the massacre might sway the countrys wider gun debate.

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference that people advocating for stricter gun control were exploiting the Florida shooting.

President Donald Trump has suggested some teachers could be armed so they could fire on any attacker. However, Trump also has called for raising the minimum age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles, a move the NRA has opposed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Army recruiter allegedly sent a nude photo to a 16-year-old girl after meeting her at a high school in Texas, telling her on Snapchat, Im no angel.

Adam Matthew Perkins 37, turned himself into police in Deer Park on Friday after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of displaying harmful material to a minor. He allegedly sent a photo of his genitals to a 16-year-old Deer Park High School student via Snapchat, the Deer Park Police Department said Monday.

Perkins met the female student while she was selling cake balls during a fundraiser at her school in December. The Army recruiter donated $20 before exchanging Snapchat usernames with the girl, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The first photo sent by Perkins was a selfie showing him eating a cake ball, but investigators said subsequent messages took a sexual turn, with Perkins telling the teen: Im no angel.

Read more from the New York Post.
Police in Fort Myers, Fla. announced Monday they had arrested the man believed responsible for a deadly shooting at a zombie-themed art and music festival more than two years ago.

Jose Raul Bonilla, 23, faces a second-degree murder charge, along with five counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of tampering with evidence in connection with the shooting, which killed one man and injured five others in October 2015.

Police did not immediately reveal what led to Bonillas arrest or release information about a motive.

Zombicon was one of the most popular entertainment celebrations in southwest Florida, attracting about 20,000 people. The event was winding down when authorities say Bonilla started shooting into the downtown crowd.

Expavious Tyrell Taylor, 20, died at the scene, while David Perez, 22; Tyree Hunter, 20; Isaiah Knight, 18; Kyle Roberts, 20; and John Parsons, 31, were wounded.

The city paid $40,000 to settle a lawsuit with Taylors estate last September. Roberts and Tyree received $7,499 each from the city last January.

Taylors grandmother, Estella Wilson, told the Associated Press she was glad to hear about the arrest.

Its a whole lot of burden lifted up off us. Im very, very happy they found him, Wilson said. I know its not going to bring my grandson back, but we know now what happened.

Wilson said she feels some relief knowing her grandsons suspected killer is locked up. For more than two years, she wasnt sure if the rest of her family were targets.

Its hard when you got to look over your shoulder because you never know where a person is at, Wilson said. We dont know why he shot him.

The FBI began helping Fort Myers police shortly after the shooting.

Police spokesman Capt. Jay Rodriguez said investigators had interviewed hundreds of witnesses, released multiple images from surveillance video to the public and continually asked for tips through the regions Crime Stoppers program.

Even though police have made an arrest, Rodriguez said detectives still are collecting evidence and want anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.

The city cut ties with Zombicon organizers shortly after the shooting, ending the events nine-year run.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An anti-religion activist group is threatening to sue the city of Findlay, Ohio for a mural in the municipal building that shows an eagle and a bible verse.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a cease-and-desist letter to Flag City USA on Feb. 1, claiming the mural is unconstitutional because it conveys government support for religion through the phrase Under His wings shall you find refuge, and the corresponding Scripture reference, Psalms 91.

The mural was painted in 2011 by a group of local artists to symbolize the protection of the community, and dovetailed with the theme of that years National Day of Prayer. The same year, FFRF challenged the proclamation, but the atheist and agnostic groups case was struck down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals due to lack of standing.

Cathy Schock, a professional artist in Hancock County, spearheaded the creation of the mural, Under His Wings, which is based on Psalm 91:4: He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.

Schock told Fox News she hoped the project would inspire the spirit of collaboration and team work  not division  between different communities.

But Wisconsin-based FFRF said a "concerned citizen" alerted them about the mural. City officials say they've never received an objection to the mural and FFRF's own complaint inaccurately identifies the location of the piece.

FFRF, however, says the only thing that matters is the mural is on city property.

The city needs to remove it, Rebecca Markert told Fox News. This is government property and it doesnt belong there.

Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik says the mural is in the city to stay unless someone with legal authority tells the city to remove it, stressing most Findlay residents look to a higher power as they face real struggles, such as the opioid epidemic, broken families, and crime.

Maybe the Atheist Club in Madison, Wisconsin has nothing better to worry about but our mural in Findlay, Mihalik told Fox News. But our community is strong because we have belief. We believe in a power greater than ourselves that promises a brighter day is ahead despite our individual struggles. In our community we have many people who practice many faiths and believe many things. I celebrate those elements of my community and refuse to apologize for it.

But Markert argues the partial Bible verse conveys government sponsorship of religion, and that makes it illegal.

A reasonable observer would view the text as an endorsement of religion by Findlay, Markert wrote in the group's letter.

The mayor doubled down on her stance in an appearance on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning.

Its a distortion of the First Amendment. Their belief that we are endorsing a religion here with this particular painting is wrong. We have a lot of people who are supporting what we have here in this community, Mihalik said. So were going to continue to have it up in this building until were told something different.

First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty legal organization, says FFRF is trying to sandblast the mural because of its general reference to a Psalm.

For decades now, FFRF and others have been on a search and destroy mission to eradicate even the most modest references to generic sayings from the Bible, Hiram Sasser, General Counsel to First Liberty, told Fox News. As the Supreme Court said in 1867, The Constitution deals with substance, not shadows.
Execution team members stuck an Alabama inmate about a dozen times and may have punctured his bladder in efforts to find a usable vein before the state called off the man's lethal injection last week, the prisoner's attorney said Sunday.

Attorney Bernard Harcourt attended a physical examination of his client, 61-year-old Doyle Lee Hamm, at the Holman Correctional Facility in Escambia County and said in an update it was "worse than anticipated."

This was clearly a botched execution that can only be accurately described as torture, Harcourt wrote.

Hamm, who has battled lymphoma, was set to be executed Thursday for the 1987 killing of motel clerk Patrick Cunningham.

Prison officials announced about 11:30 p.m. Thursday they had to halt the execution because medical staff did not think they could obtain "the appropriate venous access" before a midnight deadline. The announcement came about 2 and a half hours after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the execution to proceed.

The state prison commissioner said the execution was delayed because of a "time issue" because medical staff did not think they could connect the intravenous line by the time the death warrant expired at midnight.

"I wouldn't necessarily characterize what we had tonight as a problem...The only indication I have is that in their medical judgment it was more of a time issue given the late hour," Commissioner Jeff Dunn said early Friday.

Harcourt, a Columbia University law professor, had argued in court filings since July that lethal injection would be difficult and painful because Hamm's veins have been severely compromised by lymphoma, hepatitis and prior drug use.

In a previous court filing with accompanying pictures, Harcourt wrote Hamm's health problems increase the "chances of a botched, painful, and bloody execution."

"While he was strapped down arms and legs to the gurney, the IV personnel simultaneously worked on both legs at the same time, probing his flesh and inserting needles," Harcourt said in his update Sunday. "The IV personnel almost certainly punctured Doyles bladder, because he was urinating blood for the next day."

INMATE SET TO BE EXECUTED: VEINS TOO DAMAGED FOR INJECTION

Harcourt said the execution team may have also hit Hamm's femoral artery, because suddenly "there was a lot of blood gushing out."

"There were multiple puncture wounds on the ankles, calf, and right groin area, around a dozen," he said.

Harcourt argues that the lapse of more than two hours before the state halted the execution was a sign something was wrong. The past four executions in the state began about an hour after final permission was given from the U.S. Supreme Court.

We had told all the federal courts, the governor, the governors general counsel, and commissioner and warden that any attempt at intravenous access was going to result in a botched execution, but everyone refused to give us the time of day, he said in a statement. We often talk about wrongful conviction, but the federal courts and the governor of Alabama have just invented wrongful execution. This is an abomination and Alabama should immediately halt all lethal injection in the state.

Records from Georgia show it typically takes that state less than 20 minutes to prepare an inmate for lethal injection, although there have been exceptions, according to the Associated Press. In 2016, it took more than an hour to prepare a 72-year-old inmate when staff were unable to insert an IV in one arm and ended up connecting to a vein in his groin.

TEXAS KILLER GRANTED CLEMENCY, HALTING SCHEDULED EXECUTION

Alabama carries out executions by lethal injection unless an inmate requests the electric chair.

Hamm was convicted in the 1987 killing of motel clerk Patrick Cunningham. Cunningham was shot once in the head while working an overnight shift at a Cullman motel.

Police said $410 was taken during the robbery. Hamm gave police a confession and he was convicted after two accomplices testified against him in exchange for being allowed to plead guilty to lesser offenses, according to court documents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Florida woman has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after police say she fatally shot her fiances dog after getting into an argument with him.

Giselle Taylor, 27, was fighting with her fiance on Friday because he wouldnt crack her back, WFLA reported.

MOLLY THE PIG, ADOPTED FROM ANIMAL RESCUE GROUP, IS EATEN WEEKS LATER

Tarpon Springs Police reportedly said Taylor took a loaded pistol from their garage and walked inside with it to scare the man.

Apparently not receiving the response from him that she wanted, police said Taylor pointed her gun at her fiances two-year-old Boxer and fired the gun, hitting the dog in the upper left torso.

The dog later died from its wounds.

GERMAN SHEPHERD HIT BY BULLETS, SAVES OWNER DURING HOME INVASION, REPORT SAYS

Taylor drove away from their house but was stopped soon after the shooting, according to WTSP.

Pinellas County Sheriffs Office records show Taylor was booked into the county jail early Friday and released on a $5,000 bond.
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Developing now, Monday, Feb. 26, 2018

Congress returns from a 10-day break under pressure to act on gun violence as President Trump tells the nation's governors the Florida school shooting massacre will be a priority in upcoming meetings

A sheriff is facing growing calls for his firing over his officers' response to the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

The release of Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo over the weekend sparks a new war of words between Trump and leading Dems

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a closely-watched case that challenges public-sector unions ability to collect fees from unwilling employees

The mayor of a sanctuary city in California warns residents of an impending raid by ICE, escalating tension with federal authorities

THE LEAD STORY - CONGRESS UNDER THE GUN: After a 10-day break that saw 17 killed during a Feb. 14 school shooting massacre in Parkland, Fla., Congress returns to work Monday under pressure to act on gun violence. But a plan of action may be elusive ... No plan appears ready to take off, despite a long list of proposals, including many from President Trump, who told the nation's governors Sunday that the Parkland massacre will be a top priority in upcoming White House meetings. Republican leaders mostly have kept quiet for days as Trump tossed out ideas, including raising the minimum age to purchase assault-style weapons, strengthening background checks and arming teachers.

The most likely legislative option may be bolstering the federal background check system for gun purchases. However, lawmakers may be skittish about that because opponents tie the measure with the movement to limit gun rights. Another X-factor is that lawmakers may feel a need to pivot back on immigration reform as DACA immigrants may face legal limbo if the Obama-era program is allowed to expire on March 5.

'HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MASSIVE FAILURE': Florida Gov. Rick Scott is facing a growing number of calls to remove Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel over his departments response to the Parkland massacre ... Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran sent a letter to Scott on Sunday asking the governor to suspend Israel. A day earlier, State Rep. Bill Hager urged Scott to relieve Israel from his duties for neglect of duty and incompetence," the Palm Beach Post reported. In addition, a survivor of the shooting told Fox News on Sunday that the sheriff had to go. He failed to act on so many different levels and him himself, he is responsible for this massive failure. It could have been easily stopped both by the FBI and the sheriff's department had they acted, Kyle Kashuv told America's News HQ. The call for the sheriff's removal comes after it was revealed that several Broward sheriffs deputies waited outside rather than rush in as the alleged gunman, Nikolas Cruz, gunned down students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

THE DEBATE OVER THE 'DIRTY DOSSIER' RAGES ON: The release of Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo alleging government surveillance abuses did little to settle any debates over the Russia investigation ... The memo released Saturday is a rebuttal to the one by Republicans that argues the FBI and Justice Department relied on the loosely-vetted, much-discredited Trump dossier to get the warrant on onetime Trump campaign adviser Carter Page from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court. Rep. Jim Himes, the second-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, attempted to minimize the importance of the dossier, telling "Fox News Sunday" it was only part of the evidence used to get a critical, court-approved surveillance warrant. "The application to warrant Carter Page was not based on the Steele dossier, he said. President Trump dismissed Democrats' rebuttal as a "total political and legal bust," claiming that it only confirms the terrible things that were done by the nations intelligence agencies.

GORSUCH COULD BE PIVOTAL IN SUPREME COURT UNION FEES FIGHT: Mark Janus has worked for years as an Illinois state employee, and pays about $550 annually to the powerful public-sector union known as AFSCME ... While not a member of the union, he is required under state law to hand over a weekly portion of his paycheck  which he says is a violation of his constitutional rights. "I work for Health and Family Services, and I'm forced to pay money to a union that then supports political causes that I don't agree with," Janus told Fox News. Now, Janus' free-speech fight is before the Supreme Court, which holds arguments in the appeal on Monday. The political and financial stakes are huge for the broader American labor union movement, which already has begun sounding the alarm about the consequences should the justices rule for Janus.

The high court is being asked to overturn its four-decade-old ruling over so-called "fair share" fees, allowing states to require government employees to pay money supporting collective bargaining and other union activities  whether they join the union or not. The Supreme Court had deadlocked when the issue was revisited two years ago, just after Justice Antonin Scalia died suddenly. His Trump-picked replacement, Justice Neil Gorsuch, however, is expected to be the deciding vote this time around.

Fox News Opinion: Supreme Court case on unions presents incredible opportunity

SANCTUARY CITY DEFIANCE: The mayor of a sanctuary city in California tipped off illegal immigrant residents that ICE could be conducting a raid in the area, ratcheting up tension with the feds while giving her constituents an early heads-up ... Libby Schaaf, the Democratic mayor of Oakland, shared the warning  which she said she learned from multiple credible sources  in a press release on Saturday, "not to panic our residents but to protect them," Fox 2 reported.

The mayor said she didnt know further details of the ICE operation, but claimed she felt it was her "duty and moral obligation as Mayor to give those families fair warning when that threat appears imminent."

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND

'GET THE HELL OUT': "The buck stops with you. How dare you trumpet your handling of this situation."  Judge Jeanine Pirro, in her "Opening Statement" on "Justice with Judge Jeanine," ripped Broward County, Fla. Sheriff Scott Israel for what she called his botched response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. WATCH

DEMS DELIVER ON REBUTTAL: "This is everything that the Democrats promised it would be. They knew what they needed to say here."  Jessica Tarlov, on "America's News HQ," reacting to the release of Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo. WATCH

THE SWAMP

White House says any U.S.-North Korea dialogue must lead to end of its nuclear program.

California Democratic Party doesn't endorse Feinstein re-election bid.

Michelle Obama memoir to be released in November.

ACROSS THE NATION

Ground Zero ceremony set to commemorate 1993 terror bombing.

Monica Lewinsky announces why she supports #MeToo.

DACA recipient threatened to 'shoot all of ya b----es' at NY high school, police say.

Transgender boy wins girls' state wrestling title for second time.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Stocks poised to begin new week with gains.

Equifax hack: 50 percent still havent checked credit safety.

Tax season stress: Here's what Americans would rather do than prepare their taxes.

FOX NEWS OPINION

The left's fever dream of Mueller indicting Trump wont happen, even if he finds something. Here's why.

Rep. Mac Thornberry: We need a strong, vibrant economy to fund our military.

How to turn boys into honorable men.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Omarosa claims on 'Big Brother' she was shunned from White House meetings because she's a black woman.

Weinstein Company to file for bankruptcy following sale-talk collapse.

Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy slammed for criticizing Ivanka Trump.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Costco is launching its own version of Nutella.

Lioness at Oklahoma City zoo grows mane, baffles veterinarians.

Long-lost Babe Ruth WWII-era radio interview found in obscure archive.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz on Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo; House Majority Whip Steve Scalise on lawmakers facing pressure to act on gun violence; Eric Trump on his father's latest clashes with Democrats on the FISA memo, the Russia dossier and collusion; former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus separates fact from fiction on the rumors about his tenure in the Trump administration.

Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4 p.m. ET: Maine Gov. Paul LePage weighs in on the gun control battle and what needs to be done to keep Americans safe.

The Story with Martha MacCallum, 7 p.m. ET: Rep. Peter King on the Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo and the implications for the Trump dossier.

Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Is Google censoring sites they dont agree with? Radio talk show host Dennis Prager shares his shocking firsthand experience.

Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page responds to the release of Democrats' rebuttal to the GOP FISA memo.

Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m. ET: texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel give Shannon Bream a first look at the lawsuit that's finishing what Congress couldn't.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: House Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes; Sean Spicer; Stuart Hoffman, PNC Financial Services Group senior vice president and senior economic adviser; Mark Penn, former Hillary Clinton campaign chief strategist; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Rep. Dan Kildee.

Countdown to the Closing Bell, 3 p.m. ET: Seth Merrin, Liquidnet CEO.

Risk & Reward, 5 p.m. ET: Rep. Doug Collins; Butler County, Ohio Sheriff Richard Jones; Gina Loudon, Trump 2020 campaign media advisory board member.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: Fox News' Eric Shawn and Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, take a closer look at the Democratic rebuttal to the Republican committee memo about domestic spying. Plus, commentary from Judge Andrew Napolitano.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin on how the government failed the students in the Parkland, Fla. massacre; David Bach looks ahead at the week on Wall Street and the Trump economy; Jason Chaffetz on the Democrats' rebuttal memo; Harry Kazianis on the Olympics and the implications for U.S.-North Korea relations.

#OnThisDay

1993: A truck bomb built by Islamic extremists explodes in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York's World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others. (The bomb fails to topple the North Tower into the South Tower, as the terrorists had hoped; both structures would be destroyed in the 9/11 attack eight years later.)

1987: The Tower Commission, which probed the Iran-Contra affair, issues a report rebuking President Ronald Reagan for failing to control his national security staff.

1970: National Public Radio is incorporated.

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your Monday! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning.
The husband of Kathleen Dawn West, the Alabama woman who led a double life as an exhibitionist, is innocent in his wifes death, William "Jeff" Wests lawyer said Monday.

West, 44, was charged with murder in 42-year-old Kat Wests January death. Hes since maintained his innocence, lawyer John Robbins said.

"We are going to do everything that we can to establish that he is not guilty of this crime," the lawyer said. "It appears that the state's case is based on circumstantial evidence."

WHACK WITH LIQUOR BOTTLE KILLED KAT WEST, COURT RECORDS SAY

Kat West was found dead lying face down and partially nude in front of the couples suburban home in Calera, roughly 35 miles south of Birmingham, on the morning of Jan. 13.

A cellphone with a green bottle was found near the body, and witnesses said the scene appeared staged, The Birmingham News reported.

A court document alleges West used a liquor bottle to kill his wife, who police said died from a head injured during a domestic argument.

A report by "Inside Edition" described some key surveillance footage showing the couple laughing and shopping at a liquor store some eight hours before the discovery of the body.

"We know exactly what happened that night,'' Calera Police Chief Sean Lemley said Thursday. And we do have evidence to support that."

HUSBAND OF ALABAMA DOUBLE-LIFE MOM ARRESTED IN HER MURDER

Kat posted risque photos on social media, and she had a paid site where she reportedly went by the name Kitty Kat West."

Her Twitter and Instagram accounts, which appeared under the same name, featured revealing photos of West, who by many accounts had a deep fascination with Marilyn Monroe, and directed viewers to a paid adult website of selfies.

Wests lawyer said his client knew about Kats activities and wasn't jealous or angry.

"We will be looking into his wife's double life, among other things, to see how her 'other' lifestyle is connected to her death," Robbins said.

NEW IMAGES OF DOUBLE-LIFE DEAD MOM 'KITTY KAT WEST' SHOW HER BUYING WHISKEY, ABSINTHE ON LAST NIGHT ALIVE

West, who was fired from his job as an unsworn police officer at Birmingham-Southern College, is "heartbroken" over the loss of his wife and is worried about their daughter and how the loss is affecting her, Robbins said.

West, who was arrested last week and remains in jail, filed a motion Sunday claiming his $500,000 bond is excessive. The request said the man poses no threat to the community and has friends and relatives who want to help pay his bail.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man shot and killed himself after causing a wrong-way crash involving four vehicles north of Houston on Sunday, officials said.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the crash happened around 4:30 p.m. when the man, who has not been identified, was driving westbound on Louetta Road in Spring, Texas. At some point he turned onto a side street heading toward oncoming traffic -- a decision Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland of the Harris County Sheriffs Office said did "seem deliberate."

The man then drove into three other vehicles before coming to a stop.

"The male subject got out, walked over to a couple of cars and was speaking to people, individuals," Gilliland told reporters. "Went back to his vehicle, walked around his car, got back into his vehicle and indications are now that he shot himself while he was inside the vehicle."

Gilliland said there was only one shot fired inside the vehicle by the man, armed with a pistol.

Ryaan Boyd, who was involved in the crash, told FOX26 Houston he had a "head-on collision" with the man.

FORMER NBA AGENT DAN FEGAN KILLED IN CAR CRASH

"I blacked out for like three seconds, five seconds and immediately I got out of the car just make sure I was okay. We waited for about 25 minutes and the guy never comes out," he said.

One other person involved in the crash was injured and taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Gilliland

Authorities are now looking into the background of the deceased driver and what may have motivated him to take his own life.

"We are trying to determine exactly what is in this mans past or what was happening as far as to take his own life here on the scene for something as mundane as a four-car accident," Gilliland said.
A team of firefighters from Wayland, Massachusetts, is being praised for coming to the aid of a woman about 800 miles away in Wayland, Michigan, who contacted them via Facebook in a panic to say her son was choking.

The Massachusetts department's Facebook page isn't monitored 24/7, but firefighter Patrick Walkinshaw happened to be looking at it about 10:30 p.m. Saturday when the woman, who didn't have access to a phone, sent her desperate plea to the wrong Wayland Fire Department.

Firefighters Dean Casali and William Tyree knew something was wrong because they didn't recognize the address.

While one Massachusetts firefighter did a search for the woman's address, another stayed with her on Facebook, and a third called the Michigan community's fire department, which sent an ambulance.

The 16-year-old boy survived.
The mother of a 1-year-old Pennsylvania boy who drowned when she left him and his toddler sister alone in a bathtub has been sentenced to two to six years in prison.

Authorities say 26-year-old Kathryn Jacoby acknowledged having left the children unattended while she was on the phone in August 2016, and tests indicated that she had been drinking and using marijuana.

Jacoby was sentenced last week in Dauphin County on earlier involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment pleas.

PennLive.com reported that she sobbed as she told the judge she couldn't describe the pain and regret she feels.

The judge called her actions "grossly negligent." Defense attorney Shawn Stottlemyer asked that she be allowed to be a mother to her surviving child.
A naked man was arrested after leading police on a shocking chase down a Missouri interstate on Sunday on an all-terrain vehicle that included driving the wrong way down the highway.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office said the bare bandit led authorities on a pursuit along Highways 152 and 210 and Interstate 435 before he was finally caught. The chase lasted over an hour.

"The police activity youve been seeing along 152 Hwy, I-435 and now 210 Hwy is all because of a naked man riding a yellow ATV who refused to stop for police," police said on Twitter. "Hes now in custody. No dangerous instruments were found."

Police believe the man, who has not yet been identified, was under the influence of drugs during the chase in northern Kansas City.

The chase began with the man eluding officers in a field. After finding a break in a fence, the man made his way onto Interstate 435, where he occasionally drove into oncoming traffic. He was captured after exiting the interstate.

One witness who was driving on I-435 at the time told FOX 4 Kansas City he has seen plenty of high-speed chases, but nothing like what he saw on Sunday.

WILD CALIFORNIA POLICE CHASE ENDS AFTER DRIVER DETOURS INTO TRAIN TUNNEL

I was staring him down like, How are you so calm, Jess Fishell told FOX 4. Its 50 degrees, youre naked going highway speeds and calm as can be.

At one point during the chase, Fishell said the man pulled a stunt as if he were in the movie Dukes of Hazard.

All the cops come to a screeching halt and theyre all trying to turn around and go this way and that way, he said.

RAPE SUSPECT DIES AFTER POISONING HIMSELF DURING POLICE CHASE, AUTHORITIES SAY

While the whole bizarre incident may be entertaining to watch, Fishell said the man's behavior was reckless.

He couldve killed himself very easily, he told FOX 4. I hope he gets whatever help he needs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police are actively searching for a man who they say is armed and dangerous following a deadly shooting near Wingate University Monday morning that was caught on Facebook Live.

Wingate police say they received a call about 10:15 a.m. about a man who had been shot on Jerome Street. When officers arrived they say they found a man in his 50s, now identified as Prentis Robinson, laying face down with several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on scene.

According to Wingate Police Chief Donnie Gay, Robinson had visited the police station about five minutes before the shooting occurred to report a stolen cellphone.

The shooting happened roughly a block away from the police station and near Wingate University. The university and a few other schools in the vicinity were placed on lockdown as a precaution. That lockdown was lifted at about 1 p.m.

Robinson had been outing people on Facebook who were suspected drug dealers in the neighborhood, sources told FOX 46. Family members said that Robinson would sometimes help police find drug dealers, even though he had his own demons.

Walking and talking. Just walking and talking. If somebody messed with him hed definitely go on Live," one family member told FOX 46.

The family added that they sometimes felt officers were annoyed with him.

According to Wingate police, Robinson was on Facebook Live when he was shot by an unknown suspect. It's unclear if Robinson and his shooter knew one another. Deputies say they're looking for a black man who was seen wearing a blue and black windbreaker and brown Timberland boots. The suspect was last seen on Jerome Street, south of US 74 across from the campus entrance.

Click for more from FOX46Charlotte.com.
An Ohio university offered full-ride scholarships to the children of a police officer killed while on duty.

Otterbein University announced four-year, full-ride scholarships for Officer Eric Joerings four daughters. Joering was a Westerville police officer who was killed, along with his partner Anthony Morelli, while responding to a 911 domestic violence call.

Otterbein University hopes the full tuition scholarships will help provide long-term security and support for the Joering children.

Tuition support for the Joering children was a spontaneous and unanimous decision identified by Otterbeins senior leadership, Otterbein University President Kathy Krendl told Fox News. Our entire Westerville community is rallying to extend love and kindness in the midst of this tragedy. Ensuring access to an education is the most meaningful gift Otterbein can provide.

Westerville City Council members also voted to retire the officers K-9 partner, Sam, so he can live with the Joering family.

Officers Joering, 39, a 16-year veteran of the department and Morelli, 54, a 30-year veteran of the force were killed Feb. 10 after entering a townhome in a Columbus suburb.

Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer called them true American heroes.

These were two of the best we have, Morbitzer added. This was their calling.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and many others offered their prayers and support for the officers families.

Kasich tweeted that he was very saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my hometown police officers. He asked Ohio residents to join him in lifting up these officers families in prayer.

President Trump also offered his support.

My thoughts and prayers are with the two police officers, their families, and everybody at the @WestervillePD, Trump tweeted.

Investigators say 30-year-old Quentin Smith, who been charged with aggravated murder in the killings, was wounded when he exchanged gunfire with police. He is being held without bail.

Kasich plans to give his last State of the State address March 6 at Otterbein University, a liberal arts college in downtown Westerville.
Authorities in Ohio launched an investigation Saturday into the shooting deaths of two teens found with gunshot wounds to their heads in a wooded area.

Lauren Kaufman and Mason Brown were located by a police officer conducting a welfare check, Jackson Township police said.

Kaufman, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene and Brown, 17, died in a hospital early Saturday, authorities said. Police found a handgun at the scene.

Chief Mark Brink said authorities were trying to determine whether the deaths were a result of a murder-suicide or double suicide, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Police said the teens were Northwest High School students.

Mike Shreffler, the superintendent of Northwest Local Schools, told The Dispatch that he saw both of the teens at school earlier Friday.

I spoke with them often, he said. They were honest, genuine kids.

Shreffler said grief counselors would be at the school Monday.

Their deaths come just a few days after police say a 13-year-old boy shot himself at a Jackson Township middle school. He died Wednesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The vocal sheriff who has criticized everyone from local politicians to the NRA to one of his own officers in the wake of the Florida high school shooting is facing the pressure himself Monday, as calls mount for him to resign amid reports about his departments alleged incompetence in stopping the gunman.

The heat against Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is coming from all angles, including from a survivor of the attack who told Fox News that he failed to act on so many different levels and from dozens of state lawmakers who are urging Florida Gov. Rick Scott to suspend him.

Listen, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, O.J. Simpson would still be in the record books, was Israel's bizarre defense Sunday after being asked by CNNs Jake Tapper if the shooting might not have happened if his department handled things differently.

The comment came following disputed reports that three of Israels officers refused to enter Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School as Nikolas Cruz was killing 17 people in the Valentines Day rampage.

A deputy in charge of protecting the school, Scot Peterson, resigned Thursday after it emerged he himself failed to go into the building, taking shelter behind a concrete column for four minutes as the 19-year-old gunned down anyone in his path. And the Broward County Sheriffs Office, in addition to the FBI, is continuing to face questions Monday as to why they didnt do more when multiple people sounded the alarm about the gunmans erratic behavior.

Deputies make mistakes. Police officers make mistakes. We all make mistakes, Israel told CNN. But its not the responsibility of the general or the president if you have a deserter. You look into this. Were looking into this aggressively. And well take care of it and justice will be served.

Israel said during the contentious interview that he has offered amazing leadership to this agency, adding you dont measure a persons leadership by a deputy not going in to  these deputies received the training they needed.

Israel also appeared to contradict his own department regarding the reports of Broward deputies not entering the school.

In the CNN interview, Israel slammed a letter from State Rep. Bill Hager to Gov. Scott, which called for his removal on the basis of inaction after at least 23 -- and perhaps almost 50 -- police visits to the shooters home and the reports of his officers standing idle. Israel said the demand was a shameful, politically motivated letter that had no facts. He also said in a letter to Scott on Saturday that Hagers claim that three Broward Sheriff Deputies were on campus at the time of the attack and chose to take cover themselves rather than stepping up to protect students is patently false.

But the sheriffs own office, in its latest official statement released Saturday at the same time they disclosed Israels letter to Scott, said the reports are still being investigated.

Its a claim being investigated to determine if further action is warranted, the statement said.

Hager isnt the only official calling for Israels ouster. Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who sent a letter to Scott on Saturday signed by 73 Republican colleagues, wrote that in the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz.

Scott  who has already called for FBI Director Christopher Wray to resign amidst the bureaus own investigative blunders in the months leading up to the attack  said Sunday that the police response will be scrutinized. He has yet to say Israel should step aside.

"I have asked for FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] to immediately investigate the law enforcement response and will continue to review this matter as more facts come out, he said. There must be an independent investigation and that is why I asked the FDLE Commissioner to immediately start this process.

Israel, in his war of words with lawmakers, got in the first volley a day after the shooting, saying local politicians who do not push for new gun laws "will not get reelected."

"If you're an elected official, and you want to keep things the way they are, and not do things differently, if you want to keep the gun laws as they are now, you will not get re-elected in Broward County, Israel said to cheers during a candlelight vigil.

Days later, during a fiery televised town hall event marred by outbursts and shouting from an emotional crowd, Israel also took aim at the National Rifle Association.

You just told this group of people that you are standing for them. Youre not standing up for them until you say I want less weapons, he told NRA Spokeswoman Dana Loesch, drawing a standing ovation from many of those in attendance.

Israel was later ripped by the NRA on Twitter.

No Sheriff Israel you were the one that didnt PROTECT these children and that is your job. You run the largest fully accredited sheriff's office in the United States, yet your office failed this community, the organization wrote.

Staff began returning to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Monday to plan for the schools reopening this week.
Thousands of people from all walks of life  including a former president  filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

A light drizzle greeted mourners on hand at 8 a.m. when the doors opened to Grahams boyhood home, but it had tapered by the late afternoon when former President George W. Bush arrived with his wife, Laura. The viewing was expected to last late into the night for the famed evangelist, who died Wednesday at age 99.

Mourners of all races, young and old, some in suits and some in T-shirts and flip-flops, walked through the parlor where Grahams closed casket lay on a black pedestal. They walked past family photos and a cross made of white lilies to see the simple plywood container made by prison inmates. At the door for the first few hours was Grahams grandson, Roy, shaking the hand of every person who came to see his grandfather.

I just wanted to tell them how much I appreciated the love for my family, Roy Graham said.

And they responded with stories. Roy Graham said what moved him the most Monday were the dozens who paused and told him the exact moment and place Billy Graham came into their lives through his hundreds of crusades around the world.

Cecily Turner is one of them. Her mother was at Billy Grahams 1957 New York crusade and she said he led her mother to salvation that day.

I know she is in heaven thanking him right now, she said.

Mother passed her faith on to daughter, and Turner said she passed it down to five children and four great-grandchildren.

Thats an amazing thing, she said.

Grahams funeral is Friday, and President Donald Trump said he will attend. Invitations were sent to all ex-presidents of the U.S.

Bush has said he chose Monday because he had a scheduling conflict with the funeral. He was greeted by Grahams son Franklin and spent about 30 minutes with the family during a private viewing.

Laura and I are honored to be able to come and pay our respects to the Graham family and, more importantly, to be able to say goodbye to a person who was influential in our lives and influential in the lives of millions, Bush told reporters afterward.

He also brought condolences from his father, George H.W. Bush, whom he described as a great friend of Grahams.

I know he wished he could come too, but hes not moving around much these days, Bush said.

Former President Barack Obama is not planning to attend memorial services for Graham this week, his office said. Obama tweeted last week after that Graham was was a humble servant who prayed for so many  and who, with wisdom and grace, gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans.

Public viewing was to continue Monday and Tuesday until 10 p.m. at Grahams Charlotte library on the campus of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His body will then be taken to the U.S. Capitol, where Wednesday and Thursday he will be the first private citizen to lie in honor there since civil rights hero Rosa Parks in 2005.

The funeral will be held in a giant tent as a nod to Grahams 1949 Los Angeles crusade. That revival, which Graham said propelled him to worldwide fame, was held in a circus tent dubbed the Canvas Cathedral. The man called Americas Pastor would eventually preach to an estimated 210 million people in person and many more through his pioneering use of prime-time telecasts, network radio, daily newspaper columns, evangelistic films and satellite TV hookups.

Billy Wayne Arrington was a boy when he first encountered Graham on a TV screen in Kingsport, Tennessee. He now does Christian theater. Arrington wiped tears from his eyes as he exited after saying a prayer for Graham and for the world he leaves behind.

Im just overwhelmed, not by sadness  just overwhelmed to see so many lives touched, Arrington said.

Graham will be buried beside his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007, at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway at Grahams library in Charlotte.
Animal lovers are outraged after learning a beloved pig that was nursed back to health and later adopted in Canada was killed and eaten by its new owners.

Molly was one of 57 Pot-bellied pigs rescued from a hoarding situation in Duncan, British Columbia, last May by a local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

The Vietnamese pig, according to CBC News, found its forever home in January, but just weeks later, was eaten by its new owners  a Vancouver Island couple  after the family reportedly encountered problems training the pig.

Molly was just three years old, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reported. Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs often live between 12 to 15 years, and typically grow to weigh 120 pounds.

DETROIT DOG FOUND WITH METAL HOOK 'LITERALLY IN HIS SKIN,' DRAGGING 15-LB TOW CHAIN

Mollys initial rescuers told CBC that the first thing they felt was shock and heartbreak.

All the animals that come through our care or branches we get attached to," Leon Davis, of British Columbias SPCA, said. "To hear that somebody did this to an animal that we worked so hard to make sure was healthy, and tried to get into a good home, is absolutely heartbreaking."

RASTA Sanctuary, which wrote on Facebook it was also involved in Mollys rescue, said their rescuers feel absolutely gutted and truly beyond devastated.

The sanctuary added, It takes a special type of person to adopt an animal from a rescue organization simply to take them home to kill them, and eat them.

MINI PET PIG STOLEN DURING HOME BREAK-IN FOUND DEAD, FAMILY SAYS

The long-time manager of the Cowichan & District branch of the Canadian province's SPCA, where Molly was adopted, told the Cowichan Valley Citizen the situation is a nightmare.

We have stringent policies in place as part of the adoption process for all the animals we have here, which include dogs, cats and goats right now, Sandi Trent said. We also have long conversations with the people looking to adopt animals to make sure the animal is right for them.

An SPCA official told the Cowichan newspaper that since animals in Canada are considered property, the SPCA loses its legal rights to animals once theyre adopted out.

Furthermore, British Columbia SPCAs Davis told CBC that animal cruelty laws in Canada only apply when an animal suffers. He said the organization wouldve taken Molly back if the owners said they were having issues with her.

Mollys adopter has since been blacklisted from the SPCAs database and wont be allowed to adopt through the group again, according to reports.
Ten people were killed in airstrikes as bombardment resumed Monday in the rebel-held suburbs of east Damascus, a Syrian monitoring group and paramedics say, bringing the death toll to 24 since the U.N.-mandated cease-fire on Saturday.

Syrian state television showed live footage of the Harasta suburb being bombed and shelled with artillery.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the oppositions Syrian Civil Defense, known as White Helmets, said nine people were killed in an airstrike shortly after midnight in the suburb of Douma and one person was killed in Harasta.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke at the start of the session of the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council on Monday, saying it is it's "high time to stop this hell on Earth" in eastern Ghouta.

He criticized the participants in the conflict for failing to abide by a 30-day cease-fire the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted on Saturday in a bid to deliver humanitarian aid to millions and evacuate the sick and wounded from the warzone.

Guterres said he welcomes the cease-fire resolution but stressed that council resolutions "are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented." He expects the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained

The U.N. official reiterated the calls for safe and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and services and evacuation of critically ill and wounded.

The latest deaths follow the 14 people killed on Sunday in Syrias embattled eastern Ghouta region, located on the edge of Damascus, despite the international pressure to cease any violence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A United Nations official says 11 Congolese refugees were killed last week as Rwandan police tried to put down a protest over reduced food rations.

Daniela Ionita with the U.N. refugee agency says the deaths occurred in Kiziba refugee camp and the nearby town of Kibuye in western Rwanda.

The U.N. is urging Rwandan authorities to investigate.

Rwandan police had confirmed only five dead in a statement on Friday that said they had acted after "demonstrators armed with stones, sticks and metal projectiles assaulted and wounded seven police officers."

The demonstrations demanding better living conditions or relocation began Tuesday in Kiziba camp, which hosts over 17,000 Congolese refugees.

Underfunding forced the U.N. World Food Program to cut food rations by 25 percent in January.
UMG NashvilleNewcomer Jordan Davis can claim a bit of an edge over his brother Jacob, as he enjoys his first top ten hit with Singles You Up.

Other than that, the Louisiana natives are pretty similar: they both have record deals with Nashville labels, and they even studied the same thing in college.

Me and Jacob both have degrees in Environmental Science, Jordan explains, so we worked for environmental companies. Jacob worked for one in Shreveport, I worked for one in Baton Rouge, both before moving to Nashville.

So, yeah, if we weren't doing this Jacob would probably be in oil and gas, and Gosh, I don't know what I would be doing, he admits.

Jordan confesses his chosen major doesnt really have many applications in country music.

It made my mom happy, he jokes. That's about the extent of it. But, erosion control and salt water contamination doesn't find its way into country music songwriting a lot. (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

Jordans debut album, Home State, comes out March 23, before he heads out on the Lifes Whatcha Make It Tour with Jake Owen and Chris Janson in May.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The American tourist who police have linked to the murder of a missing Japanese woman, whose head was allegedly found in a suitcase at the location the tourist was staying, is reportedly from New York.

The tourist was identified as 26-year-old Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar by The Asahi Shimbun and other Japanese media outlets. Bayraktar lives in New York and had traveled to Japan in January to sightsee, the newspaper reported.

SEVERED HEAD FOUND IN SUITCASE; AMERICAN ARRESTED IN JAPAN, POLICE SAY

The American was arrested on Feb. 22 for confining a missing 27-year-old woman, from Sanda in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan, who had been missing since Feb. 16, in the apartment he was staying in.

On Feb. 24, law enforcement reportedly found the unidentified missing womans severed head in a suitcase in the Osaka apartment  reportedly one of multiple condos the American rented while visiting Japan.

Bayraktar, according to Kyodo News, allegedly told police he disposed of the womans body, and on Monday, authorities reportedly found arms, legs and a torso  not yet determined to be the missing womans  in different locations in Kyoto and Osaka.

Police reportedly plan to serve a new warrant for the Americans arrest for the disposal and damaging of a body.

Investigators told Kyodo news that security footage appeared to show Bayraktar and the missing woman walking toward the apartment on Feb. 16, and an inside camera caught the two entering together.

The footage reportedly showed the man coming and going multiple times with a large bag, but never showed the woman leaving.

Traces of blood were found in the apartment, according to Kyodo, and police believe the American suspect mightve dismembered the missing womans body there before discarding of the parts.

The woman, according to The Asahi Shimbun, told friends before she went missing that she was going to meet a man she met on a social networking website. Kyodo reported the two met on a dating app that pairs Japanese citizens and foreigners.

The woman, whose license was partially found in the Americans rented apartment, was reported missing by her mother on Feb. 17, sparking the police investigation.
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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says Serbia must solve its dispute with Kosovo to join the European Union.

Juncker said Monday following talks with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic that the Balkan country is on the right path, but that the EU cannot accept any new members with unresolved territorial issues.

Though Juncker said "Serbia has already covered an impressive part of the (EU) path," he added that there are "a number of problems that still have to be solved."

Juncker is visiting Serbia as part of a tour of the Western Balkans nations aspiring to join the bloc at a time Russia is looking to bolster its influence in the region, particularly in Serbia.

Vucic says he's urging compromise with Kosovo, whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade does not recognize.
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The Latest on the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

Hungary's foreign minister has called for the resignation of the United Nations' human rights chief for referring to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as one of the "xenophobes and racists" seeking "ethnic, national or racial purity."

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Monday in Geneva that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein was "unworthy" of his position.

Orban, a staunch opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, has often said he wants to prevent Hungary from becoming a "mixed society."

Speaking at a meeting of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Szijjarto said it was wrong for Zeid to compare Hungary "to the worst dictatorships of the last century."

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, has said he won't seek another four-year term when his current one expires in August.

___

12:45 p.m.

The U.N. human rights chief has accused the veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council of being second only to criminals who kill and maim when it comes to responsibility for some of the world's most egregious rights violations.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein delivered one of the strongest denunciations yet from a top U.N. official about improper use of the Security Council veto, which gives extraordinary powers to the five countries that wield it: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, he didn't specify cases when it was used improperly.

Zeid instead spoke more broadly and decried "some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times" in Syria, Congo, Yemen, Burundi and Myanmar.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, leaves office in August.
Ships carrying illicit cargo to North Korea can expect rough seas ahead due to a planned crackdown on sanctions violators initiated by the U.S. and its regional allies -- a move that potentially enhances tensions with the volatile Hermit Kingdom.

The Trump administration and allies such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore have been discussing an expanded crackdown that would snuff out illegal product shipments aiding North Korea's nuclear missile program, several senior U.S. officials told Reuters.

Despite existing international sanctions, North Korea is thought to be only a few months away from completing the development of nuclear-tipped missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland. The rogue country has been able so far to thwart sanctions, receiving products from Russian and Chinese vessels out at sea on several occasions in the past year.

The clampdown could be seen as a new way to force North Korea into negotiations to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.

There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un we mean business, a senior administration official told Reuters.

The campaign at sea could target ships in international waters or in territorial waters of cooperating countries, according to Reuters. It would be an expansion of existing operations, but still not a complete naval blockade on North Korea. Leaders of the rogue regime have previously said such action would be considered an act of war.

GORDON CHANG: NORTH KOREA 'WAR CRIMINAL' TALKS PEACE AT OLYMPICS -- IS US PRESSURE FINALLY TAKING HOLD?

Officials told Reuters they are currently working to develop rules of engagement to avoid armed confrontations at sea, and are also citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea, which they claim opened the door to stepped-up seizures.

Any risk of further escalating the conflict could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters -- which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions -- are used in certain cases, rather than warships, officials told Reuters.

Among other directives, the Coast Guard's mission includes preventing illegal foreign fishing vessels from encroaching on the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Coast Guard also serves in defense missions, and "by statute, the Coast Guard is an armed force operating in the joint arena at any time and functioning as a specialized service under the Navy in time of war or when directed by the President," according to its website.

The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the region, but said in a statement to Reuters that "future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets."

The reported crackdown comes after President Trump announced Friday what he called the "heaviest"-ever set of sanctions on North Korea. The new prohibitions target the regime's shipping and trading companies.

The administration also put out an advisory warning of sanctions risks for those who enable the shipment of goods to and from North Korea.

Treasury is aggressively targeting all illicit avenues used by North Korea to evade sanctions, including taking decisive action to block the vessels, shipping companies, and entities across the globe that work on North Koreas behalf, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

Fox News' Serafin Gomez and Judson Berger and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A fight over money has erupted at one of Christianitys most holy sites.

The doors of Jerusalems sacred Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which hosts thousands each day and is revered as the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, were closed for a second day Monday over a dispute regarding Israeli tax law and a proposed property measure.

The Jerusalem municipality has been trying to collect taxes on church properties in the city and claims various churches owe it more than $185 million on certain properties that have been used for commercial purposes.

During a news conference in front of the church, leaders of multiple churches said that Israel was waging a systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the status quo.

However, the sites closure is also a response to proposed legislationwhich the Israeli parliament has agreed to hold off on for nowthat could block the churches from making commercial deals with investors on land they leased long term to the Israel government nearly 70 years ago, according to the Washington Post.

Several years ago, the Post reported, it was revealed that the land where the church sits, which is also home to hundreds of residential apartment blocks, was sold in million-dollar commercial deals to private developers.

The proposed legislation aims to prevent that from happening again and to confiscate lands that were sold.

This is not about religion; this is about money, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a member of the Jerusalem City Council who helped draft the legislation, told the Post. The church is trying to profit in the millions on the backs of thousands of Jerusalem residents who might lose their homes.

Most of the Christians who live in Jerusalem, the rest of Israel and the West Bank are of Palestinian heritage.

Yahoo! News reports that church officials said Monday it was not clear when it would reopen, depending on discussions with Christian leaders and Israeli authorities.

We closed the church for specific reasons and for an unlimited period of time, one church official said on condition of anonymity, reports Yahoo! News.

The incidents comes at a tense time for the regionwith Palestinians voicing their opposition to President Trumps decision to have the U.S. Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in time for Israel's 70th anniversary.

Meanwhile, tourists hoping to visit had to make other plans.

"We were told it's political. It is disheartening -- it is such a holy place," Aleana Doughty, a 35-year-old dental hygienist visiting with a group from the United States, told Yahoo! News.
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The U.N. human rights chief has accused the veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council of being second only to criminals who kill and maim when it comes to responsibility for some of the world's most egregious rights violations.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein delivered one of the strongest denunciations yet from a top U.N. official about improper use of the Security Council veto, which gives extraordinary powers to the five countries that wield it: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, he didn't specify cases when it was used improperly.

Zeid instead spoke more broadly and decried "some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times" in Syria, Congo, Yemen, Burundi and Myanmar.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince, leaves office in August.
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PAYING HIS DUES Gaffney senior patiently waits his turn to star at linebacker

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Byrnes, Indians ready to renew heated rivalry BYRNES (2-2) VS. GAFFNEY (3-0) Today, 7:30 p.m.  The Reservation, Gaffney Gaffney coach Dan Jones knows one thing heading into tonights matchup at The Reservation with rival Byrnes. After...

Blacksburg returns to field after 2-week COVID-19 pause After a two week COVID pause, Blacksburg football players will restart their season tonight with their first road contest against Berea High in Greenville. Berea (2-1 overall) has shown the...

Saints face former quarterback in conference opener The Limestone football team will see a familiar face when it journeys to Tennessee to play Tusculum on Saturday. Former Saint quarterback Ivan Corbin is the signal caller for the...
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Reporter

Before coming to work for The Daily News as a staff reporter, Connor worked for us as a freelance correspondent throughout 2017. He has written for other publications such as the Washington Post.
A teenager in the US has reportedly caused her parents to get a divorce after a biology class experiment proved her 'dad' was actually her uncle.

Anya Hettich of California State University said it happened Monday last week during a biology lecture.



"We're discussing blood types and this girl was trying to figure out why her blood type didn't make sense on her Punnett square," the 19-year-old wrote on Twitter. "She told the prof her dad was O and her mom was A, but yet she was AB."

A child needs at least one parent with type B or AB blood in order to have AB blood. Her professor explained to the student it was impossible for her to have AB blood if neither of her parents did.
Young Thug has decided to cancel all down under dates completely, after not being able to obtain an Australian Visa despite recieving his NZ Visa a couple weeks ago.

P Money and Scribe are stepping into the new slots but we imagine most Young Thug fans will be pretty fucking disappointed.

Check out the updated set times here:
felicilin at 26-02-2018 10:18 AM (3 years ago) (f)

The students of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, who were abducted by the Musab Albarnawi faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group which is loyal to the Islamic State of West Africa, have been ferried across the border into Niger Republic.

The students of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, who were abducted by the Musab Albarnawi faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group which is loyal to the Islamic State of West Africa, have been ferried across the border into Niger Republic.

According to an exclusive report by Gistmania, the girls were on Sunday, split into two groups; one was left in an enclave in Northern Borno State and the other taken to a village in Niger Republic.



It was gathered that the group had lost grounds along the shores of the Lake Chad, the same way Abubakar Shekau, the factional leader of the group suffered before he was sacked from the Sambisa Forest base following onslaught by the Nigerian military.



While speaking to a correspondent, a source, who does not want to be named, said: The girls ferried across a shallow river and are held in the border town of Duro in Niger Republic."



The second batch has been moved to Tumbun Gini area of Abadam LGA of Borno, he added.

According to an exclusive report by Gistmania, the girls were on Sunday, split into two groups; one was left in an enclave in Northern Borno State and the other taken to a village in Niger Republic.It was gathered that the group had lost grounds along the shores of the Lake Chad, the same way Abubakar Shekau, the factional leader of the group suffered before he was sacked from the Sambisa Forest base following onslaught by the Nigerian military.While speaking to a correspondent, a source, who does not want to be named, said: The girls ferried across a shallow river and are held in the border town of Duro in Niger Republic."he added.

Post Reply Posted: at 26-02-2018 10:18 AM (3 years ago) | Hero
felicilin at 26-02-2018 10:30 AM (3 years ago) (f)

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed additional air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, to the Northeast in a renewed effort at locating the missing Dapchi girls.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed additional air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, to the Northeast in a renewed effort at locating the missing Dapchi girls. Before now, following confirmation of reports that some of the girls were yet to be accounted for, the NAF had deployed some ISR platforms and helicopters to search for and possibly locate the missing girls as well as the rogue Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs).

Although these search operations were conducted in a covert manner, for obvious reasons, the efforts did not yield the desired results.

Accordingly, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed the immediate deployment of additional air assets and NAF personnel to the Northeast with the sole mission of conducting day and night searches for the missing girls. It is noteworthy that the renewed efforts at locating the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other surface security forces.

While the NAF will spare no efforts at possibly locating the girls via its air operations, it also seizes this opportunity to call on anyone, especially the locals, who might have any useful information that could lead to the location of the girls to bring such information forward to NAF authorities through any of the following GSM numbers: 08122557720, 08035733438, a08172843484a or a08058419128. Such useful information could also be forwarded to other relevant security agencie

You are please requested to use your medium to disseminate this information for the awareness of the general public. While thanking you for your usual support and cooperation, please accept the assurance of my best regards.

OLATOKUNBO ADESANYA

Air Vice Marshal

Director of Public Relations and Information

Nigerian Air Force











Before now, following confirmation of reports that some of the girls were yet to be accounted for, the NAF had deployed some ISR platforms and helicopters to search for and possibly locate the missing girls as well as the rogue Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs).Although these search operations were conducted in a covert manner, for obvious reasons, the efforts did not yield the desired results.Accordingly, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed the immediate deployment of additional air assets and NAF personnel to the Northeast with the sole mission of conducting day and night searches for the missing girls. It is noteworthy that the renewed efforts at locating the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other surface security forces.While the NAF will spare no efforts at possibly locating the girls via its air operations, it also seizes this opportunity to call on anyone, especially the locals, who might have any useful information that could lead to the location of the girls to bring such information forward to NAF authorities through any of the following GSM numbers: 08122557720, 08035733438, a08172843484a or a08058419128. Such useful information could also be forwarded to other relevant security agencieYou are please requested to use your medium to disseminate this information for the awareness of the general public. While thanking you for your usual support and cooperation, please accept the assurance of my best regards.OLATOKUNBO ADESANYAAir Vice MarshalDirector of Public Relations and InformationNigerian Air Force

Post Reply Posted: at 26-02-2018 10:30 AM (3 years ago) | Hero
English Finnish

Terveystalo Plc will publish its Financial statements release 2017 on 28 February 2018 at approximately 9:00 a.m. Finnish time.





The company will hold a press conference on 28 February, 2018, starting at 12:00 EET, at Terveystalo Piazza, Jaakonkatu 3 (3rd floor), 00100 Helsinki, Finland.





Passcode 092749. If you are calling from another location, please use any of the numbers above. A live webcast and telephone conference in English will begin at 1:30 pm EET. You can follow the webcast at: https://terveystalo.videosync.fi/2018-02-28-result To ask questions, please join the event conference 5-10 minutes prior to the start time using your local number (FI: +358 (0)9 7479 0360, UK: +44 (0)330 336 9104, US: +1 323-794-2558) and the Participant. If you are calling from another location, please use any of the numbers above.





Presentations will be held by Yrjo Narhinen, Chief Executive Officer and Ilkka Laurila, Chief Financial Officer. In addition to the results, we will discuss the causes and costs of Finnish sickness absences and the role of occupational healthcare in reducing and preventing them.









Welcome!









Further enquiries:





Kati Kaksonen,

Director, Investor Relations & Finance Communications

Tel. +358 (50) 393 1561

kati.kaksonen@terveystalo.com









Terveystalo in brief





Terveystalo is a listed company on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Terveystalo is the largest healthcare service company in Finland with net sales and network. The company offers versatile primary and secondary health care services for corporate and private customers and the public sector. The nationwide network covers 180 locations across Finland, complemented by 24/7 digital services.





In 2017, the Company had approximately 1.2 million individual customers and approximately 3.3 million doctor visits. Nearly 9,000 healthcare professionals work in Terveystalo, about half of whom are private practitioners. www.terveystalo.com
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES



HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVA LEAP HEALTH CORP. (TSXV:NLH) ("Nova Leap" or the Company), a company focused on the home health care industry, has completed the acquisition of the business assets of Family Tree Home Care, Inc. (the Vendor) located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts for $2.1 million. The purchase price for the acquisition was paid with $0.45 million in cash, a demand loan of $1.35 million from a Canadian Schedule 1 Bank, and a $0.30 million promissory note issued to the Vendor. All amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise specified. A Letter of Intent and related information pertaining to this acquisition was previously announced on January 9, 2018.

We are excited to work with the team at Family Tree. The employees have a great history of providing meaningful care in Massachusetts and we look forward to supporting them, said Chris Dobbin, President & CEO of Nova Leap. Its an exciting time with our Company. While we have been growing rapidly, we have managed to attract terrific people to our organization, we have a strong pipeline of opportunities and we will continue with our plans to expand.

The Transaction

Nova Leap incorporated a subsidiary, Nova Leap Health MA, Inc., to acquire the business assets of Family Tree, including customer contracts and intellectual property, and will continue to operate under the name Family Tree Home Care. The acquisition represents Nova Leaps fourth investment in New England and first in Massachusetts. All existing employees are expected to remain with Family Tree Home Care to ensure continuity of client service. Nova Leap now has approximately 250 employees in Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

About Family Tree

Family Tree operates as a private duty home care agency offering non-medical services for families in Massachusetts. Revenues for the years ended 2017 and 2016 were $3.23 million and $3.45 million (unaudited), respectively.

Nova Leap Reaches 280,000 Annualized Recurring Home Care Service Hours

The acquisition of Family Tree is expected to be immediately accretive and, when combined with existing Nova Leap subsidiaries, is expected to result in 280,000 annualized recurring client service hours. The Family Tree recurring service hours represent an 85% increase over Nova Leaps current annualized recurring service hours and an 80% increase in annualized recurring revenues.

Nova Leaps annualized recurring revenue run rate is now in excess of $7 million. Client service hours are paid primarily by clients, the Department of Veteran Affairs or through long term care insurance plans.

Update on Integration of Previous Acquisitions

Nova Leap acquired All About Home Care (AAHC), with operations in Rhode Island, and Armistead Senior Care (Armistead), with operations in Vermont and New Hampshire, in September 2017 and October 2017, respectively. Both operations are performing well. Armisteads 2018 recurring service hours are 8.6% ahead of budget for the first six weeks of 2018 and AAHCs recurring service hours are 3.5% ahead of budget for the same period. Nova Leap is beginning to realize economies of scale in the operations and will continue to do so as new operations are integrated through shared resources.

About Nova Leap

The Home Care Providers industry is becoming one of the fastest growing healthcare industries in Canada and the United States. Home care saves patients billions of dollars every year by treating them in their own homes instead of in hospitals. An aging population, the prevalence of chronic disease, growing physician acceptance of home care, medical advancements and a movement toward cost-efficient treatment options from public and private payers have all fostered industry growth. Nova Leap is focused on a highly fragmented market of small privately-held companies providing patients one on one care in their homes. Nova Leap's post-acquisition organic growth strategy is to increase annual revenue per location through a combination of increased employee investment, including training, focused sales and marketing efforts, billing rate increases, expansion of geographical coverage, and improved referral sources.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION:

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding the increase in the Companys recurring client service hours, annualized recurring revenue and progress on integrating previous acquisitions. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions concerning the Companys ability to integrate its acquired businesses and maintain previously achieved service hour and revenue levels, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include regulatory changes affecting the home care industry, unexpected increases in operating costs and competition from other service providers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this press release are made as of the date of this release and included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

For further information:

Christopher Dobbin, CPA, CA, Director, President and CEO Nova Leap Health Corp., T: 902 401 9480 F: 902 482 5177 cdobbin@novaleaphealth.com

John Boidman, Vice President Renmark Financial Communications Inc. T: 416 644-2020 or 514 939-3989 jboidman@renmarkfinancial.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Core Gold Inc. ("Core Gold" or the "Company") (TSX-V:CGLD)(OTCQX:CGLDF) is pleased to announce that it intends to conduct an offering, on a non-brokered private placement basis, of up to 14,166,666 units of the Company (the "Units") at a subscription price of $0.30 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $4,250,000 (the "Private Placement"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.45 for a period of two (2) years following the closing of the Private Placement, subject to acceleration in the event that the closing price of the Companys Common Shares is $0.60 per share or higher over a period of 10 consecutive trading days. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period that expires four months and a day from the closing date in accordance with the rules and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and applicable Canadian securities laws.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for expenditure related to restoration of Elipe S.A.s (Companys wholly owned Ecuadorian subsidiary) good corporate standing, general corporate purposes and working capital.

Upon closing of the Private Placement, the Company may pay a cash finder's fee to one or more arm's length parties equal to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised under the Private Placement from subscribers introduced by such parties. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about March 16, 2018 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSXV.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction. The securities will not be and have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

About Core Gold Inc.

The Company is a Canadian based mining company involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties in Ecuador. The Company is currently focused on gold production at its wholly-owned Dynasty Goldfield project and continued development at its Zaruma mine. Mineral is treated at the Companys wholly-owned Portovelo treatment plant close to the Zaruma mine operations. The Company also owns other significant gold exploration projects including the Copper Duke area in southern Ecuador all of which are on the main Peruvian Andean gold-copper belt extending into Ecuador.

For further information please contact:

Keith Piggott, CEO

Suite 1201  1166 Alberni Street

Vancouver, B.C. V6E 3Z3

Phone: +1 (604) 345-4822

Email: info@coregoldinc.com

Cautionary Notice:

This news release contains statements which are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking information which are prospective in nature. Such information in this news release includes statements regarding the Company's plans to conduct the Private Placement. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Core Golds actual results, revenues, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Important risks that could cause Core Golds actual results, revenues, performance or achievements to differ materially from Core Golds expectations include, among other things: failure of the Private Placement to be arranged on the proposed terms or at all; unanticipated delays in obtaining or failure to obtain regulatory or stock exchange approvals;; availability of capital and financing to maintain the Company's operations and plans; general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; and other risks detailed herein and in Core Golds Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Other than in accordance with regulatory obligations, Core Gold is not under any obligation and Core Gold expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The Flint lead crisis, combined with a lack of school funding for low income students, has lead to a reading proficiency crisis. https://t.co/JkTkgqzLBy  American Progress (@amprog) February 8, 2018

The head of public schools in Flint, Mich., says he's unsure whether the citys water crisis is to blame for a dramatic recent dip in student achievement.On the most recent round of state exams, slightly more than one in 10 third graders in Flint public schools scored proficient in reading . In 2014, four in 10 did.Many groups seized on the news as definitive evidence that lead in Flint's drinking water has caused brain damage in area children. The left-leaning Center for American Progress tweeted:In 2015, drinking water in Flint was found to have elevated levels of lead, which is known to impair cognitive development in children, especially children under 5.Even the very lowest levels of exposure, we know that lead erodes a childs IQ, shortens attention span and disrupts their behavior, Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and the dean for global health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told. We know when we do follow-up studies that children exposed when they were kids are more likely to be dyslexic, have behavioral problems and get in trouble with the law. Theres no question about that.The number of Flint children with elevated levels of lead doubled after the city in 2014 switched its source of drinking water from the Detroit system to the Flint River to save money. In some neighborhoods, the number of children testing for elevated lead levels more than tripled.But lead levels in Flint children have actually declined over the past 20 years, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In 1998, half of all children six years of age and under had elevated lead levels in their blood. At the peak of the 2015 crisis, roughly 5 percent of children in the city showed elevated lead levels in their blood.Bilal Tawwab, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, says he isnt sure the lead is the primary cause the precipitous drop in test scores.Tawwab took over the school district in 2015, just as the lead crisis was coming to light, and one of his first actions was to cut off the water and begin distributing bottled water to drink in schools. But he says that shifts in how the state measures educational assessment -- and a district that has struggled for decades -- are both significant factors in the recent test scores.First of all the assessment changed, and you have to account for that. I knew that coming into Flint that the achievement in reading and math were challenges, Tawwab says.Michigan changed the exam used to test student reading in 2015 to an exam more aligned with national Common Core standards. Reading scores across the state fell as a result, from 77 percent proficiency in reading to 40 percent.Flint public schools were struggling long before its recent water crisis. In the last three decades, the student population dropped by 85 percent, according to the districts own figures, including a 63 percent decline in the past 10 years alone, meaning the district receives less revenue than it once did.When Tawwab arrived, Flint faced a $21.9 million budget deficit . He's since closed that gap, but that has meant wage freezes in a place where teachers are already underpaid. Flint pays its new teachers 12 percent less than the average starting salary for a teacher in the state.Our greatest challenge right now is the number of teacher vacancies, Tawwab says. [Flint] struggles not only [to] attract them but keep them here. Our salaries are not competitive.Regardless of the causes, the recent drop in reading scores could presage a dire consequence for Flint students.Third-grade reading proficiency is a leading indicator of how well a child will perform during their academic career. As educators frequently note, children from kindergarten through third grade learn to read; beyond third grade they read to learn. Children who are not proficient in reading by the third grade are four times less likely to earn a high school diploma, according to one study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.Flint is attempting to remedy its reading crisis.The district is employing a multi-tiered system of support in its schools. The first tier is basic instruction, what all children receive in classrooms. The most intensive interventions include one-on-one instruction between teachers and students who need help. But that approach is stymied by the difficulty in attracting highly qualified teachers in the classroom, says Tawwab.When a child needs intensive intervention, that requires eyeball-to-eyeball [contact] with a high-quality teacher. And because we have so many children who need that level of intervention, we cant have anything but a high-quality teacher in that position."Meanwhile, water quality is still something of a problem in Flint school buildings. A new round of test results posted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality earlier this month found that 97 percent of water samples taken from Flint schools showed lead levels below the federal safety threshold. However, five of the nine schools in Flint had at least one sample that still showed elevated lead levels.The district continues to distribute bottled water, and the state has agreed to flush the water system at all district buildings. A new round of tests was completed Feb. 10, but the results have yet to be released.
Normally by this time of the year, many health organizationsare anticipating the arrival of Title X grant funding, which comes from the federal government and is dedicated exclusively to family planning and reproductive health care.But the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just started the months-long application process on Friday.Initially, HHS said the grant process would start in November and end in April. Now, applications are due in May and set to be awarded in September -- months after last year's Title X money will have expired. Sixty percent of Title X grants are set to expire on March 31 and the other 40 percent at the end of June.In the meantime, HHS says grantees can apply for funding to keep clinics running.The Trump administration said last year that it would reshape Title X. Indeed, the new application eliminates the Obama administration's focus on all forms of contraception and instead emphasizes abstinence programs and natural family planning methods -- both of which haven't traditionally been part of Title X.Reproductive health advocates worry this might mean less money for organizations like Planned Parenthood that support abortion and other forms of contraception. Title X funding, however, is not allowed to be used to directly fund abortions."It is of concern there are no references to contraception and no reference to nationally recognized clinical standards for the provision of high-quality family planning and sexual health care," says Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), in a statement.Planned Parenthood expressed even more concern."The Trump-Pence administration is quietly taking aim at access to birth control under the nations program for affordable reproductive health care, which 4 million people rely on each year," said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of the organization, according to Politico . "The last thing anyone wants is for Donald Trump or Mike Pence to weigh in on her sex life -- but this announcement essentially invites them into the bedroom."Title X has a history of bipartisan support, but it has become more politicized in recent years.Half of Title X grantees are state health departments -- a fact that Jessica Marcella, vice president of advocacy and communications for NFPRHA, says has protected Title X from huge partisan cuts. The program was signed into law by President Richard Nixon and at the time was championed by President George H.W. Bush -- then a congressman. We need to make population and family planning household words," he said in 1969. In 2007, his son, George W. Bush, signed the largest increase of Title X funding since the Clinton era.Fast forward a decade, though, and 13 states have prohibited clinics that provide abortions from receiving Title X money -- despite the fact that no federal money directly pays for abortion services. Nebraska is currently considering becoming the 14th state.Just before Barack Obama left the White House, he finalized a rule that would prohibit more states from withholding Title X money to centers that provide abortions. President Trump rolled back the rule during his first few months in office.Reproductive health advocates worry this trend in statehouses might soon be adopted by the Trump administration."How far will they go to curtail certain providers? asks Marcella.In Texas, where Title X grants are set to expire March 31, the funding delay and uncertainty is already starting to have an impact. Some clinics were planning to stock less of the more expensive -- but also more effective -- forms of contraceptives, like IUDs, says Kami Geoffray, CEO of the Womens Health and Family Planning Association of Texas, which receives Title X grants and contracts with 100 providers across the state -- ranging from county health departments to rural clinics.Weve had to message our providers that beyond March 31, theres no guarantee of anything. Depending on the type of provider, that could be catastrophic, says Geoffray.Some clinics always have cash reserves; others cannot exist without Title X money, she says.This is the latest in a string of incidents where the Trump administration has failed to consistently provide funding for vital health programs, including the Childrens Health Insurance Program and the Community Health Center Fund."This delay has already caused undue harm," says Marcella. "At the end of the day, our providers are just trying to serve 4 million people across the country -- people who are primarily low-income."
With federal spending on Medicaid experiments soaring in recent years, a congressional watchdog said state and federal governments fail to adequately evaluate if the efforts improve care and save money.A study by the Government Accountability Office released Thursday found some states dont complete evaluation reports for up to seven years after an experiment begins and often fail to answer vital questions to determine effectiveness. The GAO also slammed the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for failing to make results from Medicaid evaluation reports public in a timely manner.CMS is missing an opportunity to inform federal and state policy discussions, the GAO report said.Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, called the reports findings troubling but not surprising.It has been clear for some time that evaluations of Section 1115 waivers are not adequate, she said. There is some good work going on in this space at the state level, for example in Michigan and Iowa, but as the report makes clear states evaluations are often incomplete and not rigorous enough.These experiments are often called demonstration projects or 1115 demonstration waivers  based on the section of the law that allows the federal government to authorize them. They allow federal officials to approve states requests to test new approaches to providing coverage. They are used for a wide variety of purposes, including efforts to extend Medicaid to people or services not generally covered or to change payment systems to improve care.Medicaid demonstration programs often run for a decade or more. Several states that expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act did so through a demonstration program, including Indiana, Iowa, Arkansas and New Hampshire.Nearly three-quarters of states have Medicaid demonstration programs, such as those testing providing services through private managed-care firms and requiring enrollees to pay monthly premiums. About a third of the federal governments $300 billion a year in Medicaid spending goes to these test programs, the GAO said.The study, requested by top GOP lawmakers including Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), reviewed demonstration programs in eight states  Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York.In five of these states, money from their Medicaid demonstration program makes up more than half their total federal Medicaid budgets. Nearly all of Arizonas funding  99.7 percent  is through a demonstration program.The use of Medicaid demonstration programs accelerated during the 1990s. But in recent years the experiments have often reflected the political leanings of state officials or the party controlling the White House. Under a demonstration program, the Trump administration this year approved requests from Indiana and Kentucky to enact work requirements for some adult Medicaid enrollees.The GAO report noted that states often do not complete their evaluation reports until after the federal government renews their demonstration program. For example, Indianas Medicaid expansion demonstration program, which charges premiums and locks some enrollees out of coverage for lack of payment, was renewed in February even though a final evaluation report is not yet complete.GAO said Indianas evaluation of its Medicaid expansion wont look at the effect of the states provision that locks out enrollees for six months if they fail to pay premiums.GAO found that selected states evaluations of these demonstrations often had significant limitations that affected their usefulness in informing policy decisions, the report said.Alker said that more sunshine and data are needed to assess waivers, especially as they are clearly the vehicle the Trump administration is now using to pursue its ideological objectives for Medicaid.While states typically contract with independent groups to evaluate Medicaid demonstration programs, the federal government sometimes does its own review.But the GAO investigators found Indianas Medicaid agency wasnt willing to work with the federal contractor out of privacy concerns. That halted efforts for a federal review.Joel Cantor, director of the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., said the demonstration programs have often shifted from their intended purpose because they are designed by lawmakers pushing an agenda rather than as a scientific experiment to find better ways to deliver care.Demonstration programs have been used since the 1990s to advance policy agenda for whoever holds power in Washington and not designed to test an innovative idea, he said.The evaluations often take several years to complete, he said, because of the difficulty of getting patient data from states. His center has done evaluations for New Jerseys Medicaid program.GAO recommended that CMS require states to submit a final evaluation report after the end of the waiver period, regardless of whether the experiment is being renewed, and that the federal agency publicly release findings from federal evaluations in a timely manner. Federal officials said they agreed with the recommendations.Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said the report highlighted a need to modernize the law dealing with Medicaid so that successful experiments are quickly incorporated into the overall program.The underlying problem is that the Medicaid statute has fundamentally failed to keep up with the changing reality of health care in the 21st century, he said. Theres no way to update the rules to make these changes a permanent part of the program.
California Democrats overwhelmingly decided not to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein this weekend, an embarrassing rebuke of a party icon who has represented California in the Senate for a quarter-century.Nearly two-thirds of the party's delegates voted against backing her campaign for a fifth full term, a reflection of the dissonance between an increasingly liberal state party and the moderation and pragmatism that have been hallmarks of Feinstein's political career.The lack of support could simply be a speed bump on Feinstein's path to reelection in November. But many Democrats gathered in San Diego for their annual convention said they were looking for a flamethrower who would more aggressively confront President Trump and viewed Feinstein as a creature of the nation's capital who has lost touch with her California roots.Feinstein's opponent, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, won 54% of the delegates' votes Saturday, just shy of the 60% needed to secure the endorsement. Feinstein received 37%."I have never seen her ever at a convention until she finally realized, 'I've got a challenge on my hands,'" said Mark Gonzalez, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. "People are frustrated.... She's the most senior member and we value that, but as the most senior member, you've got to give it to Trump. She has the power to challenge him, and she doesn't always do that."De Leon seized on the discontent as he sought the party's endorsement."I'm running for the United States Senate because the days of Democrats biding our time, biting our tongue and triangulating at the margins are over," De Leon said. "And I'm running because California's greatness comes from acts of human audacity, not from congressional seniority."De Leon, 51, still faces significant obstacles in his bid to topple a powerful, wealthy incumbent. He trails Feinstein by 29 percentage points in the most recent public poll and started the year with $360,000 compared with Feinstein's $10 million. If he had received the endorsement, he would have gained access to party resources and the ability to jointly raise funds with the party, which can receive unlimited contributions.Feinstein's longtime political advisor, Bill Carrick, dismissed the significance of the endorsement vote as a beauty contest among party activists who do not represent the broader California electorate. He said that as a senior senator in Washington, Feinstein could not shower party regulars with as much attention as De Leon."He spent a lot of time working the party [events] over the years," Carrick said. "She's obviously a senator in Washington with a very serious day job."Both candidates walked the convention halls courting delegates during the three-day weekend gathering as their supporters waved campaign signs and handed out buttons. De Leon handed out tacos and cups of horchata to his supporters, while Feinstein provided scrambled eggs and French toast during a rare appearance at a state party convention."There's a difference between Republicans and Democrats that I've noticed," Feinstein told the crowd at the breakfast she hosted for delegates. "Republicans tend to stick by their man no matter what. Democrats don't always. We fractionate. We divide. This must not happen. This great California house of Democrats must come together because we have a big job to see that this country gets straightened out."Feinstein, 84, held a conference call for delegates earlier in the week and sent them mailers touting her accomplishments. But the senator from San Francisco is not a frequent presence at state party events, a point raised often over the weekend."We have not seen her in 25 years," Latino caucus chairman Carlos Alcala said to hoots from the audience after Feinstein chose not to address their meeting.At a party labor caucus meeting, some in the crowd groaned and shook their heads when Feinstein said she had aligned with their interests on "every vote I know of in the U.S. Senate."And during her speech to delegates Saturday, music began playing as she ran past the five minutes allotted.De Leon's supporters used the moment to chant "Time's up! Time's up!"The at-times chilly reception is nothing new for Feinstein. When running for governor in 1990, she was booed during her speech before the state party convention for affirming her support for the death penalty -- a moment her campaign filmed and turned into a television ad as testament to her independence. Feinstein did not win the party endorsement but did win the primary before losing in the general election.Feinstein was warmly received by many delegates, including members of the party's women's caucus, who greeted her with a standing ovation."I think she's fabulous. I think she's the model for every young girl coming up. She's got more grit than some of the males that are in Congress right now," said Toni Rigoni, 65, a corporate event planner from San Jose. "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for change. I love change. I think it's important. But she has the know-how, she has the wit, she has the humor, she has the determination. She's a professional. She knows how Washington runs, and that's what we need."The party is fractured between its more moderate members and its progressive wing, a divide that came into sharp relief during a bitterly contested chairman's race last year.De Leon tried to appeal to the newly energized liberal faction by contrasting Feinstein's record -- including votes for the Iraq war and warrantless wiretapping by the federal government -- with his support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and single-payer healthcare. He also highlighted controversial comments Feinstein made last year calling for "patience" with Trump and expressing the hope that he could become "a good president."Ilissa Gold, 31, president of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club, said she backed De Leon partly because of his antagonistic approach toward the president."We believe that California is on the forefront of the resistance to Donald Trump, and we believe we need a senator who is going to represent that," she said. "We very much respect her long service to California. We just believe that we're at a different point and time in this country, and it's time for a change in our leadership."Feinstein's supporters argue her long history of supporting progressive policy has been overlooked, including authoring the federal assault weapons ban and her decision to release a transcript of the Senate Judiciary Committee's interview of the co-founder of Fusion GPS, a firm that researched Trump during the 2016 campaign over the objections of Republicans."She is fighting hard and she has been her entire career, since she came to the Senate in 1992," said former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a longtime Feinstein confidante. "She's shown herself to be a stellar leader and an independent leader, and one that is completely in line with most Californians."Cheryl Conway, 61, a delegate from Cayucos, said she wasn't surprised that Feinstein was snubbed by the party because, as an influential member of the Senate judiciary and intelligence committees, she sometimes has to put the nation's interest over the party's."Those who want a purity test are always going to be disappointed in a candidate," she said.A retired staff member for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Conway voted to endorse Feinstein and said she still expects her to win reelection -- even without the party nod."Dianne Feinstein is a big girl. She knows how to do this," she said.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, under felony indictment, has resigned his position on the executive committee of the Republican Governors Association.The announcement Friday came as Greitens told the group that he would not be attending the separate National Governors Association's annual winter meeting this weekend here.Greitens was indicted by a St. Louis grand jury on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly transmitting a non-consensual photo of a partly nude lover. The governor, in a written statement, called the indictment a "misguided political decision" by a "reckless liberal prosecutor." St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is a Democrat.Republican Governors Association Executive Director Paul Bennecke released a statement saying that Greitens "informed us last night that he is going to remain in Missouri this weekend to fight back against what his team has called a baseless charge."The statement continued: "Given his desire to focus his full attention on moving forward in Missouri, he also no longer intends to serve on the executive committee of the RGA. We look forward to a quick resolution of this issue. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gov. Greitens and his family."Greitens was expected to participate in sessions on homeland security at the Pentagon, and on veterans issues during the National Governors Association meeting.A St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens and a warrant for his arrest was issued Thursday. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter saw Greitens with sheriff's deputies in the hallway of the Carnahan Courthouse about 3:45 p.m. Officials later confirmed that Greitens had been taken into custody and booked at the St. Louis Justice Center.Sheriff Vernon Betts confirmed that Greitens was never handcuffed."We weren't going to treat him like a common criminal," Betts said Friday.Greitens was released on a personal recognizance bond with a provision allowing him to travel freely in the United States.After Greitens was led away, the courtroom doors were locked. Greitens' lawyers left the building around 5:30 p.m., around the time an SUV with blacked-out windows left from a loading dock in the back of the courthouse.Gardner, in a statement announcing the indictment, said the grand jury found probable cause to believe Greitens violated a Missouri statute that makes it a felony to transmit a non-consensual image showing nudity in a manner that allows access to that image via a computer.The woman Greitens had an affair with in 2015 has not spoken publicly. Her husband recorded a conversation with her. In it, the woman said that Greitens took a photo of her without her consent during a consensual sexual encounter in Greitens' St. Louis home in which she was bound and partly nude. She said in the recording that he threatened to release the photo if she mentioned his name.Greitens' attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the charge Thursday. The next court date for Greitens is March 16.The Republican Governors Association site Friday morning had a post lauding Greitens' tax-cut plans in Missouri.The Missouri Republican Party issued a statement on social media Friday calling the indictment a "political hit job" and citing donations Gardner received from "George Soros groups."Soros is a New York billionaire who supports progressive causes."This law has never been prosecuted in this way and it is safe to say if Eric Greitens wasn't governor, it wouldn't have been this time either," the post said, quoting Sam Cooper, executive director of the state party.In a statement late Thursday night in response to statements from Greitens and his lawyers attacking the indictment, Gardner spokeswoman Susan Ryan said Greitens' lawyers contacted the circuit attorney's office Thursday to arrange "a 'secret' meeting next week.""The Circuit Attorney asked if the Governor would be making a statement that is any different from his public statements," the statement said. "His lawyers said they wanted to share the 'human' side of the story."The Circuit Attorney makes charging decisions based upon facts and evidence. Without additional facts and information from the Governor, the meeting was not necessary," the statement said.
State Sen. Carlos Uresti and co-defendant Gary Cain were found guilty Thursday on 20 combined felony charges in a criminal fraud trial over the past month that has stunned San Antonio and the state Capitol.Hours later, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took steps to remove Uresti from his committee assignments in the state Senate, "effective immediately," and Senate Democrats called for his resignation.Uresti and Cain were convicted in federal court here of defrauding investors in the now-defunct company FourWinds Logistics, which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production before it collapsed in 2015. Uresti, 54, was convicted on 11 criminal charges while Cain, 61, was convicted on 9 charges."Today, justice was done," U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas John Bash said in a statement. "It's a somber day for the state, for the city because whenever someone who's in a position of public trust defrauds other people and causes harm to other people, that's very sad."He said he hoped the verdict sends a message to others: "it doesn't matter your status in government or in the community. If you commit fraud, you're going to be held accountable."Uresti and Cain face the possibility of years in federal prison and up to millions in fines when they are sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra on June 25.Amid a throng of media outside the courthouse, Uresti said he was disappointed with the verdict, apologized to his wife and resolved to keep his Senate seat -- despite a call from state Democrats to reconsider his role in politics."This is a shock to all of us," Uresti said when asked about how this would impact him politically. "This is not the verdict we were expecting, so I'm going to meet with my family and my wife and my attorneys and we'll make those decisions down the road."Uresti said he has no plans to step down from office and will appeal the ruling."Absolutely," he said when asked if he would appeal. "And those are the things we're going to discuss with our lawyers as well."Cain hasn't decided whether he'll appeal yet, according to his lead lawyer Charles "Chad" Muller."We'll review the verdict and we'll review the case, the transcripts, and decide what further action we'll take," Muller said.Uresti is already facing pressure to step down in the Senate, with Patrick announcing plans hours after his conviction to remove him from all of his committee posts."Though I recognize that Sen. Uresti is entitled to exercise his right to appeal, my first priority is to the people of Texas," Patrick said in a statement, adding that he doesn't have the authority to remove him from office. Uresti is vice chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee and has posts on the Education, Finance and Veterans Affairs and Border Security panels.Texas Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Jose Rodriguez called for Uresti's resignation while the Texas Democratic Party issued a statement pressuring the lawmaker to reconsider his position in the state Senate, saying "no one is ever above the law.""After being found guilty of such serious crimes, Sen. Uresti must seriously consider whether he can serve his constituents," said Democratic party spokesman Tariq Thowfeek.Calls for Uresti's resignation also came from across the political aisle. Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey said in a statement: "State Sen. Carlos Uresti must resign from the Texas Senate. Texas needs people of integrity in every elected position."The verdict came after 11 hours of jury deliberations over three days following a month of sometimes salacious testimony involving prostitutes, sex, drugs and deceit at FourWinds. Former CEO Stan Bates pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges last month, admitting that he misused investor money for his own pleasure.The ex-Marine fostered a bacchanalian atmosphere at the company, former employees testified. Some employees said Bates appeared to have a cocaine habit and used company cash on hookers, expensive cars and to pay for his son's fraternity dues. Prosecutors called FourWinds a Ponzi scheme.Bash said FourWinds lured investors with "false pretenses, false promises, misrepresentations, including altered bank statements ... A lot of that money went to pay prior investors, a lot of that money went to personal expenses by the co-conspirators -- everything from gifts and travel and luxury vehicles to controlled substances, even prostitutes."Although the defense team acknowledged that FourWinds was a scam, they tried to convince the jury that Uresti didn't know until it was too late and shouldn't be convicted as a result."Carelessness, negligence, foolishness," Uresti lawyer Tab Turner told jurors in closing arguments Tuesday. "The law says you have to have criminal intent."The courtroom was opened shortly after 10 a.m. as defense lawyers and prosecutors were informed by court staff to return for the verdict.Uresti stared emotionless at the courtroom deputy as she read the verdict to the packed room -- turning to face the jury for the last two charges. Cain also showed no reaction in the courtroom, but he was wiping away tears as he left.Uresti's wife Lleanna, who missed the verdict, held her husband in a long embrace outside the courtroom.Bash changed his travel plans to witness the verdict. The FBI's special agent in charge for San Antonio, Christopher Combs, and other federal agents were also in the courtroom. None of the eight men and four women on the jury would comment to reporters as they left the courthouse.The San Antonio Democrat, who didn't testify in his own defense during the month-long trial, isn't required to give up his seat even though he's now a convicted felon.Texas ethics rules allow him to remain in office until he exhausts the appeals process. However, there could be renewed calls for him to end his nearly 21-year political career now that he's been found guilty and facing jail time. Uresti said he has no plans to step down from office and will appeal the ruling.The State Bar of Texas likely will soon seek compulsory discipline against Uresti, who has been a licensed attorney for more than 25 years. Uresti's license would be suspended during any appeal; otherwise he faces disbarment and the loss of his livelihood as a convicted criminal.It was Uresti's legal dealings that landed him in federal prosecutors' cross hairs in the first place. The lawmaker was part of the team of attorneys that secured a $2.5 million out-of-court settlement for Denise Cantu of Harlingen in 2012 following the deaths of two of her children in a vehicle rollover two years earlier.Uresti recommended Cantu, 38, invest some of her settlement in FourWinds, which prosecutors say was a Ponzi scheme that squandered investors' money. Cantu invested $900,000 and lost $800,000. She has sued him for fraud and the case is pending.Uresti told Cantu the FourWinds investment was "guaranteed," "good as gold" and she could get her money back if she wasn't satisfied, she testified during the trial.Besides recruiting investors, Uresti also was FourWinds' outside legal counsel and a 1 percent owner of the company.Prosecutors said Uresti had financial difficulties that led him to "groom" Cantu, becoming her friend, confidant and financial adviser before drawing her into a sexual relationship.Cantu, the government's star witness, revealed details of their relationship -- testifying how Uresti first told her she looked "sexy" while they were attending a deposition in her wrongful-death case and how they exchanged sexually explicit texts. She also testified they had sex in the bathroom shower at his law office. He has denied being sexually involved with her.During the trial, an Internal Revenue Service investigator told jurors how none of Cantu's money ever went to buy sand. Instead, the money was used to pay an earlier FourWinds investor.Cantu wired $800,000 to a FourWinds entity to buy sand in June 2014. A week later $700,000 of that money went to FourWinds' operating account at Chase. The company then cut a $40,000 check to the Uresti Law Firm that was deposited in its trust account.Uresti told the San Antonio Express-News in a 2016 recorded interview that was played for the jury by prosecutors that the loan was "kind of like an advance on future commissions (and) future legal work." Trust accounts generally are set up for holding client funds that are meant to be kept separate from a lawyer's own money.Cantu and a group of Mexican nationals that invested in the company testified they were not aware that Uresti stood to get a cut of their profits. The Mexicans, in particular, said they would never have agreed to that since Uresti was holding their money as an escrow agent and that would have been a conflict of interest.Outside of the jury's presence last week, Ezra said FourWinds was a "scam from the get-go" because Bates misrepresented the company to investors.Investors' money was used to fund FourWinds' launch, according to evidence presented during the trial. None of FourWinds' principals put in any of their own money to start the company, though Bates told investors he put in $2 million of his own money and passed around a fraudulent bank statement claiming that it had almost $19 million in the bank.Friends warned Uresti about Bates, calling him a "complete con man" and a "shady individual," testimony during the trial revealed. Yet the lawmaker seemed to have blinders on in his dealings with Bates. The pair are ex-Marines and government witnesses said Uresti told potential investors that a Marine is an "honorable person" you can trust.A FourWinds office manager testified that the company had a reputation as a "brothel" that employed "surgically enhanced women" and let workers booze it up.Bates pleaded guilty to eight felony charges last month rather than stand trial. He was the fourth company official to plead guilty in the case.Bates brought on Uresti co-defendant Cain as a company consultant to find financing for the business on the recommendation of Uresti and Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood. Cain and LaHood were business partners in Trinity Global Funding & Consulting for a time when Cain became involved with FourWinds.Prosecutors say Cain knew about the fraud at FourWinds a month after joining the company in September 2014. Two months earlier, a Bexar County jury acquitted Cain of swindling Rackspace Hosting Inc. in a 2007 land deal. LaHood was part of Cain's defense team.Cain, who took the stand in his own defense, said it wasn't until early 2016 -- several months after he parted ways with FourWinds -- that he learned the full scope of how officials there mishandled investor money.In a November 2015 sworn statement made in Bates' personal bankruptcy case, however, Cain said he noticed irregularities with FourWinds' financial records in late 2014 or early 2015."I ... saw evidence of misuse of investor funds including commingling (and) failure to return funds to investor accounts," Cain said in the affidavit.Despite this knowledge, Cain continued to be paid a $15,000 consulting fee every two weeks until he parted ways with FourWinds in May 2015.Uresti has other legal matters hanging over his head.The legislator is accused in another criminal case of using his consulting business -- Turning Point Solutions -- to split $850,000 in bribes with Jimmy Galindo, a former county court judge in Reeves County in West Texas. Galindo has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and failure to file a 2013 tax return. The case against Uresti is scheduled for trial in May in the same San Antonio courthouse that he has spent almost the last five weeks in.The Securities and Exchange Commission has an ongoing civil investigation into the FourWinds case. An SEC official from Fort Worth was present for Cantu's testimony.
The city of Portland will join a national movement by suing drug companies behind America's opioid crisis.On Wednesday, the Portland City Council voted 4-0 to file litigation hoping to recoup millions of dollars spent locally each year dealing with the fallout of opioid addiction."This is a much-needed step to help stem the tide of opioid addiction in our community," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said.Portland will join at least 370 other cities and counties across America suing drug manufacturers or distributors, said Naomi Sheffield, a deputy city attorney. Locally, Multnomah County filed suit against several companies in August while the Clark County Council, in Washington, approved a lawsuit Tuesday.Portland plans to argue that drug companies created a public nuisance and acted negligently. Sheffield said the city's damages from opioid addition are "a few million dollars annually."In 2016, city firefighters responded to 3,475 overdose calls. Of those, first responders administered Naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses, about 400 times, Sheffield said. And about half of all drug calls to police are related to opioids."Entities we trust with our health are preying on our pain and leaving a wake of ruin, grief and untold costs to families and communities," Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said.City officials have privately identified a list of companies that could be targeted in a lawsuit. But the city did not release those names Wednesday and Sheffield declined to identify the companies when asked by The Oregonian/OregonLive.Portland will hire an outside law firm, Baron & Budd, to sue opioid companies. Baron & Budd already represents Portland in a separate suit against chemical-maker Monsanto, and the law firm represents many jurisdictions suing over opioid havoc.Portland's lawsuit will be filed locally in federal court. But officials expect it will be transferred to the Northern District of Ohio, where multi-district litigation involving drug companies is being heard."We do have a voice, and collectively our voices have power," Commissioner Nick Fish said.Wednesday's meeting also highlighted the personal toll of opioid use.Former Portland Commissioner Steve Novick testified about the 2007 death of his brother, Mischa, from an OxyContin overdose. Novick said drug companies -- specifically Purdue Pharma and the wealthy Sackler family behind it -- need to be held accountable.
The Supreme Court handed President Trump a significant defeat Monday, turning down the administration's plea for a quick ruling that would have upheld the president's power to end special protections for so-called Dreamers.The court's decision keeps in place a legal shield for nearly 700,000 young immigrants for the rest of this year, and perhaps longer, allowing people who have been covered by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to continue living and working legally in the U.S. Those whose existing DACA permits expire this year will also be allowed to apply for another two-year permit.Although the court's action removes for now the threat of job loss and deportation, it also will extend the long-term uncertainty for the Dreamers -- young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Congress has been stymied on a legislative solution to their situation, and without an immediate deadline to force action, lawmakers almost certainly will not try again to forge a compromise on immigration before this fall's midterm elections.Last September, Trump announced that he would end the DACA program and gave Congress until March 5 to pass legislation to resolve the legal status of the Dreamers. Then, in early January, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the government to keep the DACA program running until legal challenges could be fully aired, ruling that Trump's order had been based on a "flawed legal premise." A district judge in New York this month issued a similar ruling.In seeking to get Alsup's order overturned, the Justice Department sought to leapfrog the U.S. appeals court in California, asking the Supreme Court to grant an "immediate review" of Alsup's nationwide order.The action the administration sought was rare. It has been nearly 30 years since the Supreme Court granted review of a district judge's ruling before an appeals court could weigh in. And the court said Monday it had no interest in following that course in the DACA case.The justices, without dissent, turned down the administration's petition "without prejudice," meaning that the government could return to the high court once the appeals court rules."It is assumed that the Court of Appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case," the justices noted in a brief order.Even though the action by the high court was procedural in nature, not a ruling on the substance of the case, it has significant impact because it keeps in place Alsup's injunction for as long as the case wends its way through the judicial system, which could be quite a while. In their appeal to the high court, administration lawyers said the injunction would likely last well into 2019 if the appeals run their normal course in the lower courts.That's a significant victory for the Dreamers and a defeat for administration hard-liners, led by Stephen Miller, Trump's domestic policy advisor. They have tried to use renewal of DACA as a bargaining chip to get Congress to adopt new policies to restrict legal immigration.With DACA now effectively off the congressional agenda for this year, the possibility of new immigration restrictions is also much less likely. Democrats hope to regain control of at least one house of Congress in the midterm elections, which would give them considerably more of a say in any legislation.Even if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does act "expeditiously," as the justices suggested, a ruling from the appeals court would be unlikely before summer. That would mean the earliest the case could return to the Supreme Court would be in the fall, with a ruling possible by the end of the year.That's assuming a speedy path for the litigation. A scenario in which the case doesn't return to the high court until a year from now is quite possible.Speaking to a group of the nation's governors on Monday, Trump complained about once again facing a case in the 9th Circuit, which hears appeals in federal cases from California and eight other Western states. A majority of the court's active judges were appointed by Democratic presidents."I mean, it's really sad when every single case filed against us -- this is in the 9th Circuit -- we lose, we lose, we lose, and then we do fine in the Supreme Court. But what does that tell you about our court system? It's a very, very sad thing. So DACA's going back, and we'll see what happens from there," Trump said.The Justice Department's reaction was more measured, acknowledging that the administration's request for the court to take up the case and bypass the appeals court had been a long shot."While we were hopeful for a different outcome, the Supreme Court very rarely grants certiorari before judgment," said spokesman Devin O'Malley. "We will continue to defend [the Department of Homeland Security's] lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner."Los Angeles attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. , who represented DACA recipients who challenged Trump's order, praised the court's decision."DACA is a lawful and important program that protects young people who came to this country as children and who know this country as their only home. The Dreamers have relied on DACA to make decisions about their education, jobs, and families and to make valuable contributions to society as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and members of the military," he said."Two federal district courts have now recognized that the Trump administration's abrupt decision to end the program was unlawful. We are confident that the court of appeals will reach the same conclusion," he added."This was clearly the correct result -- to let the judicial process work in the orderly manner," said Mark Rosenbaum, another Los Angeles lawyer who worked on the case. "The larger message is also clear: that for the 700,000 Dreamers who continue to work and study every day to make our nation a better place, the responsibility rests with Congress to do the right thing."The administration's legal strategy in the case was consistent with Trump's approach to DACA since he was elected: He has not wanted to keep the program but has also not wanted to be blamed for deporting Dreamers, who enjoy widespread public support.After Alsup issued his order, U.S. Solicitor Gen. Noel Francisco could have asked the high court for a stay, which would have put the order on hold and allowed the administration to end DACA. Instead, he surprised many observers by, instead, asking the justices to hear arguments in the case this spring.Francisco asserted that a stay would result in an "abrupt shift" in the enforcement policy, while the administration favored an "orderly wind-down of the DACA policy."At the same time, he insisted that the court order was doing serious harm to the government. "The district judge's unprecedented order requires the government to sanction indefinitely an ongoing violation of federal law being committed by nearly 700,000 aliens," Francisco wrote, referring to the DACA recipients.In his ruling, Alsup said Trump's advisors, led by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, had been wrong when they decided President Obama lacked the authority to extend relief to the Dreamers.Alsup agreed "a new administration is entitled to replace old policies with new policies," but nonetheless concluded that the "flawed legal premise" set out by Sessions could not serve as a basis for ending DACA now.His preliminary injunction required the administration to "maintain the DACA program on a nationwide basis." However, he said nothing in his order would prevent federal authorities from "removing any individual, including any DACA enrollee, who it determines poses a risk to national security or public safety."
The relationship between U.S. immigration officials and California's liberal leaders soured long ago, but Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to warn potential targets of federal arrest that an immigration sweep could be imminent was an extraordinary escalation.Schaaf said she issued the alert Saturday night after receiving confidential tips from "credible sources" who revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, was planning arrests across the Bay Area as soon as Sunday.She and Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick discussed the reports before Schaaf concluded that the information was solid enough to warrant going public, according to people familiar with her thinking. Schaaf said she also conferred with legal counsel to make sure she wasn't opening herself up to federal prosecution.The news release that resulted -- which Schaaf said was intended "not to panic our residents but to protect them" -- was among the most assertive maneuvers by a local politician to counter the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The message: Not only will Oakland andits police force not cooperate with ICE,but the city will actively seek to thwart efforts to detain and deport immigrants."I know that Oakland is a city of law-abiding immigrants and families who deserve to live free from the constant threat of arrest and deportation," Schaaf said in her Saturday night statement. "I believe it is my duty and moral obligation as Mayor to give those families fair warning when that threat appears imminent."ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Schaaf's action. Officials provided a statement to KGO-TV saying, "There are ICE operations every day and it is unclear what the mayor is referring to."Reaction to the mayor's move was swift and harsh from those who favor strong immigration enforcement. Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington organization that advocates for decreased immigration, called Schaaf's statement a "political stunt.""This is pretty irresponsible on the part of a public official," Vaughan said. "To the extent this results in people being able to hide from ICE and shelter in the community inevitably creates more victims. It also creates fear in the community. She may or may not have good information."But Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom was among those who supported the move, saying, "We can and must protect immigrant families from Donald Trump's mass deportations. I want to thank Mayor Schaaf for her courage and hope more local leaders will follow her lead."At a news conference Sunday in the city's heavily Latino Fruitvale neighborhood, Schaaf said she had notified mayors of other Bay Area cities of the imminent sweep and felt "confident that my sharing of this information, because I did not receive it through official channels, is legal."Asked why she would want to interfere in ICE's ability to make arrests in Oakland, Schaaf did not answer directly. She said only that she had been told the targets of the sweep were wanted for immigration violations, not as suspects in crimes.She referred to Oakland nurse Maria Mendoza-Sanchez, who with her husband was deported last year after more than two decades in the United States. The couple left behind four children who have legal status."Oakland is full of Marias," Schaaf said.Also in Fruitvale was Emma Paulino, a community organizer and immigrant advocate, who said many people appreciated Schaaf's decision, "so they can make their own decisions on what to do next." She said that if the mayor had chosen not to share the information, the community probably would have been "kind of disappointed."Schaaf's warning, while unusual, appeared to be vague enough that she probably didn't put herself in legal jeopardy, some experts said."She's basically saying that in the next day ICE is going to be conducting some kind of operation," said Lara Bazelon, an associate law professor at the University of San Francisco. "She doesn't say what kind, which areas will be targeted or which people will be affected."Had Schaaf given particular people specific details of a secret operation and advised them to leave, her actions may have gotten closer to obstruction of justice, said UC Berkeley law Professor Charles Weisselberg.The mayor's move puts her in the center of a intensifying clash between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in California, where last year Gov. Jerry Brown signed a statewide sanctuary law.Oakland had long been a sanctuary city before the legislation, meaning it restricts cooperation between employees and U.S. immigration officers in a bid to reassure undocumented residents that they can freely access education, health and public-safety resources.As recently as last year, however, the city's police officers were allowed to work in tandem with ICE's criminal enforcement arm, Homeland Security Investigations. That all changed through a series of measures the City Council passed in response to public outcry.In July, the council tore up an agreement that allowed Oakland police officers to work with federal agents on cases of human trafficking, drug smuggling and other cross-border crimes. Community members had questioned the necessity of the partnership.But a month later, Schaaf and Chief Kirkpatrick came under fire after city police provided traffic enforcement for federal officers during an investigation into alleged human trafficking at a West Oakland home. In response, the City Council passed another resolution barring all forms of assistance to ICE, including traffic support during criminal investigations.The day before the August operation, Kirkpatrick had gotten a call from Ryan Spradlin, the head of Homeland Security Investigations in the Bay Area, who requested that Oakland police vehicles and uniformed officers provide traffic control while plainclothes federal agents executed a warrant at the home of a Guatemalan family that ran a janitorial business.Kirkpatrick agreed to the request and alerted Schaaf, who for weeks defended the decision, even while Kirkpatrick was called before the City Council to explain her actions. Schaaf and Kirkpatrick met in November with federal officials who showed them the sealed warrant from the case to justify the operation, which led to deportation proceedings against one of two detained brothers. No outcome has been announced in the trafficking investigation.Schaaf said the events led her to conclude that police shouldn't be involved again, and she threw her weight behind the resolution that prohibited even blocking off a street for federal immigration authorities."The policy needs to not create even the impression that our Police Department is supporting an ICE operation or is in any way complicit with deportation actions," Schaaf told The Chronicle at the time.The mayor's evolution on the issue culminated with a declaration to reporters in January that she would be willing to go to jail to protect Oakland's immigrants and the city's sanctuary policies.
For the third time in four years, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court clashed over the rights of government employees who dont want to pay for the union services they receive in labor-friendly states.But one judge's voice was conspicuously absent.Justice Neil Gorsuch, who joined the court last year after being appointed by President Donald Trump, remained silent during arguments on Monday. Thats notable because Gorsuch has seemed eager to spar with his colleagues during previous arguments and, more importantly, because he was the only member of the court not to participate in a similar case that ended in a 4-4 tie two years ago after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.Gorsuch has voted reliably with the courts conservative bloc, which wants to invalidate mandatory fees for union services and, in the process, overturn a 1977 decision called Abood v. Detroit Board of Education that allowed for unions to collect them. That's left many observers to conclude that the Abood ruling is hanging by a thread.Both inside and outside the courtroom, the arguments in Mondays case centered on two distinct but very much interconnected themes.The first is the heart of the legal argument: Does it violate a public employees First Amendment rights to be forced to pay an agency fee for services that unions provide on his behalf? Agency fees, sometimes called fair-share fees, are different from union dues. They pay for services like collective bargaining and grievance resolutions but do not pay for direct lobbying or political donations.The challengers to the agency fees argue that they violate the constitutional right to free speech because they are a form of forced speech that requires non-union members to back union positions on the size, scope and operations of government.The second main theme deals with political reality: Would eliminating unions ability to collect agency fees cripple their ability to represent workers and the ability of governments to manage their workplaces?Unions and their supporters claim that getting rid of the agency fees would create a free rider problem. People would stop paying union dues because they were getting the services from the unions anyway. That, in turn, would drive up the price of union dues, prompting more people to leave the union. Eventually, the unions would not be financially viable or represent enough workers to collectively bargain on their behalf.The political implications were not lost on the judges.Justice Elena Kagan pressed a lawyer representing Mark Janus, an Illinois state worker at the center of the case, about what would happen if the fees were declared unconstitutional.Twenty-three states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, all would have their statutes declared unconstitutional at once. Thousands of municipalities would have contracts invalidated. Those contracts probably cover millions, maybe up to over 10 million, workers, Kagan said. When have we ever done something like that? What would be the justification for doing something like that?Janus lawyer, William Messenger, said the widespread use of agency fees showed precisely why the court needs to overturn its 40-year-old case.The prevalence of these compulsory unionism provisions isn't reason for retaining [the decision in] Abood; it's reason for reversing Abood. You have wide-scale First Amendment violations, as you said, in 23 states affected, he argued.Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative who is often a swing vote in close cases, led the attack against agency fees. He rejected the argument that agency fees are not political because they dont expressly support candidates or lobbying activities.David Franklin, the top appellate lawyer for the state of Illinois, told the judges that agency fees help governments smoothly administer their workplaces.We have an interest at the end of the day in being able to work with a stable, responsible, independent counterparty that's well-resourced enough that it can be a partner with us, Franklin told the court.But Kennedy interrupted him.It can be a partner with you in advocating for a greater size workforce, against privatization, against merit promotion, for teacher tenure, for higher wages, for massive government, for increasing bonded indebtedness, for increasing taxes? he asked incredulously.Kennedy also sparred with David Frederick, who represented the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31.I'm asking you, Kennedy said, whether or not in your view, if you do not prevail in this case, the unions will have less political influence: yes or no?Yes, they will have less political influence, Frederick responded.Isn't that the end of this case? Kennedy asked.It is not the end of the case, Frederick answered, because that is not the question. The question is: Do states, as part of our sovereign system, have the authority and the prerogative to set up a collective bargaining system in which they mandate that the union is going to represent minority interests on pain of being subject to any fair labor practice?Justice Sonia Sotomayor, meanwhile, pressed lawyers for Janus and the Trump administration (which backs Janus claim), to explain why the same rationale for striking down union agency fees couldnt also be used to invalidate other types of compulsory fees, such as bar association dues or student activity fees.Those types of fees have been held up by the court, she said, because the people who pay them still have other ways of making their opinion known.Bar members can come out any day they want and say they don't take the same position on a policy question as the bar association. Any union member is free to get up publicly in any setting he or she wants to say they don't agree with the position the union is taking, Sotomayor said.She also tried to get the lawyers pushing to invalidate agency fees to explain what the difference was between, for example, a single employee asking for a raise -- which everyone agrees wouldnt violate the First Amendment -- and a union asking for raises on behalf of hundreds of employees at the same time.Sotomayor pushed back when Messenger argued that it was the scale of the bargaining that distinguished it.You have AFSCME bargaining over issues that affect hundreds of millions of dollars and affect thousands of employees across the board, Messenger said, before Sotomayor interjected.It's not going to change whether the union asks for it or the employees come  into an auditorium at a business site of the state and every one of them got up and said, I want higher wages, she said. The scale of that demand makes it protected by the First Amendment? Its still a work-related demand.The underlying case comes from Illinois, where disputes over the power of organized labor in government have raged for years.In fact, the Supreme Court previously heard a case from Illinois, called Harris v. Quinn, dealing with almost the exact same issue. But the judges resolved that case in 2014 without tackling the issue of agency fees head-on because the plaintiffs in that case were only partial public employees.When Gov. Bruce Rauner took office in 2015, though, he immediately made weakening public-employee unions a central piece of his agenda. One of the things he tried to do was to prevent unions of state employees from collecting agency fees. That gambit ultimately failed, but it launched the case now before the Supreme Court. (The governor was dismissed from the lawsuit long ago, but it continued through the courts with Janus as the plaintiff.)The Republican governors push to rein in organized labor was also a big reason for a two-year budget standoff between him and the Democratic-controlled legislature.But on Monday, Rauner took in the oral arguments and used an appearance before reporters on the steps of the Supreme Court to criticize the unfettered power of unions.Everything a government union does is political, he said. Any payment to a government union is, by its very nature, political.Rauner said he hoped public employee unions would be forced to compete to represent government workers, if the agency fees are struck down. But he also called the public sector unions contrary to the public good and described denying them agency fees as an anti-corruption issue.Asked if he thought the public sector unions ought to exist at all, he said they should not be given unfettered power.Lisa Madigan, Illinois Democratic attorney general, on the other hand, said eliminating fair-share fees would make it more difficult to manage government workplaces because unions become more belligerent and workplace interactions become more aggressive.Her office defended the agency fees before the high court, and one of its lawyers said afterwards that, if public sector agency fees are eliminated, he expects the court to attack similar provisions in the private sector as well.Madigan said the real argument before high court was a political one.This case is not about impinging on anybodys First Amendment rights. The law already protects peoples First Amendment rights, she said. This is a case where there are a small group of very well-funded, right-wing extremists who want to eliminate unions throughout the country.
The Governors Official Program is comprised of a wide range of constitutional and legal duties and ceremonial and community engagements. Each year, the Governor hosts thousands of visitors to Government House to take part in investiture and award ceremonies, Open Days, receptions and meetings, and travels widely throughout Queensland to support the activities of Patron groups. View a chronological record of the Governors daily program below.

On Saturday, in the morning, at Tamborine, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC officiated at the dedication of the Tamborine Village Cenotaph, laid a wreath and addressed guests.

In the afternoon, at Ithaca Creek Swimming Pool in Red Hill, the Governor attended the Ithaca Creek Swimming Club (the Sharx) 50th Birthday Celebration, and addressed guests.
A Consultative Meeting, aimed at providing a unique platform for Government and key stakeholders to engage in a constructive dialogue on the Draft Childrens Bill, opened this morning at the Intercontinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort, in Balaclava.

The objective is also to discuss emerging issues affecting children, and, come up with provisions to better protect the rights of children that would be included in the Childrens Bill. Some 100 participants namely NGOs, social workers and legal experts are attending.

In her opening address, the Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, underlined that Mauritius is party to major international human rights instruments and also adhered, in 1990, to the Convention on the Childs Right (CRC). As far back as 2006, the CRC Committee of experts recommended that Mauritius, as a State party, to the Convention has to review its legislations as well as enact a comprehensive Childs Act to consolidate the various pieces of legislations covering all aspects of the childs rights, she pointed out.

According to the Minister, consolidated and comprehensive version of the Childrens Bill is long awaited and the contribution of all stakeholders is necessary in this process. We are all joined in this fight to stop violence and abuse against children as in every society and everywhere we go we have to take care of our children, she emphasised.

The Minister spoke of her commitment to fully address childrens protection development and their care needs across the Republic of Mauritius, and express concern that each additional case of child abuse and violence is one too many.

Speaking about the Bill, Mrs Jadoo-Jaunbocus remarked that the best interest of the child will be provided for in line with the CRC. Children shall be consulted before the finalisation of the Bill and this is in line with the CRC in addressing the issue of child participation in matters affecting the childs right, she announced.

Furthermore, the Minister highlighted that several provisions are being considered for the Bill which relate to namely: the protection of the rights of the child to privacy; circumstances when a child can have recourse to medical, surgical or other treatment and counselling with or without parental consent; establishment of new offences penalties; and, implications of the prevention of corporal punishment in the family.

For his part, the Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms, Mr Maneesh Gobin, reiterated Governments commitment in bringing the Childrens Bill to Parliament very soon. This was announced in Government Programme 2015-2019 and it is important to have a comprehensive legislation and consequently hold a consultation process in the wider concept of open Government, he stated.
It is essential that Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) join forces to achieve the common goal of securing a better future for the country. The funds received from the European Union (EU), amounting to Rs 52 million, will substantially contribute to support activities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

The Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, Mr Alain Wong, made this statement this morning at the launching of call for proposals for Enhancing Civil Society Organisations contribution to Governance and Development Processes in the Republic of Mauritius, under the EU thematic programme for CSOs , held at the seat of the National Empowerment Foundation in Port-Louis.

In his address, Minister Wong highlighted that the activities of CSOs in the manifold vital sectors they operate, have an active role in achieving the goals of bringing a positive change for the population. He emphasised that with the support of the EU through this programme, the undertakings of the CSOs will be reinforced and they will be further empowered to pursue their goals.

Speaking about the overarching objectives of his Ministry, Minister Wong recalled that the National Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation undertakes programmes in 10 key priority areas including socio-economic development as a means for poverty alleviation, educational support, training, support in respect of health problems and disabilities, and environment and sustainable development, amongst others.

The Minister also expressed gratitude to the EU for the significant funds allocated for promoting the engagement of civil society for the benefit of the country. This renewed partnership between Mauritius and the EU further strengthens their longstanding ties, he added.

The Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Mauritius, Mrs Marjaana Sall, highlighted that civil society organisations play multiple roles as promoters of democracy, defenders of rights holders, rule of law, social justice and human rights and are key players and main drivers for change in all societies. She underscored the role of CSOs and NGOs in the development of Mauritius since independence.

The key priority of this new policy, she added, is to increase the space for civil society and to enhance their capacity and voice so that they can play their role in political, social and economic dialogue as partners.

The programme

The objective of the call for proposals is to enhance the participation of CSOs in public policies with the aim of having a more equitable, open and democratic society. The programme seeks to support CSOs and NGOs as actors in governance and accountability, partners in promoting social development and stakeholders in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.

Project proposals can come from civil society actors or NGOs and should address at least one of the following eight priority areas: governance and accountability; poverty alleviation; women and girls empowerment; gender equality; maternal health; disability; environment and climate change.

The size of grants to be awarded to NGOs will be in the range of Rs 8 million to Rs 24 million.

Government Information Service, Prime Ministers Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email:

gis@govmu.org

Website:

http

://gis.govmu.org
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Public Service Commission of Mauritius and the Union Public Service Commission of India would be signed.

The MOU would provide for the establishment of close cooperation between the two parties in the following areas: exchange of experience on modern approach to public service recruitment and selection; sharing of expertise in the use of Information Technology (IT) in the preparation of written examination and holding of Computer Based Recruitment Test and Online Examinations; and capacity building through formal training sessions, including short-term attachments.

The Public Service Commission was established under the PSC Ordinance (No. 23 of 1953) and came into operation on 11th May 1955. It aims to ensure that the Republic of Mauritius has a professional and efficient Civil Service geared towards excellence.

It has as objectives to identify and appoint qualified persons with the drive, skill and attitude for efficient performance; to safeguard the impartiality and integrity of appointments and promotions in the Civil Service to ensure that these are based on merits; and to take disciplinary action with a view to maintaining ethical standards and to safeguard public confidence in the service.
Description

GIS  26 February 2018: The new Code of Corporate Governance for Mauritius is the focus of a one-day workshop which is being held today at Cyber Tower 1 in Ebene at the initiative of the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities and the Mauritius Institute of Directors (MIoD). The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, was present at the event.

Around 50 directors, chairmen, Chief Executive Officers and General Managers of key corporate bodies falling under the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities are attending. The training is being conducted by Dr Chris Pierce, CEO of Global Governance Services Ltd in the UK. He is a global consultant working with policy makers, directors and boards all over the world. His company, set up in 2004, specialises in corporate governance advisory and development services as well as producing national codes and standards.

In his address, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that at the national level, the Government is poised to make of Mauritius a world-class financial leader. He pointed out that the Global Competitive Index Report of 2017-2018 places Mauritius at rank 45 out of 137 economies while adding that the Ibrahim Index of African Governance ranks Mauritius No 1 in Africa. As regards corruption, he said that the country ranked 2nd best on corruption investigation, 9th in corruption in Government and public officials and 2nd in corruption and bureaucracy which shows that the country fared very well on corruption indices.

According to Mr Collendavelloo, there is a need to input governance standards at all levels so that Mauritius can raise in international standards. He emphasised that governance is not a mere matter of preventing corrupt practices, avoiding financial scams, presenting healthy financial statements or improving financial standards. Governance is also a question of addressing poverty, reducing social inequalities, gender equality and generally improving the wellness of our people, he highlighted.

For his part, Dr Chris Pierce stated that although Mauritius has ranked 1st on the Mo Ibrahim Index for the 11th year in a row, the country should not become complacent and should improve on innovation, education, and government bureaucracy.
Microsoft Teams quickly became the business application of choice as state and local governments raced to equip remote teams and maintain business continuity during the COVID-19 lockdown. But in the rush to deploy Teams, many organizations overlook, ignore or fail to anticipate some of the administrative hurdles to successful adoption. As more organizations have matured their use of Teams, a set of lessons learned has emerged to help agencies ensure a successful Teams rollout  or correct course on existing implementations.
National Problem

How it Happened

Held for Ransom

Hunting for Easy Prey

(TNS)  That the email was sent by Richard was the first clue somebody was up to no good.Yarrow Point, Wash., Mayor Richard Dicker Cahill usually goes by his nickname in messages. But that escaped the notice of the towns financial coordinator when he wired $49,284 to an unidentified con artist as part of an email scam in August.Cybercriminals werent finished with the affluent Eastside town of 1,000 residents that juts like a thumb into Lake Washington. In mid-October, Yarrow Point fell victim to a ransomware attack, which locked down some of the towns computer systems, denied employees access to files and resulted in a nearly $10,000 bitcoin payment to attackers.Yarrow Point isnt alone. Municipalities and governments, which are usually loathe to act until problems occur, are often easy targets with aging systems and employees who have little training around best practices for spotting cybercrime.And the loss can be more than just money. Security experts say organized criminals also can find ways to access city records and potentially disrupt critical services, such as emergency communications and infrastructure.It could have been worse for Yarrow Point. The town was sent phishing emails in June and July. Town Clerk and Treasurer Anastasiya Warhol saw them as illegitimate and brought the email to the attention of Cahill and the IT company the town contracted with at the time. Word went out to the towns staff to beware.With a budget of about $2 million, Yarrow Point will recover from the loss, city officials said, but it never should have happened.It is an unacceptable activity, Cahill said. (But) it is not by any means going to cripple the town.City hall has taken measures to protect itself against further incidents by no longer allowing wire transfers and switching, as well as updating equipment and systems like email.What happened to Yarrow Point is happening to towns and cities of all sizes across the country, say security experts.Typically those campaigns are very broad and will hit many, many local governments, said Brian Calkin, vice president of operations for the Center for Internet Security The best city employees can do is make sure systems are up-to-date and people are vigilant and aware that these phishing attempts and cyberattacks could happen.Yarrow Points loss wasnt as large as two other such thefts that hit a Skagit Valley town six years ago and a public hospital in Chelan County five years ago.Burlington, Wash., fell victim to cyberthievery in 2012 when nearly $400,000 was stolen from its account with Bank of America.Ukrainian and Russian thieves managed to steal more than $1 million from the bank account of Leavenworths Cascade Medical Center in 2013.Cities, towns and institutions like hospitals are targets because they are easy to hit, said Mike Hamilton, founder and president of Critical Informatics , a Seattle-based company that helps governments and institutions with cybersecurity.Small towns with small staffs like Yarrow Point are tempting for criminals because they lack protections against cyberattacks.The public sector is low-hanging fruit, Hamilton said.Criminals are finding all sorts of ways to steal from towns and companies, including impersonating CEOs and mayors, as was the case in Yarrow Point. One of the more colorful scams cited by Hamilton happened in a Kansas town where thieves hacked into a towns database and put themselves on the payroll.Both Hamilton and Calkin dont believe the two incidents in Yarrow Point are related.What worries Hamilton, who was Seattles chief information security officer, is that theft of money is only a glimpse of what criminals can do to a city. Records, city services, communication and infrastructure also are at risk.That is the real exposure, he said. This is really a canary in the coal mine, and local governments need to wake up.According to a police report on the incident, Yarrow Points woes began with an email sent to the towns now-former fiscal coordinator, John Joplin, at 7:24 a.m. Aug. 16, asking:"John, Are you at the office?ThanksMayor Richard Cahill"After a series of emails providing Joplin with the routing information for a Bank of America account in New York, and a recipient listed as Adebayo Mabel, Joplin transferred $14,624 by noon.Thats despite two emails from Banner Bank  the bank used by Yarrow Point  saying a forgot password attempt occurred. Joplin apparently updated the password with Banner.Banner also sent a security alert at 11:45 a.m. saying, a wire transfer was created. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please contact our Customer Contact Center. Joplin sent an email to the bogus address, saying, Ok it is doneIn the police report and in an interview with a reporter, Cahill said that the money was immediately withdrawn from the bank when the transfer was completed. Security video captured a possible suspect entering and leaving a Bank of America branch in New York, but no arrests have been reported by the FBI, the agency investigating the crime.The scam artist wasnt done. Joplin received another email from a person identifying himself as Richard Cahill at 9:07 a.m. Aug. 21."Good Morning , Are you in the Office today ?ThanksMayor Richard Cahill"The pretend mayor instructed Joplin to wire the same amount as five days earlier. Joplin noticed that the routing instructions, however, asked for $34,624. So Joplin replied, asked which amount was correct and ended up wiring the larger sum to a Sun Trust Bank in Miramar, Florida.The phony recipient this time was a company called Ad Standards Inc., of Tampa, Florida. There is no such company in Tampa, but there is an Ad Standards Inc. from North Miami that was incorporated July 24, 2017. The company has no website or listed phone number.The scam artist was getting greedy. A third email requesting a wire transfer for $64,624 was sent the next day, on Aug. 22. Like the transfer from the previous day, the money was to be sent to the same Sun Trust bank and the beneficiary was again Ad Standards Inc.The third transfer request never happened.Cahill discovered what had happened sometime between when Joplin sent the second wire and the following day, when Joplin copied him on an email discussing the validations of wire instructions.Cahill told police that Joplin was authorized to make wire transfers at the direction of the town. Nonetheless, Joplin should have been suspicious of the wire requests and should have confirmed with Cahill and Warhol before proceeding with the transfers, Cahill said. The wire request should have seemed suspicious because, according to Cahill, Yarrow Point has never done a wire transfer.Clyde Hill police reported the incident to the Seattle FBI office. Police didnt get a chance to interview Joplin before handing the case to the FBI because he was in the hospital. Joplin declined to comment for this story.Yarrow Points problems continued when, on Oct. 18, town employees couldnt access certain files and some systems were locked.Yarrow Point had been hit with ransomware, a type of software that can be used to block access to systems and files. The perpetrators of ransomware attacks will grant access once a ransom is paid. Yarrow Point ended up paying $9,170 worth of bitcoin to regain control.The town immediately brought in a Bothell IT company, a Pennsylvania law firm that specializes in data privacy and information security, and a Chicago-based outfit that works with governments dealing with technological issues.A forensic investigation by the firms couldnt determine whether any information was taken. The impacted files had personal information, including Social Security numbers of current and past Yarrow Point employees, but no personal information of town residents.Residents were made aware of the attack when town officials posted a notice to its website on Oct. 26. Warhol, Yarrow Points clerk and treasurer, said the notice was posted once they had a handle on what had happened.The notice said the town was the victim of a cyber incident that made certain files and systems inaccessible, and that the town immediately began investigating and working with a forensic investigator and the Clyde Hill Police Department.An updated notice appeared Dec. 4 citing the incident as a ransomware attack and assuring residents that while we have no evidence that any systems or files with personal information were accessed or captured during this incident, we cannot rule it out for a certain period of time.The town on Nov. 30 mailed notices about what happened to about 30 former Yarrow Point employees, contractors and interns; the city currently employs three people full-time. The notices didnt reference the ransom paid. Nor was the ransom reflected in Town Council minutes from the meetings where officials discussed the incident.The loss of $49,248 from the email scam  the bitcoin payment was covered by insurance  likely wont blow up the budget of a city with a median household income of $203,393, putting it well above the state median of $61,062.Insurance didnt cover the funds lost to the email scam because a town contractor, Joplin, executed the action.Meanwhile, Yarrow Point spent $46,972.21 for the services of the three companies that helped with the ransomware attack.Hamilton said scammers will do their homework about a towns front office, going so far as to read emails from a mayor and imitating writing style.What is a town, especially a small, spartanly staffed one, supposed to do? The days of relying on a firewall and passwords arent enough, said Hamilton, who is not working with Yarrow Point. Networks need to be monitored, which for a small government means outsourcing the work to capable contractors who ensure scammers move along to the next link in the chain.You dont have to run faster than the bear. You have to run faster than the guy next to you, Hamilton said.Despite the security breakdown, Cahill insists that Yarrow Point is equipped to deal with email scams, if protocols are followed. Joplin is no longer a contract worker for the town  he worked there for 12 years before he became a contract employee in January 2017  and the small administrative office has received a refresher on best practices. Cahill attended a security workshop put on by the insurance company AIG and the Washington Cities Insurance Authority.The importance of being vigilant became clear last summer: Emails similar to those that tricked Joplin had been sent to Warhol, the clerk and treasurer, in June and July. On July 12, Warhol sent an email to Cahill and Arne Haslund, who at the time contracted with the city for IT work, asking if Cahill had sent the transfer request.Dicker- did you send this?Arne- seems suspicious, is this something I should worry about? When I hit reply, the reply-to address was Richard CahillCahill said the matter was discussed with most of the town staff. Missing from the talk about the attempted scam was Joplin.I cant say 100 percent that he was informed to be on the lookout, Cahill said.
(TNS) - A deadly shooting incident in Altoona may seem unlikely, but the citys police department wants community members to know they have a plan in case such an occurrence happens.Altoona police Chief Jesse James and school resource Officer John Lauscher are scheduled to discuss school safety plans amid the backdrop of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in which 17 people were killed and others were wounded. The suspect in those deaths, Nikolas Cruz, 19, confessed to the shooting spree.A public meeting to discuss responses to dangerous situations is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Altoona High School auditorium. James and Lauscher will discuss safety response plans at the event.Given the intense media attention that incident has generated, James said he decided it is a good time to educate parents of Altoona students and others in the community about the efforts of police and school officials to protect children. Several community members contacted him asking what his departments plans would be in the case of a dangerous situation after the Florida shooting, he said.A lot of times people wonder what we would do in a case like that, James said. We want people to know that we do have a plan, that we are being proactive about these kinds of issues ... We want people to know we are there to protect them.Altoona police sometimes deal with potentially dangerous situations, including those at school, he said. But typically dont publicize those incidents in an effort to protect identities of those involved.Because of that, people really dont know about all of the planning and training we do, James said. This shooting in Florida gives us an opportunity to have that discussion with the community.Acting Altoona schools Superintendent Michael Markgren said he backs public discussion of community safety plans.Jesse approached me about having this discussion with the community and it seemed like a good idea, Markgren said. He wants the community to know that his department has a plan for this in case some serious event like this should happen, that they are on top of things.District officials work closely with police in situations deemed as potentially dangerous, Markgren said. The district has developed an emergency management plan and communicates details of the plan to staff members in case of a problematic scenario, he said.An incident involving a gun or other weapons would be among the most serious such a plan would be implemented for, Markgren said. Such plans also would be used for a range of situations, from a tornado to a building evacuation to a train derailing and spilling dangerous chemicals.You cant foresee everything, but we tried to come up with plans for a wide array of possible scenarios, he said.Regional school districts including Eau Claire, Chippeawa Falls and Menomonie enacted lockdowns at school last fall in which students and staff were confined to classrooms after notes were discovered in those buildings threatening bombings or shootings at those locations.James said his department will receive money as part of this years city budget to buy helmets, rifles and other equipment to respond effectively to dangerous situations.We have to be ready to go protect everybody wherever it may be, he said. That requires lots of training.Included in that training is how officers should respond to different situations. He called reports that law enforcement officers in Parkland, Fla., failed to confront the shooter there very disturbing.The bottom line is we have to do whatever we need to do to protect peoples safety, he said.Contact: 715-830-5911, julian.emerson@ecpc.com2018 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - Hundreds of workers fled the Verla International cosmetics factory, pouring out onto Temple Hill Road in New Windsor, N.Y., after the first explosion hit around 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 20.The second explosion hit minutes later.One man was killed, eight firefighters were injured and 125 people sought medical treatment. Black smoke filled the sky. More than 30 emergency agencies responded to the chaos. But when the first call for help went out, the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps' two on-duty crews were both responding to other calls.Chief Michael Bigg recalls the challenge of rallying the manpower, largely volunteer, needed to handle the disaster."There was 150 people who were injured in there, who we told, 'We have four ambulances,' " he said. "But calling in mutual aid took us a long time to find agencies, and the county (dispatcher) was like, 'Uh, we're trying to find ambulances, we're trying, we're trying.' "Over the course of the day, 30 New Windsor volunteer emergency medical technicians reported for duty. Some helped at the Verla scene on Temple Hill Road. Others covered the rest of the district, freeing up the four paid paramedics who were on duty.Brendan Quinn, a volunteer EMT, had just left a class at Mount Saint Mary College and was going to get a haircut when he heard Bigg calling for help on the radio.Quinn made two runs to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital that morning, transporting four Verla employees each time."After I dropped off the group of four, I had to respond to a house in the town for abdominal pain," Quinn said. "So I was away from the fire, and then I went back for another group ... all our ambulances were flying around town trying to cover the calls and the Verla fire."Bigg asked the Verla employees who felt well enough to drive themselves to St. Luke's.Eventually, eight ambulances responded, including crews from the Cornwall, Blooming Grove and Goshen ambulance corps, Bigg said.A disaster like the Verla fire puts unusual demands on ambulance corps, many of which rely heavily on volunteers. But many communities in the mid-Hudson are struggling to find enough EMTs to handle routine calls - heart attacks, falls, overdoses. The shortage of EMTs, paid or volunteer, has only become more acute in recent years with an ever-increasing number of calls.In New Windsor, the EMTs who respond to calls are often volunteers, and more are always needed to serve the district's 36-square-mile district and 35,000 residents, Bigg said. At least one two-person crew is on duty at all times.The corps includes 20 paid paramedics, four paid emergency medical technicians and 65 volunteer EMTs. Last year, volunteers logged more than 20,000 hours.In November, New Windsor EMTs posted a sign at the intersection of routes 207 and 300 and another at the corner of Route 9W and Union Avenue."Volunteers needed: save a life."The response has been heartening: 25 new applications.A similar sign graces Route 17A in the Village of Florida, calling for volunteers for Warwick Community Ambulance Services.Those who can find time to volunteer often sacrifice parts of their own lives."It has a lot to do with people having two jobs, children," Cassanite said. "It's harder and harder for volunteers to volunteer."Quinn, who is also the chair of New Windsor's New Member Orientation Committee, volunteers an average of 12 hours a week, in addition to his two jobs and taking college classes. He's made a trade-off, losing time with family and friends to volunteer."I still manage to have a life outside, but I know if I wasn't volunteering, I would have more of a social life," he said. "I've left the Thanksgiving table with my family to go help somebody, so you definitely make sacrifices to volunteer, but I feel like the reward is bigger."Lona Olejniczak is a member of the all-volunteer Warwick Community Ambulance Service, and works in an obstetrics and gynecology office in Monroe.She often can't respond to calls because she's at work. Olejniczak, an EMT, said most people don't realize that calling 911 doesn't mean an ambulance is a guarantee."Be thankful that you have an ambulance coming in," she said.If there are no EMTs available, an ambulance corps then has to turn the call over to the next closest service and hope it can respond.For instance, MobileLife steps in when the Town of Montgomery Ambulance Company's 15 paid EMTs and 25 volunteers can't make a call, said Montgomery Captain Eric Shorette.Montgomery EMTs responded to about 67 percent of their 1,900 calls in 2017."If we don't make it to calls, it's because we don't have any people," Shorette said.According to the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, the shortage of EMTs plagues communities across the country and dates back at least a decade.There are about 60,000 EMTs and paramedics in New York, virtually unchanged from 2010, according to the state Department of Health.State data also shows the decline in the number of private and public EMS organizations since 2008. That year, the state had more than 1,100 ambulance organizations and about 110 advanced life support services, which provide a higher level of care typically delivered by paramedics rather than EMTs.As of early 2018, those numbers dropped to roughly 1,030 and 85, respectively.The Florida Volunteer Fire Department stopped staffing its own ambulance corps at the end of 2014. The fire commissioners said at the time that they didn't have enough volunteers.In January 2015, the all-volunteer Warwick corps took over Florida's territory. Warwick Chief Frank Cassanite knew then that it would be an uphill battle to staff the Florida area, and it still is.His volunteer push is focused on Florida. The service has about 50 volunteers, but Cassanite would prefer to see 60, with 10 based at the Florida station.There are currently about four volunteers based in Florida, he said. Olejniczak is one of them, a holdover from the old Florida department. She remembers occasions when she couldn't respond to calls because there wasn't a second volunteer to drive."It was hard," she said. "There was a time there where I put in 700 hours in a year."The Warwick corps still responds to all of its calls, Cassanite said. Some volunteers take ambulances home, so they can respond more quickly to emergencies.Cassanite, who is also Orange County's deputy commissioner of emergency services, said the personnel issue boils down to finding people who have the time and who can remain dedicated. Warwick has seen about 12 people come and go in the past five years."They usually don't stay ... they'll be a member for a couple years or so," he said.Some people don't understand the commitment until they're already an EMT. Others realize they don't like the sight of blood. Some become too busy, or major life changes interfere."This is not an Orange County issue. This is a state issue. This is definitely national," Cassanite said. "... And it's getting worse as times goes on."Shorette said the personnel shortage is really a pay problem.There are plenty of certified EMTs and paramedics, but there are not enough paid positions, and positions that do pay typically don't pay well, Shorette said.In some areas, the starting pay for EMTs is about $12 per hour, making retention almost impossible, he added."It's why people don't stick with EMS," he said.When those workers can't make ends meet, they turn to other jobs and often reduce their involvement as volunteers.Bigg has seen similar turnover, saying many EMTs use the certification and experience as a stepping stone for another career in the medical or emergency-management fields. Those people may remain with the corps, but volunteer only when their schedules allow."We have a lot of people who join here and become cops, firefighters, paramedics someplace else," Bigg said.In New Windsor, about 75 percent of the volunteers have full-time jobs in the medical or emergency fields, Bigg said. Those volunteers can only log so many hours.Quinn puts in about 12 hours a week as a volunteer at New Windsor, but he knows people who have logged 40 or even 60 volunteer hours in a week."How they do that is beyond me," he said.After spending hours at the Verla scene in November, Quinn headed to Rockland County, where he works as a paid EMT for Rockland Mobile Care.He needed to clock in for his overnight shift.aspadaro@th-record.com2018 The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.Visit The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y. at www.recordonline.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
TWO $4 MILLION PHASES IN PORTLAND

TECHNOLOGYS PURPOSE MAY SHIFT

BUILT-IN MONITORING TECHNOLOGY

MEASURING POLLUTION AND NOISE

(TNS)  City Manager Jon Jennings envisions Portland becoming a high-tech city with self-driving buses and streetlights that can collect data on traffic flows, noise and air pollution and send out free wireless Internet to residents and business.For Jennings, the moves toward creating a so-called smart city is part of an ambitious plan to turn Portland into an innovation hub  a place where tech companies and young skilled workers will want to locate  to complement the citys tourism economy.As we roll out smart-city technology and overall innovation were going to see an increased interest in Portland and, I believe, an improvement in the quality of life, Jennings said.But Portlands embrace of the movement also is bringing new concerns to Maine about the potential for a surveillance state, where streetlights are able to watch and listen and gather data on its citizens.The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine is closely watching Portlands rollout and reviewing the citys internal documents about its smart-city project, which is so far the most ambitious among a growing number of smart-city initiatives around the state.ACLU of Maine attorney Emma Bond said the city needs to have a more meaningful public discussion about what types of data the new technology will be collecting and how it will be used. The community also needs to know what additional surveillance measures could be added in the future.Right now we are hoping to learn more and we want to get the conversation started, Bond said.The spread of smart-city technology has been raising alarms both internationally and in the U.S. On one hand, the technology offers opportunities for managing traffic, pollution and energy use. But it also opens the door for increased surveillance and data collection about peoples daily lives, movements and habits.And now that debate has come to Maine, as a growing number of communities here take the first step toward smart-city technology.It starts with communities purchasing streetlights from the utility company, and upgrading the fixture for a more efficient LED technology. But those new lights are also capable of powering video cameras, audio sensors, Wi-Fi and other technology.Communities such as South Portland, Falmouth, Biddeford and Freeport are moving forward with efforts to convert streetlights to LED. Many communities are planning on adding smart features to control the brightness of the lights, but are putting off any formal plans for other smart-city technologies.Scarborough recently entered into a contract with TEN Connected Solutions, the same Philadelphia-based company that is converting Portlands streetlights and installing smart-city technology.Once streetlights are converted to LED, Scarborough may add traffic sensors at Dunstan Corner and other technology such as cameras and Wi-Fi, according to Public Works Director Mike Shaw.Portland appears to be the first community in Maine to aggressively pursue additional smart-city features beyond LED lights.In October, Portland partnered with TEN Connected Solutions to upgrade about 6,100 streetlights to LED and begin rolling out smart-city technology. The work, which is being broken up into two $4 million phases over the next two years, has already begun on the streetlight conversion.By the end of June, about 100 of the street lamps are expected to be offering free Wi-Fi to the public, primarily in the Old Port area. The city will also have the ability to control the brightness of each light remotely.The city is taking on debt to pay for the project, but expects to recoup $10 million in energy savings over the next decade.The second phase, for which the city has yet to secure financing, would occur from July 1 through June 30, 2019, according to the agreement.That phase could include between 150 and 300 more Wi-Fi hot spots, traffic sensors and six electric vehicle charging stations, according to the contract.But it may also include environmental sensors (and) video cameras installed in strategic locations, though city officials stress that those cameras are not for surveillance purposes.We are very interested in deploying a variety of sensors that may be able to help with vehicle counts in intersections, numbers of pedestrians or bikes using a trail or bike path, said Troy Moon, the citys sustainability coordinator. Some of these may look like a camera but only detect shapes.The citys request for proposals said the winning company needed to have experience deploying environmental sensors that can provide data to support a variety of smart-city technologies including advanced traffic signal controls, parking control and enforcements, pedestrian and traffic counts, and other public safety functions.Its that broad range of potential uses  and the specific mention of video cameras and the vague allusion to public safety functions  that worries privacy advocates such as the ACLU. Other branches of the civil liberties organization have raised similar concerns elsewhere in the country.The trend also is fueling debate throughout Europe.A study about privacy concerns in smart cities conducted by the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and published in July 2016 in the Government Information Quarterly explored the tension between using the data for public service or for surveillance.As with other forms of social media analytics, the potential to mine the data for more personalized information and targeting of city services are endless and hence, there is a continuous risk of these services being pulled towards the more problematic quadrant where privacy is at stake, and purpose may shift away from service to surveillance, the report said.Rob Kitchin, a professor of social sciences at Maynooth University in Ireland, authored a report for the Irish government in 2016 titled . He noted how data can be traced to specific users. Each smartphone has unique identifiers that can be accessed and shared by apps, some of which can be captured externally via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signal, he wrote. These IDs can be used to track the phone and, by association, its owner.Bond, the ACLU of Maine attorney, said she is concerned that Portland is moving forward with smart-city technology without first having a public discussion about what information is being collected, stored and accessed by government employees.Bond said that capturing data and storing video and audio presents a significant risk of abuse.There should be rules about how those types of material can be used, Bond said. At the very least, we need to have a public conversation about whether this is the type of city Portland wants to be, and so far we havent had that conversation. For Portland to move forward without having that discussion is premature.Bond said that the practice could be an invasion of privacy and infringement on civil liberties, even though the data is collected in public space.There is a difference between me walking down the street and someone seeing me versus there being a video recording of me walking down the street every day for 10 years, she said. The nature of digital recordings and having massive quantities of information about us present new risks for our civil liberties we have to be aware of.In 2015, the national ACLU warned of a surveillance state after The New York Times published about companies combining LED lights and big data collection.I always figured Big Brother was going to be some giant face on a wall, not a tiny camera hidden inside a light bulb, said Chad Marlow, advocacy and policy counsel for the ACLU. But what is particularly troubling here is the stealthy way in which the product is being marketed and pitched to the press; to wit, as an energy-efficient light bulb with built-in monitoring technology.More recently, the ACLU of Northern California joined with other privacy advocates last year in calling on the San Jose City Council to pass an ordinance that would require a robust public discussion about adding any sort of surveillance technology, including video cameras and audio sensors, to their LED streetlights.In short, these 39,000 streetlights are ready-made for potentially invasive surveillance, the ACLU co-signed by 11 other groups. Now is the time for the Council to consider civil liberties and civil rights implications of these devices.In Portland, City Manager Jennings has led the charge in increasing the citys technological capabilities.Its hard to miss those advances at City Hall, which now features interactive digital kiosks, flat-screen televisions in the hallways, and small touch screens outside of meeting rooms that display the meeting calendars.Jennings also updated City Hall to include video cameras, which also have the ability to record audio. And he plans to roll out ATM-style kiosks that will allow people to make simple financial transactions, rather than going to the treasury.However, Jennings emphasized that city officials have not discussed  nor are they interested in  using streetlights for surveillance.Its not something that Im remotely interested in, Jennings said. Its not like we have a tremendous amount of crime in Portland where we need cameras on every light pole or traffic light.Instead, Jennings is hoping to use the technology to move traffic more efficiently through town. For example, he said traffic sensors will be deployed on Forest Avenue to adjust and coordinate traffic lights, which could reduce commuting times by an estimated 30 percent.He said environmental sensors would allow the city to measure pollution and noise levels in certain areas, which would help the Public Health Department create the citys first citywide health assessment.Smart-city technology can be coupled with other efforts, such as trying to bring autonomous buses that might ease congestion by running back and forth between the Portland Transportation Center and the waterfront, and is part of Jennings effort to make Portland an innovation hub, attracting young, professional, skilled workers and companies.When asked about the video cameras included in the citys work plan, Jennings said that would likely be used to help city staff make bike and pedestrian safety upgrades.If were using cameras to address concerns about pedestrian and bike safety, Im less concerned about that less intrusive use, he said. There would be an enormous amount of public discussion if we were using cameras for surveillance reasons.
Stoffel Vandoorne says the ball is now in McLaren's court after the British team dropped Honda at the end of last year.

In 2018, the team will use identical engines to race winner Red Bull and the Renault works team.

"Red Bull proved last year that you can win with a Renault engine," Vandoorne told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

"So you could say that the ball is in our court now that Honda is no longer here," he added.

However, 25-year-old Vandoorne said he is confident.

"The atmosphere is excellent and there is a much more direct contact with the Renault people than there ever was with Honda," he said.

"There are now far fewer problems that we have to deal with and therefore lose time and energy on."

The downside is that while McLaren insisted its 2017 chassis was good, engineers had to work hard over the winter to accommodate the very different Renault power unit.

But Vandoorne insisted: "The guys tell me that they had time to do everything that was needed. And as far as those adjustments are concerned, it was quite easy.

"You can safely say that the new car is a development of the chassis that we had already, which was excellent. So I do not think we have a disadvantage compared to the other teams that did not change their engine."

He is therefore confident that, after McLaren's three very bad years, better times are finally on the horizon.

"In principle we should do well, because our weakness is gone," said Vandoorne.

"But this is formula one and only the stopwatch will tell. At least we will have the advantage that we can really test this time in Barcelona, in contrast to last year when we were constantly in the garage."

As for reports cold and wet conditions could be descending on Barcelona, he smiled: "I do not want to think about that. The vibe in the garage is very positive."

(GMM)
ROGUE will engineer energycane, a bioenergy crop derived from sugarcane, and Miscanthus to produce the oil that is used to create biodiesel and biojet fuel. The work is guided by computer models, which project that these crops can achieve 20% oil content in the planta significant increase from natural levels of less than a tenth of one percent.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6-million, five-year grant to transform two of the most productive crops in the US into sustainable sources of biodiesel and biojet fuel. The new research project Renewable Oil Generated with Ultra-productive Energycane (ROGUE) kicked off on 25 February with a team meeting held in conjunction with the 2018 Genomic Sciences Program Annual Principal Investigator Meeting in Tysons, Virginia.

If fully successful, these crops could produce as much as 15 times more biodiesel per unit of land compared to soybeans, a food crop that currently produces half of our nations biodiesel. ROGUE Director Stephen Long, an Ikenberry Endowed Chair at Illinois

Previous work, funded by the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), achieved 8% oil accumulation, and now ROGUE will further increase oil production and target oil accumulation in the stem where it can be accessed more easily with ROGUEs patented extraction technologies.

Redirecting these plants to produce oil rather than sugar will enable us to make full use of these productive crops for biodiesel and biojet fuel production. Li-Qing Chen, an assistant professor of plant biology at Illinois

ROGUE will also improve the efficiency that these crops can turn the suns energy into plant energy to fuel their biological oil production. Improving these crops photosynthetic efficiency will ensure that the production of energy-dense oil will not lower yields or suppress plant defenses. Improving photosynthetic efficiency will also help the plant conserve limited resources such as water and nitrogen, particularly under stress.

Photosynthesis is the process ultimately underlying the production of all our food and much of our fiber and increasing amounts of our fuels. By improving this process, we can fortify these crops to create a more efficient, productive, and sustainable source of bioenergy. Don Ort, Robert Emerson Professor in Plant Biology and Crop Sciences

ROGUE will translate its bioenergy and sustainability discoveries into energycane and Miscanthus using synthetic biology, which applies engineering principles to optimize and speed up the design of biological systems. The project will also develop energycane to be more cold-tolerant to expand its growing region and extend its growing season.

Our crop technologies could thrive on 235 million acres, turning untold underutilized, marginal acreage into sustainable sources of bio-oil. Whats more, we have the existing infrastructure in place to immediately grow, harvest, and process their bio-oil using existing sugarcane mills. These oils can be processed into biofuels with existing technologies and sold through existing marketplaces. Stephen Long

ROGUE will ensure the efficacy of its crop technologies through techno-economic analyses and replicated field trials. Energycane will be evaluated at Florida and Mississippi, and Miscanthus will be tested at Illinois. In tandem, the project will continue to perfect and evaluate its patented method to separate oil from biomass and its processing technologies.

According to our models, ROGUE crops will be much more productive and profitable per acre than corn or soybeans. Vijay Singh, director of the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, who will lead the projects techno-economic analyses and processing technologies

ROGUE is a collaboration amongst researchers from Illinois as well as Brookhaven National Lab, University of Florida, and Mississippi State University, with support from the DOE Office of Science (Office of Biological and Environmental Research).
Ehrmanns turns spotlight on rose

By Lisa Riley

Ehrmanns Wine turned the spotlight on rose at its annual tasting with the launch of a new area dedicated to the category.

The RoseRevolution initiative, which marks the first time the business has showcased its diverse rose portfolio together rather than with individual suppliers, featured 12 pink wines all paired with food in a bid to position the wine as more than just a summer drink.

Introduced as part of Ehrmanns strategy to grow its rose sales from less than 10% to 15% of its total sales by this summer, RoseRevolution was introduced followong research that had highlighted the popularity of the tipple with younger wine drinkers, said senior commercial manager, Richard Dennis, who heads up the project.

With rose wine accounting for 15% of total wine sales in the UK we spotted an opportunity to grow our own sales, Dennis told Harpers, adding there was a real opportunity to grow the category by educating consumers on the diversity of the drink and positioning it as a food accompaniment.

The stand featured three newcomers, Vina Montana Sauvignon Blanc Rose and Winzer Krems Rose Zweigelt alongside an own label offering - Rosa de Azafran Rose 2017, a 12% abv Tempranillo wine that will officially be launched at Prowein next month.

Away from rose, Ehrmanns continued to grow its Iberian range with the addition of La Capella Cava de Paraje from Juve y Camps; a new Godello and Mencia from Bodegas Valdesil and newly releases single vintage en rama Sherries from Williams & Humbert.

A treasure trove of new Sherries, including rare wines from Ehrmanns new partners in the Sherry triangle, Bodegas Alonso, also joined the Iberian menu.

In addition, Ehrmanns showcased the latest members of the ever-expanding Beefsteak Club herd, while introducing its new supplier, Wellington Wines, from the South African region of the same name, alongside a range of ports from another new supplier - Barao de Vilar.
By Jo Gilbert

Lenz Moser has gone from making Gruner Veltliner in Austria to producing white Cabernet Sauvignon in Chinas Ningxia region for Changyu Pioneer Company. He told Jo Gilbert how he plans to take his wine from the Napa of Asia to the rest of the world
Hawaii: Trigger Modification Ban & Firearm Surrender Bill to be Considered on Tuesday

From NRA-ILA, FEBRUARY 24, 2018

On Tuesday, February 27th, the Hawaii state Senate Committee on Judiciary will hold a decision making hearing on Senate Bill 2046 and Senate Bill 2436. The committee is only accepting written testimony for this hearing, so no oral testimony will be allowed. Its important that you contact committee members and urge them to OPPOSE both SB 2046 and SB 2436. Click the Take Action button below to contact committee members. In addition, please submit testimony to the committee through the Hawaii Legislature website. In order to submit testimony, you will need to create an account. For help creating an account and submitting testimony, click here.

Senate Bill 2046 , sponsored by Senator Karl Rhoads (D-13), would make it a crime to own, manufacture, possess, sell, barter, trade, gift, transfer, or acquire a firearm accessory or any other device, part or combination of parts that is designed to or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm. In addition, SB 2046 would also criminalize installing, removing, or altering parts of a firearm with the intent to accelerate the rate of fire. The broad and overreaching provisions of SB 2046 could criminalize firearm modifications such as competition triggers, muzzle brakes, and ergonomic changes that are commonly done by law-abiding gun owners to make their firearms more suitable for self-defense, competition, hunting, or even overcoming disability.

Senate Bill 2436 , sponsored by Senator Clarence Nishihara (D-17), would drastically shorten the time period a prohibited person, whether temporarily or permanently prohibited, has to comply with the current requirement to surrender their firearms from 30 days to 24 hours. This expedited time period could subject an individual, who may have nothing more than allegations as the basis for the prohibition, to an unfettered search of their home and/or business within hours of being accused; all this without taking into account the many issues surrounding surrender statutes in general, including possible violations of an individuals right against self-incrimination.
The mobile phones were delivered to over 250,000 retail outlets in over 170 countries around the world, according to Pekka Rantala, the chief marketing officer of the technology start-up based in Espoo, Finland.

HMD Global has beat the expectations of industry analysts by shipping more than 70 million Nokia-branded mobile phones in 2017, the first full year of operation since its foundation in December, 2016.

HMD Global on Sunday shed light on its performance last year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, but declined to provide its product-specific sales figures.

Francisco Jeronimo, a research director for mobile devices at the International Data Corporation (IDC), has estimated that the start-up has a roughly two to three per cent share of the global smartphone market. The market share, he predicted, could creep up to six per cent with the launch of new products and adoption of new sales channels.

Strategy Analytics, on the other hand, estimated that the start-up accounted for no more than one per cent of global smartphone sales between October and December, 2017.

Rantala on Sunday assured that HMD Global remains committed to its objective of becoming one of the five largest smartphone manufacturers on the planet. HMD Global has also estimated that it was a leader in the feature phone market in 2017.

Its smartphone deliveries would have to grow tenfold if it was to reach the objective, reminded Neil Mawston, the executive director at Strategy Analytics. That will require many years of hard work, he added.

The Espoo-based startup unveiled five new mobile phones  one feature phone and four smartphones  at Mobile World Congress, the worlds largest gathering for the mobile device industry.

Today, we are delighted to announce the expansion of our range with the introduction of five new devices, setting new benchmarks in smartphone design with Nokia 8 Sirocco and delivering our most accessible smartphone to date in Nokia 1, Juho Sarvikas, the chief product officer at HMD Global, said in a press release.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Handout/HMD Global

Source: Uusi Suomi
The sub-zero temperatures will be the most severe between late Monday and early Tuesday, and on Tuesday morning, said the on-duty meteorologist at FMI on Sunday.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has issued a cold weather warning for southern and central parts of Finland for Monday and Tuesday. The warning is intended especially for risk groups, such as children, elderly people, people with respiratory diseases and people working outdoors.

Foreca, a private weather forecasting company, has similarly urged residents to brace for cold weather and drawn particular attention to the combined effect of the low temperatures and strong winds.

Colder times are ahead. Pay attention to the combined effect of wind and sub-zero temperatures, its meteorologists tweeted on Sunday.

Both of the weather forecasting companies expect the mercury to drop to anywhere between -10 and -20C in southern and central parts, and to between -15 and -30C in northern parts of Finland on Monday and Tuesday. Wind chill, however, will make temperatures in southern and central parts of the country feel as cold as -29C.

FMI points out that such extreme temperatures can cause respiratory problems in people with asthma and other problems in children, elderly people and other people with poor blood circulation in the extremities.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Martti Kainulainen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
A Pakistani immigrant was stabbed in Vantaa last Friday night. He was attacked by several people in front of his house around 11:45 PM. He had gone outside to smoke when he was approached by a group of youngsters who asked for cigarettes. He refused to give them as they looked underage. He was attacked when he turned back to walk home and stabbed multiple times and in different parts of his body and head.

Assailants inflicted 20-30 stab wounds on the victim using knives and other edged weapons. His lips were also cut and he was stabbed near the eye. Fortunately, the victim was transferred to hospital urgently and underwent a major surgery. Although still in ICU and in critical condition with severe injuries, his situation is not life-threatening anymore and he has regained consciousness.

The 37-year-old man and the father of a 4-year-old child has been in the country with his spouse who has a student visa and is studying for a masters degree in Finland.

The motives of the attackers is still not known. Apparently, the police have arrested a few local youngsters suspected of committing the crime. Vantaa police are investigating the case which could at least be considered an aggravated assault and at most, attempted murder.

Municipality of Vantaa is a part of the Greater Helsinki area with a population of around 222 000 people.

HT
SUE Ryder is planning to sell its hospice in Nettlebed in order to expand and care for more people.

The charity is to leave Joyce Grove after more than 35 years and open a new community hub as its base in South Oxfordshire.

It comes just over three years after it turned down an opportunity to move to the new Townlands Memorial Hospital complex in Henley.

The changes will begin in April and will include the introduction of a hospice at home service, incorporating the existing specialist nurses, which will provide planned and rapid response care to patients in the community 24 hours a day.

A Sue Ryder team will also help deliver a single point of access care service for end-of-life patients in conjunction with the 111 urgent care service.

These services will be run from the hospice as a pilot scheme and the charity will be seeking to move the 12 in-patient beds to other locations and then sell the building.

The news was broken to staff last week in a presentation at Joyce Grove by Holly Spiers, the charitys director of hospices and fund-raising.

In a follow-up letter, which was also sent to some volunteers, she said: Change can be disconcerting but we believe that this pilot service model provides us with a great opportunity to respond to the way that people want and can access end-of-life care. More importantly, we can expand the reach of the outstanding care provided at Nettlebed to more people.

I want to emphasise that we need the support from all colleagues and volunteers at Nettlebed to help ensure the success of the pilot.

The hospice had been due to move into a new purpose-built 12-bed facility on the second floor of Townlands Memorial Hospital to form part of a 16 million health campus.

But in December 2014, before construction had begun, the charity pulled out of the agreement with the NHS as it would have needed another property for its other services and outpatients. Three years before, the charitys then chief executive Paul Woodward said the facilities at Joyce Grove, which is listed, were becoming out of date.

He said: While our Nettlebed building is undoubtedly beautiful and much-loved by patients and the local community, it is extremely expensive to maintain. It is also isolated, particularly in bad weather.

Paul Martin, Sue Ryders national PR manager, said: It was always made clear the current situation is not appropriate for the care we provide.

In the next couple of years we are going to increase the hospices-at-home service as that is what people want. As with any care provider, we have got to keep on top of what the community needs.

He said the new community base would replace Joyce Grove but the charity didnt yet know whether this would be a new-build or an existing building and hadnt chosen a

location. Mr Martin added: We are not leaving tomorrow. We are talking 18 months to two years.

People will be cared for at Nettlebed until an alternative is found that is right for us and right for people locally.

Joyce Grove, a Grade II listed building with 27 acres of grounds, was built in 1908 for merchant banker Robert Fleming, grandfather of James Bond author Ian Fleming, by architect Charles Mallows.

It was expanded in 1913 following a fire.

In 1938 the building was donated by Mr Flemings nephew Peter to St Marys Hospital in Paddington to use as a convalescent home. In 1979 it was taken over by Lady Ryder before becoming a hospice

In 2015, Sue Ryder applied for planning permission to convert Joyce Grove into 20 apartments.

The then hospice director Stewart Marks said: We need to look at what is best for Sue Ryder, both in terms of providing care but also protecting our assets.

As such, we have submitted this application to assess the potential value of our property. We would be remiss in our commitment to care if we did not look at all angles and make the best decision based on all information available.

 What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley, RG9 1AD or email letters@henley

standard.co.uk
An armored attack is coming down the road! came an urgent radioed voice from a reconnaissance unit operating ahead of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. Dont fire on us! Someone logged the entry. It was 5 a.m., March 23, 1943. For the GIs huddled in shallow foxholes and sitting in dank halftracks along a ridgeline southeast of El Guettar, Tunisia, the alert was a surprise; they had spent most of the night preparing to advancenot scrambling to assemble a defense.

Thomas E. Morrison was a soldier in A Company of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, attached to the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Armys II Corps. Somebody came over and kicked me and said, Hey, tanks are coming, and about that time, bam, one of them shot through there, Morrison said. He wasnt the only one caught off-guard. We had taken our positions primarily with the idea of defending the artillery against infantry infiltration, not against tanks, explained 601st commander Lieutenant Colonel Herschel D. Baker. He quickly realized his plan was worthless but did not have time to devise a new one.

Rumbling toward the Americans were elements of Germanys crack 10th Panzer Division. In the vanguard were more than 50 tanks from the 7th Panzer Regiment, with two panzergrenadier battalions providing infantry support and a unit of motorcycle troops screening the force to the south. In total, the battle group numbered more than 6,000 men.

Facing the onslaught was the 1st Infantry Divisions 18th Infantry Regiment, two battalions of artillery, and the tank destroyers of the 601st. The 10th Panzer Division had crushed foes on the fields of France and on the steppes of Russia; now it turned its sights on American forces in Tunisia. But the men of the 18th had few antitank weaponswhich meant that the burden of the defense would fall on the poorly equipped 601st. And within minutes of the initial report, the soldiers manning the tank destroyers realized that the assault was rolling straight toward them.

The 601sts primary vehicle, the M3 Halftrack, Gun Motor Carriage (GMC), was a sad excuse for a weapon. Everyone knew this was a joke, said C Company commander Captain Herbert E. Sundstrom; Realistically we recognized that the army had to get something quick and this was the stop-gap. But the simple fact was that despite its name, the M3 tank destroyerarmed with a 75mm gun the French army had developed in 1897, nearly two decades before the first tankswas lousy at its job.

Snaking toward the American defenses were several panzer variants, including the dreaded Panzer IV Ausf. G, armed with a powerful, long-barreled 75mm gun that could penetrate any American tank from 1,000 yards away. For protection, the G variant had approximately three inches of frontal armor, more than enough to stop the American M3s gun from penetrating its steel shell, except at point-blank range. The 601st gunners knew this and angled their halftracks for flank shots, where the panzers armor was thinner. They hoped the German tankers would oblige them.

The Americans had reason to be worried. The men of the 601st, the 1st Infantry Division, and II Corps had fought the 10th Panzer Division less than five weeks beforeat a place called Kasserine Pass, about 50 miles north of El Guettar. There, in the green U.S. Armys first major encounter with the German army, the panzers and veterans of the vaunted Afrika Korps ran roughshod over American defenses, disrupting Allied offensive plans and denting American morale. By March 17, II Corps had sustained more than 5,000 casualtieswith nearly half taken prisonerand lost 183 tanks, 104 halftracks, 208 artillery pieces, and 512 jeepsalmost all of that at Kasserine. But while the U.S. Army could replace the personnel and equipment, it could not easily replace its reputation, which lay in tatters. After Kasserine, many officers and soldiers in the British Army wondered if their American counterparts had the guts to fight and die for victory.

A. J. Liebling, an American journalist attached to the 1st Infantry Division, also questioned whether his countrymen had what it took to beat a well-trained and experienced German army. Wrote Liebling: The Germans had done such a job of self-advertising that even Americans wondered whether they werent a bit superhuman.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the commander of the Allied forces, knew something needed to change. He started at the top, firing II Corps commander Major General Lloyd R. Fredendall in early March 1943 and replaced him with Lieutenant General George S. Patton, who had successfully commanded the Western Task Force that liberated Casablanca, Morocco, from the Vichy French the previous November.

I cannot see what Lloyd did to justify his existence, Patton said of his predecessor. I have never seen so little order or discipline. Patton immediately issued new policies designed to whip the soldiers of II Corps into shape, including a strict dress code. All soldiers were required to fasten the chinstraps on their helmets at all times and wear neckties, even in the field. To enforce the policy, he fined soldiers and officers who failed to adhere to the standard. Some of the new regulations did not sit well with the men, but overall, it was a shot in the arm they needed.

The revamped II Corps first task: a diversionary offensive to steer Axis forces away from a March 19 attack by British general Bernard L. Montgomerys Eighth Army on the Mareth Line, a defensive line in southeastern Tunisia the Germans were using to block Allied forces. II Corps was to seize the town of Gafsa and continue east toward Maknassy, threatening an enemy communications line running further east from Gabesa major Axis supply node on the Tunisian coast.

Fortunately for the Americans, the Italian Centauro Division was defending the area around Gafsa and the town of El Guettar, just to its east. By spring 1943 the Italian army was a beaten force; on March 17 the 1st Infantry Division and the 601st captured Gafsa without a fight.

Buoyed by the easy success, Patton ordered the 1st Infantry Divisions commanding officer, Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen, to push east and capture El Guettar. The previously unimportant village sat astride a highway running between Gafsa and Gabes, on a circular plain tucked between rocky ridges to the north and south. Allens division advanced and, by March 22, seized the ridges northeast and southeast of El Guettar, smashing several battalions from the Centauro Division and rounding up hundreds of Axis prisoners. From this commanding position, the division overlooked the Gabes-Gafsa highway and was poised to roll down the road to capture Gabes itself.

German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, Axis commander of the region, realized the Centauro Divisions collapse had unhinged the entire Axis defense in southern Tunisia:II Corps offensive threatened to split the Axis forces in half and cut off the German and Italian units from their supply base. He needed to block II Corps from seizing Gabesand so ordered the 10th Panzer Division to advance along the Gabes-Gafsa highway to defeat the 1st Infantry Division.

NO ONE ON THE ALLIED SIDE expected the panzers. Still, General Allens placement of Lieutenant Colonel Bakers 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was prescient. He positioned Bakers M3 GMCs on the forward slope of a steep ridgeEl Keddab, just southeast of El Guettarlike they were atop the inside edge of a bowl. From there they had excellent fields of fire across the El Guettar valley and the Gabes-Gafsa highway just to the south, which Allen believed was the most likely avenue of approach for German forces. With the marshy salt flats of Chott El Guettar to the west and the cradling ridges to the north and south, the enemy would have little room to maneuver.

On the night of March 22 Baker moved out to his battle position. He liked the ground. East of defensive position and North of the Gabes Road are wadis [dry streambeds] and gently rolling ridges with some knolls, he later wrote. It is favorable tank destroyer terrain with dry, sandy soil.

Bakers B and C companies occupied locations north of the highway. He placed his single A Company platoon to each side of the road and directed his reconnaissance company to move out in front of the battalion to provide early warning.

Thanks to the reconnaissance platoons, the German attack did not catch the tank destroyer crews completely off-guard. First Lieutenant Joseph A. Gioia, a reconnaissance platoon leader, recalled that around 4:30 a.m., The silhouettes of foot-troops were seen and the rumbling of tanks were heard. At about the same time two men in a motorcycle and side-car came along the right into our position.

Within seconds, submachine-gun and rifle fire erupted from the American lines, wounding one of the Germans. The damaged bike rolled to a stop, and several of Gioias men detained the bewildered pair of motorcyclists. Scanning the horizon, Gioia counted 16 panzers and two infantry companies approaching. We opened fire with everything we had, Gioia said.

The sudden fusillade stunned the panzergrenadiers. After warning the rest of the 601st, Captain Michael Paulick, the reconnaissance company commander, seized the opportunity and ordered his two forward-most platoons to relocate behind B and C companies before the Germans recovered from the shock. Paulick estimated his men had inflicted more than 50 casualties during the brief but violent firefight.

Meanwhile the soldiers in the three tank destroyer companies girded themselves for battle. B Companys 2nd Platoon engaged the Germans first. At about 0530 hours, I saw many men coming over a ridge in front of our position, recalled platoon leader First Lieutenant Robert A. Luthi. I waited until they were a thousand yards from our position, then I ordered all guns to fire. I observed our shells landing all around the enemy infantry.

Despite the tempest of fire, the enemy infantry seemed unstoppable. The probing panzergrenadiers found a gap between Luthis left flankto the northand the rest of B Company. The enemy infantry kept advancing under our fire, and some of them swept around our left flank, the lieutenant explained. One of Luthis vehicle commanders, Sergeant John C. Ritso, tried to open fire on the flanking Germans to no avail; the panzergrenadiers kept on coming and, said Ritso, got within fifty yards of our gun position. Sensing disaster, Luthi ordered his platoon to withdraw to another positionand in doing so, exposed the rest of B Company and the battalion to an attack from the south.

B Companys 3rd Platoon was closest to the highway; platoon commander First Lieutenant Francis X. Lambert recalled, As soon as the enemy clearly silhouetted against the skyline, I gave the command to fire. My guns immediately opened up on the enemy. Tank destroyers rocked as their 75mm guns cracked and boomed. Despite their disadvantages, the M3 GMCs began scoring hits on the approaching panzers.

Corporal Harry J. Ritchies gun truck knocked out two panzers within minutes. Just then to the right I spotted about ten or eleven tanks about a thousand yards away, another vehicle commander in Lamberts platoon recalled. They fired about five rounds of armor-piercing ammo, hitting the tanks low and stopping at least two of them.

Lambert tried to raise his company commander, Captain Henry E. Mitchell, on the radio to report success but heard only static. Then he realized Luthis withdrawal had left him in a precarious position. When I looked to the left flank, it seemed to me that all the vehicles in that sector had withdrawn, including two of the destroyers under my command, Lambert recalled. This left my two right destroyers completely exposed on the left and right. The lieutenant pulled out his platoon, but as the halftracks drove away, one hit a landmine. The resulting explosion destroyed the vehicle and wounded most of the crew. A second blew a tire, while a third vehicles 75mm gun jammed, leaving Lambert with only one operating halftrack.

Along B Companys opposite flank, to the north, was 1st Platoon under the command of First Lieutenant John D. Yowell, from Dallas, Texas. His gunners had opened fire shortly after the initial radio warning. Sergeant Adolph I. Raymond, a vehicle commander in Yowells platoon, remembered firing on a German tank, likely a Panzer IV: Five rounds bounced off and the sixth one went home.

Then Raymond saw a second panzer. This time he knocked it out with one round. But his victory was short-lived when a round from an unseen panzer split open his engine block, wrecking his halftrack. Another vehicle from the platoon destroyed the panzer.

Yowells other gunners found their targets. When the tanks located us they turned completely around and came back over the same route, Raymond recalled. I believe they returned because of the impassable terrain and also to put our four guns out of action. Panzer after panzer brewed upbut not without cost. Yowell lost several halftracks in quick succession. Worse, his remaining trucks were running out of ammunition because they had to shoot five to six rounds to disable each panzer. It was time to withdraw, reload, and fight from a new position.

Finally we realized that our platoon was about the only one left, recalled Corporal John Nowak, who served under Yowell. It was then that Lieutenant Yowell distinguished himself. He maneuvered his platoons vehicles from hill to hill, always keeping them protected from incoming fire. Says Nowak: He directed the vehicles to safety and we were the last to leave the area.

Further to the north was First Lieutenant Samuel B. Richardson, 1st Platoon, C Company. When the panzers appeared, his soldiers performed with the calm efficiency of men on maneuvers. It was still dark when we opened up, daylight just breaking, said Sergeant Steve Futuluychuk, one of Richardsons halftrack commanders. My gunner sent two tanks up in smoke and I another.

After several minutes of fighting, Richardson counted seven panzers burning or broken down in front of his platoon position. Before he could relax, German artillery zeroed in on the platoon, showering it with bursting shrapnel. Complicating matters further, he had lost radio contact with most of his men, forcing him to use runners. In the confusion, some of the vehicle commanders, unable to raise Richardson, started to withdraw. Richardson realized he had lost half his platoon only when a runner returned with the news that his southern flank was wide open. Following orders, Richardson withdrew his remaining vehicles.

From his position, Captain Sundstrom, the C Company commander, could see the panzer blitz and ordered his 2nd Platoon to move forward. It looked a like a parade, said Sergeant Bill R. Harper, a 2nd Platoon halftrack commander. The 50-plus metal monsters were a daunting sight. But, within minutes, the M3 crews went to work, plugging away at the enemy. Were behind the top of the hills, said Harper, and wed pull up and fire and then back down.

Second Lieutenant Charles M. Munns 3rd Platoon was on C Companys northern flank. At the onset of the attack, German panzergrenadiers assaulted his position in swarms. At one point, two panzers dropped off a mortar crew behind a shallow ridge; the crew lobbed rounds onto Munns unit. One exploded above one of the open halftracks, wounding two of the crew. One soldier required immediate medical attention, so Munn hauled him to the rear and then linked up with First Lieutenant John C. Perry, the company executive officer, to secure more ammunition.

The return trip was harrowing. The Germans must have realized that this was an ammunition halftrack, for the fire laid down on us was quite heavy, recalled Munn, who was sitting in the back of the M3. Despite the incoming fire, Perry and Munn reached 3rd Platoon and resupplied them.

Meanwhile to the south, Captain Sundstrom found himself surrounded, along with C Companys 2nd Platoon. One of our men reported that enemy infantry was coming along the foot of the mountain, Sundstrom recalled. The captain had to make a difficult choice. He ordered his vehicles destroyed, and sent his men back to the battalion support area in groups of three; there they waited for new vehicles to contin-ue the fight. In Sundstroms absence, Perry assumed command of the rest of Sundstroms company and chose to fight it out. He ordered Munn to take his two remaining halftracks and another gun truck to defend an artillery unit on the eastern side of El Keddab Ridge.

Looking for an easier target, the panzers swung to the south and tried to flank an A Company platoon. At this time I counted well over thirty tanks circling to the right, the platoon leader recalled. I ordered two of my guns to take them under fire. The combined fire of the artillery and tank destroyer elements on my right turned this thrust back before they had gotten one thousand yards from the hill.

BY AROUND 8:20 A.M., the German assault was finally faltering. The 601st had lost most of its vehiclesbut had inflicted a terrific amount of punishment on the German attackers. Northeast of the 601st, the Germans also had no luck against the 18th Infantrys 3rd Battalion, where GIs stopped panzergrenadiers cold. Meanwhile, the 32nd Field Artillery, parked behind the 601st, rained death on enemy troops.

More importantly, 1st Infantry Division reinforcements began to arrive, including another tank destroyer battalion and several infantry and artillery battalions. The Germans, however, had nothing left to throw into the fight: they had committed virtually everything in their initial attack. The American line had bent, but it had not broken.

By midmorning, the German offensive stalled and the panzers pulled back. The Axis tried again later that afternoon in an infantry-heavy attack with a handful of hesitant panzers. Journalist Liebling, a witness to that days battle, likened the German tanks to diffident fat boys coming across the floor at a party to ask for the next dance, stopping at the slightest excuse, going back and then coming on again. But the attack failed. By midnight, generals Allen and Patton realized they had won a great victory.

The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion was instrumental to that triumph. Their advantageous positioning certainly added to their success. But a greater contribution came from the courage and tenacity they brought to a fight in which they knew the odds were against them. Despite losing more than 30 vehicles to enemy fire and suffering 72 casualties, the undergunned and underarmored tank destroyers blunted the main panzer thrust. The next morning, the 10th Panzer Division reported only 26 serviceable tanksa loss of 50 percent from the previous morning.

Kesselring and the other Axis commanders now knew the Americans learned quickly. Much to their chagrin, the inexperienced junior partner was no longer the Achilles heel of the Allied coalition. Two months later, Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered, ending the war in North Africa. For its actions on March 23, 1943, the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion earned a Presidential Unit Citation. They went on to fight in Sicily, Italy, southern France, and Germany.

Shortly after the battle, reporter A. J. Liebling looked back on the victory, and all it implied: If one American division could beat one German division, I thought then, a hundred American divisions could beat a hundred German divisions. Time and turmoil would prove him right. 

This story was originally published in the April 2018 issue of World War II magazine. Subscribe here.
John Ripleys All-American Tenacity

I had the good fortune to engage in a brief exchange of correspondence with the late Colonel John Ripley featured in your October issue (Ripleys Believe It or Not!) and found him to be a gentleman. I first read of Ripleys exploits in John Millers excellent book The Bridge at Dong Ha, and I was indeed privileged to have had even a fleeting distant acquaintance with him. The heroism, tenacity and stamina he displayed were quite extraordinary. He exemplified all that is best about your country and countrymen, unlike that intemperate nonsense in that letter in the same issue criticizing President Barack Obama.

James McNeill

Kirkintilloch, Scotland

The Power of a Picture

I was struck by an incident referred to in The Madness of Mini Tet (October) in which five photojournalists ran into a Viet Cong squad in Saigon on May 5, 1968. The squad instantly killed two, and an officer cold-bloodedly executed two others. The last photographer only survived because he ran away while the VC officer reloaded. The irony is that no pictures were taken of these brutal murders of noncombatants. Only three months earlier, Eddie Adams photographed General Nguyen Ngoc Loans street execution of a VC captain who was out of uniform and led an assassination unit that had just executed 34 people, including the entire family of one of Loans men. The Adams photo contributed to the slow erosion of Americas will in Vietnam. I wonder what the effect of a photo of the photographers execution would have had.

Raymond Paul Opeka

Grand Rapids, Mich.

Me and Bobbie at LZ Dolly

I enjoyed reading about Bobbie Keiths experience as the Armed Forces Vietnam TV weathergirl. I recall watching her while on firebase Dolly. I guess being on a hill in the otherwise flat III Corps made it possible to receive the signal. While sorting through some pictures recently I came across one of Bobbie when she visited my unit, but I had to do a search on the internet to remember her name as well as take me to your website, HistoryNet.com, and read the interview to learn more.

What a surprise when I clicked through the pictures to the one titled At LZ Dolly with the 1st Cav, 1968. Thats me pulling the lanyard to fire the 105mm howitzer M-102. I am sure of this because it is the exact same picture I recently found in my file, an official 1st Air Cavalry Division U.S. Army Photo.

I also have a photo of just Bobbie covering her ears. All I remember of the visit was being nervous. At that point of my tour I hadnt seen many, if any, American women. When it came time to fire the howitzer, either Bobbie didnt want to pull the lanyard or I pulled it quicker than she expected because it startled her. Her visit is one of the good memories of my experience in Vietnam. Thank you, Bobbie!

Al Benglen

Columbus, Miss.

The Many Faces of Chieu Hoi

The article on the Chieu Hoi program (Weapons of Mass Persuasion, October) reminded me of when I was an S2 scout in a 3rd Marine Division infantry company in 1968-69 and worked with two Kit Carson Scouts. One of them, Tran Van Bay, had been in the North Vietnamese Army and was with us for the last six months I was there. Beyond a fellow Marine who was killed two days before I was wounded, he was my best friend in Vietnam. When I took a piece of shrapnel through my elbow, Tran was at my side and stayed with me until I was medevaced out and suddenly my war was over. I never saw him again but still wonder what became of him.

Ronald E. Miller

Lima Company 3/3/3

USMC

Regarding the Chieu Hoi program, in addition to the posters and fliers there was an effort to explain the program to the people. I am a collector of war photos and among them are some MACV photos of a young Vietnamese woman named Miss Thuy explaining Chieu Hoi. According to the photo caption, among her stops were the villages within the Michelin Rubber plantation in the spring of 1967.

Marc Smilen

Dania Beach, Fla.

No Sympathy for Max Cleland

As a Vietnam veteran (1966-67, 1st Infantry Division), I found the interview of the ultraliberal Max Cleland (December) very interesting. First, the true story of how Cleland lost his limbs in Vietnam was not explained. And Cleland lost his Senate reelection bid in 2002 not because his patriotism was challenged, but because of his dishonesty regarding how his injuries were acquired, as well as other issues involving his ultra-liberal voting record. As a proud veteran and former infantry sergeant, there is nothing Mr. Cleland could speak to me about or teach me. He is just another liberal who I suspect doesnt speak for most veterans past or present!

Jim Husing

Santa Clara, Calif.

To suggest Max Cleland was denied reelection because his patriotism was challenged is just a footnote off a page of the playbook of the extreme left. What gives his opinion higher status than the average private on patrol? Should we stand silently by while Cleland is cited by the left as a hero because of his battlefield injuries, and is used as a rallying point for those who insist honorable Vietnam veterans were duped into service?

Edward J. Green

Mobile, Ala.

Save the Yards

Octobers Advisers Targeted for Destruction mentions the Montagnards. Your readers may be happy to learn there is a vibrant community of about 9,000 Yards in central North Carolina. The Montagnards and their culture have almost been annihilated in their homeland. They have been driven off their land, starved and poisoned. All because they chose to be our allies. Even those who make it to the hoped-for protection of UN camps in Cambodia find no sanctuary. Two organizations that are helping in their relocation are the Montagnard Dega Association and Save the Montagnard People, www.montagnards.org.

George Hadeler

Luray, Va.

Right on Mac, Wrong on Walter

In the December editorial, Cronkite, McNamara, Truth and Integrity, you hit the target on McNamara but joined the revisionists who lionize Walter Cronkite. You set objectivity aside to credit this man and his impact on journalism. His reporting on the war in Vietnam (both from within and from afar) was not objective, but simply piled on the growing antiwar effort. I was there in 1968-69 and I can assure you that the Tet and subsequent offensives in 1968 were overwhelming defeats for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army.

The false reports by Cronkite and his ilk set the stage for the effective surrender of our political willwhile our militarys resolve never faltered. His reporting had the ultimate effect of making the sacrifice of 58,195 men and women in vain. After Vietnam I watched this journalist malign our military, embrace unilateral disarmament and solidify his standing with the left. I didnt celebrate his death, but I did celebrate the silencing of a voice that was anything but objective.

William T. Meddings

Cross Plains, Wis.

I believe that Walter Cronkite had no idea what he was talking about when he gave his opinion of the war based on his one-sided view of Tet. In World War II, if a reporter would have seen only the Allied casualties after the 12-week breakout from the Normandy beachhead, it probably could have been concluded that we lost the war. This man had an agenda, and I dont think most Vietnam vets have forgotten or forgiven.

Jay W. Sukits

Pittsburgh, Pa.

No More McNamaras?

Bravo, Marc Leepson! Its about time the word got out about the travesty orchestrated by Robert McNamara (McNamara and Me, December) and his Camelot cronies blindly serving John F. Kennedy and later Lyndon B. Johnson. Someone needs to speak on behalf of all of us Vietnam veterans, especially for the 58,000 sacrificed and long-silenced. Thank goodness there are no arrogant, condescending, self-aggrandizing politicians these days interfering with American military strategy affecting our national security. History, indeed, does repeat itself.

Lawrence C. Reid

North Attleboro, Mass.

A Marine Born to Lead

I read Franklin Coxs account (Marines in a Viet Cong Noose, August) of an operation near Da Nang in 1966. I served with Lieutenant Coxs company commander, the flamboyant Captain Carl Reckewell. Carl was an extremely competitive guy who lived to lead Marines into combat. When 1965 came and Vietnam became a place we would all come to know all too well, Carl immediately requested orders back into the division to be right in the middle of the fray. The same Carl Reckewell made Time magazine in April 1966 when he stared down a South Vietnamese M-48 tank at the Da Nang bridge with his .45 at the ready and helped avert a power struggle between two South Vietnamese generals.

John Sterling

Eagle, Idaho

Its Over, Move On

Letters from a Washington reader (August, October 2009) indicate a man wrestling with himself 40 years after the fact. The tired left-wing cliches about soldier as murderer versus soldier as victim have long been exposed. The justness of any war is a subjective conclusion. Some have earned the right to make their own personal judgment, some have not. Of course Vietnam vets were betrayedsoldiers often are. We were betrayed by government, by moneyed interests, by an amateur secretary of defense, and by leftists who kept the war going after it should have ended and ensured that the wrong side won. McNamara was right about one thing: War is far too complex to be comprehended by any human mind. The gentleman from Washington should do what the vast majority of Vietnam combat vets have donegive it a rest and move on with his life. Its over.

Don Johnson

Holden, Mass.

Originally published in the February 2010 issue of Vietnam. To subscribe, click here.
Women Vietnam Vets Target of VA Study

Nearly 40 years after the war, the women who served in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and in the United States during the conflict will be the subject of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study designed to explore the effects their military service had on their mental and physical health. Eric Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs, said in announcing the study in December, that meeting the needs of female vets is one of his top priorities. Our veterans have earned the very best care, Shinseki said. The VA realizes that women veterans require specialized programs, and this study will help VA provide high-quality care for women veterans of the Vietnam era.

Some 250,000 women veterans, most now in their 60s, served in the military during the Vietnam War, with about 7,000 in or near Vietnam. Approximately 10,000 women will be contacted to participate in the four-year, $5.6-million comprehensive study. The information about the veterans will be gathered through a mailed survey, telephone interview and a review of their medical records to assess their experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other mental and physical problems, and the relationship between PTSD and other conditions. Its findings will be used to shape future research and to help provide the VAs support services for aging women veterans.

Today, women veterans are among the fastest growing segments of the overall veteran population. According to VA statistics, women made up just 4 percent of the total veteran population in 1988, but now that percentage has nearly doubled. By 2020, the VA estimates that 10.5 percent of all veterans will be women. During a 2009 Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on the health issues unique to female veterans, Iraq War vet Kayla Williams said, It is vital that the VA provide times or places where women veterans, especially those who may have experienced military sexual trauma, can feel safe and comfortable seeking help in a community of their peers.

Thailand Rebuffs U.S. and U.N., Forces Hmong to Return to Laos

Even though President Barack Obama sent Eric Schwartz, assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, to Thailand in December to present senior Thai officials with a letter committing the United States and other Western countries to resettle any Hmong who are deemed to be refugees, Thai officials went forward with the forced deportation of 4,500 ethnic Hmong back to Laos on December 28. Among them were some 158 who were already recognized as refugees by the United Nations. The U.N., the United States and others fear the refugees will face persecution by the Laotian government, which denied immediate access to the Hmong, contending that would complicate matters, but insisting that international observers would be permitted to visit them later. The repatriation all but ended this group of Hmongs three-decade search for asylum.

During the Vietnam War, the United States used Hmong troops in Laos to help disrupt the flow of North Vietnamese troops and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, to help rescue downed U.S. pilots along the Vietnamese border with Laos, and to protect the U.S. radar site at Pha Thi Mountain. When the Communists took over Vietnam in 1975, the Hmong became refugees, and many of them found refuge in camps within Thailand and were aided by international agencies. Of the nearly 3,000,000 prewar Hmong, less than 200,000 made it to safety, resettling in Thailand, the United States, France, Australia and Canada. Many of those in Thailand were living at the Huay Nam Khao camp in Thailands northern province.

Thailand did not allow the U.N. refugee agency or any third party to assess the Hmong refugee status or monitor their return to Laos, which the two countries agreed would take place before the end of 2009. Thai officials say they secured guarantees from Laotian officials that the refugees wont be harmed in Laos and that international observers would be free to inspect the villages where the Hmong will be resettled. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thailand received confirmation from the Laotian government that these Hmong will have a better life. According to the Washington Post, some 150,000 Hmong have been accepted into the United States.

Vietnams Defense Minister Visits U.S.

In only the second visit to the United States by a Vietnamese defense minister since the two countries normalized relations in 1995, General Phung Quang Thanh met in Washington with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in December to discuss mutual concerns, especially with regard to both nations ongoing efforts to search for their service members still missing in action. In addition to the 97 search and excavation missions the two countries have jointly conducted, Vietnamese officials handed over documents that pinpoint another 13 locations for joint excavations. In exchange, the U.S. has provided information relating to nearly 1,000 cases of Vietnamese soldiers who remain missing in action. The two sides pledged to elevate their cooperation in addressing other postwar issues, including decontaminating toxic chemicals and removing bombs and mines left behind in Vietnam. Thanh also met with Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran.

Report: Agent Orange Risks Were Known by Maker

A December Chicago Tribune investigation revealed that in 1965, Dow Chemical Co. referred to dioxin, a contaminant in Agent Orange, as one of the most toxic materials known causing not only skin lesions, but also liver damage. The Tribune also reported that documents it reviewed showed that techniques were available to drastically cut the amount of dioxin in the defoliant during manufacture. After examining court documents and government records in the National Archives, the newspaper concluded soldiers were exposed to Agent Orange without being informed of its risks, making exposure more dangerous. Chemical companies that produced the defoliant have been sued by veterans and Vietnamese who were exposed to dioxin.

Men and Missions of Linebacker II Get a Salute in Guam

During a ceremony at Guams Andersen AFB to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the December 18-29, 1972, Operation Linebacker II, 33 airmen fell into formation beside the flagpole. Todays 33- man formation represents the 33 aircrew killed during the 11-day Linebacker II campaign, said Captain Brooks Walters, an officer of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, which sponsored the December 2009 event. He then proceeded to read the names of the 33 airmen who did not return from the bombing runs into North Vietnam.

The ceremony was attended by two airmen directly involved with Linebacker II, along with other service members, congressional representatives and civic leaders, and featured a B-2 Spirit flyover, a rifle salute and taps played by a bugler who stood under the wing of a B-52 on display. The flag at Andersens Arc Light Memorial Park was lowered and flown at half-staff for the next 11 days to honor the airmen for their part in the 11-day operation.

In late 1972, Andersen was the site of the most massive buildup of air power in American history, with more than 15,000 personnel and more than 150 B-52s lining all available space on the flightline. During those 11 days of bombing, when the Paris Peace talks had stalled and President Richard M. Nixon sought to force the North Vietnamese to return to the negotiating table, Andersen AFB launched 729 bombing missions against 34 targets in North Vietnam.

The intense bombing resulted in more than 1,600 civilian deaths in Hanoi and Haiphong, but the operation played a vital role in the renewal of the peace talks, which concluded on January 28, 1973, with the signing of a cease-fire with the government of North Vietnam.

Decorated NVA Officer Convicted of Subversion

In late December, a 60-year-old former lieutenant colonel and proponent of democratic reforms in Vietnam, Tran Anh Kim, was convicted of subversion and sentenced to five years in prison. According to press reports, Kims trial was the first of a series of upcoming prosecutions of pro-democracy and human-rights activists. Kim, who faced a potential death sentence, stood accused of joining an organization promoting multiparty democracy, of posting prodemocracy articles on the Internet and being a member of an outlawed party.

Originally published in the April 2010 issue of Vietnam. To subscribe, click here.
Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived

The film: produced and directed by Koji Masutani, Docudrama Films, 2009, available on DVD, www.virtualjfk.com The book: by James G. Blight, janet M. Lang, David A. Welch, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009

In November of 1963, the United States had 16,000 military advisers in South Vietnam. Five years later, more than half a million U.S. troops were on the ground there and nearly 20,000 had been killed. The unanswerable question long asked: What would have happened in Vietnam if President John F. Kennedy had lived?

That question has been the subject of an extensive project of Professor James Blight and Adjunct Associate Professor janet M. Lang, both at Brown Universitys Watson Institute for International Studies, and David A. Welch, professor of political science at the University of Toronto. The project resulted in the film Virtual JFK, and its companion book of the same name.

Using declassified documents, tape recordings of presidential conversations and extensive interaction and testimony from a critical oral history conference in 2005 that included former Kennedy and Johnson administration officials and scholars, the authors assess the plausibility of the what ifs related to the presidents decisions on the war.

The book presents a wide range of views and interesting arguments among the participants, and a wealth of excerpts from declassified documents, memos and secret audiotapes. From this factual record, the authors make the argument that, yes, indeed there does exist compelling evidence that Kennedy was on his way to ending the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. While many will outright disagree with that assessment and scoff at the elevation of counterfactual history, the book does clearly present the facts alongside expert testimony and analysis such that readers can draw their own conclusions.

The movie Virtual JFK is artfully produced and essentially provides viewers the opportunity to attempt to divine what a post-Dallas Kennedy might have done in Vietnam by examining the actions taken by the young president during the multiple crises he faced in his first year in office.

As the film begins, with Professor Blight narrating between audio and video clips of Kennedys news conferences, viewers may find themselves thinking more of the present than the past. Christened by the Bay of Pigs, JFK faces in 1961 what Blight says might be the worst year a president has ever had. All the while, former Vice President Richard Nixon attacks him for his lack of spine, and the Republican Party questions his competence.

The film draws its conclusions by deconstructing the string of nerve-rattling Cold War confrontations in 1961 that took the United States just to the brink of military conflicts, despite the willingness of many to push JFK into taking us over the brink into a hot war, from Cuba to Berlin to Laos.

In Laos, for example, in the face of falling domino warnings and more Nixon catcalls (Never in American history has a man talked so big and acted so little), Kennedy insists, All we want in Laos is peace, not war. Through symbolic actions and diplomacy, the United States and the Soviet Union negotiate their way out of the Laotian crisis.

On the evolving Vietnam crisis, the film offers up thoughtful Kennedy press comments where he describes the ongoing guerrilla insurgency and says: How we fight that kind of a problem, which is going to be with us all through this decade, seems to me to be one of the great problems before the United States.I dont feel satisfied that we have an effective answer to it yet.

In recorded October 1963 discussions with Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Kennedy discusses how to get out of Vietnam and reduce the exposure of U.S. combat personnel to the guerrilla actions in South Vietnam. McNamara tells him: We must have a means of disengaging from this area. We must show our country what that means.

Days later, worried about public reaction and Republican criticism of a formal plan for disengagement, Kennedy tells McNamara, Lets just go ahead and do it without making a formal statement about it. However, to reporters questions about any speed up of troop reductions in late 1963, JFK responds, We would expect to withdraw 1,000 men from South Vietnam before the end of the year.

The film then follows the transition of U.S. policy under President Lyndon B. Johnson, drawing a dramatic contrast to what it might have been under Kennedy.

Perhaps most unnerving is an extended account of an February 15, 1965, memo to LBJ from Vice President Hubert Humphrey noting that the overwhelming Democratic control of Congress undercuts sniping from the far right. He then warns Johnson that Vietnam will chew up American boys, and he wont be able to tell Americans why; that the Viet Cong control most of the country and the situation is getting worse and we dont know who we are supporting half the time and, if we chose to go to war, we have to consider we dont know what we are doing. Johnson refused to meet further with Humphrey about his concerns.

Does Virtual JFK settle anything? Can we ever know the history that never happens? No. But the film and book are useful resources for anyone seeking to understand how the U.S. role in Vietnam unfolded.

Originally published in the February 2010 issue of Vietnam. To subscribe, click here.
The 47 year old actor, writer and director suffered a heart attack after a show in Oxnard, California.

Tweeting from a hospital bed late last night Californian time, Smith sent out a picture of himself decked out in a hospital gown, covered in wires and tubing. Known for directing his 2010 hit Cop Out and the owner of 'Jay and Bob's Secret Secret Stash', a comic book store which was inspired from his role as Silent Bob from 1994's Clerks, Smith had preformed a stand-up comedy routine earlier that night and was due to perform a second one later that evening.

"I had a massive heart attack. The doctor who saved my life told me I had a 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka "the Widow-Maker)."

For some further context, the 'LAD' artery (the left anterior descending artery) is a branch of the left coronary artery, which supplies a large quantity of of blood to the left atrium. In short, it means a heart attack stemming from a blockage here is a serious medical issue, that can be fatal if not caught and treated in time.

After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka the Widow-Maker). If I hadnt canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I wouldve died tonight. But for now, Im still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018

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Having received an outpouring of well wishes from celebrities such as Chris Pratt and many concerned fans, it is not yet known if Smith will be returning to his tour. His agent has yet to make a statement regarding the incident.
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With the support of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association, and in conjunction with various Ohio sheriffs offices and police departments, the Humane Society of the United States is launching a week of day-long training seminars throughout the state. The free trainings run from February 26 to March 2.

An Ohio law enforcement officer with 25 years of service to the Buckeye state will provide officers with the tools for investigating and prosecuting illegal animal cruelty and fighting cases, and will show how these crimes relate to other violent offenses, including domestic/child abuse, gang activity, drugs and other crimes.

Mark Kumpf, president of the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association, says, Our motto is Striving to be mans and dogs best friend. This training serves both humans and animals by ensuring that our Ohio law enforcement partners receive professional education offered by the HSUS nationally recognized Humane State law enforcement training program.

The HSUS Ohio state director and Ohio native Corey Roscoe says, We are pleased to collaborate with statewide organizations like the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association to provide resources for law enforcement officers in the state. These trainings aim to support their efforts to respond to incidents of animal neglect and abuse and to drive up enforcement of our states animal cruelty laws.

Support the work of HSUS' Humane State Program. Donate Now
Shareholder Lawsuits Against Spotify Just Got Easier

While there has long been a crusade from the powers that be to de-fang small publishers and independent songwriters as much as possible to prevent them from suing major companies like Spotify, the streaming platform's new public status could shareholders a legal leg-up.

________________________

Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy

The Digital Media Association is as obsessed with crushing the ability of independent songwriters and small publishers to sue companies like Spotify for copyright infringement as the industry negotiators are with presenting a new safe harbor for infringers like it was a fantastic give in the Music Modernization Act. But at least where Spotify is concerned, as a public company they may be begging for the very statutory damages they are so anxious to eliminate.

Spotify lawyers like Christopher Sprigman and his compadre Lawrence Lessig have been trying to get rid of statutory damages and bring back 1909-style copyright registration for years. (See also Pamela Samuelson and the list goes on.)

But now that the industry has acquiesced in both of those long cherished goals of the anti-copyright crowd, songwriters will have to look elsewhere to regain the kind of punch that they got with the statutory damages stick. Why? Because a benevolent and patriarchal government is taking that stick away from the little guy and giving it to the largest corporations in commercial history. (And recording artists and record companiesyoure next and youll know who to thank. See Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act that is quietly adding co-sponsors.)

But you say, what could be a bigger stick than statutory damages? It might be shareholder derivative suits. And Sprigmans benefactor Google is a great example of what that means.

MTP readers will recall that we have written before about Googles dual class shares that created 10 for 1 supervoting stock that is owned only by insiders like Eric Uncle Sugar Schmidt, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. If youve ever watched the video of a Google shareholder meeting, youll have seen David Drummond (who has his own problems) reading out the news of how any shareholder motion that was not supported by the insiders was defeatedand massively defeated due to the supervoting stock. The only thing thats remarkable is that the shareholders keep trying. Because while all shareholders are equal, at Google, some shareholders are more equal than others. Ten times more equal if they give you voting stock at all. Google shareholders give the right to be forgotten a whole new meaning.

Thats rightGoogle has what I call the you break it, you bought it class of stock that gives the insiders total control over all aspects of their corporation. If youre not an insider, your role is to shut up and enjoy the ride. Dont get me wronglots of people do.

But some dont. Most recently, a Google shareholder tried to question the companys top executives about their pre-#metoo opposition to the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.

If you watch the video, youll get the idea. Google is comfortable with their opposition to stopping sex trafficking in favor of profitable safe harbors, so sit down, shut up and count your money. That should demonstrate two things: First, the Alphas are not interested in anything anyone else has to say although they will go through the motions to tolerate the poor Epsilons. Second, these policy positions and more importantly corporate actions are solely the responsibility of the insiders in the More Equal Than You system of corporate governance.

And guess what? Bloomberg reports that Silicon Valley mogul wanna be Daniel Ek mimicked the Google model with the supposedly egalitarian Spotify.

Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek and Vice Chairman Martin Lorentzon own a class of stock that assures their hold on the company after the shares begin trading, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the terms arent public. Another class will be tradeable by investors. That means public investors will be able to own part of the worlds largest paid music service in the next couple of months, but wont have much say about its future. Years after going public, some of the biggest technology companies, including Google parent Alphabet Inc. and Facebook Inc., remain under the control of founders who hold shares with super-voting rights. Company founders employ so-called dual-class structures to take advantage of the perks of being publicly traded without surrendering control. Such owners can make acquisitions that dilute their economic interest without loosing their grip. Ek, who co-founded Spotify about a decade ago in Stockholm, has looked to such companies for direction. He invited Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to his wedding and has publicly praised the leadership of Snap Inc., which gave its investors no voting rights in its initial public offering last March.

If the Google shareholder meetings are any guide, its not that investors wont have much say, they wont have any say at all. Unless they are sued by their stockholders in what is called a shareholder derivative suit. A shareholder suit is when a shareholder sues the corporations officers or board of directors for a cause of action against the corporation that isnt being brought because it would require the board of directors to sue itself. These are often based on breach of fiduciary duty.

Case in point: Googles sale of advertising promoting the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. Google signed a nonprosecution agreement with the Department of Justice, second cousin to a plea bargain, after a four year grand jury investigation, producing four million documents to the investigators and paying a $500,000,000 fine. Walking around money for Google, but nobody was fired and according to the U.S. Attorney bringing the case, the paper trail implicated Googles senior management including Larry Page (which disclosure resulted in an apology to Google from the DOJ and the muzzling of the US Attorney,)

Shareholders were pissed and a pension fund brought a derivative case (read the complaint) against the Google board including Page, Brin, Schmidt, John Doerr and Sheryl Sandberg. (Yes, that Sheryl Sandberg.) This case resulted in a settlement that required Google to spend over $250,000,000.

So this is the kind of thing that stockholders bring themselves when they know that the government never will and theres a case to be made. Shareholder suits are kind of like the private attorney general laws that used to be in the Copyright Act where the government avoided the burden of actually enforcing its laws itself and instead relied on the market to do so. How did they do this? By giving private actors a big stick like the statutory damages and attorneys fees (recent precedent notwithstanding) they are now taking away from songwriters in the Music Modernization Act.

But never fearsongwriters who are also Spotify stockholders will still have the stick of shareholder derivative suits to go after malfeasance in the boardroom. Shareholder derivative suits are in a very broad sense kind of like class actions, something Spotify is very familiar with. The class is stockholders and the defendants are often limited to the officers and directors of the company for doing things like, oh, say, committing massive acts of willful copyright infringement that probably could be criminally prosecuted if there were any prosecutors with the chutzpah to actually enforce the copyright law.

And once Spotify sells shares to the public, the insiders may control the infringement but they cant control who buys their stock.

Since Mr. Ek seems to want to be just like Google, maybe hell be just like Google in another way, too. And rememberthis is just the beginning of the disclosure of the inner workings of Spotify that will start to dribble out as its SEC disclosures become due and payable. And these supervoting stock classes are a very good way to demonstrate that you broke it, you bought it.

You want all the control? Well, you got it. And having all the control means having all the responsibility, too. Just ask Uncle Sugar.

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Translations:

Objectif dun milliard de passagers a bord de vols utilisant des carburants durables dici 2025 (pdf)

La IATA se marca como objetivo transportar mil millones de pasajeros en vuelos con biocombustibles en 2025 (pdf)

               (pdf)

Geneva  The International Air transport Association (IATA) set out an aim for one billion passengers to fly on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025. This aspiration was identified on the tenth anniversary of the first flight to blend sustainable aviation fuel and ordinary jet fuel.

On 24 February 2008, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew from London to Amsterdam with sustainable aviation fuel in one of its engines. The flight demonstrated the viability of drop-in biofuels, which can be blended with traditional jet fuel, using existing airport infrastructure. A flight completely powered by sustainable fuel has the potential to reduce the carbon emissions of that flight by up to 80%.

The momentum for sustainable aviation fuels is now unstoppable. From one flight in 2008, we passed the threshold of 100,000 flights in 2017, and we expect to hit one million flights during 2020. But that is still just a drop in the ocean compared to what we want to achieve. We want 1 billion passengers to have flown on a SAF-blend flight by 2025. That wont be easy to achieve. We need governments to set a framework to incentivize production of SAF and ensure it is as attractive to produce as automotive biofuels, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

The push to increase uptake of SAF is being driven by the airline industrys commitment to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and to cut net carbon emissions by 50% compared to 2005. A number of airlines, including Cathay Pacific, FedEx Express, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Qantas, and United, have made significant investments by forward-purchasing 1.5 billion gallons of SAF. Airports in Oslo, Stockholm, Brisbane and Los Angeles are already mixing SAF with the general fuel supply.

On the present uptake trajectory it is anticipated that half a billion passengers will have flown on a SAF-blend powered flight by 2025. But if governments, through effective policy, help the sustainable fuel industry to scale-up its production, it is possible that one billion passengers could experience an SAF flight by 2025. The steps needed to deliver this include:

Allowing SAF to compete with automotive biofuels through equivalent or magnified incentives

Loan guarantees and capital grants for production facilities

Supporting SAF demonstration plants and supply chain research and development

Harmonized transport and energy policies, coordinated with the involvement of agriculture and military departments.

Acknowledging that some sources of biofuels for land transport have been criticized for their environmental credentials, de Juniac emphasized strongly the determination of the industry to only use truly sustainable sources for its alternative fuels.

The airline industry is clear, united and adamant that we will never use a sustainable fuel that upsets the ecological balance of the planet or depletes its natural resources, he said.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:
Ben Power, a close friend of Christa Steele-Knudslien, said her last words 'Baby, what are you doing?' should be a question everyone asks of themselves and others regarding equality and respect for LGBTQ people. PreviousNext

Local Woman's Murder Sparks Rally to Raise Transgender Awareness



Jahaira DeAlto of Berkshire Pride speaks about the experience of transgender women of color and the likelihood of them being abused or killed. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The call at Saturday's rally following the murder of Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien could be summed up in two angry words: No more.

No more murder of trans people. No more hate. No more suffering.

"I'm sick and tired of us being murdered," said Ben Power, a close friend of Steele-Knudslien who organized the Stop Killing Trans People! Rally and March, adding, "It's not enough to just read the names of our dead and mourn their loss. We must do something."

Steele-Knudslien, 42, was beaten and stabbed to death on Jan. 5 in her Veazie Street home. Her husband of less than a year is charged in her murder and made statements to police indicating his guilt.

She was the first transgender person killed in 2018; another four transgender women have been slain since.

Some 40 people attended Saturday's rally, including Steele-Knudslien's friends from the Northampton/Springfield area, to raise awareness of the LGBTQ community. The event had initially been scheduled for Northern Berkshire District Court but removed to City Hall for better exposure.

"Part of the problem is that there is no awareness of how trans people are suffering," said Power, founder of the Sexual Minorities Educational Foundation and Archive in Holyoke. Steele-Knudslien, a transgender woman, had advocated for her community by working with groups and founding local and national transgender beauty pageants.

A number of speakers pointed to the isolation, rejection, poverty, addiction, police harassment, lack of health care and marginalization that plagues the LGBTQ community. Transgender people often lack support from families, have difficulty finding employment and are more susceptible to depression and suicide.

Transgender women of color are even more at risk for abuse and murder.

"I am 50 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence in my lifetime," said Jahaira DeAlto of Berkshire Pride. "I am 50 times more likely to experience sexual assault in my lifetime, in two weeks, when I turn 39 years old I will be 4 years past my life expectancy ... the murders of trans people are 80 percent more likely to occur among trans women of color."

Isolation and lack of support also can put them at risk for abuse by those closest to them.

"We don't want to admit the same rates of violence happen to us as happen to straight people," Jennifer Wahr of the Elizabeth Freeeman Center. "But no one deserves to be hurt especially by someone who loves them."

Wahr a counselor at the center, which provides support and services for victims of sexual and domestic violence, said abuse protection and harassment orders in Berkshire County are more than 20 percent above the state average, and 37 percent higher in North Adams.

"In the past year, the Elizabeth Freeman Center served 2,500 people just in this county, and 481 of them from this city, North Adams," she said. "What happened to Christa is not an anomaly but something that happens here."

Wahr pointed to discussions being taken at the local government level to address domestic violence in all its forms, an action pushed by Councilors Benjamin Lamb and Marie T. Harpin and endorsed by Mayor Thomas Bernard.

"There's a chance for real action now," she said. "Please don't let Christa's death be in vain."

Gery Armsby of the Workers World Party in Boston put the suffering of transgender people and others in the LGBTQ community in context with others demanding equality. It was about the rights of labor, the right to health care, racism, sexism, white supremacy, rampant capitalism, and poverty, Armsby said, and a moneyed elite that peddles divisiveness to keep itself in power.

"I want to suggest that we always make broad unity and the broadest possible solidarity with other people," he said. "The priority, the priority every time we set out to speak truth to power, we think building solidarity."

The speakers lasted just over an hour in the cold, windy weather before marching to Steele-Knudslien's home on Veazie Street. There were a few rude comments, including a man who yelled from across the street, but far more honking horns in support as the participants stood on City Hall's lawn with signs and flags.

"All of you here today, you have a right to be angry," said Kenneth Mercure of Berkshire Pride. "We should not be afraid to go out of our homes, we should not be afraid to walk on our streets, we should not be afraid to be ourselves. ...

"It's ridiculous that I should be afraid to present myself the way I like because I'm afraid that if I left my house, I might not come home."
Town Clerk Haley Meczywor swears in Michael Rossi as a full-time police officer. New Police Officer Natasha Antona is congratulated by the Board of Selectmen. Police Chief Richard Tarsa introduces Michael Rossi to the board. Rossi was promoted to full time after a year as a special officer. PreviousNext

Adams Welcomes Two New Police Officers



Natasha Antona is sworn in by Meczywor. Antona's internship at the Police Department sparked her interest in law enforcement. ADAMS, Mass.  The Selectmen ratified the hiring of two new officers to the Police Department marking the first recruitments since the dissolution of Civil Service.

Town Clerk Haley Meczywor swore in Michael Rossi and Natasha Antona on Wednesday, the first officers not hired through the Civil Service application process.

"Now we are no longer affiliated with Civil Service so we are really looking forward to tonight's meeting, so we can move along to the next chapter of the Adams Police Department," Police Chief Richard Tarsa said.

Last year, town meeting voted to end the affiliation with Civil Service but only recently has the state signed off on the dissolution. Tarsa initiated the process because Civil Service limited whom the department could hire, which left him with staffing gaps in the department.

Both Rossi and Antona were brought on last year as special officers, which limited what they could do on the force and only allowed for certain educational opportunities and training.

First to be sworn in was Rossi who was promoted to a full-time officer.

"It is deeply gratifying to be able to move someone up along the line," Tarsa said.

Tarsa said Rossi is an Adams native and Hoosac Valley High School, graduate. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice from Springfield College and from the Massachusetts Reserve Intermittent Police Academy.

Tarsa added that he also worked as a part-time officer in South County.

Selectman John Duval read a letter from Tarsa that noted Rossi's commitment to community policing.

"He is a strong believer in the community policing concept and this appointment will not only be a benefit to the Police Department but also to the town of Adams," Duval read.

After the vote to hire Rossi, Duval welcomed him to the force.

"Our town holds our officers at high regard, and we are very proud of what they do in this community and I am sure you are going to make our police department a much better police department," Duval said. "I know you personally and I am glad you stuck with us."

Next to be sworn in was Antona, who Tarsa said started with the department as an intern from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

"She was going for her degree in English, which she received, but during the internship, the opportunity to be with the Adams Police Department struck a nerve with her," he said. "In her words, the department made her feel at home."

Tarsa said Antona is currently pursuing a master's degree in criminal justice and also went through the Massachusetts Reserve Intermittent Police Academy.

She said by moving up to a reserve officer, Antona will be able further her education.

"This will give her the opportunity to further her education process and refine her abilities with us through the Field Training Program," he said. "This will take her to the next step."

After voting to ratify Antona, Duval welcomed her to the force and told her Tarsa has always had great things to say about her.

"Your name has come up several times and he is very proud of the work that you have done so far for this department," he said. "The education you have will be a benefit to this department."

Before moving on, Selectman Joseph Nowak said he was happy to see more women in the department.

Tarsa said he plans to continue to build up his reserve team and fill out the department.

"I am a firm believer in not turning anybody away because in today it not like it was 30 years ago where there was a waiting list to get in," he said. "Now sometimes it seems there is a waiting list to get out but anyone that comes in we want to keep their interest."

Nowak asked that now with the new hires if an officer will be put on Park Street to check the parking meters.

Tarsa said hesitantly said yes and that Rossi will most likely be placed on Park Street patrol after finalizing an agreement with the union.
Ways & Means Holding Hearings on Human Services in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and state Sen. Adam G. Hinds will chair one of eight statewide fiscal 2019 state budget hearings on behalf of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in Pittsfield on Monday, March 12.

These hearings focus on specific areas of state spending and help the House of Representatives and Senate prepare their spending recommendations. The Pittsfield hearing is one of two focused on agencies under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

While the hearing is open to the public, testimony is limited to senior Baker administration officials by invitation of the committee only. It is expected that commissioners and directors of the Departments of Children and Families, Youth Services, Transitional Assistance, and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Commission for the Blind, and Office of Refugees and Immigrants will testify.

Hinds and Farley-Bouvier, both Pittsfield Democrats, sit on the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

The hearings will be held in the Connector Room at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West St. in Pittsfield from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Southern Vermont College nursing students took a trip to Tanzania in January to see health care differences and broaden their perspectives.

College Notes: February 2018



The trip was the culmination of a cross-cultural nursing course and required the participants to work in a hospital in Tanzania. Southern Vermont College in Bennington, joined a other junior and senior students and faculty in early January to visit the country of Tanzania to experience health care and life in another culture. Aundrea Pansecchi of Adams, who is studying nursing atin Bennington, joined a other junior and senior students and faculty in early January to visit the country of Tanzania to experience health care and life in another culture.

The semester leading up to the trip was spent "book-learning" about politics, health care, government, agriculture, environment, social and lifestyle, culture, and religion in the East African country through the Cross-Cultural Nursing course taught by instructor Christa Berthiaume and Assistant Professor Joanne Steele.

While in Africa, the students utilized their skills by volunteering in a small hospital in Arusha and learned how nursing care in Tanzania differs from the United States. They lived in a hostel-type home and ate typical East African food. Time was utilized learning about how perceptions and experiences as first-world citizens impact how we care for patients and view people.

Holly Cadran of Cheshire and Matthew Rabasco of Pittsfield have both participated in Worcester Polytechnic Institute student teams taking part in hands-on research projects. Cadran, a junior majoring in industrial engineering and a data analytics and process engineering intern at U.S. Coast Guard, was a member of a student team that recently completed a research project in Washington, D.C. The project was titled "Using AI and Automation to Improve Processes at the MSC." Rabasco of Pittsfield, a junior majoring in civil engineering, participated in a Worcester-based research project titled "Investigating the Cultural Accessibility of Health Services." At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university's 40-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world.

Academic Lists

Three Pittsfield residents have been named to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: freshmen Rachel Godwin, majoring in business administration, and Kerstin Schnopp, majoring in psychology/special education, and sophomore Louis Higuera, majoring in political science. The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth has named the following students to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester: Justin Bartini, Camry Francoeur and Cassandra Lyon, all of Pittsfield, and Nicole Belair of Lenox. Named to the chancellor's list are Colleen Kroboth of Hancock and Daniel Schiek of Lanesborough. Allison Degrenier of Clarksburg, majoring in animal science and pre-veterinary medicine, was named to the fall 2017 dean's list at the University of Findlay in Ohio. Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore has named the following students to its fall 2017 dean's list: senior Daley Keator of Lenox and sophomore Maeve Shine of Williamstown. Senior William Churchill of Great Barrington has been placed on the Gettysburg (Pa.) College dean's honor list for outstanding academic achievement in the fall 2017 semester. Mary Mcgrath of Lenox has been named to dean's list for the fall 2017 semester at Purchase College, State University of New York. Mcgrath is studying Dance. Area students were recently named to the dean's list at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, for outstanding academic achievement during the fall semester of 2017 by earning a grade-point average of 3.77 or higher. Grace M. Dodig, a freshman, attended Mount Greylock Regional High School and is the daughter of Chris and Michelle Dodig of Lanesborough. Dodig. Her major is undeclared. Katelyn J. Monteleone, a senior, attended Lenox Memorial High School and is the daughter of Robert and Maureen Monteleone of Lenox. She majored in English with a concentration in creative writing and theater and dance. Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.Y., announced that Austin O'Neill of Pittsfield has qualified for fall 2017 dean's list. Natasha Beauchesne of Dalton, a sophomore English major, and Kelsey Rich of Pittsfield, a senior theater arts major, have both been named to the dean's list for fall 2017 at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Merrimack College in North Andover named the following students dean's list for fall 2017: Travis Ciempa of Adams; Mackenzie Rice of Dalton; Cameron Hadley of New Ashford; and Casey Ouillette of Pittsfield. Three local students have been named to the dean's list for the fall semester at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.: sophomore Holly S. Fisher and junior Cole W. Hughes, who is an environmental studies-biology major, both of Williamstown and Mount Greylock Regional School graduates; and freshman Alexandra M. Lynch of Lenox, who had attended Westminster School in Simsbury, Conn. Western New England University in Springfield has named the following students to the fall 2017 semester president's list and dean's list President's List (GPA 3.8 or higher) London Green of Adams, psychology Abigail Litchfield of New Marlborough, accounting Aubrey Rumbolt of North Adams, secondary education mathematical sciences Steven O'Brien of Pittsfield, communication media theory and production Patrick Tierney of Pittsfield, general biology Kathryn Wells of Windsor, marketing communication and advertising. Dean's List (GPA 3.3 or higher) Gabriel Greenspan of Becket, political science Brandon Peaslee of Dalton, management and leadership Tiffany-Rae Robinson of Dalton, biomedical engineering Paige Storti of Great Barrington, psychology John Young of Housatonic, mechanical engineering Terrance Powell of Housatonic, majoring in finance Emily Andreatta of North Adams, majoring in psychology Alexandra Desrochers of Pittsfield, majoring in criminal justice Lynda Akor of Pittsfield, majoring in psychology Ryan Benoit of Williamstown, business analytics information management The following students at the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology made the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester: Eli Cunningham of Pittsfield, computer science Lana Grygier of Lenox, 3D digital design Andrew Macfarlane of Pittsfield, computing and information technologies Reagan Schaeffer of Cheshire, mechanical engineering Kyle Foggon of Dalton, industrial design Nicholas Trombley of North Adams, applied mathematics Alexander Stevens of Pittsfield, game design and development Joshua Giron of Clarksburg, hospitality and tourism management Michael Boc of Pittsfield, computing security Below is a list of local students who were named to the dean's list at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for the 2017 fall semester for achieving a 3.5 grade-point average or better. ADAMS Kalyn Rose Alibozek Laura Elisabeth Heritage Aaron John Holman-Vittone Emilie Krzanik Matthew Provost ASHLEY FALLS Kosta Theodric Casivant BERKSHIRE Mary Allyse Newton CHESHIRE Christopher Ryan Cardimino Autumn Fetridge Madison Michael Roseanna Graves Megan M Rodowicz CLARKSBURG Nicholas David Boulger Taylor Cheyanne Giron Joseph Anthony Liporace CUMMINGTON Marion Tayler Brooks Samantha Camp Melanie A Griffith Sydney Morgan Smola Shelby Fournier Tonelli DALTON Brianna Marie Broderick Ally Marie Brown Austin Joseph Cooney Samantha Rose Cote Jamie Elizabeth Downer Sarah Marie Duquette Sarah Friedman Kayla Marie Kowalczyk Kevin Robert Kowalczyk Jocelyn Latvalla Lucas Carroll Lombardi Emily Murrin Isabella Olivia Sears Connor James Washburn DRURY Charles Arthur Bohl III GREAT BARRINGTON Lily Margaret Abrahams Neeka Daemi Elias Garivaltis Sonora Alexandra Malik Amy Ralston Jonah Swotes Adam James Whalen HINSDALE Colette Ashley Basiliere Jasper Basiliere Dominic Edward Carnevale Sean Norman Peters Brittany Marie Quinn Alexis Wells HOUSATONIC Mark Anthony Leon-Duque Kelly Elizabeth Potter LANESBOROUGH Julia Pauline Vlahopoulos Devon Lennon LEE Jesse Francisco Arevalo Emily Patricia Donovan LENOX Elizabeth Barry Miles Oliver Briggs Annie Margaret Fielding Jack Paul Haskell Leah Haskell Charles Bassett Holt Shay Matthew Swindlehurst LENOX DALE Lydia Frances Graham NORTH ADAMS William Galipeau Celene Marie Koperek Michael Robert Mazzu Amanda Michaels William Theodore Superneau Marlee Suters John Kaelan Wood PITTSFIELD Catherine Lynn Barry Micaela Bartlett Taryn Elise Bordeau Michael Kenneth Brophy Emma Kay Burnick Sienna Marie Carpenter Paige Meredith Chiaretta Bradley Hunter Cobb Jacob Cain Coles Bridget Carey Daoust Alexander Paul Defarlo Evan Patrick Dempsey Alyssa Marie Doerle Samuel Henry Fick Jordan William Fiske Gregory Robert Fournier Matthew James Gimlewicz Micaela C Goodrich Joseph Timothy Heath Robert E Heck Alexandria Olivia-Shay Henderson Rebecca Herbert Paige Cathryn Hinman Stacy A. Horomanski Elizabeth Howe Emanuel Quincy Hurvitz Allison L Kahn Matthew Joseph Kelley Jillian Ann King Amber Landry Reilly Elizabeth Lee Thomas Matthew Lee Ranjana Lingutla Griffin Thomas Manns Kira Diane Martin Quinlan Mark Matthews Mia Gabriella Mazzeo Courtney Marie McMahon Erin Elizabeth Murphy Timothy J Murray Jonathan Placido Mackenzi Gloria Powers Parker Rahilly Bradley Michael Reardon Arthur James Rosiello Matas Rudzinskas Lauren Michelle Russo Danielle Soule Nicholas Tullio Squires Ashley May Sulock Shane Patrick Tierney RICHMOND David Graziani Zev Elijah Jarrett SHEFFIELD Lionel Anthony Bierbower Danielle Goewey Maura Robitaille SOUTH EGREMONT Eliza McManus Maggio Emily Ann Rappaport SOUTHFIELD Georgia Khouri Bass STOCKBRIDGE Emma Sprague Adler TYRINGHAM Sara Cheyenne Groves WEST STOCKBRIDGE Ryan Matthew B. Villar WILLIAMSTOWN Casey Tran Lyons O'Siris Judea Terry Suni Ton WINDSOR Catherine Grace Fusini Dalton Wheeler Hill WORTHINGTON Erin Christine Archambault Davis Daniel Britland Eli Pease

Graduations

The following students graduated Feb. 15 from Western New England University in Springfield: Rachel L. Down of Lanesborough, summa cum laude, bachelor of science in electrical engineering; and Jacob A. Farron of Pittsfield, bachelor of science in mechanical engineering
Palestinians: Israel Is One Big Settlement

The Fellowship | February 26, 2018 Palestinians: Israel Is One Big Settlement

As Palestinian rage ramps back up over word that the American embassy will move to Israel in May, much of the world seems to think that Jerusalem is at issue. But the world would be wrong. Gatestone Institutes Bassam Tawil writes that the Palestinians problem is not with Jerusalem or settlements or any other issue than the very existence of the Jewish state and her people:

Let us be clear about this: When Palestinians  and some of their supporters in the international community, including Europe  say that they want an end to the occupation, they mean they want to see an end to Israels existence, full stop. They do not want to throw the Jews out of their homes in the settlements; rather, they want Jews to be expelled from the whole country.

The conflict, as far as the Palestinians are concerned, did not begin in 1967, when east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip came under Israeli control. In the eyes of the Palestinians, all Jews are settlers and colonialists. All the land, they argue, stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, is Muslim-owned land, and no Muslim is entitled to give up any part of it to a non-Muslim.

In other words, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, a Muslim himself, will be considered a kaffir, an apostate and a traitor if he ever agreed to cede control over Muslim owned land to Jews.

That is why it is naive to assume that Abbas would ever sign any deal with Israel.

Neither Abbas nor any other Palestinian leader can accept anything less than 100 percent; and 100 percent means all of Israel. It does not mean a 100 percent of the 67 borders or of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Yes, the Palestinians want peace, but that that means peace without Israel, not peace with Israel. Real peace, the Palestinians argue, will be achieved only when Israel is eliminated and the Jews disappear.

For the Palestinians, accepting Israels right to exist with Jews is seen as an act of treason
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Imperial Valley News Center

Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks at the 2018 Elder Fraud Sweep Press Conference

Washington, DC - Attorney General Sessions Delivers Remarks at the 2018 Elder Fraud Sweep Press Conference:

Good morning, and thank you all for being here.



Each year, an estimated $3 billion are stolen or defrauded from millions of American seniors. Through grandparent scams, fake prizes or even threats, criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable Americans to steal their hard-earned savings and their peace of mind.



And this threat is only growing. The Senate Aging Committee's Fraud Hotline received twice as many reports in 2016 as it received in 2015. The rise of new technologies has made it easier for criminals to coordinate their efforts and perpetrate their crimes.



But the Trump Administration is taking action. We will not let this crime continue to rise.



Last month, the Department ordered all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys offices to each designate an elder justice coordinator, who will customize our strategy to protect seniors in their district. This will ensure even greater cooperation between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners.



The Trump administration is forming unprecedented law enforcement partnerships around the country and, indeed, around the world. These partnerships are already bearing fruit.



Today, the Department of Justice is announcing the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history.



With the help of our partners at all levels of government and in the private sector, we have charged more than 200 defendants for committing elder fraud schemes and brought civil actions against dozens more.



These defendants allegedly robbed more than one million Americans of more than half a billion dollars.



In the past month alone, the Departments Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys Offices have filed cases against more than 40 defendants. These 40 defendants are responsible for a majority of those 1 million victims I mentioned, and they include charges against the transnational criminal organization highlighted on the map we have displayed.



Just yesterday the Postal Inspection Service executed 14 search warrants across America. The Department of Justices Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys are working closely with the postal inspectors on these investigations.



And as we speak, our partners with the Vancouver, Canada Police Department are executing dozens of search warrants as part of this enforcement action. These warrants are being carried out against members of transnational criminal organizations that have allegedly defrauded tens of thousands of Americans and people all over the world.



And so I want to thank the Postal Inspection Service, the FTC and its Consumer Sentinel database, the FBI and its Los Angeles field office, the Vancouver Police Department, the U.S. Attorneys Offices in the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of Iowa, our elder justice coordinators, and all of our state, local, and international partners who helped make this historic achievement possible.



Thank you to Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General for participating in this action and representing our state Attorneys General, who play a vital role in this effort.



And thank you to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, especially to my good friends Senators Grassley and Collins. They have a real passion for this issue and they have helped raise awareness about it.



I also want to thank Deborah Cox-Rausch, director of Senior Corps, a federal agency that coordinates the work of hundreds of thousands of senior citizen volunteers across the country. Senior Corps has helped get the word out about the threat of fraud schemes to our seniors, and I believe that helps prevent crime.



Thats why I hope that no victim of fraud feels ashamed. This can happen to anyone. Several members of my staff have told me about their grandparents being targeted by fraudsters. In fact, just this past week, one of my senior staffers was in a meeting with me when she got a call from her grandmother, who had just received a phone call from a fraudster.



We need to spread the word about this. So, please, if you or someone you know was victimized by an elder fraud scheme, please report it to the FTC. It might just give us the tip we need to put criminals in jailand to protect other seniors.



We are joined here today by several Americans who have had the courage to step forward and share their stories of being victimized by fraudsters. Theyve come a long way to be hereand I want to thank them for that and for sharing their experiences and insights.



Well hear one of those stories now from Angela Stancik of Houston, Texas.
Imperial Valley News Center

Denaturalization Sought Against Five Child Sexual Abusers in California, Maryland, North Carolina, and Texas

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Thursday, filed denaturalization lawsuits against five individuals who, according to the Departments complaints, unlawfully procured their United States citizenship by concealing their sexual abuse of minor victims during the naturalization process.

The civil complaints were filed in federal court in the Eastern District of California, the District of Maryland, the Middle District of North Carolina, and the Southern District of Texas (two cases).

Those who wish to become American citizens ought to respect our laws and seek citizenship lawfully and honestly, said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Anyone who lies, misleads, or omits critical information in an attempt to evade the requirements for naturalization undermines the credibility of our nations generous lawful immigration system. This Justice Department will continue to seek out fraudsters and bring them to justice by obtaining orders revoking their naturalized citizenship.

The cases were referred to the Department of Justice by the Department of Homeland Securitys U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with investigative support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

ICE is committed to collaborating with our sister agencies within DHS to target individuals who conceal illicit activities in order to obtain U.S. citizenship, said ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan. When special agents identify a child predator, exploiting the most innocent among us, and other criminals who have defrauded the U.S. immigration system for naturalization benefits, then ICE will move to have their citizenship revoked.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen may be revoked, and his or her certificate of naturalization canceled, if such naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

The five defendants committed crimes of sexual abuse of minor victims prior to naturalizing. As the civil complaints allege, such crimes rendered the defendants ineligible for citizenship at the time they naturalized. By willfully concealing child sexual abuse crimes, the defendants also independently rendered themselves subject to denaturalization.

A description of each of the five cases and the allegations of the United States follows:

Ricardo De Leon

Ricardo De Leon, 32, a native of Mexico, naturalized on July 23, 2010. Before De Leon naturalized as a U.S. citizen, he sexually assaulted a child under the age of 12. In July 2015, after he had naturalized, De Leon was indicted, and in March 2017 he pleaded guilty in Texas state court to committing aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2009. He was ordered to ten years of community supervision and required to register as a sex offender. He has been residing in Edinburg, Texas. United States of America v. Ricardo De Leon (S.D. Tex.).

Christian Oribello Eguilos

Christian Oribello Eguilos, 40, a native of the Philippines, naturalized on Nov. 6, 2013. For several years before filing his naturalization application and throughout the naturalization process, Eguilos repeatedly committed forcible lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14. In September 2015, he pleaded nolo contendere in California state court to four counts of Forcible Lewd Act Upon a Child. Eguilos was sentenced to 40 years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender. He is incarcerated in Ione, California. United States of America v. Christian Oribello Eguilos (E.D. Cal.).

Carlos Noe Gallegos

Carlos Noe Gallegos, 41, a native of Mexico, naturalized on March 10, 2010. Before Gallegos naturalized as a U.S. citizen, he sexually assaulted a seven-year-old child. In November 2016, after he had naturalized, Gallegos was indicted, and in April 2017 he pleaded guilty in Texas state court to committing aggravated sexual assault of a child in 2007. He was ordered to six years of community supervision and required to register as a sex offender. He has been residing in Alamo, Texas. United States of America v. Carlos Noe Gallegos (S.D. Tex.).

Alwin Farouk Gariba

Alwin Farouk Gariba, 51, a native of Guyana, naturalized on Feb. 29, 2000. After he applied to naturalize but while he was in the naturalization process, Gariba repeatedly sexually abused a ten-year-old child. In July 2000, only months after he had naturalized, Gariba pleaded guilty in North Carolina state court to three counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children. He was placed on 60 months probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. He has been residing in Greensboro, North Carolina. United States of America v. Alwin Farouk Gariba (M.D.N.C.).

Moises Javier Lopez

Moises Javier Lopez, 42, a native of the Republic of Colombia, naturalized on March 22, 2013. Before filing his naturalization application and throughout the naturalization process, Lopez sexually abused a minor child. In August 2013, he pleaded guilty in Maryland state court to Sexual Abuse of a Minor. He was sentenced to 25 years confinement, all but four suspended. He has been residing in Gaithersburg, Maryland. United States of America v. Moises Javier Lopez (D. Md.).

These cases were investigated by ICE, CBP, and the Civil Divisions Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). These cases are being prosecuted by OIL-DCS and its National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit) with support from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Eastern District of California, the District of Maryland, the Middle District of North Carolina, and the Southern District of Texas.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there have been no determinations of liability.
Imperial Valley News Center

United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Compounding Pharmacy, Private Equity Firm, and Two Pharmacy Executives Alleging Payment of Kickbacks

Los Angeles, California - The United States has filed a complaint in intervention against Diabetic Care Rx LLC d/b/a Patient Care America (PCA), a compounding pharmacy located in Pompano Beach, Florida, alleging that the pharmacy paid illegal kickbacks to induce prescriptions for compounded drugs reimbursed by TRICARE, the Department of Justice announced today. The government has also brought claims against Patrick Smith and Matthew Smith, two pharmacy executives, and Riordan, Lewis & Haden Inc. (RLH), a private equity firm based in Los Angeles, California, which manages both the pharmacy and the private equity fund that owns the pharmacy, for their involvement in the alleged kickback scheme.

TRICARE is a federally-funded health care program for military personnel and their families. The government alleges that the Defendants paid kickbacks to marketing companies to target TRICARE beneficiaries for prescriptions for compounded pain creams, scar creams, and vitamins, without regard to the patients medical needs. According to the complaint, the compound formulas were manipulated by the Defendants and the marketers to ensure the highest possible reimbursement from TRICARE. The Defendants and marketers allegedly paid telemedicine doctors to prescribe the creams and vitamins without seeing the patients, and sometimes paid the patients themselves to accept the prescriptions. The scheme generated tens of millions of dollars in reimbursements from TRICARE in a matter of months, according to the complaint, which alleges that the Defendants and marketers split the profits from the scheme.

The Department of Justice is determined to hold accountable health care providers that improperly use taxpayer funded health care programs to enrich themselves, said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Departments Civil Division Chad A. Readler. Kickback schemes corrupt the health care system and damage the public trust.

Providers and marketers that engage in kickback schemes drive up the cost of health care because they focus on their own bottom line instead of what is in the best interest of patients, said Executive Assistant Randy Hummel of the United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida. We will hold pharmacies, and those companies that manage them, responsible for using kickbacks to line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers and federal health care beneficiaries.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the military health care program that provides critical medical care and services to Department of Defense beneficiaries, said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, of the Southeast Field Office. In partnership with DOJ and other law enforcement agencies, DCIS continues to aggressively investigate fraud and corruption to preserve and recover precious taxpayer dollars to best serve the needs of our warfighters, their family members, and military retirees.

The lawsuit, United States ex rel. Medrano and Lopez v. Diabetic Care Rx, LLC dba Patient Care America, et al., No. 15-CV-62617 (S.D. Fla.), was originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by Marisela Medrano and Ada Lopez, two former employees of PCA. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue for false claims against of the United States and to receive a share of any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene in such lawsuits, as the United States has done in this case.

This matter was investigated by the Civil Divisions Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Office of Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Commands Major Procurement Fraud Unit.

The claims asserted against the defendants are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Imperial Valley News Center

State-Defense Cooperation on Global Engagement Center Programs and Creation of the Information Access Fund to Counter State-Sponsored Disinformation

Washington, DC - The Department of State is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Department of Defense. We have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to transfer $40 million from the Department of Defense to the Department of States Global Engagement Center (GEC) in Fiscal Year 2018 for initiatives to counter propaganda and disinformation from foreign nations.

One of those initiatives is the creation of an Information Access Fund to support public and private partners working to expose and counter propaganda and disinformation from foreign nations. Under the Information Access Fund, civil society groups, media content providers, nongovernmental organizations, federally funded research and development centers, private companies, and academic institutions will be eligible to compete for grants from the GEC to advance their important work to counter propaganda and disinformation.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein said the transfer of funds announced today reiterates the United States commitment to the fight.

This funding is critical to ensuring that we continue an aggressive response to malign influence and disinformation and that we can leverage deeper partnerships with our allies, Silicon Valley, and other partners in this fight, said Under Secretary Goldstein. It is not merely a defensive posture that we should take, we also need to be on the offensive.

The Department of State plans to award an initial $5 million in grants from the Information Access Fund. In consultation with Congress, this funding will include $1 million in initial seed money from the Department of States public diplomacy account in order to kick-start the initiative quickly. The Fund will be a key part of the GECs partnerships with local civil society organizations, NGOs, media providers, and content creators to counter propaganda and disinformation. The Fund will also drive the use of innovative messaging and data science techniques.

Separately, the GEC will initiate a series of pilot projects developed with the Department of Defense that are designed to counter propaganda and disinformation. Those projects will be supported by Department of Defense funding.

The Department of State will soon begin reviewing applications for funding from the Information Access Fund.
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Support ISIS

Washington, DC - Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, Virginia, and a former police officer, was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBIs Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Young was formerly employed as a police officer with the Metro Transit Police Department. In late July 2016, Young attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS by purchasing and sending gift card codes that he believed would allow ISIS recruiters to securely communicate with potential ISIS recruits.

Between Dec. 3, 2015, and Dec. 5, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. Specifically, Young believed an associate of his, who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS), had successfully joined ISIS in late 2014. During an FBI interview, Young was told the FBI was investigating the attempt of his associate (the CHS) to join ISIS. Nevertheless, in an attempt to thwart the prosecution of the CHS and himself, Young attempted to deceive investigators as to the destination and purpose of the CHSs travel.

Additionally, in November 2014, Young attempted to obstruct, influence and impede an official proceeding of the Grand Jury by sending a text message to the CHSs cell phone in order to make it falsely appear to the FBI that Young believed that the CHS had left the United States to go on vacation in Turkey. In actuality, Young believed the CHS had gone to Turkey and then to Syria in order to join and fight for ISIS.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Bollywood actor Sridevi Kapoor died due to accidental drowning in a bathtub, according to a forensic report seen by local media.

Dubai Police released the report to family, revealing traces of alcohol were found in the 54-year-olds body. According to Gulf News, she accidentally lost balance, fell into the bathtub and drowned.

Sridevi  whose death was first reported over the weekend  was attending her nephews wedding in Dubai with her husband, film producer Boney Kapoor, and daughter Khushi.

Initial reports claim Kapoor and Sridevi attended dinner together at 5.30pm on Saturday (24 February) before the actor went to the bathroom to prepare for the evening.

Khaleej Times say Kapoor forced himself into the room after receiving no response, only to find Sridevi lying motionless in a bathtub full of water.

Notable deaths in 2017 Show all 28 1 /28 Notable deaths in 2017 Notable deaths in 2017 Hugh Hefner, the creator of Playboy magazine, died 28 September 2017 aged 91 Central Press/Stringer - Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Liz Dawn as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street, pictured with co-star Bill Tarmey who played her husband Jack. Dawn died 25 September 2017, aged 77 ITV Notable deaths in 2017 Walter Becker, one of the founders of the band Steely Dan, died September 3 aged 67 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 David Tang, one of Hong Kong's most famous businessman, died of liver cancer aged 63 on 29 August AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington died July 20 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Holocaust survivor and stateswoman who fought for abortion rights, Simone Veil, died July 4 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Michael Bond, author and creator of Paddington Bear, died June 28 PA Notable deaths in 2017 TV's Batman, Adam West, died June 12 AFP/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Peter Sallis, who starred in Last of the Summer Wine and voiced Wallace and Gromit, died on June 5 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 John Noakes, The action hero of Blue Peter, died May 29 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Former MotoGP world champion, Nicky Hayden, died age 35, on May 26. He was knocked off his bicycle by a car in Italy. Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Roger Moore died on May 23 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Soundgarden singer, Chris Cornell, who helped define grunge music died May 17 Kevin Winter/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Moors Murderer Ian Brady died May 15 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Powers Boothe, star of Deadwood and Sin City, dies, aged 68 on May 15 Todd Williamson/Invision/AP Notable deaths in 2017 Robert Miles, Trance DJ behind hit track 'Children', died from cancer aged 47 on May 12 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Happy Days child star, Erin Moran, died at the age of 56 on April 24 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2017 Ex-player and Tottenham U23 coach Ugo Ehiogu died after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the training ground, aged 44 on April 21 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 British athlete Germaine Mason, silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics, died following a motorcycle crash, aged 34 on April 21 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Actor Tim Pigott-Smith star of TV, film and theatre died on April 7 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Rupert Cornwell an award-winning foreign correspondent who embodied the spirit of The Independent died on April 1 Notable deaths in 2017 Morse creator Colin Dexter died on March 21 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry died on March 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Howard Hodgkin, one of Britain's greatest abstract painters of the post-war period died on March 9 Rex Notable deaths in 2017 Sir Gerald Kaufman was the oldest of the longest-serving MPs and Father of the House of Commons when he died on February 27 PA Notable deaths in 2017 Joost van der Westhuizen died at the age of 45 on February 6 Getty Notable deaths in 2017 John Hurt died aged 77 on 28 January Getty Notable deaths in 2017 Lord Snowdon, husband to Princess Margaret died on January 13 Getty

Born Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, Sridevi made her Bollywood debut at in 1975 drama Julie, aged four. She later landed a starring role in 1979 drama Solva Sawan; having multiple commercial successes, including Himmatwala (1983), which cemented her place as one of Bollywoods top stars, Mawaali (1983), Maqsad (1984) and Waqt Ki Awaz (1988).

In 2013, the Indian government awarding her the Padma Shri  the fourth highest civilian honour  in 2013. Last years Mom, in which she played a mother avenging her daughters sexual assault, marked her final appearance and 300th film.

Those to have paid tribute to Sridevi include actor Priyanka Chopra, who wrote on Twitter: I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved Sridevi. A dark day. RIP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote: She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances.

She is survived by her husband and two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.
Stocking up on everyday beauty essentials like shampoo, body wash and deodorant is something that many of us take for granted.

But for a large number of the people living below the poverty line in the UK, a trip to the toiletry aisle is considered an occasional luxury.

From girls missing out on days at school because they cant afford sanitary protection to job loss fears due to poor personal hygiene, its not right that countless low-income families should be forced to go without.

Enter, Beauty Banks  a non-profit organisation looking to help fight hygiene poverty.

Set up by beauty PR Jo Jones and journalist Sali Hughes  who between them have 40 years experience working in the industry  Beauty Banks aims to encourage people, and those within the beauty community, to donate toiletries to those living in serious need.

The idea to build the organisation stemmed from a number of places including Hughess own brush with homelessness and the fact that both knew teachers who brought sanitary product into school for pupils who couldnt afford them.

But, when they read a report by charity In Kind Direct and found that 37 per cent of the nation had to go without or cut down on hygiene or grooming essentials due to lack of funds, they knew it was time for change.

It isnt right, fair or good enough. Clean hair, skin and teeth are a right, not a privilege. Personal hygiene  while not a matter of life and death  is crucial for our dignity, self-respect, personal pride and mental health, Hughes wrote for The Pool website.

To feel clean is to feel better; to look good often makes us feel more able to face the day and the world.

As such, Beauty Banks is calling on anyone able to provide donations that it will then distribute to a number of homeless shelters and food banks.

This could be anything from sanitary products and disposable razors, to combs, hairbands, face wipes, sunscreen and even lipsticks.

So, how can you help?

If you would like to donate to Beauty Banks its important to be aware that all products should be unopened and comply with health and safety rules. Also nail polish, nail polish remover and perfume are restricted solvents, so these cannot be accepted.

Once youve got your stash ready to go, you can post it to the following address:

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Beauty Banks, c/o Jo Jones, The Communications Store, 2 Kensington Square, London, W8 5EP

Or, if youd rather cut out the middleman, you can buy products online and get them sent directly.
In a surprise announcement on Friday 23 February, model Emily Ratajkowski confirmed that she married her boyfriend of just a few weeks, Sebastian Bear-McClard.

Breaking the news online, the London-born model shared several snaps of the big day on Instagram, one with the caption, Soooo I have a surprise. I got married today.

She also posted a black-and-white photo of her and her new husband embracing with the simple caption NY alongside two engagement ring emojis.

But, while the couples decision to take the non-traditional wedding route with a low-key affair at City Hall in New York City was unexpected, it was the brides choice of outfit that really got people talking.

Here, Ratajkowski forwent the classic white bridal gown and designer garb altogether in fact, in favour of a more budget-friendly brand.

Instead, she said her vows in a vintage-inspired mustard trouser suit, black wide-brim hat with a mini-mesh veil and strappy heels. Whats more, it cost just 120.

In several snaps, the newlywed can be seen wearing the pleated yellow trousers and matching belted jacket, both of which are from high-street favourite Zara.

The jacket retails for 79.99, while the trousers are 39.99 and theyre still available to buy in store and online now  although we predict it wont be long before they sell out.

Emily Ratajkowski and Sebastian Bear-McClard had reportedly been dating for just a few weeks (Instagram: @emrata)

The groom complimented Ratajkowskis retro look with a light blue suit and shades, and social media star The Fat Jewish, who was a witness, sported a Planned Parenthood branded tracksuit.

While deciding on a high street option was a surprising choice for a top model with access to plenty of designer brands, the trend for bargain bridal collections is catching on as a new generation of penny-pinching women aim to spend less on their big day.

Long belted jacket 79.99, Flared Trousers 39.99, zara.com

A trend thats encouraged by the rise of high-street bridal collections, the pressure on women to spend eye-watering amounts of money on something they will only wear once is on its way out thanks to brands like French Connection, Whistles and Topshop who offer elegant alternatives that dont break the bank.

This comes just as money.co.uk announce that by 2028 the average cost of a wedding will skyrocket to 32,064.

Social media star The Fat Jewish sported a Planned Parenthood branded tracksuit (Instagram: @emrata)

A figure that, compared to just 18,733 in 2006, will have risen 60 per cent in just 22 years.
With Easter just around the corner, the time for overindulging in novelty chocolates and hot cross buns will soon be upon us.

Supermarket shelves might have been jam-packed with kitschy cocoa delights for weeks already, but there is seldom a suitable option for grown ups, with the majority of Easter-themed products aimed at children.

Now, in the age of inclusivity, one gourmet chocolate is tackling this culinary prejudice with a range of alcohol-flavoured Easter eggs that are most definitely not suitable for little ones.

A pricier version of the gin and tonic egg comes complete with a sachet of hard boiled sweets in the same flavour (The Treat Kitchen)

To the delight of grown-ups everywhere, The Treat Kitchen has released a gin and tonic-flavoured egg in honour of the chocolate-fuelled holiday.

Created to compliment their gummies and hard boiled sweets of the same flavours, the Nottingham-based confectionery company has also created a strawberry and prosecco-flavoured variation.

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Both eggs are made from white chocolate and cost 9.95 each.

The Treat Kitchen is a small confectionery business run by husband and wife Martin and Jess Barnett, who designed the alcohol-infused eggs in a bid to appeal to mature chocolate consumers, describing it as an "Easter egg for the adults".

While a G&T Easter egg might seem like a revelation for happy hour and chocolate aficionados everywhere, alcohol-infused Easter treats have actually been around for quite some time.

The strawberry and prosecco egg comes in a dusty shade of pink (The Treat Kitchen)

Gourmet chocolatiers Prestat released a similar product last year: a London gin and lemon-infused Easter egg (17.50), which consists of alcoholic truffles enclosed within a white chocolate casing.

Then theres also Hotel Chocolats cleverly-named Your Eggsellency egg (27), which comes complete with 12 truffles, each spiked with a different tipple from whisky to cognac.

So, if your Easter egg isnt complete without a dash of the good stuff, fear not; evidently your options are aplenty.
The weather in the UK is set to become incredibly harsh over the coming days, with reports that the country may be facing its coldest week in five years.

For people who are sleeping rough on the streets, struggling to cope with freezing temperatures is made even harder by constant hunger.

Thats why Franco Manca is offering free pizza to those who are most in need of some sustenance and warmth.

The pizzeria, famed for its popular sourdough-based pizzas, is going to be running the scheme across all of its 41 restaurants nationwide.

Charitable organisations, homeless shelters and foodbanks can organise pizza collections free of charge by contacting Franco Manca at askus@francomanca.co.uk.

There is a limit of 100 pizzas per day for each branch of the restaurant.

However, this initiative will no doubt benefit a number of people across the country who would otherwise have very little support as they prepare to face the freeze.

One out of every 200 people in Britain is homeless, according to statistics released by homeless charity Shelter last November.

With a total of 300,000 people currently classified as homeless in Britain, chief executive of Shelter Polly Neate believes that more needs to be done to help them get back on their feet.

We will do all we can to make sure no one is left to fight homelessness on their own, she said.

But we cannot achieve this alone; we urgently need the publics support to be there for everyone who needs us right now.

In April last year, Franco Manca announced that it would be opening a new restaurant in Salina, north of Sicily.

Their aim was to train Italian pizzaiolos who could then come to work in the UK.
Sonys new flagship smartphone, the Xperia XZ2, has just been unveiled.

The Android handset was launched at the Mobile World Congress technology tradeshow, and will go head-to-head with the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S9.

Heres everything you need to know about the Sony Xperia XZ2.

Design and colours

Sonys Xperia phones have boasted the same look for several years now, but with the launch of the XZ2, the range has been treated to a much-needed makeover.

The new handset looks far more modern than its predecessors, thanks to its curved corners and large display.

Its chassis combines a glass front and rear with a metal frame, and its available in Liquid Silver, Liquid Black, Deep Green and Ash Pink colour schemes.

The XZ2 looks slick, but it isnt quite up there with the likes of the iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy S8, S9 and Note 8 in terms of sheer beauty, largely because its top and bottom bezels are still very prominent.

Its definitely a step in the right direction for Sony though.

Display

The XZ2 features a large and sharp 5.7-inch, 2,160 x 1,080 display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch, which is built for watching films and TV on.

Whats really interesting about it is that it will up-convert everything you watch on it to near High Dynamic Range, to make it look clearer and more detailed.

The feature sounds fantastic on paper, but well have to test the XZ2 out properly to find out just how much of a difference it makes.

Camera

The XZ2 has a 19-megapixel main camera with f/2.0 aperture.

Like the Samsung Galaxy S9, its capable of shooting dramatic-looking super slow motion videos, that you can share with friends for a bit of fun.

You can also use it to capture 3D scans of objects or your friends faces, which you can use to create a digital avatar.

On the front, meanwhile, is a 5-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture.

Additional features

Sony says the XZ2 is IP65 water- and dust-resistant, but adds that you shouldnt completely submerge it or expose it to seawater, salt water, chlorinated water or drinks. Its instead designed to withstand splashes and spills.

It has an unusual Dynamic Vibration System too, which analyses audio data when youre watching or listening to something and makes the XZ2 vibrate, so you can feel your viewing experience.

Its also powered by a 3,180mAh battery, can be wirelessly charged, and features a fingerprint sensor, front-facing stereo speakers and 64GB of internal storage thats expandable by up to 400GB through the microSD card slot.

Unfortunately, theres no headphone jack.

Release date

Sony is yet to reveal pricing for the Xperia XZ2, but says theyll be available globally from March 2018.

EE, O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse have all confirmed they will stock it, and you will, of course, be able to buy it directly from Sony too.

Xperia XZ2 Compact

The company has also unveiled a miniature version of the XZ2 for people who prefer smaller handsets, called the XZ2 Compact.

It has a 5-inch, 2,160 x 1,080 HDR display, a 2,870mAh battery, a polycarbonate rear (instead of glass) and no wireless charging, but is otherwise largely the same as the standard model.

The XZ2 Compact will also arrive next month, and will be available in White Silver, Black, Moss Green and Coral Pink colour schemes.
Financial technology firm Revolut has become the first of a new breed of digital banks in Britain to break even on a monthly basis after a swelling user base and a suite of new products helped it bolster revenues in December.

Revolut, which has gained popularity with users for cheap and easy foreign exchange and is in the process of securing a banking license, now has 1.5 million users across Europe.

The firm is one of a number of digital banks that have sprung up in Britain in the past few years, offering slick apps, cut-price fees and a marketplace where users can shop around for products from a variety of providers.

Some have seen significant user growth since, but all are loss-making.

Revolut founder Nikolay Storonsky told Reuters that Decembers result was driven by strong user growth and uptake of its products -- trends that had continued into 2018.

In January we had an even stronger month...and again we are up 20-25 per cent on revenues compared to December, he said.

The firms closest peers including Monzo, Starling Bank and Tandem, which all have British banking licenses, told Reuters they had not yet seen a month without losses.

Another app-only bank, Atom, which has a different business model, also said it had not broken even yet. Germanys digital bank N26, which has expanded across Europe, declined to disclose details on its financials.

Unlike its rivals, Revolut offers paid-for premium and business accounts, that have proven lucrative for the start-up.

It is also the only British digital bank to operate across Europe so far. Strong growth in countries like France, Germany and Switzerland and the Nordic region helped drive its user base up by 50 per cent in the last two months. Expansion plans are also underway in India, Brazil, South Africa and the UAE.

Revolut is in the process of securing a banking license in Lithuania, which it then plans to passport elsewhere in Europe.

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It already offers device and travel insurance through its marketplace, two of the new products that helped grow users and the firms monthly transaction volume to $1.5bn - a 700 per cent increase in the past 12 months.

Another was the ability to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies within the Revolut app.

Storonsky said there had been strong demand for this from customers since the capability launched, although this fell back a bit when the value of Bitcoin and other digital currencies dropped.

Reuters
There is no doubt that far-right material posted online by the likes of Tommy Robinson and Britain First drove the Finsbury Park terror attacker to target Muslims, the UKs most senior counter-terror officer has said.

Mark Rowley, the outgoing Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said Darren Osborne  an alcoholic, suicidal, unemployed loner  was vulnerable to radicalisation.

He had grown to hate Muslims largely due his consumption of large amounts of online far-right material including, as evidenced at court, statements from former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, Britain First and others, he told an event in London.

Osborne had a dysfunctional background and history of alcohol and drug abuse, and violence.

There can be no doubt that the extremist rhetoric he consumed fed into his vulnerabilities and turned it into violence.

Osborne, a father-of-four from Wales, was radicalised within weeks as he consumed far-right material after watching a BBC documentary on grooming gangs in Rochdale.

He hired a van and drove it from Cardiff to London, intending to massacre pro-Palestinian protesters before a security perimeter forced him to hunt for an alternative target.

 Police bodycam video shows Darren Osborne in the moments after the Finsbury Park attack

Osborne rammed the vehicle into a crowd of Muslim worshippers leaving mosques in Finsbury Park shortly after midnight on 19 June, killing a grandfather and injuring several others.

Jailing him for life last month, Justice Cheema-Grubb took aim at the bile spewed out online from those who aspire to lead the haters and said there was no justification for violence in response to terror or grooming gangs.

You were rapidly radicalised over the internet encountering and consuming material put out in this country and the USA from those determined to spread hatred of Muslims on the basis of their religion, the judge told Osborne.

Over the space of a month or so your mind-set became one of malevolent hatred.

Giving a lecture at an event held by the Policy Exchange think-tank, Mr Rowley revealed that four far-right terror plots had been foiled since the Isis-inspired Westminster attack in March last year.

He said both Islamists and the far-right were executing a common strategy by exploiting existing grievances in target communities, generating distrust of state institutions and then offering warped parallel alternatives.

This helps create the isolated, fearful setting for terrorists to step into  whether thats in person or online  to inspire often vulnerable people to carry out attacks, he added.

Mr Rowley cited the murder of Lee Rigby, where long-term Islamists who had been inspired by Anjem Choudarys banned al-Muhajiroun Islamist network as another example of where extremism leads to terrorism.

Finsbury Park attack Show all 14 1 /14 Finsbury Park attack Finsbury Park attack Police officers attend to the scene after a vehicle collided with pedestrians in the Finsbury Park, killing one person and injuring eight Reuters Finsbury Park attack The incident is being treated as a potential terror attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Reuters Finsbury Park attack Police cordon off a street in Finsbury Park AFP/Getty Images Finsbury Park attack A man prays in the street after the attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack Men gather and pray together in the street in the aftermath of the attack AFP/Getty Finsbury Park attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack PA Finsbury Park attack Onlookers gather near a police cordon EPA Finsbury Park attack Forensic investigators arrive at the scene PA Finsbury Park attack A forensic tent stands next to a van PA Finsbury Park attack A police officer talks with residents AFP/Getty Images Finsbury Park attack Onlookers watch proceedings at the security cordon AFP/Getty Finsbury Park attack Local residents react at the scene AFP/Getty Images

He said Choudary and Robinson, attracted notoriety and attention at the same time as they were positioned on the opposite sides of public debates in the 2000s.

Robinson became a regular fixture in our media giving him the platform to attack the whole religion of Islam by conflating acts of terrorism with the faith often citing spurious claims, which inevitably stirred up tensions, Mr Rowley said.

Such figures represented no more than the extreme margins of the communities they claim to speak for yet they have been given prominence and a platform.

Choudary, whose supporters have been linked to a string of terror attacks and fought in Syria, was later jailed for inviting support for Isis and remains in prison.

Robinson now styles himself as a journalist and continues to spread his message online, with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.

Mr Rowley also cited far-right groups including anti-Islam Britain First, saying they had used grooming cases to spread discord and hatred against Muslim communities, and criticised Muslim advocacy group Mend and Cage.

We can collectively do more to make it even harder for the extremists strategy to endure, he urged.

This means every part of society  not just those charged with national security responsibilities  coming together to confront the twin challenges of terrorism and extremism.
A man who tried to recruit Isis fighters around the world from his London home has been jailed after one of his targets turned him in.

Mohammed Kamal Hussain, 28, sent thousands of messages aiming to generate support for the terrorist group using Facebook, WhatsApp and the Telegram messaging service.

Police only discovered his activities after a man who lives outside the UK emailed the Home Office in March 2017, saying he had received a Facebook message from a stranger inviting him to join Isis.

Hussain, a Bangladeshi national who had overstayed his visa and was living in east London, was jailed for seven years at Kingston Crown Court.

The jury found him guilty of two counts of encouraging terrorism and one count of supporting a proscribed organisation.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Command, said: This investigation started with one conscientious individual trusting his instincts and reporting something suspicious.

He could have ignored the message Hussain sent him but instead he took a screenshot of the message and contacted the UK authorities immediately. It is in great part thanks to him that police were able to bring Hussain to justice.

Hussain was linked to the message by the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit, which specialises in identifying and seeking the removal of terrorist material, and an urgent investigation was launched.

Detectives trawled thousands of messages sent by Hussain, including Facebook posts encouraging people to join Isis and launch attacks and which included a speech by leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Commander Haydon said the fanatic was actively seeking to recruit Isis followers, adding: We know from the disturbing material we found on his devices that he supported Isis.

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PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 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The material included videos of barbaric Isis violence and warped reasoning for killing people, including children and Muslims.

Officers from Counter Terrorism Command arrested Hussain on 30 June.

He was sentenced after officials warned of the rising threat of remote radicalisation online, which makes plots harder to detect.

Recommended New technology can detect Isis videos before they are uploaded

Isis has generated support around the world using its sophisticated propaganda network, including videos, radio bulletins, magazines, newsletters and websites.

The terrorist groups media operations suffered a hit during military offensives that drove militants out of its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq but have since recovered.

Propaganda messages are regularly sent out in multiple languages from Isis factions operating in countries including Afghanistan, Egypt and Libya, being translated and spread onwards by supporters.

A global crackdown on terrorist material by firms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube has seen the vast majority of Isis propaganda on the platforms removed, but it continues to operate on Telegram and smaller sites.

Earlier this month, the Home Office announced the launch of artificial intelligence technology that can identify Isis propaganda videos and prevent them from being uploaded to any video platform.

This Government has been taking the lead worldwide in making sure that vile terrorist content is stamped out, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said.
Far-right terrorists pose an organised and significant threat to the UK, the countys most senior terror officer has warned while revealing that four plots have been foiled in the past year.

Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, made the figure public for the first time to illustrate the growth of right-wing terrorism.

The right-wing terrorist threat is more significant and more challenging than perhaps the public debate gives it credit for, he said.

Right-wing terrorism wasnt previously organised here.

But security services have been warning of a shift since the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016, with the past year seeing five mainly Isis-inspired terror attacks leave 36 victims dead in London and Manchester.

Giving a lecture at an event held by the Policy Exchange think tank, Mr Rowley said: A deeply concerning characteristic is how both far-right and also Islamist terrorism are growing, allowing each side to reaffirm their grievances and justify their actions.

He said police and MI5 have disrupted 10 Islamist plots and four far-right plots since the Westminster attack in March last year.

Mr Rowley, who is to retire next month, declined to give details of the four cases for legal reasons, but said they represent a combination of organised and individual action.

 Family of Finsbury Park victim Makram Ali address media after Darren Osborne sentencing

He was speaking after a neo-Nazi was convicted of planning a terror attack at a gay pride event in Cumbria.

Ethan Stables, 20, wrote online that he was going to war after arming himself with weapons including a machete and axe and was arrested while walking to his target.

Another suspected far-right extremist is awaiting trial for allegedly planning to murder the Labour MP Rosie Cooper.

Recommended Finsbury Park terror attacker Darren Osborne jailed for life

He and five other men arrested in connection with the plot are accused of being members of the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action.

Several alleged members have been charged with terror offences, including serving British soldiers, following a wave of police operations.

It became the first far-right organisation to be banned by the Government in December 2016, sparking efforts by members to evade arrest by splitting into renamed regional factions including Scottish Dawn and NS131.

National Action gained notoriety for celebrating Thomas Mair, the far-right extremist who murdered Ms Cox during the EU referendum campaign.

Another fanatic, Darren Osborne, killed a grandfather when he rammed a hired van into Muslim worshippers leaving mosques in Finsbury Park in June.

The father-of-four, who was radicalised within weeks as he read far-right material by the former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, Britain First and others, was jailed for life last month.

Ethan Stables plotted to carry out a knife attack at a gay pride event (Greater Manchester Police)

Weyman Bennett, the joint secretary of United Against Fascism (UAF), said the group presented a hidden danger.

Far-right terrorism is underestimated and is a threat to our democracy, he told The Independent.

There must be a renewed commitment to stopping the scapegoating of minorities that encourages it.

Research and campaign group Hope Not Hate said that according to its count, 27 people were arrested or convicted of far-right inspired offences during 2017.

Far-right terrorism and violent extremism is on the rise, something that concerns us greatly and which we have long warned the authorities to take note of, said chief executive Nick Lowles.

More worryingly, it is a trend which we fear is going to continue.

The threat from the British far right is growing and evolving. Many see themselves in a war with Islam and as a result we must be prepared for more terrorist plots and use of extreme violence from the far right for the foreseeable future.

A record number of people are being arrested on suspicion of terror offences in the UK, with the majority suspected of Islamist extremists but a growing proportion on the far right.

The trend was echoed in the first-ever figures provided by the Governments controversial Prevent counter-terror initiative.

It shows that, of the total 7,631 people referred to Prevent in 2015-16, 65 per cent (4,997) were suspected of Islamist extremism and 10 per cent (759) of right-wing extremism.

Officials said Sikh and Northern Ireland-related radicalism was also seen, while a significant proportion could not be put into one category because of a more general propensity towards mass murder and violence that covers several groups.

Around a third of all those flagged were deemed to need no further action, half were passed on to alternative services and 14 per cent were considered by the counter-radicalisation Channel programme  where right-wing extremists make up more than a quarter of referees.

The Governments revamped counter-terror strategy, which will be announced later this year, is expected to take a closer look at the far-right and ways to combat online messaging.

Finsbury Park attack Show all 14 1 /14 Finsbury Park attack Finsbury Park attack Police officers attend to the scene after a vehicle collided with pedestrians in the Finsbury Park, killing one person and injuring eight Reuters Finsbury Park attack The incident is being treated as a potential terror attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Reuters Finsbury Park attack Police cordon off a street in Finsbury Park AFP/Getty Images Finsbury Park attack A man prays in the street after the attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack Men gather and pray together in the street in the aftermath of the attack AFP/Getty Finsbury Park attack Reuters Finsbury Park attack PA Finsbury Park attack Onlookers gather near a police cordon EPA Finsbury Park attack Forensic investigators arrive at the scene PA Finsbury Park attack A forensic tent stands next to a van PA Finsbury Park attack A police officer talks with residents AFP/Getty Images Finsbury Park attack Onlookers watch proceedings at the security cordon AFP/Getty Finsbury Park attack Local residents react at the scene AFP/Getty Images

While global efforts to remove terrorist propaganda has been largely focused on Isis, material like that consumed by Osborne as he prepared for the Finsbury Park terror attack is not illegal and remains online.

You cant police the internet, a Channel intervention provider previously told The Independent. As a society we need to understand where the risks are and investigate those who are vulnerable so they can be resilient.

Security services have warned of the growing risk of remote radicalisation online, which has driven the mounting terror threat and become a hallmark of Isiss bloody strategy to incite attacks worldwide.

Recommended New technology can detect Isis videos before they are uploaded

Mr Rowley, who entered policing during the IRA attacks of the 1980s, took on his role as the national lead for UK counter-terrorism policing the day before Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the so-called Islamic State.

He said Isis and other groups had become more of a cult than an organisation, shifting from regionally defined organisations to global movements.

Mr Rowley argued that the terror threat will be tackled only when the whole of society responds to extremism at its source, including local policing, education, councils, media, internet firms, communities and the Government.

With 600 ongoing investigations encompassing Islamist, extreme right-wing and other motivations, with more than 3,000 subjects of interest and more than 20,000 others who featured in past terrorism investigations, the challenge is unprecedented.

I see extremists from Islamist and far-right persuasions both executing a common strategy by exploiting existing grievances in target communities, generating distrust of state institutions and then offering warped parallel alternatives, Mr Rowley warned.

This helps create the isolated, fearful setting for terrorists to step into  whether thats in person or online  to inspire often vulnerable people to carry out attacks. Ironically, while Islamist and extreme right-wing ideologies may appear to be at opposing ends of the argument, it is evident that they both have a great deal in common.
A five-year-old girl died after she was turned away from an emergency doctors appointment because she was 10 minutes late, an inquest has been told.

Ellie-May Clark had life-threatening asthma and had an appointment with the GP because she was wheezing and unable to walk.

She arrived at Grange Clinic in Newport, South Wales, for an appointment with doctor Joanne Rowe, a partner in the surgery and its lead for child safeguarding.

Ellie-May and her mother, Shanice Clark, waited in line to see the receptionist and reached the front of the queue between 5.10pm and 5.18pm.

Dr Rowe had a 10 minute rule where she would not see patients who arrived more than 10 minutes after their appointments, and refused to see Ellie-May because she was late, an inquest heard.

Ms Clark said her daughter was wheezy when she collected her from Malpas Court Primary School at 3pm on 25 January 2015.

She carried her crying daughter to her mothers house and phoned the doctors surgery at 3.30pm to request a home visit.

A receptionist phoned back at 4.35pm and booked Ellie-May for an emergency appointment at 5pm  with Ms Clark immediately warning that she might be late.

Ms Clark, who also had an eight-week-old baby at the time, said she arrived at the surgery at 5.05pm and waited in line to speak to the receptionist.

Receptionist Ann Jones phoned Dr Rowe but was told that Ellie-May had to return for an appointment in the morning because she was late.

We got outside and because I was angry, I got upset, Ms Clark said. When Ellie-May saw me upset she started getting upset.

She said, Why wont the doctor see me?.

Ellie-Mays inquest in Newport heard Dr Rowe had previously received a letter from a consultant stating that the child was at risk of having an episode of severe/life-threatening asthma.

In May, a consultant wrote to Grange Clinic stating: Ellie-May has previously had severe exacerbations of asthma requiring admission to the high dependency unit.

This places her at risk of having another episode of severe/life-threatening asthma.

Dr Rowe received the letter but did not prominently record that Ellie-May was at high risk on her medical records.

The inquest heard the receptionist did not ask why Ellie-May was late for the appointment, nor about her condition, and did not give any advice on what to do if her condition worsened.

Ms Clark returned home with her daughter and checked on her every 10-15 minutes, giving her an inhaler every 30 minutes or so.

She heard Ellie-May coughing at 10.30pm and went into her bedroom to give her an inhaler.

She fell off her bed onto the floor, Ms Clark said. I turned her light on and I saw her hands and her face were blue. I rang 999 straight away.

The little girl died shortly after arriving at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Dr Rowe did not ask the reason behind Ellie-Mays emergency appointment, or look into her medical notes before refusing to see her.

Rob Sowersby, representing Ellie-Mays family, told the inquest: Dr Rowe made a clinical decision without any clinical information whatsoever.

She sent away a five-year-old patient from an emergency appointment without even opening her records.

Dr Rowe agreed that when she opened the letter from the hospital, stating that Ellie-May was at risk of serious/life-threatening asthma, she should have recorded that prominently on Ellie-Mays clinical record.

If she had done that, then that would have been obvious to her when the clinical records were opened.

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It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. 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She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA

Mr Sowersby said Ellie-Mays mother was sure that the usual treatment provided to the girl when she attended the surgery  steroids  would have helped as they had in the past.

There is no reason to suggest they wouldnt have worked this time, Mr Sowersby said.

Ms Clark told the inquest that Ellie-May began suffering with a wheezy chest and was first admitted to hospital in November 2011, two months before her second birthday.

She was prescribed inhalers but returned to hospital every three to four months, with the last admission before her death in March 2014.

The receptionist told the inquest that Dr Rowe adhered to the 10 minute rule more than other doctors at the surgery and had turned another patient away earlier that day.

She phoned Dr Rowe at 5.18pm and informed her that Ellie-May had arrived for her emergency appointment but was told she would not see her.

This was the first time she had turned away a patient from an emergency appointment for being late, Ms Jones said.

I was always taught that you should never turn away children and the elderly, Ms Jones said.

Dr Rowe had no appointments between 4.50 and 5.20pm but did not check Ellie-Mays notes and was seeing another patient when Ms Jones phoned to say that she had arrived.

She said that she had arrived and she said, Ill tell her to come back tomorrow morning, shall I? and I said yes, Dr Rowe said.

The inquest heard Dr Rowe could have asked another doctor to see Ellie-May, could have seen her after her patient had left and could have spoken to the doctor who arranged the emergency appointment for her.

When asked why she had not, Dr Rowe replied: I dont know. I was busy seeing to the other patient that I had with me.

She confirmed she would have acted differently if she had seen Ellie-Mays notes or the reason for the appointment.

When asked about the 10 minute rule, Dr Rowe said: If you have 25 patients to see in a morning or afternoon and a lot of people are 15 minutes late or 20 minutes late you are never going to be able to manage your work.

A post-mortem examination by Dr Andrew Bamber found Ellie-May had died from bronchial asthma and may have suffered a seizure before her death due to a lack of oxygen.

Agencies contributed to this report
He was to become the wartime hero who led Britain through its darkest hour, when it stood alone and defiant against Hitler  although he was also, according to one biographer, probably the least dangerously sexed major politician since Pitt the Younger.

She, on the other hand, was the most ecstatically beautiful woman in London, who maintained there is no such thing as an impotent man, only an incompetent woman.

And, it is now claimed, Doris, Lady Castlerosse, proved she was no incompetent by seducing the most seemingly impossible target of them all: Winston Churchill himself.

There had been rumours before, of course.

Recommended Keeping Churchill on the straight and narrow

Now, though, a Channel 4 documentary is to reveal the recorded revelation of one person who might have been expected to know the truth: Jock Colville, Churchills private secretary.

In 1985 Colville unburdened himself, on tape, to the archivists at Churchill college, Cambridge, but not before insisting: This is a somewhat scandalous story and therefore not to be handed out for a great many years.

Winston Churchill, said Colville, who died in 1987, was not a highly sexed man.

I dont think that in his years [of] married life he ever slipped up, except on one occasion, by moonlight in the south of France  He certainly had an affair, a brief affair with  Lady Castlerosse as I think she was called  Doris Castlerosse, yes thats right.

If true, this is nothing short of extraordinary. Previous historians have regarded Churchill as having been so devoted to his wife Clemmie (Clementine) that he never strayed from the woman he married in 1908.

This, it is said, was the one husband who could resist the advances of Daisy Wanton Fellowes when she offered herself to him lying stark naked on a tiger-skin rug in Paris in 1919.

But Lady Castlerosse, we are now led to believe, was made of even more extraordinary stuff.

She had only to raise an eyebrow, declared one admirer.

And what eyebrows they were.

Doris Castlerosse in the 1930s (Channel 4)

For, as every journalist who reports on Lady Castlerosse must delightedly affirm, she was none other than the great aunt of Cara Delevingne, the supermodel whose own eyebrows have helped make her famous.

Caras grandmother Angela  a noted beauty who evaded a kidnapper in Harrods and declined a part in Gone with the Wind according to her Telegraph obituary  defied the reservations of her mother to marry Lady Castlerosses impecunious brother Edward Dudley Delevingne.

This, it seems, is a story that has pretty much everything.

The initial seduction occurred on the French Riviera, at Chateau de lHorizon, the clifftop villa of Maxine Elliott, herself a possible royal mistress (of King Edward VII), who invited Churchill to be one of the very few heterosexual men staying in what she called her Adamless Eden.

It was 1933. Churchill was enduring his wilderness years, before wartime duty and glory called.

His wife, who did not care for the louche Riviera set, was not there. Lady Castlerosse was.

He painted her three times, once when she was draped seductively over a chaise longue.

And, according to historians Warren Dockter and Richard Toye whose research underpins the documentary, Churchill did more than take an artists interest in her flower petal complexion and blue eyes with enormously long dark lashes  (to use the description of another admirer).

Rumour has it he told her: Doris, you could make a corpse come. Or Doris, you could make a saint come, since rumour rarely bothered to get accurate quotes.

But forget rumour. The academics Dockter, of Aberystwyth University, and Toye, a professor at Exeter, now maintain that there really was an affair and it lasted until 1937, when Doris signalled its end by writing to Churchill: I hear you are not going to Maxines. Im not dangerous any more.

Cara Delevingne, Lady Castlerosses great niece (Reuters)

The academics are backed by Caroline Delevingne (Doriss niece, Caras aunt), who the documentary makers say has become the first in the family to give a televised interview about the affair.

My mother [Angela] had many stories to tell about when they stayed in my aunts house in Berkeley Square, Caroline tells the documentary. When Winston was coming to visit her, the staff were all given the day off.

Doris confided in my mother about it  they were good friends as well as being sisters-in-law  and so, yes, it was known that they were having an affair.

Described as the most ecstatically beautiful woman in London, she would delight in wearing swimsuits that showed off the prettiest legs that ever stepped into a punt or danced a foxtrot (Channel 4 ) (Channel 4)

And it seems to get better: the apparent confirmation of the affair would suggest that when she seduced the father, Doris had already seduced the son.

It is said that Winstons boy Randolph had enjoyed Doriss company in 1932, when he was 21.

That, apparently, was when the maitre d of the Cavalry Club opened an anteroom to be confronted by a pair of long, gorgeous legs waving happily in the air.

So famous were these legs  the prettiest legs that ever stepped into a punt or danced a foxtrot  that the maitre d did not need to see a face to know the identity of their owner.

When the man between the legs looked up, the maitre d saw Randolph Churchill, who was soon shouting at him to: Get out!

Who could resist such tales of posh indecency?

The historian Andrew Roberts, biographer of Churchill, admirer of Margaret Thatcher, thats who.

From his blog on the website of The Spectator comes a great splutter of indignation and, it has to be acknowledged, a pretty compelling case for the defence of Winston.

This extremely uxorious man with absolutely no track record of infidelity, declares Roberts, should not become the latest casualty of the post-Weinstein phenomenon, however much the media loves to drag down our heroes.

For papers of record to present the story as true, without interviewing any of the plethora of Churchill historians, or members of the Churchill family, before they trash the reputation of the Greatest Englishman, is a disgrace.

It was not immediately clear whether Roberts, author of Hitler and Churchill, Eminent Churchillians and the soon-to-be published Churchill: Walking with Destiny, was aware of the involvement in the documentary of Dr Dockter and Professor Toye, both of whom have written books on Winston Churchill.

But it was pretty clear he didnt like the documentary.

Roberts said Jock Colvilles taped allegation of Churchills affair had not escaped the attention of previous historians.

Having been researching a biography of Churchill for the past four years  I listened to it [the tape] many months ago, as has Allen Packwood, the director of the Churchill Archives. And Colville actually said the words to another historian, Dr Correlli Barnett, back in 1985.

When I heard the tape, I decided to investigate the allegation closely  and found that the facts, and other correspondence in the Archive, simply do not support it.

For one thing, says Roberts: The alleged affair took place in 1933-37, but Colville did not become Churchills private secretary until May 1940, so this is at best second-hand information, and Colville does not say that Churchill ever spoke to him about it.

He was also speaking half a century afterwards, an absurdly long period of time for historians to take oral evidence seriously.

Churchill painting Lady Castlerosse thrice meant nothing. He painted Clemmie three times, says Roberts.

He also painted Sir Walter Sickerts wife Therese, Arthur Balfours niece Blanche Dugdale, Sir John Laverys wife Hazel, his own sister-in-law Lady Gwendoline Churchill, his secretary Cecily Gemmell, his wifes cousin Marryot White, and Lady Kitty Somerset. There is no suggestion he was sleeping with any of them.

Nor is the historian swayed by the testimony of Caras aunt: The fact that the Delevingne family, including the supermodel Cara and others who were also not alive at the time, claim that an affair took place is equally flimsy evidence. Plenty of people like to claim notorious links with the famous, as Cara herself must have discovered by now.

Similarly, the sly insinuation that servants were given the evening off so that Churchill could have sex with Lady Castlerosse can be easily explained by the fact that they wanted privacy to talk and gossip. Servants were known to sell overheard information to newspapers.

Even palace servants were not allowed into the weekly lunches that Churchill had with the king during the war.

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At least Roberts confirms the affair with Randolph.

But he does cite, in evidence for Winston, something that might be a little hurtful to the memory of Doris.

We know from the memoirs of people who stayed at the Chateau de lHorizon, says Roberts, that Churchill believed Lady Castlerosse to be extraordinarily dim; she did not know that the League of Nations was stationed in Geneva, for example.

Would Churchill have really put up with such an ignorant mistress for the four years alleged by this programme?

Well, the documentary makers might wish to counter, Lady Castlerosses life story would suggest she was hardly dull.

She was born a humble haberdashers daughter in south London in 1900.

Doris followed her dad into the clothes trade by selling secondhand evening dresses to actresses and chorus girls, which gave her an entree into the demi-monde of nightclubs and rich, louche men.

It wasnt her dressmaking skills that made her fortune.

She mastered a sexual technique so powerful that, as one of her lovers put it: If you come across one of those, you sign away your kingdom.

To assist with this process, Doris is said to have simplified her surname from Delevingne to Delavigne, because it was easier for rich men to spell on a cheque.

Getting a real kingdom, however, allegedly eluded her because when she went for Edward VIII, she found Wallis Simpson already barring the way.

And according to Doriss biographer, Lyndsy Spence, author of The Mistress of Mayfair, when Edwards brother Prince George attended one of Doriss parties he got a telling off from his father King George V.

But Doris did get a Viscount, Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse. They married in 1928. He was smitten, she probably wasnt.

The balding viscount was apparently so fat he couldnt bend down to tie his shoelaces. And he didnt have any money to go with his title.

When Viscount Castlerosses mother, Lady Kenmare, found out about the secret Hammersmith register office wedding, she disowned her son and refused to meet his bride.

Which meant Doris had to continue winning the affections of other wealthy men, to the fury of her husband.

The Castlerosses eventually opted for taking separate suites at Claridges, conducting their epic rows in the hotels corridors.

They divorced in 1938, meaning the affair with Churchill (senior)  if it happened  was conducted while Lady Castlerosse was, at least technically, married.

Doris began life as a simple haberdashers daughter, but thanks to the wealth of the men  and the woman  she attracted, she could buy shoes by the hundred and welcome Prince Philip to her Venetian palazzo (Channel 4)

By then Doris had acquired tastes way beyond her beginnings, which had also included a stint as an 18-year-old pantry maid.

She could send a chauffeur on a 400-mile round trip from LHorizon to retrieve a swimsuit left behind in London  (because, after all, it showed off those famous legs to such great advantage).

She would buy 200 pairs of couture shoes at a time, especially after she moved  with Margot Hoffman, her wealthy American lesbian lover  to the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni beside Venices Grand Canal.

According to Judith Mackrell, author of The Unfinished Palazzo, during her first Venice season the parties at the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni were graced by the presences of the likes of the American actor Douglas Fairbanks and a youthful Prince Philip of Greece. (No one is suggesting Doris and Prince Philip ever enjoyed Churchillian relations).

But then came the war, which made Churchill a hero and Doriss new home of Italy enemy territory.

She fled with Margot Hoffman to New York.

Margot, though, tired of her and her behaviour.

Alone, far from home, and with her looks now fading, Doris was reduced to pawning her diamonds.

According to the Channel 4 documentary, when Churchill went to America to see President Franklin Roosevelt in the summer of 1942, the two former lovers dined together in Washington.

But, Toye and Dockter claim, Churchill came to worry about THAT portrait  the one of the younger Doris reclining on the chaise longue  possibly falling into the wrong hands, leaving him vulnerable to blackmail or the subject of a damaging newspaper story.

It is believed that in September 1942, one of Roosevelts advisers, Harry Hopkins, arranged for Doris to return home on a ship to England.

Viscount Castlerosse was waiting for her in London. According to Lyndsy Spence he had written to Doris offering to remarry her.

When she stepped off the train, in the dark of the wartime blackout, all was tender reconciliation between them. But, says Spence, when the viscount saw the older, faded Doris by the light of a Dorchester hotel room he was so shocked by her haggard appearance that he scurried back to Enid, Viscountess Furness, an Australian wine heiress and serial widow.

Running out of options, Doris sent a telegram to the New York pawnbroker, telling him to sell her diamonds. Little did she know that selling diamonds during wartime was illegal and her telegrams were being intercepted by Scotland Yard.

Doris was visited by detectives, and left fearing a jail sentence.

And now, in the eyes of the high society that had once embraced her as the most ecstatically beautiful woman in London, Doris had resumed her natural status as a common little demi-mondaine  as one of them called her.

She was even lower than that to some of them.

By heading for America Doris had, in their eyes, deserted England in time of war  during its Darkest Hour, to borrow the title of the latest film to celebrate her old LHorizon companion Churchill.

In her book The Riviera Set, the author Mary Lovell recounted how, in the corridor of the Dorchester, Doris happened upon an earl with whom she had once had a dalliance.

He cut her dead but muttered aloud as they passed that she was a traitorous b***h.

And then, one morning soon afterwards, staff at the Dorchester unlocked Doriss door with a master key and found her in bed, unconscious, an empty pill bottle at her side. The fatal overdose left her dead at the age of 42.

Churchills painting of her in her chaise longue glory, the documentary makers suggest, was discreetly retrieved by Churchills friend Lord Beaverbrook after a visit to Doriss brother Dudley Delevingne, grandfather of the modern beauty Cara.

And so the mystery of what happened between Churchill and Lady Castlerosse remains unresolved.

But having heard of her life and her cruel end who, beside perhaps a Churchill relative and a historian or two, could begrudge this remarkable woman her moment of posthumous fame?

Perhaps the story of the lady and the leader is much like Doris in her prime: irresistible, but of questionable virtue.

Churchills Secret Affair is on Channel 4 at 8pm on Sunday 4 March
Boris Johnson appeared to back air strikes against the Assad regime if it has used chemical weapons in rebel-held eastern Ghouta, saying the West must not stand idly by.

Speaking in the Commons, the Foreign Secretary argued there was no military solution that we can impose to bring peace to war-torn Syria.

But Mr Johnson agreed there was a case for limited strikes if there was incontrovertible evidence of further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime or their supporters.

He said many people believed the US did the right thing when it launched a cruise missile attack on a Syrian airfield last April in response to chemical weapon use. I will certainly hope that the West does not stand idly by, Mr Johnson told MPs.

The urgent question came after a week in which Syrias army and its allies have inflicted one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war on eastern Ghouta, an enclave outside Damascus, killing hundreds.

Local doctors and monitors have said a suspected chlorine attack in the rebel-held area left 18 people injured on Sunday evening.

The week-long carnage in the area has killed more than 500 people in air strikes and shelling by forces loyal to Assad.

A United Nations security council resolution was approved unanimously on Saturday, calling for a month-long ceasefire without delay, but the killing continued.

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

On those attacks, Mr Johnson said: The House will have noted the disturbing reports of use of chlorine gas. I call for these reports to be fully investigated and for anyone held responsible for using chemical weapons in Syria to be held accountable.

But, when it was pointed out that both Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron have contacted Vladimir Putin, Mr Johnson was unable to say if Theresa May had also had a recent conversation.

Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, called the indiscriminate bombing in Syria and the use of chemical weapons a war crime, adding that there must be a reckoning for those responsible.

But she said Labour opposed yet more western military intervention, I believe that would simply prolong and deepen the war.

Ultimately, we can only end this dreadful conflict and the suffering of all the Syrian people through genuine peace talks involving all non-jihadi parties and the agreement of a political solution, Ms Thornberry told MPs.

The question was sponsored by Labour MP John Woodcock, who condemned Britain and other Western countries for failing to act on the appalling bloodshed in Syria.

The men and women of Ghouta who lie in pieces, deliberately targeted by Assads Russia-enabled bombs, the dead children whose faces are altered by the chlorine gas that chocked them.

They should not be strewn in the rubble of Eastern Ghouta. Those bodies should be piled up in this chamber and lain at the feet of governments of every single nation which continues to shrug in the face of this horror.

Mr Woodcock said the UN Security Council is broken while one of its permanent members flouts the basic laws and systems of order it was created to uphold. In these dreadful circumstances, being cowed into inaction by this strangulated body is a greater violation than seeking to act even without its own authorisation, he added.
Labour could ditch plans for a customs union with the EU if Brussels refuses to give the UK a say in making new trade deals, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The Labour leaders spokesman insisted plans to stay in the customs union after Brexit were not a commitment after Mr Corbyn used a major speech to say his party would seek to negotiate a deal to maintain existing trading terms.

Instead, Labour would leave open the option of walking away from negotiations if EU leaders make clear the UK could only be part of the tariff union if it accepts it will not have a say over deals that are made.

It means a Labour government could ultimately adopt a similar position to the Conservatives and rule out any customs union with the EU  a move that would likely see tariffs imposed on goods and lead to a hard border in Northern Ireland.

Some Labour MPs said their leaders shift towards staying in a customs union was nowhere near enough.

Mr Corbyn used a keynote speech at the National Transport Design Centre in Coventry to announce Labours intention of remaining in a trading bloc.

Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland, he said.

However, he added: We are also clear that the option of a new UK customs union with the EU would need to ensure the UK has a say in future trade deals.

A new customs arrangement would depend on Britain being able to negotiate agreement of new trade deals in our national interest.

Labour would not countenance a deal that left Britain as a passive recipient of rules decided elsewhere by others. That would mean ending up as mere rule takers.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Mr Corbyns aides later confirmed that a potential new customs union with the EU is merely an option and not a commitment, leaving open the option of a Labour government walking away from a deal if the EU does not meet demands for a seat at the negotiating table.

His spokesman told The Independent: Were saying a customs union between the UK and the European Union is an option  were not saying thats a commitment.

Its an option and we would seek to negotiate that option.

Its part of a whole package of different approaches to different issues. If you cant negotiate some parts of the package then obviously you have to have alternative options.

He said Labour would not support a Brexit deal that would damage jobs and living standards, but declined to say that the lack of a customs union in any deal the Government negotiates with Brussels would result in the party opposing against the package when Parliament is giving a meaningful vote on the issue.

Some Labour MPs demanded Mr Corbyn go further and also pledge to keep the UK in the EU single market.

Chris Leslie, a supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain campaign, said: Jeremy Corbyns speech is not the end of Labours debate on Europe.

His commitment to the customs union is welcome but it is nowhere near enough.

Staying in the single market is absolutely essential if we are to protect manufacturing jobs and investment and to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

Nor can we pretend that we are going to be able buy our way into this or that European institution as though they were items on a menu. The only sure and certain way to get the benefits of single market membership is to be a member of the single market and we should not pretend otherwise.
Labour cannot support single market membership because it would dishonour what the British people asked us to do in the Brexit vote, a senior Jeremy Corbyn ally says.

Barry Gardiner, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, insisted Labour  despite now backing a customs union  will not make a similar shift on staying in the EUs internal trading bloc.

At the weekend, more than 80 senior Labour figures issued an open statement to argue that only staying in the single market can avert huge economic damage from Brexit.

 Keir Starmer says it is crunch time for Theresa May on Brexit

Recommended Jeremy Corbyn to pile pressure on PM with customs union shift

But Mr Gardiner said such a move would not be respecting what the British people asked us to do, which was to regain sovereignty and control of borders.

The British people voted against what is the project of ever closer union. The British people took a decision that we would leave the European Union, he said.

They wanted us to make sure that we were regaining what they saw as our sovereignty  that we were not paying money into the budget of the European Union  and that we had the ability to control our own borders.

All of those things are things that we would not be able to do if we were part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and, therefore, of the single market.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Instead, Mr Corbyn, in a speech today, will demand protections, clarifications or exemptions to ensure EU law does not obstruct a future Labour government  appearing to make single market membership impossible.

Labour believes EU state aid rules could stop a future Corbyn government subsidizing industries such as steel, while public service competition directives oblige countries to expose state-run services to private-sector competition.

It has also pointed to the posted workers directive, which currently allows firms to bring in staff from other EU countries and pay them below the going rate, as another policy it opposes.

Mr Corbyn has also, in the past, supported the need to end free movement of citizens  which is one of the four pillars of single market membership.

Nevertheless, in his speech in Coventry, Mr Corbyn will create a clear Brexit dividing line between Labour and the Conservatives by finally committing to keeping the UK in a customs union.

The move will end months of speculation about the Labour leaders stance on the issue, which is a crucial part of the debate about Britain's future.

It also simultaneously heaps pressure on Theresa May as pro-EU Tory rebels are poised to join Labour and threaten her with defeat on the customs union on the Commons floor.

The Prime Minister is scrambling to agree Britain's approach to the future relationship with the EU by Friday, as Brexiteers also threaten her leadership from the right if she bends on the issue  threatening the UKs freedom to agree trade deals.

In his speech, Mr Corbyn will also promise to use funds returned from Brussels after Brexit to invest in our public services and jobs of the future, not tax cuts for the richest.

However, that argument will also be criticised by pro-EU Labour figures, who will point out that Britain will be worse off under all Brexit scenarios, according to the Governments own leaked analysis.
 Close Jeremy Corbyn announces support of a customs union after Brexit

Jeremy Corbyn has committed Labour to keeping the UK in a customs union with the European Union as he set out a shift in his partys Brexit policy.

In a speech in Coventry, Mr Corbyn argued the move would enable Labour to secure full tariff-free access to the single market but without committing to all of its rules.

The Labour leader said: Britain will need a bespoke relationship of its own. Labour would negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tariff-free access and a floor under existing rights, standards and protections.

Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland."

David Lidington, the Cabinet minister, also used a speech in north Wales to address tensions between Westminster and the devolved administrations.

Mr Lidington said the UK Government had made a considerable offer to the devolved administrations with a commitment that the vast majority of powers returning from Brussels will start off in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast rather than Whitehall.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has reiterated his position that any Brexit deal would need to include a new customs union arrangement with the European Union.

Speaking at the Labour Party Conference 2018 in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn addressed the prime minister directly: If you deliver a deal that includes a customs union and no hard border in Ireland, if you protect jobs, peoples rights at work and environmental and consumer standards  then we will support that sensible deal, a deal that would be backed by most of the business world and trade unions too.

But if you cant negotiate that deal then you need to make way for a party that can and will.

Mr Corbyns position contrasts with the governments stance that the UK should leave the existing customs union - and not be tied to a new bloc it claims would restrict Britains ability to strike deals with other countries.

Here we explain the customs union, the cost and benefits of remaining signed up to one and what the alternatives could be.

What is the customs union?

The EU customs union is a 50-year-old agreement between European member states that facilitates free trade by ensuring they all apply the same import duties on goods entering the union. This means goods can then travel freely once they are within the EU.

The countries also agree not to impose tariffs on goods travelling between countries in the union.

The agreement greatly reduces administrative and financial barriers to trade.

How is a customs union different from a free trade area or the single market?

A customs union is different from a free trade area, in which means no tariffs are charged on goods and services moving within the area.

The single market is a broader agreement that encompasses the free movement of goods, services, capital and people.

What will leaving the customs union mean?

It could result in increased border checks, which could wreak havoc on supply chains.

Many businesses, such as those in the car industry, operate just-in-time production, with multiple parts crossing the Channel from mainland Europe each day.

Honda UK told MPs in November 2017 that it relied on 350 trucks arriving from the continent every day. A delay of 15 minutes at its Swindon factory would cost 850,000, the company estimated.

Would leaving the customs union mean higher tariffs?

Countries such as Norway and Switzerland enjoy tariff-free access to the EU without being part of the customs union but accept free movement of workers and make contributions to the EU budget.

If the UK restricts the free movement of people with immigration controls it is unlikely to be granted completely tariff-free access to the single market. The cost of doing business will, therefore, rise.

The UK could negotiate a free trade deal with the EU, as Canada has recently done. This means the UK would have access to the single market to sell its products but would not be part of it. Therefore, it would not have to sign up to free movement of people. While the deal with Canada removes the vast majority of tariffs there are some significant exceptions, particularly in the services sector  the dominant part of the UK economy.

 Dominic Grieve tables amendment seeking to stay in customs union

What impact leaving the customs union have on the Irish border?

Around a quarter of Northern Irelands exports go south, while the Republic sends just 2 per cent of its goods north.

So exiting the customs union would impact the Northern Irish economy.

But it would also increase the likelihood of a hard border returning to Ireland, undermining the Good Friday Agreement.

In the divorce agreement reached between the UK and EU in December, Britain promised that no new regulatory barriers would emerge between the mainland and Northern Ireland.

But the Government has yet to spell out exactly how it would perform the necessary checks on goods entering Northern Ireland without erecting a physical barrier with the south.

How big could the impact of leaving the customs union be?

Around 43 per cent of Britains exports go to the EU, according to the Office of National Statistics. They would likely be subject to import tariffs as well as extra administrative costs.

If the UK did not negotiate a trade deal with the EU before Brexit, it would have to trade on standard tariffs under World Trade Organisation rules.

An analysis by The Independent found that the cost to Britains exporters - in extra tariffs alone - would be at least 4.5bn per year. This estimate does not include the difficult-to-measure costs of non-tariff barriers, such as the enforcement of different market standards and regulations.

The extra costs on companies could force them to relocate UK operations within the EU after Brexit, potentially leading to job cuts.

What will the positive impacts be?

The main positive highlighted by Brexiteers is that Britain would be free to negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries.

Opponents of this argument have pointed out that countries such as Turkey are in a customs union with the EU that excludes certain sectors and are free to negotiate trade deals.

Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, has touted Chinas economic expansion as a reason to prioritise the UKs ability to strike deals around the world.

This could allow the lowering of barriers elsewhere to help to make up for any loss of trade with the EU.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

However, trade deals take a long time to negotiate. The UK would also be in a far less advantageous negotiating position on its own.

Being the worlds largest economic trading bloc with 500 million relatively wealthy consumers gives the EU hefty clout, which the UK alone cannot match.

The second positive put forward is that the country would not have to contribute as much to the EUs budget.

European officials have mooted charging an annual fee if the UK wants access to EU markets to buy and sell its products but remain outside the customs union.

Norway is set to pay 140 per head for its access to the single market between 2015 and 2020. The UK currently pays 220 per capita for EU membership, according to analysis by fact-checking organisation Full Fact. These, however, are gross figures and it is likely that the payments received by the UK from the EU are proportionally higher than those received by Norway. The UK's overall gross contribution to the EU is around 13bn per year; the net figure is around 9bn.

How could we stay in the customs union while outside the EU?

The Brexit referendum asked voters to choose between remaining in the EU or leaving it  and was not a question of whether Britain would remain in the customs union.

But both Labour and the Tories have committed to leaving the current trading pact after Brexit.

There are examples of countries that are in a customs union with the EU while not being a member state.

Turkey, Andorra and San Marino have customs union agreements with the EU but are not part of the single market. These agreements only cover certain goods. Turkeys agreement with the EU for example, excludes agricultural products, services and public procurement.

Brexit so far: in pictures Show all 53 1 /53 Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson led the VoteLeave campaign PA Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit campaign Boris Johnson MP, Labour MP Gisela Stuart and UKIP MP Douglas Carswell address the people of Stafford in Market Square during the Vote Leave Brexit Battle Bus tour on 17 May 2016. Their lead line on the tour was: We send the EU 350 million a week, let's fund our NHS instead. Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Voting day A man shelters from the rain as he arrives at a polling station in London on 23 June 2016. Millions of Britons voted in the referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Referendum results Leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, reacts at the Leave EU referendum party at Millbank Tower in central London as results indicated that it was likely the UK would leave the European Union AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Protesting the result A young couple painted as EU flags and a man with a sign reading Im not leaving protest outside Downing Street against the voters decision to leave the EU on 24 June 2016 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures David Cameron resigns British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016 after the results of the EU referendum were declared and the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Theresa May Becomes the new Conservative Party leader Theresa May receives a kiss from her husband Philip, after becoming the new Conservative Party leader on 11 July 2016. May became Prime Minister two days later and although she voted to remain in the referendum was keen to lead Britains Brexit talks after her only rival in the race to succeed David Cameron pulled out unexpectedly. May was left as the only contender standing after the withdrawal from the leadership race of Andrea Leadsom, who faced criticism for suggesting she was more qualified to be prime minister because she had children AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Lancaster House keynote speech on Brexit British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech on Brexit at Lancaster House in London on 17 January 2017. Where she spoke about her offer to introduce a transition period after the UK formally leaves the European Union in March 2019. Despite repeating the pro-Brexit mantra of no deal is better than a bad deal, the Prime Minister claimed she wanted a tone of trust between the negotiators and said Britain was leaving the EU but not Europe. She said there should be a clear double lock needed for the transitional period to make sure businesses had time to prepare for changes to their trading relationships with the EU Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Triggering of Article 50 British Prime Minister Theresa May in the cabinet, sitting below a painting of Britain's first Prime Minister Robert Walpole, signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk invoking Article 50 and the United Kingdom's intention to leave the EU on 29 March 2017 Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Gibraltar nonsense Tensions have risen over Brexit negotiations for the Rock of Gibraltar. The European Council has said Gibraltar would be included in a trade deal between London and Brussels only with the agreement of Spain. While former Conservative leader Michael Howard claimed that Theresa May would be prepared to go to war to protect the territory. Spain's foreign minister stepped in only to assert that there was no need for the dispute Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Shock snap election Soon after triggering Article 50, Theresa May called on 18 April 2017 for a snap general election. The election would be on 8 June and it came as a shock move to many, with her reasoning to try to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the EU AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Dissolution of Parliament for General Election Campaign Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement in Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace on 3 May 2017. The Prime Minister visited the Queen to ask for the dissolution of Parliament signalling the official start to the general election campaign Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Conservatives lose parliamentary majority An arrangement of British daily newspapers showing front page stories about the exit poll results of the snap general election. British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on 9 June 2017 after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loomed. The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader would be unable to form a government AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Labour gains Britains opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a tumbs up as he arrives at Labour headquarters in central London on 9 June 2017 after the snap general election results showed a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing their majority AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit negotiations begin Brexit Minister David Davis and European Commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations Michel Barnier address a press conference at the end of the first day of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on 19 June 2017 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May speaks in Florence British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on 22 September 2017, in Florence. May sought to unlock Brexit talks after Brussels demanded more clarity on the crunch issues of budget payments and EU citizens' rights AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  insufficient progress German Chancellor Angela Merkel joins other EU leaders for a breakfast meeting during an EU summit in Brussels on 20 October 2017. The EU spoke about Brexit and announced that insufficient progress had been made AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures DUP derails settlement on the withdrawal part of Brexit DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds walks off after speaking to members of the media as a protester holding flags shouts after him outside the Houses of Parliament on 5 December 2017. British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to pull out of a deal with Brussels after the DUP said it would not accept terms which see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK Getty Brexit so far: in pictures May suffers defeat over EU (Withdrawal) Bill Theresa May suffers defeat in parliament over EU (Withdrawal) Bill on 13 December 2017. The Government was defeated by Conservative rebels and Labour MPs in a vote on its key piece of Brexit legislation. MPs amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill against Theresa May's will, guaranteeing Parliament a meaningful vote on any Brexit deal she agrees with Brussels. Ms May's whips applied pressure on Conservative rebels who remained defiant in the Commons throughout the day and in the end the Government was defeated by 309 votes to 305 Brexit so far: in pictures EU council summit  sufficient progress Britain's Prime minister Theresa May arrives to attend the first day of a European union summit in Brussels on 14 December 2017. European leaders discussed Brexit and announced there was finally sufficient progress at the end of the two days AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures The game moves to transition Brexit Secretary David Davis gives evidence on developments in European Union divorce talks to the Commons Exiting the EU Committee in Portcullis House, London, on 24 January 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures Trade deal is what May wants French President Emmanuel Macron gestures to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May after they hold a press conference at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on 18 January 2018. May and Macron agreed a new border security deal, through which the UK will pay more to France to stop migrants trying to reach British shores on 18 January 2018 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Transition period agreed The UK and EU agree terms for Brexit transition period on 19 March, 2018 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures No agreement on Irish border The EU and UK however failed to reach an agreement on the Irish border during the successful talks on other Brexit issues AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU attacks Mays fantasy strategy For months after the March deal is struck there is little significant progress in talks. One senior EU official tears into Britains fantasy negotiating strategy and accuses Theresa May of not even having a position on a variety of important issue Getty Brexit so far: in pictures UK releases Ireland plan Britain releases a new customs plan to solve the Northern Ireland border but Michel Barnier says it leaves unanswered questions and would not prevent a hard border EbS Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan agreed The cabinet agrees on a plan known as the "Chequers deal" on July 6 2018. The plan seeks regulatory alignment on goods and food, divergence on services, freedom from the European Courts of Justice and an end to free movement. Many were surprised that the hard Brexiteers of the cabinet would agree to this plan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Chequers plan sparks resignations Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and numerous ministers resign in the days following the Chequers agreement Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Davis out, Raab in On 9 July, Dominic Raab replaces David Davis as Brexit Secretary. Raab is a keen Brexiteer and was a housing minister before taking over from Davis Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Barnier's "deal like no other" EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier claims on August 29 2018 that they are prepared to offer Britain a trade deal like no other, though he stressed that they will not divide or change the single market to accommodate Britain AP Brexit so far: in pictures "My deal or no deal" In an interview on Panorama on September 17, the Prime Minister insists that any Brexit deal will be offered to the EU on her terms. She asserts this amongst continued attacks on her approach to Brexit by Boris Johnson and the European Research Group, headed by Jacob Rees Mogg BBC/Jeff Overs Brexit so far: in pictures EU leaders reject Chequers Quite the blow was dealt to the Prime Minister at a EU leaders summit in Salzburg on September 20. European Council President Donald Tusk stated that the Chequers deal "will not work" Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures May demands respect Following the rejection of her Chequers plan the day before, the Prime Minister voiced her anger that the EU had dismissed it without offering an alternative. She stated that throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Getty Brexit so far: in pictures People's Vote march As the People's Vote campaign and The Independent's Final Say campaign gain traction, 700,000 people turn out in London to demand a final say on the UK's Brexit deal on October 20 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures More resignations As the Prime Minister settles on a Brexit deal, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigns along with Work and Pensions secretary Esther McVey and many other ministers Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Final Say petitions delivered to Downing Street People's Vote supporting MPs Chukka Umunna, Justine Greening and Caroline Lucas and The Independent editor Christian Broughton deliver over a million signatures in favour of a People's Vote to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on December 3 2018 PA Brexit so far: in pictures May delays vote On December 10, the Prime Minister delayed the vote on her Brexit deal as it was near certain not to pass through the Commons due to Tory rebels and lack of DUP support AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures No confidence motion Tory MPs triggered a confidence vote in the Prime Minister on December 12. She won by 200 votes to 117 Reuters Brexit so far: in pictures Commons rejects the deal Following the delay, the Prime Minister's deal was rejected in the Commons by a historic 230 votes AFP Brexit so far: in pictures Corbyn tables a no confidence motion Following the rejection of the Prime Minister's deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn tabled a motion of no confidence in the government, which the government won by a margin of 19 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Plan B The Prime Minister won the support of the commons to return to Brussels to renegotiate the backstop on January 29. In the same sitting, MPs also voted against a no-deal Brexit in a non-legally binding motion PA Brexit so far: in pictures EU council president savages Brexit campaigners who failed to plan for departure: Special place in hell There is a special place in hell for pro-Brexit campaigners who demanded Britain leave the EU without explaining how it should happen, Donald Tusk has said. The European Council president launched the scathing attack as he accused anti-EU campaigners of pushing for Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. Mr Tusk also dismissed suggestions that the EU could reopen negotiations over the controversial Northern Ireland backstop, dealing a blow to Theresa Mays hopes of securing fresh concessions as she tries to get her exit deal through parliament. Speaking in Brussels alongside Irish taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Tusk said: Ive been wondering what a special place in hell looks like for people who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely. He also tweeted the accusation moments later Getty Brexit so far: in pictures EU and UK announce talks to restart after Theresa May visits Brussels Both have agreed to restart Brexit talks to find a way through the deadlock in Westminster, following a visit by Theresa May to Brussels. In a joint statement the British government and European Commission said Ms May had had a robust but constructive meeting with president Jean-Claude Juncker, and that the pair would meet again before the end of the month. But the EU again refused to reopen the withdrawal agreement and its controversial backstop  with any negotiations expected to focus on the future relationship between the UK and EU instead Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brexit strategy lost MPs voted down May's Brext plans, with a majority of 45. The prime minister did not appear in parliament to see another defeat PA Brexit so far: in pictures Labour and Conservative MPs resign and create the Independent Group Back row of Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Chuka Umunna and Mike Gapes, middle row of Angela Smith, Luciana Berger and Ann Coffey and front row of Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Joan Ryan PA Brexit so far: in pictures Non-biding votes on amendments to Brexit motion On February 27 he house held a series of votes, unanimously calling for the UK and EU to guarantee citizens rights in a no-deal scenario AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Attorney General publishes legal advice A hammer blow for May as Geoffrey Cox said her renegotiated deal can still leave UK in backstop against its will. Mr Cox did say the prime ministers efforts had reduced the risk of the UK being trapped in the backstop indefinitely. MPs went on to vote against her deal by 391 to 242 UK Parliament/PA Brexit so far: in pictures No-deal off the table MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit by 43 votes on March 13, with cabinet ministers rebelling in another humiliating defeat for Theresa May. A day later they voted in favour of the prime minister seeking an extension to Article 50 AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures House speaker bans May from third Commons vote on same Brexit deal John Bercow sensationally told Theresa May he would stop her making another attempt to pass her Brexit deal unless she has secured changes. The Speaker said a further meaningful vote would be ruled out of order if the motion was the same or substantially the same  under an ancient convention to stop the government bullying parliament on issues MPs have rejected Parliament Live Brexit so far: in pictures May writes to Tusk The prime minister wrote to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to ask for a three-month extension to give her more time to try to get her deal through parliament. However the European Commission advises the EU27 should offer a short extension to May 23 or a longer one meaning the UK would participate in European elections 10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Brexit so far: in pictures European Council summit Theresa Mays request to extend triggering Article 50 until the end of June was rejected by the EU, and instead offered a shorter time frame. She accepted the offer of a delay until May 22 if her withdrawal deal is approved by Parliament. If MPs rejected it for a third time, the EU said Britain must propose a new plan by April 12. Ms May said she will not support a long delay because it would mean Britain participating in elections for the European Parliament Getty Brexit so far: in pictures Brussels confirms preparations for a no-deal Brexit are completed They warned that it is increasingly likely the UK will crash out. In a statement the European Commission (EC) said preparedness and contingency work, which the EC has been conducting since December 2017, was now finished. The announcement came days after EU leaders agreed to a request by Theresa May to extend the UKs Brexit date AFP Brexit so far: in pictures May resigns Reuters

In practice, it is possible to be outside the customs union but still have access to the single market, as Norway is. This means it can negotiate its own trade deals but has to accept free movement of people and must comply with EU legislation.

Where do the main parties stand on the customs union?

Labour says its policy on Brexit has been evolving.

The party is split between those who favour remaining in the single market and those who say the UK must leave, with 80 senior figures warning Mr Corbyn that leaving the single market could scupper his efforts to ease austerity.

Last summer Labour announced it was backing an extended transitional period after Brexit that would keep existing ties to both the single market and customs union.

And the party appears to have shifted towards remaining part of a customs union, too.

The Shadow Brexit Secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, said Labour had long championed being in a customs union with the EU and the benefits.

He said Britain was more likely to strike new deals if it works jointly with the EU

Theresa Mays government has insisted that Britain must leave the customs union and single market if it is to honour the June 2016 referendum.

 Theresa May announces Britain will not remain full member of EU customs union

But critics say the simple in/out question does not provide a mandate for cutting ties with Britains most important trading partners.

And some of those on the Brexit side of the argument promised before the vote that Brexit did not mean exiting those arrangements.

Absolutely nobody is talking about threatening our place in the single market, Daniel Hannan, a Tory MEP , said when the referendum was first announced.

No one has ever suggested in Brussels, and I have been here for 16 years, that if we withdrew from the union we would be excluded from the single market.
Inmates have been paid close to 2m in compensation for poor healthcare behind bars since 2010 amid mounting concern over the scale of the crisis gripping Britains prisons.

New figures show that payouts to prisoners for medical negligence or poor treatment have been on the rise since 2010-11, when inmates received just 26,389 in damages, compared to 360,325 last year.

Compensation claims for inmates amounted to 1,984,439 over the past seven years, soaring to a high of 617,468 in 2012-13, analysis of official data showed.

Recommended Prison crisis laid bare as Government issued unprecedented warning

It comes after the Government was issued with an unprecedented warning from prison inspectors about the dramatic decline in conditions, as prisons grapple with a toxic cocktail of drugs, violence and soaring suicide rates among inmates.

Inspectors found conditions at HMP Liverpool were the worst they had ever seen, with prisoners living among litter, rats and cockroaches. Meanwhile, the prisons watchdog recently warned that inmates at HMP Nottingham were living in fundamentally unsafe conditions.

Leading doctors have spoken out in the past over the challenges in delivering healthcare behind bars, as shortages of prison staff and transport can mean medics are forced to cancel or delay treatment for sick prisoners for security reasons, according to the BMA.

In its latest annual report, the prisons watchdog said health services were affected by shortages of prison staff and restrictive regimes and many prisoners lived in overcrowded and poor cells. However, it found the overall quality of care was reasonable.

Shadow health minister Justin Madders, who obtained the figures, said: These are extremely worrying findings. The substantial increase in compensation for negligent care is a stark indication of the unprecedented pressures being placed on NHS workers treating prisoners, and shockingly the real figures could be higher still.

Seven years of harsh austerity has left patients suffering and care quality has evidently taken a hit.

Mark Day, head of policy and communications at the Prison Reform Trust, said prisoners should receive the same standard of healthcare as they would in the community, but this was often not achieved on the ground.

He told The Independent: People in prison are far more likely to suffer from health problems than the general population. But in understaffed and overcrowded prisons, prisoners can face significant challenges in making and keeping health appointments.

In the secure environment of a prison, they can also face problems getting access to the healthcare and medication they need.

At the same time, a rapidly rising population of older prisoners is placing additional pressure on health provision, with prisons a poor environment to provide care for people coming towards the end of their life.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 Arsenals Takehiro Tomiyasu attempts to control the ball during the Premier League match at The Emirates Stadium PA UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA

Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price, responding to a written parliamentary question, said: These figures represent the amount of compensation paid to prisoners arising from negligent care or treatment provided by National Health Service organisations which are members of the NHS Resolution indemnity scheme.

NHS Resolution members are not the sole providers of prison healthcare and hence the figures do not represent the total amount of compensation paid to prisoners.

The Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment.
Jeremy Corbyn will today create a clear Brexit dividing line between Labour and the Tories in a keynote speech which will see him finally commit to keep the UK in a European customs union.

The Labour leader will argue the move would enable his party to secure full tariff-free access to the single market but without committing to all of its rules, allowing him to negotiate exemptions on freedom of movement and workers rights.

The move ends months of speculation about Mr Corbyns stance on the issue, which goes to the heart of the debate about Britains future.

 Keir Starmer says it is crunch time for Theresa May on Brexit

It also simultaneously heaps pressure on Theresa May as pro-EU Tory rebels are poised to join Labour and force her to keep the UK in the customs union.

The Prime Minister is scrambling to agree Britains approach to the future relationship with the EU by Friday, as Brexiteers also threaten her leadership from the right, if she fails to seek a deal that allows the UK to agree trade deals  something staying in the customs union would preclude.

In a much-anticipated speech in Coventry, Mr Corbyn will say: Britain will need a bespoke relationship of its own. Labour would negotiate a new and strong relationship with the single market that includes full tariff-free access and a floor under existing rights, standards and protections.

That new relationship would need to ensure we can deliver our ambitious economic programme, take the essential steps to upgrade and transform our economy, and build an economy for the 21st century that works for the many, not the few.

Mr Corbyn will add: We cannot be held back, inside or outside the EU, from taking the steps we need to support cutting-edge industries and local business, stop the tide of privatisation and outsourcing or prevent employers being able to import cheap agency labour from abroad to undercut existing pay and conditions.

It comes after Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer suggested that Labour would join forces with Tory rebels to force Ms May to put membership of the customs union back on the table.

The Labour leader will also promise to use funds returned from Brussels after Brexit to invest in our public services and jobs of the future, not tax cuts for the richest.

His speech is likely to disappoint those in the party who favour a softer Brexit, as a group of more than 80 MPs, peers and union leaders told Mr Corbyn that Labour would never be forgiven if it backed leaving the single market.

The alliance, including prominent Labour figures such as Chuka Umunna and Lord Kinnock, warned that the move would risk a multi-billion pound hit to the public finances and make the partys manifesto plans for schools, hospitals and social care unaffordable.

Responding to the speech, Mr Umunna welcomed moves to put clear red water between Labour and the Tories but warned that the only way to retain the benefits of the single market and the customs union  and to avoid a hard Irish border  was to stay in both agreements.

He added: It is the best anti-austerity policy too because it avoids a huge negative impact on revenues to the Exchequer if we Brexit.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said Labours plans to protect jobs were a meaningless and totally undeliverable soundbite if Britain leaves the single market and urged Labour to change course.

He said: If Jeremy Corbyn carries on down this path of having your cake and eating it, it would be another betrayal to those who believe that strong public services have to be underpinned by a strong economy, and Britain staying in the single market and customs union is crucial to that.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Ms May faces a challenging week, ahead of a major Brexit speech on Friday where she is expected to outline long-awaited plans for Britains future relationship with the EU.

She will also host a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday to ensure her top team are behind the plans, following months of in-fighting between Eurosceptics led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, and Philip Hammonds pro-EU allies.

It comes amid reports several senior ministers have warned her that Tory rebels could bring down the Government if they joined forces with Labour to block her plans to take Britain out of the customs union.

However, Ms May struck an upbeat note, saying: Delivering the best Brexit is about our national future, part of the way we improve the lives of people all over the country.

If we get them right, Brexit will be the beginning of a bright new chapter in our national story, and our best days really do lie ahead of us.
An armed police officer who has been criticised for failing to confront the Florida high school gunman claims he acted properly and stuck to his training during the mass shooting.

Scot Peterson, who resigned as a Broward County sheriff's deputy after he was told he would be suspended without pay over his actions during the massacre, has faced a barrage of public criticism - including from President Donald Trump, who claimed he would have tackled the gunman unarmed if he had been in the same situation.

Video footage of the incident, in which 17 students and staff members died earlier this month, showed Mr Peterson standing outside the school for more than four minutes while shots were being fired, despite being the armed officer responsible for guarding the school. The sheriffs office put Mr Peterson under investigation last week, and he resigned shortly afterwards.

Now, an attorney for Mr Peterson has claimed the officer acted properly by not entering the building because he believed the shots were coming from outside. According to attorney Joseph A DiRuzzo, his client followed protocol by seeking shelter and trying to assess what was happening.

Let there be no mistake, Mr Peterson wishes that he could have prevented the untimely passing of the seventeen victims on that day, and his heart goes out to the families of the victims in their time of need, Mr DiRuzzo said in a statement obtained by the Washington Post.

However, he added, the allegations that Mr Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

But Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel condemned the deputy's actions last week, saying the officer should have entered the school building and engaged the shooter. Mr Trump suggested he was a coward, and not a credit to law enforcement.

Mr Trump continued hs criticism on Monday, saying he would have run into the school in Mr Petersons place  even without a weapon.

You dont know until you test it, but I really believe Id have run in there even if I didnt have a weapon, he said at a press conference.

 Donald Trump says he would have run into the Florida school shooting 'unarmed'

Mr DiRuzzo said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement had launched an investigation into the departments response to the shooting, which he hopes will ultimately clear his clients name.

The statement adds to mounting criticism of law enforcements response to the incident. Police officers from a neighbouring department have claimed they saw two additional Broward County officers waiting outside the school when they responded to the shooting. The sheriff's office is investigating the claim. But Mr Trump has also already criticised those officers too - saying on Monday that they "weren't exactly medal of honour winners".

The sheriffs office has admitted that they received multiple warnings of the alleged shooters disturbing behaviour, having responded to 23 incidents involving suspect Nikolas Cruz or his family since 2008. The FBI also received multiple tips about Mr Cruz, which they failed to pursue fully.

Mr Israel has resisted calls for him to resign in the wake of the shooting, claiming he should not be blamed for his deputy's response.

Leaders are responsible for the agency, but leaders are not responsible for a person, Mr Israel said in an interview with NBC.

I gave him a gun. I gave him a badge. I gave him the training. If he didnt have the heart to go in, thats not my responsibility.
In an emotional press conference, a first responder who saved a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has described a tense series of events that began with thinking the patient had already died and ended as an uplifting story of hope.

Coral Springs Fire Department Lieutenant Laz Ojeda, sitting at a table alongside victim Maddy Wilford, said that he originally thought the 17-year-old was dead when he entered the school after the mass shooting. She was pale, he said, but a nudge from another first responder elicited a small response.

I believe she gasped or she moved. But, she made signs of life, Mr Ojeda said, describing the overall scene as "organised chaos".

He and other first responders immediately moved to save her life and keep her from becoming one of the 17 individuals who ultimately lost their lives. They put a chest seal on her wound, which Mr Ojeda believes may have alleviated symptoms associated with a punctured lung.

Once in emergency transport, Mr Ojeda said they gave Ms Wilford oxygen and fluids. He said the crew was en-route to a hospital 30 miles away, but that he decided to re-route to a closer hospital after she once again showed signs of life.

I looked at her. I gave her a sternal rub and I said, hey how old are you? Mr Ojeda said, his eyes welling with tears. Second sternal rub, I said, hey, how old are you? She came around. She told me she was 17. So at this point, I look at [another responder] and said, Were going to North Broward [hospital].

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Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

Ms Wilford survived after several surgeries, and attended the press conference with Mr Ojeda, and her parents. Her father, taking moments to look at his daughter and smile, said that he is grateful that his daughters life was spared.

Its hard for me to feel anything but gratitude, and thats for the miracle that has happened to her, and the way that shes been blessed, David Wilford said.

This really has been a miracle. And, I just have to give a lot of gratitude and thanks, Mr Wilford continued. And, I have a lot of sympathy for her classmates, and the other parents whose children were injured, and whose children didnt make it.
Students from a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and teachers were killed in one of America's worst mass shootings, returned to the school for the first time on Sunday.

Thousands of students joined their parents in walking past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the massacre took place. That building has been cordoned off with chain link fence that has been covered with banners showing their support for those who attend the school. The building will not be used by the school again.

The school reopens on Wednesday, but the early opening was organised to ease into the return for students, and to allow some to gather up belongings that had been left in the rush to escape when the school was evacuated. A former student, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder over the shooting.

Just seeing the building was scary, student Francesca Lozano said as she left the school with her mum. However, seeing her friends made it a lot better she told the Associated Press.

The superintendent of schools in the area Robert Runcie called on media not to fly helicopters over the school during the open day "out of respect for the students, teachers and parents".

A number of students tweeted messages and images of their return to the school grounds, saying things like "good to be home" and "I've missed you".

Seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels stood by a makeshift memorial outside the school. Terry Decarlo, who organised the scene, said the costumes are sent to mass shootings and disasters so the survivors know angels are looking over them and protecting them. Many of Sunday's angels were survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 people died, Mr Decarlo said told the AP.

Two of my best friends aren't here anymore, said Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped during the shooting. But I'm definitely going to school Wednesday," he told the Associated Press. "I will handle it.

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

As local residents look to get back to some level of normalcy, the local police, Broward County Sheriff's Office, are facing scrutiny about their response to the shooting. Florida Governor Rick Scott's office said on Sunday that Mr Scott had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the police response.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has defended his leadership amid calls to resign over the revelation that an armed deputy on the scene did not enter the school to confront the shooter. That deputy - Scot Peterson - later resigned after being place on leave pending an investigation into his conduct.

Associated Press contributed to this report
The Georgia Senate has approved a bill that would give adoption agencies the ability to decide not to work with LGBTQ couples.

The measure was approved by a 35-19 vote last week after an hours worth of contentious debate, according to the Associated Press.

The bill, which was introduced by Republican state Sen William Ligon, would also apply to adoption agencies that receive taxpayer funding.

Supporters of the measure cited religious concerns to explain why they had thrown their support against a bill that opponents say amounts to state-sanctioned discrimination.

Just because you are a faith-based organisation, doesnt mean you have to check your faith at the door and cannot participate in government programmes, Mr Ligon told local media.

Democratic state Sen Nan Orrock, who represents an Atlanta district, said that the proposed legislation is a backward attempt at discrimination that will hurt children who are hoping to be housed with caring families.

America awaits gay marriage verdict at Supreme Court as historic hearings begin Show all 2 1 /2 America awaits gay marriage verdict at Supreme Court as historic hearings begin America awaits gay marriage verdict at Supreme Court as historic hearings begin gay-marriage-usa.jpg Getty Images America awaits gay marriage verdict at Supreme Court as historic hearings begin gay-marriage-afp.jpg AFP

This proposition that we should protect agencies that are gonna deny loving families the opportunity to adopt a child from our foster care system is just backward on its face, Ms Orrock said.

The bill falls in line with a variety of attempts to curb LGBT rights after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in 2015. That has included attempts to shield private organizations from a responsibility to provide services for gay couples getting married, including efforts to allow private bakeries to refuse to make cakes for a gay wedding.

That case was argued before the Supreme Court in December, and but justices have not yet released an opinion on the matter.
An Oscar-nominated Syrian producer has been denied entry into the US to attend the awards ceremony.

Kareem Abeed forms one half of the Syrian directing-producing team who worked on Last Men in Aleppo, a documentary feature filmed in the Syrian city.

It sheds light on the work of the White Helmets, a group of volunteers, who respond to military and air strikes and help to evacuate civilians from danger areas.

But Abeed will be unable to attend the ceremony after his visa application was rejected.

The refusal was reportedly issued under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to the International Documentary Association.

The legislation allows the US President to suspend certain groups from entry into the US or place restrictions on their travel if their presence would be detrimental to America's interest.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expressed solidarity with the producer.

For 90 years, the Oscars have celebrated achievement in the art of filmmaking, which seeks to transcend borders and speak to audiences around the world, regardless of national, ethnic, or religious differences, its board said in a statement.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

As supporters of filmmakers  and the human rights of all people  around the globe, we stand in solidarity with Fayyad (films director) as well as the films producer, who was denied a visa to the United States to attend the Academy Awards on 4 March.

It comes as the US Supreme Court agreed to rule on the legality of the latest version of Donald Trumps travel ban, which affects residents from six countries - Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Mr Trump has claimed the restrictions are necessary for US security. Opponents have claimed the ban illegally targets people from Muslim countries.
A suspected serial killer accused of targeting gay men and immigrants may have killed more victims than the six he has been charged with killing, police in the Canadian city of Toronto have said.

Bruce McArthur is accused of murdering two men who were last seen in the citys Gay Village, along with four others.

One was homeless, smoked crack cocaine and worked as a prostitute. Another was from a conservative Muslim family, who hid the fact that he was gay from them. Another was a recent immigrant with a drug problem.

Detectives said the victims fitted a pattern - people on the margins of society whose disappearance attracted little attention.

But when Andrew Kinsman, a 49-year-old LGBT+ activist with many friends suddenly went missing the day after Toronto's Gay Pride parade, his disappearance was noticed.

There's a part of me that says Bruce wanted to get caught because he broke that pattern of preying on the vulnerable, said Haran Vijayanathan, a community activist and executive director of the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention in Toronto.

Police set up a special task force in 2012 to look into the disappearances of men in the Gay Village area shortly after Kinsman went missing. Mr McArthur was arrested six months later.

Forensic experts found the remains of at least six men inside large plant pots found at a home Mr McArthur used to store things for his landscaping business.

Believing there are other victims, investigators have also checked at least 30 other places he is known to have worked, including in some of Toronto's wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Police arrested the 66-year-old last month and charged with murdering Kinsman and Selim Esen, 44, who were last seen near the gay village last year.

Esen, an immigrant from Turkey, moved to Canada to be with a partner he had met in his homeland.

Their relationship didn't work out and his friend Richard Harrop wrote on Facebook that he was unemployed and struggled with drugs.

Mr McArthur was later charged with the murders of three more men, including Dean Lisowick, a homeless prostitute who struggled with drugs, and Majeed Kayhan, a 58-year-old Afghan immigrant with a family and children. He was reported missing by his son in 2012. Friends said Kayhan had a sexual relationship with Mr McArthur.

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 third was Soroush Marmoudi, a 50-year-old immigrant from Iran, was reported missing by his wife in 2015. His remains were found during the search for other alleged victims.

Police last week announced Mr McArthur had also been charged with the murder of Skandaraj Navaratnam, a refugee from Sri Lanka. Mr McArthur was said to have employed and had a sexual relationship with Mr Navaratnam, who was last seen in 2010 leaving a gay bar. His Facebook profile showed he was friends with Navaratnam.

Lisowick, who was in his mid-40s, had not been reported missing when police announced he had been killed.

He was pretty much a loner most of the time, said Jeff Tunney, a friend who rented the common area of his apartment to Lisowick for two months. He really didn't know too many people.

The task force also investigated the disappearance in 2010 of Abdulbasir Faizi, an Afghan who immigrated to Canada from Iran and frequented gay bars. A relative said Faizi hid the fact that he was gay from his family.

Police were so convinced that he just decided to leave and start another life. It made the family pretty convinced that that was the case as well, said a relative. Nobody really looked for him.

Kinsman, on the other hand, had search parties and scores of friends looking for him when he went missing in late June. A former bartender, he was a long-term volunteer at the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation. Friends and family suspected he was dead when they gained access to his apartment two days after he went missing.

He would never leave his cat. He would never shirk his duties. He didn't take the garbage out on Wednesday so I knew at that point, his sister, Patricia Kinsman, said.

Police said Kinsman had a sexual relationship with Mr McArthur.

Todd Healey, a former roommate and colleague said: It baffles me to think that Bruce could think he could get away with it. If Bruce is predominantly attacking marginalised people, then Andrew is obviously a mistake or he is tripping up because he wants to get caught.

Mr McArthur is due back in court later this week.

Mr Vijayanathan says police didn't get anywhere in their investigations until Mr Kinsman, a prominent white man in the community, went missing. Until that point, all the South Asian men that went missing kind of fell by the wayside and nobody paid attention until something happened in the white community, he said.
Donald Trumps tax cut for hardworking families increased the profits of one of the worlds richest men by $29.1bn (20.8bn) last year without him having to do a thing.

Billionaire investor and philanthropist, Warren Buffett disclosed in his annual letter to investors that the Republican tax break had delivered nearly half of the $65bn profits made by his company, Berkshire Hathaway, in 2017.

Mr Buffet  who was recently knocked into third place on the Forbes American rich list  has condemned the tax change for exactly this reason.

He has argued that major companies - including the Presidents family businesses alongside Berkshire Hathaway  stand to make an undeserved windfall and push wealth inequality further.

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

Writing his annual CEOs letter to accompany Berkshire Hathaways Annual Report 2017 Mr Buffett said the last year had been far from standard.

A large portion of our gain did not come from anything we accomplished at Berkshire. The $65bn gain is nonetheless real  rest assured of that. But only $36bn came from Berkshires operations.

The remaining $29bn was delivered to us in December when Congress rewrote the US Tax Code.

Mr Trump has falsely claimed the $1.5 trillion tax bill  signed into law in December  will kick start the economy by slashing corporation tax, but would not benefit him personally.

Independent analysts say the bill is likely to slightly reduce taxes for most American families between 2019 and 2025.

However the biggest beneficiaries by far will be the top 1 per cent, and 0.1 per cent, of earners, and by 2027 taxes are predicted to have risen for the lowest income groups.

When the bill first passed a White House statement said: We are working together to allow hardworking, middle-class families to keep more of their money, and to empower our companies and workers to dominate their global competition.

Mr Buffett is personally worth $76bn and last year donated $3bn to charities, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

He is widely considered one of the most successful investors in the world, but has railed against the growing financial inequality in the US, saying the benefits from the countrys economic growth disproportionately going to the richest people.

Much of his wealth been driven by his investment in Berkshire Hathaway which began as a textiles company, but now wholly owns companies such as GEICO, Fruit of the Loom and Dairy Queen.

It also has stakes in Coca Cola, Apple and American Express.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party for the first time, as she seeks her fifth term.

Democratic activists were more eager to back her primary challenger, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is touting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials, particularly on immigration.

However, he too failed to earn the 60 per cent support needed to win the endorsement Saturday at Democrats' annual convention. That means neither candidate will get the party's seal of approval or extra campaign cash leading into the June primary.

Recommended Democrats release memo rebutting Republican claims about FBI

With Democrats still licking their wounds from the 2016 election, some of the party's biggest stars, including Senator Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, urged unity ahead of the midterm elections. They reminded more than 3,000 activists gathered this weekend that President Donald Trump is their common enemy.

Though party activists rebuked Ms Feinstein, she has millions of dollars to run a successful campaign and polling has shown she enjoys wide support among Democratic voters and independents, a critical piece of the electorate in a race without a Republican.

The top-two primary system in heavily Democratic California allows the two highest vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party identification.

It's the first time Ms Feinstein, 84, failed to win the party's backing since her first successful Senate campaign in 1994, though she's lacked a credible Democratic challenger in previous races.

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

Delegates who withheld their support said they think Ms Feinstein has been in Washington too long and hasn't stood strong enough for immigrants.

When she spoke longer than her allotted time, some in the crowd chanted Time's up!  referring to her lengthy tenure in Congress. Thirty-seven percent of Democrats backed Ms Feinstein, while 54 percent supported Mr de Leon. He called it an astounding rejection of politics as usual and a boost to his campaign's momentum.

Mr de Leon did not appear to lose support despite a sexual misconduct scandal at the California Capitol during his leadership. His former roommate, Tony Mendoza, resigned on Thursday after an investigation concluded he likely sexually harassed six women. Mr de Leon had called for him to be expelled. Mr Mendoza is running for re-election but failed to win the party's backing this weekend.

Ms Feinstein supporters, meanwhile, said her long track record as a fighter for Democrats and women makes her the party's best choice.

She has so much seniority, it's hard to give that up, said Cathy Jorgensen, a delegate from the farm-rich Central Valley.

Her political strategist, Bill Carrick, said the campaign was in good shape.

But the party was fractured. It failed to unite behind a single candidate in the majority of statewide races, including for governor, where four Democrats are vying to replace outgoing Governor Jerry Brown.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor crafting himself as a warrior for progressive ideals, took 39 per cent of the vote, with state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Easton not far behind. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is courting more moderate and even conservative voters, won just 9 per cent.

Perhaps best underscoring party tensions is the race between Feinstein and de Leon.

The longtime senator focused on her specific legislative record, including on gun control and sexual assault, saying she's a long fighter for Democratic values with the clout to get things done.

Ms Feinstein touted her successful measure banning assault weapons in 1994, which has since expired, and pledged she would not rest until a similar bill passes again. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she promised she would never back funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border.

But Mr de Leon, who authored sanctuary state legislation to limit California authorities from cooperating with federal immigration officials, has argued that Ms Feinstein historically failed to stand up for young immigrants brought to the US illegally as children.

Ms Feinstein voted against two federal spending measures that left out deportation protections for dreamers, but some activists felt it was a forced vote.

She shows up now that she's being challenged, said Ana Gonzalez of San Bernardino County.

Associated Press
Eric Trump has endorsed plans by his father, President Donald Trump, to raise the age limit for purchasing assault weapons to 21.

Im a big Second Amendment person. I dont think its a big deal if you raise the age to 21, the Presidents son said along with offering his support for more comprehensive background checks.

At least personally, I dont want to see a whack job get any kind of dangerous object of any kind, he told Fox & Friends.

He continued: I dont want them buying a chainsaw. I dont want them buying a hammer. I probably dont want them buying a car because they can be just as deadly. I surely dont want them buying an assault rifle.

Support among Republicans for raising the age limit has grown in the wake of a school shooting in Florida earlier this month that left 17 people dead.

But the proposal has received pushback from the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful gun-rights lobbying organisations, which argues that people aged 18 to 20 should not have their constitutional right to buy a guy infringed upon.

Mr Trump has called for raising the age limit to buy certain types of guns  including the AR-15 assault rifle believed to have been used in the shooting  from 18 to 21 and banning bump stocks, which enable semi-automatic weapons to fire hundreds of rounds a minute.

But the NRA opposes such moves.

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

The NRA doesnt back any ban, spokeswoman Dana Loesch said on ABCs This Week.

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said increasing the minimum age of gun purchases is an idea that is on the table.

I think the presidents been very thoughtful in what hes proposing, she told the Washington Examiner. Hes listening to these parents. I think universally, we want to make sure our schools are safe. Period.

Since the Florida shooting, student across the country have become vocal advocates for gun control, calling for members of Congress to act.

Mr Trump has also suggested arming teachers and school officials, a proposal that has been widely criticised.

Nineteen centrist Republicans in the House of Representatives have requested that House Speaker Paul Ryan schedule a vote this week on legislation that would improve the national background check system for firearm purchases

According to the Washington Post, the narrowly focused bill would reinforce the requirement that federal agencies report all criminal infractions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and create financial incentives for states to do so as well.

More than 100 House Democrats also plan to co-sponsor legislation this week banning assault weapons, Politico reported, but that proposal is not expected to receive much support from Republicans.
Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump has said she does not believe the 14 women accusing her father, President Donald Trump, of sexual misconduct, telling a reporter it was inappropriate to ask her about the subject.

I think it's a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father, when hes affirmatively stated that theres no truth to it, Ms Trump said on NBCs The Today Show. I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters.

She added: I believe my father, I know my father, so I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father.

Mr Trump has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, calling his accusers liars.

Ms Trump's comments came in a wide-ranging interview with The Today Show, in which reporter Peter Alexander questioned her about the allegations of everything from unwanted touching to sexual assault.

Her response drew outcry from those who felt that a member of the White House should not be able to dodge tough questions about the President, no matter their familial ties.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

A senior adviser to the President says its inappropriate to ask her if she believes the sexual misconduct allegations made against the President because hes her father, tweeted CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, summing up the interview.

The Washington Posts Jenna Johnson said the White House made it clear that Ms Trump was acting as a senior adviser, not as his daughter, when she travelled to South Korea last week for the Winter Olympics.

But as soon as shes hit with a difficult question, suddenly shes a daughter, Ms Johnson tweeted.

 Ivanka Trump: I have been shocked by the level of 'ferocity' and 'viciousness' against my father

Ms Trump previously made waves for saying that she believed the women who accused former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of pursuing them when they were teenagers.

She told the Associated Press that she had no reason to doubt the women, adding: Theres a special place in hell for people who prey on children.

Her father went on to campaign for the Alabama candidate and lash out at his accusers.

Ms Trump has also tweeted about Times Up, the Hollywood-backed initiative to target sexual harassment in the workplace. The tweet drew backlash from many  including one of Mr Trumps accusers, Jessica Leeds  who felt it was hypocritical.

Its unfortunate too because you dont want to speak badly of the Presidents family, Ms Leeds said on MSNBC.

But shes totally misread the whole position and whats going on in the world.
Rhode Island is set to become the first state since the Florida school shooting to establish a red flag policy allowing judges to take firearms from people who show warning signs of violence.

Governor Gina Raimondo will sign an executive order to establish the policy, making Rhode Island the sixth state in the country to do so. President Donald Trump is also considering a similar order, sources told Bloomberg News.

Ms Raimondo said she was spurred to action by the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed when a gunman opened fire on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Recommended Florida shooting survivors return to school grounds for first time

[Rhode Island] isnt going to wait a minute longer for Congress to take action on gun violence, Ms Raimundo tweeted. If they wont act, we will.

The new policy gives requires people to turn over their firearms and prevents them from buying new ones if a judge determines they pose an imminent danger. A court hearing must be held within 21 days, and the order can be extended after that.

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

The FBI and a local sheriffs office both received repeated tips about troubling behaviour the alleged Parkland shooter, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, and failed to follow up. The Rhode Island version of the policies allows for family members  not just law enforcement officials  to file a petition to have the guns removed.

The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association voted unanimously last week to ask the states general assembly to pass a similar law. Ms Raimondo also urged the legislature to pass the law, which could be repealed less easily than an executive order.

 Florida student Emma Gonzalez passionately calls for gun control at rally after school shooting

Advocates say the law will help get guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, possibly preventing shootings like the one in Parkland. Gun-rights advocates like the National Rifle Association, however, argue that allowing a judge to take away someones firearms could be a violation of the second amendment.

California, Washington, Oregon, Indiana and Connecticut already have red flag statutes in place. It is unclear how effective these laws are at preventing mass shootings, but a 2016 study from Duke University found that the Connecticut law appeared to have prevented some suicides.

Public polling in the wake of the Florida shooting shows that the majority of Americans support stricter gun control laws, with a CNN-SSRS poll showing that 70 percent of Americans now back tougher gun legislation. The same poll found only 52 per cent favoured such changes after the mass shooting in Las Vegas in October.
Little over a week before the programme is scheduled to expire, the United States Supreme Court has declined to review a federal judge's order that the Trump administration must continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.

The refusal to hear the case represents a temporary win for immigration advocates who have been fighting to keep the programme in place after President Donald Trump announced last year he would let it expire. Nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children -- a group known colloquially as Dreamers -- have been able to receive work permits under the programme, which was started in 2012 by former President Barack Obama.

Instead of choosing to hear the case this spring, the Supreme Court has decided to let the case run its normal course through the appeals court process. The highest court in the US could have decided to leapfrog that appeals process, which will now continue in a court in California that is generally seen as sympathetic to the cause of immigrants.

Recommended Trump claims Democrats abandoned dreamers

The court has asked that the appeals process to "proceed expeditiously", and left open the possibility that they might hear arguments in the case in the future, depending on how things play out in the lower courts.

A White House spokesman, responding to the Supreme Court's decision, accused the federal district court judge in San Francisco of usurping legislative authority to protect DACA.

"The DACA programme - which provides work permits and myriad government benefits to illegal immigrants en masse - is clearly unlawful," Deputy White House Press Secretary Raj Shah said. "The district judge's decision unilaterally to re-impose a programme that Congress had explicitly and repeatedly rejected is a usurpation of legislative authority."

People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Show all 16 1 /16 People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Washington, DC, U.S., February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants AUSTIN, TX - FEBRUARY 16: Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Theopolis Waters/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Demonstrators march during the "Day Without Immigrants" protest in Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants, marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants Protesters march in the streets outside the Texas State Capital on 'A Day Without Immigrants' February 16, 2017 in Austin, Texas. The crowd, which grew to well over a thousand participants marched from the Austin City Hall to the Texas State Capital. Across the country hundreds of restaurants and eateries are closing for the day to protest President Trump's immigration policies and to highlight the contributions of immigrants to U.S. business and life. Drew Anthony Smith/Getty People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school student Kathia Suarez holds up a sign as she protests with others outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. LM Otero/AP People strike across America for A Day Without Immigrants High school senior Vicky Sosa holds a sign outside the Grayson County courthouse in downtown Sherman, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. In an action called "A Day Without Immigrants," immigrants across the country are expected to stay home from school, work and close businesses to show how critical they are to the U.S. economy and way of life. LM Otero/AP

The Supreme Court's decision, and the movement in the lower courts, comes as Congress attempts to grapple with the issue. Democrats have been advocating for a deal to help those young undocumented immigrants retain their semblance of legal status in the US, but have failed so far to reach a deal with Republican leadership. The GOP controls both the House and the Senate.

Most recently, the Senate has been weighing a short-term fix for the Dreamers before the March 5 deadline for the programme, according to The Hill. It is unclear what, if anything, might be able to make it through Congress and then be supported by Mr Trump.

"I can promise that I'll be back on the floor, again and again, motioning for a vote until we pass a bill providing relief for those struggling due to our inaction," Sen Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona who has been negotiating with North Dakota's Democratic Senator, Heidi Heitkamp, on the deal. The deal would tie a three-year extension of protections to DACA recipients to $7.6 billion border security funding that has been sought by the Trump administration.

Congressional leadership has said that a short-term fix for the issue is not ideal, though some senators have begun to indicate that it may be the only way forward. Sen Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, has said that he could see a shorter-term deal coming up, if that is how leadership decides to move forward on that approach.

"I think we wind up punting. I think we'll do a one-year extension of DACA and punt," Mr Gaham said.

It is not clear at this time that a short-term deal that ties the DACA protections to a border security bill would be able to get the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate. It is perhaps even more uncertain that such a deal would be able to make it through the House of Representatives, where prospects appear even slimmer.
Donald Trump  a man not famed for his modesty or lack of bravado  has claimed he would have run in to the Florida school assaulted by a gunman, even if he was not armed.

As students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School prepare to return to lessons this week after an attack that left 17 pupils and teachers dead, the President told a meeting of the nations governors: You dont know until you test it, but I really believe Id have run in there even if I didnt have a weapon.

He added: And I think most of the people in this room would have done that too, because I know most of you. But the way [the first armed police] performed was a disgrace.

 Florida school students form giant human heart to honour Parkland shooting victims

In the aftermath of the shooting two weeks at the school in Parkland, there has been a fierce debate on how to reduce or end the number of incidents, which so frequently bring tragedy to US communities.

Inspired by the students from the school that was attacked, campaigners have been calling on Mr Trump and Republicans to act swiftly to regulate and control access to guns. The students from the high school have led a powerful and impassioned campaign to demand that they be the last pupils in America to suffer a mass shooting.

The National Rifle Assocation (NRA), the powerful gun rights lobbying group which spent $30m helping get Mr Trump elected in 2016, has said there should be no new legislation that bans weapons, not even assault rifles or the bump stock devices that can turn allow someone to fire a semi-automatic weapon as if it is fully automatic.

Mr Trump has said he is willing to push for more effective background checks and to raise the age requirement to buy a rifle to 21. He has said he believes that arming some teachers with concealed weapons would help reduce shootings.

If you had a teacher who was adept with the firearm, they could end the attack very quickly, the President said, after meeting with students, teachers and elected officials at the White House last week.

This would be obviously only for people who were very adept at handling a gun, and it would be, its called concealed carry, where a teacher would have a concealed gun on them. Theyd go for special training and they would be there and you would no longer have a gun-free zone.

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

He added: [A] gun-free zone to a maniac  because theyre all cowards  a gun-free zone is lets go in and lets attack because bullets arent coming back at us.

While Mr Trumps suggestion has received some support, many teachers, teaching union and senior police officials have said the idea was impractical and could backfire.

Yet, the President has not backed away from his suggestion, or from his criticism of a school protection officer, Scot Peterson, who has resigned after it was revealed he waited outside the school buildings with his handgun as Nikolas Cruz set about killing his former classmates and injuring many others. Broward County Sheriffs office has launched an investigation after it was claimed three of its officers who arrived at the school also waited outside until back-up arrived.

Mr Trump told the governors he was determined to turn the nations grief into action following the atrocity. Mr Trump said that while our nation is heartbroken, the US needs to have action on measures related to school safety and gun violence.

He also said he had lunch with senior officials of the NRA and said that the organisation want to do something to address the issue.

There is no bigger fan of the Second Amendment than me but theres a need to boost background checks and ensure that a sicko is unable to get a gun, he said.
President Donald Trumps tax law that was passed by Republicans with breakneck speed last year is ridden with typos and glitches.

Mr Trump and administration officials continue to tout the benefits of the $1.5 trillion tax cut that he signed into law in December. But whats missing in Mr Trumps rhetoric is any mention of the snafus that could end up costing the federal US government big money, experts warn.

Legislation often contains a few errors, but not of this magnitude, experts have been quick to point out.

Recommended Gates says rich people like him should pay much higher taxes

The glitches are not just typos. A lot of the discrepancies revolve around actual tax policy questions where there is disagreement between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the errors will be much harder to fix, according to John Wonderlich. Mr Wonderlich is the executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit which advocates for open government.

The amount of errors and unintended consequences in the tax bill is far beyond normal, he told The Independent. He said that eleventh-hour changes to the legislation and the non-transparent process used to pass it contributed to this result.

David Miller, a tax partner at Proskauer Rose, noted to The Independent that the last time Congress passed a sweeping tax bill, in 1986, the legislation had taken three years to develop and had the support of both political parties.

This time the process was done in a matter of months, he said, noting that legislators did not seek outside comments from experts and that the bill was pushed through Congress without a single vote from Democrats.

Thats the reason, I believe, youre seeing many more errors in this tax legislation than normal, he said.

One such glitch blocks restaurants, retailers and even real-estate companies such as Mr Trumps from deducting the costs of renovations over the short term, as Congress intended, the New York Post reported.

Instead, what appears to be a typo could force those businesses to spread out the tax breaks over 39 years.

Another mistake creates more loopholes that benefit Wall Street hedge funds and private equity firms.

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

For example, the bill enables wealthy money managers to avoid a crackdown on lucrative tax breaks, allowing them to pay lower taxes on some of their income than ordinary wage earners.

One way the dozens of errors can be fixed is through the passage of new legislation, called a technical corrections bill, that would amend the law.

But to pass such a measure in the Senate, Republicans would need the help of Democrats, who are in no rush to come to the aid of their colleagues across the aisle.

Were not going to say to Republicans, Oh tell us what you want to do, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown told Politico.

We want to make the bill better, not just correct whatever technical fix is needed, said Mr Brown, who sits on the tax-writing Senate Finance committee.

Another way the glitches can be fixed is by the Treasury Department issuing regulations that correct the errors  but this possible solution has limitations.

If the statute is clear on its face, then its difficult for a regulation to contradict the statute itself, Mr Miller said.

Attempting to use regulations to fix the issue could also result in litigation over the interpretations of the tax act.

If the bill just says something ambiguous, or counter to what the drafters intended, they really need new legislation, Mr Wonderlich said.
The decision by former Trump campaign official Rick Gates to plead guilty to federal charges, could mark the end of Donald Trumps presidency, a veteran lawyer involved in the Watergate scandal has claimed.

John Dean, 79, who served as counsel to President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973 and who pleaded guilty to a single charge in exchange for acting as a key witness for Watergate prosecutors, said the decision by Mr Gates could be crucial.

Mueller is throwing everything he can against Manafort, including Gates who can nail him. Increasingly it appears Manafort is the link to Russian collusion, Mr Dean tweeted.

If Gates can testify that Manafort was acting with Trumps blessings, its the end of his presidency. Thats substantial.

Gates, 45, who served as a deputy to Mr Trumps campaign manager, Paul Manafort, pleaded guilty last week as part of a deal with Robert Mueller in the special counsel's investigation into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election.

 Rod Rosenstein announces thirteen Russian nationals have been indicted in Mueller probe

He pleaded guilty on two federal charges brought by Mr Muellers team - one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of making false statements to FBI agents.

As part of the plea deal, Gates agreed to cooperate fully, truthfully, completely, and forthrightly, with the special counsels office as well as other law enforcement officials, according to court documents.

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

Speculation had mounted recently that Gates would plead guilty and cooperate in Mr Muellers probe, making him a key witness who could testify in the criminal case against Mr Manafort.

Dean said in a subsequent tweet that people have expressed concern in this Manafort thread that Trump will pardon him.

He said: Many of the counts in both the VA and DC indictments have state law counterparts that can be charged in NY and VA, where Trump had no pardon power. Checkmate is coming for Paul Manafort.

Mr Manafort has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges, that include money laundering and conspiracy.

Two weeks ago, Mr Mueller indicted 13 Russians on charges relating to a carefully planned scheme to incite political discord in the US in the months before the election.
Chinese censors have already begun to crack down on criticism and social media jibes against President Xi Jinping, following Chinas proposal to keep him in office indefinitely.

As well as publishing articles praising the ruling party, they quickly blocked some satirical commentary on President Xis tenure in office which compared him to an Emperor and to North Koreas ruling dynasty.

The era of Emperor Xi, tweeted Joshua Wong, one of the leaders of Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement.

On Sunday, the ruling Communist Party proposed to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to two consecutive terms.

The Central Committee also proposed inserting his official ideological framework  the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era  into the constitution.

In response, many social media users shared images of Winnie the Pooh hugging a jar of honey, a meme playing on Mr Xis supposed likeness to the rotund cartoon bear, with the quote: Find the thing you love and stick with it.

Others wrote: Attention, the vehicle is reversing  the automated announcement heard on Chinese delivery vehicles  to imply that the country is returning to the era of former dictator Mao Zedong, or even imperial rule.

Another widely circulated comment played on the intense pressure young Chinese people often face from their parents to marry and produce grandchildren.

My mother told me that I have to get married during Xi Dadas presidential term, it said, using a moniker for Mr Xi typically translated as Big Uncle Xi.

Now I can finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

 Theresa May meets with Chinese president Xi Jinping

Mr Xi, who has already been elevated to the position of Chinas most powerful leader since Mao, appears to want additional terms to see through his agenda of fighting corruption, eliminating poverty and transforming China into a modern leading nation.

But analysts said the Chinese leadership may have got more than they bargained for with Mr Jinping.

Under the previous leadership in China, there was a general feeling given the real challenges China was facing it needed some kind of strong leader to make the decisions and drive China forward, Rob Wye, associate fellow of the Asia programme at Chatham House, told The Independent.

But I think they got more than they bargained for. He has single-mindedly gone about the difficult processes of establishing himself as a pre-eminent leader in China, of which there hasnt been one since the days of perhaps Deng Xaioping.

Mr Wye said Mr Jinpings corruption drive, which he said went after individuals at a more senior level than people expected, had clear political overtones, establishing Xi Jinpings standing among the party.

This has been part of his way of establishing his power throughout China, 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

Argh, were going to become North Korea, one user wrote on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter.

In North Korea, the Kim dynasty has ruled since 1948, after Kim Il-sung founded the reclusive state.

Were following the example of our neighbour, wrote another user.

However, Mr Wye cautioned that the premier could face currently unseen challenges from his opponents in the future.

In the process of consolidating your power in any political system, you can never have enough of it. There is always more to do.

There are always opponents, but such controversies are well hidden and youre not going to get anyone speaking out against Xi Jinping at the moment.
An investigative journalist and his girlfriend have been shot dead in Slovakia in a crime the countrys top police officer said may be linked to his work on suspected tax fraud.

Jan Kuciak, 27, and his partner were killed at their home 40 miles east of Bratislava, police president Tibor Gaspar said.

His last story  published in early February  focused on suspected tax evasion connected to a luxury apartment complex, with links to the Slovak government.

Recommended Three men charged with murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

Mr Gaspar said the killings likely have something to do with his investigative activities.

Police were alerted to their deaths after a worried family member raised the alarm.

Mr Kuciak was shot in the chest while his partner, who was not named, was shot in the head.

Andrej Kiska, the Slovak President, called for a quick investigation while Robert Fico, the Slovak Prime Minister, said if the killing was indeed linked to his journalism, it would be an unprecedented attack on freedom of the press and democracy in Slovakia.

In his last post on 9 February, Mr Kuciak reported on transactions by firms linked to businessman Marian Kocner and connected to the Bratislava apartment complex.

Mr Kocner could not be reached for comment when contacted by Reuters on Monday.

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 Gaspar said the investigation would look at all people who were in touch with the journalist.

He said police will provide protection for an unspecified number of other reporters from the news website Aktuality.sk.

We are shocked and stunned by the news that Jan Kuciak and his partner were apparently victims of a cruel attack, publisher Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia, to which Aktuality.sk belongs, said in a statement.

We mourn with the family, the friends and the colleagues; we will do everything to support the investigating authorities to bring the perpetrator to justice.

The case around the apartment complex prompted protests last year to demand the resignation of interior minister Robert Kalinak over his business dealings with a property developer who has been investigated over possible tax fraud. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Slovakias economy has boomed since it joined the European Union in 2004, but many Slovaks say their country still fails to defend the rule of law.

Additional reporting by agencies
Rome has been covered in a blanket of snow as an Arctic blast ushers in freezing conditions across much of Europe.

Soldiers were deployed across the Italian capital after moderate snowfall sparked school closures and public transport chaos.

Romes Mediterranean climate and proximity to the sea usually results in mild winters, with restaurants often keeping outdoor seating open even through the coldest months of the year.

But the freak weather caused the city's mayor, Virginia Raggi, to close public schools on Sunday as a precaution, with many private ones following suit.

In Moscow, temperatures dipped to this winters lowest yet, reaching nearly -20C on Sunday night.

Roman Vilfand, head of the Russian Meteorological Office, told the Interfax news agency that Muscovites should brace themselves for frosty weather in early March and could only count on the warmth of the soul.

Croatia has also been gripped by freezing conditions, with towns along most of the Adriatic coast waking up to temperatures below freezing. The cold spell has closed schools in the north-west, and heavy vehicles were banned from all roads leading to the coast.

About 1,000 Croatian soldiers have joined efforts to clear the snow in the worst-affected areas where more than 5ft has been reported.

Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Show all 51 1 /51 Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club brave the icy depths of the Serpentine in Hyde Park Rob Pinney/LNP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A person crosses the snowy street in Edinburgh's Royal Mile PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures St Michael's Mount, near Marazion, Cornwall, lies covered in snow PA Wire/PA Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Edinburgh's Princes Street in the snow Getty Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Houses covered in snow Penzance, Cornwall PA Wire/PA Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Canal boats are frozen into Birmingham's canal system PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures The M62 near Huddersfield was closed for hours on Thursday. A Highways England vehicle set alight PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures The M80 near Glasgow was stationary for hours on Wednesday night PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A family make their way in the snow in Balloch, Scotland Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Closed barriers at Paddington in West London as trains were cancelled from the station AFP/Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Workers clear a platform at Paddington station in west London AFP/Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A council worker breaks the ice on the fountain in Trafalgar Square in London Reuters Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A 4x4 makes its way along the road in Alexandria, Scotland Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Two boys play in the snow on a housing estate in Alexandria, Scotland Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures The M876 to Glasgow is closed due to snow as storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, looks poised to meet the Beast from the Easts chilly Russia air PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Icicles form on the seafront railings at Penzance in Cornwall PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures The British Waterways building in Nottingham PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Snow lingers on rooftops of houses in Newlyn near Penzance, ahead of the arrival of Storm Emma Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A commuter in a hi-viz jacket cycles through the snow Getty Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A taxi crosses London Bridge AFP/Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A pedestrian walks along Whitehall in London. EPA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A woman feeds the birds in Kensington Gardens AP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Snow ploughs clear drifts on the sea front road in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Vehicles slow in the snowy conditions. AP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Icicles hang from a frozen elephant fountain in Colchester. Getty Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A young man takes a running jump down a snow covered hill with his sledge. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People help push a car that got stuck in the snow in Rochester. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Stationary traffic on the M20 near Ashford. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A Eurostar train passes through Ashford. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People use their sleds in the snow in Jackson's Fields in Rochester. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Parents walk their children to school in Ashford, Kent, as heavy snowfall is affecting roads across the UK. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Cars travel through Great Chart in Ashford, Kent. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Vehicles crawl along a road as snow falls in south east England, as seen through the window of a train travelling from London to Canterbury. AP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People walk in the snow in the village of Brenchley in southeast England. AFP/Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A swimmer braves the snowy conditions at King Edwards bay near Tynemouth. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A woman scrapes ice from her car. Getty Images Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People sled in the snow in Rochester. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Children play on sledges outside Rochester Castle. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Toby Stanton walks to school in Ashford during heavy snowfall. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Snow stands by parked trains at Ashford International in southeast England. AP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A snowy Tynemouth beach, following heavy overnight snowfall. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Roads across the UK have seen a blanketing of snow, with police forces reporting treacherous driving conditions and blocked routes. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Commuters face a miserable journey to work as the snow falls in freezing temperatures in Pimlico. Rex Features Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People photograph a frozen waterfall near Pen y Fan mountain on Brecon Beacon National Park, Wales. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A woman laden with shopping struggles through the snow in south London. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Commuters walking in the snow on London Bridge. PA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A woman carrying an umbrella walks past a homeless person sleeping in a doorway during a snow shower in London. Getty Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures People make their way through a snow flurry in London. Reuters Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures Trucks are stuck after heavy snow on the motorway in Briscous, near Bayonne, southwestern France AP Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A commuter pedals along Whitehall in central London EPA Arctic blast hits UK  in pictures A man places snow chains on his tyres in Leek, Staffordshire Reuters

Towns along the Adriatic have also been hit by strong winds which hampered boats heading to the coastline's many islands. ]

Only the southern part of the coast recorded temperatures above freezing on Monday morning.

Air passengers across Europe also face disruption as flight schedules are affected by the Siberian weather.

Eurocontrol in Brussels is warning of delays at airports across Europe, with air traffic management predicting moderate to high delays at Heathrow from 1.30pm.

In the UK, forecasters have warned of a potential risk to life as the cold front, dubbed the "beast from the east, arrives.

The Met Office said there was a good chance rural communities will be cut off with heavy snow showers likely in parts of the country.

Additional reporting by agencies
The Turkish army has deployed fresh troops to fight in its operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria, ahead of what it said was a coming battle.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told Turkish television that police special forces had been deployed as reinforcements in Afrin, where Turkey is waging the one-month-old Operation Olive Branch to clear Kurdish fighters from the border region in preparation for the new battle that is approaching.

Also on Monday, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels and the Turkish army seized territory on the Afrin border, which Mr Bozdag said created a crescent under Turkish control on the Syrian side of the border.

 Explosions as Turkey confirms airstrikes on Afrin, Syria

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that Turkish troops now hold a continuous strip of land on the edge of Afrin, opening a corridor that links territory in Aleppo province under the control of the Free Syrian Army, backed by Turkey, with the rebel stronghold of Idlib province.

The new forces will hold the 87 villages Turkey says it has seized from Kurdish YPG fighters, while other units continue the assault on urban areas, Mr Bozdag said.

The air and ground offensive is designed to drive back the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara sees as inextricably linked to the Kurdish PKK, which it views as a terrorist group.

Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke billows following a Turkish airstrike on a village in the Afrin district, on 28 January, 2018. Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes AFP Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke billows from surrounding villages during the Turkish military operation against the Kurdish enclave on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Twenty-year old Kifah al-Moussa, a Syrian Arab woman living among the Kurds of Afrin province, was working on a chicken farm in the village of Maryameen when a Turkish aircraft bombed the building at midday on 21 January, wounding her in the chest. When she recovered consciousness, she found eight people from one family lying dead around her Yara Ismail Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Mohamed Hussein, a 58-year-old Kurdish farmer, lies in the Afrin hospital, wounded in the head and eye after his home was bombed by Turkish aircraft on the second night of the attack Yara Ismail Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Syrian Kurds sit on benches overlooking a street in Afrin, on 28 January, 2018. Above is a memorial to martyrs who died in the fight against Isis AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Smoke is seen rising on the Syrian side of the border, at Hassa, near Hatay, southern Turkey as Turkish jet fighters hit People's Protection Unit (YPG) positions, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures A Turkish made T-155 Firtina (Storm) howitzer is dispatched to the border at Hassa near Hatay, southern Turkey, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria  in pictures Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Barsaya mountain, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters

Turkey has opened a new front in Syrias complex seven-year-old conflict.

Olive Branch is widely believed to have been sparked by Turkish anger at renewed US support for the YPG and Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, which its Nato ally has backed as the most effective ground force against Isis.

The offensive has not been very successful so far: most of the larger towns in the region, including Afrin itself, remain under YPG control.

Turkey said on Monday that Saturdays UN Security Council demand for a 30-day truce across Syria  designed to stop the fighting in eastern Ghouta  does not apply to its offensive in Afrin.

Over the weekend Turkey dealt Syrias Kurds a diplomatic blow, after influential former leader Salih Muslim was taken into custody in the Czech Republic following a Turkish request.

Turkey has requested that Salih Muslim, a Syrian national, be extradited to Turkey to face terror charges it made against him in 2016. He was in Prague for a conference.

A hearing is scheduled in the Czech capital on Tuesday.
One of the holiest sites in Christianity has been shut down indefinitely in protest at new Israeli laws seemingly likened by religious leaders to Nazi persecution.

Tourists and worshippers were locked out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem "until further notice" from Sunday, over proposals to tax property and seize land sold to private buyers.

The Greek Orthodox patriarch joined forces with the Armenian patriarch and the Catholic custodian of the Holy Land to issue a statement attacking what they called "a systematic attack" and an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in occupied Jerusalem.

Theophilos III, Nourhan Manougian and Francesco Patton said in a statement: As a measure of protest, we decided to take this unprecedented step of closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

This abhorrent bill... would make the expropriation of the lands of churches possible. This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.

Banners reading: Enough is Enough  Stop the Persecution of Churches were also unfurled near the church, built on the traditional sites of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.

The protest led an Israeli cabinet committee to delay for a week its consideration of the bill to allow expropriation of land sold by churches to real estate firms and foreign companies.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III stands outside the closed doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Rachel Azaria, the former deputy mayor of Jerusalem who sponsored the legislation, said the committee wanted to work with the churches to resolve the dispute.

Politicians said the bill will protect homeowners if private companies decide not to extend leases on the land  but the churches say it will make it harder to generate the sales that cover their costs.

The other dispute centres on attempts by the City of Jerusalem to force the churches to pay a debt of 650 million shekels in relation to a municipal tax on commercial buildings.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat refused to back down on the issue and tweeted: We will no longer require Jerusalems residents to subsidize this huge debt.

"Let me make it clear: we are not talking about houses of worship, who will still be exempt from property tax, according to law," he added.

The Jordanian government said it was in "full solidarity" with the Christian churches in Jerusalem and accused the Israelis of violating "international and humanitarian laws".
At least one child has died and 18 more people have been treated in hospital in a Syrian rebel-held suburb of Damascus after suffering symptoms medics said were consistent with exposure to chlorine gas.

A statement from besieged Eastern Ghoutas interim health ministry said victims in the town of al-Shifoniyeh had been admitted with convulsions, difficulty breathing and irritation of the eyes and mouth following an air strike on Sunday night.

On Saturday a unanimous United Nations vote ordered an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the Syrian governments week-old assault on the besieged rebel area to allow medical evacuations and aid shipments. Both Russian-assisted government bombing and rebel mortar fire have continued, killing at least 34 people.

 Scenes of devastation in Syria after deadly shelling and airstrikes and eastern Ghouta

On Monday the Syrian government's key ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, also ordered daily "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting and the implementation of civilian evacuation corridors.

Ambulance drivers and victims reported the smell of chlorine on Sunday. The effects of the gas have been familiar to Eastern Ghouta residents since the 2013 chlorine and sarin attack which killed up to 1,700 people there  widely agreed to be one of the worst chemical incidents in modern history.

A video of the aftermath of Sundays attack showed a little boy killed by what health workers said was inhalation of the deadly gas, his mouth open and body contorted by rigor mortis.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement that reports indicated a child in Eastern Ghouta had died by suffocation, but could not confirm if the cause of death was poison gas.

A statement from the Russian defence ministry accused the rebel forces in the area  among them factions linked to al Qaeda  of orchestrating the attack themselves in order to be able to blame Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

The Syrian army made no statement.

Syrias president, Bashar al Assad, has repeatedly denied claims his military has used poison gas on civilians throughout the war.

More than 500 people have been killed in the week-long offensive on Eastern Ghouta  one of the worst episodes of violence in the seven-year conflict.

On Monday the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called for all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement, arguing it is high time to stop this hell on Earth.

Several previous UN-brokered ceasefire attempts in Syria have quickly fallen apart over the course of Syrias complex civil war.

More than 500,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and half the pre-war population of 22 million displaced from their homes.
Syrian rebels and government forces are both preventing civilians fleeing the bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, according to a teacher who has been trying to get his family out.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Ghafour, 43, a teacher of Arabic, spoke of their abortive attempt to escape.

I live in Douma [in the north of Eastern Ghouta] and have three children who are all under 15, he says. I tried to send my family out, but the opposition militants prevent all families leaving. He adds that even the extensive networks of independent smugglers, who used to bring goods secretly into Eastern Ghouta and sometimes smuggle people out, would not help him because they work with the rebel movements in control of Eastern Ghouta.

I tried but in vain, he recalls, describing how one of the rebel local commanders, probably from the Army of Islam that controls this part of the besieged enclave, caught Ghafour and his family last Thursday when they were trying to move from Douma to another opposition held-district further west called Harasta. He shouted at me and said, You should stay here and support our fight against the regime, and you should not even send your wife and children away. If we send our families out, our morale will go down and we will lose.

Ghafour returned home with his family and says that they expect to be killed at any moment. Even so, he is sympathetic to the rebels who are stopping him and his family escaping. I am not fighting myself, but I go and see the fighters nearby and offer help in case it is needed, he says. He is fearful of government reprisals, saying that it is dangerous even to use the Syriatel mobile network because calls are recorded by the regime. A friend of mine was arrested last month because of some calls he made in Douma before moving from there to regime-held areas, he adds.

He says that it has now become impossible to cross from Harasta or Douma to government-held territory, as had previously been possible, because the regime will not let them go to its areas. As a result, he and his family remain in their house, terrified and confused about what will happen next after a week of continual shelling and bombing. I lost two friends of mine in Shafouniya yesterday in an air strike, he says.

Ghafour was speaking just as the UN Security Council passed its resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, which has led to some easing of the bombing and shelling that has already killed 500 people in Eastern Ghouta over the last week. This was also before allegations that Syrian government forces had been using chlorine gas.

What does emerge is that the armed opposition groups in Eastern Ghouta as well as the government have been stopping people leaving. This is confirmed by a UN-backed report called Reach, which says: Women of all ages, and children, reportedly continued to be forbidden by local armed groups from leaving the area for security reasons. This has been the pattern in all the many sieges in Syria conducted by all sides who do not want their own enclaves depopulated and wish to retain as much of the civilian population as possible as human shields.

But Ghafour is right in thinking that he and his family would have a great deal to be frightened of even if they did manage to make their way to government lines. Men of military age, in particular, are likely to be detained because they are suspected of being rebel fighters or because they are liable to be conscripted into the Syrian army. Detention might be immediate or happen later at any one of the thousands of government checkpoints. These often act like border crossings and ill-paid soldiers and police will look for a bribe, especially from those who come originally from rebel-held areas.

But there is another reason why people fleeing Eastern Ghouta might be in danger in government held-Damascus. Seven years of civil war has ensured that Syrians on different sides, many of whom will have lost relatives in the violence, regard each other with undiluted hatred. In Damascus, the shellfire and bombing are largely by the government into rebel areas, but there is also outgoing fire from Eastern Ghouta, mostly from mortars, into government-controlled districts.

Rania, 22, a fourth-year student of English literature at Damascus University, explained to The Independent what had happened in her area and what was the local reaction to it. She lives in the Dwela neighbourhood, which is a government-held area but located between two opposition-controlled zones, Ayn Tarma to the north and Mukhayyam Al Yarmouk to the south.

Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian woman and children run for cover amid the rubble of buildings. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Smoke rises from buildings following the attack on the village of Mesraba in the rebel-held besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascu. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A Syrian man carries a child injured. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured child receives treatment following bombings on several areas of eastern Ghouta. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A child reacts inside a hospital after relatives were injured in the bombing. EPA Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian children cry at a make-shift hospital in Douma following air strikes on the Syrian village of Mesraba. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense group extinguishing a store during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures A wounded 12-year-old Syrian boy, cries as he receives treatment at a make-shift hospital. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrians carry a wounded man. AFP/Getty Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures An injured man covered with blood at a medical point. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures People sit a medical point in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta. Reuters Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Syrian Civil Defense running to help survivors. AP Eastern Ghouta bombings: Syrian war in pictures Injured children receive medical treatment. EPA

Our neighbourhood has been shelled once or twice a week by opposition militants since last year, but since last week the shelling has intensified and is happening every day, she says. She and her friends have been stranded in their houses for a week and cannot even go out to buy food. The army, and local young men willing to take the risk, have been supplying them.

People are being killed every day in our neighbourhood, Rania says. Yesterday, a shell hit the balcony of our neighbours house and killed his daughter who was a university student.

There are similar incidents every day. One house near to Ranias was hit by a rocket and a mother and her three-year-old child were killed.

As a result of this, Rania says that people in her district speak about what is happening in Ghouta in a very negative way. This means they are all in favour of the use of maximum force against it. She says that a shopkeeper in our locality lost his son in Ghouta. He was serving in the Syrian army and, while he and his unit were trying to break into Eastern Ghouta, he was killed along with several others soldiers. The shopkeeper and many who lost their sons say that even the children of Ghouta should be killed because if they grow up, they will be terrorists as well.
At least 15 women of Turkish nationality have been sentenced to death in Iraq for being members of Isis.

The women, aged between 20 - 50, were sentenced in a mass trial at a criminal court in Baghdad on Sunday. Some had young children with them.

One woman said she had taken part in battles against Iraqi coalition forces as they advanced on Isis Iraqi stronghold of Mosul last year. All 15 said they had married Isis fighters or provided the militant organisation with logistical aid or helping them carry out terrorist attacks," the judges statement said.

 Woman celebrates after being rescued from Isis in Raqqa

The public defender argued that the women had been trafficked into jihadi territory or tricked by their husbands.

The judge found all 15 should be killed by hanging. The women have one month in which to appeal.

Under Iraq's anti-terror laws, anyone found guilty of joining Isis, including non-combatants, can be given the death penalty.

Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa atop of military vehicles REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces march past destroyed buildings as they celebrate victory REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces gesture the "V" sign in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces evacuate a civilian from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures A civilian prays after she was rescued by fighters of Syrian Democratic Forces from the stadium REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters ride atop of military vehicles as they celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures Syrian Democratic Forces fighters celebrate victory in Raqqa REUTERS Syrian Democratic Forces take Raqqa from Isis  in pictures A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces celebrates in Raqqa Reuters

Several rights groups have condemned Iraqs treatment of suspected militants, pointing to inhumane prison conditions and a judicial process which does adhere to international standards.

Thousands of people, including hundreds of foreigners, are awaiting trial in Iraq on charges of aiding or being members of Isis, including 560 women and 600 minors.

In June 2017, almost three years to the day since Isis crossed over the border from Syria to seize Iraqs second city Mosul in a surprise attack, US-backed Iraqi coalition forces declared the Iraqi half of Isis so-called caliphate destroyed.

The jihadists have however continued to carry out suicide bombings, ambushes and other attacks across the country.

Last week another Turkish national Isis widow was sentenced to death by hanging and 11 others were jailed for life for their part in acts of terrorism in the country.

Several Western governments, including the UK, have expressed a wish for nationals who travelled to the Middle East to fight on behalf of the group be tried in Iraq.

Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, part of the infamous British Isis cell known as The Beatles responsible for the torture and murder of at least 29 hostages, were captured alive earlier this month.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said last week the door is open for them to be returned for trial in the UK.
Passengers across Europe face chaos as flight schedules are shredded by Siberian weather.

Eurocontrol in Brussels is warning of delays at airports across Europe. The air traffic management organisation predicts moderate to high delays at Heathrow from 1.30pm.

British Airways has cancelled 68 short-haul flights, mainly to and from Heathrow, in a bid to protect its overall schedule. Passengers were told on Sunday evening and rebooked on alternative departures.

BA said: We are sorry that the weather this week is likely to lead to some delays and disruption to our schedules.

"It is likely at times we will have to proactively cancel some services and re-book customers on to alternative flights.

The airline aims to protect its long-haul schedule. Passengers on short-haul and domestic flights to or from Heathrow or Gatwick up to Friday 2 March are able to reschedule for travel up to 21 March.

British Airways added: Please keep checking the very latest information about your flight before travelling to the airport as the situation could change at short notice.

An overnight snowfall in Rome has severely affected flights to and from the citys Fiumicino and Ciampino airports. No flights operated at the latter airport, used by budget airlines, until 11am local time.

Ryanair cancelled almost 50 flights to and from the Italian capital, including two round trips to Stansted and one to Manchester.

Services on easyJet from Gatwick and Luton to Rome Fiumicino are operating with delays of one to two hours.

Alitalia, whose hub is at Fiumicino, has experienced many delays and cancellations. It is offering passengers booked up to 2 March to rebook on alternative flights.

Stockholms Arlanda airport is also badly affected by snow. Most UK services are being heavily delayed, but dozens of other European flights have been cancelled.

Lanzarotes airport is also affected by strong winds, with many flights cancelled or severely delayed. Ryanair flights to Belfast, East Midlands and Liverpool are expected to operate around 10 hours late.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled or heavily delayed by bad weather are not entitled to cash compensation, but the airline has a duty of care to provide meals and, if necessary, overnight accommodation to stranded travellers.
Dozens of flights have already been cancelled for Tuesday as airlines prepare for worsening winter weather.

British Airways has grounded more than 60 domestic and European flights to and from Heathrow, including three round trips to Edinburgh, Berlin and Milan.

Multiple flights to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, Frankfurt and Geneva have also been cancelled.

The airline started notifying passengers at around 4pm, and switching them to other flights. It is seeking proactively to thin out its schedules in order to protect other services, particularly the long-haul network from Heathrow.

BA passengers on short-haul and domestic flights to or from Heathrow or Gatwick up to Friday 2 March are able to reschedule for travel up to 21 March.

A snowfall in Rome severely affected flights to and from the citys Fiumicino and Ciampino airports. No flights operated at the latter airport, used by budget airlines, until 11am local time on Monday.

Ryanair cancelled almost 50 flights to and from the Italian capital, including two round trips to Stansted and one to Manchester.

Weather disruption was also felt by airline passengers from Stockholm to Lanzarote. Heavy snow in the Swedish capital closed Arlanda airport for a time, while strong winds at Lanzarote led to diversions, cancellations and delays. One Thomas Cook flight to Manchester was delayed by 27 hours.

Rail passengers across southern and eastern England face widespread disruption, with many trains cancelled and speed restrictions affecting services that are running.

The worst affected area is north and east of London. Great Northern has already cancelled its express trains between Kings Cross and Cambridge on Tuesday, and has warned of an early close-down of services north of Royston.

Greater Anglia, which runs to Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk from London Liverpool Street, is planning only a limited service from 6am to 10pm on Tuesday. The lines from Norwich to Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Sheringham will be closed, along with links from Ipswich to Felixstowe and Lowestoft. No replacement buses will run.

A number of through trains from London Liverpool Street to destinations such as Harwich and Clacton will be cancelled. Airline passengers using Stansted airport will also be affected, as the Stansted Express will be starting later on Tuesday morning.

Some passengers have accused Greater Anglia of excessive caution. Neil Dick from Billericay asked in a tweet: Are you just overreacting like you did a couple of years ago and cancelling everything just in case?

The train operator responded: If the weather is not as extreme as forecast, Greater Anglia and Network Rail will work hard to reinstate services and reopen lines as soon as possible.

South Western Railway says disruption can be expected until at least Thursday 1 March on routes to and from London Waterloo. It is running special trains to treat tracks and prevent the build-up of ice on the third rail, which provides power to trains in the region.
The Brexit train rolls on this week with a major and welcome announcement by Jeremy Corbyn committing the Labour Party to the UKs permanent participation in the European Unions customs union.

There are the predictable cries of betrayal from the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Brexit-loving MPs. But so many voted Labour last year  and Theresa May lost her majority  because they wanted an Opposition who would resist in the strongest possible terms the seeming inevitable march towards a hard Brexit.

The polls are clear  even Labour Leave voters back the UK continuing in the customs union. Incidentally, they back staying in the single market, too, which must be the next step the Labour leadership makes, as Yanis Varoufakis, the TUC and others have argued. And this is no betrayal: Labour MPs will tell you its what their constituency party members, supporters and voters  especially the newer and younger ones  expect.

Its not just Labour-voting Brexiteers, either. Former staffers on the Vote Leave campaign from across the political spectrum have written articles arguing we should do this. Even among those who want a hard Brexit, there is a clear consensus that we want to continue to sell into EU markets  yet, if we want to do so, we will have to abide by their rules.

Theresa May will be mapping out her vision for our future relationship with the EU towards the end of this week. Her problem is that she is a hostage of the hard-right ERG (European Research Group) cohort of Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg  better described as the Economic Ruin Group who will always put ideology before the national interest.

Conservative MPs tell me the reason May moved precipitously to rule out continued membership of the customs union  without regard as to whether she had the numbers to get such a proposition through the House of Commons  was because she was terrified this rump of Brextremists would submit the required number of letters to the chair of the Tory parliamentary party demanding a new leadership contest.

As ever, the entire national interest is being subordinated to the soap opera on Europe in her party.

 Keir Starmer says it is crunch time for Theresa May on Brexit

At the March European Council, the details regarding the Brexit transition period are due to be finalised. It obviously makes sense to have a period during which businesses have time to plan for our exit from the EU. In this sense, it feels like a warm and cuddly place that prevents a hard landing and eases us gently out of the EU club. But dont believe a word of this comfort speak: transition is no safe harbour at all.

The proposed transition  referred to most consistently as the implementation period by the PM  is to an unknown destination and, importantly, will start after weve left the European Union. Once we leave, we have nothing like the leverage we have now and we dont know what the future relationship with the EU will look like because Cabinet cannot agree on it.

It is folly to be leaving the EU without knowing where we are going, and whether the Government really has the ability to deliver a Brexit deal giving us the exact same benefits that we enjoy now, as promised.

In the absence of a known destination and an agreement with the EU, all transition does is kick all the difficult decisions on our future relationship, trade, what to do about the border in Ireland and other matters into the long grass. There is, quite simply, no guarantee the Government will be able to sort out our future arrangements with the European Union in less than two years, during a stage that is due to expire at the end of 2020.

The reason the transition will expire in 2020 is because the divorce bill of 39bn or more covers the UK continuing to be regulated by EU agencies  to the extent it wants or needs to do so  and other ongoing costs. 2021 is the start of a new EU budgetary period not covered by that divorce bill, so if it is to be extended, we will have to pay even more.

However, EU Commission officials I have spoken to think it will take at least three to four years to negotiate a new free trade agreement with the EU after we have left, so the transition is highly likely to expire before we reach a full agreement on the future terms of trade. The cliff edge draws nearer.

One of the principal objections to the transition is that we will continue to be subject to the EU rules in order to be able to trade on the same terms during this time, but we will move from being a rule maker to a rule taker when we finally leave, because we will no longer be part of the EU and so unable to vote at EU Council. In other words, we will have no say or influence over a lot of things that may potentially affect our economy during transition.

So why did people support the idea of a transition period in the first place? Personally, I supported the notion of a transition on the basis that we would know what we were transitioning to before we left the EU, and I envisaged transition period taking place before we left.

But, because the Government has made such a complete mess of the negotiations and Theresa May chose to trigger Article 50 far too early, this is not the case.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA UK news in pictures 23 July 2021 Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery's new free programme of art-inspired activities for families PA UK news in pictures 22 July 2021 Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk PA

If we do leave the EU and stay in the single market as a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), we would have some influence over the rules like other EEA members who sit on the committees that draw them up in the long term.

My judgement was that this was worth putting up with, given the huge economic benefits that the Governments own assessments show we derive from the single market and customs union, the main economic structures of the EU. But the rule taker issue is real, and its true that we wouldnt get a vote around the EU Council table. Thats a challenge not just during transition, but after. I dont deny this and I never have.

Whatever Theresa May comes back from Brussels with in the autumn, that will be the reality. The ultimate way to have a say on the rules that govern our trading relationship with the UKs biggest customer is to stay part of the EU club and argue for reform from within.

While Jeremy Corbyn has been giving his speech today, Anna Soubry and I have been leading a small delegation of MPs to Paris, as co-chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group on EU Relations. We have been meeting with senior ministers in French President Emmanuel Macrons government.

The French are clear: they are not agitating to maintain the status quo in the EU; instead, they are seeking to radically change it to better protect French people from the impact of globalisation and to ensure all of the French enjoy its benefits. President Macron wants to put the French people in the driving seat as far as their futures are concerned. We should do the same for the British people.

The Brexit that is emerging now is new and quite different to what people thought they had voted for  that is why they must be given a vote on the Brexit deal with the EU, with the option to remain in. That way we put the British people in the driving seat too.

Netflix: permanently searching?

Dear reader, the Umunna household needs your help! We subscribe to Netflix and weve enjoyed all manner of box sets, from House of Cards and The Crown to The Killing and Ozark. But we have hit a wall as far as films are concerned, because weve seen most of the good ones and the classics on Netflix (and other platforms.) We often end up spending hours just searching for a film that might be watchable of an evening.

So, what  in your view  are the best new films on Netflix these last few months? Tell me and I will share your recommendations next week, so we can actually watch a film rather than spending an evening hunting around for something that takes our fancy.
One of the most inspiring stories of the last few days has been the way young people caught up in the appalling shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida have called their political leaders to account for their inaction on gun control.

When Republicans funded by the National Rifle Association sent them thoughts and prayers and opined that now is not the time for a debate about gun control because survivors needed to be left to grieve, the survivors roared back.

Now is exactly the time for us to talk about this, they said. Stop taking the NRAs blood money and act already, they said. You can start by clamping down on the sale of military grade weapons designed for the sole purpose of killing people like our friends.

They refused to be silenced even as the dogs of the right wing smeared and abused them online.

The British writer Dan Hodges lamented in the aftermath of an earlier shooting that the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School had marked the end of the US control debate. He wrote: Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.

Florida shooting  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting  in pictures Florida shooting  in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting  in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting  in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting  in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting  in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting  in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting  in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting  in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

An impassioned and articulate group of teens may yet prove him wrong. Hell, even Pat Robertson, the right-wing evangelical, has been calling for stricter gun control.

But there have been false dawns before. The debate currently raging will die down. The news cycle will move elsewhere.

For the efforts of those teens to effect lasting change, Americas gun-funded politicians will need to pay a price at the ballot box.

Thats where things get difficult.

According to the Pew Research Centre, gun-owning households skew older, whiter and more rural. The people who tend to vote in elections, in other words.

To counter them, those teens need to register to vote when they get their franchise, and then they need to use it. They need other young people at schools and at colleges to take note and do the same.

But will they?

There is a reason politicians like Florida Senator Marco Rubio refused to say he would no longer accept donations from the NRA when asked the question. His calculation was that students wont register. Or that they wont in sufficient numbers to hurt him.

 Florida shooting survivor tells Marco Rubio he could get the same NRA money from ordinary citizens

Its something the right relies on, here just as much as in the US. Mercifully, we dont have politicians in Britain who enact laws that kill kids. Our politicians just like to kill their prospects.

Theresa May has paid no more than lip service to intergenerational fairness and kowtowed to the Brextremists in her party who draw their support from the old, bigoted and bitter, because they vote while their kids dont.

I should stress that not all baby boomers, and not all Gen X-ers such as me, are either bigoted or bitter.

But enough of them are to make men of the calibre of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson the favourites to become the next leader of the Conservative Party. Enough of them too, to deliver the White House to Donald Trump and the US Congress to the Republicans.

It is also true that not all of the young lean to the liberal, left, progressive  call it what you will  end of the spectrum. Just listen to some of the diatribes put up online by Fox News shrill commentator Tomi Lahren. You might find that a challenge. If you can manage more than 30 seconds without retching youve got a stronger stomach than I have.

Weve Tomi Lahrens of our own over here. And what about what Ben Bradley, the 28-year-old Tory MP for Mansfield, and the Tories vice chair for youth? He suggested in his younger days that unemployed people have vasectomies to stop them having children. Then there was his excitement at watching police play splat the chav in the 2011 London riots.

He did apologise; only to go and get into a libel row over his recent tweet about Jeremy Corbyn  for which he has also now apologised.

Recommended Corbyn and Milne know exactly what they are doing by demanding damages

The majority of younger people do lean liberal, however. They just dont vote with their convictions in sufficient numbers to make the change so many of them say they want on issues such as guns (in the US), Europe (here), the economy, the environment  take your pick.

It has always been that way and  so people say  it always will be that way.

Well, it always will be until its not. Until we try and change it.

Perhaps a meme might work as your starter for 10. On this side of the Atlantic put Rees-Moog, BoZo, Gove and May on a picture bearing the legend: Do you want to leave your future in the hands of these people? If not, get out and vote.

In America you could put Donald Trump alongside any local congressman, senator or candidate taking NRA money and ask a question related to guns. Or just the same question I suggested for Britain.

I imagine it would be similarly thought-provoking.
Erica Fernandes has been out of action from our TV screens post the second season of Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, however, she has managed to stay put under our style radar with her fashion game.

And, this time around, her social media profile did catch our attention, courtesy all her exotic vacation pictures from her trip to Bhutan. Be it the amazing locales, or Erica herself with those kids and the localites, you would definitely want to go travel in there right away, or at least give some Monday motivation to yourself.

Scroll down to check out the pictures right here:

Featured Video

Mesmerizing much? What's on your travel list?
In one of her last photos, actress Sridevi (center) is flanked by her younger daughter Khushi and fashion designer Manish Malhotra at the marriage function of actress Sonam Kapoor's cousin Mohit Marwah in Dubai. Sridevi was in Dubai to attend the marriage where she passed away after cardiac arrest on Feb. 24 night. (photo provided)
The Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence Feb. 18 launched at Mumbai University in the presence of Indian American entrepreneurs Romesh Wadhwani (far right) and Sunil Wadhwani (far left), as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (third from right). The Wadhwanis are brothers. (wadhwaniai.org photo)
Since the Transparency International released a report showing that the perception of corruption has worsened under President Muhammadu Buhari, many Nigerians have continued to react. Here are our 5 for today

Stopping trials after alleged suspect joins APC

Since Gov. Isa Yuguda joined APC his trial with EFCC suddenly developed hearing problems. Since Senator Musiliu Obanikoro joined APC his trial with the EFCC suddenly developed malaria. And Buhari is Mr. Integrity? God will punish some people soon and send them to hell fire.  Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) February 25, 2018

No big man has been touched

The Presidency said "It was once unthinkable to touch big men for corruption in Nigeria but Buhari ended impunity for corruption". But which big man has PMB sacked? Obj sacked 4 ministers for corruption. Yaradua 1 and GEJ sacked 3. Which big man has Buhari sacked for corruption?  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) February 25, 2018

Bring back known thief into government

Jonathan dismissed Maina, Nigerias biggest ever alleged thief, and declared him wanted, Buhari brought him back, readmitted him into the civil service and gave him double promotion. Now, Buhari is criticizing Transparency International. Are they also wailers or PDP members?  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) February 24, 2018

Uncomfortable with criticisms

Was it not last year that President Buhari praised Transparency International? Now hes attacking them for saying the obvious truth-that corruption is worse under him. He can't have it both ways. He can't praise them when they say good about him and attack them when they say bad.  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) February 24, 2018

Borrowing for nothing


Nollywood Yoruba actress Biodun Okeowo popularly known as Omobutty has taken to her instagram page to places all the available curses in the Bible on a lady, who said she wont reap the fruit of her labor, on her kids for not taking care of her mother.



Below Is What She Wrote:

Good morning fams! I overlook most things but when it comes to curses and that, that has to do with my kids I dont keep calm. Please fams one word for this idiot. Because right now I dont understand why some people will hide under private page to perpetrate an evil act like this. A curse on a mum whos struggling on her kids. Girl I place all the curses in the Bible on you @ola_mi_de gbogbo awon abiyamo aye ati orun won a panu po sepe fun e

For your information girl, my mother lives with me shes not in Ijebu. I know you will deactivate this account soon but all the curses shall follow you, wherever you go in Jesus Name too Amen!
Indigenous rapper, Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, popularly known as CDQ, was recently dragged by Big Brother Naija Housemate, Ifu Ennada, after she claimed she was used and dumped by the former, when she was just 17 years old.

Ifu Ennada claimed she sponsored CDQ, gave him her money for her school handouts, school fees and whats not, just so he could push his career, but in return, she got nothing from the rapper, after he tasted fame.

CDQ didnt just let it die there, he quickly reacted and he called Ifu a b*tch, and what they had was just a one night stand.. Hes reconfirmed this again, in a chat with Sunday Scoop.

When Sunday Scoop contacted CDQ, he admitted that there was an affair between them, but claimed it was very brief. He said,

Yes, I had sex with her but it was a one-night stand. She came to flirt with me, saying she was a journalist or something like that. We only had sex once. We forgot about everything and lost contact until she had the opportunity to be on TV and tried to take advantage of my stardom to get attention.

Inasmuch as he feels bad about the development, CDQ said he had no plans to take legal actions against her. Its bygone already; she has expressed herself. Even though I want to take legal actions against her, our judicial system is not solid enough. I am not saying I dont know her. I knew her briefly when I was at the Lagos State University in 2008, but I only had an encounter with her once. I just feel she wanted to gain peoples attention by saying such, which is evil.
The thing love is causing in this worldThereIsGodO! Pandemonium and tears at the weekend enveloped Abraka community in Delta State when a 26-year-old microbiology student of the State-owned University identified as Evelyn Mogekwu allegedly killed herself after being jilted by her fiance.

Reports said the end of the seven-year relationship traumatised the girl as all plans to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend failed to materialise.

Sources said the girl was in high spirits in her hostel but her mood changed dramatically and she became dejected after her fiance called her on phone to declare their relationship over.

She was said to have bought some drugs, claiming she was having a head ache and went into her room, leaving a message for roommate that they might not see her again.

Few minutes later, her roommate who sensed something terrible was going on, raced into the room and found her lying lifeless on the floor. The roommate then raised an alarm that attracted other students to the room, but before help came the girls way, she had given up the ghost.

Confirming the sad incident, some senior police officers at the Abraka Police Division, who did not want their names in print, said they recovered particles of drugs on the ground beside the deceased.

Her roommate are currently being detained by the police for interrogation.


One of Nigerias top financial institutions, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has reacted to the recent trend of animal swallowing public funds in Nigeria.



The reportage of snake swallowing N36m at a JAMB Office and a monkey eating another N70m instead of Banana took a viral dimension with Nigerians extending it to almost every aspect of national and personal lives.

A twitter user with the handle, @officialrohkip had tweeted thus:

With the way animals swallow money now, I will have to close my @FirstBankngr account. I dont trust that elephant on their logo..

Acknowledging the power of the social media and the probable impacts that may have on its customer base, the bank addressed the issue in a separate tweet saying:

The Elephant on our logo represents trust, integrity, dependability, and loyalty. Let your First Bank account remain open. We are your trusted ally. #Stillstanding #Stilldependable #YouFirst .

Unlike the snake and monkey alleged to have swallowed money, First Bank restated that the elephant on its logo does not swallow customers deposits.


The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State Area Command has seized 88 coconut packs and 42 compressed book packs hiding Cannabis Sativa, also known as Indian hemp in a creek along Idiroko-Benin Republic border.

The Command Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a press release on Sunday.

Upon thorough examination, forty two (42) compressed book packs and eighty eight (88) coconut packs of Cannabis Sativa (popularly known as Indian hemp) were uncovered, he disclosed and added that, the rapid response squad also intercepted four bales of second clothing/shoes used to conceal the hard drugs.

The Rapid Response Squad of Ogun Area Command based on credible intelligence intercepted four bales of second clothing/shoes suspected to have been use to conceal compressed packs of cannabis sativa (Indian Hemp) at Ihunbo-Oke-Odan creeks along Idiroko road, Mr. Maidawa said.

Maiwada said the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command field tested the aforementioned items using the United Nations Test Kit and affirmed that the items were positive for Cannabis Sativa and weighed 77 kilograms.

Source  Ebiwalismoment
Vanguard

AT 21b Ntueke Street, Awada Obosi, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, weekend, a 48-year-old man, Stephen Nnadiogo, went berserk, killing his four children and his sister-in-law before taking his own life, following squabble over the childrens paternity.

Punch

The Federal Government has confirmed that 110 pupils of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, are still unaccounted for after Boko Haram terrorists invaded their school on Monday last week.

Thisday

The crisis rocking the Cross River State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expanded its margins as the National Vice Chairman, South-South, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, has described the special congress held last Saturday to elect a substantive chairman of the party in the state as null and void.

The Sun

Senator Hope Uzodimma, in this interview said the South- East should be given the chance to produce the countrys president in 2023.

Daily Times

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has boasted that it will sack the All Progressives Congress (APC), completely from the South-East zone in 2019.

Daily Trust

A former Special Adviser on Youth and Students Affairs, to a former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Comrade Jude Imagwe, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not be deceived by the pressure put on him by governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest the 2019 presidential election.

Leadership

The minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has revealed that Internet of Things (IoT) centres will be established in six federal secondary schools in the federation in a drive to promote involvement of students in ICT.

The Nation

A self-confessed member of Boko Haram sect, Abdulsalam Adinoyi, has been remanded by an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates Court for allegedly killing a policeman.
President Muhammadu Buhari was in a celebratory mood as he announced rescue of some Nigerians who were abducted by members of the Boko Haram group. According to the president via his official Twitter handle, there were the University of Maiduguri lecturers, abducted while on service to their fatherland, and also the women abducted from a funeral procession.

I cant fully express the joy I felt I this afternoon, as I received our citizens recently released from Boko Haram captivityfathers, mothers, sons, daughters. We will go to any length to ensure that no one is left behind in the hands of terrorists. Every Nigerian life matters! pic.twitter.com/5bQJKlfZuI  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) February 26, 2018

Some Nigerians were however very unimpressed with the president as they said it was just a show of propanganda. Here are some of their reactions;

Funny how captive of bokoharam are always released when ever the dailies carry unpleasant news about this administration.  Hanson Oluwafunke .B (@ArabirinFunke) February 26, 2018

Nigeria cant be ruled with propaganda, you better forget about reelection coming in 2019  Sen. Kulah Muhd Moh (@Comr_kula) February 26, 2018

Am curious as to how you made the men wear same design/uniform kaftan & wondering if this people were released frm BH cos they look more fed than the ones you left to die at the IDP Just running by where is my boy @ProfOsinbajo & @APCNigeria  Kelvin Morris (@kmrs400) February 26, 2018

Remember people are still suffering from your bad governance the hardship is just too much dont try to seek for second term.  Adebayo Mr Nice guy (@adebayo281) February 26, 2018

And theyre looking this good? Its obvious that this government must always bring up something to save herself whenever something evil has happened to the nation. Bros! Stop scamming us you hear.  Confidence N. (@ConfidenceNwaku) February 26, 2018

this is just a political reaction to the problem. paying ransom to get a handful of ppl released will only lead to the kidnapping and killing of more ppl. and now BH will have resources to recruite more hands and expand their business  Ismaeel (@MuhdIsmaeel) February 26, 2018

Indeed Boko Haram should even be commended for taking good care of these girls. They look so healthy more than the ones in our IDP camps.  nsikan john (@nsajo) February 26, 2018

Nigeria has got talents. some of which is in Comedy such that even the old are not left behind.

A pathetic prank on the people of Nigeria  Moses Ngwanah (@mosesngwanah) February 26, 2018

Mr President sorry to say but the timing of this is so wrong. You cannot be in celebratory mood when there are 110 innocent childrens lives still in danger, no matter what you are celebrating Mr President. Stop playing politics with innocent childrens lives and get them home.  C T Tams Tolofari (@colz4liverpoolz) February 26, 2018

Do you agree???
One of the core points of President Muhammadu Buharis campaign promises in 2015 was to fight corruption and bring corrupt officers to book. However, According to Transparency Internationals report, the perception of corruption has worsened under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The report showed that the perception of corruption in Nigeria worsened between 2016 and 2017. But the presidency has criticised the global watchdog, saying that TI was publishing fiction.

What do you think?
TORONTO - February 26, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Prominent cryptographer Jonathan Bootle is joining the development team of PIVX (Private Instant Verified Transaction). Known for being one of the key genius cryptographers who developed and wrote the whitepaper on Bulletproofs, Bootle's work will be focused on integrating "breakthrough" Bulletproofs into PIVX's custom Zerocoin protocol.

"This is the first time I've been directly involved in the practical application of the Bulletproofs theory on any project," said Bootle. "I am also delighted to work with Mary Maller, PIVX's cryptographer, who was one of my collaborators from the UCL Infosec group."

"The addition of Bootle to the development team is incredible for the entire distributed ledger technology (blockchain) sector," said PIVX community leader Bryan Doreian, better known as Snappy in the crypto-verse. "PIVX has already pioneered privacy in Proof of Stake (PoS), and the continued development of efficiency, security, decentralization, and ease of use for individuals when it comes to privacy within cryptocurrency will be greatly enhanced through Bootle's work with bulletproofs in PIVX."

The short proofs from Stanford University define bulletproofs as, "short non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs that require no trusted setup [...] Bulletproofs are designed to enable efficient confidential transactions in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Every confidential transaction contains a cryptographic proof that the transaction is valid. Bulletproofs shrink the size of the cryptographic proof from over 10kB to less than 1kB."

What this means for the rising altcoin is 1) PIVX's Zerocoin proofs, or transaction size, will become a fraction of their current size and 2) PIVX will be able to achieve a trustless Zerocoin setup.

Bootle is a PhD candidate in the area of cryptography, working on efficient zero-knowledge proofs with the goal of developing, more specifically, zero-knowledge membership proofs.

In October 2017 PIVX made history by being the first PoS blockchain to successfully implement the Zerocoin protocol, making transactions completely anonymous through their custom Zerocoin implementation, zPIV. PIVX continues to make every effort to be the best privacy cryptocurrency available.

For more information about PIVX, please visit www.pivx.org.

ABOUT PIVX:

PIVX is a community-centric cryptocurrency with a focus on decentralization, privacy, and real-world use. It utilizes an energy efficient Proof of Stake protocol and a second-tier Masternode network for inclusive community-based governance along with a blockchain based self-funding treasury system ensuring its sustainability.

PIVX is continuously striving to achieve a better governance system, instantaneous private transactions, and fungibility in order to lead the next generation cryptocurrency. PIVX is used in over 174 countries and their website is available in over 30 languages and counting.

For media information email Darryl Brisebois at details below or call Allie Spencer at 1-888-527-0074 ext. 4.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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TORONTO - February 26, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Are you wondering whether investing in an ICO is a good idea for you? Does the idea of blockchain technology or cryptocurrency excite you? If so, then this article will illustrate that it all depends on two things: your motivation as an investor and your understanding of the ICO landscape. If you are trying to diversify your portfolio and have some background knowledge of the ICO scene, then I'd say, yes, you should invest in ICOs. Initial coin offerings are now a mainstay of the cryptocurrency space and are one of many ways you can get the best returns on your investment.

However, the answer to the above question cannot be relegated to just a simple yes or no statement. Read on to find out why you should or in hindsight, why you shouldn't.

Why you should invest in ICOs?

Initial coin offerings represent one facet of a fast-growing cryptocurrency and blockchain landscape. The success of some of the projects launched after raising funds through ICOs and the huge returns to early backers means that investing in ICOs can be a very good idea.

Before you rush out to back that token sale, consider these points that could be the difference between reaping benefits and losing everything.

What's your investment goal? Do you have any specific financial expectations as you get into ICOs? Establish why you are getting into ICO investment, what you want to achieve and what your strategy will be. In short, what's your investment plan?

How much do you know about ICOs? Even if you do, you should still do a thorough research for every ICO you wish to invest in. Seek to understand the ICO product, the team behind the ICO, what the cryptocurrency community thinks about it and generally whether there are any red flags to note.

Does the product make sense? Find out if the idea behind the ICO makes sense to you. Ask whether there is a demand for that product whether the underlying business would do well using a token model.

Are there legal considerations to make? The current ICO ecosystem is increasingly coming under scrutiny and therefore, you need to find out what obligations you may have as you invest in the token sale.

What are the risks involved? Like every other investment, ICOs have associated risks that you should consider. The risk of fraud is the highest in cryptocurrency or projects may fail to do well and may result in losses. In fact, you should only look to invest in what you can afford to lose.



You have taken note of the above and want further advice whether you should go ahead and invest in ICOs. Well, here is why you should consider investing in an Initial Coin Offering.

Support for startups

This reason is not solely profit oriented. As a contributor, you may directly contribute to the launch of a great project through the ICO funds you give. Think of a project like Ethereum that launched via an Initial Coin Offering in 2014. As we speak, Ethereum has become the biggest cryptocurrency platform on which so many other startups have launched successful products. So for that alone, investing in an ICO is a good idea. But that is not the primary aim of an investor, so here is another reason that should make you consider investing in the right ICO.

Huge returns on investment

When you invest in an Initial Coin Offering, you are risking your principal amount in the hope of getting good returns. To many people, ICOs offer a quick route to huge ROIs in a very short time. If the token sale succeeds and the ICO token coin begins to trade, chances are the value will double or even triple in no time, earning you immediate returns.

To use Ethereum's incredible price jumps, the Ether token was sold to early investors at $0.311 per ether token. By 2016, ETH traded at over $10 and a couple of months later it was well over $100. Then the value exploded in 2017, rising to over $1400 by the end of the year. In terms of ROI, the amounts involved are just incredible. And it's not Ethereum only; other ICOs like NXT, IOTA, Stratis, and NEO have returned massive profits to investors.

Check out this ICO list to get a clue of what I mean.

It is very rare to hear of such returns in other markets. So, per ROI only, you can consider investing in ICOs. The only problem is that there aren't so many Ethereums, NXTs or IOTAs out there. And that brings me back to the issue of taking risks. Are you willing to risk? If you can, go ahead because you never know.

Freedom of the market

Another reason you should consider investing in ICOs today is that they remain largely unregulated. Market fundamentals are not tied to any central authority, meaning prices can go as high as possible (though the reverse is also true).You can virtually reap returns before the tightening regulations make the investment terrain uncomfortable. There are currently no major barriers regarding who can participate in an ICO, but I see things tightening down the road. However, do not be lured into making an investment out of fear of missing out; you are likely to lose anyway.

Why should you not invest in ICOs?

Having said that, are there chances that investing in ICOs isn't a good idea for you? Of course, there are. Granted, there isn't a single business venture without an inherent risk. Risks of deals going south, companies folding, or technological advancement rendering the investment moribund are just a few of the things that can go wrong for any business. However, investing in ICOs are riskier as you are engaging in speculative investing. Many of the ICOs launch products that may never make it and yet collect funds from investors.

Cryptocurrency and ICOs are also fertile grounds for cyber criminals and hackers. You are likely to lose all your investments if your wallet is compromised or the exchange is hacked like what happened at Mt.Gox and recently CoinCheck.

And then there is the issue of Ponzi or Pyramid Schemes. There have been cases where ICO founders have disappeared with the funds after the crowd sale. Many governments have warned their citizens against investing in ICOs for these reasons. Countries like China and South Korea have even gone further by imposing total bans.

Bottom line

Investing in initial coin offerings picked up the pace in the last two years, and the ICO ecosystem is still growing. While it offers a chance to get huge returns on your investment, the attendant risks are real and high. So, the advice boils down to this: only invest that which you can lose and still afford a smile.

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. More disclaimer info: http://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. This article is paid for published third party content and not the content of Investorideas.com . Read our article disclaimers. Learn more about posting your articles at http://www.investorideas.com/Advertise/ Read our crypotcurrency disclaimer at http://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp
February 26, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Bob Moriarty of 321 Gold examines the land package and prospects for this company's Montana-based project.

Greg Johnson, one of the founders of NOVAGOLD Resources Inc. (NG:TSX; NG:NYSE.MKT), has put together a platinum group metals package that mirrors the Stillwater complex in Montana, with its 80-million-ounce, 16.8 g/t PGE (platinum group elements) resource.

Greg believes the future of the PGE metals is bright. After being associated with Wellgreen Platinum in the Yukon, he began to assemble a flock of PGE projects and put them into Group Ten Metals Inc. (PGE:TSX.V; PGEZF:OTC). The big one, which they call the Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu project, is adjacent to the Sibanye-Stillwater series of mines in Montana. Greg's plan is to put the Group Ten company under the umbrella of his other company, Metallic Minerals Corp. (MMG:TSX.V), in order to reduce overhead and office expenses. Metallic Minerals is oriented toward silver, lead and zinc in the Keno Hills district in the Yukon.

The Stillwater West project was picked up in June of 2017 under a mostly share deal. It calls for Group Ten to own 100% of the project subject to a 2% NSR that can be bought down to 1% for a $2 million payment. It's an exceptional deal for Group Ten because it means their cash goes into the ground rather into the pockets of the vendors. It aligns the interests of the vendors with that of Group Ten. I like the deal a lot.

In November Group Ten expanded the original 282 claims adjacent to the Sibanye Stillwater mine by adding a 100% interest in an additional 17 square kilometers. In January company president and CEO Michael Rowley announced an 18-kilometer long soil anomaly of highly elevated platinum group elements at Stillwater West, in addition to nickel, copper and chromium, and picked up another 51 claims.

Putting together a package of various different claims from several vendors is what company chairman Johnson does. He did exactly the same thing with Metallic Metals. For the first time in history, the entire package has been put together into one company. There is a lot of technical data from past operators, and for now the company is focused on putting it all together in one easy-to-understand format.

Investing in Group Ten, for anyone interested in platinum and palladium, is about as difficult as learning how to fall off a bike. If you use $1,000 an ounce as an average price for platinum and palladium, the Stillwater series of mines show a US$80 billion-dollar resource. Group Ten has the same rocks, an excellent management team, tons of existing data and a US$8.5 million market cap. Do the math.

Group Ten does have one major flaw. While the name is memorable, it's for all the wrong reasons. It's a terrible name. The subject came up when Greg and I first spoke and I asked him if he was married to the name. He replied that he hated it and they were working on coming up with something more suitable. I hope so, I hated it as well.

The company has done an excellent job on both the website and the company presentation. For those who can do the math on Group Ten's doppelganger, the charts are especially interesting. I suspect Group Ten is going to be a giant surprise, also given the instability of the world's main three PGE suppliers, Russia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Group Ten is an advertiser. Do your own due diligence.

Group Ten Metals

$0.245 (Feb 23, 2018)

42.8 million shares

Group Ten website

Bob and Barb Moriarty brought 321gold.com to the Internet almost 16 years ago. They later added 321energy.com to cover oil, natural gas, gasoline, coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy. Both sites feature articles, editorial opinions, pricing figures and updates on current events affecting both sectors. Previously, Moriarty was a Marine F-4B and O-1 pilot with more than 832 missions in Vietnam. He holds 14 international aviation records.

Disclosure:

1) Bob Moriarty: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Group Ten Metals is an advertiser on 321 Gold. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: NOVAGOLD. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

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This is what philanthropy looks like: Philanthropy of the Month, Feb. 26, 2017
The launch of AirPods in 2016 from Apple has led to major tech giants trying their own hands at truly wireless buds. So far, we have seen Samsung, Google, and even renowned audio companies like Bose release truly wireless earbuds and fail spectacularly in the process. Sony, however, was actually the first company to release a digital assistant-powered Bluetooth earphone back in 2016. The Xperia Ear did not garner much of an attention and was almost immediately forgotten after its release.

At MWC 2018, Sony has released the successor of Xperia Ear dubbed the Xperia Ear Duo. The same tech was demoed by Sony at last years MWC. Priced at $280, the Xperia Ear Duo comes with a carrying case similar to the AirPods that also charge the earbuds. The earbuds deliver 4 hours of battery life on a full charge, with the carrying case capable of charging the earbuds three additional times. When compared to the original Xperia Ear, the Ear Duo are significantly bigger. They dont have the stealthy look like the AirPods or even the GearX Wireless buds.

Whats impressive about the earbuds is that it features Dual Listening technology that filters in selected ambient noise while you are listening to music. This means you will still be able to hear someone talking to you while the Xperia Ear Duo is blasting music in your ears.

The Spatial Acoustic Conductor, developed by Sonys in-house technology incubator Future Lab Program, allows the sound generated behind the ear by the units driver to be transmitted directly into the ear. The specially designed ring supporter surrounds the ear canal so your music can blend seamlessly with sounds from your environment.

The Xperia Ear Duo is compatible with Google Assistant and Siri depending on the device it is paired with. It also features some gestures like nodding or shaking your head so as to quickly accept or reject incoming calls. The earbuds have an IPX2 certification thereby ensuring that you can wear them while on a run, though you should not use them while it is raining.

The Xperia Ear Duo launch in May for $280. So, they are not only bigger, heavier, bulkier than the AirPods, they are also almost twice as expensive than them. For an iPhone owner, it makes little sense to buy the Xperia Ear Duo over the AirPods.
Cody Cottier covers town and state government. He grew up with a view of the Olympic Mountains, and after graduating Washington State University he traded it for a view of the Tetons. Odds are the mountains are where youll find him when not on deadline.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] on Monday accused [HRW report] Egyptian authorities of escalating arbitrary arrests against political opponents.

According to HRW, the arrests, which took place in late January to February, are part of a government strategy to quell political protests ahead of the next presidential election to be held in late March. Accordingly, various human rights organizations have accused [HRW report] the Egyptian government of [trampling] over even the minimum requirements for free and fair elections, alleging President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has created a repression environment.

In February Abd al-Moniem Abu al-Fotouh, 2012 presidential candidate and leader of the Strong Egypt Party, was arrested. HRW reports that he and 15 other members of his party were subsequently placed on the terrorist watch list, without due process as allowed by the 2015 Terrorist Entities Law [text, PDF]. That same month, the Ministry of Interior of Egypt validated their arrest [Facebook post] of al-Fotouh, stating that it had permission from the Supreme State Security Prosecution after receiving information from the National Security Agency that al-Fotouh had contact with the Muslim Brotherhood and was conducting interviews with the intent to cause political unrest. Additionally, the Interior Ministry reported [Facebookpost] that they arrested six members of the Brotherhood, along with firearms, on a farm owned by al-Fotouh. However, his family denies any direct involvement.

Among those arrests were also Mohamed al-Qassas, deputy president of the Strong Egypt Party; Mohamed Abd al-Latif Talaat, secretary-general of the centrist Al-Wasat Party; Hesham Geneina, former head of the Central Auditing Agency; and Chief of Staff Sami Anan, who announced his candidacy for president. All are being detained in conditions, according to HRW are degrading and prone to abuse.

HRW is urging authorities to invalidate their addition to the list, as well as the law itself which allows for arbitrary placement of opponents on the terrorism list, and release those subject to arbitrary arrest, which violates Article 65 and Article 87 of Egypts Constitution [text, PDF].
An amendment to a Florida bill that would have banned weapons like the one used in the Parkland school shooting failed Monday amid growing cries for accountability and reform.

Hundreds of Floridians converged on the state Capitol in Tallahassee on Monday as lawmakers took up a series of proposals in response to the deadly shooting.

One bill included an amendment that would ban assault-style rifles like the one used by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter. Senate Bill 7022, which lets law enforcement seize firearms from people under certain conditions, advanced without the amendment.

Demonstrators in orange shirts signifying gun safety chanted "shame" and "vote them out" in response to the vote, which unfolded as criticism grew toward law enforcement's response to the shooting.

Students rally for change

It was the second time since the shooting that protesters visited the Capitol to pressure lawmakers into action.

Where students last week sought conversations and lobbied for a variety of demands, Rally in Tally participants listed as one of its aims a permanent ban on assault-style rifles.

Carly Schwamm, a high school student from Boca Raton, said the time had come for a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

"This tragedy hit so close to home," Schwamm said. "It's about time that we make actual change."

In addition to SB 7022, two more proposals advanced: one related to school district policies for active shooters and another banning the release of a crime victim's address on school grounds.

SB 7022 is "not perfect," Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky said, but it's better than nothing.

"To not do anything because it is not the perfect bill is not the right thing," Hunschofsky said. "We appreciate the action and hope it is a first step so this never happens again."

Sheriff cooperating

Lawmakers have called for a state investigation of the Broward County Sheriff's Office response to the shooting. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said his department "will fully cooperate" with the probe, "as we believe in full transparency and accountability."

Read Sheriff Israel's CNN interview

House Speaker Richard Corcoran, along with 73 other Republican state representatives, called on the governor to suspend Israel for "incompetence and neglect of duty" in a letter sent Sunday.

They said he and his deputies had information about the shooter, yet failed to intervene "in the years, months and days leading up to that shooting."

"Sheriff Israel failed to maintain a culture of alertness, vigilance and thoroughness amongst his deputies," the letter said. "As a result of Sheriff Israel's failures, students and teachers died."

Amid calls for his suspension, Israel, a Democrat, said Sunday, "Of course I won't resign."

Law enforcement, including the FBI and local authorities, received warnings about the gunman before the attack, including one caller saying the eventual gunman could be a "school shooter in the making."

What happened during the shooting?

Israel called out the school resource officer assigned to Stoneman Douglas that day, prompting the former deputy to defend his actions.

Israel said Scot Peterson took cover outside the building as bullets flew for four minutes and "never went in." Peterson resigned last week after his suspension.

"I was disgusted. I was just demoralized with the performance of former deputy Peterson," Israel said.

Peterson received active-shooter training, Israel said in a letter responding to Florida state Rep. Bill Hager's request to remove the sheriff from his post.

Peterson's attorney, Joseph DiRuzzo III, accused Israel of maligning Peterson, who received "glowing" annual performance reviews and in 2014 was named school resource office of the year.

"Allegations that Mr. Peterson was a coward and that his performance, under the circumstances, failed to meet the standards of police officers are patently untrue," the statement said. "Mr. Peterson is confident that his actions on that day were appropriate under the circumstances and that the video (together with the eyewitness testimony of those on the scene) will exonerate him of any subpar performance."

Israel's account of Peterson's actions is "gross oversimplification of the events," the attorney said.

Peterson first received a call of firecrackers, not a gun, and he initially thought the shooter was outside, a conclusion that he felt was confirmed when he heard radio transmission indicating there was "a gunshot victim in the area of the football field," the lawyer said.

DiRuzzo pointed out that Israel has said it's important to let the investigation into his department play out. "We question why this statement would not also apply to Mr. Peterson?"

Wounded survivor speaks

Appearing alongside her parents Monday, Maddy Wilford, 17, thanked the police officers, EMTs and doctors who scrambled to save her life after the shooting.

Lt. Laz Ojeda of the Coral Springs Fire Department said that after officers revived Maddy inside the school, she needed a chest seal to stop the bleeding. She had also suffered gunshot wounds to the abdomen and upper right arm, he said. Ojeda wept as he recalled rubbing Maddy's sternum inside the ambulance.

"She came around. She told me she was 17," he said.

Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, who was charged with Maddy's care at Broward Health North, said she was pale and unresponsive when she arrived at the emergency room. Suffering "massive bleeding" and fluid in her abdomen, Maddy was rushed into the operating room within 10 minutes of her arrival. She underwent what he called "damage control" surgeries on her abdomen and arm, before undergoing a thoracotomy, or incision into her chest wall.

Nichiporenko credited the fast work of first responders, his trauma team's experience and Maddy's resilience for her quick recovery. She was discharged Wednesday.

"Young people have a tendency to heal very fast," the doctor told reporters.

Echoing the words of her mother, Missy Cantrell Wilford, Maddy thanked those who supported and prayed as she recovered.

"I'd just like to say that I'm so grateful to be here and it wouldn't be possible without those officers and first responders and amazing doctors and especially all the love that everyone has sent," she said, her right arm obviously still troubling her. "All the love that's been passed around, I definitely wouldn't be here without it."

President Donald Trump's re-election campaign used a photo of Maddy in a fundraising email on Saturday. Neither Maddy nor her parents addressed the photo, but her mother told reporters she was "grateful to the President who came."

Return to campus

As the investigations continue, Marjory Stoneman Douglas students returned to campus Sunday for a voluntary campus orientation. Grappling with trauma, some students and parents making their first emotional return to campus wore school T-shirts that read: "MSDStrong."

"It was really scary. I didn't know how I was going to feel when I went in and I saw the fence around the freshman building ... and all the windows were covered," sophomore Tanzil Philip said, adding, "We just gave each other hugs."

The building where the shooting occurred will remain closed. Armed deputies were on campus and will be on hand when students return to class Wednesday.

History teacher Greg Pittman said where Sunday's atmosphere on campus was "jubilant" -- owing to teachers seeing their students for the first time since the shooting -- there was a starkly different vibe Monday.

"It was a very, very, very down and very upsetting day in a way. Teachers are very stressed about being able to do the right thing for their students," he said. "Some of the teachers had students die in the room, and we were meeting with district personnel to try to advise us, and people were just really stressed about having the right thing to say, the right thing to do."

While there's no playbook for teachers welcoming students back into the classroom Wednesday, Pittman said there are definitely some guiding principles.

"I think the best thing that all of us as teachers can do is be ourselves, to let our students know we're there for them, that we love and care for them," he said.

Related: These are the victims of the Stoneman Douglas shooting

School officials are working with students who don't want to return to Stoneman Douglas, arranging for them to transfer.

Superintendent Robert Runcie said officials will be accommodating and take measures like adding counselors and service dogs in classrooms.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - A confirmed case of dog flu has been reported in Grants Pass.

The Daily Courier reports that this is Oregon's first confirmed case this winter. Dr. Randy Webster, a Grants Pass veterinarian, says it's highly contagious, and can run through a kennel like the human flu runs through a kindergarten class.

Symptoms include lethargy, nasal discharge, fever and coughing. The worst cases can lead to pneumonia and death.

The flu likely arrived from California, which recently went from having two confirmed cases of canine influenza, to 300.

Dr. Margaret Forsberg, a veterinarian at Valley Animal Hospital, recommends that owners get their dogs vaccinated soon, since it takes a few weeks for the vaccine to take effect.
ARLINGTON, Texas-- One Central Point teen is competing against the pros in the one of the biggest rodeos in the world, almost two thousand miles away. 18- year-old Makaela Memmott has the chance to win $1 million at the American rodeo in Texas. She said if she wins, it's all going back to who helped her get there---her horse, Cash Gato Boogie or Boogie, for short. This is the second time the duo has qualified for this race. The first time was three years ago, when she was only 15 years old.

"We were a lot less experienced than we are now so we kinda got here and there were millions of dollars of trailers and trucks in the parking lot and then you're running against the best horses and riders in the country. We kind of psyched ourselves out last time we were here. This year I just try not to think about it and try to do my own thing," Makaela said.

Now that they are competing back there again, makaela knows what to expect. Her biggest fan, Makaelas mom, Darla Memmott, knows she has what it takes to bring that one million dollar cash prize home.

"I knew that they could do it again. I just knew that they had it. Makaela's got a lot of go. Makaela is just very dedicated and just making it this far is pretty amazing because you're up against the toughest girls in the country and for her to make it that far, it makes it emotional. It's great," Darla Memmott said holding back tears.

Makaela agrees with her mom. She said she's just excited to be here again.

"I don't know it's been a really cool experience. I knew my horse had what it takes to go it. We've worked really hard for it so I'm just really glad to be here," Makaela added.

Darla Memmott said she doesnt care if her daughter wins or loses. She just wants Makaela to have fun and be proud of how far shes made it.
NEWBERG, Ore. (AP) - A search and rescue dog with Mountain Wave Search and Rescue fell 30 feet off a cliff while on a hike with her handler and survived.

KPTV reports Friday that Opal, a yellow Labrador, has multiple fractures in her paws after falling on a trail above Siletz Bay earlier in the week.

She was hiking with her handler, Barbara Linder, when she ran ahead and took a leap and landed far below the trail on sharp rocks.

The vet says it's amazing the 4-year-old dog wasn't injured more severely and credits her fitness from working as a search and rescue dog.

Opal will need six to 12 months of rehabilitation before she can work again.

The dog has been volunteering with Mountain Wave since 2014.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Opal. If you would like to donate, click here.
BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP)  A Bettendorf counselor accused of kissing and touching a patient against the woman's wishes has pleaded guilty.

Court records say Aracely Schutters' plea was filed Tuesday to misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. The original charge was a felony. A plea agreement says Schutters will pay a fine of $625 and be sentenced to two years of probation.

Schutters' sentencing has been scheduled for March 23.

An arrest affidavit says the incident happened Dec. 4 when Schutters invited the patient to her home to talk about the patient's problems. The patient reported getting into Schutters' hot tub, where the counselor reportedly kissed and touched the patient. The patient then got out of the hot tub and left Schutters' home. The patient reported the incident two days later.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Iowa - A mistrial has been declared in Doug Lindamans Floyd County sexual abuse trial after a witness talked about Lindamans criminal history.

The mistrial was declared Friday for Lindaman, who is on trial for sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy in 2011, the Floyd County Attorney said.

A new trial date has not been set.

Lindaman was found guilty in April of 2016 for sexual abuse of a boy and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.

However, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed the conviction of the 61-year-old man because he was allowed to represent himself at his trial without knowingly waving his right to have an attorney. It was then determined a new trial was needed.
FOREST CITY, Iowa  A young man from Kansas is charged with 3rd degree sexual abuse in North Iowa.

18-year-old Sean Patrick Perkins of Olathe, KS was arrested Saturday in Kansas on an outstanding warrant out of Winnebago County. According to a criminal complaint filed February 5, Perkins is accused of entering a womans dorm room around 1 am on November 12, 2017 and having sex with her against her will.

The criminal complaint states the woman says she repeatedly told Perkins she didnt want to have sex and that Perkins apologized the next day and told the woman she needed to keep quiet about what happened.

Waldorf University has confirmed that Perkins was attending school there in the fall of 2017 but states he is no longer a Waldorf student.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A late-nigh pursuit in through the east side of Mason City left one in custody for drug and driving charges.

Dean Miller, 47, of Mason City, is facing charges for possession of a controlled substance, eluding law enforcement and driving with a suspended license after leading authorities on a pursuit that began at 4th St. and S. California Ave.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office says a deputy attempted to stop Miller for driving with a suspended license when he refused to stop. The pursuit continued through a number of streets on the east side of Mason City, and speeds did not exceed the speed limit by more than 5-10 miles per hour.

There were no injuries and there were no vehicles damaged.

The pursuit ended behind a residence in the 300 block of 8th St. SE where Miller was apprehended without incident.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  Two people went to the hospital Monday morning after a three-vehicle accident on Highway 52.

The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just before 10 am and just south of 37th Street NW. An SUV had run out of gas and stopped on the southbound ramp from 37th Street to Highway 52. As traffic slowed for the obstruction, 25-year-old Taylor Marion Hoeft of Rochester hit the car driven by 26-year-old Yessica Monserath De Luna Gonzalex of Rochester and then struck another car driven by 39-year-old Jamie Lynn Pater of Dodge Center.

Pater and Gonzales were taken to St. Marys Hospital for treatment of what are described as non-life threatening injuries. The State Patrol says all three drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Rochester police and fire, MnDOT, and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted at the scene.
MASON CITY, Iowa - Police responded to the Mason City High School at 12:30 p.m. Monday on a report of a social media threat of violence that was to happen at an afternoon pep rally, the disrtict said.

That is something that didn't surpise some like Kelsae Sage and Brianna Knapp of Forest City.

"I'm honestly not shocked," Knapp said. "Because of how it's going in the media."

"It's all talk no walk," said Sage. They're just trying to copy cat and make an uproar in our communities."

After investigating, police supported the school's decision to have the pep rally as planned but with the presence of law enforcement, and though authorities did not find any weapons, Knapp says this hits close to home.

"Why do you feel the need to bring a gun to school?" she asked.

The school district issued the following statement.

"MCCSD is grateful for the continuing collaboration with the MCPD in keeping our schools safe. The additional police presence at today's pep rally insured a safe and successful event for our students."

The investigation is still ongoing in this threat at the school, but Sage and Knapp say action needs to be taken to keep the kids safe.

"I think the teachers should be armed," Sage said. "Even self-defense of any sort. If you're going to to block any kind of threat toward a child you should know how to get the weapon away from the perpetrator."

Classes will go on as scheduled Tuesday but there will be a police presence at the beginning of the day.

MCPD continues to investigate and welcome any information about this incident.

This was the second threat directed at the school in less than a week. Last week, a juvenile was detained after making a threat about bringing a weapon to school.

If you have information, you are asked to call the Mason City Police Department, 641-421-3636, and ask for Criminal Investigation Division Lieutenant Rich Jensen.
HANOI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Following is a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0426 GMT.

February 26 USD/VND mid-point 22,448 USD/VND interbank 22,742/22,744 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,770 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.80/36.96

Interbank offered rates Overnight 1.5-2.3

1 week 2.0-2.5

1 month 2.9-3.5

3 months 3.3-4.2

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
By Arno Schuetze

FRANKFURT/ZURICH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Ceva Logistics aims to list on the stock exchange before the European summer as its private equity owner Apollo hopes to take advantage of buoyant stock market valuations, people close to the matter said.

Apollo is working with Rothschild as advisor and has mandated Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse to act as global coordinators for the planned initial public offering (IPO), which may value Ceva Logistics at around $3 billion including debt, the sources said.

Apollo, Ceva Logistics and the banks declined to comment.

Apollo acquired Ceva Logistics, formerly TNT Logistics, from Dutch postal and telecommunications company KPN in 2006, and later merged it with U.S. peer EGL.

Last year, Ceva Logistics posted adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $280 million on revenues of $7 billion.

Peers such as Kuehne und Nagel or DSV trade at 15 to 17 their expected core earnings. But one of the sources said that highly-leveraged Ceva Logistics will likely only reap a valuation including debt of about 10 to 12 times expected 2018 core earnings of just below $300 million.

Ceva Logistics is expected to use some of the proceeds from the IPO - which may take place in Zurich - to pay down debt, which stood at $2.1 billion at the end of 2017.

Last year, a sale of Ceva Logistics to France's Geodis for an estimated $2.8 billion failed after months of negotiations, sources familiar with the matter have said.

Ceva Logistics employs 40,000 staff and books roughly half of its business in contract logistics, with freight management accounting for the rest.

Netherlands-based Ceva would join an increasingly crowded European market for initial public offerings, which includes Siemens' Healthineers unit, Deutsche Bank's DWS float as well as the listings of Gategroup and Swissport in Switzerland. (Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt; Editing by Maria Sheahan)
AMSTERDAM, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Dutch wholesaler B&S Group on Monday said it expects to float around 33 percent of its shares at its initial public offering of shares announced earlier. Founder Willem Blijdorp will hold on to at least 51 percent of the shares, CFO Gert van Laar told reporters, while Chief Executive Bert Meulman will hold a stake of at least 16 percent after the flotation.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling, editing by Louise Heavens)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Chilean equities led losses across the region on Monday, with the nation's blue-chip IPSA index falling over 1 percent largely due to share price declines in the country's lithium and forestry sectors.

Shares in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (SQM) , which has attracted investor interest due to increasing demand for lithium from electric car makers, fell almost 8 percent, leading losses on the index after analysts at Morgan Stanley cut their rating on the stock to "underweight" from "equal-weight." Shares in Sociedad de Inversiones Oro Blanco SA , an investment vehicle with an indirect stake in SQM, followed as the second-biggest loser, its shares falling almost 5 percent.

In the Morgan Stanley note, analysts wrote that they expect prices for lithium to peak in 2018, before falling 45 percent by 2021, as demand growth falls far short of what is needed to absorb growing supply. Stocks in Chile's forestry sector also fell. Shares in forestry firm Empresas CMPC SA and Empresas Copec SA , which operates in forestry through subsidiary Arauco, both slid between 2 and 3 percent, due to what traders described as profit taking in the sector.

Overall, the IPSA had fallen 1.15 percent in afternoon trade.

Elsewhere in Latin America, Mexico's IPC equities index also fell on Monday, as companies reported generally unimpressive earnings figures, while December retail sales fell 0.5 percent from the previous month. "The Q4 corporate earnings reports weren't a positive catalyst for the stock market," Santander analysts wrote in a note.

Traders were also cautious as the seventh round of North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations open in Mexico City, amid continued tough talk from U.S. President Donald Trump and little hope of a breakthrough among negotiators. The IPC had fallen 0.54 percent in morning trade.

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1638 GMT:

Stock indexes daily % YTD %

Latest change change MSCI Emerging Markets 1221,01 0,38 5 MSCI LatAm 3163,00 0,03 11,8 Brazil Bovespa 87647,26 0,41 14,72 Mexico IPC 48380,11 -0,54 -1,97 Chile IPSA 5676,67 -1,15 2,01 Chile IGPA 28509,29 -0,95 1,89 Argentina MerVal 32712,28 -0,09 8,80 Colombia IGBC 11876,96 -0,2 4,45 Venezuela IBC 5079,10 -1,87 -83,98 Currencies daily % YTD %

change change

Latest Brazil real 3,2356 0,15 2,40

Mexico peso 18,6400 -0,53 5,68 Chile peso 587 0,73 4,71

Colombia peso 2846,77 -0,10 4,75 Peru sol 3,247 0,09 -0,31

Argentina peso 20,0400 -0,30 -7,19 (interbank) Argentina peso 20,2 -0,50 -4,80 (parallel) (Reporting by Gram Slattery and Felipe Iturrieta; Editing by Susan Thomas)
LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs-backed payments company Circle has acquired U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex, Circle said on Monday, in an effort to cement its position as one of the leading companies in the world of blockchain technology.

"We're proud to announce that Circle has extended its commitment to a new vision for global finance by acquiring Poloniex, a leading token exchange platform," founders Sean Neville and Jeremy Allaire wrote in a post on the company's website.

Boston-based Circle operates its app-based peer-to-peer payment network using blockchain, the technology which first emerged as the system underpinning cryptocurrency bitcoin. It is also one of the leading players in the over-the-counter market for bitcoin trading.

One of the most well-funded blockchain startups, its investors include Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Baidu Inc .

Poloniex is one of the biggest global marketplaces for digital currencies and tokens.

(Reporting by Jemima Kelly, Editing by Abhinav Ramnarayan)
DUBAI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Gulf stock markets have few catalysts on Monday but news of board changes at GFH Financial , one of Dubai's most active stocks, may trigger activity in that market.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan is up 0.6 percent but Brent oil futures are almost unchanged at $67.29 a barrel. GFH said in a brief statement that Jassim Alseddiqi, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG), had been elected chairman of its board, amid a restructuring of board committees. Under a management restructuring plan, chief financial officer Chandan Gupta is resigning.

The company did not explain the changes but they could point to closer cooperation between GFH and ADFG, which owns nearly half of Shuaa Capital . GFH and Shuaa held merger discussions last year but the talks were called off in June.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia)
MANILA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Philippines' Bureau of the Treasury rejected all bids for T-bills at an auction on Monday as rates came in higher than expected. The 91-day paper attracted total tenders of 13.328 billion pesos ($257 million) against the government's offer of 9 billion pesos. However, the 182-day and 364-day papers were undersubscribed with tenders of 3.81 billion pesos and 4.19 billion pesos, below the offers of 6 billion pesos and 5 billion pesos, respectively.

(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Sunil Nair)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
BUCHAREST, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Monday.

BUDGET DEFICIT

Romania's finance ministry may release consolidated budget data for January.

DEBT TENDER

Romanian debt managers tender 200 million lei ($52.97 million) worth of July 2027 treasury bonds.

CORRUPTION

Thousands of people rallied in freezing weather across Romania on Sunday, protesting a government call to sack the country's chief anti-corruption prosecutor and demanding the resignation of the justice minister. OLTCHIM

Romanian chemicals producer Chimcomplex ROCHOB.BX plans to build on its acquisition of rival Oltchim to boost turnover to roughly 300 million euros ($369 million) by 2020, its board chairman Virgiliu Bancila said on Friday. MONEY SUPPLY

Romanian M3 money supply expanded by 12.9 percent on the year to 349.9 billion lei in January and edged down 0.2 percent on the month, central bank data showed on Friday. CEE MARKETS

Hungary's forint drifted near a two-month low on Friday as weakened risk appetite and a loose monetary policy outlook weighed on central Europe. EU LEADERS' SUMMIT

European Union leaders staked out opening positions on Friday for a battle over EU budgets that many conceded they are unlikely to resolve before Britain leaves next year, blowing a hole in Brussels' finances. SYRIA

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron hoped world powers would agree a Syria ceasefire on Friday after they asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to back a corresponding U.N. Security Council resolution. FONDUL PROPRIETATEA

Romanian investment fund Fondul Proprietatea, managed by Franklin Templeton, said it would pay 1.12 billion lei ($296.66 million) to buy back 1.2 million shares and GDRs in a recently completed public tender with a settlement date for Feb. 28.

IMMIGRATION

Roughly 3.4 million Romanians left the country during 2007-2017, Luciana Lazarescu from the immigration integration research centre said citing U.N. data. Ziarul Financiar

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on For other related news, double click on: --------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian equities RO-E E.Europe equities .CEE Romanian money RO-M Romanian debt RO-D Eastern Europe EEU All emerging markets EMRG Hot stocks HOT Stock markets STX Market debt news DBT Forex news FRX For real-time index quotes, double click on: Bucharest BETI Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ------------------------------------------------------------ ($1 = 3.7754 lei)
BUCHAREST, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Romania sold 511.3 million lei ($135.34 million) worth of July 2027 treasury bonds on Monday, more than double the planned amount, with the average accepted yield at 4.48 percent, central bank data showed. Debt managers, who had planned to sell 200 million lei, last auctioned the paper in January at an average yield of 4.25 percent. So far this year, the finance ministry has sold roughly 6.67 billion lei and 252 million euros worth of domestic debt, and has tapped 2.0 billion euros from foreign markets in 2028 and 2030 Eurobonds. Series: RO1227DBN011 Issue date 28/02/2018 10/01/2018 Auction date 26/02/2018 08/01/2018 Maturity 26/07/2027 26/07/2027 Avg.yield (pct) 4.48 4.25 Avg. accepted price 109.9518 111.9081 Highest accepted yield 4.48 4.26 Tail (highest yield minus 0.00 0.01 average yield) Total bids 686.3 mln lei 1.297 bln lei Allotted 511.3 mln lei 510 mln lei Bid-to-cover ratio 1.3 2.5 ($1 = 3.7778 lei)

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
CAPE TOWN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Africa's largest bourse, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), will begin listing "project bonds" from mid-March, an official said on Monday, giving institutional investors a window to invest in infrastructure projects.

The bonds will provide private firms a chance to get a foothold in infrastructure projects in Africa's most industrialised economy, where project financing has traditionally come from banks and government. "We launch Project Bonds in the second week of March," said spokeswoman Pheliswa Mayekiso, adding that details of the listing would be made public closer to the launch.

"Government and banks alone cannot fund South Africa's infrastructure programme," the Treasury said in a review of the 2018 budget released last week.

"These bonds will be underpinned by the cash flows of a ring-fenced project, such as infrastructure or energy projects," it said.

Capital markets have already reduced lending to some state-owned companies, such as sole power supplier, Eskom. South Africa plans to spend billions of dollars over the next three years to build and revamp roads, power stations and ports, government officials said.

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; editing by James Macharia and Jason Neely)
(Adds Seadrill CEO, analyst, details)

By Nerijus Adomaitis

OSLO, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Shipping tycoon John Fredriksen has reached an agreement with a majority of creditors over a restructuring plan for oil rig firm Seadrill , according to U.S. court documents on Monday.

The company, once the world's largest offshore driller by market value, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debt and liabilities of over $10 billion last September after a sharp drop in oil prices in 2014 cut demand for rigs. "It's good for all parties that Seadrill comes out of an expensive and time-consuming process," said Frederik Lunde, head of research at brokerage Carnegie.

Under an amended plan, supported by 99 percent of its bank lenders and about 70 percent of unsecured creditors, including South Korean shipyards, the company will raise $1.08 billion in new capital via the issuance of new secured notes and equity.

Seadrill will issue $880 million in new secured notes, up from $860 million planned previously, and $200 million in new equity, the same level as previously planned. Unsecured bondholders which contested the original restructuring plan by Fredriksen and private equity firm Centerbridge Partners, will get a bigger stake in the company, one bondholder source told Reuters.

The unsecured creditors' stake in the new company will increase to 36.4 percent from an initial offer of around 19 percent, while the combined stake of Fredriksen's family investment vehicle Hemen and Centerbridge will be reduced to 36.4 percent from an original 49 percent, the source said.

It was not immediately clear what stake Hemen will have in the new company separately from Centerbridge, but under the deal, Hemen would be allowed to cut its stake to just 5 percent within three years if it wanted to do so, according to the court documents.

"We wanted this point to be included in the plan in order not to prohibit other companies from coming in and buying Seadrill's shares in the future, for example, another stronger industry player," the bondholder source said.

Hemen owned around 24 percent of Seadrill before the company filed for creditor protection to address more than $10 billion debts and liabilities, including $5.7 billion in bank loans and $2.3 billion in unsecured bonds.

Existing equity holders, including Hemen, will receive 1.9 percent stake in the new company, under the amended plan.

Seadrill shares were up 13 percent by 1256 GMT. It was the best performing stock of the Oslo benchmark index .

Seadrill said in the court documents it had also reached an agreement with South Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding&Marine Engineering (SHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (DSME) over contracts for four newbuild drillships.

The previous claims from the two companies stood at around $1.7 billion.

The court will hold a hearing of the plan and accompanying documents later on Monday.

Seadrill proposed to hold a confirmation hearing on April 17 instead of an earlier date of March 26, the court documents showed.

(Additional reporting by Ole Petter Skonnord in Oslo and Christopher Spink in London, editing by Jane Merriman)
(Adds details on cobalt asset, cobalt market, paragraphs 3-5)

By Nicole Mordant

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Feb 26 (Reuters) - Several parties are interested in buying Freeport-McMoRan Inc's cobalt project in the Democratic Republic of Congo but not at a price that would interest the miner and so it is not planning a sale, Freeport's chief executive officer said.

As a result, Freeport is looking at other options for the asset, including possibly a joint venture to develop the large cobalt project, CEO Richard Adkerson said.

Freeport last year tried to sell its cobalt assets, including the Kisanfu exploration project in Congo and the Kokkola cobalt refinery in Finland, to China Molybdenum Co Ltd , as part of its sale of a stake in its Tenke Fungurume copper mine in the Congo.

But the discussions on the cobalt assets ended without a deal in June. Prices for cobalt have soared more than 150 percent in the past year as the once obscure minor metal has become a critical and sought-after ingredient in rechargeable batteries for electric cars.

Speaking at a mining conference in Florida, Adkerson also said discussions between Freeport's joint venture partner at its Grasberg mine in Indonesia, Rio Tinto Plc , and the Indonesian government about a purchase of Rio's stake are expected to occur "in the very near term."

Freeport would not be involved in those discussions, he said.

The Indonesian government was doing a lot of work to prepare itself for negotiations with Rio, Adkerson said, including hiring technical experts and doing site visits.

On the outlook for the copper market, Adkerson said a global copper deficit was inevitable in the future due to underinvestment in new production combined with strong global growth. Freeport is the world's biggest publicly traded copper miner.

(Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Frances Kerry and David Gregorio)
(Adds details from Monday's court hearing in Houston, paragraphs 6-8; 16-17)

By Nerijus Adomaitis and Tom Hals

OSLO/WILMINGTON, Del., Feb 26 (Reuters) - Shipping tycoon John Fredriksen has reached an agreement with a majority of creditors over a restructuring plan for oil rig firm Seadrill Ltd , according to U.S. court documents on Monday.

The company, once the world's largest offshore driller by market value, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debt and liabilities of over $10 billion last September after a sharp drop in oil prices in 2014 cut demand for rigs. "It's good for all parties that Seadrill comes out of an expensive and time-consuming process," said Frederik Lunde, head of research at brokerage Carnegie.

Under an amended plan, supported by 99 percent of its bank lenders and about 70 percent of unsecured creditors, including South Korean shipyards, the company will raise $1.08 billion in new capital.

Seadrill will issue $880 million in new secured notes, up from $860 million planned previously, and $200 million in new equity, the same level as previously planned. Thomas Mayer, an attorney for the official committee of unsecured creditors, told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing on Monday in Houston that unsecured creditors ended up with at least a 50 percent larger recovery under Monday's deal.

He said banks from the start had demanded Seadrill raise fresh capital, which promised investors lucrative returns.

"The whole case came down to who got to make the investment demanded by the banks," said Mayer, of the Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel law firm.

The unsecured creditors' stake in the new company will increase to 36.4 percent from an initial offer of around 19 percent, while the combined stake of Fredriksen's family investment vehicle Hemen and Centerbridge will be reduced to 36.4 percent from an original 49 percent, the source said.

It was not immediately clear what stake Hemen will have in the new company separately from Centerbridge, but under the deal, Hemen would be allowed to cut its stake to just 5 percent within three years if it wanted to do so, according to the court documents.

"We wanted this point to be included in the plan in order not to prohibit other companies from coming in and buying Seadrill's shares in the future, for example, another stronger industry player," the bondholder source said.

Hemen owned around 24 percent of Seadrill before the company filed for creditor protection to address more than $10 billion debts and liabilities, including $5.7 billion in bank loans and $2.3 billion in unsecured bonds.

Existing equity holders, including Hemen, will receive 1.9 percent stake in the new company, under the amended plan.

Seadrill shares were up 13 percent by 1256 GMT. It was the best performing stock of the Oslo benchmark index .

Seadrill said in the court documents it had also reached an agreement with South Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (SHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (DSME) over contracts for four newbuild drillships.

Seadrill and two companies agreed they would have combined claims of $1.064 billion. A Seadrill attorney told Monday's hearing that the company is also trying to resolve the outstanding ship contracts and did not want to lose the vessels to a competitor.

Judge David Jones on Monday scheduled a hearing to confirm the Seadrill plan for April 17.

(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis in OSLO and Tom Hals in WILMINGTON, Del.,; additional reporting by Ole Petter Skonnord in OSLO and Christopher Spink in LONDON; editing by Jane Merriman and Grant McCool)
HOUSTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has launched tenders to sell on the open market up to four cargoes of heavy crude for March delivery at its Jose and Puerto Miranda terminals, according to document seen by Reuters on Monday.

* The offers, which are unusual as PDVSA typically sells all its exports through long-term supply contracts, include two 600,000-barrel cargoes of Morichal 16 crude and two 200,000-barrel cargoes of Tia Juana Pesado (TJP) crude

* The Morichal 16 crude is for delivery March 1-23, and the TJP crude will be loaded on March 21-30

* Payment must be made in euros three days before the loading window, according to the tender's terms. The TJP crude must be exported to the U.S. West, East or Gulf Coasts, Northwest Europe or the Mediterranean. The Morichal crude can also be exported to Asia

* Bids will be accepted through Feb. 27, indexed to Brent crude front month prices

* PDVSA earlier this month offered to sell 2 million barrels of diluted crude oil (DCO), also for March delivery

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Susan Thomas)
Tokyo-headquartered bank adopts RPA technology

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), has implemented software to automate its manual tasks. Kofax Kapow and Kofax TotalAgility will help power the banks digital transformation.

The bank will use Kapow and TotalAgility to replace manual legacy systems and automate more than 2,000 business processes across all functions, enabling employees to work more productively and to improve overall performance, Kofax reports.

Kofax Kapow is a robotic process automation (RPA) platform that automates business processes using smart software robots. Kofax TotalAgility is a unified digital transformation platform that digitizes critical touchpoints across customer journeys, such as onboarding new bank customers.

Hirofumi Aihara, general manager, Digital Transformation Division, MUFG, says, Thanks to Kofax, weve experienced the broad benefits of RPA in targeted areas of our business. We're now ready for this more comprehensive deployment that's sure to put us on the path to complete digital transformation by 2021.

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ cited Kofaxs ability to meet key objectives, its flexible licensing model and its centralized server deployment as reasons for its choice. The bank also sees potential in TotalAgility's optical character recognition and case management capabilities to work in tandem with Kapow.

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By Park Jin-hai





Actor Choi Il-hwa
President Moon Jae-in, center, attends the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony, Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, front row left, and North Korean delegation leader Kim Yong-chol, back row right, also attended the ceremony. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young



Analysts here generally gave positive assessments on North Korea's softening stance toward talks with the United States, but remained cautious over the prospects for their talks.



On Sunday, Kim Yong-chol, head of the North Korean delegation, said the North is willing to have a dialogue with the United States. The move came amid much hope during the visit of Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Allison Hooker, a National Security Council official who previously met Kim.



Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University, said Kim's remark is "the most forward-looking" one ever released. "So far, the North has sternly refused to talk with the U.S. The possibility of Washington-Pyongyang dialogue is higher than before," Park said.



The change is against the backdrop of increasing economic hardships caused by international sanctions, experts said. In addition, the North's nuclear and missile capacity has reached its limit.



"The latest nuclear test was successful, but re-entry technology of its intercontinental ballistic missiles is questionable. That's why the North hastily declared it mastered the nuclear technology late last year, in an apparent bid to shift to dialogue," said Cho Han-bum, senior research fellow from the Korea Institute for National Unification.



Still, the outlook is not so rosy for the denuclearization of North Korea  the ultimate goal of the U.S. "North Korea didn't develop the nuclear weapons aiming to be denuclearized," said Koh Yu-hwan, who teaches North Korean studies at Dongguk University.



"The North will negotiate to gain recognition for its nuclear weapons, attaching conditions like no mass production or no more ICBM test-launches. The key of possible U.S.-North Korea dialogue is how to narrow the gap between the U.S. call for complete denuclearization and North Korea's efforts for a partial nuclear freeze."



As the mood for the talks matures, the U.S. will maximize its pressure against the North, as seen by the U.S. administration's renewal of sanctions against the North. "The U.S. position and our joint position of maximum pressure with our South Korean partners is very important," Ivanka Trump said in an interview with NBC, Monday.



"Therefore, the U.S. will revive the combined military exercises as originally planned," Cho said. However, it is unlikely the North will test-fire an ICBM or carry out nuclear tests in protest of the exercises, since it will bring stronger sanctions on the isolated country.



For a while, the two countries will explore each other through direct or indirect contact. "The North will wonder what it will be able to receive from the U.S., in exchange for nuclear renunciation," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute.



A hurdle for the talks is the Trump administration's intensive criticism on North Korea's human rights, Cheong said. The U.S. president met with North Korean defectors, while Vice President Mike Pence visited the Cheonan Memorial on the sidelines of his visit to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.



"The North might be bewildered by the moves of the U.S.," Cheong said. "The South's Moon administration can mediate disputes between the two, as it has done so far."


Syrian refugees who depart from Turkish shores land on the Greek island of Lesbos in September 2015. As of April 2017, 1,273 Syrians have sought asylum in South Korea, according to local civic organization the Center for Refugee Rights in South Korea (NANCEN), but most of them end up becoming humanitarian status holders instead of gaining refugee status. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young



The picture of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian child who drowned to death near Turkish shores in 2015, drew attention in faraway Korea. South Korea enacted its refugee law in 2013, for the first time among Asian countries. However, refugees seeking asylum here should reconsider it, Ali, an alias, a refugee from Iran said in a report recently issued by the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC).



"One of my colleagues, who campaigned in Iran with me, smoothly got the refugee status in the United Kingdom in 1998 only one year after he applied for it in 1997. Before I managed to get it in 2014, I was rejected once and I had to stay here as an illegal immigrant. Then I was detained for a year in a foreigner detention center while retrying the application. I also underwent three litigations," he was quoted as saying.



A refugee applicant contacted by The Korea Times repeatedly said "It was difficult." The 31-year-old from an African country, who requested anonymity since he is under trial, fled oppression of sexual minorities and arrived at Incheon International Airport Feb. 11, 2015.



"Until March 9, 2015, I was detained in a repatriation center at the airport, where so many people were staying in the same room. Luckily, I met lawyer Lee Il and thanks to his help I could enter Korea," he told The Korea Times.



According to Lee, who works for nonprofit public interest law firm APIL, the applicant is among the luckiest. The refugee law does not provide a process to raise an objection. If they give up an administrative lawsuit, they are forcibly repatriated.



"My life was in danger in the country where I am from. The society and the government were against the LGBT community," the refugee applicant said. "I am very scared to return there. I can never imagine (the situation)."



Entering Korea was just the beginning of his hardship. Even though he "submitted everything possible," his applications have been rejected over and over. Then, he filed an administrative litigation and now he is waiting for a final court ruling. For the past three years, he worked in "very dangerous, dirty and hot factories" to make a living. Asked about his plan if he loses the trial, he said he will "again apply for the refugee status."



Experts said such a "vicious circle" results in overall degradation of the refugee determination process. A number of cases are reapplied to the Ministry of Justice. Judges who are required to review their applications are overworked, which means they don't have enough time to look into each case  this explains why the 31-year-old refugee kept being rejected.



As a result, only 121 out of 9,942 applicants gained refugee status in 2017, or 1.21 percent, lower than 1.29 percent in 2016 and 1.83 percent in 2015, according to the ministry's data obtained through Rep. Hong Il-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party.



Structural problems



What make things tricky are deep-rooted structural problems of the determination process. Those who want to stay here as refugees should apply for the status through local immigration offices under the justice ministry.



The first problem they face is language barrier. At the Seoul Immigration Office, there are only two translators  one for Arabic and one for English  which means those from China or Southeast Asian countries must hire private translators.



Recording of face-to-face interviews is another controversial issue. Video recording of interviews is necessary to prevent clumsy translation and distortion, but the ministry has not fully equipped its recording facilities, according to the data obtained through Rep. Hong. At the local immigration offices throughout the nation, there are only 20 recording facilities. "We are planning to purchase upgraded facilities within February, since existing ones keep breaking down," the ministry said in the document.



Kim Dae-keun, a research fellow of the KIC, emphasized the importance of the first interview. "If officials fail to figure out the applicants' narratives to justify their refugee status, the applicants rarely have a chance to reverse the decision," Kim said.



The biggest hurdle for each judge is lack of information about the countries where the applicants are from, said Kim, who wrote the report published by the KIC. For example, a judge should grasp comprehensive dynamics of internal disturbance in a country  power structure, dictatorship, ruling tribe, biased media and gender issues. "Google research is never enough," Kim said. "The ministry should build an archive to follow up disturbances that cause refugees."



Language becomes a problem again for applicants when their refugee status is dismissed. The notification is only translated to English. Many refugees do not understand why they are rejected, which renders them to appeal the decision. Then, cases are designated to a "Refugee Committee" under the ministry.



The problem is the committee only meets once every two months. "I agree government officials at the committee work very hard. But it impossible to handle the appeal cases meticulously," Lee said.



Therefore, the committee officials tend to only review the interview materials produced in the first screening process. The applicants are not requested to do additional interviews, and this is not so different if they protest the committee's decision and choose to file an administrative litigation.



Real refugees?



The ministry and civic activists have fundamental different approaches to the refugee issue. As seen in ministry officials' media interviews and their presentations in conferences, they use the term "real refugee," implying many refugee applicants flocking to South Korea are "fake refugees."



"Compared to European countries, those coming to Korea apply for the refugee status citing private disputes in their countries, such as debts, conflict within family, disputes over inheritance," the ministry spokesperson said in an email interview.



This is true, several reports show. Last December, the Jeju District Court sentenced two "refugee brokers" to one year and 10 months respectively, for illegally arranging refugee applications for Chinese. They could extend their stay on the island, since refugee applicants are entitled to do so.



Lee, who has long advocated for refugees, said that's not all though. "Surely, there are some people without proper reason for application. Still, a 1 percent approval rate is too low," Lee said. The lawyer views some "private reasons" could be enough for recognition as a refugee.



"For example, domestic violence could be a reason for application, if the crime goes unpunished in the country. Those who suffer oppression due to their gender or sexual identity are rarely accepted as refugees as well," Lee said.



In January, the Supreme Court ruled against a bisexual refugee from Uganda. The Ugandan filed an administrative lawsuit against Seoul Immigration Office's refusal of her refugee status, but the court said her testimony "lacks credibility."



"Sexual minority refugees are forced to testify their most private things including their experience of having sex. Among numerous questions, the authorities take issue with contradictions in peripheral remarks," Lee Na-ra, activist for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, wrote in her column, Jan. 15.





A refugee family from Syria, who arrived in South Korea through Europe, waits for entrance approval from the Ministry of Justice at Incheon International Airport in November 2015. Since the start of the civil war, as many as 11 million Syrians are estimated to have fled their homes. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
Ivanka Trump / Yonhap



Ivanka Trump, the daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, said Monday that she had a "wonderful" first visit to South Korea and hopes to visit the country again in the near future.

Ivanka, an advisor to the president, made the remarks as she was preparing to board a plane back to the United States at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, wrapping up her four-day trip here for the Winter Olympics closing ceremony.

"It was a wonderful first visit and just exciting and beautiful," she told reporters. "I look forward to returning back. Thanks for the warm hospitality."

She didn't say anything in response to a question about North Korea saying it is willing to talk to the U.S.

Ivanka's trip to South Korea had raised speculation about possible direct dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, as both sent delegations to attend the closing ceremony held on Sunday.

The U.S. delegation included National Security Council (NSC) director for Korea Allison Hooker. The North Koreans included Choe Kang-il, a senior North Korean diplomat handling affairs with the United States.

Hooker was seen accompanying Ivanka Trump at the airport. A U.S. embassy official said that all the delegates, including the NSC director, seem to be leaving on the same day.

On Sunday, Kim Yong-chol, the high-ranking official leading the North Korean delegation, which is here until Tuesday, told South Korean President Moon Jae-in that Pyongyang has "enough" willingness to begin dialogue with Washington, according to Seoul's presidential office.

The White House said later that it "will see" if North Korea's willingness to hold talks represents a commitment to abandon its nuclear weapons program. (Yonhap)
A priest at the Catholic Diocese of Suwon, who is only identified by his surname Han, is accused of attempting to rape a female volunteer worker multiple times during his stay in South Sudan in 2011. / Captured from KBS TV



A group of progressive South Korean Catholic priests has issued an apology after a former member was accused of attempted rape seven years ago in South Sudan.

A priest at the Catholic Diocese of Suwon, who is only identified by his surname Han, is accused of attempting to rape a female volunteer worker multiple times during his stay in South Sudan in 2011. The alleged victim, Kim Min-kyung, a Catholic who was then in South Sudan with Han for missionary work, publicly shared her experience through a KBS news report last week.

"As I walked out of the dining area, he tried to rape me after locking the door," Kim told KBS. "With my wrists retrained, I resisted and even got a black eye in the process."

The diocese has announced that Han admitted to most of the charges. The priest has been suspended from his duties.

On Sunday, the Catholic Priests Association for Justice (CPAJ) issued a statement saying, "We deeply repent for the wretched actions of Rev. Han." Han quit CPAJ in light of the alleged crime.

"We accept his violent actions, which has darkened the human spirit, as something our group should jointly be held accountable for," CPAJ said. "We ask for forgiveness from the victim, who has gone through her hidden pain for a long period of time."

CPAJ has been a cornerstone of the pro-democracy movement in South Korea. It played a key role in resistance against the former military-backed authoritarian regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, meanwhile, is looking into a separate sexual harassment allegation involving a senior member of the Catholic Human Rights Committee.

A priest with a managerial role on the committee, whose name was withheld, is accused of sexually harassing a female activist in 2014. The alleged victim wrote on her social media that the suspected offender apologized but later spread rumors that it was done by mutual consent. She also claimed that her fellow activists ignored her plea for help. (Yonhap)




Police investigate a site in Seodaemoon district, Seoul, where a man, 50, set himself on fire, Feb 12. /Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon


By Cho Se-yong, Park Si-soo







Fire broke out at South Korea's biggest protestant church on Sunday, forcing hundreds of churchgoers to flee. The fire was extinguished in 25 minutes and there were no reports of injuries.







The cause is unknown, with authorities examining all possibilities, including arson.







The fire was first detected at 7:50 p.m. near the stairs on the fifth floor of the Yeoido's Full Gospel Church where witnesses said wooden material was piled up.










By John Redmond







Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR) held its seventh English speech contest at State Tower in Seoul, Saturday.







In 10 minutes or less, participants had to speak about people they knew in North Korea, or met while escaping through or living in China, or special people they have met as they settled down here or elsewhere.







Themed "My Little Big Heroes," the contest saw seven participants  five female and two male  speaking passionately of loved ones, teachers and mentors.







Many spoke of harsh conditions and sacrifices by parents and grandparents to ensure their safety.







One speaker, who cannot be named, said she had never seen her parents.







"Do you know what it's like growing up not knowing what your parents look like?" she asked.







Others detailed life in China using forged documents to avoid arrest.







"I had to obtain forged documents  it was the only way to get decent work," another speaker said.







Top prize winner Kim Jin-mi spoke on her sister's insistence on her completing school and her sister's last words to her.







"My sister said at least one of us will have an education and be successful," she said.







She added she could not reveal her sister's name because she had been arrested in Myanmar while trying to flee North Korea.







"I haven't spoken to my sister in seven years," Kim said.







My final words to her before I fled to China were, Goodbye, see you soon.'"







Punishment for being arrested in a third country is harsher, because the crime is considered to be political.







Her sister was sentenced to 10 years in a political prison.







In his opening statement, TNKR co-founder Casey Lartigue Jr. addressed the difficulties of speaking in a second, possibly third, language in front of about 200 English native speakers.







"This is not an easy task. These people have overcome great hardship to present their stories to you," he said.







The English speech event was held at Shin & Kim law firm in Myeong-dong. The law firm and The Korea Times sponsored the event.







TNKR, a Seoul-based NGO, provides free English language lessons for North Korean refugees. It has connected more than 300 North Korean refugees with more than 620 volunteer tutors.







Lartigue and Lee Eun-koo founded the group in 2013.







Its emphasis is on English education because it is the international language of business and education.







Many contestants did not allow their pictures to be taken due to safety concerns for themselves and family still in North Korea. They also refused to reveal their full names.







Visit

for more information.


Kim Young-chae, South Korea's new ambassador to ASEAN



New ambassador vows to strengthen bilateral alliance



By Kim Jae-kyoung



South Korea will step up efforts to play a key role in the process of integrating the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Kim Young-chae, South Korea's new ambassador to ASEAN.



He said Korea's rich experience and expertise in economic development will be needed in community-building of the 10-member group.



"One of Korea's policy initiatives toward ASEAN is to contribute and assist the community-building process," Kim said in a recent interview.



Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kim believes Korea and ASEAN can be close strategic partners because Korea has rich experience and capital, while ASEAN has high growth potential with vast markets.



"Korea regards highly ASEAN's efforts to build a regional community at a time that regionalism is under scrutiny," he said.



"To maintain unity is crucial to ASEAN, and Korea needs ASEAN in order to punch above its weight. Even though Korea's resources are limited, Korea's expertise combined with the size of ASEAN can play a truly meaningful role in regional peace and development."



The Korean government is considering many win-win strategies and programs in order to flesh out Korean President Moon Jae-in's policy initiatives, including a cross-sector task force.



During his visit to Indonesia in November, Moon unveiled his "New Southern Policy" based on the 3P approach  cooperation on people,' prosperity' and peace,' to pursue a more comprehensive alliance with ASEAN.



"It is lucky ASEAN and Korea do not have any contentious issues such as historical baggage or territorial disputes," he said.



Against this backdrop, Kim, who took office in January, plans to focus on strengthening cooperation with ASEAN by promoting trade and personnel exchanges.



"First of all, I would like to keep up the momentum of enhanced cooperation between Korea and ASEAN," he said.



"As Korea and ASEAN will be celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2019 of working together, it will be an excellent opportunity to enhance mutual cooperation on the right path to success."



Currently, ASEAN is Korea's second-largest trading partner, investment target and overseas construction market and has the most popular tourist destinations.



With a combined GDP of over $2.8 trillion, the ASEAN economy is the fifth-largest in the world and the third-largest in Asia. Its population is also the third-largest in the world with 640 million people.



"To realize the targets of $200 billion in trade and 10 million tourists by 2020 is the Korean government's ambitious but achievable goals," Kim said.



He also plans to seek ways to better use Korea's various financial assistance mechanisms for ASEAN, citing President Moon's announcement last year to expand the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund and the Mekong Fund.



Moon promised to increase the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund to $14 million and triple the current size of the Mekong Fund.



"It is an important task to find better ways and means so these mechanisms contribute to the betterment of the ASEAN people," he said.



Kim also expressed his intention to contribute to the strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat's capacity as it is the main contact point in implementing Korea's various projects.



"I believe it is imperative for the Secretariat to take more roles and responsibilities in order to realize the vision of three ASEAN Communities  Politico-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural Communities," he said.



Mutual exchanges



In order to keep Korea-ASEAN relations sustainable, it is important to ensure mutual exchanges between ASEAN and Korea.



The veteran diplomat, who previously served as Korean Ambassador to Libya, is well aware of the importance of Koreans learning more about ASEAN and its cultures.



"Considering the trend that more and more Koreans appreciate the similarities between the two cultures and at the same time recognize their differences, our understanding of ASEAN's diverse heritages and cultures will be matured in the coming years," he said.



He pointed out the inauguration of the ASEAN Culture House in Busan last year has been highly appreciated by ASEAN.



"It will play a significant role to improve our awareness of ASEAN while the ASEAN-Korea Centre in Seoul will promote trade and investment, as well as culture and tourism," he said.



He expects that Korea's multicultural families originated from ASEAN can help ensure sustainable relationships between Korea and ASEAN.



"The more we appreciate our multicultural families from ASEAN, the stronger bond we can build between Korea and ASEAN," he said.



ASEAN and North Korea



Kim thinks ASEAN can play an important role in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue and securing stability on the Korean Peninsula.



Most ASEAN member states have maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea, and both South and North Korea are members of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).



"ASEAN has consistently shown its willingness to play a constructive or facilitating role in peacefully resolving the North Korean nuclear issue," he said.



"When we look at its recent statements on the North Korean issue, we can clearly see ASEAN is seriously concerned with North Korea's nuclear and missile tests."



Kim said Korea and ASEAN share a goal of maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the region and beyond.



He explains given Korea's export-oriented economy and heavy reliance on foreign energy sources, it is crucial to maintain peace and stability in the ASEAN region, while peace and stability in Northeast Asia is important to ASEAN.



"This is the very foundation that Korea can enhance its political and diplomatic presence in ASEAN. Personally I believe the best way forward is to increase exchange visits by leaders of both sides," he said.



He also stressed Korea should take responsibility more actively for political stability in the ASEAN region as emerging threats to peace and stability in the region such as terrorism, violent extremism, natural disasters and refugees require all stakeholders to stand together.



"As a responsible middle power in the region, Korea should now engage with ASEAN to tackle those issues," he said.



He also said Korea needs to see ASEAN in a broader picture to understand where the 10-member bloc  Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam  is heading.



Driven by the initiative for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) launched at the end of 2015, ASEAN is building a single market and production base that can compete in terms of size and efficiency with major emerging economies such as China and India.



He said Korea should capitalize on the solid platform created by ASEAN's integration movement to expand its diplomatic horizons.



"ASEAN has been in the driving seat of the so-called evolving regional architecture which has contributed tremendously to the peace and stability of the wider East Asia region as well as Southeast Asia," he said.




By Lee Kyung-min



A special investigation team questioned former prosecutor Ahn Tae-geun, the central figure in the sexual misconduct allegation that triggered a #MeToo campaign now gathering momentum in Korea. The questioning came nearly a month after Seo Ji-hyun, a prosecutor at the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors Office, South Gyeongsang Province, said that Ahn groped her at a funeral eight years ago.



A team under the Seoul Eastern Prosecutors' Office questioned Ahn, Monday, over the allegation that he abused power in transferring Seo to a remote rural area after she demanded an apology from him. He also allegedly put her under a work performance review, the harsh evaluation of which Seo claims was a form of retaliation. Ahn did not make any comment, only saying he would sincerely submit to the questioning. He maintains the harassment did not happen, but also said he could not recall anything because he was drunk.



Ahn was dismissed last year following an allegation that he gave envelopes containing up to 1 million won ($970) in cash to prosecutors who led an investigation into the influence-peddling scandal involving Woo Byung-woo, his close friend, in exchange for "going easy" on him. With former President Park arrested, Woo was the only key figure who managed to avoid arrest at the time.



The team under the district office will determine whether Seo was subject to undue punishment, as she alleged.

It will also review how and why Seo's then-supervisors failed to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegation and whether outside influence was involved, a claim denied by the justice ministry which oversees prosecution affairs. The ministry maintains that the matter was closed because Seo had not "vigorously" demanded punishment for the alleged perpetrator at the time.



The team earlier questioned justice ministry officials over suspected undue personnel measures imposed on Seo. It also heard from prosecutors who worked with Seo and for Ahn that the latter was furious over her publicly raising the issue within the prosecution so soon after the incident. The investigators reviewed a claim raised by Seo that she received a warning from the prosecutor general following a poor evaluation in a work performance review when she worked at a branch in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in April 2014. This was a year before she was transferred to Tongyeong, where only prosecutors many years her junior worked.



Ahn could be charged with abuse of power because the 7-year statute of limitations on his alleged crime has yet to expire. However, he will not be charged with sexual harassment. Currently, police can open an investigation into sex crimes regardless of the victim's request. But up until June 2013, they could only investigate such crimes if the victim requested it less than a year after the incident occurred.



Meanwhile, police began an investigation of a member of the human rights committee of the Catholic Church, following an allegation raised by a woman who claimed she was sexually harassed by the man four years ago. The woman said not only was she sexually harassed but also subject to defamatory rumors concocted by the perpetrator that she consented to his advances. The man, identified only by his surname Kim later posted an apology on a social networking account saying he "committed a crime that can never be condoned, and continued to distort the truth."



Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the man will be questioned as the timeline and the victim's statement are clearly within the statutes. The revelation deals a major blow to the Catholic Church as it came only a day after the Catholic diocese in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, suspended a priest, Han Man-sam, after a woman said he tried to rape her "countless times" while they were in Sudan as part of an overseas volunteer mission work in 2011. The woman said she told two other priests who were there, but they did nothing. Han resigned from an advocacy group known as "Catholic Priests for Social Justice," a much-revered social activist group that spoke out against the dictatorial military regimes in Korea.








By Lee Min-hyung



Joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States can be postponed further amid growing signs of the resumption of the long-suspended dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.



Chances were slim for the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks before the Olympics, with both sides exchanging aggressive rhetoric.



But on Sunday, Kim Yong-chol, who leads North Korea's high-level delegation, showed the regime's willingness to hold dialogue with the U.S.



"Pyongyang is willing to have talks with Washington," Kim said in a meeting with President Moon Jae-in, Sunday. His remarks came in response to Moon's request to keep the peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula going. Toward that end, Moon underlined the need for the thaw in not just inter-Korean relations but also between Washington and Pyongyang.



The rare sign of peace on the peninsula is raising hopes for the U.S. and North Korea to hold talks on the regime's denuclearization. The U.S. remains firm in its stance on North Korea, but is slowly showing signs of easing tension against the regime by expressing recently its will to hold talks with the North.



The ongoing trilateral peace momentum, however, may be put on hold once Seoul and Washington resume their annual military drills right after the closing of the PyeongChang Paralympics next month. They did not confirm a specific timeline or other details about them, opening the possibility to a further delay of the joint military exercises beyond April.



Unification ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said: "We expect North Korea and the U.S. to have constructive dialogue."



The Ministry of National Defense said nothing specific has been discussed about the North's request regarding the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.



A Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said South Korea will push ahead with the drills as planned, declining to comment further.



As North Korea calls the joint drills one of the biggest reasons for its own provocations, South Korea is not unveiling details about the delayed Seoul-Washington annual military exercises.



President Moon hopes to continue holding peace talks with the North, and for this he has stressed the importance for U.S.-North Korea talks.



"North Korea needs to show its willingness for denuclearization for a possible dialogue with the U.S.," Moon said Monday in a meeting with Liu Yandong, vice premier of the People's Republic of China, Monday.




By Albert R. Hunt



Unlike this year's U.S. Senate races, which are mainly being fought in Trump-friendly states, many of the most contested House electoral battles are for Republican-held seats in more Democratic-leaning places.



That enhances the odds of Democrats winning control of the House and presents a dilemma for Republican incumbents: Do they strike some distance from President Donald Trump, or continue to march in lockstep with him in Congress? But don't look for any mass Republican defections, even if the probe of any Trump ties to Russia escalates.



Off-year elections usually are about voter intensity. In dozens of contests over the past year, since Trump was elected, the energy has been with Democrats. Most recently, a Democrat won by seven points in a pro-Trump, pro-Republican state legislative district in Sarasota, Florida, in a special election.



The hope for the dozens of embattled congressional Republicans is that by November their base will get energized. Those voters remain strongly supportive of Trump, while the general electorate, despite some recent improvement in the president's standing, is far less so.



If Republican candidates in blue districts and states run away from Trump, some of the GOP base will stay home; if they wrap themselves around him, they risk energizing Democrats and alienating independents. It's not an easy choice.



"Buckle up your seat belts and pull up your big boy pants," leading Republican pollster Neil Newhouse advises them. "This is going to be a tough election."



A look at Republican-held seats that are the chief Democratic targets  over half of them in states or districts that voted for Hillary Clinton  illustrates the divide on how to walk this tightrope; even most of those taking issue with Trump are doing it very selectively.



Predictably, a dozen Republican incumbents from New Jersey, New York and California voted against the tax-cut bill that socked it to those states by eliminating the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes.



On immigration, there are dozens of House Republicans opposing Trump's hard line, joining Texas's Will Hurd and California's Jeff Denham, two of the most endangered congressional incumbents. New York Representative John Faso, from an upstate New York district that went for Trump but had gone for Barack Obama four years earlier, opposed the president on the tax bill and immigration.



Colorado Republican Mike Coffman, facing his toughest challenger in a district carried by Clinton, recently tweeted, "No Shutdowns, No Parades," warning the president to abandon his plans for an expensive military parade and not to shut down the government. Coffman has also called for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who was accused of using taxpayer funds for personal expenses.



Fighting Trump on a possible government shutdown was a gift for Republican Representative Barbara Comstock, who represents a Northern Virginia district. She relished a testy exchange at the White House with him over the issue. She warned him; he fired back.



If Comstock weren't such a shrewd politician, she'd be a dead woman walking; Trump lost this district by 10 points, and is more unpopular today.



But there are more Republicans who figure that running away from the president won't help with swing voters, while hurting them with their own. That's the calculation of New Jersey Representative Tom MacArthur, who was one of the Republicans from his state to vote for the tax cut and who led the House effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.



Trump then hosted a fund-raiser for him, and Vice President Mike Pence contributed to his coffers. The Democrats have now elevated him to their list of targets.



Few challenged incumbents are more of a Trump cheerleader than California's Mimi Walters, although Trump was defeated in her Orange County district by five points. She votes with the president more than 98 percent of the time and has declared: "He stands for what we stand for." Democrats believe she's counting on a low turnout and will be surprised this fall.



If there is a blue wave  and if Democrats turn out the way they did in some of those special elections and the Virginia gubernatorial contest last November  some Republicans in districts Trump carried easily might be ambushed. These include New York's Claudia Tenney, who said the Democrats who didn't applaud during Trump's State of the Union speech were "un-American and they don't love our country," or Ohio's Steve Chabot who, in defending Trump, sought to smear special counsel Robert Mueller and his blue-ribbon staff.



In both those races, Democrats are fielding stronger than expected challengers  who may already be crafting commercials and messages that recycle those accusations.





Albert R. Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the executive editor of Bloomberg News, before which he was a reporter, bureau chief and executive Washington editor at the Wall Street Journal. The above article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


By Sammy Ahn





"Your choice in the moment will impact your next 10 years" is a wildly-popular advert copy run by LG in the early 80s. I am old enough to remember it because I saw and heard those ads literally 1,000s of times in my early years in South Korea. In those days, a made-in-Korea TV set or a washing machine built to last 10 years was a revolutionary concept.







Modern-day Koreans have always been forced into schizophrenic choices. Then again, it would be rash to say it's been a repetitious story of modernity.







Entering the 20th century, Koreans found themselves at the edge of a 500-year-old monarchy called Joseon, one that was so extremely puritanical and oppressive that its contemporary analogy would remind anyone of the Taliban. The Joseon monarchy boasted a one-tracked worship of the Confucian way of life.







In short order, Japan brought her protective umbrella over the Koreans, having defeated the Chinese and the Russians in successive wars.







Fast forward to 1950, soon after the Japanese surrender to the Allied forces, Koreans faced two choices: a free socioeconomic form of government or a Stalinistic planned economy.







They fought tooth and nail in a proxy war for those two forces for the next three years, inescapably witnessing how a choice in the moment can devastate a society.







When a truce was reached, both factions had a mission to prove the other wrong. After 60 years, and the so-called miracle on the Han River, it is undebatable the free South had proved to the world which system rewards human talent more effectively.







Coming off the second Olympic Games (Winter of 2018), Koreans now face another challenge: choice between a decentralized "new economy" or the legacy form of centralized transactions.







In no other place on the planet does the word centralization resound so shrilly with such a pounding than it does on the Korean Peninsula. Just a few miles north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) lies the most centralized demonic power the world has ever learned about.







Now ruled by a third-generation legacy dictator, North Korea is a living, and breathing, Big Brother museum, which is so well preserved that the threesome of Lenin, Stalin, and Mao would transfigure from the dead screaming, long live Communism!







So, for this naturally-occurring geopolitical conflict node, I have coined the term "Kor-mageddon" where 50 million people of South Korea are pressed for another choice between decentralized blockchain economy and centralized legacy banking.







Koreans face more than the choice between war and peace after hosting the Winter Olympics (by the way, it only took Koreans 30 years to host their second Olympics, which is 10 years sooner than the 40 years the Japanese took to host their back-to-back Nagano Winter Games).







It's freedom vs. oppression, self-direction vs. outside intervention, harmony vs. fear-mongering, future vs. past, innovation vs. degeneration. And, ultimately, millennials vs. baby boomers.







"Hey, Korean millennials, you know nothing!" their Confucian seniors would snap. To that, I (a metaphysical millennial trapped in the body of a middle-aged former Samsung executive) retort. "They know their technology inside out. What's more, they are more transparent and unashamed of it! Korean War-generation baby boomers, you are old but are you bold?"







Korea is not only the first divided nation in modern history to hit the top 10 economy chart in the quickest timeframe, it has the potential to repeat its economic miracles.







On a per-capita basis, it has the highest rate of college graduation, coupled with the most impressive levels of technology penetration in Asia, if not the world.







While the outside world speaks only of a war against the totalitarian regime in North Korea, the millennials in South Korea are waging a war against what they perceive as an equally rigid policymaking system, which recently threatened to shut down its cryptocurrency exchanges while three of them happen to be the world's Big Ten.







Just as the Third World held their breath for 60 years watching the Korean-style free market experiment reach its magnificent fruition, the Korean millennials have another daunting task of synchronizing with a world movement called the Decentralization Revolution, which is oddly dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution by the Korean policymakers.







Semantics notwithstanding, cryptocurrency is millennial gold, a storage of value. The millennials wouldn't think twice about stashing away their flimsy savings on a completely transparent public ledger via some obscure internet-created wallet, a mechanism many baby boomers have trouble figuring out. That's OK, we all have anti-technology acquaintances who still do not know how to navigate the internet or email their friends.







To sum up, the South Korean millennials have work cut out for their college-educated brains. Faced with the double-whammy "Kor-mageddon" of cryptocurrency regulation and reunification with the North, they are well-advised to recall a history lesson.







Prosperity is a natural consequence of the fearless pursuit of freedom, be it was freedom from centralized socio-religious authorities in the case of the pilgrims in 1620, or freedom from centralized socioeconomic authorities in the case of the millennials worldwide in 2018.







Sammy Ahn is managing director of





www.LucidCrypto.com . Contac him at sammy@lucidcrypto.com.


Denuclearization key to making peace



North Korea expressed its willingness to hold talks with the United States, raising hope for a breakthrough in the nuclear standoff between the two countries. However, it is still too early to expect both sides to start a serious and meaningful dialogue to discuss the North's denuclearization.



During a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of Sunday's closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics, the North's chief delegate Kim Yong-chol delivered the message of a willingness for talks with the U.S. Kim, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, apparently showed a change in Pyongyang's hard-line stance against any negotiations with Washington.



The shift could be seen as a positive move. It comes amid improved inter-Korean relations during the PyeongChang Olympics. It also stemmed from President Moon's strenuous efforts to help the South-North detente lead to talks between Pyongyang and Washington.



What's also noteworthy is the U.S. has hinted at accepting the North's olive branch, but not without conditions attached. For its part, Washington thinks it is difficult to come to the table unconditionally. In addition, Pyongyang has yet to disclose its genuine intentions or any preconditions for dialogue.



The White House said it would wait and see whether the North's new overture for talks with the U.S. means it is serious about its denuclearization. Presidential press secretary Sara Huckabee Sanders, however, made it clear that President Donald Trump remains committed to achieving the "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of the peninsula. She also reaffirmed the U.S. will continue a maximum pressure campaign against the North until it gives up its nuclear weapons and missile programs.



Sanders remarks can be interpreted as leaving the door open for talks with the recalcitrant North. She was visiting Korea along with Ivanka Trump, President Trump's daughter and senior White House adviser, as part of the U.S. delegation to the Olympics closing ceremony.



She implied that dialogue with Pyongyang should be to discuss the nuclear issue. This means the U.S. wants to see the North's seriousness and sincerity in abandoning its nuclear ambitions before having talks. This might bode ill for negotiations between the two foes even though they have barely managed to begin a dialogue.



For now, it appears to be possible for both sides to have "exploratory" talks to check each other's true intention. But further progress will depend on whether the North is ready for denuclearization. So it is important for the North to take a sincere step toward this itself.



For a feasible and realistic solution, the U.S. and North Korea need to consider accepting President Moon's two-phase roadmap for denuclearization. Moon calls for a North Korea nuclear freeze in the first stage and its scrapping in the second stage. This may be a complex process, but maximum pressure and sanctions alone may not be a viable option. We urge both Pyongyang and Washington not to miss this opportunity to find a solution through dialogue.






By Jacco Zwetsloot





In the early summer of 1997 the end of my planned year in Korea drew near, but I still had no idea if I was going to return to Australia or sign up for another twelve months.



I didn't feel that I had saved enough money, I had made some friends, and made some advances in learning Korean. Somehow, it didn't seem that I had finished with the country, or that Korea had finished with me.



On the other hand, another year of rotating through middle schools in Paju did not hold appeal.



So when an opportunity to apply for a job at a soon-to-be-opened teacher training facility in the city of Pyeongtaek, I jumped. I was given leave by Paju City Office of Education to trek down to the provincial capital in Suwon for the interview.



In the waiting room I met a bunch of other hopefuls, almost exclusively American or Canadian, but there may have been an Englishman thrown in for some variety; I was the only Australian.



I remember nothing at all about the interview, but I remember feeling hopeful afterwards. All applicants were to return to our workplaces around Gyeonggi Province, and we would be notified of the results.



Several days later, I was disappointed to learn that I had not been selected to be among the first teacher trainers. I kept working in Paju, and wondering what to do at the end of my contract.



A week or so later I received a call that I had been chosen after all, and I was to move my stuff down to Pyeongtaek post haste. Somebody helped me organize a removal van, and I packed my books, clothes, and other stuff for the move.



I was nervous, because I hadn't even seen my new digs. Would they smaller than the shoebox in the teacher's dormitory apartment that had been my home for the last few months?



The day came, and I rode in the moving van beside the driver, because I had no transport of my own and I didn't know the way there. A few hours later we arrived at a new facility on the very outskirts of Pyeongtaek. The setting was quite rural, and a good 15 minutes' walk from the local town center. Opposite the teacher training center was a farm of some sort. There was also a scrap metal yard nearby, and a couple of houses. Behind the facilities were some farms and a graveyard.



The training center consisted of two buildings: one was for administration, classes and curriculum development, and the other was the trainees' dormitory, cafeteria and gymnasium.



The ground floor had several bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, and that was where the teacher trainers were to live. Five rooms had obviously been designed for two people, with twin single beds, while the rest were just big enough for one bed, desk, and closet. There were six native English speakers who had been newly hired, and we were each given a room for two people. Six Korean supervisor trainers were given single rooms in case they wanted to sleep at the center during the week. Most did not, because they had actual homes to return to, so those rooms remained unused.



Later I found out that the native speakers had originally been allocated the smaller, monk-like quarters, and that two Korean supervisors each were to share the bigger rooms. But a Canadian woman had burst into tears upon seeing her future home, and quit that instant. It was only thanks to her that I got the job and that we all got the bigger rooms. One of us lived off campus, so there were enough larger rooms for each of us.



The year and several months I spent working there were to be very significant. I met my future wife, made some friends with whom I am still close, learned how to ride a motorbike and bought one, learned some taekwondo, decided to stay for a third year, and appeared on Korean television.



I never did get to thank that Canadian woman who quit, so if you're reading this now: "Thank you."



Jacco Zwetsloot works for HMP Law as Director of Business Innovation

The thoughts in this column do not necessary reflect those of HMP Law.


By Jhoo Dong-chan



The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has come under growing criticism for having failed to tackle the GM Korea problem, deepening confusion among government agencies in handling the issue.



Although the ministry is considered to be the main player in dealing with the matter, it has failed to lead the negotiations over possible restructuring with GM Korea's Detroit headquarters. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance have seemingly taken over the role.



Disappointed by the lack ability of the trade ministry in handling the crisis, experts now say it should hand over its control tower role to Cheong Wa Dae or the finance ministry.



A trade ministry official said the ministry is just a channel for communication.



"The GM Korea crisis requires pan-government efforts," he said.



"The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy can't handle the issue by itself. Some of the negotiations are with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Some issues have to go through the FSC. Which government agency becomes the main authority isn't a serious issue here. Each government agency should closely discuss the matter with other agencies. There is no confusion."



However, such confusion erupted during talks with General Motors executive Barry Engle last week.



Despite its position as the competent authority in handling the GM Korea crisis, the trade ministry only met with Engle on the afternoon of Feb. 22 following his meeting with the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) Feb. 21, and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance in the morning of Feb. 22.



Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon even held a press conference Feb. 22 while trade ministry officials were meeting with him.



During the press conference, Kim presented three major points.



"The government suggested the three-point principle. The major shareholder should take responsibility, and shareholders as well as creditors and the union should share the burden. And there should be a long-term plan for normalization of management," he said.



The trade ministry also released a media statement after the meeting the same day, but there were no major differences with Kim's announcement.



The finance ministry is also the first government agency to admit its first meeting with Engle when the GM Korea crisis came to the surface last month.



Deputy Finance Minister Koh Hyeong-gwon said during the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee meeting earlier this month that he first met Engle last month to discuss General Motors' decision to shut down its Gunsan operation.



Koh's announcement demonstrated the trade ministry's position in handling major economic issues, experts point out.



"There isn't much room for the ministry to work," said an industry insider who asked not to be named.



"Major decision-making powers are all concentrated in the strategy ministry and the FSC. The trade ministry is the managing authority only in name. It's rather a wingman ministry on such issues."



The Detroit-based carmaker announced earlier this month that it would shut down its underused plant in Gunsan as part of global restructuring. Gunsan is one of four factories it operates in Korea.



With the fate of the other plants to be determined within months, GM said it was willing to allocate two new models  an SUV and a crossover utility vehicle  to its assembly lines in Bupyeong and Changwon. However, it has been pressuring the government to provide support.



Demands from GM include the government's participation in a debt-to-equity conversion. GM Korea has borrowed $2.7 billion from its headquarters, which GM says it is willing to convert into equity. However, it is requesting that the KDB, which is the second largest shareholder of GM Korea with a 17 percent stake, participate in the conversion. If the KDB accepts the offer, it will have to inject over 500 billion won into the troubled carmaker.


Sales of Lotte Liquor's Fitz beer had topped 100 million bottles in less than a year as of February. / Capture from Twitter



By Ko Dong-hwan



While Seoul suffers an onslaught of imported beers thanks to a lowered trade bar, a domestic newcomer has sold more than 100 million bottles, as of Feb. 26.



Fitz Super Clear by Lotte Liquor hit South Korean shelves in June 2017. Its domestic sales translates that people of legal drinking age (20) or older, about 30 million, consumed at least three bottles each. This is enough to fill the 5,200-ton Lotteworld Aquarium six times.



Lotte Liquor started exporting Fitz to China last November and subsequently added Australia, Canada, Taiwan and Cambodia.



Fitz's strong domestic sales come amid predictions that imported beer will increasingly replace domestic beer. The latest version of the U.S.-South Korea free trade agreement striped tariffs on American beer, starting last January. The same will happen for European beer in July.



"Despite the tariffs on imported beers being dropped, their prices will not dramatically be lowered," said a South Korean beer market analyst. "But from the consumers' perspective, they would be glad to taste diverse kinds of imported beer at prices that have plunged by even a little."



More South Koreans enjoy imported beers nowadays, moving away from the trend of enjoying a mixture of soju and beer in a glass. The custom reportedly began with American blue-collar miners and wharf laborers in the early 1900s, who created "boiler-making"  mixing different liquors to get drunk quickly at affordable prices.



Imported beers are available in various food marts across South Korea, attracting more consumers interested in enjoying the drinks at home. The beer is more expensive at restaurants or liquor bars.



The surging popularity of imported beers pushed imports to $263 million last year, up 45 percent year-on-year. Exports of domestic beer totaled $112 million during the same period, leaving a beer trade deficit of more than $100 million, the most ever.



The popularity of imported beers has been evident at local festivals based on foreign beer parties. A beer festival in July 2017 at a Namhae County island in South Gyeongsang Province mimicked Oktoberfest in Munich, one of the world's largest beer festivals. The eight-day event attracted a record 110,000 visitors.


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Rome, February 26 - Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi told RTL 102.5 radio on Monday that he considered it "difficult" to patch up relations with Democratic Party (PD) chief Matteo Renzi. Three-time premier Berlusconi and ex-premier Renzi struck the so-called Nazareno Pact in 2014 for a new election law and an overhaul of Italy's political machinery. But Berlusconi ditched the pact early in 2015 due to differences that emerged in the process that led to President Sergio Mattarella being elected head of State. There has been speculation that FI and the PD could try to form a grand-coalition government if the outcome of Sunday's general election is inconclusive. Berlusconi said Monday that he expected a "splendid" result for FI and the centre-right coalition on Sunday. He added that he has a premier candidate in mind but cannot name that person yet because they have "a very high role and don't want their name in the mincer".
Rieti, February 26 - Anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini responded to a question on the far-right CasaPound group's announced support for a Salvini-led government by saying Monday that he would meet "everyone" after the March 4 general election. "I can't wait to be put to the test, from March 5 I will meet everybody," said Salvini on the stump in Rieti. "I'm busy with the League and the centre right, I'm working so that Italians will choose a centre-right government led by the League. Everything that happens outside doesn't concern me," he said.
Rome, February 26 - Cultural figures including actor-director Carlo Verdone, architect Paolo Portoghesi, director Cristina Comencini and chef Massimo Bottura on Monday appealed to the next government to make culture a priority. "Let's restore to Italy its role of cradle of culture and civilisation," they wrote. "Let's relaunch Europe, leading its refoundation, not only restoring dignity to citizens but a future to those who are deprived of one". They appealed to "anyone, after the March 4 general election, who will have responsibility in government or opposition. "May they take care of culture and citizens' rights," they said. photo: Verdone
Rome, February 23 - Italy will not need to pass a supplementary budget, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said Monday. He also said Italy was no longer under "special observation" in Europe and that the economy was "much more stable" than in previous years. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had not meant to suggest otherwise with his recent statement, which he later toned down, on the possibility of a "non-operational" government after the March 4 general election.
Rome, February 26 - Premier Paolo Gentiloni on Monday visited a Red Cross centre in Rome and thanked the workers for helping the homeless during a cold snap which has engulfed the Italian capital in snow. "For those without a roof over their heads the very particular conditions of these days are to be faced and managed in the best way possible," said the premier. "We know that you have to move gradually from activities supporting emergency to support for poverty and inclusion. "And that is the work we're trying to do. "But thank you to the Red Cross and voluntary associations that have acted in these hours for people who feel the cold in a much more serious way".
Hundreds of residents of Orange City, Iowa, are urging the towns library to label and segregate books that deal with LGBTQ themes, the Des Moines Register reports.

More than 300 residents of the city signed a petition demanding that the library label, and shelve separately, materials that deal primarily LGBTQ issues and halt new acquisition of any additional materials that primarily deal with LGBTQ materials before a public discussion can be held about the acquisition so valuable feedback can be given by important stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and faith communities.

Copies of the petition were circulated throughout the town along with a flier that features a quote from pastor and author Kevin DeYoung: It is no little mistake in Gods eyes to encourage and support what harms our fellow creatures and dishonors our Creator.

The flier also featured images of three LGBTQ-themed books aimed at young readers: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan, This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman and Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino. All three books have been frequently challenged in the past by people who disapprove of their subject matter.

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At a meeting of the librarys board of trustees last week, a local pastor accused the library of supporting a pro-gay agenda, the Sioux City Journal reports.

As a congregation, I would have to say we are shocked that tax money is being used to push this agenda even further, the Rev. Sacha Walicord said. As pastors, we have been silent for far too long. We have rolled over for far too long. This ends now.

Orange City resident Mike Goll spoke in support of keeping the LGBTQ-themed books with the rest of the librarys materials.

There are gay kids, there are trans kids in this town, and seeing their faces and seeing their lives mirrored in some of the books here means everything, Goll said.

The debate spilled over to the librarys Facebook page, where users took to leaving reviews to express their opinions on the LGBTQ books.

I never used to have to worry about what my children would come across at the library, wrote a user with an account under the name David-Kathy Taylor. Now, even in the childrens section, I have to pre-screen what my children can even look at when in the childrens section. It appears that the current directors personal beliefs have flowed into her public sector job. What a shame, considering taking my kids to [Sioux Center Public Library] where they are not subject to such things.

Another user, Michael Zellmer-McMahan, wrote in support of LGBTQ books in the towns library.

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It deeply saddens me that people from a community would seek to attack material that is so useful and meaningful to LGBTQ adolescents, Zellmer-McMahan wrote. For kids who feel differently, or who dont fit the norm, there needs to be an outlet for them to feel safe, and a book is such a wonderful outlet to let them know that they are not alone.
When federal immigration agents visited Los Angeles 7-Eleven stores and trucking companies near the ports in recent weeks to conduct audits of employee records, it sent a chill through those businesses and others in the region.

Immigrant advocates said some employees at the audited firms stopped coming to work. Workers at other companies worried they could be next. And their employers were concerned  or confused  enough that trade groups and attorneys distributed tip sheets advising companies of what federal and state law requires them to do as the Trump administration and California wage war over immigration policy.

There is a heightened level of stress and anxiety, said Alexandra Suh, executive director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, which helps low-wage immigrant workers in the Los Angeles neighborhood. Even just the request for documentation caused a number of workers to quit on the spot.

Heres a look at whats behind the federal activity, and how it will impact businesses.

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What is ICE looking for?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the Trump administration, has promised to beef up work site enforcement, as well as increase its presence in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions such as California.

In the recent five-day operation, ICE agents served 122 notices to L.A.-area companies that they would be conducting an audit of their I-9 forms. Several weeks earlier, the same notices were given to 77 companies in Northern California.

I-9s are the forms on which employees attest to their work status and present documents to support that they are who they say they are and have the authorization to work.

After getting that notice, employers must produce documents in as little as three business days.

If ICE determines that the documents show an employee is unauthorized to work, the employer is notified they could face civil and criminal penalties if they continue to employ that person.

Employers can then speak privately with specific employees to try to correct any document discrepancies. More often than not, even though immigration authorities dont attend such meetings, employees simply disappear rather than show up, according to advisory documents employment attorneys circulated to fruit growers last year.

What federal law requires

It is illegal for employers to knowingly hire workers in the country illegally, and they must take some steps to verify employees are authorized to be here.

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For the I-9 form, an employee presents proof such as a U.S. passport, green card or Social Security number along with a government or school photo ID.

Employers who do not keep the proper paperwork can face fines, with larger financial penalties levied against people who knowingly hire undocumented workers.

Individuals who engage in a pattern or practice of hiring unauthorized workers can face criminal charges and more substantial monetary fines.

But some experts say the penalties are too weak, watered down to appease business interests so as to allow companies to look the other way. Bryan Little, director of employment policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said most employers dont seek to hire undocumented workers, but documents are often faked.

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If employers do not accept a document that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker, though, they can face discrimination charges.

You are not required to be a document examiner, said Danielle H. Gotcher, managing partner of Global Immigration Partners in Calabasas Hills.

Jose Gonzalez, a local farmworker, picks strawberries for a farm in Guadalupe, Calif., in 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times )

Are ICEs audits new?

No. ICE visits to employers hit a peak of 3,127 under President Obama in 2013, before his administration shifted its focus to deporting people convicted of serious crimes. In the 2017 fiscal year, ICE said it conducted 1,360 audits.

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But under Trump, who railed against both legal and illegal immigration during both the 2016 campaign and his presidency, ICE agents have become more willing to arrest anyone in the country illegally whom they encounter during enforcement actions, even if those people have no criminal convictions.

In the 2017 fiscal year, which included the last few months of the Obama administration and most of Trumps first year in office, immigration arrests inside the country of people with criminal convictions jumped 12%. Arrests of people with no criminal convictions more than doubled, to more than 37,000.

Actual deportations were down 6%, partly because of a sharp drop in arrests of people trying to cross the border in the first place.

ICE has promised to get more aggressive, and Deputy Director Thomas Homan has said he wants to ramp up work site enforcement by 400%.

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Whats the rationale for Trumps crackdown?

Dani Bennett, an ICE spokesperson, said workplace audits are needed to protect jobs for people here legally and eliminate unfair competitive advantages for companies that hire an illegal workforce.

Some economists say immigrants, particularly undocumented workers, have depressed wages for Americans in low-paying jobs, because they expand the labor pool and are willing to work for less.

But there is disagreement among experts on the extent of the effect and whether it even exists.

Dave Smith, an economist at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management, said undocumented workers have a slight negative impact on wages of low-skilled workers, but automation and the nations shift away from manufacturing have been much bigger factors.

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Giovanni Peri, director of the Migration Research Cluster at UC Davis, doesnt believe immigrants have pushed wages down. Instead, immigrants, regardless of legal status, provide a boost to the economy, he said  more people buying more goods and services.

Studies show immigrants start businesses at a higher rate than native-born Americans. Peri said undocumented workers take manual labor jobs that many here legally dont want.

Without them it would be a much smaller economy, Peri said.

Francisco Martinez, a sheet metal worker, at a construction site in downtown Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

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What industries get hit hardest by a crackdown?

An estimated 11 million people are believed to be living in the United States illegally. About 10% of Californias workforce is in the country illegally, according to estimates from the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at USC.

Some industries, such as agriculture and construction, have a much heavier concentration of undocumented workers.

According to USC researchers, undocumented people account for 45% of agricultural employment in California. In construction, it is 21%. Undocumented workers account for 17% of employees in a broad sector that includes accommodation and food services. Other industries with significant numbers of undocumented workers are manufacturing and wholesale trade.

Both agriculture and construction are facing a shortage of workers, which has those companies concerned about losing immigrant workers. Among the reasons for the shortage, they say, is declining immigration from Mexico.

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If the Trump administration ramps up deportations  and succeeds in persuading Congress to limit legal immigration  worker shortages would worsen, Smith said. Construction projects would take longer to complete, and some crops would go unpicked.

The crackdown on immigration  could have a pull-back effect on the California economy, which I think has benefited greatly from an infusion of labor over time, he said.

Several years ago, similar I-9 audits in the Central Coast led to layoffs. And growers began recruiting foreign agricultural guest workers through the H-2A visa program.

The California Fresh Fruit Assn. told growers in early February that federal authorities were revisiting packinghouses that had been audited within the last five years  something that in the past has sent workers fleeing.

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Even their presence in an office causes people to leave, association President George Radanovich said. Were very concerned about it and we wish the federal government would get its immigration act in order.

During a recent two-day tour of the Central Valley, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue assured growers that he had spoken privately with officials at Homeland Security, the agency that houses ICE, and cautioned them that public raids can wreak havoc on the industry.

People are not going to their jobs, because theyre afraid, Hortencia Solario, a worker at Harris Woolf California Almonds, told Perdue during a stop-over at the companys processing facility in Coalinga.

The good news is President Trump gets what youre saying, Perdue replied. The people who are out here working and paying taxes  in this plant or in other places  are not the people he is after.

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A rally is held this month to protest a memorandum of understanding signed by the San Gabriel Police Department and a unit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times )

What protection does California law provide?

A new state law, AB 450, limits how cooperative California businesses can be with federal immigration authorities.

Employers now cannot allow immigration agents into nonpublic areas of a business without a judicial warrant, for instance. Nor can they voluntarily let agents access employee records without a subpoena, a warrant from a judge or a notice of I-9 inspection. And employers are now required to notify all employees of an I-9 audit within three days of being served an audit notice.

Another new state law also limits cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE agents.

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ICEs Homan has said he is increasing the agencys presence in California, because the new limitations force it to conduct large-scale sweeps. In a separate Los Angeles operation, conducted at the same time as the I-9 audits, ICE agents arrested 212 people in the country illegally.

Sue M. Bendavid, an employment attorney with Lewitt Hackman in Encino, said some of her business clients are confused over their responsibility under AB 450 and how that could conflict with the demands of federal agents. One client contacted her after ICE agents visited a nearby business, wondering if they were next.

AB 450 really puts employers in between a rock and hard place, she said.

In a news release announcing the recent operations in the L.A. area, ICE said Californias new workplace law intends to interfere with federal immigration enforcement authorities and it expects employers and state officials to comply with federal law. However, Bennett, the ICE spokeswoman, declined to say whether the agency believes any part of AB 450 violates federal law.

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California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and Labor Commissioner Julie Su released an advisory and FAQ this month, and they insist there are no conflicts between the state law and federal requirements.

The Immigrant Worker Protection Act seeks first and foremost to protect Californians privacy at the workplace, Becerra said in a recent statement.

What other risks do audits pose for employees?

While ICE says it focuses on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, it also says it no longer looks the other way if agents come across people without criminal convictions who are here illegally. ICE has expanded the number of people it considers priorities for deportation.

Cinthia Flores, a staff attorney with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said she worries that I-9 audits will be used as leads to find and deport workers fired for suspect documents.

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That is our biggest concern, she said. Beyond losing a job, there is not supposed to be any kind of consequences for workers. ICE confirmed that depending on the circumstances, its possible the agency would go after a person after he or she is fired.

Times staff writer Adam Elmahrek contributed to this report.

To read this article in Spanish click here

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andrew.khouri@latimes.com

Follow me @khouriandrew on Twitter
Once sidelined inside the White House by more moderate voices on trade, Peter Navarro, the noted China critic, is set to re-emerge as a more influential member of the Trump administration, just as the president is gearing up to take potentially punishing economic actions against Beijing.

Navarro, a former longtime UC Irvine professor, is expected to be named assistant to the president, a promotion that would place the Harvard-trained economist among the ranks of top-level policy advisors, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Trumps decision to give Navarro a higher rank, first reported by the publication Inside Trade, comes as the president faces an April deadline to determine whether to impose tariffs and other measures to restrict imported steel and aluminum from China and other nations.

The Trump administration is also considering more sweeping penalties on China for alleged theft of intellectual property and forced technology transfers.

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Navarro was a top economic advisor to Trump during his campaign in 2016, providing the economic rationale for Trumps fiery rhetoric that called for overhauling free-trade deals and tariffs of 45% on Chinese imports.

They may be preparing for stronger tariffs, so hed be the natural one to represent the White House, said Derek Scissors, a China economic analyst with the American Enterprise Institute.

White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom declined to comment, saying she had no personnel announcements to make at this time.

Navarro, who has written such provocative books as The Coming China Wars and Death by China: Confronting the Dragon  a Global Call to Action, was an architect of Trumps campaign white paper on economic policy, along with now-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

After Trumps victory, the president appointed Navarro head of a newly created White House National Trade Council. But that office dissolved after a few months, and Navarro was relegated to a role subordinate to the National Economic Council and its director, Gary Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs president whose more favorable positions on trade clashed with Navarros nationalist stance.

The new rank could allow Navarro to bypass Cohn and once again report directly to Trump.

White House officials have downplayed the apparent conflicts between the administrations economic nationalists and the so-called globalists. The latter group worries about the economic risks of a hard-line approach that could trigger a trade war, especially with China, the worlds second largest economy and Americas top trading partner.

Trump has somewhat moderated his rhetoric on trade since taking office even as he has often given conflicting signals about how he might deal with China. On Monday, speaking to state governors meeting in Washington, Trump again praised Chinese President Xi Jinping while insisting that the United States cannot tolerate lopsided trade with China.

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I think that President Xi is unique. Hes helping us with North Korea, Trump told the governors.

Chinas been good, but they havent been great, he added. China has really done more, probably, than theyve ever done because of my relationship. We have a very good relationship, but President Xi is for China, and Im for the United States.

We probably lost $504 billion last year on trade to China, Trump said. In fact, Chinese imports last year were more than $505 billion, but the United States also exported $130 billion in goods, resulting in a merchandise trade deficit of about $375 billion. In addition to Trumps tendency to get the numbers wrong, economists have repeatedly noted that running a trade deficit does not mean that the U.S. has lost money  cheap imports have been a major factor in U.S. economic growth even as they have wiped out some manufacturing jobs.

Trumps mantra on trade has been fair and reciprocal trade, and his aides are trying to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and the United States trade pact with South Korea.

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Navarro has blamed trade deals like NAFTA and the one with South Korea for weakening the American economy, and Trump and Navarro have shared the same critical view of Chinese economic policies and the World Trade Organization.

Peter has shown staying power, said Scissors. Although he was seen as marginalized in the administration, Navarro always seemed to have a voice at the table, he added.

Peters influence comes from the fact that the president tends to agree with him, he said.

don.lee@latimes.com

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Student-loan debt collectors accused of misleading borrowers would get protection under a proposal from the Trump administration.

The Department of Education may issue a statement that federal law prohibits state governments from regulating companies that collect student debt on the departments behalf, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The proposal, which would reverse the departments position in 2016, could help publicly traded companies such as Navient Corp. and Nelnet Inc., which collect monthly payments and counsel borrowers.

Former President Obamas administration was too aggressive in its efforts to tighten oversight of the companies, Mick Mulvaney, the new chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has said. More than 1 million Americans annually default on loans made directly by the department, federal data show.

The Education Department seems to have taken a position that servicers are more important to the department than borrowers trying to repay the loans, said Whitney Barkley-Denney, a lawyer at North Carolina-based nonprofit Center for Responsible Lending.

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Some states said they would fill the void left by the federal governments shift. California, Connecticut and Illinois enacted new laws governing how companies may interact with student-loan borrowers. Attorneys general in Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Washington have filed lawsuits against the Education Departments loan contractors, alleging consumer abuses.

Education Department representatives Elizabeth Hill, Nathan Bailey and Chris Greene didnt respond to multiple messages seeking comment. Congressional Republicans, who have praised state regulation, have scheduled a Tuesday hearing in the House Oversight Committee to explore how states could lead in drafting smarter regulations.

States have argued that the federal governments efforts to block them from policing big banks in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis exacerbated the mortgage meltdown because it enabled reckless lending.

Federal oversight

Navient has argued in court that states cases against it should be dismissed in part because state law is preempted by federal laws that govern the loan company. It also has lobbied state lawmakers who have debated imposing additional requirements. We will continue to work with state policymakers on reforms that make a difference on the major issues facing borrowers, said Patricia Christel, a Navient spokeswoman.

Ben Kiser, a Nelnet spokesman, didnt respond to a request for comment made outside normal business hours.

The National Council of Higher Education Resources, a Washington-based trade group that represents student-loan companies, asked the Education Department and Congress to block states moves.

Federal interests

The Education Department argues that an increase in costs borne by its contractors would inevitably be passed on to the federal government, potentially distorting the balance between the cost of collecting debt and the benefits to borrowers, internal records reviewed by Bloomberg show.

The department believes such regulation is preempted by federal law, officials wrote in a draft Federal Register notice. State regulation of contractors for the department that service direct loans implicate uniquely federal interests.

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The Education Department historically has sought to change its contractors behavior by asking them to stop certain practices, rather than taking them to court. Its main objective is to make credit freely available to college students at the lowest possible cost.

Current senior officials including Kathleen Smith, James Manning and Mark LaVia are among department officials who formerly worked for the student-loan industry.

Half of the nations state attorneys general, including some Republicans, urged Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to reject the student-loan industrys requests to block state investigations into their businesses.

These requests defy the well-established role of states in protecting their residents from fraudulent and abusive practices, the states said in a joint letter. The department cannot sweep away state laws that apply to student-loan servicers and debt collectors.
Qualcomm said Monday it is ready for further talks with rival and potential buyer Broadcom to see if the two sides can negotiate a sale of the San Diego cellular technology giant, with price remaining a key sticking point.

In a letter sent to Broadcom on Monday, Qualcomm Chairman Paul Jacobs revealed that representatives of the two companies met for a second time on Feb. 23, where they made progress on some of the protections Qualcomm is seeking during whats expected to be a long regulatory review of the deal by global competition agencies.

But Qualcomm also wants additional steps  including a higher break-up fee should antitrust regulators block the deal and more details about Broadcoms plans to revamp Qualcomms lucrative patent-licensing business.

In addition, Qualcomm contends Broadcoms $79-per-share offer remains well below the fair value of the company given its pending acquisition of NXP Semiconductors to diversify beyond smartphones, an eventual settlement of legal disputes with Apple surrounding patent fees, and growth from new 5G mobile networks.

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While we have made progress on regulatory and other deal-certainty issues, you have continued to insist that your current $79 per share proposal is your best and final proposal, Jacobs said in the letter to Broadcom Chief Executive Hock Tan.

Qualcomms board continues to be of the unanimous belief that each of your proposals, including your prior $82 per share proposal, materially undervalues Qualcomm.

Qualcomms willingness to talk comes as the San Diego companys shareholders are expected to vote March 6 on whether to support Broadcoms hostile takeover bid.

Broadcom has nominated six alternative candidates to Qualcomms board of directors, which would give Broadcom a majority to push through its $117-billion takeover  the largest ever in the technology industry.

Broadcoms effort got a boost last week when two influential shareholder advisors recommended that Qualcomm stockholders support at least some of Broadcoms board nominees.

The recommendations likely helped influence Qualcomms board to propose further talks.

We do not know for certain what is bringing this shift in attitude, though we suspect recent points of view offered by the proxy services Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, as well as the companys recent meetings with shareholders, may be part of it, wrote Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon.

According to the letter, Broadcom dropped its demand to control major decisions surrounding Qualcomms patent-licensing arm while the deal was pending, which Jacobs called progress.

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Qualcomm wants Broadcom to increase its break-up fee to 9% of the value and debt of Qualcomm, including its pending acquisition of Dutch automotive chipmaker NXP.

Rasgon estimated that amount to be roughly $13.5 billion  up from the $8 billion in Broadcoms current offer. The high break-up fee is based on the Baker Hughes/Halliburton merger, which also involved complex regulatory issues and eventually failed.

In addition, Qualcomm wants more information about Broadcoms plans for changing patent licensing  which makes up a majority of Qualcomms profits and funds much of its research and development to create new technologies.

Broadcom has declined to spell out its plans, claiming it would violate antitrust laws. But Jacobs said knowing how Broadcom would change its patent-licensing arm is vital to understanding the antitrust risks and value implications of the deal.

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Qualcomm proposed using an antitrust law firm as an intermediary to share permissible information on licensing, then meeting again to hammer out the remaining regulatory hurdles.

Qualcomm also suggested entering into a nondisclosure agreement to share information on price.

We appreciate that we have differences in our views on value, and ours is based on significantly more information than the public data you now have at your disposal, the letter said.

Qualcomm is confident that it can deliver $7 per share in adjusted earnings by 2019, which implies a stock price of about $100 per share.

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Broadcom has yet to respond to the letter. Qualcomms shares were up 2.5% at $64.93 in early trading Monday on the Nasdaq.

Mike Freeman is a San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer.

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @TechDiego

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UPDATES:

10 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with San Diego Union-Tribune reporting.

This article was originally published at 7 a.m.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has become so commission-friendly that the orchestra is starting to get the occasional snide quip from traditionalists. All those new pieces are supposedly just a way of detracting attention away from not being able to play the classics with a European authority. That is to say that keeping an art form alive is somehow an extension of Hollywood.

There is no question that Walt Disney Concert Hall has become a temple of the new. But what is particularly striking is how contagious that has become. If things had gone as planned, it would have been possible to hear two new L.A. Phil commissions Sunday. Nico Muhlys arresting organ concerto was on the orchestras matinee program led by guest conductor James Conlon, but Italian composer Mauro Lanza didnt finish his piece in time for pianists Daniil Trifonov and Sergei Babayan at their evening recital.

No matter. Sunday evening, across town at UCLA, a stunning new piece by Ellen Reid had been commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Douglas Boyd was conducting. Reid doesnt yet have anything like the exposure or prolific output of Muhly (both are thirtysomethings), but over the next nine months she will have world premieres given by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Los Angeles Opera and the L.A. Phil  an unheard of run.

Meanwhile, LACO has taken up the new music mantle to such a degree that it has a premiere on every remaining program of its orchestra series this season.

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On the surface, Muhlys frenetic, verging on claustrophobic, Register is very New York urban, whereas Reids doors-wide-open Petrichor has a West Coast vibe. Underneath, it gets more nuanced.

Written for British organist James McVinnie, a longtime colleague of Muhly, Register takes its name both from the organ term registration, for choosing the organ stops that determine the different pipes used and thus tone color, but also from the tone, or register, of speech.

This might be likened to the variety of voices you might hear on a busy urban street. One minute your attention is drawn to voices of children, then to a couple with Long Island accents, then a French tourist. For this, Muhly draws on the solo organ pieces  be they dreamy or fast, repetitive and cyclic  hes written for McVinnie. He also turns for inspiration from 17th century British keyboard music he fancies. Finally, Register is an invitation to freedom; the organist is invited to select his own, thus becoming his own orchestrator.

For most of the concertos 20 minutes, Register, doesnt let you catch your breath. A sharp percussion attack sets the organ off in one manner; another attack and the orchestra suddenly changes direction. Different chord sequences go every which way. The effect is exhilarating, but the goal is something else, a quiet liberation with dulled strings and the organ mellowed. The concerto ends with what feels like the arrival in a sanctuary, where the real business is about to begin. Every New Yorker knows that miraculous momentary escape feels like.

Reids Petrichor, on the other hand, takes its inspiration from a sensation Angelenos crave. The title is the marvelous term for the distinctive smell that accompanies the first rain after a warm, dry spell. The composer spells it out, so to speak, by putting a number of musicians from the orchestra behind the audience as well as placing two horns on the balcony, creating a kind of sonic rain forest. At UCLAs Royce Hall, the music drifted like fog and dripped as if from leaks in the roof.

You didnt at first quite know where you were. Just as rain changes your sense of your surroundings, the shimmering strings and bright winds in the back that opened Petrichor seemed to mysteriously erase the physical barriers of the hall. Attention was eventually directed to the stage, where the larger ensemble gradually became an exotic rhythm machine, although the voices from beyond returned us to the greater open spaces.

Otherwise, both programs went in for blockbuster-ing. In this, Conlon, who is the music director of the L.A. Opera, was the more appealing. He brought an appropriate dramatic approach to Muhly and to Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition (using Ravels orchestration with some added new touches by the conductor, himself). In sticking to the overarching theme of registration, he began the program with an incisive performance of Ravels orchestration of his piano piece, Le Tombeau de Couperin.

In Boyds case, the Scottish conductor provocatively turned Haydns Symphony No. 104 into a blockbuster. The orchestra kept up with his aggressive tempos and attempts at grandeur over wit and wonder. But showy excitement only goes so far.

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An overly forthright performance of Benjamin Brittens mysterious Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, also on the jumbled program, displayed little of the creepy allure of sweet and scary death stalking. Instead, tenor Thomas Cooley and the orchestras principal horn Michael Thornton competed for the spotlight, while Boyd minimized the strings, the only mystery being what was being sung (no texts were supplied).

Something else was striking Sunday. Remember Hopscotch, the mobile opera around downtown L.A. and environs that was devised and directed by Yuval Sharon with his opera company, the Industry, in 2015? It had so many moving parts that keeping the music by the six composers straight wasnt always the point.

Those L.A. composers, of which Reid was one, have now become a center of a new music community. It just so happened that another of those composers, Veronika Krausas, interviewed McVinnie for the L.A. Phil Upbeat Live preconcert talk. A terrific new piece by a third, Andrew McIntosh, was the other L.A. Phil commission at Tuesdays Green Umbrella.

A childrens opera by a fourth, Andrew Norman, will be given its U.S. premiere at Disney Hall on Friday by the L.A. Phil in a production directed by Sharon. Oh, yes, Norman, who is also composer-in-residence and artistic adviser to LACO, interviewed Reid about Petrichor at Royce for the preconcert talk. (She said Hopscotch opened her to using her surroundings in her music.)

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Could that be where the confusion of new music with Hollywood comes from? When it comes to L.A., the Industry doesnt mean only Hollywood. Nor does Hollywood only mean movies  the L.A. Phil has an Oscars concert Wednesday.

mark.swed@latimes.com
In 2002, the BBC held a poll to determine whom the people of England considered the Greatest Briton of all time. Winston Churchill was named No. 1, earning nearly two-thirds of the total votes and besting figures like William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth and Charles Darwin.

The former prime minister, who died in 1965, continues to loom large in the public eye of both the U.K. and the world, and is frequently invoked by politicians and business leaders. Hes been portrayed dozens of time on TV and film, most recently in the best picture nominee Darkest Hour, which portrays Churchills ascension to prime minister at a key moment in World War II.

The film has revitalized a long-held interest here in the man, played by Gary Oldman in whats favored to be an Oscar-winning performance, reminding viewers of what true leadership in the face of terrible odds should look like.

Winston Churchill is a revered figure because he saved liberty, says Andrew Roberts, author of the forthcoming book Churchill: Walking With Destiny. Several people in the British government wanted to make peace with Hitler, which eventually would have led to us being destroyed. The fact that Winston Churchill held out against that even though rationally he couldnt see a way to win the war makes him the greatest man in history.

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Which isnt to say that hes revered by everyone.

Hes much more controversial in Britain than he is in America, notes Roberts. Anti-imperialists dislike him of course  he was a very committed, lifelong imperialist. He imprisoned Gandhi. He hated communism and denounced it very vigorously and he also disliked socialism at home. People in South Wales blamed him, quite wrongly in fact, for the putting down of several violent strikes in 1910 and 1911. Germans dont much like him for the bombing of their cities during the Second World War. Youre absolutely inundated with people for whom he was on the wrong side.

Darkest Hour, directed by Joe Wright, dramatizes Churchills push to stand up against Germany in 1940, an act that inevitably swayed history. However, the politicians legacy is far grander. He is one of the longest-serving politicians in Britain, and contributed to some of the legislation that still stands today.

Hes an incredibly iconic figure and represents a lot of what we here in Britain hold dear as national traits  courage and determination, said Katherine Carter, project curator and collections manager at Chartwell, Churchills family home. His entire breadth of career contributed to British history and British politics.

Much of Churchills status as Britains favorite leader is owed to his specific iconography, from the ever-present cigar to his memorable hat. Since the end of the war, Churchill has in fact been recognizable just by his silhouette. Hes attributed to numerous quotes about the human condition, and Churchilliana  Churchill memorabilia  remains highly sought after.

Anything to do with Churchill is eminently collectible, says James Taylor, curator at Londons Churchill War Rooms. Things that came from his own hand, like speeches, go for huge sums of money. But there are also more humble, mass-produced items like jugs and little statuettes. Ive even got one.

But Taylor notes that through his long lifetime the British people had mixed views of the prime minister. For example, a year after the victory over Germany in WWII, he was voted out of office.

Frankly, he became a bore to people, Taylor says. His support for King Edward VIII and the 1936 abdication crisis, again, a lot of people thought hed made the wrong choice both in the political establishment and beyond that. So while he was one who was very much in the public eye, some of his decisions were deeply unpopular. But the thing he was right about, which was the key thing, was the threat from Hitler.

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Churchill may have held many old-school views, but he had a postmodernist attitude about his own image.

He was acutely aware of how he could put himself forth to be more memorable, Carter adds. Theres that line from him, which I think is a misquote but is very much true, that he said History will be kind to me because I intend to write it. And I think he was very much aware as he was going through his political career that he was creating history and as such could decide how he would be remembered for generations to come.

Today there seems to a particular resonance with Churchill as a character.

In many ways, he is a more complex and more controversial character on this side of the Atlantic in the U.K. than he is in the United States, notes Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College in Cambridge, who describes Churchills public career as a real roller-coaster ride.

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Hes a legendary figure because the most overused word in the English language is leadership, says Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, Churchills grandson. Everyone in politics and industry and business obsesses about leadership, but most of them wouldnt know it if it bit them on the lower leg. But of course Churchill absolutely deployed leadership and his leadership skills in such a brilliant way to lead Britain at a very bad time. We all look back on Churchill as a heroic figure. And I think he is a heroic figure, although like humans he had failings.

The fictional depictions of Churchill may lack some historical accuracies, but these pop culture appearances do encourage audiences to seek out more about him. Taylor says the Churchill War Rooms have seen a spike in visitors since the release of Darkest Hour and Carter notes that whenever there is a major feature on Winston Churchill we certainly find a great deal of interest in people, particularly wanting to know more about him as an individual.

[Fiction] manages to do what drama does, which is make it up a little bit as it goes along and take a little bit of license but at the same time keeping  reasonably accurately  the known facts, says Michael Dobbs, author of four Winston Churchill novels and a Conservative politician in the House of Lords. So it encourages people to find out a little bit more about him and what he did and what he achieved. And also where he got it wrong.

I think Winston Churchill and what he stands for is the sort of person who there will always be an audience for. I think that he was the greatest man, the greatest Britain, weve ever had.

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At the Los Angeles Ballets annual gala, the classical dance company honored three multi-talented, multi-hyphenates  Jenna Dewan Tatum, Derek Hough and Adam Shankman  all of them dancers among other accomplishments and passionate on the subject of dance.

Dance is my everything, Dewan said during the cocktail hour.

All roads lead back to dance for me, added the actress, dancer and host of World of Dance. No matter what I do in my career, no matter what I do in my life, being a dancer informs me. Its who I am.

A judge on World of Dance, Hough, an actor-dancer-author-choreographer, said he took his first official lesson at age 10, but if I look at old home videos of myself and my family, and I can see we were dancing in our living room since we were born. Hough holds a record on Dancing With the Stars, having won six mirror balls.

Shankman said later from the podium, As the story goes, I actually emerged from my mother doing cartwheels with a top hat and cane.  I dance to live and I live to dance, and God willing, Ill die doing a cartwheel, still clutching my cane. (The producer-director-choreographers current project is the Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted.)

Sharon Davis, from left, Glorya Kaufman, Kirsten Sarkisian and former Gov. Grey Davis at the Los Angeles Ballet gala. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

The event

A look at one of the performances at the Los Angeles Ballet gala. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

The Los Angeles Ballet celebrated Swan Lake on Feb. 24 with a black and white themed-gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. More than $1 million was raised for its programming and educational outreach.

The program

Sofia Carson attends the Los Angeles Ballet gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on Feb. 24, 2018. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

Artistic directors Colleen Neary and Thordal Christensen introduced the dancers, who performed excerpts from Swan Lake. The interpretation of Spanish, Neapolitan, Hungarian and Russian folk dances and elegant black swan pas de deux were then followed by a young troupe from A Chance to Dance, Los Angeles Ballets program of free classes.

Disney star Sofia Carson said earlier in the evening that she had recently taught one of these classes, which are offered to children ages 2 and older. Attending the gala with her sister Paulina, Carson said, I was 3 when I took my first dance lesson, and it changed my life forever. (She also said that her film Descendants 3 would shoot in Vancouver this summer.)

The crowd

James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly at the Los Angeles Ballet gala. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

Mark L. Walberg, host of Antiques Roadshow, emceed the affair, with presenters Nigel Lythgoe, Brad Goreski and Mark Ballas; guests Camilla Belle, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kimberly and James Van Der Beek, and others. Kirsten Sarkisian and Leslie Kavanaugh were co-chairs of the event, along with honorary committee chairs Sharon and Gray Davis, Marilyn and Robert Day, Ghada and Ray Irani, Lori and Michael Milken, Linda La Kretz-Duttenhaver and Richard Merkin.

The numbers

Brad Goreski, from left, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Derek Hough and Sofia Carson. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

Tickets for the 325-plus guests began at $500, and tables ranged to $100,000. Proceeds also included a silent auction and additional donations.

The quote

Dancers perform during the Los Angeles Ballet gala. Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

After suggesting that the crowd raise a glass to Los Angeles Ballet, our beloved home team, which hed earlier described as my Dodgers, Shankman spoke, not only of his love of dance but also of the importance of supporting the arts.

If we are to leave any legacy of value to the next generations, he said, then it is our responsibility to support in every way imaginable institutions like the Los Angeles Ballet, and to do everything in our power both to bring people to us, and also to go into the communities, and to help this generation know that there is more to life than darkness and division and the arduous fight for justice, or even simply to be seen to feel safe.

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From a new brunch pop-up in Santa Monica to food events around town, heres whats happening in the Los Angeles food and drink world:

Time for brunch: Chef Ari Taymor is on the move once again. The chef started his Alma restaurant as a pop-up in Venice before opening a restaurant at a small space in downtown L.A. in 2012. After three years he moved Alma to the Standard Hollywood and ended his two-year run at the hotel last December. Now he has started a weekend-only pop-up in Santa Monica devoted to something he does exceptionally well: brunch. Taymor describes the pop-up as serving elevated breakfast favorites with a modern twist. The pop-up, called Little Prince, is named after the French childrens book The Little Prince, which Taymors mother read to him when he was little. Shes always been so supportive of me in everything I want to do, especially through a tough few years, said Taymor. I wanted to find a way to celebrate that. Taymors partner in the pop-up is restaurant consultant and developer Shane Won Murphy, who has ownership in Kettleblack and Sawyer in Silver Lake. If you had brunch at Alma at the Standard Hollywood, youll recognize some of the dishes at Little Prince, including the cast-iron pancakes and the smoked brisket with Anson Mills grits. The seaweed hollandaise sauce also makes an appearance, served with crispy potatoes and a smoked salmon hash. Little Prince is located in the former Fork in the Road space on Main Street, next to the Jinya Ramen Bar. General manager Steve LaFountain created a list of all-day cocktails, and the pop-up is also serving a selection of natural wines. Little Prince is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 2424 Main St., Santa Monica, littleprince.la.

Eating for a cause: Dozens of L.A. restaurants are participating in Make March Matter, the month-long campaign to raise funds for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Chef David Lefevre created a pretzel and chocolate bread pudding for the month of March at his Manhattan Beach restaurant Fishing With Dynamite. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the dessert will be donated to the campaign. Beacon Echo Park will donate $1 of every toast ordered in March; Portos Bakery will donate a portion of the months sales; Simmzys will donate 100% of the sales from its ice cream sandwiches; and Shake Shack in West Hollywood will donate 25% of its total sales on March 19. For a complete list of participating businesses and to make a donation online, visit www.makemarchmatter.org.

Shop and eat: The next time youre in need of a spicy fried chicken sandwich and in the market for handcrafted housewares, theres Scout. The new Silver Lake restaurant and retail shop opened last week on Sunset Boulevard, next to sister restaurant Sawyer. The cafe portion of the space serves pumpkin seed granola and Greek yogurt; grain bowls; house-cured salmon toast; spicy fried chicken sandwiches; and kale salads. The 240-square-foot shop carries local craft beer, wine, cookbooks from local chefs, cocktail kits, vinyl records from local bands, potted plants, charcuterie boards and more. The shop will also be stocked with fresh pasta and sauces from its other sister restaurant, Kettle Black, and do-it-yourself biscuit mix and pickles from Sawyer. The cafe and shop are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 3707 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 451-9750, www.scoutsilverlake.com.

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Simply divine: The Los Angeles LGBT Center is hosting its 13th annual Simply diVine food and wine event on March 24 at Hollywood Forever. All proceeds from the event support the centers programs and services. The event features food tastings from local restaurants and food trucks as well as craft beer, wine and spirits. General-admission tickets are $100 if purchased by Wednesday and $150 if purchased after. Club VIP tickets are $500 (available through March 24) and includes early entry to the event with bartenders from the Chapel and the Abbey, tastings of wines and Titos vodka, a chef experience with the Border Grills Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken and more. The event starts for general-admission ticket holders at 6 p.m. and at 5 p.m. for Club VIP members. For more information or to purchase tickets visit simplydivinela.org. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

Still hungry? Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson has launched her first craft brew, called Girl Grey, in collaboration with the Bruery in Orange County, and the beer is available on tap at her Playa del Rey restaurants and for purchase on the Bruerys website. Esters Wine Shop & Bar in Santa Monica has launched a guest burger series with burgers from Craig Thorton of Wolvesmouth on March 27, burgers from Brandon Kida of Hinoki & the Bird on April 10, and burgers from the Mozzaplexs Nancy Silverton on May 22. Hayden at the Platform retail and restaurant complex in Culver City has reopened with a new interior, menu from chef Ari Kolender and wine pairings from beverage director Akari Yamamura.

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_
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 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (Erik Lesser / European Pressphoto Agency) 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 Cal State students protest against a tuition increase outside the chancellors office (Irfan Khan) 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 L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner is greeted by Van Nuys High School principal Yolanda Gardea. (Melissa Barales-Lopez) 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 Al Seib / Los Angeles Times ( Incoming L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner talks to students at Belmont High School.) 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 Sen. Kamala Harris (Chris Dekmas) 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 (Phalaen Chang) 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 Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, superintendent from 2006-2008. (L.A. Times file photo) 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 L.A. schools superintendent candidate Andres Alonso got an endorsement Friday, but Austin Beutner and Vivian Ekchian also have supporters. (Elizabeth Malby) 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 (Los Angeles Times) 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 National test scores for fourth- and eighth-graders were generally flat from 2015, but eighth-grade reading scores showed some improvement. 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 
One of President Trumps main campaign platforms was to build a border wall. Now at the beginning of his second year in office, Congress is locked in a stalemate over funding the wall and providing a pathway to citizenship for so-called Dreamers.

Meanwhile, the Border Patrol last week touted a new 30-foot structure replacing a little over two miles of decades-old barriers in Calexico as part of the border wall. News media announced the development as the first installation of Trumps wall.

Plans for the project began in 2009, according to Border Patrol agent Justin Castrejon, well before Trump as a candidate began calling for a border wall.

Congress has not passed any bills specifically funding Trumps border wall.

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Money for the Calexico project came in Trumps first year in office with the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, according to a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection. That legislation gives CBP about $260.9 million for procurement, construction, and improvements.

The Calexico project contract will cost about $18 million, Castrejon said.

Agents generally use the term fence to refer to barriers that were in place prior to the Trump administration. With the announcement of this project, that seems to be changing.

We are calling this a border wall, Castrejon said. It is not a new wall. Its a replacement wall.

The new barrier is made of bollards  posts placed close together so that people cant get through but agents can see if anyone is on the other side. The posts are thicker and taller than the 15- to 20-foot bollards erected in the 2000s in other parts of the El Centro Sector.

The new project is replacing old Vietnam War-era landing mats that were put up in the 1990s.

Ken Walsh, professor of construction engineering at San Diego State University, said the difference between a fence and a wall is that fences can be seen through and have posts.

Walls, he said, are opaque and have a continuous base instead of posts. Height doesnt make a difference in the terminology, he said.

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That would mean the new structure going up in Calexico is a fence, and the landing mat barrier that its replacing is actually a wall.

On Thursday, the second day of construction, workers used a large Caterpillar machine to pull down a few pieces of old landing mat.

Mexican authorities patrolled in a shade of trees south of the border to keep anyone from trying to cross through the gap. One paused to record on his phone as workers plucked one of the large metal sheets out of the ground with construction equipment.

Workers hadnt yet started putting up the new bollards. They lay in a stack nearby.

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Pieces of the new structure will go up before more of the old material comes down, Castrejon said, to keep security risks to a minimum.

He said the barrier is not an end all, but a force multiplier.

It will run from the banks of the New River on the west side of downtown Calexico past Gran Plaza Outlets to a stretch of fields lined with crops, solar panels and, in some cases, just dirt.

The area has been problematic for agents, Castrejon said, both in terms of crossings and assaults on Border Patrol agents. Agents in El Centro apprehended about 18,500 people illegally crossing the border in fiscal 2017, according to data from CBP.

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Known as one of the most polluted rivers in the nation, the New River causes particular trouble, Castrejon said, because smugglers often encourage immigrants to use the green, smelly water to swim into the U.S.

Agents are instructed not to go into the water unless theres a life-or-death emergency. They consider someone trying to splash them with the polluted water as an assault.

Agents hope the updated barrier will prevent people from trying to cross the river. Castrejon was unable to give details about plans for the river itself.

The El Centro Sector of the Border Patrol has several types of barriers that vary based on geography and how much action agents see in a particular area.

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The westernmost part of the sector begins in the mountains, where geography acts as the only deterrent to people crossing into the U.S. without authorization.

Where Highway 98 stretches from Interstate 8 through the desert toward the city of Calexico, a low, airy fence lines the border. It doesnt block people from crossing on foot, but it keeps cars from driving through low brush to the highway, where they can disappear into traffic.

Though drive throughs, as agents call them, were a big problem for the area in the past, the sector didnt have any last year, Castrejon said, and he attributed that to the fencing.

Infrastructure  it helps. It works, he said.

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The sector doesnt need to spend resources on more elaborate barriers in that area, he said.

Agents have camera towers to watch for pedestrians in the desert, and they periodically drag old tires to smooth the soil so they can track footprints. Because it can take hours to hike from the border to the highway on foot, Castrejon said, agents have time to catch unauthorized immigrants before they get away.

Closer to Calexico, where the new project is located, agents have less time to catch border crossers before they make it to roads or residential areas. Agents rely on barriers that block pedestrians to help them with their work.

In the 90s, the landing mats were installed along the two-mile stretch leading west out of Calexico where the new structure is now going up.

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After the opaque metal sheets were in place, the Calexico Arts Council commissioned a mural along part of the barrier, a friendship bracelet to affirm a close relationship between the two countries that the landing mats separated. A few of the painted sections will be kept in a museum after they come down.

In the 2000s, a barrier made of bollards went up both in downtown Calexico and between the landing mats and the vehicle fence in the desert.

San Diego also has sections of barrier made of old landing mats. In places that kept agents busy with frequent crossings, the federal government built a second row of fencing.

Because much of the land near the border in Calexico is private property, Castrejon said, secondary fencing was not a viable solution to give agents there more support.

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Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Its a rivalry teetering on mutual disgust.

The battle between the prosecution and the high-priced legal team defending New York real estate scion Robert Durst in his Los Angeles murder case has frequently devolved into accusations of misconduct, incompetence, bullying and, after one ugly hallway confrontation between two of the attorneys, even slander.



For the record: An earlier version of this article misstated the breed of the 170-pound dog that Lewin said slept in his bed with him. It was a Great Dane, not a basset hound.

Nothing is too small to bicker about. Not who should pay for a retired detectives pet sitter while he testifies. Not who gets more minutes to talk in court.

The tension escalated earlier this month when Dursts lawyers said theyre considering making a highly unusual request for the judge to remove one of the lead prosecutors, who has repeatedly clashed with the defense team.

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Dursts life and legal battles have long set the benchmark for bizarre. The multimillionaire born into a New York real estate empire disguised himself for a while as a mute woman in a blond wig while living in a $300-a-month apartment in Texas (Durst said he moved to escape media attention after New York authorities reopened an investigation into his first wifes disappearance). While in Texas, Durst admitted to chopping up his neighbors body and dumping the parts into Galveston Bay (a jury acquitted him of murder). Years later, a security camera caught footage of him urinating on candy at a pharmacy near his Houston condo (his attorney attributed the urgency in urination to recent surgeries).

The drama has continued since Durst was extradited to Los Angeles about a year ago, but this time with the attorneys in the spotlight.

In the middle, trying to defuse the tension, is Superior Court Judge Mark E. Windham, a former defense attorney who often sounds like an annoyed-yet-slightly-amused schoolteacher trying to keep students on task.

All right, the judge asked the attorneys at a recent hearing, cant we all get along?

During hearings in the Robert Durst murder case, Judge Mark E. Windham finds himself in the middle, trying to defuse the tension. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times )

A certain level of courtroom sparring between legal adversaries is routine  even intentional. A curt interruption, a well-timed sigh or a dramatic eye roll often serve as theatrics for a jury as much as genuine expressions of dislike for a rival. But in a court system where opposing attorneys more often exchange jokes than jabs, the Durst case has begun to rival some of L.A.s most rancorous court battles.

In the 2013 civil trial over Michael Jacksons death, an attorney refused to shake anothers hand and complained that his rival had flipped him off. And during O.J. Simpsons televised murder trial more than 20 years ago, the country got an up-close view of the conflict between Marcia Clark and Robert L. Shapiro  a battle that devolved into requests for sanctions and a call to involve the State Bar.

Having a largely out-of-town defense team in the Durst cases probably exacerbates the drama, said Santa Clara University School of Law professor Gerald Uelmen, noting that the lawyers are less likely to face off again on another case in the future.

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Uelmen, a member of Simpsons defense team, characterized the bickering in that case as a real disappointment. At the start of the case, he recalled, the judge said, I hope when this is all over we can all sit down to dinner and be friends.

It never happened, Uelmen said.

The showdown in Dursts case began three years ago, when he was arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend, Susan Berman, who was found dead in her Benedict Canyon home on Christmas Eve in 2000. Durst, now 74, was taken into custody by FBI agents in a New Orleans hotel, where authorities found guns, cash, a fake ID and an old-man mask.

I think we can all do a little bit better with decorum. Superior Court Judge Mark E. Windham to attorneys on the Robert Durst case

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Before Durst had met with his attorneys, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin  a prosecutor who specializes in handling cold cases  interviewed him for nearly three hours, asking questions about his childhood and about Berman. The prosecutor often built up to his questions by sharing personal tidbits with Durst  his 170-pound Great Dane sleeps in bed with him, his wife tells him hes pushing obese, and he, like Durst, doesnt have good hearing.

But Lewin also asked direct questions, at one point saying, If you had killed Susan, would you tell me?

No, Durst replied.

Soon after the interview, Dursts lawyers filed court papers criticizing Lewins interrogation as improper and deceptive. Prosecutors defended the interview, saying Durst hadnt been charged with Bermans murder at the time and voluntarily waived his Miranda rights.

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The accusation of misconduct, which he called slanderous, exasperated Lewin, who brought it up at a hearing in April.

For the 75th time theyve alleged I committed misconduct, Lewin said. Ive had it with the allegations. Either put up or shut up!

The prosecutor also complained that defense attorneys had improperly filed a motion for a delay, adding that maybe they shouldnt be practicing law.

At the defense table, David Chesnoff  a tall, barrel-chested Las Vegas attorney whose long list of celebrity clients includes Paris Hilton, Martha Stewart and Shaquille ONeal  shook his head.

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This guys nuts, he muttered.

The judge tried to soothingly reassure Lewin that he had a fine reputation, encouraging the prosecutor not to let the issue get under your skin.

Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin, pictured here at another trial, is now leading the prosecution of Robert Durst. Dursts defense team has said they may ask to have the prosecutor recused. (Jabin Botsford / Los Angeles Times )

At another hearing in July, Lewin questioned Emily Altman, a longtime friend of Durst. The prosecutor grew increasingly agitated with the witness, who often answered his questions with I dont know and backtracked on bombshell testimony. Altman cried on the stand and said she wanted to go home  a rather consistent theme among witnesses. (A friend of Berman who took the stand said shed rather have her teeth drilled all day.)

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Under cross-examination by one of Dursts lawyers, Altman  whom the judge deemed as a hostile witness, saying she identified more closely with the defense  said she felt bullied by Lewin. At one point, Windham leaned into his microphone and took a loud, deep breath. Everyone else, he suggested, should follow his lead.

I think we can all do a little bit better with decorum, the judge later added.

The friction peaked at a hearing a month later where Lewin turned to Chesnoff and asked why he was staring at him.

Keep staring, Lewin said, lifting his eyebrows. Keep it up.

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Moments later, Chesnoff muttered, seemingly to himself, but loud enough to be heard: Im going to bust his balls now.

During a break later that day, screaming could be heard in the hallway. When Chesnoff walked back into the courtroom, he was shaking his head. Lewin returned a few minutes later, red-faced.

Thats slander, John. ...You came screaming at me in the hallway, Chesnoff said to Lewin, adding that the prosecutor had made a comment in front of law students about Chesnoff committing a sex act.

I made a joke, Lewin said.

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Deputy Dist. Atty. Habib Balian  another prosecutor on the case whose low-key, self-deprecating style often helps defuse strained moments  put his hand on Chesnoffs back.

I think tensions run high, Balian said.

Moments later, Lewin and Chesnoff apologized to each other.

When asked about the back-and-forth recently, Chesnoff declined to comment. Lewin said he has endured repeated personal attacks on what I have done as a lawyer.

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Obviously, as lawyers, we are human beings, he said, and sometimes in the heat of battle things will be said, which, in hindsight, were better left unstated.

Durst, who listens to the hearings using noise-amplifying earphones, generally appears unfazed by the wrangling.

In a recent court filing, his attorneys returned to Lewins jailhouse interview of Durst in New Orleans, characterizing it as an example of prosecution trickery. Explaining why they may eventually ask Windham to recuse Lewin, the lawyers criticized the prosecutors style of interviewing witnesses, saying he berated them and asked leading questions that drew inaccurate answers.

Prosecutors filed a motion calling any request to recuse Lewin frivolous, noting that the defense hasnt identified conduct that would justify such a rarely used and extraordinary sanction.

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In court, Lewin expressed frustration, telling the judge he believed the defense lawyers hadnt properly supported their arguments with the correct legal citations. If the prosecution filed such a motion, Lewin said, he believed the judge would come down on us like a ton of bricks.

The judge raised his eyebrows, smirked and sipped from his mug.

Moments later, Windham ruled that Dursts 6th Amendment right to counsel hadnt been violated during the interview by Lewin.

The courtroom discussion then shifted to the timing of Dursts preliminary hearing, which is slated for April 16. It was previously scheduled for last October but was pushed back to accommodate the Houston-based members of Dursts defense team who sustained damage to their homes and offices during Hurricane Harvey.

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One of them, Dick DeGuerin, told the judge he would soon be starting a federal trial in Texas. Moments later, Lewin added that he hadnt learned about the potential conflict in DeGuerins schedule from the attorney, but from monitoring DeGuerins caseload online.

I have to track him, Lewin said, like Im hunting coyotes.

marisa.gerber@latimes.com

For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber
On Saturday night, residents of Oakland received an urgent message from Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Schaaf said she had heard from multiple sources that immigration agents would be conducting enforcement operations starting as soon as within the next 24 hours and urged those here illegally to take precautions.

The message stunned many. On Monday, some of that surprise turned to confusion and anger as large-scale immigration sweeps did not materialize.

Schaafs action has sparked debate about what role politicians and city governments should play in spreading information  both confirmed and unconfirmed  about possible federal immigration sweeps.

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Like many California cities, Oakland has declared itself a sanctuary for those here illegally, and officials there have vowed to fight President Trumps promised immigration crackdown. Tensions have heightened in recent weeks as administration officials have talked about targeting California for increased immigration enforcement. Trump last week also said he was thinking of withdrawing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the state, predicting it could cause a wave of crime.

While Schaaf said she was trying to help those who might be arrested, some advocates said it had a different impact.

The main reaction that people have had has been fear, unfortunately, said Eleni Wolfe, immigration program director at Centro Legal de la Raza, an Oakland-based advocacy group. Its terrifying to hear about the potential of increased enforcement action, and unfortunately thats the main message that they heard.

Across California, leaders said they find themselves in a difficult position as they fight federal law enforcement actions. Typically, they said, local and federal officials work in concert. But on immigration, they are at odds.

Broad pronouncements about raids in a city and across a region generate an enormous amount of fear andgenerally dont help families understand exactly what they need to do to protect themselves and their loves ones, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

On the other hand, the former prosecutor said, providing specific information about how, when and where ICE might be engaged could lead to charges of obstruction of justice.

I think every local leader is walking a tightrope trying to ensure that residents are well informed within the bounds of the law, he said.

Liccardo said he exchanged text messages with Schaaf over the weekend regarding the possible immigration sweeps. A few hours after she issued her statement, he issued one of his own  explaining that while his office had been unable to confirm rumors of imminent raids, San Joses immigrant residents should know that we have your back.

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The statement included the phone number for a hotline to report ICE activity and links to legal resources.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday that he personally has not known about pending ICE sweeps  and believes that is a problem when it comes to the Los Angeles Police Department. He said its important for local law enforcement to be aware of the raids because oftentimes there is support that is needed if situations turn bad.

Ive always said to our federal law enforcement officials, you need local law enforcement, Garcetti said. You cant ignore or disregard or  as were seeing from our commander-in-chief  defund and disparage our local law enforcement.

Garcetti said that while he supports Schaaf, he was unsure how he would react if he had information about pending ICE enforcement.

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Its a hypothetical. I havent gotten that. To me, its very important to know the particulars of situations. And Im not going to give a heads-up to people who are the traffickers of women that there is going to be a raid on them. It depends on the situation.

Garcetti said Los Angeles police will continue to work with federal officials to go after gangs and human traffickers.

Thats important work to do. But the indiscriminate ICE raids, like 7-Eleven raids and things like that? When we have dangerous criminals, why would we use resources to go after 7-Eleven clerks? Garcetti said.

Tony Bell, spokesman for Republican Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, said elected officials shouldnt create hysteria or panic.

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A better approach would be to provide information about their rights and available resources, Bell said.

Others were quick to defend Schaaf.

In this particular case, in this day and time, we need to tell people that they got to keep their families whole, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) said. Thats what it really comes down to.

ICE officials did not respond to a question about whether a Bay Area operation had been planned this weekend. In a statement, ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said only that immigration agents conduct targeted enforcement operations on a daily basis in Northern California and across the nation.

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She said that while agents focus on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security, others who do not fall into those categories are also arrested and deported.

Haley noted, as ICE officials have in the past, that cities that consider themselves sanctuaries, like Oakland, face an increase in arrests in the community.

While the vast majority of cities in America do cooperate with ICE, others force ICE to assign additional resources to conduct at-large arrests in the community, putting officers, the general public and the aliens at greater risk and increasing the incidence of collateral arrests, she said.

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates for stricter immigration enforcement, echoed that statement, saying it was the policies of sanctuary cities that are creating the need for ICE to go into these communities.

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Schaafs statement, he said, was a deliberate move to create a sense of hysteria, he said.

Most elected officials in California seem to think that any form of immigration law is somewhat draconian, Mehlman said.

A coalition of immigrant advocates said it had confirmed a number of ICE arrests throughout Northern California on Sunday, including five arrests in Merced County, two arrests each in Contra Costa and Sacramento counties, and one each in Monterey and Napa counties.

Maricela Gutierrez, executive director of the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network in San Jose, said her organization received dozens of calls from people concerned about the potential for raids after the mayor issued her statement.

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On Sunday morning, the group sent know your rights information by text to thousands of subscribers to its rapid response network, which serves to inform people about ICE activity and their legal rights.

They also alerted hundreds of advocates who have been trained as legal observers to be on standby.

Gutierrez said she is happy to see city leaders warning residents about pending ICE actions, as long as those warnings come with offers to help.

Any announcement like that, when you hear families might be separated, is going to cause anxiety and panic. But if you follow that up with a lot of information and resources it reduces that fear and panic, she said.

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Schaafs warning also allowed advocates to organize in anticipation of ICE operations, people were having calls, there were emails going on. People were on high alert, Gutierrez said.

Schaaf faced a sea of angry calls over her message. In a news conference on Sunday, she said her priority is to keep this community safe.

It is not my wish to panic people but to ensure that they are prepared with information. That they know their rights as well as their responsibilities and know about the resources that this community offers, she said.

Schaaf said she weighed whether to issue the release because in the past, rumors about immigration enforcement activities have caused widespread panic in immigrant communities.

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Spreading rumors of ICE activities has been used as a tactic to strike fear and paralysis in the immigrant communities, she said. This is something I thought about very carefully before bringing this information forward; but due to the reliability of my sources and the fact that I received this from multiple sources, I felt that it was my duty to share the information.

paloma.esquivel@latimes.com

For more Inland Empire news follow me @palomaesquivel.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

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Twitter: @dakotacdsmith
Actress Heather Locklear was arrested at her Thousand Oaks home Sunday night on suspicion of domestic battery and assault of a peace officer, according to the Ventura County Sheriffs Department.

Deputies were called to Locklears house at 9:42 p.m. in response to a domestic incident involving the 56-year-old actress boyfriend, said sheriffs Sgt. Eric Buschow. Authorities did not identify her boyfriend.

She was extremely hostile and uncooperative and at one point became combative with the deputies and impeded their investigation, Buschow said.

Additional deputies were called to the scene after Locklear started trying to fight with the law enforcement officers, he said. She physically resisted arrest, and deputies struggled to get her into a patrol car.

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Locklear was arrested at 10:27 p.m. on suspicion of one felony count of domestic battery. For a felony charge to arise, there must be physical evidence of an altercation or a complaint of pain, Buschow said.

She also was booked on suspicion of three misdemeanor counts of battery of a peace officer.

Locklear claimed an injury prior to our arrival and was taken to a hospital before she was taken to the Ventura County Jail in Ventura. She had been released by Monday morning, according to county inmate records.

Buschow said she posted $20,000 bail.

The actress longtime publicist, Cece Yorke, said in an email to The Times on Monday that she was on hiatus with Heather.

Locklear, who is best known for such television shows as Melrose Place and Spin City, was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in 2008 on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. She was seen acting bizarrely in a Montecito parking lot  driving back and forth over a pair of sunglasses and revving her engine  before driving away and stopping her car in the street.

A CHP officer found Locklears car parked on State Route 192, partially blocking a lane, with her disoriented behind the wheel. The DUI charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

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Twitter: @haileybranson

UPDATES:

1:20 p.m.: This article was updated with a response from Locklears longtime publicist.

9:00 a.m.: This article was updated with information from Sgt. Eric Buschow.

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This article was originally published at 7:50 a.m.
The California Supreme Court decided Monday that juveniles may not be sentenced to 50 years or longer in prison for kidnapping, rape and sodomy.

In a 4-3 ruling, the state high court said a 50-year sentence for minors was functionally equivalent to life without parole.

A young person who knows he or she has no chance to leave prison for 50 years has little incentive to become a responsible individual, wrote Justice Goodwin Liu, citing a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that severely restricted life sentences for juveniles.

The California court ruled in favor of Leonel Contreras and William Rodriguez, who were 16 when they attacked two teenage girls in San Diego County in 2011.

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Rodriguez was sentenced to 50 years to life and Contreras to 58 years to life.

The court majority said the sentences constituted cruel and unusual punishment by depriving the inmates of a chance of parole until their senior years.

The U.S. Supreme Courts observation that juveniles have limited ability to consider consequences when making decisions applies to a sentence of 50 years to life just as it does to a sentence of life without parole, Liu wrote.

A judgment that a juvenile offender will be incorrigible for the next 50 years is no less questionable than a judgment that the juvenile offender will be incorrigible forever, Liu continued, citing the high court.

He was joined by Justices Ming W. Chin, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar and Leondra R. Kruger.

Liu said the decision did not minimize the gravity of defendants crimes or their lasting impact on the victims and their families. Rodriguez and Contreras have plenty of work to do if they want to persuade a parole board some day to release them, the court said.

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, in a dissent, argued that lengthy sentences for juveniles are lawful as long as there is a chance for parole within their lifetimes.

Profound life experiences still may lie ahead of someone released from prison at age 66 or 74, she wrote.

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She also argued that Rodriguez and Contreras might be able to obtain parole at the age of 60 under Californias Elderly Parole Program, designed to release aged inmates to save the state the costs of their healthcare.

Even without that program, she said, Rodriguez might be eligible for parole at the age of 57 by earning credits for good conduct.

A sentence affording an opportunity for parole at age 60 offers a juvenile offender a substantial likelihood of spending not just a few, but many productive years outside of custody, if he or she demonstrates sufficient maturity to secure parole, wrote Cantil-Sakauye.

She was joined by Justice Carol A. Corrigan and Los Angeles-based Court of Appeal Justice Sandy R. Kriegler, filling in because of a vacant seat on the state high court.

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maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan
A Los Angeles police officer shot and killed a suspect after responding Sunday morning to a report of a burglary at a marijuana dispensary in a strip mall, authorities said.

Officers in South L.A. received a call about 7:30 a.m. of a burglary alarm in the 2100 block of West Century Boulevard, near the citys border with Inglewood, said Officer Mike Lopez, an L.A. Police Department spokesman.

Police arrived at the strip mall, which includes a Dominos Pizza and the dispensary, and confronted an armed Latino male. At least one officer opened fire, killing the suspect, Lopez said.

Authorities said a weapon was recovered at the scene but did not identify the type of weapon.

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Paramedics pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. His name was withheld pending notification of family members.

No officers were injured.

The incident is under investigation by the LAPDs Force Investigation Division, the inspector general and the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, which is standard practice for police shootings.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

UPDATES:

5:35 p.m.: This article was update to reflect that the burglary occurred at a marijuana dispensary.

This article was originally published at 3:30 p.m.
Los Angeles police fatally shot a man armed with a weapon Monday in Panorama City after responding to a call about a subject who was possibly mentally ill, authorities said.

The shooting happened shortly before 9 a.m. in the 9100 block of Kester Avenue, said Officer Norma Eisenman, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. When officers arrived in the residential neighborhood, she said, a man exited a home armed with a 16-inch edged weapon.

Police tried to use a Taser and a bean-bag shotgun, Eisenman said, but ultimately shot the man. Details about what prompted police to fire were not immediately available.

The man, who police guessed was in his 20s, died at the scene. No other injuries were reported, Eisenman said.

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The officers were wearing body cameras and had a camera in their patrol car, Eisenman said. Members of the departments Force Investigation Division, which investigates all shootings by LAPD officers, were examining the cameras to see if they captured the deadly encounter, she said.

Mondays shooting was the second by Los Angeles police in just over a 24-hour span.

On Sunday, police shot and killed a person described only as a male after responding to a burglary alarm at a South L.A. marijuana dispensary. Authorities said a weapon was recovered at the scene but did not identify the type of weapon.

Both shootings will also be reviewed by the district attorneys office, the civilian Police Commission and its inspector general, standard practice for all shootings by Los Angeles police.

kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather
Two Los Angeles police officers pleaded no contest Monday to sexually assaulting multiple women, often preying on victims while one partner served as the lookout as the other carried out an attack in their unmarked police car.

In a downtown L.A. courtroom, Officers Luis Valenzuela and James C. Nichols entered their no-contest pleas to two counts each of forcible rape and two counts each of forcible oral copulation. The officers appeared in court in orange, jail-issued jumpsuits and were shackled at the waist.

This hurts, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen said as he alluded to his own career in law enforcement and handed each man a 25-year term in state prison. The judge also ordered the officers to register as sex offenders.

If tried and convicted, the men had faced a maximum penalty of life in prison.

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The Los Angeles County district attorneys office had filed more than a dozen felony counts against the men in 2016, alleging they targeted four women from 2008 to 2011 by forcing them to have sex. Valenzuela was also accused of assaulting one woman with a gun. Most of those charges were dismissed as part of Mondays plea deal.

The victims were women ages 19 to 34 who were informants for drug investigators or had been recently arrested on suspicion of drug-related crimes. Some of the women said they feared arrest if they did not obey Nichols and Valenzuelas orders. The Times does not generally identify victims of sexual violence.

How dare they. They wore a badge to protect people and instead they terrorized them, Det. Carla Zuniga, one of the lead investigators in the case, said outside the courtroom. They tarnished the public trust. People trust the police. Every time something like this happens, we have to walk into the community and say, No, thats not us.

Nichols, 46, and Valenzuela, 45, were put on unpaid leave from the Los Angeles Police Department in 2013 and had been relieved of duty. Mondays plea deal clears the way for their formal termination. They have been jailed since early 2016, when LAPD detectives arrested them on felony charges.

Stewart Powell, Nichols defense attorney, said his client was looking forward to his day in court but accepted the plea so the case could close.

It gives him a chance to get out and have a life after this case, Powell said.

Valenzuelas defense attorney, Bill Seki, said the plea deal allowed his client to one day reunite with his kids outside prison. Valenzuela, he said, was pretty somber before entering his plea.

As the cases go, these times are tough for police officers, Seki added.

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The Times first reported on the misconduct allegations in 2013, when detectives sought a search warrant to seize computers and phones, part of an exhaustive investigation that involved scouring the officers work with drug informants in the Hollywood area.

Prosecutors sought to identify every possible woman who encountered the two.

We do believe there may have been additional victims who chose not to cooperate with the investigation, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Ann Marie Wise.

The first woman to accuse Valenzuela and Nichols came forward three years earlier. She said that the officers picked her up in December 2008 for her work as an informant, where shed score drugs and in exchange receive $40.

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While in the back seat of the officers Volkswagen Jetta, she testified at a 2017 court hearing, Nichols exposed himself and asked that she touch him. Then, he pushed her head into his lap, she said.

Another woman said that after she was arrested in 2009 on suspicion of dealing heroin, the officers transported her from Hollywood to the LAPD jail in Van Nuys. She testified that Nichols and Valenzuela took a detour and stopped in an alley.

Valenzuela informed her that there was a way she could stay out of jail, and he had sex with her in the back seat of the Jetta, she testified. Nichols waited outside the car.

I was in a dark alleyway with a guy with a gun, she testified. I didnt really feel like I had a choice.

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She was subsequently released and did not have to post bail.

LAPD Sgt. Greg Bruce said at a 2016 court hearing that another woman had sex with the officers several times in a bid to earn points and have a drug case dropped.

He told her if she had sex with him, it would count towards her working off her case, Bruce said on the witness stand.

The woman obeyed out of fear that shed end up again behind bars.

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Whats clear from all of the witnesses that the court heard is that these officers placed these women in a situation where they were extremely vulnerable, said Wise, the prosecutor. Theyre in a situation where they dont have a choice. They have the threat of either going back to jail or somehow being penalized by these officers if they dont comply.

All four women who accused the men of forcing them to have sex filed civil lawsuits, and so far the city has agreed to pay a total of more than $1.8 million in settlements to three of the women.

The fourth womans case is still pending.

The directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing rank-and-file officers, called both officers actions disgusting and said there was zero tolerance for officers who use their position to take advantage of others.

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We are sorry these women were let down and hope they are healing as best they can, the union leaders said in a statement.

Before the sentencing Monday, one of the victims stood before the judge and spoke of her difficult road to recovery. She said she was unable to trust others or feel safe.

Some of her worst panic attacks, she said, had two triggers: the sight of a police car or a Volkswagen Jetta.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

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matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

UPDATES:

4:55 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from one of the victims and a statement from the union representing LAPD officers.

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11:25 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with comments from defense attorneys Stewart Powell and Bill Seki, Judge Ronald S. Coen and Det. Carla Zuniga.

This article was originally published at 10:30 a.m.
A Los Angeles County investigation into possible corruption in Maywood has set its sights on a broad swath that includes four current and former council members, 13 companies, five current and former city administrators and one activist who dresses up as a clown.

Investigators were authorized to search nearly two dozen vehicles, according to a search warrant obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Investigators also descended on City Hall, the homes of council members and a city contractors office, seizing computers, videos and boxes containing documents ranging from personal bank statements to City Council agendas, a spokesperson with the district attorneys office confirmed.

The warrant suggests the wide-ranging investigation dovetails with the suspicion many Maywood residents have had about politics in the city for years.

It shows that prosecutors are looking at political recall efforts from 2015 through 2017, a city maintenance contractor and a deal involving city properties and plans for a 24-hour charitable bingo.

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A percentage of the profits from the planned bingo, according to emails obtained by The Times, was slated to go to a nonprofit organization owned by Edwin T. Snell, an activist who shows up at City Hall meetings in a clown outfit.

Maywood is one of Southern Californias smallest and most densely packed cities  1.18 square miles with nearly 30,000 people squeezed into an industrial zone south of downtown Los Angeles.

But for its tiny size, Maywood has suffered oversized problems for more than a decade. Seemingly always on the brink of financial collapse, the town played a role in a huge corruption investigation in neighboring Bell.

Maywood officials had hired Bell to manage key city functions, an arrangement that fell apart when that city became entangled in a scandal involving over-the-top salaries for council members and city administrators.

Maywood once had a police department that became a haven for many cops who had been forced out of previous jobs or had brushes with the law. A 16-month investigation by the attorney general revealed that the culture at the department was permeated with sexual innuendo, harassment, vulgarity, discourtesy to members of the public as well as among officers, and a lack of cultural, racial and ethnic sensitivity and respect.

Two years ago, a state audit found Maywood was more than $15 million in debt and owed money to its creditors. The City Council raised ire by hiring a city manager whom the mayor met through his auto mechanic shop and who had no government experience.

Whats happened in Maywood is like a battle between the forces of today and yesterday, said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), whose district includes Maywood. Its like a zombie coming out of the grave that just wont die.

Southeast Los Angeles County cities, including Maywood, have been mired in municipal corruption for decades. The collection of small cities along the 710 Freeway  Vernon, Bell, Huntington Park, Cudahy  have faced generations of political upheaval, with prosecutors claiming politicians take advantage of electorates who are not always plugged in to whats going on.

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Despite having arguably the most consistently tumultuous City Hall in the area, Maywood officials have rarely found themselves facing criminal charges, at least for political malfeasance.

If folks are eventually arrested, that will be six of the nine cities that I represent that have had former council members in prison, Rendon said. Six of the nine, which tells us something about the depth of the problems.

A spokesman for the district attorneys office could not comment on the ongoing investigation in Maywood. But sources familiar with the investigation told The Times that one aspect of the inquiry involves votes made by elected officials that could pose conflicts of interest.

In an odd twist, when investigators showed up at the city to serve multiple search warrants more than two weeks ago, investigators discovered about 40 roosters nestled in the corner of Mayor Ramon Medinas mechanic shop. They called animal control to take the birds away.

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Medina said his 20-year-old son raised roosters.

Photos of marijuana plants taken in September 2017 from Maywood Mayor Ramon Medinas mechanic shop, R&M Auto Service. (Handout )

Medina said his 20-year-old son was growing the plants and had asked him to remove them. (Handout )

The same day, photos emerged of marijuana plants growing at his auto shop. Investigators found no plants when they searched the business. The mayor said his son had been growing the plants and that he asked him to remove them.

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Roosters and marijuana plants were not mentioned in the search warrant, and there is no apparent link with the birds or the pot to the investigation.

A week after the raids, angry residents packed into City Hall to chastise the council members. Resident Lilia Mariscal, 63, didnt speak but held a sign that read, You Bring Maywood Shame.

Nothing is going to change here, said 75-year-old Salvador Romero. I want to know whats going on. Is it corruption?

Rendon said a lack of civic engagement and low voter turnouts, as well as dwindling media outlets to keep watch over elected officials, have contributed to some of the problems in cities like Maywood. The city has a large population of Latino immigrants, many of whom cant vote.

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In addition to the mayor, other officials named in the search warrant include Maywood City Atty. Michael Montgomery, Building and Planning Director David Mango and Reuben Martinez, the acting city manager.

Also listed are Vice Mayor Ricardo Villarreal and Sergio Calderon, a former councilman who resigned in January to settle a conflict-of-interest lawsuit filed by county prosecutors.

Among the companies listed on the warrant is ECM Group Inc., which was the subject of a federal corruption probe in South El Monte that ended with the criminal conviction of that citys mayor in 2016.

The city of Maywood hired ECM Group that same year, despite repeated warnings from Councilman Eduardo De La Riva, who said that the firms contract in South El Monte had ended because of questionable billing practices.

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The month after Maywood hired the firm, South El Monte released an audit that accused ECM of submitting false time sheets and billing reports to the city. The audit said workers were reporting 27-hour workdays.

Also named in the warrant is V&M Iron Works, the citys maintenance contractor, which has made close to $1 million in a year, according to city records.

The latest investigation raises a larger question about how Maywood can turn itself around.

In 2016, the state auditor found that Maywood had a flawed governance and fiscal mismanagement that prevented Maywood from recovering its financial health and made it susceptible to corruption.

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The city council has made wasteful spending decisions that advanced the council members personal interests to the detriment of Maywoods residents, the auditors report said.

The problems at City Hall frustrate and embarrass residents, many of whom said they are not sure how to change things.

Maywood is 98% Latino, and 46% of the citys residents are foreign-born. It garnered national headlines a decade ago when it was one of the first in the country to declare itself a sanctuary city for those here illegally. Many residents are proud of this distinction and note that many other cities have since followed Maywoods lead.

The city also received positive notoriety for supporting immigrant youth arts and culture, including a music festival.

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Part of the reason why we cant get rid of these bad politicians is because they have a grip on the city and they have that grip because no one has gone down for wrongdoing, De La Riva said. If the district attorney does come and finds wrongdoing and files charges, then I think it will help the city get rid of opportunists who get on the council for the wrong reasons.

De La Riva said ultimately, the citizens need to show up, demand better leaders and hold them accountable.

I think people need to understand that they can change things and that they need to stop accepting things as they are, he said. The power lies with them.

To read this article in Spanish, click here

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ruben.vives@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATVives

adam.elmahrek@latimes.com

Twitter: @adamelmahrek

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Los Angeles Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
A cold winter storm is expected to bring light rain and low-elevation snowfall to Southern California beginning Monday evening, forecasters said.

The system is expected to bring only about a quarter-inch of rain or less to the region, but driving conditions in mountainous areas could be precarious with snow levels potentially dropping as low as 1,700 feet in some areas, said Andrew Rorke, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The big story with this storm is the low snow levels, Rorke said. Not only will all the mountain pass roads be affected by snow, but some areas in the foothills of the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley could see snow.

Motorists driving along the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine on Tuesday really need to stay abreast of current weather conditions, he said. That area could get up to two inches of snow, Rorke said.

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A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Antelope and Cuyama valleys, as well as the mountains in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Icy roads could possibly affect travel along Highway 33 in Ventura County, Highways 14 and 138 in Los Angeles County and Highway 166 through Cuyama in Santa Barbara County, according to the Weather Service.

Most areas will see only 0.2 to 0.4 inch of rain, but there is a slight chance of thunderstorms that could result in debris flow and flooding to fire-ravaged portions of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, Rorke said.

The chances are quite low, but theres a possibility for it, Rorke said.

Authorities are on alert. Residents who live below mountains burned by the Sherpa, Whittier, Thomas and Alamo fires were warned late Sunday to prepare in case they are ordered to evacuate Monday night.

Forecasters said rain will be the heaviest in the late morning and early afternoon hours on Tuesday.

In Santa Barbara County  which is still recovering from mudslides in Montecito last month that swept away homes and killed 21 people  officials advised residents to flee to higher ground if they feel threatened during the storm and prepared an interactive map showing which areas are most at risk.

Do not wait for a notification, county officials said in an advisory issued Sunday night. If an individual or family has access or functional needs, or has large animals to move, consider leaving well in advance.

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The storm, which is coming from Canada without passing over warm Pacific Ocean water, will bring temperatures 12 to 15 degrees below normal, Rorke said. High temperatures will struggle to even reach 60 degrees, he said.

A second, wetter storm is expected to move into Southern California on Thursday night and Friday morning that will pack a little better punch, Rorke said. The storm could bring more rain and a higher chance for flooding and debris flow, forecasters said.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson
A 2-year-old boy was shot and wounded during a road rage incident near the 118 and 210 freeways after a driver opened fire on the victims vehicle, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

CHP investigators are searching for the suspect who wounded the boy, who was riding in his familys vehicle when the shooting occurred about 12:53 a.m. Sunday, CHP Sgt. Mario Lopez said.

This is a very dangerous individual, Lopez said of the gunman. He fired at a moving vehicle without any consideration for life.

The boys family was driving westbound on the 210 and transitioning onto the 118 Freeway in the Sylmar area when a conflict began and escalated to gunfire, Lopez said.

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Lopez said the shots penetrated the car and hit the boy twice in the legs. The boys family immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital, and he has since undergone surgery for his wounds, Lopez said.

Lopez said the suspect remains at large. He was described as a bald Latino, 25 to 45 years old, wearing glasses and driving a silver sedan.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes
Several men in green L.A. County Jail jumpsuits stood behind bars and listened to Esther Lim speak about this years elections.

How many here didnt know they could vote? Lim asked them. Some men came out of their cells or turned around as Lim explained their voting rights.

Later, in the day room of the Mens Central Jail downtown, a line of inmates eager to register had formed.

In one of the largest efforts aimed at registering eligible incarcerated individuals in Southern California, dozens of volunteers this month are going inside jails in Los Angeles and Orange counties as part of the American Civil Liberties Unions Unlock the Vote campaign to educate inmates about their rights.

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In California, individuals awaiting trial, in jail for misdemeanors or probation violations or serving a county jail sentence for a low-level offense are eligible to vote. Those in state or federal prison or found to be mentally incompetent are ineligible.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California visit Mens Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles to register eligible incarcerated Californians to vote. Many have never been registered to vote. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times )

The goal is to have thousands of inmates registered for the June 5 primary and Nov. 6 general elections. The last day to register for the primary is May 21 and for the general election is Oct. 22. Besides local bond measures and initiatives, races include that for L.A. County sheriff, with contenders seeking to unseat incumbent Jim McDonnell.

You have a say in how that happens, Lim, who directs the jails project for the ACLU of Southern California, told the men.

After decades of laws that advanced felony disenfranchisement, many states California, Colorado, Connecticut and New York  have begun to lift some restrictions.

Locally, the ACLU, politicians and community organizations are fighting the misconception that incarcerated Californians, who are disproportionately African American and Latino, are locked out of the voting process.

[Were] opening up those avenues of education and engagement so they do participate and do share their voice, Lim said at a recent training session for volunteers.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this month approved a countywide initiative to promote voter education and registration for current and former offenders.

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Volunteer Elizabeth Garcias-Bynum, right, assists an inmate. So far 388 people from Mens Central Jail and womens facility in Lynwood have registered. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times )

No one should be denied their constitutional rights, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who co-authored the plan. I think voter registration efforts in the jails ought to be viewed as a significant piece to anti-recidivism and reentry.

Tim Kornegay shook hands with Ridley-Thomas after the motion passed. In 1995, Kornegay, 55, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for receiving stolen goods. While locked up, Kornegay said he started seeing the impact of how not being knowledgeable harmed him.

I did my transformation into a better man in there, so when I came out I could be ready to serve, he said.

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Since his release in 2015, Kornegay has been involved with L.A. Voice, a faith-based community organization, as a voter engagement organizer.

Voting for us is critically important, Kornegay said.

The day I got off probation, I registered to vote, said Tiffany Johnson, associate director and community organizer for A New Way of Life Reentry Project.

Registering herself and others to vote made me feel for the first time in my life that I wanted to be a part of that process, said Johnson, who served 16 years for a second-degree murder conviction before her release in 2010.

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The current L.A. County jail population is nearly 17,500 inmates, sheriffs officials said. According to Jeff Klein, manager of voter education and outreach the Los Angeles County registrars office, more than 600 jail inmates registered to vote in 2016.

During the February drive so far, Lim said, 338 inmates from Mens Central Jail and Century Regional Detention Facility, the womens jail in Lynwood, have registered.

Many inmates listed their home address or an address on the outside on their application. Others were already registered to vote before their incarceration.

Voter registration in the jails gained momentum in 2016 after passage of Assembly Bill 2466, which clarified voting eligibility.

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Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) opposed the measure and granting voting rights to inmates altogether, calling the efforts a very specific political drive so Democrats can stifle any political change in California.

It dilutes the vote of the law-abiding citizen, Harper said.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said these efforts send the signal that the consequences of a felony are being removed.

Do your time and pay your debt, thoroughly, Patterson said. Show a change of heart, a change of life for a substantial time, and then rights can be restored, he said.

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During the recent registration at Mens Central Jail, inmates sat two at a time at silver octagon tables, under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies.

Volunteers helped applicants complete voter registration forms and vote-by-mail-ballot applications. For their mailing address, applicants can use that of the jail or one outside. Homeless inmates are able to use cross streets of locations where they live.

Inmates lifted their hands to show the booking number on their white wristbands. The booking number is necessary so that if an inmate transfers to another facility, his ballot can still be mailed to him.

The voting process in jail is very secure, Los Angeles sheriffs Sgt. Kevin Unland said.

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Deputies receive a ballot box from the registrars office and begin handing out ballots a day or two ahead of the election. Ballots are delivered to the registered inmates in their housing quarters, placed in a sealed envelope, and then handed back to the deputies. The deputies place the sealed votes in the ballot box, which is sent back to the registrars office.

Its a very interesting partnership, with two government entities working with the community to try and engage with inmates, Lim said at the training session.

Deputies didnt interact during the application process but monitored the door as inmates entered and left the day room.

I got the sticker. Im a registered voter now, one inmate said, placing his Unlock the Vote sticker on his chest.

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In all, volunteers helped to register more than 50 individuals.

Elizabeth Garcia-Bynum said three of the initial four inmates she helped were registering for the first time.

Eleven for my first day is pretty good, she said.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

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Twitter: @mikelive06
Four months after a disturbed man killed six UC Santa Barbara students and wounded 13 others, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed legislation allowing the temporary seizure of guns from people determined by the courts to be a threat to themselves or others.

The Isla Vista massacre in May occurred even though the family of Elliot Rodger had sought help because of concerns about his strange behavior before the shootings.

The legislation approved by the governor allows law enforcement officers or family members to ask a court for a restraining order against a person believed to be a threat, barring his or her possession of firearms for 21 days.

Democratic Assembly members Das Williams of Santa Barbara and Nancy Skinner of Berkeley introduced the measure with support from family members of some of the students who were killed.

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Family members are often the first to spot the warning signs when someone is in crisis, Skinner said in a statement. AB 1014 provides an effective tool to get guns out of the hands of loved ones to avoid these tragedies.

As a result of the action the Governor has taken today, we are able to say that the rampage in Isla Vista produced not just terrible tragedy but also positive changes for our state and our community, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), a supporter of the measure, said in a statement.

The measure was opposed by groups including the National Rifle Assn. and Gun Owners of California. The groups objected that the gun owner would not get a hearing before the restraining order is issued. Under the new law, a hearing must be held within 21 days of the order being issued.

Without a doubt, AB 1014 is one of the most egregious violations of civil liberties ever introduced in the California Legislature, wrote Charles H. Cunningham, a director with the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action.

The governor also signed a bill requiring BB guns to have bright colored markings so law enforcement officers do not mistake them for real firearms. Sen. Kevin De Leon (Los Angeles) introduced SB 199.

Brown vetoed another bill by De Leon that sought to deal with ghost guns, firearms assembled at home from multiple parts so they cannot be traced. The measure would have required the gun owners to obtain a serial number and register the firearm with the state.

I appreciate the authors concerns about gun violence, but I cant see how adding a serial number to a homemade gun would significantly advance public safety, Brown wrote in his veto message on SB 808.
Responding to complaints about partisan gerrymandering, a significant number of states this year are considering changing the criteria used to draw congressional and state legislative districts or shifting the task from elected officials to citizen commissions.

The proposals, being advanced both as ballot initiatives and legislation, are part of a larger battle between the political parties to best position themselves for the aftermath of the 2020 Census, when more than 400 U.S. House districts and nearly 7,400 state legislative districts will be redrawn.

Since the start of this year, more than 60 bills dealing with redistricting criteria and methods have been introduced in at least 18 state legislatures, already equaling the total number of states that considered bills last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Ohio Legislature already has placed a redistricting measure on the states primary ballot in May. Citizen efforts are underway to get redistricting measures on the November ballot in a half-dozen other states, which would mark the greatest number of such initiatives in decades.

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Supporters already have submitted thousands of petition signatures in Michigan and South Dakota. Petitions are currently being circulated in Missouri and Utah. Colorado has two groups working on potential ballot initiatives. And an Arkansas attorney launched an initiative effort last week.

The basic bottom line is people want fairness, and they want balanced government, said Chuck Parkinson, a retired congressional staffer and customs official under Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Parkinson is chairman of a group pushing a South Dakota ballot measure to remove legislative redistricting from the hands of lawmakers and create a nine-member redistricting commission.

Although many redistricting proposals tout at least some bipartisan support, progressive activists and Democratic-aligned donors have helped fuel some of this years measures.

In South Dakota, where voters defeated a similar measure in 2016, the second attempt listed just four donors as of the start of this year  former Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, who gave $50,000, and three unions that contributed a combined $18,500.

The top donor to Utahs redistricting initiative through the end of last year was former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Michael Weinholtz, who had given $200,000.

The president of the Michigan redistricting initiative was a supporter of Democrat Hillary Clintons unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, and the spokesman for Missouris initiative is a Democratic consultant.

The Missouri measure requiring a nonpartisan demographer to draw districts has taken in more than 16,000 individual donations of $25 or less, but much of the campaigns money has come from groups aligned with Democrats. That includes about $800,000 from unions and $250,000 from an organization founded by billionaire liberal philanthropist George Soros.

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Matt Walter, president of the Republican State Leadership Committee, contends the initiatives are merely politics wrapped in some sort of illusion of citizen-participated good government.

What were seeing here right now is an organized, orchestrated effort by the progressive left to rig the system to their advantage, Walter said.

Democrats say its just the opposite  that Republicans rigged the system after the 2010 Census to expand the partys grip on political power and are trying to hold on to it. They often cite North Carolina, which has been subject to multiple lawsuits over how the GOP redrew the political boundaries. Democrats have a voter registration edge over Republicans in the state, yet Republican legislators drew congressional districts in a way that gave them a 10-3 edge in U.S. House seats.

Across the country, Republicans currently control 33 governorships and about two-thirds of all legislative chambers. Democrats contend they want redistricting processes that are fair to voters, no matter which party is in power.

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One of Democrats top targets has been Pennsylvania, where the state Supreme Court redrew congressional districts last week after ruling that the 2011 boundaries drawn by the GOP-led Legislature were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Statistical voting models of the courts new plan show Democrats could significantly cut into the GOPs 13-5 seat advantage in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this year on cases alleging illegal partisan gerrymandering by Republicans in Wisconsin and by Democrats in Maryland.

An AP analysis of 2016 election data found four times as many states with Republican-skewed state House or Assembly districts than Democratic ones, based on a statistical formula cited in recent court cases. Among the two dozen most populated states that determine the vast majority of Congress, there were nearly three times as many with Republican-tilted U.S. House districts.

Democrats have since made redistricting a bigger priority. Former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder is heading the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which is targeting or watching governors races, legislative elections and ballot issues in about 20 states.

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Democrats want to end or diminish the legislatures role in redistricting in several Republican-led states and shift those duties to independent or bipartisan commissions, similar to the processes in place in Arizona and California. The roles are reversed in Maryland, where Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is proposing an independent redistricting commission in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1 and have long controlled the redistricting process.

By and large, if a commission draws the map, it is going to be a more fair, less political, less-partisan-driven map, and thats a good thing, said Kelly Ward, executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

But Republicans contend that even independent commissions typically are filled by people with partisan preferences.

Arizonas Republican legislative leaders have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment to give lawmakers greater say in appointing the states redistricting commission.

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A compromise plan placed on the ballot by Ohios Republican-led Legislature would continue to give lawmakers the primary responsibility of congressional redistricting but would limit partisan gerrymandering by requiring a significant percentage of yes votes from the minority party to approve a 10-year map.

In Indiana, the Republican-led Senate voted along party lines last month to defeat a Democratic amendment that would have created a commission to recommend congressional and legislative districts. The Senate instead passed a bill setting criteria for lawmakers to consider. That bill is now in the House.

Indiana state Sen. Greg Walker, a Republican who sponsored the pending measure, said he hopes to eventually incorporate statistical analyses of partisan advantages into the Legislatures redistricting procedures.

If we can demonstrate that we have made a good faith effort to not eliminate political bias 100% but certainly minimize it ... ultimately I dont think it matters who draws the maps, because the process will fine-tune itself, Walker said.
Many people think of homelessness as a problem of substance abusers and mentally ill people, of chronic skid row street-dwellers pushing shopping carts. But increasingly, the crisis in Los Angeles today is about a less visible (but more numerous) group of economically homeless people. These are people who have been driven onto the streets or into shelters by hard times, bad luck and Californias irresponsible failure to address its own housing needs.

Consider Nadia, whose story has become typical. When she decided she had to end her abusive marriage, she knew it would be hard to find an affordable place to live with her three young children. With her husband, she had paid $2,000 a month for a three-bedroom condo in the San Fernando Valley, but prices were rising rapidly, and now two-bedroom apartments in the area were going for $2,400  an impossible rent for a single parent who worked part time at Magic Mountain.

For months she hunted while staying with family and friends. She qualified for a unit in a low-income housing project, but the waiting list was two years long. She obtained a federal Section 8 voucher to subsidize the rent in a market-rate apartment, but landlord after landlord refused to accept Section 8, or charged a rent that was too high to meet the federal governments unrealistically low fair-market rent limit.

Nadia and her rambunctious young kids eventually wore out their welcome at the houses where they were staying. They found themselves left with little choice, with neither a place of their own nor a friend to fall back on. Last summer, they took refuge at San Fernando Valley Rescue Missions shelter for homeless families.

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Top, Nadia reads a bedtime story to her son, Sebastian. Bottom, Nadias children in the dining room of the San Fernando Valley Rescue Missions shelter for homeless families. (Los Angeles Times) Left, Nadia reads a bedtime story to her son, Sebastian. Right, Nadias children in the dining room of the San Fernando Valley Rescue Missions shelter for homeless families. (Los Angeles Times)

Nadia and her children are among the economically homeless  men, women and, often enough, families, who find themselves without a place to live because of some kind of setback or immediate crisis: a divorce, a short-term illness, a loss of a job, an eviction. In many cities across the nation, these are not necessarily problems that would plunge a person into homelessness. But here they can. Why? Because of the shockingly high cost of housing in Los Angeles.

For decades, Southern California  stuck in a low-density, single-family, not-in-my-backyard 20th century mindset  has failed to build enough housing to keep up with population growth and demand. Rents are at an all-time high. Stagnant incomes and a shortage of middle-class jobs mean there are more people struggling. The government safety net hasnt grown to catch all the people in need, nor has public sympathy always been on their side. In 2006, Los Angeles voters rejected a $1-billion bond to create 10,000 residential units for low-income and homeless people, thus exacerbating the housing shortage.

Without a Home Theyre part of the Los Angeles streetscape, as familiar as the swaying palm trees and idling traffic, living under freeways, alongside riverbeds and on canyon hillsides. The mentally ill, the drug addicts, the economically disadvantaged, many with their life belongings in a backpack or shopping cart. In this ongoing series, Without a Home, The Times is examining the crisis of homelessness in our region. Full coverage

Today, we are paying the price: The economically homeless are now estimated to make up more than half of L.A.s unhoused  and it is their rising numbers that are fueling the unprecedented growth in that population. More than half of the people surveyed by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority last year said they were homeless because of an eviction, foreclosure, unemployment or financial reasons.

In just six years, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles County has increased 67%, from about $1,200 to $2,000, according to Zillows Rent Index. The median household income during the same period increased only 23%, from $52,280 in 2011 to $64,300 in 2017.

Today, 1 in 3 renters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area is considered severely rent burdened, meaning they spend at least half their income on housing. Los Angeles County is the most unaffordable region in the country for the poorest renters, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Department. To understand just how thin the line is between those with a place to live and those without, consider a study conducted by Zillow estimating that a rent increase of 5% in Los Angeles County would push 2,000 people into homelessness.

Guadalupe Linares is an example of someone who teeters on the edge. She and her two children moved out of a $600-a-month illegally converted garage after a rat bit her son. But the one-bedroom she found cost twice as much, forcing her to take on long hours in multiple jobs, including cleaning houses and working in restaurants. Her 17-year-old daughter, Mariana, who had been thinking about a career in medicine, began missing school to help her mom clean houses from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.  which required her to transfer to an independent study program through the school district. She quickly learned that the program is full of kids putting their ambitions on hold while they work to help keep their families housed.

This cannot be Los Angeles future.

Top, Guadalupe Linares prays with her children before bed. Bottom, her 17-year-old daughter Mariana cleans a home for extra income. (Los Angeles Times) Left, Guadalupe Linares prays with her children before bed. Right, her 17-year-old daughter, Mariana, cleans a home for extra income. (Los Angeles Times)

To end the housing shortage that is driving rents to unaffordable levels, Los Angeles County and its cities have to allow construction. A lot of it. Were not talking, in this instance, about permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people  that sort of housing (which includes access to social services and substance abuse and mental health treatment) is absolutely essential and is being built under Measure HHH in Los Angeles. The economically homeless need something else: affordable housing that offers below-market rents for low-income people. And regular market-rate housing as well that will increase the supply and help bring down rents for everyone.

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Since 1980, far fewer homes have been built than are needed to meet population growth in the county, according to the Southern California Assn. of Governments, and now the county has a deficit of nearly 1 million housing units. The vast majority of the 88 cities in the county are not adding enough market-rate and affordable housing to meet their fair share of the regions growth.

Sure, there are some legitimate excuses  land costs are high and environmental concerns have slowed development. But far too often, residents and elected officials act on their worst NIMBY instincts to block or restrict housing in the name of preventing traffic and density and protecting neighborhood character. One Torrance city councilman argued against building new homes, saying, A city should be allowed to say were full.

No  a city cannot say its full. Too many people are clinging to an old vision of Southern California, when orange groves were plowed under for single-family subdivisions, wide avenues and freeways. Today, those ranch homes cost $1 million and more, the roads are clogged and working-class families can end up living in their cars. The region must build denser and taller to make space for the people who are already here. That doesnt require Dubai-style skyscrapers; it can mean more townhomes and four-story apartment buildings and high-rises near transit.

A city cannot say its full. The region must build denser and taller to make space for the people who are already here.

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The state passed new laws last year to pressure cities to accommodate more housing and to streamline approvals in communities that have failed to keep up with population growth. California lawmakers also approved new funding for affordable housing and gave cities the authority to enact inclusionary zoning laws, which require that affordable units be built in market-rate housing developments. These are positive steps, but the state should adopt even more aggressive mandates if cities continue to throw up hurdles. In some cases, this will change the look, feel and character of cities. But thats an inevitable result of population growth.

Of course, it will take years to catch up on housing construction. In the meantime, rent hikes and evictions will continue. Thats why policymakers must make the prevention of homelessness a cornerstone of their efforts. To that end, Los Angeles County plans to use Measure H funds to provide temporary rental assistance to help people on the brink of losing an apartment. Its easier and cheaper to keep people in housing than to help them off the street after the fact.

The county is also funding legal services to help poor renters fight eviction or to help them qualify for relocation assistance. Fewer than 1% of renters facing eviction have lawyers. Cities should also consider passing laws to require that landlords show just cause to evict.

The federal government has not done enough. HUD should significantly increase funding for the Section 8 voucher program in Los Angeles County, taking into account the high cost of housing here. Section 8 rental vouchers are pegged to HUDs fair-market rents, which are often substantially less than actual market rents.

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Ultimately there has to be a recognition that every new apartment unit rejected is a family denied an affordable place to live. Just as Los Angeles voters were willing to say yes to higher taxes for homeless housing and services, they have to be willing to say yes to the housing construction in their neighborhoods. That will, over time, alleviate the shortage.

Nadia and her children head back to their room at San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission. Los Angeles Times

Nadia notes that it is not laziness or drinking or drug abuse thats plunging so many people into homelessness. Its the lack of affordable housing.

After moving into the shelter she began working full time at a big insurance company doing data entry to save money for an apartment. Few co-workers knew she was living in a shelter.

Nadia said, Nobodys probably looking at me and saying, That woman is homeless. And Im willing to bet a lot of them would be surprised.

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This is the second in a series.
Set aside what you think of guns or immigration as a matter of public policy or even morality. Instead, think of them as dye-markers of how our cultural politics and the nature of the two parties have changed over time.

In the 1990s, it was common for Democrats to fret over both illegal and legal immigration. All Americans, President Clinton said in his 1995 State of the Union Address, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country.

Barbara Jordan, the civil rights icon and former Democratic congresswoman, headed a commission which concluded that legal immigration rates should be modestly cut.

Meanwhile countless Republicans championed immigration. Im hard pressed to think of a single problem that would be solved by shutting off the supply of willing and eager new Americans, then-House Majority Leader Dick Armey said in 1994. If anything, we should be thinking about increasing legal immigration.

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After a meeting with the National Restaurants Assn., newly elected House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, I think we would be a very, very self-destructive country if we sent negative signals on legal immigration.

Back then, boosting legal immigration was seen by many on the left as a sop to big business. The ruling industrial class allegedly wanted a reserve army of cheap labor. As recently as 2015, the avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders sounded downright Bannonesque in telling Vox.com that open borders was a Koch brothers proposala right-wing proposal, which says essentially there is no United States.

Republicans support gun rights because their voters tell them too, just as Democratic voters tell their representatives the opposite.

Sanders is an intriguing example of how political and cultural currents swirl around us. He won his first bid for Congress in 1990 in part because he received the full-throated endorsement of the National Rifle Assn. Sanders, then the mayor of Burlington, Vt., opposed an assault-weapon ban while his GOP opponent supported one.

It is not about Peter Smith vs. Bernie Sanders, the NRAs Wayne LaPierre explained. It is about integrity in politics.

This history was just one reason why it was amusing to listen to LaPierre at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week railing against the socialists determined to grab everyones guns. The man who helped launch the most prominent American socialist since Norman Thomas suddenly thinks socialism is an existential threat to liberty.

Whats going?

On the immigration front: Democrats are increasingly invested in permissive policies in large part because theyve bought into the theory that diverse populations are their key to electoral victories going forward. In dialectic fashion, Republicans are increasingly invested in restrictive policies in large part because theyre chasing after ever-larger segments of the white vote.

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As for firearms: Democrats passed an assault-weapons ban in September 1994. Even Bill Clinton credited that decision as one of the chief reasons the GOP took back the House two months later.

True or not, the more important consequence was that gun rights increasingly became a partisan issue, and the NRA had little choice but to become an adjunct of the GOP. The dynamic became centrifugal, with Democrats and Republicans becoming ever more defined by the issue.

All of these changes were driven by facts on the ground. To listen to Democrats, Republicans support gun rights because the NRA tells them to. In reality, Republicans support gun rights because their voters tell them to, just as Democratic voters tell their representatives the opposite.

But guns and immigration are not simply drivers of polarization, they are examples of its power. Politics has become a lifestyle, part of the big sort driving so much in our culture. Thats why the NRAs marketing these days has so little to do with gun policy and so much to do with smash-mouth cultural resentments.

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These days, if youre a Democrat, youre likely to be a down-the-line Democrat on a host of unrelated issue. Same if youre a Republican. Like our representatives, many of us wont buck party orthodoxy on any matter of importance.

Liberals like Sanders have talked about two Americas for generations, but they worked on the assumption that this divide was class-based. Its not. Its cultural, and the divide is becoming a chasm.

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

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Gavin Newsom releases ad that highlights his push to allow same-sex couples to marry By Phil Willon A new ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom features Phyllis Lyon, who with her partner, Del Martin, received the first marriage license after Newsom vowed to allow same-sex couples to marry when he was mayor of San Francisco in 2004. The current lieutenant governors push for marriage equality thrust him into the national spotlight and he has emphasized that effort to portray himself as a bold, progressive leader. Facebook

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Failed California housing bill was not a bad idea, Gov. Jerry Brown says By Liam Dillon Gov. Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Earlier this month, high-profile housing legislation that would have allowed for four- to five-story apartments and condominiums near transit stops failed to advance in the state Legislature. But had it reached his desk, would Gov. Jerry Brown have signed it? Maybe. I think that was not a bad idea, Brown said of Senate Bill 827 at a meeting with business leaders from the Bay Area Council on Monday afternoon. The bill, written by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attracted national attention and a maelstrom of opposition in part because it would have eliminated single-family zoning near transit stops in favor of apartments or condominiums. Brown said that a relative of his who lives in West Portal, a low-density neighborhood in San Francisco, told the governor he was horrified by the bill. Brown also lamented dramatically rising housing costs. He said he bought his first house in Los Angeles in 1973 for $75,000 at a time when his salary as secretary of state was $35,000. Now, he said, buying a house for a little over twice ones annual salary is virtually impossible anywhere in the state. FOR THE RECORD

May 1, 9:32 a.m.: This post originally misstated the year Brown purchased his house as 1970. It was 1973. Facebook

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John Cox begins California barnstorm with the delivery of gas tax repeal signatures By Javier Panzar Gubernatorial candidate John Cox, left, and Assembly candidate Bill Essayli load boxes of signatures for the gas tax repeal initiative. (Francine Orr) GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox strolled up to the stack of 12 boxes in front of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorders offices in Norwalk on Monday and placed his hands on top of his partys hope for success in 2018. The boxes, stacked four across and three high, contained 211,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees. Cox says the effort has gathered more than 940,000 signatures from registered voters to put the measure on the ballot  far more than the 585,407 signatures that are required. The aim: to bring out the partys base to the polls this November and help candidates in tough congressional and legislative races down the ticket. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll in November found 54.2% of registered voters surveyed said they would repeal the tax and fee hike, but a survey a month earlier by another group said a majority would vote to keep the higher taxes. Cox was flanked by Bill Essayli, a former federal prosecutor who is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes of Riverside in the June primary. Cervantes voted for the gas tax and Essayli plans to use that vote against her. He even launched his campaign at a 76 gas station in Norco. This is a central issue in my campaign, he said. Cox also submitted signatures in San Diego on Monday and is headed to Bakersfield, Fresno and Sacramento, as well as Shasta and Butte counties in coming days. We are going all across the state, Cox said. The whole state is paying this tax and the whole state wants it gone. Facebook

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All Californians would be able to serve on state boards  even people in the U.S. illegally  under new bill By Jazmine Ulloa Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation that would allow all Californians to serve on state boards and commissions regardless of immigration status. Senate Bill 174, by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), comes as the state is locked in a broader legal battle with the Trump administration over state immigration laws and his call for mass deportations. Lawmakers point to what they say is the states own discriminatory history as their basis for introducing the legislation. The proposal would amend an 1872 provision that was first adopted to exclude Chinese immigrants and other transient aliens from holding appointed civil positions. At the time, antipathy toward the Chinese had been building in California, though, Chinese immigrants opened hundreds of businesses across the state and would play a critical role in building the transcontinental railroad. The Senate bill would delete the phrase transient aliens from the government code and make clear that any person, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, can hold an appointed civil office if they are at least 18 years old and a resident of the state. That would allow any Californian to serve on hundreds of boards and commissions that advice in an array of policy areas, including farm labor, history and employment development. Californias two million undocumented immigrants are a source of energy for our state, Lara said in a statement. It is shocking to read the words of fear and exclusion that are still in California law but belong in historys trash can. Facebook

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Tony Mendozas fundraising dries up after resignation amid harassment inquiry By Patrick McGreevy Former state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). (Steve Yeater / Associated Press) Political contributions to Tony Mendoza, who resigned from the state Senate under pressure amid sexual harassment allegations, have nearly dried up. New documents he filed with the state in his bid to reclaim the seat he once held show that his support has eroded. As a result, five other candidates for the 32nd District senate seat in the June 5 election have raised more than Mendoza so far this year. With the June 5 election approaching, Mendoza has reported raising just $7,750 in cash from six supporters during the nearly four-month period from Jan. 1 to April 21. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, went on a leave of absence from the Senate Jan. 3 and resigned a month later under the threat of expulsion from colleagues. An investigation ordered by the Senate found a pattern of unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior based on testimony from six women. Mendoza has denied wrongdoing. Last year, Mendozas reelection campaign raised $412,600, or an average of about $34,000 per month, from more than 350 supporters. Most of Mendozas 2018 total was contributed by the political arm of the Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 on Jan. 22, a month before Mendoza resigned. Mendoza also reported that his campaign loaned $125,000 this year to his legal defense fund. That left him with $446,600 in his campaign account at the end of April. Mendoza is running against eight Democrats and two Republicans. Democrat Bob J. Archuleta, a Pico Rivera city councilman, raised the most, $210,000, during the period. On Monday, Mendoza suffered another setback when the State Legislative Womens Caucus endorsed Democrat Vicky Santana, a member of the Rio Hondo College Board. Facebook

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Newsom and Villaraigosa affairs coming to TV ads in California By Phil Willon An independent political committee backing Republican John Cox for governor released an ad blasting both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for their past sexual affairs. The California Deserves Better ad, which was first reported by Politico, criticizes Newsom for having an affair with a woman on his staff in 2005 while he served as mayor of San Francisco. It also goes after Villaraigosa for having an extramarital affair with a television reporter in 2007 while he was mayor of Los Angeles. The ad, which begins airing on Fox stations in the states top media markets Monday, links Newsom and Villaraigosa to the men accused of sexual impropriety in the #MeToo movement, including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and disgraced Today show veteran Matt Lauer. Powerful men are finally being held to account, punished for inappropriate sexual conduct with women over whom they exercise power, the ad begins. Newsom and Villaraigosa think the rules shouldnt apply to them. The independent campaign committee, called Restore Our Values, already has raised more than $100,000, said Leigh Teece of Emeryville in Northern California, co-founder of the group. Teece, the CEO of a nonprofit that helps line up students with professional mentors, said the campaign will actively support Cox. She called him a true conservative and noted that he supports cutting taxes and opposes Californias sanctuary state policy. John is a business person who has demonstrated integrity, Teece said. Facebook

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Was that Cisneros in the voicemail? Dispute is latest espisode of Democratic infighting in crowded primary races By Christine Mai-Duc Gil Cisneros speaks during a forum at Fullerton College in January. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) With less than five weeks to go before Californias primary, insults and accusations are flying with abandon in the most crowded races Democrats hope to ultimately win. The latest example of this is in the 39th Congressional District, where a half dozen Democrats are vying for a chance to replace Rep. Ed Royce, whos retiring. Its one of several California contests where Democratic leaders are already worried that divisions could ultimately split votes and shut Democrats out of key pickup opportunities. In that race, millionaires Gil Cisneros and Andy Thorburn are going negative  about going negative. Cisneros was recently elevated to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue program in hopes it would serve as a signal to Democratic activists and donors that his campaign was the most viable. But both Cisneros and Thorburn have poured millions into the race, which promises to be a knock down, drag out fight through June 5. At the center of the latest controversy is a voicemail, allegedly left by Cisneros on Thorburns home answering machine earlier this month. The recording, which the Thorburn campaign turned over to media outlet The Intercept, lasts less than 10 seconds. Hi Andy, its Gil Cisneros. Im gonna go negative on you, a mans voice is heard saying. Cisneros campaign manager Orrin Evans denied the candidate made the call, posting a cease and desist letter to The Intercept on Twitter. The letter, sent by a Cisneros campaign attorney, called the voicemail fabricated and demanded that the story be taken down, calling it defamatory. It gave the publication until 3 p.m. Friday to take down the story before they pursue all legal rights and remedies. An attorney for The Intercept, in a letter to Cisneros, said the publication confirmed with multiple sources familiar with Mr. Cisneros that his voice was on the recording, and that it stands by its reporting. Thorburns camp says it flatly rejects Cisneros denial, and that the timing of a negative website filled with unflattering background on Thorburn, released three days later, suggests it was him. Track the California races that could flip the House According to The Intercepts report, Cisneros campaign manager did not respond to initial inquiries about the voicemail, calling its questions ridiculous. In a follow-up statement Friday, Evans said called the episode a dirty, desperate trick by the Thorburn campaign and said they are readying to pursue legal action for defamation and false light against both him and the publication. It sounded like him to me! said Thorburns wife, Karen, in a statement released by the campaign. She was the one who first heard the voicemail, they said. Thorburn campaign manager Nancy Leeds called Cisneros threats Trump-like tactics and accused the candidate of trying to harass and intimidate anyone who stands in his way. Its not the first time candidates from the same party have clashed in the lead-up to the June 5 primary, and its all but certain to not be the last. Cisneros sued two of his opponents, Thorburn and Sam Jammal, over their ballot descriptions until they had to change them. Earlier this month, Democrat Bryan Caforio asked his opponent, Katie Hill, to sign a pledge rejecting the use of independent expenditure committees, entities that neither of them can legally coordinate with, in the race to unseat Rep. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster). Hill refused and called the attempt hollow and likened it to political theater, while Caforio accused her of empty campaign promises. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: The money raised in the race for governor hints at a race thats now red hot By John Myers With less than six weeks before election day, the cash raised in the California governors race mirrors the overall dynamics: one major front-runner and a heated race for second place. This weeks podcast episode offers a glimpse into those cash reports and how the Republican field seems more settled in a new statewide poll than the battle between Democrats. We also examine the reasons why a nationally talked-about housing bill in Sacramento was killed by the Democratic authors own allies. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Facebook

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L.A. County politician sexually assaulted woman when she was 16, lawsuit claims By Dakota Smith A woman sued an unnamed politician in Los Angeles County on Friday, alleging the man sexually assaulted her when she was a teenager after he gave her an unusual-tasting drink. The politician, identified as John Doe, was in his early 40s and a public figure at the time of the 2007 assault, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The man is an elected official today and lives in Los Angeles, said attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing the woman identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe. Bloom declined to say what branch of government the man represents. Read More Facebook

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Villaraigosa touts his working-class upbringing, accomplishments as mayor in first TV ad By Phil Willon Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa released his first TV ad in the governors race Friday, touting his record and accomplishments as mayor of Los Angeles when up against the economic downturn during the recession. The 30-second television spot opens with a sweeping shot of Los Angeles and cuts to Villaraigosa sitting on a bus. In kindergarten, my sister and I took three buses to get to school. As mayor, I remembered that, Villaraigosa says into the camera. And despite the recession, we built more new schools and rail lines than any city in America, added 200,000 living wage jobs, built 20,000 units of affordable housing and nearly doubled graduation rates. Campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino said the ad will air statewide over the next week at a cost of approximately $1 million. The commercial will being airing Saturday. Two Democratic rivals in Californias race for governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang, also launched ads this week, signaling the biggest ramp-up of the campaign as the June 5 primary approaches. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican John Cox. One recent poll has Villaraigosa trailing both Cox and Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach. Chiang has been stuck in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. Last week, an independent expenditure group called Families and Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor, funded largely by a trio of wealthy charter school backers, launched a spot in support of the former mayor of Los Angeles. That ad campaign is focused on increasing Villaraigosas chances of coming in second in the June 5 primary and moving on to the general election. Villaraigosas ad, titled Three Buses, emphasizes the struggles he faced growing up in East Los Angeles and addresses one of his central campaign themes  that hes the candidate best suited to help working-class Californians. I know how far a bus can take you, Villaraigosa says in the ad. Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein wont participate in pre-primary debate By Sarah D. Wire (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call) California Sen. Dianne Feinstein will not participate in a proposed pre-primary debate because there are too many candidates in the race, her campaign spokesman said Thursday. Political activists with the group Indivisible Los Angeles said they had a venue and date  May 5  reserved for a debate with four of the Senate candidates. But they said if Feinstein does not participate, it will be canceled. Feinstein faces 31 primary opponents in her bid for a fifth full term representing California in the Senate. Feinstein staffers initially said she had a prior commitment on May 5 in San Francisco. When organizers offered to let her campaign pick another date, her campaign said it wasnt fair for the group to invite only some of the candidates when there is such a big field, said Tudor Popescu, volunteer community organizer with Indivisible Los Angeles. The invited candidates, all Democrats, were Feinstein, state Sen. Kevin de Leon, political action committee director Alison Hartson and lawyer Pat Harris. They were selected based on fundraising and poll numbers. There are 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, nine independents and 2 third-party candidates running for Senate on the June ballot. Indivisible Los Angeles is still hoping Feinstein will pick another date, Popescu said. Feinstein spokesman Jeff Millman pointed to a San Francisco Chronicle endorsement of Feinstein, which indicates that she told the editorial board she would be willing to have a debate ahead of Novembers general election. Senator Feinstein looks forward to debating her opponent in the general election, Millman said in an email. Feinstein holds a substantial lead in both fundraising and in the polls. Front-runners in statewide races have routinely declined to debate their challengers, knowing that its free publicity for candidates who dont have the cash to increase their name recognition on their own. De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the state senator has done candidate forums before, but planned to attend the May 5 debate only if Feinstein did. We basically said well clear his calendar 100%, well clear his calendar if Feinstein shows up, Underland said. Wed love to make it happen, but we want her to be there. Facebook

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NRA, Olympic shooter sue California over its restrictions on ammunition sales By Patrick McGreevy Olympian Kim Rhode is a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NRA and its state affiliate against California. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The National Rifle Assn. and its state affiliate have filed a fourth lawsuit against California over its gun control laws, this time challenging new restrictions on the sale and transfer of ammunition. The NRA and the California Rifle and Pistol Assn. filed a challenge in federal court to a requirement that ammunition sales and transfers be conducted face to face with California firearms dealers or licensed vendors, ending purchases made directly from out-of-state sellers on the internet. The lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California also challenged a requirement starting next year for background checks for people buying ammunition. The lawsuit was filed in the name of Kim Rhode, a six-time Olympic medal-winning shooter, and others. It challenges Californias new ammunition sales restrictions as a violation of the 2nd Amendment and the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. Restrictions on ammunition purchases were included in Proposition 63, approved by voters in 2016, and in bills approved by the Legislature. As a result of these laws, millions of constitutionally protected ammunition transfers are banned in California, Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. Californias law-abiding gun owners are sick of being treated like criminals and the NRA is proud to assist in this fight. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor, defended his initiative and vowed to fight the NRA lawsuit. We wrote Proposition 63 on solid legal ground and principle: If youre a felon banned from possessing guns in California, then you should not be able to purchase the ammunition that makes a firearm deadly, Newsom said in a statement. California voters said loudly and clearly that guns and ammunition do not belong in the hands of dangerous individuals  but once again, the NRA has prioritized gun industry profits over the lives of law-abiding Californians. Facebook

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Republicans hope to ride a gas-tax repeal to victory By Patrick McGreevy In a Central Valley barn decked out in red, white and blue, dairyman and state Senate candidate Johnny Tacherra drew cheers from a crowd of fellow farmers when he said he opposes the California Legislatures hike on gas taxes and vehicle fees. I would not have voted for that. It is not the time to be voting on (raising) the gas tax, said Tacherra, a Republican running against Democratic Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who voted for the tax increase last year. Three hundred miles away the same week, a campaign mailer arrived at homes in Orange County from an Assembly candidate with a message blaring from the cover in bold type: Republican Greg Haskin  tough enough to stand up to Jerry Brown and repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Treasurer John Chiang launches ad in governors race touting his record as a fiscal steward By Seema Mehta In his first television ad in the governors race, state Treasurer John Chiang touts his record on fiscal issues as California faced the recession. Some thought we were done, Chiang says in a voiceover in the 30-second spot he released Thursday, with images of him standing seriously at a lectern and complimentary headlines about his work as controller and treasurer. But I knew better. I made the tough calls. And brought California back from the brink of financial disaster because you trusted me to manage our economy. Chiangs campaign is spending about $500,000 to air the ad in Los Angeles and San Diego in coming days. That buy is dwarfed by seven-figure purchases for ads supporting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Newsom is the front-runner, while Villaraigosa is battling for second place with Republican businessman John Cox. Chiang has been mired in the single digits in almost all polling in the race. His ad, called Quiet Storm, tries to portray Chiang as a progressive who is effective and can move policy in Sacramento. Chiang points to his work challenging Wells Fargo before arguing that he could accomplish what doubters say is impossible to improve the states healthcare, housing and schools. I say, we got this, Chiang concludes. Facebook

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Been ignoring the race for California governor? Thats OK, in some ways its just starting By Mark Z. Barabak On a recent trip to Iowa, Eric Garcetti  the mayor of Los Angeles and a possible 2020 White House contestant  raised eyebrows with a bit of exuberant outreach. Los Angeles and Iowa, Garcetti insisted, have a ton in common, and he didnt simply mean both are inhabited by carbon-based life forms needing oxygen to survive. Urban or rural, farmer or fashion plate, all of us harbor the same hopes and dreams, the mayor suggested, and if it wasnt a terribly original thought it also wasnt the most egregious sort of political pandering  like, say, ordering that every home in Los Angeles be powered by Iowa-produced ethanol. Read More Facebook

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California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November By Liam Dillon (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) A proposal to borrow $8.9 billion for improvements to Californias water quality systems and watersheds and protection of natural habitats is eligible for the statewide ballot in November, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced in a press release Wednesday. Padilla said the measure, which is backed by agricultural interests, had exceeded the 365,800 valid signatures it needed to qualify for the general election ballot. The bond measure will appear on the ballot unless proponents withdraw it by June 28, the release said. The bond is one of many voters could decide on in 2018. A $4-billion bond for parks and water infrastructure improvements will appear on the June 5 ballot. State lawmakers approved it last year. Facebook

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They came for Darrell Issa. They stayed with their inflatable chicken, blue wall and signs for political therapy By Christine Mai-Duc (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) A mother of two turned ringleader of the resistance and more than a hundred of her faithful followers gathered on Tuesday morning outside Rep. Darrell Issas office in a northern San Diego County suburb. Across the street was her foil, a wedding DJ in a red Make American Great Again cap, setting up hefty speakers for an upcoming war of words. For about 65 weeks the deep divide in America played out along this 100-yard stretch of road in Vista. Here, at 10 a.m. every Tuesday, passersby found signs, chants, songs and, if they were lucky, sometimes a 20-foot-tall inflatable chicken with a Trump-esque coif. Theyd also glimpse the state of the body politic in 2018, a time when shock has turned to anger and post-2016 calls for reconciliation have morphed into grudging acceptance that each side might be better off in their respective corners. Or in this case, their sides of the street. On Tuesday, the anti-Issa, anti-Trump contingent fought this particular battle for the last time, declaring it their final protest at the congressmans office. They said they planned to use their energy to knock on doors and get out the vote, with an occasional protest on the side. Their pro-Trump rivals vowed to show up wherever they do. Read More Facebook

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Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents By Jazmine Ulloa Jane Un, chief executive and founder of Abba Bail Bonds, works with a client. ( Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization. This year, as Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged to work with lawmakers in a push to overhaul how courts assign defendants bail and to better regulate bail agencies, even some who profit from the court practice admit its time for regulation. These bail and bail-recovery agents could become unlikely allies, saying they advocate for change because theyve seen the system abuse the poor. Read More Facebook

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California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads By Seema Mehta After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governors race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks. The ads most frequently seen on television are those promoting Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is trying to secure the second spot in the June primary. Newsoms campaign and an outside group backing Villaraigosa are spending seven figures weekly on these efforts, according to filings with the California secretary of states office and a media buyer who asked not to be identified in order to freely discuss the ads. Other gubernatorial candidates are expected to hit the airwaves soon, the media buyer said. State Treasurer John Chiang has reserved a half-million dollars in the coming days in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, and Villaraigosas campaign has requested availability in at least five of the states biggest TV markets. The GOP candidates in the race, who will be seeking the state Republican Partys endorsement at its convention next weekend, have been much less active. Businessman John Cox in recent weeks has been spending about $90,000 per week, but doubled that this week in Los Angeles and added small buys on KFI-AM radio and cable in markets including Fresno, Bakersfield and Salinas. State Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach, who has been scooping up Republican Party endorsements across the state, has yet to make a notable television or radio buy, though he and Cox have received some attention as commentators on Fox News. Facebook

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Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices last year. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Republican activists said Tuesday that they have collected at least 830,000 signatures for an initiative to repeal recent increases in Californias gas tax and vehicle fees, more than enough to qualify the measure for the November ballot. The activists need 585,407 signatures of registered voters to qualify the ballot measure. Because signatures are still being processed and counted by the campaign, backers hope to have 900,000 by the time they begin turning them in to the counties on Friday, according to Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Council member and organizer of the drive. The breadth and depth of voter anger over the car and gas tax hikes is just amazing, said DeMaio, who hosts a radio talk show. We are seeing Democrats, independents and Republicans sign the petition and volunteering to carry the petition, people from all walks of life. The initiative targets a law approved in April 2017 by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown that is expected to raise $5.4 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and improvements to mass transit. The money comes from a recent 12-cents-per-gallon increase in the gas tax, a 20-cent increase in the diesel fuel excise tax and a new annual vehicle fee ranging from $25 for cars valued at under $5,000, to $175 for cars worth $60,000 or more. The petition drive raised more than $2 million with significant contributions from the California Republican Party and Republican members of Congress from California, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Mimi Walters of Irvine. Republicans hope the issue will help their candidates for office in this years election and hurt Democrats who support the higher taxes. I think this is going to put Democrats in real bad spot, DeMaio said. A spokesman for Brown declined to comment until the signatures are filed. DeMaio said there were approximately 20,000 volunteer petition circulators who brought in more than 250,000 signatures, with the rest collected by paid circulators who received $1 to $2.50 per signature. Its a pretty comfortable margin [of signatures] that we have been able to hit here, DeMaio said. Opposition will grow, he said, as more Californians get their annual vehicle registration notice. The repeal campaign hopes to raise $5 million for the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment, which would not only repeal the increase in the gas tax and vehicle fees but require future increases to be submitted to voters. We know that Gov. Brown and his cohorts are going to spend an amazing amount of money to mislead voters, DeMaio said. But I feel pretty confident that we will repeal the gas tax. Read More Facebook

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Rep. Duncan Hunter sets up trust to raise money for legal expenses amid ongoing criminal investigation By Morgan Cook Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has filed paperwork to establish a legal expense fund amid an ongoing federal criminal investigation into misused campaign cash. Hunter filed the required paperwork March 27, seeking a rarely granted Legal Expense Fund through which members of Congress under investigation or being sued in connection with doing their jobs or running for office can raise money for their legal expenses. Such funds are administered by an independent trustee and allow donors to give above the maximum amount they can contribute a candidates campaign. Hunter has spent more than $600,000 of campaign money on lawyers. Read More Facebook

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Kamala Harris says she wont take corporate donations anymore By Sarah D. Wire (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press) California Sen. Kamala Harris says she will no longer accept money from corporate political action committees. In an interview with WWPM-FMs The Breakfast Club, in New York that aired Monday, the senator said she wasnt expecting a question at a town hall this month about whether she would accept money for corporations or corporate lobbyists. At the time, Harris said it depends, but she said on Monday that she had reflected on the matter and changed her mind. Money has had such an outside influence on politics, and especially with the Supreme Court determining Citizens United, which basically means that big corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money influencing a campaign, right? Harris said. Were all supposed to have an equal vote, but money has now really tipped the balance between an individual having equal power in an election to a corporation. So Ive actually made a decision since I had that conversation that Im not going to accept corporate PAC checks. I just  Im not. You can watch the video of the interview here. (Harris corporate money comments come about 30 minutes in.) Harris wouldnt be on the ballot for a second Senate term until 2022, though its widely believed that she is planning a presidential bid in 2020. Other potential 2020 presidential candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have also ruled out taking corporate PAC money. Soon after Mondays show aired, Harris campaign sent out a fundraising request noting her new stance. As corporate PACs continue to corrupt our politics and twist Congress priorities at your expense, were going to focus on raising money from small-dollar, individual donors like you, the email says. Facebook

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With money tied up in court, California lawmakers try again with new plan to spend $2 billion on homeless housing By Liam Dillon A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of the Union Rescue Mission in the skid row neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A measure to spend $2 billion on housing homeless Californians could be on the November statewide ballot. State Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is pushing the idea to deal with what he said was a burgeoning humanitarian crisis whose epicenter is here in California. De Leons new measure is a do-over for a 2016 plan passed by the Legislature to redirect $2 billion toward building homeless housing from a voter-approved 1% income tax surcharge on millionaires that funds mental health services. A Sacramento attorney sued over that decision, arguing that the move violated constitutional rules on approving loans without a public vote and that lawmakers shouldnt take money away from mental health treatment. The case remains active in Sacramento Superior Court and its unclear when, or if, the state will be able to spend the $2 billion. De Leons Senate Bill 1206 would put the $2-billion loan on the ballot in November, freeing up the money if voters approve the measure. De Leon said had he been able to predict the 2016 plan would end up in court, he would have sought a ballot measure at the time. We thought this was like apple pie and baseball and puppies, De Leon said. Who would oppose the idea of repurposing the dollars to build immediate housing as a permanent solution for homelessness? Obviously with a crystal ball, had I anticipated the litigation, I would have worked to place it on the ballot. De Leon noted that the 2016 plan had bipartisan supermajority support in the Legislature, something his new bill also will need to get on the ballot. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) is a coauthor of the plan. SB 1206 is scheduled for its first hearing in the Legislature on Wednesday. Should De Leons measure be approved, it will join a crowded list of housing issues before voters in November. Californians will decide on a separate $4-billion bond to help finance new low-income housing and home loans for veterans. De Leon said hes not worried those two measures will compete against each other because voters are aware of the scale of the states housing problems and the proposed homeless housing bond redirects existing dollars instead of raising taxes. Once [voters] know that the impact on their pocketbook is not existent, Im confident that theyll join me and my colleague John Moorlach in support of this measure, De Leon said. Facebook

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California lawmakers say too many former felons are being denied professional licenses By John Myers Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) along with supporters of bills to allow more former felons to receive professional licenses. (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) A trio of California Assembly members urged colleagues on Monday to pass legislation that would prohibit state commissions and agencies from rejecting a professional license for those who were once convicted of less serious crimes. We cant say we want to rehabilitate people, and then block them from getting the jobs that they need when theyre released, said Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). That leads to more recidivism and to more crime. The bills, scheduled to be heard in Assembly committees Tuesday, would ban the use of arrest or conviction records as the reason for denying a professional license. The bill would not apply to Californians who served time for any of the offenses on the states list of violent crimes. The authors, all Democrats, said that a government-issued professional license is required for some 30% of all jobs in the state. Their bills would change the licensing process at the California departments of Consumer Affairs and Social Services and agencies that certify emergency medical technicians. The bills would block prior convictions from leading to the delay or denial of a license unless that crime is directly related to the profession the person intends to pursue. Two of the bills also specifically say convictions less than 5 years old could continue to play a role in licensing decisions. Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that keeps private sector employers from inquiring about a job applicants conviction history prior to an offer of employment. Advocates joined the lawmakers at a press conference in Sacramento to point out that limits on awarding licenses should focus only on those whose prior criminal activity could pose a threat to consumers. Continuing to hold people back for crimes that are 6, 7, 8, 10, 20 years old does not actually make sense if youre looking at public safety, said Jael Myrick of the East Bay Community Law Center. One of the proposals, Assembly Bill 2293, seeks to make it easier for ex-felons to get a license allowing a job with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection  the same agency that often uses prison inmates to battle blazes around the state. If a person is good enough to risk their life fighting fires for the state of California as an inmate, said Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), their previous actions should not prevent from having a job utilizing the skill set that they learned. Facebook

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Assembly speaker rebukes building trades union after it targets Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia By John Myers ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The decision by a politically powerful labor group to openly campaign against an embattled Los Angeles-area lawmaker drew a sharp rebuke on Friday from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. The Lakewood Democrat lashed out hours after the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California filed paperwork for a political action committee to defeat Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens). Garcia, whos seeking her fourth term, took an unpaid leave of absence in February following allegations of sexual misconduct. She has denied the reports and an Assembly investigation remains underway. Rendon didnt criticize the labor group by name, insisting instead that the decision was driven by oil and gas industry interests. This is a thinly veiled attempt by Big Oil and polluters to intimidate me and my members. It is an affront to my speakership, Rendon said in a statement. We are proud of the work that the Assembly has done to increase jobs and wages while defending our environment. We will vigorously defend the members of our caucus from any ill-advised political attack. A statement from the labor group, which sparred with Garcia last year on her effort to link new climate change policies with a crackdown on air pollution, said it had decided to reverse past support for her. The Trades have thousands of hard working members in Garcias district, and we look forward to lifting up another Democrat in the 58th Assembly to better represent them and their families, said the statement. The political action committees campaign finance filing on Friday listed nonmonetary in kind contributions from Erin Lehane, a public affairs consultant aligned with the building labor group. Lehane said she had begun researching Garcia in November. In January, a former legislative staffer accused her of groping him in 2014. Lehane, who identified herself as a spokesperson for the labor groups political action committee, said on Friday that she believed Garcias hypocrisy threatened a movement that will dictate how much harassment and abuse my daughter will face in her work life. Garcia, who has been an outspoken advocate for women in the #MeToo movement, has complained that her political opponents helped fan the flames of the accusations. Through a campaign consultant, she declined to comment on Friday. Rendons critique came on the heels of a full-page ad in The Times on Friday, partly paid for by the Trades Council, that criticized well-funded ivory tower elites who push proposals that hurt the oil and gas industry. We are the real jobs that fuel the real California economy, read the advertisement. Facebook

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Legal tiff breaks out over independent committees ad backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor By Phil Willon An attorney representing Gavin Newsoms campaign for governor is demanding that California television stations cease airing an ad by an independent political committee supporting his Democratic rival Antonio Villaraigosa. Attorney Thomas A. Willis, in a letter to the stations, said the ad is false and misleading and violates California law because it uses snippets of video footage from Villaraigosas own campaign ads. Willis called that illegal coordination between the campaign and PAC. Under California law, advertisements made by entities other than a candidate are presumed to be coordinated  and thus not independent expenditures  when the advertisement replicates, reproduces or disseminates substantial parts of a communication, including video footage, created and paid for by the candidate, the letter states. A representative for the independent expenditure committee  Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor  fired back. Attorney Brian T. Hildreth says those allegations have no merit and accused the Newsom campaign of being misleading. Hildreth sent a letter to the television stations in response, urging them to ignore the Newsom campaigns accusations. He said the Newsom camp appears to intentionally misrepresent the law and that the video use was permissible. He said only six seconds of video from Villaraigosas campaign ads was used, which is well within the legal limits. The independent committee is sponsored by the group California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The ad is airing on broadcast and cable stations statewide. The committees ad is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and as mayor of Los Angeles when there was a drop in crime. Facebook

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Governors race snapshot: Californians are generally upbeat but not focused on the campaign By Mark Z. Barabak Armand Werden, a 29-year-old community college student who works the taps at Dust Bowl Brewery in Turlock, said the state is on the upswing. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) As California chooses a new governor  one of just a handful in the last 40 years not named Jerry Brown  the state seems to be enjoying something unusual in these tumultuous political times: a feeling of relative contentment. Not to say things are perfect. Still, more than 100 random interviews conducted over the length and breadth of the state  from Redding in the north to Santee in the south, from the Pacific coastline to the edge of the Sierra Nevada  found most saying things are looking up, at least so far as Californias direction is concerned. Read More Facebook

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Sierra Club backs Gavin Newsom for California governor By Phil Willon Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with members of the public following a debate at USC in January. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Sierra Club endorsed Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in the race for California governor, with officials in the established environmental group praising the Democrats record on climate change and clean energy. He has a proven record for leading on environmental protection, public health and clean energy, Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, said in a statement released by the Newsom campaign. He understands that we are feeling the effects of climate change and that California must reduce carbon emissions and reach 100% renewable energy to achieve our climate goals. Phillips said the Sierra Clubs extensive network of volunteers will campaign for Newsom as the June 5 primary approaches. Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune also praised the Democrat, saying he will protect California from Donald Trumps attacks on our clean air and water. The Sierra Club joins a series of other influential groups in California that have backed Newsom. The California Medical Assn., the powerful state doctors lobby, announced its endorsement of Newsom on Thursday. The California Nurses Assn. and the Service Employees International Union, one of the most powerful labor unions in the state, also support Newsom. Newsom is the races front-runner in polls and fundraising. A poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 26% of likely voters backed Newsom. John Cox, a Republican from Rancho Santa Fe, was favored by 15% of likely voters and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat, by 13%. Facebook

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Californias GOP House members are taking their challengers more seriously and the numbers show it By Christine Mai-Duc For much of last year, consultants and campaign managers for some of Californias most vulnerable Republican incumbents maintained a bullish tone on the prospect that the GOP would hold the House in this years midterms. The National Republican Congressional Committee insisted that longtime Republican incumbents in California had built up reputations as effective champions of local issues that would help them weather a flood of Democratic enthusiasm. Since then Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) have decided not to seek reelection and the NRCC has opened a West Coast headquarters in Orange County. Read More Facebook

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California officials say Pentagon has confirmed National Guard funding despite Trump threat By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The awkward dance between Gov. Jerry Brown and the federal government over the National Guard jerked back toward discord on Thursday, when Trump said he would refuse to pay for a new deployment of troops  just hours after his administration said otherwise. And a few hours later, California officials said they had received written confirmation from the Pentagon that the mission would indeed be funded. Trump had earlier called Browns decision to approve 400 troops for a mission focused on combating transnational crime and drug smuggling a charade in a tweet. We need border security and action, not words! the president wrote. Governor Jerry Brown announced he will deploy up to 400 National Guard Troops to do nothing. The crime rate in California is high enough, and the Federal Government will not be paying for Governor Browns charade. We need border security and action, not words!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018 A spokesman for Brown pointed to a tweet written Wednesday night by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, thanking the California governor for his efforts. Trump was meeting on Thursday with Nielsen at his Mar-a-Lago estate not long after his tweet was posted. A tweet later posted by the California National Guard said that almost three hours after Trumps comment, the state received written confirmation from the Pentagon to fund the mission as outlined by Brown the day before. In short, nothing has changed today, said a subsequent Guard tweet. Just spoke w @JerryBrownGov about deploying the @USNationalGuard in California. Final details are being worked out but we are looking forward to the support. Thank you Gov Brown!  Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 19, 2018 Brown was the last of the nations border governors to respond to Trumps insistence earlier this month that National Guard troops were needed to assist with immigration-related duties at the U.S.-Mexico border. And he has consistently refused to allow California troops to engage in any mission related to federal immigration law. This will not be a mission to build a new wall, Brown wrote last week to Nielsen and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. It will not be a mission to round up women and children or detain people escaping violence and seeking a better life. Exactly what the California operations will cost remains unclear, as state officials have said it will depend on decisions made once the mission begins. The funds would not be transferred to the state, but instead would be paid directly by the Department of Defense. Trump has critiqued California several times over the past few days, often writing tweets that embrace the actions by some cities and counties to join his administrations lawsuit against the states sanctuary immigration law. He made similar comments to reporters on Thursday afternoon. If you look at whats happening in California with sanctuary cities  people are really going the opposite way, Trump said. They dont want sanctuary cities. Theres a little bit of a revolution going on in California. 2:26 p.m.:This article was updated with additional information from the California National Guard and with remarks from Trump. This article was originally published at 9:51 a.m. Facebook

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Gay conversion therapy services would be banned under measure advancing in California By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The California Assembly voted Thursday to add gay conversion therapy to the states list of deceptive business practices, following a debate that focused on the personal experiences of several lawmakers and hinted at potential lawsuits to come. It is harmful and it is unnecessary, Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), the bills author and one of the Legislatures most vocal LGBTQ members, said of the practice. Low, who told Assembly members that he explored conversion therapy as a teenager and suffered depression over his sexual orientation, insisted that the bill would be limited to efforts that involve the exchange of money. Theres nothing wrong with me, he said in an emotional speech on the Assembly floor. Theres nothing that needs to be changed. The bill, which now heads to the Senate, has become the focal point of intense debate on social media. Some religious groups have said that such a law would be a violation of their constitutional rights, while advocates insist the provisions are narrow and theres no credible evidence that the services work. One key part of the debate centers on whether Assembly Bill 2943 would stretch beyond businesses that charge for these programs and extend to printed documents, even Bibles. An analysis by the Assembly Judiciary Committee says the bill would apply only to services that purport to change a persons sexual orientation and offered on a commercial basis, as well as the advertising and offering of such services. Lawmakers who spoke in support of AB 2943 also made clear that they believe those kinds of services have been discredited. This is fraudulent, it should not be occurring, said Assemblywoman Susan Eggman (D-Stockton). But you can still try to pray the gay away, if you like. Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), who said the bill addresses a difficult issue, nonetheless said that its important to ensure laws dont tamper with religious freedom. We have to think about the legitimate experience of people who have gone through conversion therapy and said this was a good thing for them, Gallagher told his colleagues. California law already bans the use of conversion therapy by mental health professionals on those under age 18. Lows bill would expand the states efforts beyond minors. It would join a list of commercial activities deemed unfair or deceptive acts or practices and therefore banned under state law. Facebook

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Gavin Newsom gets backing from doctors group, despite differences over single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Gavin Newsom speaks at the California Democrats State Convention in San Diego on Feb. 24. (Kent Nishimura) Californias doctors are siding with Gavin Newsom in the governors race, even though they dont see eye-to-eye on a defining issue of the campaign: single-payer healthcare. The California Medical Assn., the state doctors lobby and a political heavyweight, announced its endorsement of the lieutenant governor on Thursday. Gavin is a lifelong champion for health care in California, and we know he will continue to fight for pragmatic solutions to our most crucial health care challenges, including working to achieve universal access and tackling our states physician shortage, CMA President Theodore M. Mazer said in a statement. Newsom has made his support for state-financed healthcare a centerpiece of his campaign, and he earned the early backing of the most ardent single-payer supporters, the state nurses union. The doctors, meanwhile, oppose the nurses bill, SB 562, which emerged as a flashpoint in the healthcare debate last year. The CMA said the bill would dismantle the healthcare marketplace and destabilize Californias economy. Newsom has said SB 562 should advance in the Legislature, but also said it has open-ended issues that still need to be addressed. The doctors group is also battling with another prominent Newsom endorser, the Service Employees International Union, over a new measure that would impose price caps on an array of medical services paid for by commercial health insurers in the state. The SEIU is a leading sponsor of the proposal; the doctors fiercely oppose it. Newsom and the physicians group have a history of political alignment. Newsom was the first statewide official to support Proposition 56, a 2016 tobacco tax pushed by the CMA that raised revenue in part to increase money for doctors who saw Medi-Cal patients. That year, the association also endorsed two initiatives championed by Newsom: Proposition 63, which imposed new gun control measures, and Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana. Facebook

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Independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosa for governor hits the airwaves with first ad By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa speaks at the 2018 California Democratic Party Convention in San Diego in February.. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press) A well-financed independent committee backing Antonio Villaraigosas bid to be Californias next governor released its first television ad Thursday, praising his record for working with Republicans and as a candidate for all of California. The ad, which is to air statewide on broadcast and cable stations, is focused on Villaraigosas record as Assembly speaker and mayor of Los Angeles, including on education and a drop in crime while he was at City Hall. To move California forward, we need to help more Californians get ahead, the ad says. Thats why Antonio Villaraigosa brought both parties together to balance the state budget with record investments in public schools and new career training programs. The independent expenditure committee behind the ad campaign, Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018, is sponsored by the California Charter Schools Assn. Advocates, according to the California secretary of states office. The committee is spending seven figures per week on the ad buy, said Josh Pulliam, a political consultant for the committee. As mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa clashed with teachers unions, starting with his failed attempt to take political control of the Los Angeles Unified School District. His fight with those unions continued after he left office in 2013. Money has poured into the committee this month from wealthy charter schools supporters: Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, donated $7 million, and Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist Eli Broad donated $1.5 million. On Wednesday, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan donated $1 million. The independent expenditure committee is expected to provide a boost to Villaraigosas campaign. Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has a major advantage in fundraising over all other candidates in the race and has received the backing of the California Teachers Assn. and other education unions. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll also showed Villaraigosa lagging in third place in the race, trailing Newsom and Republican businessman John Cox. The candidates who finish in the top two in the June 5 primary will advance to the November general election, regardless of their party affiliation. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says Trump administration will fund his National Guard mission  without immigration duties By John Myers (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Gov. Jerry Brown formally mobilized 400 California National Guard members Wednesday for transnational crime-fighting duties, thus preventing any effort by President Trump to have the troops focus on immigration enforcement on the Mexican border. The governor announced that federal officials have agreed to fund the plan he announced last week  a mission to combat criminal gangs, human traffickers and illegal firearm and drug smugglers in locations around California, including near the border. The order Brown signed makes clear that the troops will not be allowed to perform a broader set of duties as envisioned by Trumps recent comments. California National Guard service members shall not engage in any direct law enforcement role nor enforce immigration laws, arrest people for immigration law violations, guard people taken into custody for alleged immigration violations, or support immigration law enforcement activities, the order read. The cost of the mission, a spokesman for Brown said, will be paid directly by the federal government. No initial estimate has been made, as the exact amount will depend on exactly how the troops will be used. Though the duties of California Guard members were outlined last week, the state had been waiting for an agreement by federal officials to pay for the operations. Since that time, the president has taken Brown and the state to task over its decision to avoid any immigration-related duties at the border. On Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted, Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW! There is a Revolution going on in California. Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept. Jerry Brown is trying to back out of the National Guard at the Border, but the people of the State are not happy. Want Security & Safety NOW!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018 Looks like Jerry Brown and California are not looking for safety and security along their very porous Border. He cannot come to terms for the National Guard to patrol and protect the Border, Trump tweeted Tuesday. There was no immediate reaction from the White House to Browns announcement. On Tuesday, Brown told reporters in Washington that his plan was consistent with a safer border. That sounds to me like fighting crime, the governor said. Trying to catch some desperate mothers and children, or unaccompanied minors coming from Central America, that sounds like something else. The order Brown issued Wednesday after returning from a brief trip to talk climate change in Toronto and to speak to a national trade union and visit with reporters in Washington is set to expire at the end of September. It specifically says no Guard service member may participate in a mission that would exceed the mission scope and limitations related to transnational crime activity. It also says troops cannot help build any new border barrier. 5:27 p.m.: This article was updated with information related to the cost of the Guard mission and Browns trip to Washington. This article was originally published at 5:13 p.m. Facebook

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California bill aims to end practice that keeps workplace misconduct cases out of court By Melanie Mason A California bill would prohibit employers from requiring workers to use private arbitration to settle disputes, a practice that critics say shields improper workplace conduct from public view. The bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) would bar businesses from making employees, when they are hired, waive their future rights to take any harassment, discrimination or other claims to court. Arbitration can be a highly effective dispute resolution method when both parties can choose it freely, when both parties are equal, Gonzalez Fletcher said at a news conference on Wednesday. It is far less successful when the more powerful party forces the other to accept those terms, especially as a condition of employment. Forced arbitration has come under increasing scrutiny since the #MeToo movement, with high-profile figures such as former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson pointing to the practice as shielding workplace abusers from public disclosure because arbitration resolutions often include nondisclosure agreements. Last year, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to end mandatory arbitration in employment agreements. Gonzalez Fletcher said she was pursuing an unusual tool to draw attention to the issue  a subpoena issued by the Legislature to compel testimony from a worker bound by a nondisclosure agreement as a result of arbitration. The Legislature has subpoena power but it is rarely used. The bills sponsors believe lawmakers last issued a subpoena in 2001 while investigating price manipulation by Enron. Gonzalez Fletcher said she has requested Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) to issue the subpoena to require Tara Zoumer, who sued the company WeWork in 2016 for overtime pay, to testify before the Assembly Judiciary Committee next week. Zoumers suit was moved to arbitration and resolved. She is now subject to a nondisclosure agreement and could face a financial penalty for speaking publicly about her case. A spokesman for Rendon said the subpoena request is under consideration. Business groups oppose the bill, AB 3080. The California Chamber of Commerce has dubbed it a job biller, claiming it would dramatically increase legal costs for businesses. Banning such agreements benefits the trial attorneys, not the employer or employee, the group said. The bill must first advance from the Assembly Labor Committee on Wednesday. Facebook

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At least 240 House lawmakers want a vote on immigration. California supporters say they arent ready to force one By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), flanked by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) and Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) speak about DACA legislation (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Rep. Jeff Denham says at least 240 of the 430 current House members have signed onto his resolution to hold votes on four immigration bills, and he hopes House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and President Trump are paying attention to the show of support. But, the Republican from Turlock and his allies said Wednesday that they are not yet willing to commit to forcing Ryans hand through a little-used procedural move called a discharge petition; they acknowledged theres no guarantee that all of 47 Republicans and 193 Democrats House co-signers will back them up if they try to force the issue. Im sure that it is something that will be discussed in the coming weeks. You should not need a discharge petition. When you can show the overwhelming majority of the House, the support of it, you should not need a discharge petition, but it is something we would talk about in the future, Denham said. It is far too early to talk about next steps. Ryan said last week that he opposes Denhams effort, saying its a waste of time for the House to vote on bills the president might veto. Denhams resolution would prompt debate and votes on four very different immigration bills: one favored by the Trump administration, one preferred by Democrats, one bipartisan proposal and another immigration bill of Ryans choice. Whichever got the most votes would move forward to the Senate. All four bills would help Dreamers to differing degrees and include varying levels of border security or immigration enforcement. For example, the Trump-backed bill would also dramatically reduce legal immigration, while the Democrats would only deal with legal status for Dreamers. Democrats say they dont expect the show of support will sway Ryan. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said Tuesday night she expects Ryan will have to be forced into allowing a vote. It doesnt matter how many signatures we get. We could have every signature, technically, except his, on the floor of the House and... if he doesnt want to, it doesnt happen, Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), who gathered the Democratic co-sponsors for Denham, also wouldnt give a deadline for House leaders to act, but said the co-sponsors are only willing to wait weeks not months. We do want to give them an opportunity to bring up the rule and to use whatever process they want, Aguilar said. They do have options, but I think they need to understand that we have options too. Facebook

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Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer endorses Kevin de Leon in his insurgent bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta Tom Steyer, left, and California state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). (Getty Images; Los Angeles Times) Billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer is endorsing state Sen. Kevin de Leon in his insurgent challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and did not rule out funding an outside effort to boost De Leons chances. I think hes the kind of young progressive that reflects California and would be a very strong advocate for our state nationally, Steyer said in an interview on Tuesday, pointing to De Leons efforts on issues such as immigration, climate change and gun control while he was the state Senate leader. I know him well and hes a friend. We share a lot of values. Steyer, who flirted with running for the Senate seat, did not criticize Feinstein as he has in the past. Sen. Feinstein has been an outstanding public servant who has dedicated the bulk of her adult life to the service of our state and the country, he said. These are two strong, very good Democrats. I just believe Kevin is the true progressive and he reflects something we need representing California going forward. I have nothing bad to say about Dianne Feinstein. I have a lot of good to say about Kevin de Leon. De Leon faces enormous odds as he tries to oust Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, is well known to the states voters and has daunting leads in polls and fundraising. But De Leon has gained notable endorsements, most recently from the 2.1-million-member California Labor Federation last week. Campaign finance reports released this week show that Feinstein has more than $10 million in the bank, while De Leon has just more than $670,000. Feinstein, a multimillionaire and one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, has already lent her campaign $5 million and could easily write another check. But Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund manager, could write a larger one. He is among the largest Democratic donors in the nation and has already committed more than $50 million to push for the impeachment of President Trump and to register young voters. He was noncommittal when asked if he would fund an independent expenditure group on behalf of De Leon. I dont have any concrete plans for that, he said. Read More Facebook

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Californias largest pension fund sends next years invoice to state government: $6.3 billion By John Myers The California Public Employees Retirement System building (Max Whittaker / Getty Images) As part of a shift toward less optimistic expectations for investment returns to pay for government worker pensions, board members of the California Public Employees Retirement System voted Tuesday to require an almost $6.3-billion payment from the state budget in the fiscal year that begins on July 1. The action, which could receive final approval on Wednesday, reflects a gradually higher annual contribution to public employee pensions by the state and from local governments across California. In 2016, CalPERS approved a half-percentage point decrease in its official estimate of the long-term investment return on its $353.3-billion portfolio. That shift was designed to happen over several years, in hopes it would lessen the financial shock of shifting more of the costs onto government employers. The highest costs are also, in part, a reflection of increases in the size of the states payroll. The states CalPERS payment will be about $450 million more than the total paid in the current fiscal year and more than double what it was only a decade ago. CalPERS board members voted on Tuesdays staff proposal with little discussion, save for a question about the increase in contributions also required from workers hired after a pension overhaul that took effect in June. It seems like it will be a ding on peoples salaries, said Theresa Taylor, the chairwoman of CalPERS finance committee and a member of SEIU Local 1000, the union that represents some 96,000 state employees. The $6.299-billion payment required from Californias state government must now be factored into the budget crafted by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in late June. Brown had already assumed a similarly sized payment in his budget proposal unveiled in January. In February, a coalition representing city governments warned about the effects of rising pension costs under the expectations of less money from Wall Street investments. The report issued by the League of California Cities projected an average increase of more than 50% in annual pension payments made by the states largest cities over the next seven years. A CalPERS staff report notes that the net return on all of the funds investments for the fiscal year that ended in July was 11.2%. But expectations on profits over the next 30 years remain significantly more modest, and theres long been a robust debate about how to properly set those future expectations. The lower the rate of projected investment return, the larger the share of pension costs that must be covered by taxpayers and some employees. Overall, CalPERS officials believe the system has assets to cover 71% of its long-term obligations. Facebook

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California warns legal pot sellers not to participate in unlicensed 4/20 events By Patrick McGreevy Marijuana on display at a dispensary in Los Angeles. ( (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images)) The state issued a warning Tuesday that businesses holding licenses to sell marijuana could face penalties if they participate in unlicensed temporary events away from their stores, including on Friday, April 20, which has become an annual celebration for counterculture groups. The warning was issued ahead of 4/20 by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control. Since Jan. 1, the bureau has issued more than 700 state licenses to sell marijuana for medical or recreational use. The bureau has issued 47 temporary event licenses to groups that are limited to holding the marijuana celebrations on county fairgrounds that have authorized such events with city approval. Any bureau licensee participating in an unlicensed cannabis event may be subject to disciplinary action, the warning said, adding that lawful participation by bureau licensees in any temporary cannabis event that allows sales and/or consumption is dependent upon issuance of the appropriate licenses from the bureau. While many Californians have been issued medical approval to sell or use marijuana, the law does not allow them to participate in unlicensed events, also referred to as Proposition 215 events after the ballot measure that legalized medical pot two decades ago in the state. Participation in such events may lead to civil penalties for unlicensed commercial cannabis activity, the warning said. Meanwhile, a survey of some 1,000 marijuana users that was released Tuesday by the firm LendEDU found that the average 4/20 participant plans to spend $71 on marijuana to celebrate the unofficial holiday, and about 35% of respondents are planning to take off work Friday. Facebook

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California police groups shift position on officer discipline records, now consider support for making some of them public By Liam Dillon Los Angeles Police Department recruits at a graduation ceremony in April (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Some major law enforcement groups signaled Tuesday they are willing to support making part of police officer disciplinary records public, a dramatic departure from their past positions. Local and national attention on police shootings and misconduct has led law enforcement organizations to reconsider their blanket opposition to proposals that would give public access to some internal disciplinary investigations of officers. Were going to be open to supporting efforts that would allow for some records to be released, said Ryan Sherman, a lobbyist with the Riverside Sheriffs Assn. Debate over secrecy provisions in officer disciplinary files came during a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 1421 from Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Skinners bill, which advanced out of the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, would require public disclosure of all internal officer shooting investigations and confirmed cases of sexual assault and lying while on duty. Currently, all police discipline information is confidential outside of a courtroom in California, which has some of the nations strictest standards against public disclosure. Unfortunately, the fact that we have such strict restrictions on any access to public records has affected certain communities trust towards our law enforcement, Skinner said during the hearing. Prior to Skinners effort, other have tried to loosen these rules, some of which date back 40 years. Most recently in 2016, a bid by then-Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) failed in a Senate committee. In debate two years ago, no major law enforcement groups indicated they would accept changes to state laws that would make individual internal investigations public, saying they were essential to protect officer privacy and safety. But Tuesday, Sherman and other lobbyists including those representing the states largest police labor organization, signaled they might be willing to entertain changes. They said they were negotiating with Skinner on the bills details. Law enforcement groups still have major concerns about SB 1421 as written. Ed Fishman, an attorney for the Police Officers Research Assn., told legislators that the bill would wrongfully expose police officers who acted within departmental policy to invasions of their privacy. It has unintended consequences that are extreme and will hurt the public, Fishman said. Tuesdays hearing featured testimony from many who have had relatives killed by police officers in recent years advocating for the bill. Senators on the Public Safety Committee also gave public rebukes to law enforcement lobbyists, criticizing them for a lack of diversity and insensitivity to concerns raised by communities of color. I think that you are completely and utterly out of touch with the realities of how those you are representing are perceived by major segments of California, said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). You are not going to be able to continue to lobby your way out of it. The bill faces at least one more committee hearing in the Senate before reaching the floor. It will have to pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of August. Facebook

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Newest member of the California Assembly arrives ready to work on criminal justice issues By John Myers Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove prepares for the oath of office from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon with her husband, Austin Dove. (California Assembly Democrats) Two weeks after winning a Los Angeles special election, the newest member of the California Assembly says she hopes to focus on reforms to the states criminal justice system during her time in Sacramento. Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) took the oath of office on Monday, filling one of three vacant seats representing Los Angeles County in the lower house. The Democrat, a former community college trustee and legislative staffer, thanked her mentors in remarks from the Assembly rostrum. So many women, and in my life so many black women, have paid in giving me the kind of morals and integrity and grit that is required to fight on behalf of people that you know, and people that you dont know, she said. Kamlager-Dove won handily on April 3, receiving 70% of the votes cast in the 54th Assembly District which encompasses communities west of downtown Los Angeles, from Crenshaw to Culver City and as far north as Westwood. She will serve the remaining eight months of the term of former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who resigned last year citing health concerns. She has said she hopes to focus her attention on poverty issues and on reform of the states criminal justice system. I think we have an opportunity to really push the needle in terms of how we look at rehabilitation, how we look at incarceration, and how we look at changing the lives oftentimes of poor men and women of color, Kamalager-Dove said on Monday in a video released by Assembly Democrats. Facebook

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Survivors of violent crime raise their voices in California to call for a new approach to criminal justice By Jazmine Ulloa Aaliyah Smith marches with her cousins. (Jazmine Ulloa / Los Angeles Times) Her father, uncle, a cousin and two older brothers. Those are some of the family members 16-year-old Aaliyah Smith has lost to gun violence. Then there are her friends. Jermaine Jackson Jr., 27, was shot and killed in 2016 while he painted over graffiti in San Francisco. Toriano Tito Adger, 18, was shot there a year later at a bus stop. He called Smith, who was nearby, and warned her to run. She made it inside a library moments before the crack of gunfire. Last week, Smith was among hundreds who gathered in Sacramento for annual National Crime Victims Rights Week events, where calls were issued for a new approach to criminal justice and public safety in California, one that puts survivors at the center of policy. But a debate is brewing over what that entails. Read More Facebook

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California expects $14 billion in tax payments this month By John Myers State workers handle income tax returns at the California Franchise Tax Board offices. (Laura Morton / For The Times) Gov. Jerry Browns proposed state budget is built on what taxpayers might find an audacious assumption: almost $14 billion in tax payments in the month of April, an average of $83 million collected per hour on every business day of the month. Most of that money will come from the taxes Californians pay in advance of Tuesday nights filing deadline for income tax returns. If history is any guide, the rate of payment could quadruple by weeks end. While tax rules have shifted some of the payment schedules to other months, April remains a vitally important month to the fiscal health of state government. The state controllers office reports more than 15% of all personal income tax revenues in 2017 were collected in April. In the recession years of a decade ago, tax revenue predictions were frequently off the mark by hundreds of millions of dollars. The last two state budgets have seen significant windfalls of personal income tax revenue, thanks in part both to an improving economy and to the continuation of a temporary surcharge on the wealthiest taxpayers  extended by voters in 2016. In the budget plan he sent to lawmakers in January, Brown projected a $6.1-billion windfall and proposed using a sizable amount to top off Californias rainy-day fund ahead of schedule. The independent Legislative Analysts Office reports that through the end of last week, the months income tax tally stood at $3 billion, slightly ahead of projections. By the end of the current week, a single days total could be almost that large. Lawmakers began reviewing the governors $190.3-billion spending plan during the winter, but few decisions are made until they get a look at Aprils tax revenues. The governor will release a revised plan based on the new data next month; lawmakers are required to send him a completed budget no later than June 15. Facebook

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Feinstein war chest tops $10 million while Kevin de Leon struggles to keep pace By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein widened her already-massive fundraising advantage in the run-up to Junes primary, raising twice as much in the first quarter than her strongest Senate challenger has sitting in the bank. Feinstein raised $1.3 million between January and March, bringing her war chest to just over $10 million as Californias U.S. Senate race begins in earnest, according Federal Election Commission reports. Former state Senate leader Kevin De Leon, the best known of the more than 30 people who will appear with Feinstein on the June primary ballot, raised just $575,991 in that same period, bringing his cash on hand to $672,331, according to his quarterly FEC report. Read More Facebook

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Trump has met his match, says Gov. Jerry Brown in promoting climate action on a quick trip to Canada By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown told a Canadian audience Monday that he believes President Trumps efforts to reverse course on climate change policy are a momentary deviation as others in the United States seek limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Thats very temporary, I can assure you, Brown said at a joint event in Toronto with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. The governors quick international trip, announced only late last week, comes as Wynnes Liberal Party faces a stiff challenge in Junes election from the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and its leader, Doug Ford. Critics of Wynnes party have called for Ontario to pull out of the Western Climate Initiative, a cooperative agreement between three Canadian provinces and California on efforts to limit greenhouse gases. Brown sought to link the efforts of Canadian conservatives with Republicans in the United States who oppose existing climate change programs. In contrast, he told the audience, several GOP lawmakers voted last summer to renew Californias cap-and-trade program. I would say to the conservatives of Canada, wake up and see what your friends in California are doing, he said. The Democrat took particular notice of Trumps efforts to shift away from climate change policies from the administration of former President Obama, as well as a push by the Environmental Protection Agency to cancel Californias strict limits on automobile emissions. If Trump tries to change that, well have litigation well beyond his term in office, Brown said while also noting Chinese government efforts to produce more low-emissions vehicles. Between California and China, Trump has met his match. What hes saying is not going to happen. Many of the governors remarks, though, were aimed at the tough political situation in which Wynne finds herself with seven weeks to go before Ontarios parliamentary elections. Dangers abound, but success is right in our hands, Brown said. So dont blow it! Facebook

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California voters are getting to know the states attorney general through his aggressive stance challenging Trump By Patrick McGreevy Less than two months from his first statewide election, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra has become adept not only at challenging President Trump but at using the bully pulpit of his office to raise his profile with voters. The aggressive effort may help boost the former Los Angeles congressmans chances at winning a full term in office this fall, almost two years after he was appointed to replace Sen. Kamala Harris in 2017. Appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, Becerra took office as attorney general four days after Trumps inauguration. Thats afforded him an opportunity to get in front of Californians  and potential voters  on an array of issues including immigration, healthcare and the environment. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown forms commission for 2020 census outreach By Melanie Mason In an effort to make sure California has a strong showing in the next national census, Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday established a state commission to prepare outreach for the decennial count. It is vitally important for California to do everything it can to ensure that every Californian is counted in the upcoming census, Brown said in a prepared statement. The commissions formation comes on the heels of a Trump administration plan to ask about citizenship status as a part of the census. State officials fear that such a question, which has not been asked in a census since 1950, could chill participation among California residents. That could result in the state losing billions of dollars in federal funds and a seat in Congress. The 23-member panel, appointed largely by Brown as well as picks by legislative leaders, comes from private- and public-sector backgrounds, including civil rights groups, religious institutions and educational institutions. Facebook

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Garcetti kicks off Iowa visit with 2020 on his mind and a hardhat on his head LA Mayor - and 2020 prospect - Eric Garcetti makes his Iowa debut at the Carpenters Union Training Center. Fearlessly flaunts the never be photographed in head gear/safety glasses rule. pic.twitter.com/14bUOPXMvF  Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) April 13, 2018 Facebook

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Asm. Rocky Chavez takes the lead in race to replace Issa, while Doug Applegate slips By Joshua Stewart A new poll shows that Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez has taken a clear lead over 15 other candidates running to replace Rep. Darrell Issa in Congress and has overtaken Democrat Doug Applegate, the previous frontrunner. In a SurveyUSA poll by 10News and The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chavez, R-Oceanside, has support of 16 percent of likely voters, putting him ahead of Applegate, a lawyer, who was favored by 12 percent of voters and is in second place. The top two vote-getters in June, regardless of party, will proceed to a November runoff election. Competing with Applegate for the No. 2 spot is Democrat Mike Levin, also a lawyer, with support of 9 percent of voters. Several other candidates were right at his heels. Democratic Businessman Paul Kerr and Board of Equalization Member Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point, were tied for fourth at 8 percent each. Read More Facebook

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Pro-Kevin de Leon group launches ad castigating Dianne Feinstein By Seema Mehta A group that is supporting Kevin de Leons bid for the U.S. Senate launched a blistering ad against Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Thursday, questioning her progressive principles and tying her to President Trump. The ad buy from A Progressive California is minuscule  $10,000 to air it in Los Angeles for one day on CNN and MSNBC during programming such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper 360. The minute-long ad features news clips about Feinstein not getting the California Democratic Party endorsement earlier this year, as well as footage of Feinstein saying that Trump can be a good president and appearing to share a laugh with Trump. That moment actually came during a White House meeting in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting when the president suggested an assault weapons ban should be included in a bipartisan bill to expand gun background checks. It also features extensive clips of de Leons speech at the state partys convention. De Leon, who just ended his final term as leader of the state Senate, announced last year he would run against fellow Democrat Feinstein as she seeks her fifth full term. Feinsteins longtime political advisor dismissed the ad, noting the size of the buy. Its not really a buy, said Bill Carrick. Ten thousand dollars in cable in L.A. Poof, its gone. Still, he said he planned to have the campaigns lawyers review the ad to see if it violates campaign law that limits what outside groups like A Progressive California can do. Such groups cannot coordinate with campaigns or candidates, and are limited in how much their messages can support a candidate. Ann Ravel, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, said if the ad was in a state race, she is certain that the state commission would open an investigation into potential coordination with de Leons campaign because of the messaging and the types of footage in the ad. But the bipartisan federal commission cant agree on how to enforce the federal regulations, she said. The problem is [outside groups] understand that given the lack of very strong enforcement at the federal level, theres the ability to stretch the law, she said. A spokeswoman for the FEC declined to comment. Dave Jacobson, a spokesman for A Progressive California, disputed the suggestion that the ad violated campaign law. This frivolous allegation shows that Sen. Feinstein is afraid of the public seeing an ad which showcases her own words, that Donald Trump can be a good president, he said. Facebook

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Dispute over money emerges in campaign to repeal Californias gas tax increase By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) A proposed initiative to repeal hikes to Californias gas tax has been caught in the middle of a dispute involving Republican rivals in the governors race. Assemblyman Travis Allen, a Republican candidate for governor, decided in January to drop plans for his own initiative and said he would urge supporters to sign a separate petition being supported by several Republican members of Congress. Then last week, the committee Allen formed to finance his ballot measure reported a $300,000 contribution from PISF Inc., a Novato, Calif., real estate firm. Now, an organizer of the still active Give Voters a Voice committee is urging the Allen committee to immediately donate their funds in support of the ongoing signature gathering efforts. There is only one gas tax repeal measure currently in circulation and that is the measure sponsored by the Give Voters a Voice Committee, said Dave Gilliard, a consultant to the group. PISF Inc., he said, gave to repeal taxes a
The Supreme Court handed President Trump a significant defeat Monday, turning down the administrations plea for a quick ruling that would have upheld the presidents power to end special protections for so-called Dreamers.

The courts decision keeps in place a legal shield for nearly 700,000 young immigrants for the rest of this year, and perhaps longer, allowing people who have been covered by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to continue living and working legally in the U.S. Those whose existing DACA permits expire this year will also be allowed to apply for another two-year permit.

Although the courts action removes for now the threat of job loss and deportation, it also will extend the long-term uncertainty for the Dreamers  young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Congress has been stymied on a legislative solution to their situation, and without an immediate deadline to force action, lawmakers almost certainly will not try again to forge a compromise on immigration before this falls midterm elections.

Last September, Trump announced that he would end the DACA program and gave Congress until March 5 to pass legislation to resolve the legal status of the Dreamers. Then, in early January, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ordered the government to keep the DACA program running until legal challenges could be fully aired, ruling that Trumps order had been based on a flawed legal premise. A district judge in New York this month issued a similar ruling.

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In seeking to get Alsups order overturned, the Justice Department sought to leapfrog the U.S. appeals court in California, asking the Supreme Court to grant an immediate review of Alsups nationwide order.

The action the administration sought was rare. It has been nearly 30 years since the Supreme Court granted review of a district judges ruling before an appeals court could weigh in. And the court said Monday it had no interest in following that course in the DACA case.

The justices, without dissent, turned down the administrations petition without prejudice, meaning that the government could return to the high court once the appeals court rules.

It is assumed that the Court of Appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case, the justices noted in a brief order.

Even though the action by the high court was procedural in nature, not a ruling on the substance of the case, it has significant impact because it keeps in place Alsups injunction for as long as the case wends its way through the judicial system, which could be quite a while. In their appeal to the high court, administration lawyers said the injunction would likely last well into 2019 if the appeals run their normal course in the lower courts.

Thats a significant victory for the Dreamers and a defeat for administration hard-liners, led by Stephen Miller, Trumps domestic policy advisor. They have tried to use renewal of DACA as a bargaining chip to get Congress to adopt new policies to restrict legal immigration.

With DACA now effectively off the congressional agenda for this year, the possibility of new immigration restrictions is also much less likely. Democrats hope to regain control of at least one house of Congress in the midterm elections, which would give them considerably more of a say in any legislation.

Even if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does act expeditiously, as the justices suggested, a ruling from the appeals court would be unlikely before summer. That would mean the earliest the case could return to the Supreme Court would be in the fall, with a ruling possible by the end of the year.

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Thats assuming a speedy path for the litigation. A scenario in which the case doesnt return to the high court until a year from now is quite possible.

Speaking to a group of the nations governors on Monday, Trump complained about once again facing a case in the 9th Circuit, which hears appeals in federal cases from California and eight other Western states. A majority of the courts active judges were appointed by Democratic presidents.

I mean, its really sad when every single case filed against us  this is in the 9th Circuit  we lose, we lose, we lose, and then we do fine in the Supreme Court. But what does that tell you about our court system? Its a very, very sad thing. So DACAs going back, and well see what happens from there, Trump said.

The Justice Departments reaction was more measured, acknowledging that the administrations request for the court to take up the case and bypass the appeals court had been a long shot.

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While we were hopeful for a different outcome, the Supreme Court very rarely grants certiorari before judgment, said spokesman Devin OMalley. We will continue to defend [the Department of Homeland Securitys] lawful authority to wind down DACA in an orderly manner.

Los Angeles attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. , who represented DACA recipients who challenged Trumps order, praised the courts decision.

DACA is a lawful and important program that protects young people who came to this country as children and who know this country as their only home. The Dreamers have relied on DACA to make decisions about their education, jobs, and families and to make valuable contributions to society as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and members of the military, he said.

Two federal district courts have now recognized that the Trump administrations abrupt decision to end the program was unlawful. We are confident that the court of appeals will reach the same conclusion, he added.

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This was clearly the correct result  to let the judicial process work in the orderly manner, said Mark Rosenbaum, another Los Angeles lawyer who worked on the case. The larger message is also clear: that for the 700,000 Dreamers who continue to work and study every day to make our nation a better place, the responsibility rests with Congress to do the right thing.

The administrations legal strategy in the case was consistent with Trumps approach to DACA since he was elected: He has not wanted to keep the program but has also not wanted to be blamed for deporting Dreamers, who enjoy widespread public support.

After Alsup issued his order, U.S. Solicitor Gen. Noel Francisco could have asked the high court for a stay, which would have put the order on hold and allowed the administration to end DACA. Instead, he surprised many observers by, instead, asking the justices to hear arguments in the case this spring.

Francisco asserted that a stay would result in an abrupt shift in the enforcement policy, while the administration favored an orderly wind-down of the DACA policy.

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At the same time, he insisted that the court order was doing serious harm to the government. The district judges unprecedented order requires the government to sanction indefinitely an ongoing violation of federal law being committed by nearly 700,000 aliens, Francisco wrote, referring to the DACA recipients.

In his ruling, Alsup said Trumps advisors, led by Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, had been wrong when they decided President Obama lacked the authority to extend relief to the Dreamers.

Alsup agreed a new administration is entitled to replace old policies with new policies, but nonetheless concluded that the flawed legal premise set out by Sessions could not serve as a basis for ending DACA now.

His preliminary injunction required the administration to maintain the DACA program on a nationwide basis. However, he said nothing in his order would prevent federal authorities from removing any individual, including any DACA enrollee, who it determines poses a risk to national security or public safety.

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Major questions before the Supreme Court this year 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

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3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction to the courts decision and additional analysis of the impact.

7:30 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information on the impact of the courts decision.

This article was originally published at 6:39 a.m.
The Supreme Court debated Monday whether to allow more than 5 million public employees to stop supporting their unions, casting doubt on the future strength of organized labor in California, Illinois and more than 20 other states.

The outcome may turn on how closely the courts newest member, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, follows the words of his judicial hero, the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

A defeat for the public-sector unions would undercut their financing, weaken their political clout and perhaps trigger a sharp drop in their membership.

If the high court rules that no public employee may be required to pay a fee to support the union, labor leaders worry that many workers may opt to quit paying. Because public-sector unions provide major support to the Democratic Party, weakening them has been a longtime goal of conservative groups.

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During Mondays argument, the justices appeared split along the usual ideological lines.

Four of the courts conservatives, including in this instance Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, made clear they want to strike down the forced fees.

They agreed with a lawyer for Mark Janus, an Illinois state employee who objects to paying $45 a month to support his union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner launched the lawsuit challenging the forced fees as unconstitutional, and Janus became the plaintiff after a court dropped the governor from the case because he did not have personal legal standing to fight the fees.

William Messenger, an attorney for the National Right to Work Foundation, argued that no government worker should be forced to support a union and its political demands as a condition of holding his job. Here, collective bargaining is core political activity, he said, since unions are seeking higher wages and more public spending.

Kennedy said he agreed. What were talking about here, he said, is compelled subsidization of a private party that expresses political views constantly.

Because the employer is a government agency, that violates the 1st Amendment, which forbids the government to compel speech, Janus and his lawyers argue.

The four liberal justices sounded deeply disturbed that the court was on the verge of overturning a 41-year-old precedent that said union contracts could require all the employees to pay a fair share fee to cover the cost of collective bargaining.

Fair-share provisions have been written into thousands of contracts for teachers, transit workers, municipal employees and others, said Justice Elena Kagan.

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She and others noted that the court in the past has said public employees did not have even limited free-speech rights to criticize their agencies or their supervisors. Whistle-blowers can be demoted or fired, the court said in 2006 in an opinion written by Kennedy.

If we can permit the government as employer to do something as dramatic as firing someone, asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor, how can the government not be permitted to require them to pay a fair share fee?

Currently, the states  like the justices  are sharply split on unions. In 28 states, right to work laws generally forbid requiring employees to join or support a union. But in 22 states and the District of Columbia, mostly those with Democratic majorities, unions may negotiate contracts with school boards, transit districts or state agencies that require all employees to help cover the cost of collective bargaining.

The Supreme Court gave its blessing to this arrangement in a 1977 case, Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education. The justices said then that while teachers and other public employees may not be forced to pay for the unions political activity, they may be required to pay a lesser fee to cover the unions core expenses. Typically, the fees are about three-fourths of full union dues.

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Janus lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to overrule the Abood decision and hold that forced fees violate the free-speech rights of public employees.

Gorsuch, President Trumps appointee to fill Scalias seat, has been seen as providing the fifth vote for the conservatives, but he was uncharacteristically quiet during Mondays argument.

The attorney for the union, David C. Frederick, was a law partner of Gorsuchs when he was in private practice. He was joined by Illinois Solicitor General David L. Franklin, and both of them stressed that Scalia had upheld the principle that public employees could be required to support their unions.

In 1991, Scalia wrote an opinion holding that if the law requires unions to provide certain services for all employees, it can also require all of them to pay for those services. Where the state creates in the nonmembers a legal entitlement from the union, it may compel them to pay the cost, he wrote in Lehnert vs. Ferris Faculty.

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Citing Scalias words, Frederick said the law imposes on unions a duty of fair representation to all employees. And thats where you get the compelling interest in agency fees, he said.

In his legal brief, he included a passage that was directed at Gorsuch, who believes in following the original meaning of the Constitution. As written in the late 18th century, the document was not seen as according constitutional rights to government employees.

The core principle, from the founding to today, is the government has a free rein in regulating expressive rights in the workplace, he said.

Frederick also cited a 1983 opinion by Justice Byron White, a native of Colorado and another of Gorsuchs heroes. Justice Whites opinion in that case says you cant run the government  if every grievance, every employment issue, becomes a constitutional issue, Frederick said.

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Gorsuch intently followed the back-and-forth argument and gave no indication of how he will vote in the case of Janus v. AFSCME.

david.savage@latimes.com

Twitter: DavidGSavage

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2 p.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes from the argument at the Supreme Court and reaction.

The article was originally published at 9:45 a.m.
Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
California Democrats emerged from their annual convention Sunday with a unified enemy in President Trump and congressional Republicans, but remained divided on how to topple either from power. Some called for impeachment. Some said the party must be more progressive. Some said single-payer healthcare would forge the path forward.

Perhaps the biggest news to come from the convention was Sen. Dianne Feinsteins inability to convince delegates she should earn the party endorsement. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon managed to earn nearly 500 more votes than the veteran senator, who hasnt needed to rely much on the establishment in previous campaigns.

The convention also illustrated how concerned Democrats are about crowded fields of candidates splitting the votes in the June 5 top-two primary  and landing two Republicans on the November ballot. Such a result in any of the competitive races would make it that much more difficult for the Democrats to reclaim control of the U.S. House in the midterms.

For a sense of the tension, consider this quote from Daraka Larimore-Hall, vice chair of the state party.

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To candidates polling under 10%, he said he has a message: If you step aside today to make sure we dont send two Republicans to the general, you will be my hero. He added that if candidates put their career before the party, he wouldnt support them for dog catcher.

Christine Mai-Duc explains how fears about the top-two primary are well-founded, and what Democrats are trying to do about it.

ACTION-PACKED POLITICAL WEEKEND

California Democrats overwhelmingly decided not to endorse Feinstein, an embarrassing rebuke of a party icon who has represented California in the Senate for a quarter-century. The snub is thanks, in part, to her asking for help after not needing it previously. We have not seen her in 25 years, Latino caucus chairman Carlos Alcala said at the convention.

In an expected split, California Democrats declined to endorse anyone running for governor.

Before the vote, the top Democratic candidates made their official pitches from the stage. We also have the details on how the hopefuls did their best to woo party loyalists with T-shirts, tacos, free breakfasts and other goodies.

Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had a rough go at the weekend convention. Not only did he he finish last in the endorsement vote, he also was heckled at a press conference he staged to announce the endorsement by the United Farm Workers.

CONVENTION LIGHTNING ROUND

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-- After a late-night signature-gathering effort by opponents and an intense few minutes on the convention floor, Dave Min got the state party endorsement in the 45th Congressional District. Heres a rundown of how the rest of the state party endorsements in key House races shaped up this weekend.

-- Rep. Maxine Waters took the stage Saturday to reclaim her time after a kerfuffle that cut off her microphone at the last California Democratic Party convention. Spoiler: She was no-holds-barred, and she was a hit.

-- Eric Garcetti and Nancy Pelosi rallied their troops around trying to win back House seats this year, a major focus of the convention.

-- California Democrats got a glimpse Saturday of four up-and-comers considered potential contenders for the White House in 2020, and each talked of ending what they described as the dark era of President Trump.

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-- And supporters of Kimberly Ellis failed bid for party chair last time have switched gears and were asking for major changes to the state partys bylaws this weekend.

For in-the-moment news on California politics, keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed.

MENDOZA SHOWS UP IN SAN DIEGO

It was an eventful week for Tony Mendoza. After an investigation concluded last week the state senator likely made unwanted sexual advances on six women during his tenure as a legislator, his colleagues in the Senate were left to determine what, if any, discipline he should face. As John Myers and Melanie Mason report, moments before the Senate was poised to expel him, Mendoza abruptly resigned, making him the third lawmaker to step down due to sexual harassment allegations.

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Mendoza surprised Democrats by attending the state convention in San Diego, where he confirmed he will run for his seat again. Delegates from his district voted to block the party from endorsing him.

ANOTHER GUILTY PLEA IN THE RUSSIA PROBE

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has proven adept at securing guilty pleas and cooperation agreements from targets of the Russia investigation. The latest domino to fall was Richard W. Gates III, Trumps former deputy campaign manager, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to investigators on Friday.

Gates is expected to testify against Paul Manafort, his former business partner and Trumps campaign manager during the Republican National Convention. The two men had earned millions by advising Ukraines pro-Kremlin government, but prosecutors say they evaded taxes, ran an undisclosed lobbying effort and committed fraud to obtain bank loans.

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The plea deal revealed Friday was the product of months of negotiations with the special counsels office, but Gates made more trouble for himself during those conversations. He lied to investigators about the contents of a meeting between Manafort and California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher by saying it didnt involve Ukraine.

Rohrabacher has long been a proponent of friendlier ties between the U.S. and Russia, and his name has repeatedly popped up on the fringes on the investigation.

If youre trying to keep up with who has been charged so far in the Russia probe, check out our new graphic. Well be updating it throughout the investigation.

On Saturday the House Intelligence Committee released a 10-page Democratic memo Saturday that staunchly defends the decision by U.S. law enforcement to start eavesdropping on a former Trump campaign advisor three weeks before the 2016 election, countering Republican charges that abuses tainted the process.

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The dueling conclusions about the surveillance reflect the bitter partisan divide on the House committee and within Congress over how to view the broader criminal investigation into whether Trump or his aides assisted in Russian meddling in the campaign or obstructed justice in the White House.

Two Californians are central to the memo fight.

Columnist George Skelton raised the idea of Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic ranking member of the Intelligence panel, running for president.

Rep. Devin Nunes, the Tulare Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, earned praise from Trump on Fox News after the Democratic memo was released.

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I really think some day hes going to be greatly honored for his service, Trump said. Hes been very, very brave.

Get the latest about whats happening with the investigation on Essential Washington and make sure to sign up for breaking news alerts.

NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND

-- The NRA rejected Trumps calls for raising the age limit for gun purchases.

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-- The Mexican presidents planned visit to the White House has officially been scrapped as the two leaders sparred over Trumps calls for Mexico to pay for the border wall.

-- Trump claimed credit for rising stock prices. Now he owns their fall  and a possible recession.

-- Admitting his prepared CPAC remarks were boring, Trump talked about his efforts to conceal a bald spot and read a poem from his campaign trail days considered to have an anti-immigration message.

-- Stormy Daniels brought her exotic dancing performance, and the political drama that comes with it, to Los Angeles over the weekend.

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-- With time ticking away, here is a quick political guide to whats next for the Dreamers.

-- Members of the first generation to grow up with social media at its fingertips have launched a gun control movement. The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School arent backing down. Matt Pearce explains what happens when teenagers make gun control their cause.

-- There was a security breach and brief lockdown at the White House on Friday.

-- A new memoir from Michelle Obama will be out in November.

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Get the latest about whats happening in the nations capital on Essential Washington.

NO FIRM RULES FOR PUNISHING POLITICIANS

As legislators in Sacramento weigh changes to the institution of the Legislature amid the #MeToo movement, few are talking about better defining the punishment for politicians.

In his weekly column, Myers looks at how rare it is for a member of the state Senate or Assembly to be formally rebuked  and whether the traditional response of let the voters make that decision should still apply.

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TODAYS ESSENTIALS

-- Why did the mayor of Los Angeles visit one of the states that will hold an early primary in 2020? Eric Garcetti is starting to test the presidential waters.

-- The debate among Californias top four Democratic candidates for governor Thursday night in San Diego was unlike most of their recent match-ups, with long stretches of broad agreement and few, if any, fireworks.

-- Mayors in Californias 11 largest cities were in Sacramento last week to fight homelessness. One of those mayors, Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, is the guest interview on the most recent Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast. Steinberg talked about his homelessness pitch and the struggle for low-income housing.

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-- Skelton explains why the time is right for bail reform.

-- Lawmakers will consider adopting a measure so the state would have the same zero tolerance policy for pot that it has for those under 21 who drive under the influence of alcohol.

-- California Democrats werent happy with Trumps threat of removing ICE agents from California.

-- Rep. Duncan Hunter actually was regularly present, with his family, when improper campaign spending happened, the Union-Tribune reported.

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-- An abortion rights group endorsed congressional candidate Katie Hill, who talks about her own unplanned pregnancy.

LOGISTICS

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You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics?

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Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

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California is moving toward ending its unjust pretrial bail system, a four-decade effort begun by Gov. Jerry Brown when he was governor the first time.

Brown actually started crusading for bail reform before most current Californians were born.

In his 1979 State of the State address, Brown called the California bail system an unfair tax on poor people [who] languish in the jails of this state even though they have been convicted of no crime. Their only crime is that they cannot make the bail that our present law requires.

The governor urged the Legislature to find a way that more people  can be put on a bail system that is as just and as fair as we can make it.

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The Legislature ignored him. If anything, relatively fewer people are able to make bail today than 40 years ago.

But the old speech excerpt is still alive. It was resurrected recently by a former top aide whom the governor appointed as a judge during his first term. Hes J. Anthony Kline, Browns legal affairs secretary in the 1970s and now presiding justice of the 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Kline used the excerpt prominently in a landmark opinion he wrote that almost guarantees the enactment of a bail overhaul.

More from George Skelton 

The ruling involved Jeffrey Humphrey, 63, a retired shipyard worker and lifelong drug addict. Theres nothing particularly sympathetic about the guy. He was charged with mugging a 79-year-old man who uses a walker and lives in the same apartment building. Prosecutors say the suspect slipped into the victims room, threatened to put a pillow case over his head, was given $2, stole another $5 and lifted a bottle of cologne.

Bail was assessed at $350,000. The standard 10% fee to a bail bond agent would have cost $35,000 out of pocket. No way. Humphrey was locked up for months pending trial.

The three-judge appellate court unanimously ruled that by setting bail in an amount it was impossible for [Humphrey] to pay, it in effect amounted to a violation of due process protections guaranteed by the Constitution.

The judges said the suspect was entitled to a new bail hearing at which the court must consider his ability to pay and nonmonetary alternatives to money bail.

The problem this case presents, the panel observed, stems  from the enduring unwillingness of our society, including the courts, to correct a deformity in our criminal justice system that close observers have long considered a blight on the system.

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Legislation is desperately needed, the judges asserted.

Next up was state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. The Democrat announced last week that hed let the appellate ruling stand and not appeal it to the state Supreme Court.

I am doing what I can to add to that movement of bail reform, Becerra told reporters. Todays bail system doesnt make you safer because if youve got the money and youre dangerous, you still get out.

Bail decisions should be based on danger to the public, not dollars in your pocket, the attorney general added.

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This is one of the few issues that separate the leading Democratic candidates to replace Brown, who will be termed out after this year.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is a loud advocate for bail reform.

Cash bail insidiously exacerbates our criminal justice systems class and racial disparities by creating a cascade of devastating effects for poor people and their families who often lose jobs, homes and even their children before a court even considers their guilt or innocence, Newsom wrote in an opinion column for the Daily Breeze last year.

But former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is cozy with the bail bond industry and law enforcement groups that object to proposed reforms. That has helped him gain recent endorsements from the California Police Chiefs Assn. and the Peace Officers Research Assn.

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Coverage of California politics 

Villaraigosa supports reforming  not ending  cash bail, says his campaign spokesman, Luis Vizcaino. Cash bail does have a place in keeping our communities safe.

State Treasurer John Chiang advocates for major change. California should reform our for-profit bail system for those who dont pose a public safety risk, he says.

Theres a good chance therell be a major overhaul this year while Brown is still governor. He hasnt been saying much. But last year he pledged to work with legislators and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on ways to reform the system in a cost-effective and fair manner, considering public safety as well as the rights of the accused.

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The chief justice created a work group of judges that recommended several things. Californias pretrial release and detention system must be reformed, it concluded.

That effort in the Legislature is being spurred by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland). A Hertzberg bill passed the Senate and is stuck in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. A Bonta bill died on the Assembly floor.

The cost of bail has skyrocketed since Jerry was governor the first time, Hertzberg says.

David Quintana, the lobbyist for bail bond agents, agrees that bail is too high. It doesnt work for us if its too high for people to pay, he says. They stay in jail.

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Other states are far ahead of California on reform. For a change, were trying to play catch-up.

Pretrial release should be based on a suspects flight risk and danger to the public. We shouldnt be requiring a payment for freedom. Isnt that extortion? It sure seems un-American.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter
Oprahs Book Club will come to life aboard Holland America ships, featuring author discussions as part of Os Reading Room. First up is Southern author Tayari Jones, who wrote the latest book club selection, An American Marriage.

The cruise line will roll out the program to all 14 ships in its fleet by May.

Author Tayari Jones will sail on a Holland America cruise March 3 as part of the O's Reading Room program. Nina Subin/Holland America Line

Jones will sail on the O, The Oprah Magazines Adventure of Your Life Cruise March 3 to the Caribbean aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. She will join O magazines editors and others who will share stories and participate in a discussion of the novel.

Featured guests include magazine staff such as beauty editor Brian Underwood and books editor Leigh Haber. The O cruise emphasizes events and activities centered around wellness and personal growth.

Meditations and yoga, fashion advice, healthful dining and even an on-board O Shop are special tof the cruise. Prices start at $699 per person, based on double occupancy, for an interior cabin.

Other O weeklong cruises include an Alaska sailing on Aug. 11 and an Eastern Caribbean sailing on Oct. 28. (Passengers on non-author cruises may bring the book aboard and participate in a discussion led by a member of the ships staff.)

Last year, Winfrey spent two days aboard the Eurodam on an Alaska cruise. CBS This Morning co-host and Oprah bestie Gayle King also was aboard ship.

Info: Holland Americas O, The Oprah Magazines Adventure of Your Life Cruise, (877) 932-4259 or contact a travel agent
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a daily cease-fire in eastern Ghouta, the Syrian rebel-held enclave near the capital Damascus and the target of a ferocious government assault that has turned life in the region, according to the U.N., into hell on Earth.

As ordered by the Russian president, a daily humanitarian pause from [9 a.m. to 2 p.m.] is being introduced starting Feb. 27 to avoid civilian casualties in East Ghouta, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement released Monday, according to a translation by the English-language news broadcaster Russia Today.

Russia is the top international supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Its warplanes and special forces troops, which first deployed in the country in 2015, are credited with turning the tide of the war in Assads favor.

The pause in the fighting, the statement continued, would allow civilians to leave the area through special humanitarian corridors, whose coordinates have been prepared and will soon be announced. It would also facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the enclave, which has suffered severe shortages of food and medications under a years-long siege by government forces.

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The U.N. estimates there are some 393,000 residents in eastern Ghouta, a grouping of 23 Damascus suburbs under the control of a mix of opposition factions, including both Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamists and mainstream rebel groups supported by the West.

Moscow proposed a similar arrangement near Tanf, a desert region near the countrys southeastern tip where tens of thousands have fled violence and gathered near the border of Jordan. U.S.-led coalition forces are also stationed in the area.

Putins announcement comes two days after the U.N. Security Council, despite last-minute wrangling by Russia and Iran (another staunch Assad backer), unanimously adopted a 30-day truce in Syria in a bid to end the latest round of violence in eastern Ghouta, where a Russian-backed offensive has killed some 561 people since last week, activists said, when the offensive first began.

Yet on Sunday, fighting continued unabated as pro-government troops began a ground assault on five fronts to breach rebel lines. And on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-rebel monitor based in the U.K with a network of activists in Syria, said 22 people were killed.

Pro-opposition activists also accused government forces of deploying chlorine gas in Shayfoniyeh, a town roughly eight miles northeast of central Damascus, after an airstrike in which victims exhibited symptoms including eye irritation and breathing difficulties.

Syrian children and adults receive treatment for a suspected chemical attack at a makeshift clinic in the rebel-held village of al-Shifuniyah in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on Feb. 25, 2018. (Hamza al-Ajweh / AFP/Getty Images )

Damascus has long denied using any chemical weapons, though it stands accused of using Sarin gas on the Ghouta in 2013. That attack brought the U.S. to the brink of attacking Damascus until an 11th hour deal struck with Russia saw Assad give up his chemical weapons arsenal.

Security council resolutions are only meaningful if implemented. As I had the opportunity to say in the Security Council itself a few days ago, in particular eastern Ghouta cannot wait., said Antonio Guterres, the U.N.s secretary general in remarks to the bodys human rights council in Geneva on Monday. He added that the U.N. was ready to deliver assistance.

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It is high time to stop this hell on earth, he said.

ALSO

Guilty by association: Families of suspected Islamic State members pay a steep price

Date of U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem shows how even the calendar is complicated in the Middle East

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Its a catastrophe: Almost 200 killed in multi-day bombardment of Syrian suburb

Bulos is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @nabihbulos
Aliya Mohammed begged her son not to get mixed up with Islamic State. Now she is paying the price for his decision to defy her.

Last year, as Iraqi forces were liberating the city of Mosul and surrounding areas from a three-year occupation by the extremists, pro-government militiamen carried away her carpets, furniture and plasma television. Then they set her house on fire.

Neighbors and a nephew assisted in the destruction. The word Daesh  a derisive Arabic acronym for Islamic State  was left scrawled across a charred wall.

Why did they do this? asked Mohammed, who was recently widowed. I know that my boy was at fault, but my husband didnt do anything wrong. He just did his work.

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Today, months after the fighting ended, she is trapped in a camp for the displaced in the town of Hamam Alil  one of thousands of people, the majority of them women and children, who fled their homes during the war and now cannot return because relatives are said to have a connection to Islamic State.

Many are afraid to leave the camps. But even if they want to do so, they often find it impossible to get the necessary paperwork. The craving for revenge against Islamic State runs deep  as does the fear that the militants could make a comeback.

A camp in the Iraqi town of Hamam Alil is home to many families who cannot return to their areas because of a relatives suspected ties to Islamic State. (Alexandra Zavis / Los Angeles Times )

In and around Mosul, local leaders have drawn up lists of families they say are no longer welcome. Threatening letters have been slipped under their doors and posted in mosques. Names have been stricken from aid distribution lists. Grenades have been tossed through windows. Homes have been bulldozed.

The families present a dilemma for the Shiite Muslim-led government, which has called for reconciliation between the countrys warring sects, ethnicities and tribes. Iraqi officials say they worry for the safety of the families. But they also worry that some harbor sympathy for the Sunni extremists and would help them regroup if given the chance.

Daesh controlled the city for three years, so for sure, people were affected by their ideology, said Nuraddin Qablan, deputy president of the provincial council in Mosul and surrounding Nineveh.

He would like to see the families go through some form of rehabilitation, but said there is no money for such a program. So local security authorities frequently impose stringent requirements before they will allow the families to return to their areas.

The families must obtain security clearance. They may need to find a sponsor to take responsibility if they break the law. They may also have to supply proof that the locality where they intend to go is willing to accept them.

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All that is hard to do from the confines of a camp. There are families in Iraqs central Anbar province who have been waiting for permission to return home since mid-2016.

Complicating matters further are the many different security forces  including tribal and sect-based militias  now deployed in former Islamic State areas, each with its own opinions about who poses a threat. Some, for example, will allow the widows of dead militants to return to their fathers homes, but not their children.

The war against Islamic State was officially declared over in December, but camp managers say families continue to arrive from areas where the militants imposed their brutal reign.

In January, during an operation to clear Islamic State remnants from the Hawija area in nearby Kirkuk province, Iraqi soldiers and allied militiamen rounded up at least 235 people believed to have relatives among the militants and brought them to camps, according to the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch. Police confiscated their identity documents so they wouldnt leave.

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Rights activists and humanitarian workers recognize the potential security concerns posed by such families. But they say keeping the families in camps amounts to collective punishment and risks alienating Sunni Arabs in a region that has proved fertile ground for extremism since U.S.-led forces toppled the late strongman Saddam Hussein in 2003.

There has to be reconciliation, there has to be reaching out, said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, which runs the camp south of Mosul where Mohammed and four of her children have been living since July. These children should not grow up with bitterness in their hearts.

Patrick Hamilton, the International Committee for the Red Cross deputy director for the Near and Middle East, said he worries that recriminatory measures could increase.

Some communities may be feeling emboldened to take matters into their own hands. There is also a risk that families and tribes will try to prove their loyalty to the government  or settle old scores  by driving out anybody who has been labeled a Daeshi.

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There is a need for there to be a strong, objective application of the law and due process to try and ensure that only those that need to be prosecuted are indeed imprisoned and prosecuted, Hamilton said. Otherwise you just end up generating a sense of injustice that breeds another round of violence.

Mohammed, 50, traces her sons radicalization to the last time a major offensive was waged against Sunni extremists in the Mosul region, over a decade ago. She shared the story on the condition that neither her son nor their town be identified, to avoid drawing attention to the family.

Mosul was then home to many high-ranking members of Saddams military who joined Al Qaeda when the interim administration led by L. Paul Bremer III disbanded the Iraqi armed forces in a purge of regime loyalists.

Police accused Mohammeds son, then about 15, of providing medical treatment to insurgents at his fathers pharmacy. Imprisoned for nine months, he emerged a changed person.

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He was so angry, his mother said.

Hoping that he might experience a spiritual rebirth amid the holy sites of Mecca, the couple sent their son on the hajj, a five-day pilgrimage that is one of the central pillars of Islam. Later they found him a nice girl to marry. But nothing seemed to assuage his bitterness.

His father told him, I dont want you getting involved in anything, Mohammed said.

But when Islamic States black-clad fighters stormed into Mosul in 2014, her son offered his services to the group as a medic. His father threw him out of the house, she said.

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Last year, as government forces were approaching, Islamic State militants ordered the family to leave their area, on the southern outskirts of Mosul, and move into the city.

Mohammeds sister promised to keep an eye on her house. But according to Mohammed, her sisters son joined in the looting. Her sofas and television now sit in her sisters living room, Mohammed said.

Over the summer, Mohammed received word that the son who joined Islamic State had been killed in an airstrike.

Another strike destroyed the house where the rest of the family was staying in west Mosul, killing two other sons and nine grandchildren. Mohammed and her younger children had been out collecting water at the time. Her husband also survived, but died of a heart attack soon afterward.

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Mohammed spent months trying to replace ID cards that were lost in the airstrike. A city employee eventually told her that he was not authorized to provide the documents to Islamic State families.

Without them, she said, she could not persuade a local hospital to release the bodies of her dead family members. She finally asked her 30-year-old daughter  the only close relative with identification  to collect the bodies and take them to a graveyard.

The daughter sent photographs of the graves to her mother via cellphone text message. Without identification, Mohammed cant visit them. There are too many checkpoints to get through.

So she sits on a foam mattress in an almost empty tent and scrolls through photos of her loved ones on her phone. Then she kisses the phone and weeps.

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Her only wish is to find a safe place to raise her four youngest children  far away from Mosul. Otherwise, she fears they too could fall prey to the cycle of violence and revenge that claimed their older brothers.

The childrens anger is plain. When their mother was asked which of the many local security forces destroyed their home, her 15-year-old son answered for her.

The Iraqi army didnt do anything when they came, he said. It was the people from the neighborhood who did this to us.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

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Twitter: @alexzavis
Hours after the United Nations Security Council called for a 30-day halt to the fighting in Syria, government forces attacked a rebel-held eastern suburb of Damascus from the air and the ground Sunday, and rebels lobbed shells at the capital, residents and activists said.

One child died after suffering symptoms consistent with a chlorine attack, according to the Syrian American Medical Society, which said the child was among 16 patients admitted to a hospital it supports in eastern Ghouta with those symptoms. There was no immediate response from the Syrian government to the report.

The continued bombing of eastern Ghouta came as a bitter, although not unexpected, disappointment to residents who have endured one of the bloodiest assaults in seven years of civil war. More than 500 civilians were killed in eight days of airstrikes and artillery fire, according to opposition activists. Nearly a quarter of the dead are children.

Although the shelling of residential areas seemed less intense Sunday, at least eight more people were killed, including three children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group based in Britain.

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Activists on both sides also spoke of a multi-pronged ground offensive, resulting in fierce clashes between government and rebel forces on the enclaves western and southern edges.

Omar, 10, receives treatment at a makeshift hospital Sunday after an airstrike that killed several members of his family. (Amer Almohibany / AFP/Getty Images )

There is no cease-fire at all, said Firas Abdullah, an opposition activist reached in the city of Duma, as explosions reverberated in the background.

Sunday brought some relief, however, to central neighborhoods of Damascus, where at least 16 people died in rebel shelling over the past week, according to state media reports. Schools opened and residents ventured from their homes for the first time in days.

But their freedom was short-lived. Police told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that rebels fired 21 rocket shells on government-held areas in and around the capital. One civilian was wounded.

The Security Council resolution, which was approved unanimously Saturday after repeated delays, called on all parties in Syria to cease hostilities without delay to permit the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of critically sick and wounded civilians from besieged communities. But exceptions were made for military operations against Islamic State, Al Qaeda-affiliated groups and other groups designated as terrorist organizations.

Irans military chief of staff, Gen. Mohammad Baqeri, whose government has provided critical backing to Syrian President Bashar Assad, said the cease-fire does not apply to parts of the Damascus suburbs held by the terrorists, according to Iranian news reports.

The Turkish deputy prime minister, Bekir Bozdag, said the U.N. resolution also would not affect his countrys offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syrias northwestern Afrin region. Turkey regards the Syrian Kurds as an extension of a group that has waged a decades-long insurgency on its side of the border.

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Nicola Zahr, a Damascus-based political activist, said the aim of the governments ground offensive in eastern Ghouta was to rout fighters linked to the one-time Al Qaeda affiliate known as the Committee for the Liberation of Syria.

However, rebels say the group accounts for just a few hundred fighters in the enclave. The main rebel factions, the Army of Islam and the Rahman Corps, contend that the government and its allies are using the presence of small numbers of fighters with links to Al Qaeda as a pretext to continue their campaign against the last major rebel stronghold near the capital.

Today, Assad, Russia and Iran are throwing the resolution out the window, said Wael Olwan, a spokesman for the Rahman Corps.

Government officials counter that the other factions in the region are effectively allied with Al Qaeda-linked ones.

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Conditions in eastern Ghouta, a collection of towns and farms that is home to nearly 400,000 people, have grown increasingly desperate since pro-government forces surrounded the enclave in 2012. The region has some of the highest malnutrition rates recorded among Syrian children since the start of the conflict in 2011.

The intense bombardments of the past week drove much of the population underground, into crowded basements and makeshift shelters that many feared would become their graves.

The number of wounded  more than 2,500, according to medical relief groups  overwhelmed rescue workers and health facilities, some of which have themselves become targets.

News of the Security Council resolution raised hopes for a possible reprieve.

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Early in the morning, around 5 a.m., people went above ground to see what was happening, but they barely had a chance to check on their houses and clean up before the shelling came back, said Bayan Rehan, who heads a womens affairs office at a local council in Duma, the regions main city. By 7 a.m., the first shells fell.

Ingy Sedky, a spokeswoman for the International Committee for the Red Cross, said the organization was ready to deliver much needed medicines, food and other aid to the enclave but had not yet received a green light from the warring parties.

So far, I have to say it doesnt look promising at all, she said by phone from Damascus.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis
A man interrupted while he tried breaking into a car pulled what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at a couple, Easton police said.

Toney Reed-Ennis, the 600 block of Ontario Street in Bethlehem, was arrested after a chase with an officer, and charged with robbery, theft, possession of an instrument of a crime and two counts of making terroristic threats.

The 19-year-old Reed-Ennis was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

The victims reported they were pulling into their driveway off East Burd Street on Friday night, when they saw a man later identified as Reed-Ennis pulling on the handles of their parked Subaru Forrester.

One victim got out of the car and confronted Redd-Ennis, police said.

Reed-Ennis allegedly yelled "Come at me" while pulling what appeared to be a gun from his waistband.

Reed-Ennis walked to the passenger side of the car, where the second victim was sitting, and pointed the gun at the window, then did the same at the driver's side, police sad.

Reed-Ennis then ran away, police said. An officer searching the neighborhood spotted Reed-Ennis, who ran away again, but was eventually caught in a backyard, where he dropped an airsoft gun, police said.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The National Transportation Safety Board is examining the Lehigh Tunnel after a deadly accident last week in which an electrical conduit fell from the tunnel ceiling and crashed through a windshield, killing a 70-year-old driver.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Monday announced in a news release that it is cooperating with the federal investigation.

"We are eager to understand exactly what caused this tragedy so we can work to ensure it doesn't happen again," turnpike CEO Mark P. Compton said in a statement.

The accident happened Feb. 21 in the southbound tube of the Northeast Extension tunnel through Blue Mountain, near Slatington. Howard M. Sexton, a trucker from East Greenwich Township in southern New Jersey, died of blunt force head injuries, according to the Lehigh County coroner.

A witness told lehighvalleylive.com that he saw a wire as thick as a person's wrist hanging from the ceiling, then passed a stopped tractor-trailer in the tunnel and called 911.

The investigation is focusing on conduits and support system, the turnpike commission said.

The tunnel was deemed safe for travel and reopened a day after the accident.

NTSB investigators were on-site Friday and are expected to complete their inspection by Wednesday, the commission said. A preliminary report should be released in a few weeks, though the final report and its conclusions on the cause could take up to a year.

In December, the commission sought bids to replace the lighting in both tubes. A contract is scheduled to be awarded at the commission's March 6 meeting, with work expected to begin in spring, the turnpike said in a statement last week.

The Lehigh, like all turnpike tunnels, is inspected every two years, the last one being in September 2016. The next was scheduled for this September.

The Lehigh Tunnel's southbound tube was opened in 1991, ridding the four-lane turnpike of its last two-lane stretch. For more than three decades prior, all traffic was routed through the two lanes in the first tube, which opened in 1957.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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A ruling that embedding a tweet containing a copyrighted image on a website amounts to direct infringement changes the well-established regime of the server test. Ellie Mertens asks copyright lawyers how big a deal this is
Palakkad: The police detained five people in connection with the brutal murder of Youth League worker Safeer at Mannarkkad on Sunday night.

Safeer, 22, hailing from Kuthippuzha was stabbed to death by a group of assailants who barged into his textile shop.

The police made it clear that those arrested were the followers of Communist Party of India (CPI). According to the police, personal grudge led to the murder.

The IUML is observing a hartal in Mannarkkad area on Monday.
As the clock ticks down to a crucial EU summit next month, the crisis that permanently surrounds British Prime Minister, Theresa Mays government, and its Brexit negotiations has entered into a new phase.

The agreement reached in December is already in tatters, with one senior EU diplomat saying the fudge will not survive. Now, with businesses in Britain considering withdrawing investment for fear of a no-deal scenario, May is being told to make a choice.

The latest impasse in the tortuous Brexit negotiations has emerged over the terms of the transitional arrangements, following the UKs official departure in March 2019. It had been assumed that these would be the continuation of the status quo, except with the loss of the UKs voting rights. But no one can even agree what the status quo would look like.

Brussels has stipulated that if the UK violates any terms of its transition agreement, the EU would be able to cut off Britains access to the Single Market. Such a proposal has provoked fury from within the Tory Party, not to mention the cabinet.

Furthermore, the EUs lead negotiator, Michel Barnier, has also stated that the transition is not a given and that If these disagreements persist, there will undoubtedly be a problem. The UK is being made an offer it cant refuse: accept, or face the apocalyptic scenario of a cliff-edge Brexit.

Ireland

The major flashpoint has been the question of the Irish border. Agreement was reached in December with both sides promising to avoid any hard border in Ireland. But neither explained how this could be achieved. Now the EU is demanding clarityand it is not alone. Irelands Europe Minister, Helen McEntee has urged May and her team to start looking at and...letting us know what the proposals are.

If May persists with leaving the Single Market and Customs Union, a hard border in Ireland is a real possibility / Image: Tiocfaidh ar la 1916

The solution put forward by the EU is to be a fallback that guarantees full alignment of all regulations across the border: in effect the retention of the North in the Single Market and Customs Union regardless of the rest of the UK. However, this would produce different regulatory regimes in the North of Ireland and the rest of the UK, which the DUP has already rejected.

Since the DUP emerged from the last general election with the power to bring down the current Tory minority government, this position is effectively binding on Theresa May. As long as May persists with her commitment to leave the Single Market and Customs Union, a hard border and an even harder Brexit are very real possibilities.

Tory crisis

That a party of 10 Northern Irish MPs has more power in Westminster than it does in Stormont (which is presently without a government) is a powerful testimony to the deep crisis into which British capitalism has plunged. But this is only part of a bigger picture of decline, not least within the governing Tory Party itself.

Over decades the membership of the Tory Party has declined - not only in number, but also in composition. A survey reported in The Economist found

Some 44% are over 65 and 71% are men. They think austerity has been a good thingThey love Brexitand not just any old Brexit, but the full-strength sort, leaving both the Customs Union and the Single Market.

It is no surprise then that Jacob Rees-Mogg is the favourite amongst members to succeed Theresa May, with 21% of Tory members vote.

With so much of her party, including her MPs, demanding a hard Brexit, May must directly appeal to this layer. One need only look at the vitriol thrown at Philip Hammond for his softer approach to see what kind of rebellion the Prime Minister would face if she were to commit to a soft Brexit, or BRINO (Brexit In Name Only).

However, the pressures of British big business, the avoidance of a hard border in Ireland and the bargaining power of Brussels are relentlessly pushing her in the opposite direction.

As we have explained many times, since Theresa May came to power, her only choice has been between calamity and disaster. Either she substantially accepts the EUs demands and opens up a conflict that could end not only her government but also the Tory Party as we know it. Or she can guarantee an economic and social crisis without precedent. Experience suggests that she will try to do neither and both at the same time.

A new alliance?

For the British ruling class, only one thing is worse than the current government: one led by Jeremy Corbyn. This prospect is the only thing that prevents a bloody civil war inside the Tory Party. It should not be surprising, therefore, that a section of capitalisms most faithful representatives are looking for some kind of Macron moment to save them from both May and Corbyn.

The latest to look in this direction was Anna Soubry, a Tory MP who warned that if May did not sling out the hard-line Brexiters, she would have to leave and set up some new alliance.

In the Financial Times, Soubry spelled out the desperate need of British business for a safe ship they can jump aboard, with a firm pair of hands on the wheel and land in sight. Making her pitch for the softest of Brexit, she warned that if business leaders are not heard in time, we will all be marching off the gangplank.

One MP who certainly agrees with Soubry is Chuka Umunna, a prominent Blairite. Accompanying her on the Andrew Marr show, Umunna was in complete agreement with everything Soubry had to say, adding, The national interest has to come first. Despite quipping with a smile that on the small issue of deadly NHS cuts he and Soubry had voted differently, he was quick to emphasise that this is bigger than anything.

Labour should not manage the bosses' Brexit. The Corbyn movement should counter the Blairites' intruiges with a vision of socialism / Image: Socialist Appeal UK

This has become an all too familiar refrain. In reality, the alliance of so-called moderates in both the Tory and Labour parties is not new at all. Throughout Corbyns leadership it has been clear that a section of the Parliamentary Labour Party has much more in common with pragmatic Tories than with their own side, and will do whatever it takes to preserve the interests of British capitalism, even against a Corbyn government.

Those in the Corbyn movement must be clear on what a Labour government should stand for and how it can be protected against the intrigues of those MPs who share Umunna and Soubrys aspirations.

That is why we give our full support to the campaign to reintroduce the pre-Blairite Clause 4 of the Labour Party constitution. Rather than managing the bosses Brexit, we should commit the party to the socialist transformation of society.

It is for this reason also that we call for the democratic right of Labour Party members to choose their parliamentary candidates, so that we can send socialist class fighters to parliament instead of careerists. If you agree with us, we urge you to join us in this fight.

Originally published on Socialist Appeal.
SOUTHBRIDGE -- Schott North America grew its businesses here by 10 percent in 2017 and executives say the company could do the same in 2018.

But Schott -- which continues the pioneering work in fiber optic glass once done here by American Optical Co. -- is having trouble trying to hire the people it needs to fill new jobs and to backfill jobs vacated by retiring employees. The German company has two businesses in Southbridge: lighting and imaging and electronics packaging.

"We have to be able to match the pace of work in order to meet the demand," said Robert W. Brisard, director of operations at Schott Lighting and Imaging.

That's because another supplier is competing for every order, Brisard said. Customers can't wait for their fiber optics and they don't have to wait.

"If we can't do the work, someone else will," he said. "I want young people in school to see manufacturing as a viable career path. You can come here and make a good living. Support your family."

Schott bought American Optical's fiber optic business in 1986. Schott is a global company with $2.26 billion in sales last year and 15,100 employees worldwide. In the United States, it has 2,000 employees and $532 million in annual sales. Schott AG is solely owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, which also owns Carl Zeiss AG.

Brisard and his team met recently with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and officials with Springfield Technical Community College in hopes that the college could boost recruiting. Southbridge is on the eastern edge of Neal's district, about 40 miles from Springfield.

There are 18k manufacturing jobs that go unanswered in New England. I was happy to visit @schottusa in #Southbridge today with @S_T_C_C to discuss ways in which we can try to bridge that gap. pic.twitter.com/SDU9PLjhor  Rep. Richard Neal (@RepRichardNeal) January 23, 2018

"We are looking for those middle-level skills," said Vicki Winger Shrewsbury, human resources manager at Schott. "Someone with a technical education. We need people with technical skills."

Schott already goes to the manufacturing technology programs at Quinsigamond Community College and technical high schools like nearby Bay Path Regional Vocational High School in Charlton.

A city of about 17,000 people, Southbridge has an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent. That's lower than Springfield's 5.9 percent but higher than the statewide average of 3.1 percent.

At its height, American Optical had 6,000 employees and Southbridge was a company town. It's gone now; the main factory site south of town has a hotel, conference center and an industrial park.

But "the AO's" presence is still felt in this part of southern Worcester County where many companies in addition to Schott are carrying on its work with technologies it developed.

Brisard said that heritage makes Southbridge a great place for Schott to do business.

"It's the expertise," he said. "We have people who are experts at what they do. Some of them have been working in this one place for 40 years. That's rare."

Schott Lighting and Imaging in Southbridge makes fiber optics used in the medical device industry -- think of the endoscopes surgeons use to work inside the body through a small incision. Schott makes the lighting fiber optics that illuminates the surgeons' work and the imaging fiber optics that let surgeons see their work.

Schott's technology goes into X-ray equipment, said vice president and general manager James P. Gareau.

Schott also supplies fiber optics for night vision equipment used by all branches of the military.

The Southbridge plant gets glass from a sister Schott facility in Pennsylvania, heats it and draws it - pulls it like taffy - Gareau said. As long as the tension is consistent, the glass retains its shape.

Schott employees repeat this process over and over again, turning the glass into long strands of fiber optics. They keep repeating the process until a section of fiber optic cable the size of an index card can have 92 million separate strands.

Schott spent $750,000 renovating and upgrading its offices and conference rooms to better pitch its goods to visiting buyers. The plant has $2 million worth of new equipment either recently installed or on order.

Brisard said Schott's been on a lean manufacturing program for eight years. A process that used to take 15 people in three buildings is now seven people in one building.

Adding more automation and getting more efficient helps Schott get more business and drives the need for more staffers to do the work.

Shrewsbury said Schott has between the two businesses about 300 employees in Southbridge. The company hired 45 people in 2017.

But there are 25 open positions right now and about 50 Schott employees are eligible for retirement. All told, Shrewsbury said she expects to need to hire 80 to 100 new workers in 2018.

The company offers benefits and the average wage is $18.20 an hour. Wages range from $14 an hour to $28 an hour.

There is a background check and drug testing, she said. Also, employees must be what's called a US person -- either a citizen or be in possession of a green card -- because the plant does defense work.

Brisard said it takes too long to get those workers hired, averaging about two months per open position. Add to that the two months or so it takes to train an employee at Schott before they can work on their own.

What Schott does is pretty specialized. Even its CNC machine operations are different from what a manufacturing technology student, or a machinist at most other workplaces, would learn.

"They teach machining on metal," Brisard said. "That's not machining glass. The two things are very different. No one else can teach you that. We have to teach you that."

What he does need are workers with good technical skills and the ability to understand that at Schott there is only one set of procedures toward completing a task.

Because while the company has gotten efficient, there no shortcuts.

"Because then we have a product that doesn't meet specifications," he said. "Then we have scrap."
Although I enjoy one occasionally, I'm usually not a huge fan hefeweiss brews overall.

Of course, they can be really good on a hot afternoon, and there are certain ones that really hit the spot. I have my favorites, but I don't anticipate releases of the style the way I do with, say, Octoberfest beers. (Although you hardly have time to "anticipate" Octoberfests anymore, since they now come out way too early in the year.)

But a collaboration that just occurred involved the world's oldest brewery, Weihenstephan of Bavaria, and one of the oldest craft breweries in the U.S., Sierra Nevada, has me a little excited about a new hefeweissbier. These two longstanding beer powerhouses joined forces to create Braupakt just in time for spring.

"This is the first time Sierra Nevada chose to partner with a long-established brewery," Weihenstephan brewmaster Tobias Zollo said in a press release. "Both breweries had something to glean and gain from the other. We came in with high standards for the Hefeweissbier style. Sierra Nevada, who is world-renowned for the pale ale style, came in with the discerning palettes for fruity and aromatic-bodied beers. With Braupakt, we were able to exceed the expectations of both breweries."

Brewmasters from the two breweries spent the better part of 2017 on recipe development, ultimately creating Braupakt, brewed with Hallertauer Tradition hops and refined with American West Coast Amarillo and Chinook hops. Braupakt (literally translated; "brewery pact") combines old world purity standards and brewing methodologies with newer innovation and hop flavors.

The name plays on America's "bro pact" vernacular for fraternal allegiances, and the label features the imperial Bavarian bear sporting a "hang loose" gesture.

"We are extremely excited to share our Braupakt collaboration with the beer community. When we look to create these partnerships, rarely do you get to work with breweries of [Weihenstephan's] stature and we were blown away by the process," noted Scott Jennings, brewmaster of Sierra Nevada. "Not only are we blown away by the finished beer... we learned a lot on this journey as well from one of the original visionaries in our industry."

The brewers described the beer as pouring a naturally cloudy amber with a creamy head. Aromatic notes include peach, apricot and citrus fruits with a fine banana yeast aspect as well as a refreshing grapefruit note from the Chinook hops. The fruity peach and apricot taste of the Amarillo hops is complemented by the mild sweetness of the used caramel malt, according to the brewers.

Weihenstephaner Braupakt will be available nationwide just in time for the warmer weather to hit in April.
SPRINGFIELD - Sinai Temple has a new rabbi who will be installed later this year.

The announcement of the selection of Rabbi Jeremy Master, who has been the spiritual leader at Temple of Israel in Greenville, S.C ., culminates a nearly two-year process that began in the summer of 2016.

The Reform Congregation installed Interim Rabbi Howard A. Kosovske at that time to ponder its future as it moved toward selecting a settled rabbi.

Rabbi Mark Shapiro, who led the congregation for nearly 28 years, retired in June 2016.

Steve Sussman, who served as co-chair with Jackie Neiman of the Rabbinic Search Committee, said the 15 candidates interviewed "had an array of wonderful qualities," but that Master "matched our highest rated criteria."

"We wanted someone who would appeal to young families and be able to take an active role in our religious school and Rabbi Master has experience with reaching out to children, and leading the creation of a new vision for the religious school in Greenville," Sussman said.

"Sinai wants to continue its focus on social action, and we saw that he was instrumental in starting and growing a city-wide effort to help homeless people, housing and feeding them, and helping them to find work. We need someone who will build on our congregants' sense of community, and we saw that he had many initiatives in Greenville to bring people together. He and his wonderful wife - Rabbi Alana Wasserman - frequently opened their home to congregants for social occasions and holidays."

Sussman added that the "feedback we got (from members) was overwhelmingly positive."

"We were told, 'Don't let him get away!,'" Sussman said.

Master said he was "eager" to start his new position in July.

"Sinai feels similar to my current congregation in that people feel a genuine desire to connect with each other through their Judaism," he said.

"I feel one of the skills I have gained that I hope to bring to Sinai Temple is the important work of helping create community and bringing people together."

Master added, "What made me interested in applying to Sinai is that I grew up on Long Island and my family still lives on Long Island and I went to school at Wesleyan University in Connecticut."

"At this point in my career I felt ready for a new professional challenge and as part of that I wanted to be in the Northeast near family and where I went to school," Master said.

"I look forward to the challenge of leading Sinai Temple into the future and returning to be a rabbi in the Northeast will feel like a homecoming to me."
The 23-year-old Winchester resident accused of killing a former classmate has been ordered held without bail.

Jeffrey Yao was arraigned in Woburn District Court Monday morning where a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf on the charges of assault with intent to murder and one count of murder.

Yao is accused of approaching 22-year-old Deane "Kenny" Stryker from behind at the Winchester Public Library on Sunday morning as she sat at one of the library's tables.

Police say Yao stabbed Stryker several times in the head and torso with a hunting knife. A 77-year-old man who attempted to intervene was also stabbed, suffering non life-threatening injuries.

Stryker died of the wounds, the medical examiner ruled late Sunday.

The attack remains under investigation.

Both Yao and Stryker attended Winchester High School but if the two knew each other well remains unclear.

Neighbors of Yao told the Boston Herald he had become concerning in recent months.

"We warned them. We warned them. I can't believe this," a neighbor who did not want to be identified told the Herald. "This whole thing could have been avoided, all of it."

The Middlesex County District Attorney's office said Yao was known to police.

Stryker was a first-year student in University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

She was an active member of the college community, serving as an orientation leader and an advocate for domestic violence survivors and mental health awareness, UNE President James Herbert said in a statement.
A Randolph man who was shot by a Massachusetts State Police trooper and six other suspects face charges Monday morning in connection with the group of bikers who caused a chaotic scene on Route 93 this weekend.

Massachusetts State Police responded to a group of 25-35 bikers who stormed I-93 southbound in Boston with their motorcycles and ATVs Saturday afternoon. Police officers were called to the scene by multiple drivers who reported the group of riders as driving erratically and dangerously on the highway around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Seven people were arrested on the scene while the other riders dumped their bikes and escaped. When state officers caught up with the bikers near Exit 18, one trooper opened fire and shot 28-year-old Randolph man Aderito Monteiro, who was transported to Boston Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

At Boston Municipal Court on Monday, Monteiro will face charges of disorderly conduct, negligent operation, a marked lanes violation, failure to stop for police, driving an unregistered all-terrain vehicle and driving an uninsured ATV, according to a statement by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

In addition to Monteiro, another biker -- who was not shot -- and a state trooper were transported to local hospitals as well. The trooper suffered a knee injury during the response, and the biker complained of having pain, according to Mass. State Police.

The incident remains under investigation by state police, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and Boston Police. The D.A.'s office is in charge of investigating police officer-involved shootings. The suspects are all scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court this week.
Massachusetts State Police are investigating an incident in Boston Saturday night in which dozens of people drove off-road bikes down Interstate 93 and a police officer opened fire.

State troopers responded to reports of "erratic and dangerous" behavior by a group of bikers on Route 93 southbound in Boston around 5 p.m. on Saturday. A statement by Mass. State Police say approximately 25-35 individuals were "recklessly operating off-road bikes," including all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles.

When police caught up with the bikers near Exit 18, toward Massachusetts Avenue, state police say a trooper opened fire and struck a 28-year-old Randolph man. He was transported to Boston Medical Center for a non-life-threatening injury, according to state police.

A trooper was transported to Mass General Hospital for a knee injury, and another biker, who was not shot, was transported to a local hospital for pain.

A few riders drove off and escaped police during the exchange. Troopers arrested and charged only five suspects with "various offenses," and the two people transported to hospitals are also likely to be charged. State police said they seized nearly 20 of the motorcycles and ATVs on the scene.

The incident remains under investigation by state police, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and Boston Police. The D.A.'s office is in charge of investigating police officer-involved shootings. The suspects are all scheduled to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court this week.
This is part of an ongoing series from the MassLive Unsolved Case Files, a look at families of victims and the investigators who continue to dig for answers.

_________________

Authorities released facial reconstruction images of a woman found killed in Massachusetts nearly 20 years ago.

A forensic artist for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children created the images.

The woman was found dead in a parking on Crest Avenue in Chelsea on Nov. 13, 2000. She had been dead for roughly 24 hours.

According to NCMEC, Massachusetts State Police identified and arrested a suspect in the killing.

"The suspect stated that the victim was involved in sex trafficking at the time of her death, claimed she identified herself as 'Lisa', and was from Philadelphia, PA," authorities said.

The woman is described as a medium-to-light-skinned black female who may be Asian, Cape Verdean or Indian. She was around 17 to 25 years old at the time of her death.

The woman was about 5-foot-2-inches to 5-foot-5-inches tall and weighed about 100 to 130 pounds. She had short black hair with a reddish tint and had no obvious tattoos, scars or identifying marks were found on her body

Authorities note the woman had purple polish on her toenails and had a slight overbite.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-THE-LOST.
AMHERST -- Eduardo Samaniego, a third-year Hampshire College student, is taking the semester off to devote his attention to advocating for passage of DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) legislation.

Samaniego, 25, an undocumented immigrant, wants to be able to apply for a path to citizenship under a DREAM Act bill and ensure that others like him can too.

He and 10 others are in the midst of a 250-mile march from New York to Washington as part of the National Walk for the DREAM Act, calling for legislation that can protect him and hundreds of thousands of others from deportation.

Samaniego and his group rallied in Battery Park, New York, Feb. 15 and took the ferry to New Jersey, where they began the first leg of their walk.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Sept. 5 announced the end of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy, which had allowed some minors who entered or stayed in the U.S. illegally to have their deportation deferred. That left the fate of of approximately 800,000 beneficiaries in limbo. The Trump administration has set a March 5 deadline to end the program unless Congress acts on immigration.

A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal on immigration two weeks ago, but it fell apart. Legislators continue to work on a deal.

Samaniego, who was not protected by DACA but considers himself a Dreamer, said as Congress debates the future of Dreamers, "it is imperative we share our story and call attention to the public, to continue make the case why this is urgent."

The walk is co-sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, the Seed Project and Our Dream National Coalition

"We're highlighting we're here and we're part of the country. We want to be visible at this moment," Samaniego, a leader with the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, said.

"We're real. If people don't know the stories, it's easier for others to dismiss us," he said.

Although he graduated high school with honors as president of Junior Achievement of Georgia, President of the Hispanic Honor Society and the only National Society of High School Scholars gold medal winner in his class, Samaniego couldn't go to college because he didn't have a Social Security number.

He worked two jobs for two years and in 2013 met Dreamers advocating for immigration reform. He traveled across the country advocating for equal access to education for DACA students.

He started applying to college again, and in 2014 Hampshire gave him a four-year scholarship.

Along the way to Washington, he said the marchers will visit local houses of worship, staying with families and telling their stories and stories of others, he said. He said he expects many to join them on their way.

Samaniego said even if Congress resolves the issue by the time they arrive in Washington, making the case is imperative.

"Ultimately, this walk is also to claim our place in this country," he said. "For all intents and purposes, we have become part of the fabric of this country. We are not strangers to this country asking to be let in. We want to take our dignity back."

In a Facebook post last week, he wrote, "In the past couple of days I've been reminded of what community looks like at the deepest level, I have no doubt this experience will give me a new family and in the end that will make it all worth it.

"We will forever be grateful to the many who've welcomed us along the way, the love and support has been overwhelming," he wrote.
Massachusetts marijuana regulators decided against immediately moving forward this year with cannabis cafes and home delivery of the controversial substance.

Retail pot shops are still slated to open later this year.

The Cannabis Control Commission voted 4 to 1 on Monday to put off allowing home delivery and "social consumption" - basically consuming marijuana inside someplace other than a primary residence - and they agreed to look into issuing rules on those types of licenses next year.

Shaleen Title, the only member of the commission to publicly favor the marijuana legalization law passed by voters in November 2016, offered up the proposal to delay home delivery and "social consumption" in exchange for exclusivity on those future licenses for minorities, small businesses and farmers.

Home delivery of medical marijuana, which is under a separate structure, is still allowed.

Commissioners agreed to come up with a new timeline for "social consumption" and home delivery regulations. That includes collecting research and information on those types of licenses, re-starting conversations in October 2018 and considering allowing the exclusivity, and then issuing draft rules in February 2019.

Kay Doyle, a former state Department of Public Health official, was the sole commissioner to vote against the delay.

The move came after Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey and local prosecutors urged commissioners to take their time setting up the industry and initially limit themselves to focusing on the opening of retail pot shops.

"The pressure campaign conducted by the governor, attorney general and others proved difficult to overcome," Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for marijuana legalization advocates, said in an email.

"The larger issue is getting the application process up and running for the July sales start date. Additional delays would be an embarrassment for the state and a gift to black market dealers," he added.

Commissioners are working through draft rules for oversight of the new industry that is set to grow this year.

In November 2016, Massachusetts voters passed a law broadly legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults ages 21 and over.
By RUTH EGLASH

The Washington Post

JERUSALEM - The doors of Jerusalem's sacred Church of the Holy Sepulchre remained shuttered Sunday amid a growing dispute between Christian leaders in the Holy Land and Israel over the future of multiple church-owned properties and lands they say should be protected by international law.

The unprecedented move at the site that each day draws thousands to the place that Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and later resurrected comes after the Jerusalem municipality took steps to start taxing church properties in the city.

It is also a response to proposed legislation that could block the churches from making commercial deals with investors on land they leased long-term to the Israeli government nearly 70 years ago.

At a news conference in front of the church's bolted wooded doors and in a joint statement that followed, the leaders of the Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian churches said Israel was waging a "systematic campaign against the churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land, in flagrant violation of the existing status quo."

"Recently, this systematic and offensive campaign has reached an unprecedented level as the Jerusalem municipality issued scandalous collection notices and orders of seizure of Church assets, properties and bank accounts for alleged debts of punitive municipal taxes," wrote the church leaders.

They said that the step breached agreements and international obligations by Israel toward the church and that it "seems as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem."

Closing the church's doors comes at a highly sensitive time after a potentially destabilizing decision by President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the U.S. Embassy to the sensitive city. Local Muslims and Christians have said that such a move could upset the religious balance in Jerusalem, a city holy to all three Abrahamic religions.

Palestinians have also said that the formal recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and transferring the embassy there makes it impossible for the United States to be a fair broker in any future peace process.

Further alienating the Palestinians, the U.S. State Department confirmed on Friday speculation that the U.S. Embassy would move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May, in time for Israel's 70th anniversary.

During his Dec. 6 speech, Trump lauded Israel for building a country "where Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and people of all faiths are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs."

The latest dispute between the church and Israeli lawmakers appears to be a litmus test for that.

After the news conference on Sunday, the Israeli parliament agreed to hold off discussing the legislation to "ease tensions with church leaders in Jerusalem and find a compromise."

But Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the dispute showed the "dramatic reality of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, and particularly of our churches."

Most of the Christian population in Jerusalem, Israel and the West Bank are of Palestinian heritage.

"It's time for President Trump and his administration to realize the consequences of their encouragement for the Israeli policies of occupation and exclusivity in Jerusalem," Erekat said.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said the new taxation policies would not affect the churches and cover only properties belonging to the church that are used for commercial purposes.

"In Jerusalem, all are equal under the law - Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - as is the case for all of Jerusalem's churches, synagogues, and mosques - is exempt from municipal taxes," he said in a statement.

But he said hotels and office spaces owned by the various churches "are not exempt from municipal taxes, regardless of their ownership."

The churches owe the municipality more than $185 million in back taxes on such properties, the mayor's office said.

Rachel Azaria, the Israeli lawmaker behind the legislation, also said her bill was not designed to take away property belonging to the church but focuses on large tracts of land leased by the church to Israel not long after the state's creation in 1948.

Several years ago, it was revealed that the land, upon which sit hundreds of residential apartment blocks and national institutions, was sold by the church in million-dollar commercial deals to private developers. If approved by parliament, the law will confiscate the lands sold by the church in private deals and prevent similar transactions in the future.

"This is not about religion, this is about money," said Fleur Hassan Nahoum, a member of the Jerusalem City Council, who helped draft the legislation. "The church is trying to profit in the millions on the back of thousands of Jerusalem residents who might lose their homes."

Greek Orthodox Church leadership in Jerusalem also has been at odds with its own followers, who have accused Patriarch Theophilos III of selling off church property without their consent.

A document put together by the Orthodox Central Council shows that at least 20 tracts of land or properties were sold or leased by the church synod over the past 10 years, garnering an estimated $101,114,285 for the church.

In an interview for a previous story, Theophilos said he has had no choice but to sell or lease land held by the church to finance its day-to-day business in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as in Jordan and Qatar - all areas under his jurisdiction. He also had to pay off debts left over from bad real estate deals executed by his predecessors, he said.
SPRINGFIELD -- After three years of discussion and delays, a developer on Monday withdrew plans for a 14-unit townhouse project at the former Russell's Restaurant property on Boston Road -- for now.

Nicholas Graham, of Houston, said he withdrew his application for a special permit and zone change at the advice of his lawyer, but is not giving up on the housing plans. The project is proposed at the now-vacant site at Boston Road and Lamont Street.

The City Council granted permission for the withdrawal Monday night, which allows him to reapply at any time. A scheduled hearing was cancelled.

If the permit was denied, Graham would not be able to seek reconsideration for two years under council rules.

"Mr. Graham intends to reapply for the special permit and cone change after he has had an opportunity to address the concerns raised at the recent Pine Point Community Council meeting and by certain neighborhood residents," said Ellen W. Freyman, Graham's lawyer, in a letter to the council.

The withdrawal follows two delayed hearings at Graham's request in recent months. Residents said they were concerned that the apartments would not be suitable in that area near single-family homes.

"I believe the best and only feasible usage for my property is residential development," Graham said in the email to The Republican. "I certainly hope to receive support from the city at some point and will not give up trying to build the first new construction market rate rental complex of this scale in Springfield in over 30 years."

Twice in the past year, the Pine Point Community Council has been opposed to the project. The city Planning Board, however, voted 7-0 in favor of the zone change request in June.

Graham had torn down the vacant restaurant building after buying the property in 2015. In response to neighborhood complaints, Graham leveled a large pile of asphalt and dirt on the property this winter.

Some residents, however, have said that a apartment complex is not appropriate in that area near many single family houses.

The City Council postponed two hearings in recent months, as requested by Graham, to give him opportunities to discuss the project further with the neighborhood council.

Graham, after announcing plans for the project in 2015, did not move forward at the time.

Graham said it took 14 months of submissions to gain approval of his water and sewer permit. At the time, a Springfield Water and Sewer Commission spokeswoman defended the commission's process, saying it had a responsibility to ensure that projects meet commission policies and safety regulations.

Graham said that after that delay, the plan was to break ground in the spring of 2017.

In January of 2017, Graham said he was notified by the city that a change in the city's zoning ordinances required him to go through a special permit process.

Graham was critical of the change in the zoning ordinances, saying it blocks residential development on land that is zoned business and industrial.

"Considering the vast majority of blighted or unused land is zoned in this manner, the new bylaws have essentially outlawed multi-family development citywide without a special permit," Graham said. "It doesn't make sense to me that Springfield can market itself as being amidst a resurgence while outlawing the construction of badly needed rental housing to attract those filling the new jobs created in the city."

In other action at Monday's meeting, Merylina Santiago Asselin was granted permission to withdraw her request to take over a special permit for a used car dealership at 145 Armory St., in the McKnight neighborhood.

The current permit holder is listed as Northeast Auto Depot by Patrick K. Asselin, who was granted a permit for no more than 30 cars in 2016.
The 22-year-old woman fatally stabbed inside the Winchester Public Library Saturday morning has been identified by authorities as Deane Kenny Stryker.

The Middlesex County District Attorney's office released Stryker's name Sunday night.

Boston 25 News said Stryker was a medical student at the University of New England and leaves her mother and two siblings.

Police say 23-year-old Jeffrey Yao approached Stryker from behind as she sat at a table in the library sometime after 10 a.m. Saturday. Yao is accused of stabbing the young woman several times in the head and torso with a hunting knife.

Stryker died from her injuries. A 77-year-old man who tried to help her was stabbed in the arm. Yao was arrested and will face murder and assault charges in court.

Police are still investigating the killing. They are trying to determine if Yao knew Stryker.

Yao's neighbors told the Boston Herald he was aggressive and became more violent over the past few months. One neighbor told the newspaper he warned authorities that Yao would kill someone.
By Nicholas Kristof

New York Times News Service

Before I tell you about my urine, let me stress that it should have been clean.

Almost a decade ago, I was shaken by my reporting on a class of toxic chemicals called endocrine disruptors. They are linked to cancer and obesity, and also seemed to feminize males, so that male alligators developed stunted genitalia and male smallmouth bass produced eggs.

In humans, endocrine disruptors were linked to two-headed sperm and declining sperm counts. They also were blamed for an increase in undescended testicles and in a birth defect called hypospadias, in which the urethra exits the side or base of the penis rather than the tip.

Believe me, the scariest horror stories are found in urology journals. If you're a man, you don't wring your hands as you read; you clutch your crotch.

So I've tried for years now to limit my exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Following the advice of the President's Cancer Panel, I eat organic to reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors in pesticides. I try to store leftover meals in glass containers, not plastic. I avoid handling ATM and gas station receipts. I try to avoid flame-retardant furniture.

Those are all common sources of toxic endocrine disruptors, so I figured that my urine would test pristine. Pure as a mountain creek.

Silent Spring Institute near Boston, which studies chemical safety, offers a "Detox Me Action Kit" to help consumers determine what harmful substances are in their bodies. Following instructions, I froze two urine samples (warning my wife and kids that day to be careful what food they grabbed from the freezer) and Fed-Exed them off for analysis.

By the way, the testing is for women, too. Men may wince as they read about miniaturized alligator penises, but endocrine disruptors have also been linked to breast cancer and gynecological cancers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns women that endocrine disruptors can also cause miscarriages, fetal defects and much more.

As I waited for the lab results, I continued to follow the latest research. Laura Vandenberg of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, sent bizarre video of a mouse exposed to a common endocrine disruptor doing back flips nonstop, as a kind of nervous tick.

Finally, I heard back from Silent Spring Institute. I figured this was a report card I had aced. I avoid all that harmful stuff. In my columns, I had advised readers how to avoid it.

Sure enough, I had a low level of BPA, best known because plastic bottles now often boast "BPA Free."

But even a diligent student like me failed the test. Badly. I had high levels of a BPA substitute called BPF. Ruthann Rudel, a toxicologist who is the head of research at Silent Spring, explained that companies were switching to BPF even though it may actually be yet more harmful (it takes longer for the body to break it down). BPF is similar to that substance that made those mice do back flips.

"These types of regrettable substitutions - when companies remove a chemical that has a widely known bad reputation and substitute a little-known bad actor in its place - are all too common," Rudel told me. "Sometimes we environmental scientists think we are playing a big game of Whack-A-Mole with the chemical companies."

Sigh. I thought I was being virtuous by avoiding plastics with BPA, but I may have been causing my body even more damage.

My urine had an average level of an endocrine disruptor called triclosan, possibly from soap or toothpaste. Like most people, I also had chlorinated phenols (perhaps from mothballs in my closet).

I had a high level of a flame retardant called triphenyl phosphate, possibly from a floor finish, which may be "neurotoxic." Hmm. Whenever you see flaws in my columns, that's just my neurotoxins at work.

Will these endocrine disruptors give me cancer? Make me obese? Make my genitals fall off? Nobody really knows. At least I haven't started doing random back flips yet.

The steps I took did help, and I recommend that others consult consumer guides at ewg.org to reduce their exposures to toxic chemicals. Likewise, if I had downloaded the Detox Me smartphone app, I would have known to get rid of those mothballs, along with air fresheners and scented candles. (Science lesson: A less fragrant house means cleaner pee.)

Yet my takeaway is also that chemical-industry lobbyists have rigged the system so that we consumers just can't protect ourselves adequately.

"You should not have to be a Ph.D. toxicologist to be safe from so many of the chemicals in use," Dr. Richard Jackson of UCLA told me. "So much of what we are exposed to is poorly tested and even less regulated."

The Trump administration has magnified the problem by relaxing regulation of substances like chlorpyrifos, Dow Chemical's nerve gas pesticide. The swamp has won.

So the saddest lesson is that even if you understand the peril and try to protect yourself and your family - as I strongly suggest you do - your body may still be tainted. The chemical companies spend tens of millions of dollars lobbying and have gotten the lightest regulation that money can buy.

They are running the show, and we consumers are their lab mice.
In January 1998, after a trip he took to Cuba with then-Cardinal Bernard Law, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) said that Cuba would have to ease the "political, economic and religious restrictions" on Cuban citizens before he would consider voting to lift the trade embargo.

Now, in light of the major progress in U.S.-Cuba relations made under former President Obama and a Texas A&M University study which showed that the export value of American agricultural, fisheries and forest products would be $1.24 billion annually (of which $891 million would be in Massachusetts) and create more than 31,000 jobs nationally, I wonder if Rep. Neal is still in favor of the trade-embargo mandate that denies Cuba the capability to purchase U.S. farm products on credit?

If he does not support the embargo, why has Rep. Neal not co-sponsored H.R. 525, the Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, filed by Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)? The bill currently has the support of 43 Republicans and 19 Democrats from 28 states including Rep. Seth Moulton, the Democrat from Salem, MA.

Intentionally excluding an export market 90 miles from our shores, which is hungry for Arkansas rice, North Carolina poultry, and Massachusetts dairy products, apples and cranberries is not a smart position for a congressman who considers himself an expert on trade policy.

If Rep. Neal is not willing to help push for bilateral trade agreements with Cuba that can help us keep good jobs at places like the Agri-Mark butter and milk plant in West Springfield, then he should be replaced in Congress come the September 4 Democratic primary.

Charles J. Dudek, Williamsburg
BOSTON - U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, joined union leaders and workers at a rally in Boston on Monday to support unions as the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that could significantly diminish union power.

"For years, big corporations and billionaire donors and their Republican allies have launched one assault after another against unions and against working people," Warren said. "Corporations and anti-union forces are doing everything they can to tilt the scales in their favor....We're here today because we have not given up. We're ready to fight back."

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments in Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31. The case could decide the legality of "fair share" or "agency" fees, which are fees that workers whose workplaces are unionized must pay even if the workers choose not to join the union. The ruling could have a major financial impact on unions around the country.

Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME International, came from Washington, D.C. to speak at the Boston rally. "This case isn't about free speech," Saunders said. "This case is about political power. This case is about those who have wealth and power in this country, they want more wealth and power at the expense of all of you. They can go straight to hell, because we're fighting back."

In 1977, in the landmark case Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that government employees can be forced to pay a fee to a union to cover the cost of negotiating a contract. The logic was that since the union contract covers all workers, everyone should have to pay for the cost of negotiations, even if an employee chooses not to join the union.

Slightly less than half the states allow unions to collect fair share fees, while slightly more than half of states prohibit the practice.

In this case, Mark Janus, a public employee in Illinois, has asked the Supreme Court to overturn Abood and prohibit unions from collecting fees from non-members.

Janus argues in a court brief that agency fees violate employees' First Amendment rights to free speech. He says imposing the fees requires employees to fund political speech, since unions are trying to influence government's personnel policies.

"It permits the government to compel employees to subsidize an advocacy group's political activity: namely, speaking to the government to influence governmental policies," Janus's attorneys wrote in a court brief.

AFSCME argues that Abood was correctly decided, and fair share fees are important for labor relations and fairness. The union cites previous decisions to argue in a brief that "collection of the fees is justified by States' strong interest in promoting labor peace through collective bargaining and in avoiding the 'free rider' incentive that would arise if non-member employees could avoid paying any dues while nevertheless retaining the benefits of representation by an informed and expert negotiator."

The sides also dispute whether unions can appropriately distinguish which expenses should be considered when calculating non-member payments.

The Trump administration filed a brief supporting Janus. Lawyers for the United States argue that issues like merit pay, state employee tenure and the size of the workforce relate to the proper structure and operation of government. "To compel a public employee to subsidize his union's bargaining position on these questions is to force him to support private political and ideological viewpoints with which he may strongly disagree," attorneys for the United States wrote in a court brief.

The New York Times reported that conservative donors have been bankrolling an effort, which led to this court case, to limit unions' power, since unions tend to back Democrats.

"This case is an attack on working people brought by billionaires," Markey said at the Boston rally. "Donald Trump and his Republican Party want to break every single union that exists today and make sure that no one can organize tomorrow."

More than a dozen union leaders addressed a crowd of union workers in front of a Boston firehouse. The noon rally was part of a day of action organized by unions, which includes a 5 p.m. rally in Springfield and other events throughout the state.

"This is an attack on working people," said Steven Tolman, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. "They're trying to divide us. We're going to work hard to make sure that's not the case."

"This is a case that is about freedom to unite for better jobs, for a better country, for a better life," Tolman said.

Johnny McInnis, political director for Boston Teachers Union and a Boston music teacher, said he used to teach in North Carolina, a state that does not require non-union members to pay a fee. There, he said, there was no union, pay was low, and it was hard to push for better working conditions. He said he worked as a part-time UPS driver while teaching, because that job was unionized so the benefits were better.

When McInnis came to Boston, he said he learned the benefits of a union in pushing for better working conditions and better conditions for students.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said his father was a union member, and so was he, and that allowed him to access critical health care benefits. "I have a union book in my pocket, I'm proud of that book," Walsh said.

"This court case is all about dividing workers," Walsh said. "It's about driving down wages, it's about eliminating benefits, it's about eliminating work rules."

Mingling with the rally crowd were Democratic gubernatorial candidates Setti Warren and Jay Gonzalez.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat who filed an amicus brief in the case supporting the union, is in Washington, D.C. for the National Association of Attorneys General's winter meeting.
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Brian Johnson faced six batters and retired them in order on Sunday in his first start of the spring for the Red Sox.

The 27-year-old left-hander is out of options and if he doesn't make the Red Sox roster at the end spring training, he'll have to be designated for assignment where another team is likely to pick him up.

Johnson, a 2012 first-round pick of the Red Sox, made five starts in Boston last season posting a 4.33 ERA. In Triple-A Pawtucket, he had a 3.09 ERA over 17 starts. He's at a point in his career where he feels confident he can contribute consistently at the major-league level.

"I'm just taking it like another spring honestly," Johnson said after Sunday's game against the Orioles. "I know it's a different situation for me, but I'm not treating it any differently."

Over the offseason, the Red Sox floated the idea of using Johnson in the bullpen as as way to keep him on the roster. Now with Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright expected to miss the start of the year as they rehab surgically repaired knees, Johnson has a real shot at making the rotation.

"If it's a starter or a reliever, I don't really care to be honest," he said. "I just want to be on this team. Whatever it takes."

Johnson said he's a quick worker when warming up in the bullpen, so even though he hasn't pitched in relief since college, he feels he could adjust to the role quickly.

"In my bullpens, they usually have to slow me down instead of speed me up," he said. "I'm not worried about that. A lot of my stuff in the bullpen is really just mechanical and just feeling my pitches out because you're trying to have the endurance to go the whole game."

A month from now, Johnson will likely know more about his situation. Sunday was the first step this spring in proving he's capable of helping the major-league roster.

--

Follow MassLive.com Red Sox beat reporter @jcmccaffrey on Twitter. She can be reached by email at jmccaffr@masslive.com.
As part of a recent push to increase rural broadband access in the U.S., Microsoft announced today that it will partner with Michigan-based Packerland Broadband. The goal is toprovide internet access to 82,000 people living in rural regions of northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan over the next four years. The partnership is the first of its kind between Microsoft and a regional broadband provider like Packerland.

Anna [email protected]
Bert Mooney just cut the red ribbon on its new $10.5-million terminal, but in a time when the airport has seen a decline in boarding and regional airlines are feeling the pinch from a nationwide pilot shortage, will there be any planes at the gates of the new terminal? Meanwhile, airport officials are seeking to bring a Denver flight to Bert Mooney, but the airport will need to get its boarding numbers up first if its to achieve this aspiration and more.

ANNIE PENTILLA [email protected]

http://mtstandard.com/news/local/as-regional-airlines-struggle-with-pilot-shortages-butte-airport-officials/article_0f6f3e91-f26a-5aa7-b93d-22e6d6201d5c.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
When the city started running advanced life support calls out of Station 2 in 2000, Great Falls Fire Rescue had five paramedics.

In 2001, 2002 and 2004, the department was able to train 22 firefighters as paramedics thanks to funding from the Carrico Foundation. The first class of eight firefighters in 2001 completed the paramedic program at what was then known as MSU College of Technology and the initiative was the first of its kind statewide, according a history of GFFR.

by Jenn Rowell
BCC School, Pailles has celebrated Eid Day on the 16th July 2019 at Municipal Council hall, Guibies, Pailles. Kids of different age groups took part in different cultural programs.

The program started by the message of the founder and director of the school Mr. Muhammad S.U. SARDAR. Afterwards there was the speech of the students of grade 6. The students of Tweet Tweety (Day care section) gave an Eid message to the audience

Cute Nemo 1 (Pre-primary section) performed an Eid song, giving details of Eid and how it is celebrated. Cute Nemo 2 performed a poem to wish everyone Eid Mubarak. Students of Smart Dora (Last year of pre-primary section) performed a drama on importance of helping the needy and poor, an eid song on happiness on the day of Eid and recited Surah Al- Aadiyaat from the Holy Quran.

Happiness and information were shared with the kids and staff of other communities. T-shirts and wall clocks were given as gifts to one and all irrespective of religious background. Also to give students a proper taste of the eid celebration, lunch was served to all the students and staff of the school.

Madrassah Classes have performed the followings-

1. Madrassah Abu Bakr Surah Al Quraish

2. Madrassah Umar 1 Surah Az-Zalzallah

3. Madrassah Umar 2 Song La priere pour les petits 

4. Madrassah Uthmaan Song A is for Allah

5. Madrassah Ali

Hadith on Politeness of speech by AULLYAR Najihah

Hadith on Muslims must love each other by LUTTOO Eiliyah & Surah Al Maarij

Afterwards there were the performances of primary sections.

Grade 1 Song Happy Eid, Happy Eid

Grade 2  Drama on Islam, a complete way of life .

Grade 3 Poem- The Holy Month of Ramadan

Grade 6-

Girls- Islamic Song- Amantu Billah

Grade 4- Arabic Song on Eid

Grade 5- Drama on Hadiths on the day of Eid.

Grade 6- Islamic Fashion Show

We have celebrated this day with the objectives to teach our kids how to live in peace and harmony by sharing our happiness, Said the founder and director of the school Mr. SARDAR. A special Eid poem which was written and shared by BCC School this year was-

Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak, the Eid has come

We say bye, we say bye, we say bye Ramadan

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Based on data available for all four quarters of 2020, GDP at market prices contracted by 14.9%, as opposed to a growth of 3.0 % in 2019.

Year 2021 (Forecast)

On the basis of information gathered on key sectors of the economy, performance observed in the first quarter of 2021, recent free trade agreements, measures announced in the budget 2021/2022 and uncertainties in international travel due to sanitary conditions, GDP at market prices is forecasted to grow by 5.4% compared to a decline of 14.9% in 2020.

GVA at current basic prices is forecasted at around R 407.2 billion and GDP at current market prices at around R 463.7 billion in 2021.

The main assumptions used to work out the forecast of 2021 are as follows:

a) Sugarcane/sugar milling: a sugar production of around 275,000 tonnes and expected increase in production of special sugar for exports.

b)Textile manufacturing to bounce back by 18.5%, after a decline of 28.6% in 2020;

c) Construction: to augment by 25.2% after a decline of 25.8% in 2020, based on expected pick-up of private construction projects such as smart city projects, morcellement projects, Property Development Scheme (PDS) projects and construction of new/renovation of hotels during the second semester of 2021, coupled with ongoing and upcoming public projects such as Metro Express, decongestion programme, drain projects, new hospital at Flacq, construction of Mediclinics, construction of Cruise Terminal and Data Technology Park at Cote DOr.

d)Wholesale & retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles: to grow by 4.1% in contrast to the contraction of 12.0% in 2020.

e) Accommodation and food service activities: to increase by 4.0%, based on expected tourist arrivals of around 325,000 in 2021 with the reopening of borders in July 2021, compared to 308,980 in 2020.

f) Information and communication: to grow at a higher rate of 7.0% compared to 5.9% in 2020.

g) Financial and insurance activities: to grow by 3.8%, higher than the 1.0% growth in 2020.

Consumption and Saving

Final consumption expenditure of households and general government is expected to grow by 1.4% against a drop of 15.7% in 2020

Gross Domestic Savings (GDS) as a percentage of GDP at market prices for 2021 would reach 11.4 from 8.2 in 2020.

Investment

Investment, as measured by Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), would grow by 11.3% in 2021, compared to a contraction of 26.2% in 2020.

Private sector investment would grow by 14.1% in 2021 as opposed to a 23.2% decline in 2020 and public sector investment would grow by 2.4% in 2021, versus the contraction of 34.1% in 2020.

Investment rate is expected to increase to 19.3% in 2021, from 17.9% in 2020. Private investment rate would be 15.1% compared to 13.6% in 2020 and public investment rate would be 4.2% compared to 4.3% in 2020.

The share of private sector investment in GFCF would reach 78.0% in 2021 from 76.0% in 2020, while that of the public sector would decrease to 22.0% from 24.0% in 2020.

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Consultant for Business Review

The World Wide Fund for Nature, the Global Conservation Organization, through its office in DRC is seeking to recruit a consultant to undertake a business review.

Location :Kinshasa

Duration: 3 months

Deadline for Application:20 March 2018

I. Background

The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the leading conservation organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Office is one of the largest in the world, implementing a large number of projects under four main strategic pillars, namely i) Wildlife & Protected Areas (PA), ii) Forest & Agriculture, iii) Energy & Infrastructure and iv) Governance, the later being crosscutting.

In January 2017, the Regional Office for Africa has formally approved WWF-DRC Country Strategic Plan for the period 2017-2021, although its implementation started in July 2016. This strategic plan has been a tremendous work involving all WWF network and external partners in the definition of the country programme identity in full connection with the network global goals framed under nine practices and three drivers. Concurrently, it is fully aligned with the changes in Africa spelt out as Africa Vision, which outlines the key theory of change for WWF Conservation work in Africa from 2014 till 2020. It has therefore captured evolving changes in the region and in the overall WWF.

To this dynamic, it is worth mentioning the WWF culture of continuing re-creation of itself that opened on-going discussions around the Network Development Strategy aiming at confirming WWF as truly Go to Agency that deliver lasting conservation impact, leading WWF-Africa to adopt a vision that is to be an influential and respected conservation organization in Africa; making Africa a model in demonstrating a sustainable relationship between humans and nature.

To deliver conservation impact to the desired ambition, WWF took into account main features of DRC known to be a very vast country with 2.3 million sq km and a population of over 70 million inhabitants. The socio-economic infrastructures are limited though. The road network leaves much to be desired and make trips and travels very challenging. WWF-DRC Landscapes and hubs are located at very remote places. Some of these places that can be reached after one to two-hour flights actually take a full day. Other places can be reached only by canoe or boat and are very time consuming. In this context, WWF-DRC cannot afford operating effectively through one single Concentrated office. Rather we operate through a combination of Light-program structure and Disperse-hub-and-spoke structure. The country office is based in Kinshasa, the capital city of DRC and the hubs are located in Goma, Mbandaka, Boma and Monkoto. In the context of the Strategic Plan 2017-2021, these hubs will be properly materially and administratively equipped, and strengthened in their overall capacity to become fully operational and deliver Conservation outcomes fully.

Based on the above and motivated by its naturally perceived leadership in conservation that puts the expectation from the office by both the network and external partners very high, WWF-DRC would like to pause a bit and revisit its general structure both for Conservation and Operation at country management team level, and clarify further the best way of powerfully operationalizing it to meet and adapt to the fast evolving WWF network ambitions and to galvanize its Strong Office assets. The review will extend to the Conservation delivery model, learning from the strengths and weaknesses of the existing model especially in how WWF-DRC works with local partners, individual consultancies and governmental bodies in the delivery of the conservation work.

II. Objective of the Business Review

The Africa vision for 2020, the evolving network development strategy and the country programmatic ambition consider a WWF-DRC strong office as imperative for lasting transformational conservation. They also demand greater organizational efficiency and effectiveness on the part of the Country Programme, hence, the need for a thorough organization development review. This business review, focused on WWF-DRCs Business Model and Structure operationalization, is expected to analyse and make recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of the organization all in a bid to support further the delivery of the strategic plan.

III. Key activities:

Business Model

Review the business model and assess its alignment with the strategic plan;

Review the strengths and weaknesses of the current model and check the opportunities and threats in regard to the country context.

Assess the quality of implementing partnerships through focus on the local organizations, consultancies and governmental bodies.

Analyze the opportunity and scope of outsourcing of Conservation works by WWF-DRC in the context of DRC.

Betterment of WWF-DRC Structure operationalization

Diagnose and analyze organizational functions efficiency and effectiveness in line with the Organizations expectations;

Develop further and document the roles and responsibility of each strategic position at Country Management Team level.

Assess the required competencies for SMT and key positions against exiting competencies, develop SMT capacity building plan in order to close gaps

Assess the financial sustainability of the current structure (core) and if not fit, propose effective and efficient adjustment measures with focus on options for cost optimization at the Coordination and field level. In other words, the assignment should suggest a soft structure for the Coordination Office.

Analyze operations (finance, logistics and HR) work process, tools, procedures and transactions and their relevance to the conservation delivery context of DRC.

Propose an implementation roadmap including communication and change management plans if change is concluded as an option.

Develop a narrative that defines functional and hierarchical relationships

Update job description and leadership role for each SMT and CMT member including accountability level.

Assessment of internal communication needs / against current communication mechanism and give recommendations on how to improve

Iv. Expected outputs

The following are the key outputs and deliverables:

Work plan and review design/methodology as part of the Consultant application

Job Audit Report

Conservation delivery model review plan

Conservation delivery model review report with concrete recommendations including a focus on optimization at the Coordination and field level. In other words, the assignment should suggest a soft structure for the Coordination Office.

Organization Review and Development Plan

Document explaining functional and hierarchical relations in connection with the approved organizational chart.

Clear and systematic TOR for all leadership positions

Most effective administrative circuit to implement WWF-DRC CSP developed

Internal communication mechanism developed

(SMT) capacity building plan developed and approved

V. Profile

The study is opened to a consultant firm, which will send a pluridisciplinary team or an independent senior consultant.

Required Qualifications include:

University degree in Management

Management and development, organization development or other related Discipline is essential. A relevant post-graduate degree is preferred.

Relevant professional experience of at least ten (10) years in the different areas of human resource/organizational design and development

Actual exposure to organizational reform development and management is strongly desired

Professional working knowledge on local government processes and structure is essential

Professional experience in foreign-assisted development projects is preferred

Knowledge in real property appraisal is an advantage

Required Skills and Competencies



Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to function in a multi-cultural environment

Exceptionally strong analytical skills with ability to set priorities, complete work with minimal supervision, and meet deadlines

Aptitude for clear and concise oral and written communication

Fluency in English and French

Adheres to WWFs values, which are: Knowledgeable, Optimist, Determined and Engaging.

VI. Communication

Improving an organization structure operationalization can be a sensitive subject. It is important to communicate clearly that this organisational development enquiry is to explore the issues and options around optimization, efficiency and sustainability, with the aim of providing a good baseline of information to the management of Africa Office, WWF donors supporting the OD process and WWF-DRC. This will help avoid any perceptions that there is a pre-determined outcome to the organizational development process.

VII. How to Apply

Interested and suitably qualified firms are invited to send a letter of motivation outlining the proposed methodology for achieving the overall outputs mentioned above. Detailed CV of the firms experts and references from at least 3 organizational consultancies carried out within the past 10 years not later than March 20th, 2018.

Applicants should include an estimate of time needed to fulfil the obligations outlined in their methodology and a daily rate. The estimated end date of the assignment will be 30th May 2018. All application should be sent to recruit-wwfdrc@wwfdrc.org
JACKSON, Miss.

Feb. 26, 2018

Laurel

Nichols Middle School

Canton

Baldwyn Middle School

Baldwyn

Mississippi

Aaron Sisk

Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi

/PRNewswire/ -- A positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion in middle schools was celebrated at multiple schools statewide.Magnolia Health hosted an assembly in honor of, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences. Assemblies were held across the state throughout February at Oak Park Elementary School inin, andin. Over 1,220 students participated in activities designed to teach about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student's health and academic performance. Students put the lesson into action by sitting with students at lunch who they don't know, or who may feel left out. They were given ice breaker topics to discuss to highlight their commonalities.Social isolation has been identified as a precursor to bullying, self harm and community violence. Students have shown that given the tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders."Magnolia Health is proud to partner with Beyond Differences to bring light to social issues that affect students in," said, plan president and CEO of Magnolia Health. "We know that social isolation cannot only affect mental health, but their physical health as well. This event helps us to foster positive behavior to improve the health of children in our state.""Social isolation is a preventable public health problem affecting millions of children every day who suffer in silence," says Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. "We've learned through teachers and families that No One Eats Alone is a powerful step and positive initiative that can change the culture in schools to be a more welcoming place for all."Theseschools were part of more than 2,000 schools across the country that celebrated. The initiative reached more than 1 million students.is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation.Magnolia Health is a long-term solution to help the state ofenhance care for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients, while most effectively managing taxpayer dollars. A physician-driven,-based Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), Magnolia is backed by its parent company, Centene Corporation (Centene). Centene has more than 30 years of experience in Medicaid, CHIP and other government-funded programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and long-term care. For more information about Magnolia, visit www.magnoliahealthplan.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mississippi-schools-and-magnolia-health-celebrate-national-no-one-eats-alone-day-300604050.html



SOURCE Magnolia Health




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The study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, is based on data from 52 hospitals around the state of Michigan taking part in a massive quality improvement and patient safety effort. It's a detailed analysis of records from 15,397 PICC placements over a two-year period from 2014 to 2016, just before and after guidelines for safe and appropriate PICC use made their debut.The study is a large-scale examination of real-world use of PICCs, or peripherally inserted central catheters, and the factors associated with their short-term use.It highlights the need for efforts to reduce short-term use of PICCs and help medical care teams understand current practice and consider other alternatives for short-term IV access that pose less risk."When PICCs first came out, they became an 'easy button' for vascular access, and the safety issues weren't recognized," says David Paje, M.D., M.P.H., the University of Michigan hospitalist who led the research team. "Now the dynamics have changed, and we need to be more thoughtful with their use."Paje, an assistant professor of internal medicine, also helps lead the Medical Short Stay Unit at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center.For the new study, he worked with senior author and Division of Hospital Medicine chief Vineet Chopra, M.D., M.Sc., and co-author Scott Flanders, M.D., who directs the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium that provided the data for the study. Colleagues from several Michigan hospitals are co-authors.Based on previous studies of PICC-associated risks, the team assembled an expert panel that developed a guideline for choosing IV devices appropriately, called MAGIC. They unveiled it in 2015, and turned into a mobile and web app in 2017.Hospitals in the Michigan consortium, which is funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, began receiving training in MAGIC during the study period, but were still implementing it.MAGIC guides clinicians to the appropriate option for the individual patient they're treating. For instance, instead of a PICC, it recommends that patients who will need intravenous access for less than five days should receive a different form of IV device, such as a midline or peripheral IV."This study helps illustrate how medical devices such as PICCs can be both helpful and harmful," says Chopra, who led the development of MAGIC and is a member of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. "Understanding how best to balance appropriate use - using tools like MAGIC - is the way to safe and better patient care."As part of the study, Paje and his colleagues looked at which patients were more likely to receive a PICC for short-term use.The strongest factor was difficult vascular access - a catch-all phrase that means it had been hard to start an IV in the patient in previous visits or earlier in the hospital stay.Clinicians may default to choosing a PICC in these patients in order to keep an intravenous access point open, rather than having to find a vein each time, Paje says. Or, some experienced patients may even ask for a PICC to avoid so many "pokes."Patients whose physicians ordered a multilumen IV device, to avoid contact between different medications or nutrition solutions, were also more common among short-term PICCs. But Paje notes that few of the patients' records actually said that they were receiving multiple IV substances that had to be kept separate. And patients who had a short-term multilumen PICC were much more likely to suffer a complication.Interestingly, patients treated in teaching hospitals were more likely to receive a short-term PICC than those treated in non-teaching hospitals. This could actually be seen as an opportunity to address the issue of inappropriate short-term PICC, if hospitals make a plan to teach their residents about the risks and benefits of PICCs and other IV devices.A recent paper by members of the consortium showed that at one hospital that implemented MAGIC, inappropriate PICC use decreased compared with hospitals that didn't implement it, and PICC-related complications also decreased modestly.Paje notes that the body's own reaction to foreign material, and the mechanical stress put on veins when a PICC is inserted, can combine to damage veins and increase the risk of clots or scarring. The damage can keep a dialysis candidate from being able to successfully establish a vascular fistula, which would have been the preferred way to receive long-term dialysis.In all, 9.6 percent of the short-term PICC patients experienced a complication, including 2.5 percent who experienced a blood clot forming in their vein that could have broken off and caused more serious consequences, and 0.4 percent developing a CLABSI, or central line associated blood stream infection."The use of PICCs exploded because the safety issues were not initially recognized, including those associated with clots and infections," says Paje. "Now we're coming back full circle, and we need to adapt and implement quality improvement processes to be more judicious with their use. We need to recognize that PICCs are not without any consequence, even for short-term use."He notes that most of the reasons cited for PICC use in the patient records used in the study - such as delivering antibiotics -- do not require the deep access to the central bloodstream that PICC provides.Even as clinicians get the word about the MAGIC guidelines and implement measures to right-size PICC uses, Paje calls on patients and family members to speak up and ask questions before a PICC gets placed."Patients or their representatives should be actively engaged, and informed," he says. "Find out what lines they're putting in, and ask questions."Source: Eurekalert
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According to IDF Atlas 8th edition, 72.9 million people have diabetes in India and over 58% people have undiagnosed diabetes.In his opening address at the symposium, Anil Kumble said: "Diabetes in India is on the rise. I am glad that I have the opportunity to be a part of the Changing Diabetes mission spearheaded by Novo Nordisk India. To manage diabetes, it is essential that one gets timely diagnosis and early initiation of treatment combined with simple lifestyle modifications. As physicians, I urge you to motivate people to recognize the need to know their risk at the earliest for managing diabetes better."The workshop conducted by leading city-based diabetologists focused on increasing the participating physicians' knowledge about the progression of diabetes, the physiological effects of insulin, and tools for successfully initiating insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes. Approximately 300 doctors benefited from this.said: "Novo Nordisk is committed towards creating awareness about diabetes and ensuring people with diabetes are provided with best-in-class quality medication. APICON is the right platform for healthcare professionals to congregate and converse on the latest in diabetes care treatment and best practices. We are happy to support API Karnataka Chapter in their endeavour to create a platform to ideate, debate and share scientific updates on diabetes."said: "API was established in 1944 with the aim of promoting collaboration, enabling knowledge sharing, advancing treatment practices and skills, and supporting academic endeavour in the field of medicine in India, by conducting its annual national conferences in various cities of India."APICON 2018 being held in Bengaluru is one of the largest conferences with the registered delegates tally of around 10,000 The conference featured lectures, interactive workshops and discussions with many prominent and renowned physicians.Source: Medindia
Highlights:

Diplomate of National Board (DNB) doctors received a setback with a judgment from the Supreme Court dismissing their plea for equivalence of their degree to the MD/MS degree in academics.

The Sankalp Association, which represents the DNB doctors, is likely to refile the case against the Medical Council of India (MCI) after correcting the technical issues.

A recent judgment by the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the Sankalp Association of DNB Doctors, Delhi which demanded that the DNB degree be considered equivalent to the MD/MS degree while recruiting a candidate for the post of teaching faculty in an MCI-recognized hospital. The Supreme Court's dismissal stated that:



"We find no ground to entertain this petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The writ petition is dismissed accordingly."

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The tussle between Diplomate of National Board (DNB) doctors and the MCI continues with the doctors receiving a setback in the latest judgment pronounced by the Supreme Court of India.

Are Diplomate of National Board (DNB) Qualified Doctors Compromised Specialists from India?
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Mixed phenotype acute leukemia is two forms of leukemia combined: acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The term "mixed phenotype" means "both types."Leukemia is a type of cancer that attacks blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. Leukemias that spread quickly are called acute leukemias. The fast-moving nature of mixed phenotype acute leukemia means it is especially crucial for people who are newly diagnosed to be treated quickly.Mixed phenotype acute leukemia is rare, representing just 5% of all acute leukemia cases. It is more common in adults than children, but it can occur at any age.Luckily, she found a match through 'Datri', India's adult unrelated blood stem cell donors' registry. The procedure was performed, giving her a new lease on life. Garima, full of gratitude said, "Special thanks to the donor who donated a life to me and my family. Today I am living a second life."Gurumoorthi, a 27-year old mechanic by profession, registered as a donor in October 2016 at the 'Masonic Clinic Coimbatore'.As per the registry protocol, the identity of donors and recipients are kept anonymous for one year. Both the recipient and donor expressed their desire to meet each other. So when the doctors declared that the patient was completely cured, 'Datri' facilitated a meeting between the two and their families. The event was to celebrate and acknowledge the 'selfless giver' and the 'courageous spirit' of the recipient who waded through all adversities.Present on the occasion, Ms Vinita Srivastava, coordinator, National Blood Cell, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, "Government of India is determined to take up this cause. We are already working towards helping children with sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and aplastic anemia. Till date, we have supported 61 such cases. We plan to collaborate with existing registries in the country like Datri."Raghu Rajagopal, co-founder and CEO 'Datri', stressed the need to expand the registry and said that "there are over 1,800 patients on Datri's waiting list, anticipating a match."Source: Medindia
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Gupte was feted for his outstanding contribution to a global programme on elimination of leprosy whereas Shah was lauded for humanitarian services to alleviate the suffering of leprosy patients, an official statement said.Pointing out that Gandhi's thoughts and actions are relevant even today, Naidu said that Gandhi ji took a keen interest in leprosy patients and leprosy work even when there was no specific cure for the disease."Today, there is a lot of fear, superstition and stigma attached to leprosy," he said.Naidu stressed the need to intensify efforts towards early detection of leprosy, provide equitable access to appropriate treatment and provide integrated leprosy services."There is need to empower the socially discriminated against through advocacy and information dissemination," Naidu said."Over the years, the scourge of leprosy has remained a blot on humanity... more than the medical condition, the social stigma attached to the disease is a cause for concern," Naidu said."There is also need to conduct research on developing diagnostic tests and new vaccines," the Vice-President said."... until April 1, 2012, as many as 33 states and Union Territories had attained leprosy elimination of less than 1 case per 10,000 population. As many as 542 of the 640 districts achieved this distinction by March 2012," he added.Source: IANS
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Key immune cells involved in causing this damage are macrophages (literally 'big eaters'), which ordinarily serve to attack and rid the body of unwanted intruders.A particular type of macrophage known as microglia are found throughout the brain and spinal cord in progressive forms of MS, they attack the CNS, causing chronic inflammation and damage to nerve cells.Recent advances have raised expectations that diseases of the CNS may be improved by the use of stem cell therapies. Stem cells are the body's 'master cells', which can develop into almost any type of cell within the body.Previous work from the Cambridge team has shown that transplanting neural stem cells (NSCs) stem cells that are part-way to developing into nerve cells reduces inflammation and can help the injured CNS heal.However, even if such a therapy could be developed, it would be hindered by the fact that such NSCs are sourced from embryos and therefore cannot be obtained in large enough quantities. Also, there is a risk that the body will see them as an alien invader, triggering an immune response to destroy them.A possible solution to this problem would be the use of so-called 'induced neural stem cells (iNSCs)' these cells can be generated by taking an adult's skin cells and 're-programming' them back to become neural stem cells. As these iNSCs would be the patient's own, they are less likely to trigger an immune response.Now, in research published in the journalresearchers at the University of Cambridge have shown that iNSCs may be a viable option to repairing some of the damage caused by MS.Using mice that had been manipulated to develop MS, the researchers discovered that chronic MS leads to significantly increased levels of succinate, a small metabolite that sends signals to macrophages and microglia, tricking them into causing inflammation, but only in cerebrospinal fluid, not in the peripheral blood.Transplanting NSCs and iNSCs directly into the cerebrospinal fluid reduces the amount of succinate, reprogramming the macrophages and microglia in essence, turning 'bad' immune cells 'good'. This leads to a decrease in inflammation and subsequent secondary damage to the brain and spinal cord."Our mouse study suggests that using a patient's reprogrammed cells could provide a route to personalized treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including progressive forms of MS," says Dr Stefano Pluchino, lead author of the study from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge."This is particularly promising as these cells should be more readily obtainable than conventional neural stem cells and would not carry the risk of an adverse immune response."The research team was led by Dr Pluchino, together with Dr Christian Frezza from the MRC Cancer Unit at the University of Cambridge, and brought together researchers from several university departments.Dr Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti, the first author of the study and a Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellow, says: "We made this discovery by bringing together researchers from diverse fields including regenerative medicine, cancer, mitochondrial biology, inflammation and stroke and cellular reprogramming. Without this multidisciplinary collaboration, many of these insights would not have been possible."Source: Eurekalert
Hyundai is recalling more than 40,000 of its 2018 Santa Fe SUVs due to the potential risk the steering wheel could detach while in use.

The recall includes 43,941 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport SUVs that were manufactured between July and October 2017 at Hyundai's Alabama-based manufacturing plant. The automaker reports in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents that these SUVs could have been manufactured with "defective steering wheel" parts an that no other models from Hyundai or Genesis were affected.

Hyundai notes in the documents filed with the NHTSA that it estimates 1 percent of the recalled vehicles were equipped with the defective parts. It reports it is aware of two incidents where the steering wheel detached, but is not aware of any related crashes or injuries.

"The subject vehicles are equipped with steering wheel assemblies that could have been manufactured with insufficient breakage strength, increasing the risk that the steering wheel could separate from the steering column while driving," Hyundai reports in the documents.

"The mold temperature may have increased during the molding process resulting in damage to certain steering wheel hub assemblies."

Affected owners should receive recall notification in the mail starting on March 16. Dealers will make necessary repairs and changes free of charge.
ANN ARBOR, MI - An Ann Arbor company that makes pins with political messages has a new design featuring the face of a high school student whose passionate words at a gun control rally sparked debate in the aftermath of the Florida school shooting.

The specially-designed pin displays the words and likeness of Emma Gonzalez, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who has been speaking out and for gun control after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at the school on Valentine's Day.

A statement emblazoned on the pin, "No more thoughts. No more prayers. It's time for action," came from a speech by Gonzalez three days after the school shooting.

Around 800 of the "Time for Action" pins have already been purchased, said Kate Lind, co-founder of the company called Pincause.

"She is saying what a lot of adults were too afraid to say," Lind said. "She's challenging politicians and the NRA head on. I think everyone is drawn to that. She is definitely not alone."

The pins, designed by Arizona designer and illustrator Sheriden VanHoy, cost $5, with $2 from each sale going to the Stoneman Douglas Victims' Fund.

The victims' fund already has raised more than $2.2 million of its $2.5 million goal in 10 days, with donations contributed from more than 30,000 people to "provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific shooting," the website said.

Lind and fellow Pincause co-founder Nate Stevens had been discussing an anti-gun violence campaign since the start of 2018. When news of the Florida school shooting broke, they saw people respond to VanHoy's print of Gonzalez and knew they had to contact the artist.

"We wanted to make sure we had something that was powerful and also something we could get to them as soon as possible," Lind said about customers, who immediately began clamoring for a pin and a way to show their support when it comes to gun control.

More designs are in the works, she added, like a pin from Penelope Dullaghan to be revealed this week. The Indianapolis-based artist has worked with Pincause on designs for the Women's March in 2017, March for Science events and an anti-puppy mill campaign with The Humane Society of the United States.

Lind and Stevens are also working with a University of Michigan student on a pin to commemorate national school walkout events on March 14.

Pincause has contacted Gonzalez about the pins and have not heard back from the high school student, though Lind said they understand she has "bigger and more important things going on" taking on politicians and the NRA.

"She's taking it out of this philosophical realm... and just demanding action now," Lind said. "You can't argue her feelings, because those are her feelings about it. She was there."
ANN ARBOR, MI - Representatives of the Rover Pipeline are visiting three Michigan counties this week to present donations to local emergency management departments.

Rover Pipeline is donating $10,000 to counties from West Virginia through Michigan that are traversed by the 713-mile natural gas pipeline, for a total of $270,000. Representatives will be in Livingston, Lenawee and Washtenaw counties on Wednesday, Feb. 28, to present the checks.

A statement from Rover Pipeline said the donations are offered in goodwill and can be used to "purchase new equipment, perform additional training, or for any needs that benefit the first responders in each perspective county."

Expected to be complete in 2018, the Rover Pipeline website said it will transport 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas from processing plants in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania with about 68 percent of the gas delivered to U.S. markets.

Some gas would be delivered to distribution companies and storage fields in Michigan, according to the Rover Pipeline website, while the remainder would travel to the Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada.

One phase of the project would bring 80 miles of the gas line through Lenawee, Washtenaw and Livingston counties to meet up with the Vector Pipeline located near Howell.

That has angered some Michigan residents, who have asked the Army of Engineers to revoke the Rover gas pipeline project's permit and led protests at Ann Arbor YMCA's Camp Birkett in Dexter Township because of the proximity of the pipeline to the property and nearby residences.

The Rover Pipeline received a violation notice in October from the Michigan Department for Environmental Quality after area residents reported water that smelled like gasoline spilling over the sides of a dewatering enclosure into the wetlands.

In November, the DEQ said there was a "high possibility" the gasoline in the water came from underground storage tanks at a former gas station on nearby Cedar Drive.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) may need a tune-up, but Michigan will suffer if President Donald Trump follows through his threats to cancel the agreement or impose tariffs, a Canadian trade representative told local business leaders.

Canadian Consul General Douglas George carried that message to about 150 Michigan business leaders who met with him in a closed-door session at Grand Valley State University on Monday, Feb. 26.

The meeting, sponsored by The Right Place economic development agency and the Van Andel Global Trade Center, was aimed at bolstering support for NAFTA, the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico that has been attacked as a jobs killer by Trump.

In fact, all three countries have benefited from NAFTA, said George, noting that Michigan and Canada manufacturers work closely together to produce finished goods that are exported around the globe.

Inhibiting that cooperation would harm their ability to sell in other markets, said George, a career diplomat and trade policy expert who is based in Detroit and is responsible for Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

If NAFTA disappears, "there would be severe damage to all three economies," said George, adding that the trade agreement has benefited the three countries by more than $1 trillion.

Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of The Right Place, said the meeting with business leaders was a rare foray into politics for the economic development agency.

But changes to NAFTA could inhibit job growth or trigger a recession in West Michigan, where food processors, farmers, auto parts manufacturers and office furniture makers rely on trade with Canada, Klohs said.

Michigan companies get $24 billion in economic activity and 50,000 jobs from NAFTA, Klohs said. In West Michigan, NAFTA has a $6 billion impact, she said.

Klohs said one West Michigan, manufacturer, which she did not identify, has lost customers and laid off workers after an American tariff on German steel forced him to raise prices on a product that can only be made with a specific type of steel that's only made in Germany.

Recently, the Trump Administration has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Klohs said West Michigan companies are working through their trade associations to warn Congress and the Trump Administration about the benefits of NAFTA.
AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP, MI - Two fires in a 24-hour span ultimately destroyed an Augusta Township home in mid-February.

Authorities, however, don't believe the two incidents are tied to a series of fires being investigated at a nearby mobile home park.

Between January of 2016 to January of 2017, four fires were reported at the Whittaker Oaks Manufactured Housing Community. Two additional fires were reported in the same span at a pair of barns that sit next to the park.

State police have been investigating the fires and believe a handful are suspicious.

Three of the incidents, at 348 English Oak Lane, 313 Scarlett Oak Lane and 497 Spanish Oak Lane, are still being investigated, while the other cases were closed.

No arrests have been made.

Augusta Township Fire Chief Dave Music said the two fires at 5340 Bemis Road on Feb. 14-15 aren't believed to be suspicious.

"At this point, I don't think this was anything malicious or anything to do with those fires," Music said. "Every time we have a fire in that area we do an investigation because of the past history there."

The first fire started due to a candle hitting a blanket in an upstairs bedroom on Feb. 14, Music said. The blaze caused extensive damage to the second floor, but the house was believed to be repairable.

However, the second fire, on Feb. 15, burned down most of the home. That fire is believed to have started in the basement, Music said.

Authorities are still investigating the incident and the family is staying in a local motel in the meantime.

"There's a lot of damage and it's going to be hard to determine the cause of this fire," Music said. "It may go as undetermined."
ANN ARBOR, MI - Residential and commercial real estate development giant McKinley, Inc., has called upon Washtenaw Community College to help train building maintenance professionals for employment at the company's apartment and housing units around the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area.

Applicants are sought to fill a three-week paid maintenance apprenticeship program that begins on Monday, April 16. The training program was designed by the WCC Workforce Development department and will be led by WCC instructors on-site at McKinley properties.

Those selected to join the program will transition into a maintenance tech role with McKinley upon successful completion. The starting wage for the positions is approximately $13.50 per hour, plus a benefits package for those who meet minimum qualifications.

"McKinley is excited to join with Washtenaw Community College for our Maintenance Apprenticeship Program," said Will Epps, associate vice president of operations at McKinley, in a news release. "This partnership will allow us to cultivate and grow talent in our workforce and, at the same time, give back to our community that we are invested in by providing education and careers."

Those interested in joining the program should attend one of three informational sessions at the Glencoe Hills Apartments clubhouse, located at 2201 Glencoe Hills Drive in Ann Arbor. The two-hour informational sessions are set for 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Feb. 26; noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 7; and 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, March 12.

The program includes 20 hours of WCC instructor-led classes per week that will focus on grounds maintenance, appliance repair, drywall installation and patching, basic plumbing and electrical repair and painting.

"Our Workforce Development team has put together 60 hours of professional-level classroom instruction that we're eager to take out to McKinley properties," said Niko Dawson, WCC's Dean of Economic and Community Development. "We believe we've put together a program that will develop the solid roster of maintenance professionals that McKinley needs to provide high-quality maintenance services to its residents and give job seekers in our community a jumpstart to finding a long and successful career."

Interested candidates:

Must be 18 years old or able to obtain a work permit.

Must have access to a vehicle and have a valid driver's license

Does not use illegal drugs and must pass a drug screen and background check

Must have good fine motor skills, like using hand/power tools and have the willingness to learn on the job

Must adhere to McKinley dress code policies, which does not allow visible tattoos or piercings

For more information or to ask questions about the maintenance apprenticeship program, call 734-747-2936.
BEAVER TWP, MI -- Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who crashed into a pedestrian and left him with severe injuries on a stretch of road in rural Bay County.

Bay County Sheriff's deputies at 11:14 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, were dispatched to the scene on Doud Road near South Eight Mile Road in Beaver Township. They arrived to find 25-year-old Zachary S. Fisher in the roadway.

Fisher's girlfriend, Hope Barringer, told The Bay City Times-MLive that the couple had recently left Barringer's mother's house. The two had an argument and Fisher opted to exit the vehicle Barringer was driving, she said.

On exiting the vehicle, Fisher dropped his glasses in the road and began looking for them as Barringer drove away. A short time later, Barringer's mother drove near the scene to pick up Fisher.

Before Fisher could get in Barringer's mother's car, another vehicle approached.

"It came up at 60 mph and totally smashed him," Barringer said. "He flew 120 feet through the air."

Barringer had turned around and was driving back toward where she had dropped off Fisher when the collision occurred. She left her vehicle and ran up to Fisher, who by then was unconscious, she said.

As her mother stayed with Fisher and called 911, Barringer returned to her vehicle and pursued the one that had struck her boyfriend. She followed the vehicle, which she described as a light tan SUV, until about Nine Mile Road, when she said her engine blew.

Fisher was transported via ambulance to Mid-Michigan Medical Center in Midland. He was later transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

Fisher suffered four skull fractures and breaks in his hip, collar bone, and femur. He also sustained a brain bleed in two spots, Barringer said.

He'll be hospitalized for at least two weeks, Barringer said.

"He won't be able to walk for the next two months, if ever again," she added.

Deputies were unable to locate the vehicle that had struck Fisher.

Fisher's family is offering a reward of $300 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the hit-and-run driver. Those with information regarding the incident can contact the Bay County Sheriff's Office at 989-895-4050.
George Anthony Davis Jr. MDOC photo

Anthony George Davis Jr., a 27-year-old parolee accused of fatally shooting three people at a gas station and his own cousin at a Detroit home Monday morning, is dead after a police chase that ended near I-75 and I-280 outside Toledo on Monday afternoon, WTOL-TV, Channel 11 CBS News reports.

Police haven't revealed how Davis died.

Among those Davis is suspected of fatally shooting are the mother of Davis' child and Citadel of Praise Deacon Raphael Hall, according to Detroit Police Commander Jacqueline Pritchett.

Also killed at the gas station was a woman who was being driven to work by the pastor and the mother of Davis' child, Pritchett said.

It is with an extremely heavy heart that I announce the sudden and tragic loss of our members, Deacon Raphael Hall,... Posted by Citadel of Praise on Monday, February 26, 2018

Pritchett said Travis fired at two women sitting in a vehicle at the gas station, as well as Hall, who was pumping gas.

He unloaded his gun and then reloaded, or grabbed another gun, from another vehicle and fired more gunshots at the women, Pritchett said.

Posted by Detroit Police Department on Monday, February 26, 2018

After killing the three people at the gas station, Davis went to a home on Faust in Detroit and killed his cousin, who was shot twice, and fled in a 2007 Nissan Altima, police said.

Pritchett said the suspect's mother had been talking to Davis and urged him to turn himself over to police.

"Guys in the neighborhood" indicated to police that Davis made previous statements that he planned "to kill some people" he felt were "out to get him," Pritchett said.

According to Michigan Department of Corrections records, Davis was released on parole Oct. 4, 2016 and was scheduled to be released from parole on April 4.

He has felony convictions for second-degree home invasion, carrying a concealed weapon and receiving a stolen vehicle.

Among the tattoos listed in corrections department records describing Davis is one that reads, "father forgive me," on his left forearm.
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI - Oakland County sheriff's deputies last week handled several incidents involving threats at schools. All were less severe than they initially might have seemed and none resulted in serious injury.

Deputies were called Tuesday to the Pontiac Arts and Technology Academy because a student there might have had a gun with "15 clips" inside a vehicle. The 18-year-old suspect allowed police to check his vehicle and a search revealed an unloaded gas-operated BB gun but no handgun, according to the sheriff's office.

Police determined the student had made threatening comments to a friend about his ex-girlfriend, also a student. The friend told the girlfriend, who notified school personnel. The teen was released pending further investigation and the case will be reviewed by the county prosecutor's office to determine whether it warrants criminal charges.

Days later, a Milford High School student was charged with a county of malicious destruction of a building for writing "Don't come to school Tuesday" inside a restroom, above a urinal. Police were contacted about 9:20 a.m. Thursday. The student said he wrote the statement in jest and meant no harm. A search of his home, at his mother's consent, revealed nothing suspicious, the sheriff's office reported.

Also on Thursday, a deputy learned an 18-year-old threatened to shoot a 15-year-old Pontiac High School student and any deputy he saw at the school. Not a student at the high school, the teen was located at his home on Mohawk Street and arrested and jailed, according to the sheriff's office. He had air soft guns in his room. Two of them had the orange safety tips removed from their fronts.

In Orion Township on Thursday, police investigated pictures of firearms posted on social media by a Lake Orion High School student. The images, linked to domestic relationship between several students, had been randomly taken from other websites, police determined, and there was no evidence of a viable threat. "The purpose of the images was to escalate an on-going cyber bullying incident with another student," According to the sheriff's office. The incident remains under investigation and will be presented to the prosecutor's office for review. The three suspects are two 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl. The victim is a 15-year-old girl.
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Fenton Township fire Chief Ryan Volz is pleading with residents to stay off the ice on 18 lakes in the area after a pair of men plunged Sunday evening into Silver Lake.

Firefighters and members of the Fenton Township dive team responded along with police shortly before 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25 to the 16000 block of Silver Lake Drive for a water rescue after two people were spotted in the water.

The men -- one in his 50s and the other in his 20s -- and a deputy with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office that responded to the scene were pulled from the lake by dive team members.

Both men were taken Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc Township for treatment and are expected to be OK, Volz said. A firefighter is also being treated for a twisted ankle sustained during the rescue effort.

He cautioned residents to be extremely cautious on lakes in the area where ice has become unstable due to warmer temperatures and Sunday's high winds that gusted above 40 miles per hour at times.

"It's a nasty black ice right now. You need to stay off the ice," said Volz of conditions on the lakes. "You may be able to walk on it for 10 feet and the next 10 feet you'll fall right in."

Officers with the Fenton, Argentine Township, and Linden police departments also responded to the scene.
FLINT, MI -- Special Flint water prosecutors have said they are ready to rest their preliminary examination case against Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

But first, they have to get their last witness -- a Genesee County Health Department official -- off the witness stand, and attorneys for Lyon weren't inclined to let him go Monday, Feb. 26.

Lyon is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office for his role in the Flint water crisis, and his preliminary examination has now stretched 16 days.

It's scheduled to resume in Genesee District Court in Flushing on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

The last time Lyon had been in court was Feb. 16, and special prosecutor Todd Flood told Judge David Goggins then that he was ready to rest his case in the initial exam.

But Larry Willey, an attorney for Lyon, continued to question Flood's last witness, Jim Henry, an environmental health division director for the county, about his recollection of events.

The questioning is expected to continue Tuesday.

Henry answered many questions after long pauses Monday and said, "I don't know," or "I don't recall" at least 20 times, unable to verify he had seen certain documents or attended specific meetings as Legionnaires' disease outbreaks unfolded in the Flint area in parts of 2014 and 2015.

Henry has been a prosecution witness in preliminary exams against both Lyon and Dr. Eden Wells, the state's chief medical executive.

He has testified that his agency lacked the staff and expertise to investigate outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease in the Flint area during parts of 2014 and 2015 and received little help from DHHS.

But on Monday, Willey raised examples of assistance DHHS provided or offered to the county as the Health Department struggled to identify the cause of the Legionnaires' outbreaks.

Neither the county nor DHHS warned the public of the surge in Legionnaires' cases here until 2016, more than a year after officials with both agencies recognized the spike and some suspected it was triggered by the use of the Flint River for drinking water.

At the end of the preliminary exam, Goggins must decide whether there is probable cause to believe that the crimes Lyon is accused of have been committed and that he is the one who committed them.

It's not known whether Lyon's attorneys will put on a defense during the preliminary exam before Goggins decides whether enough evidence has been presented to bind Lyons' case over to Genesee Circuit Court for trial.
SAGINAW TWP, MI -- A 71-year-old Catholic priest has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault and other crimes.

The priest was arrested at his condominium in Saginaw Township after police in Saginaw and Tittabawassee townships conducted a six-month investigation, according to the Tittabawassee Township Police Department.

A sexual assault complaint was filed in August 2017, and claimed the incident happened inside the priest's condo.

Five additional reports were filed with the Tittabawassee Township Police Department from November 2017 to Sunday, Feb. 25, and claim the priest engaged in gross indecency, sexual assault, furnished alcohol to minors and bought the drug ecstasy, police said.

The priest was under police surveillance from November 2017 until the time of his arrest and at no time were students or others at risk, the statement from Tittabawassee police said.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and once it is complete the findings will be turned over to the Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office.

The priest's name was not released by police.

MLive.com could not reach Catholic Dioceses of Saginaw for comment.
THREE RIVERS, MI - One Indiana woman is dead after a two-vehicle crash in Three Rivers Sunday morning.

Marshall Post Michigan State Police troopers were dispatched to a crash that occurred around 11:15 a.m. at an intersection between U.S. 131 and M-60, according to a release.

Linda Howard, a 69-year-old Granger, Indiana woman, was eastbound when she failed to yield at a stop sign to a southbound semitrailer, police said.

Police said the truck driver was unable to avoid the crash and Howard was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police did not identify the name or condition of the truck driver.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the Michigan State Police Marshall Post at 269-558-0500 or Crime Stoppers at (574) 288-STOP.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- As flood waters continue to recede, Kent County is beginning to assess the financial impact last week's near-record flooding had on government and private property alike.

Kent County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jim Saalfeld signed an official "state of emergency" declaration for the county Saturday, Feb. 24.

Though several rivers crested at near-historic levels, most just below the high-water mark of 2013 flooding, Kent County Emergency Management Coordinator Jack Stewart said the declaration does not indicate Kent County is currently in "crisis."

"Think of this really as a tool in our toolkit," Stewart said. "We want to be sure our communities have access to resources and potential reimbursement for municipal property damage for Kent County and our townships."

It is the second such declaration in five years for Stewart, with the first being the historic flooding of 2013.

He explained a formal declaration of emergency is a necessary step for Kent County and its local municipalities to be eligible for any future state or federal grant funding to help alleviate the costs of dealing with the severe flooding.

"If there is an avenue for our jurisdictions to get some relief, some reimbursement for this event, we want to make sure we are eligible for it," Stewart said.

The installation of sand bags to reinforce permanent flood protections, constant monitoring of flood-prone areas and pumps to keep crucial areas dry are just a few of the expenses already being incurred, he said. It will take days, perhaps weeks, after flood waters completely recede to fully assess damages and put a price tag on the flood's impact on public property in Kent County, Stewart said.

"We have equalization teams in the field right now beginning the work to assess the damage," he said.

Though the full scope of flood damage remains unclear, Stewart said they determined it met the relatively high threshold necessary to trigger the emergency declaration.

"We can't get a definitive assessment until the waters come down," he said.

The teams assess damage to government property and some private property, Stewart said. Though emergency grant funds are typically restricted to use by government entities to reimburse and repair, he said they track damage to business property as well since, in the past, the Small Business Administration has offered low interest loans to help companies rebuild in the wake of natural disasters.

Individuals and property owners impacted by flooding are encouraged to contact their insurance company.

One major area of concern over the weekend involved the 117-year-old LaBarge Dam along the Thornapple River in Caledonia Township.

But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which monitors and licenses hydroelectric facilities like LaBarge Dam, inspected the structure Saturday, Feb. 24, and determined it stable, Stewart said.

The Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids crested at 20.67 feet Sunday, Feb. 25, the highest since 2013 but lower than National Weather Service predictions. As of 11 a.m. Monday, the level had fallen to about 20 feet, still significantly above the river's flood stage of 18 feet.

Kent County is one of nine communities that have made formal declarations of emergency as a result of recent flooding, according to the Michigan State Police's Emergency Management and Homeland Security division.

Michigan communities that have declared a state of emergency since flooding began include:

Berrien County (Feb. 20)

Clare County (Feb. 20)

Lansing (Feb. 21)

Ionia County (Feb. 21)

Newaygo County (Feb. 21)

Ingham County (Feb. 22)

Niles (Feb. 22)

Ottawa County (Feb. 23)

Kent County (Feb. 24)

The city of Grand Rapids and Kent County alike have credited lessons learned from the 2013 floods and preparations early last week for minimizing the impact of rising water this year.

"We started planning for this event early Monday morning before it started raining," Stewart said. "I think that has been the big difference."

With dozens of road closures still in place and many low-lying areas still underwater, officials remind homeowners and motorists to be vigilant and cautious as floodwaters recede.

The Kent County Health Department reminds residents to avoid contact with floodwater and throw away any human or pet food that came in contact with it. Officials also remind motorists to be aware of the danger posed water over roads, and to turn around if they see flooding or barricades.

Anyone in immediate danger is encouraged to call 911, and those in need of shelter should contact the American Red Cross at 616-456-8661.
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, MI - Police say a robbery victim was stabbed Sunday, Feb. 25, in one of two reported holdup attempts.

Ottawa County sheriff's deputies believe that the same man is responsible the stabbing and robbery tries, which happened near Butternut Drive and James Street.

The first incident occurred around 5:35 p.m. at the Speedway gas station at 461 Butternut Drive. The victim said he pulled in to the gas station parking lot where he was approached by a man, armed with a knife, demanding money.

The victim got into his car, drove away and called police.

The stabbing happened around 10:40 p.m. The victim said he was walking on the sidewalk near Butternut and James when a robber approached from behind and demanded money.

When the victim said he had no money, the robber lunged at him and stabbed him.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was treated at Holland Hospital and released.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 738-4000 or Silent Observer at 877-88SILENT.
WAYLAND, MASS - A team of firefighters in Wayland, Mass. is being commended for coming to the aid of a woman in the Michigan city of the same name more than 800 miles away.

According to a Facebook post by Wayland Firefighters, Local 1978, on-duty staff received a Facebook message around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 from a Michigan woman who needed help because her son was choking.

The woman, who indicated she didn't have a phone, mistakenly thought she was contacting emergency personnel in the Allegan County city.

The Associated Press reported that firefighters Dean Casali and William Tyree knew something was wrong because they didn't recognize the address, but that didn't stop them from jumping into action.

While one of the Massachusetts firefighters did a search for the woman's address, another stayed with her on Facebook, and a third called the Michigan community's fire department, which sent an ambulance.

The 16-year-old boy survived, according to the Facebook post.

The AP noted that the Massachusetts department's Facebook page isn't monitored 24/7, but firefighter Patrick Walkinshaw happened to be looking at it when the crisis occurred.

In general, the department said, Facebook should not be used in emergency situations.
LEONI TWP., MI - East Jackson Community Schools is moving ahead with the sale of a former elementary school building to a marijuana management company.

During a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, the district's seven-member Board of Education unanimously approved selling the former Bertha Robinson Elementary School, 5400 Seymour Road, to The Dromos Group of Waterford.

In its resolution, the board directs Superintendent Steve Doerr to work with legal counsel to close the deal, which could take up to 180 days.

The Dromos Group agreed to the full asking price of $900,000 and has said the building would be used for state-licensed medical marijuana growing and processing operations.

The sale agreement includes deed restrictions limiting use of the property in perpetuity only to these operations and prohibits the sale or dispensing of marijuana at the site, regardless of future state or local law changes, Doerr has said.

Doerr has been directed by the board to work with the district's bond counsel and the East Jackson Bond Steering Committee to use the funds from the sale on projects that meet the immediate needs of students and align with the bond debt attributable to the property.

This means that the money will be in a restricted fund like a bond, Doerr said. While it can go toward paying off debt service, it also can be used for building renovations and upgrades, bus purchases and educational technology, he said.

Only projects that align with what voters approved in school bonds that passed in 1996, 2005 and 2009, which included Robinson Elementary, can be done with the sale money, Doerr said.

The money will not go into the district's general fund and cannot be used for supplies or employee salaries and benefits, Doerr said.

Both Robinson and Memorial elementary schools were closed at the end of the 2014-15 school year. East Jackson's kindergarten through sixth-grade students are now consolidated in East Jackson Elementary School in what was the district's former middle school.

In January 2015, both schools were listed for sale with the Thomas A. Duke Company.

While Robinson is vacant, Memorial Elementary School, 345 N. Dettman Road, which has an asking price of $3 million, is 60 percent occupied by Jackson County Intermediate School District personnel, Great Start Readiness Program classes and East Jackson's W-A-Y alternative school.
CONSTANTINE, MI -- Constantine Public Schools were locked down today after a student made a threat on social media, according to the district.

About noon on Monday, Feb. 26, all Constantine Public Schools buildings went into "inside threat" lockdown, and at about 12:25, all buildings with the exception of the high school went into "outside threat" lockdown, as the issue was isolated to the high school only, according to a statement emailed to MLive and the Kalamazoo Gazette from Superintendent Steve Wilson.

A student is in custody related to the threat, Wilson said.

"We received a swift response from several police agencies for which we are grateful and all staff and students were safe and secure in accordance to our safety plans and procedures," the statement reads.

All lockdowns were lifted at 1:25 p.m. from all buildings as police rendered the situation safe to proceed with normal operating procedures, the school district said.

"We understand that times like this are very stressful and frightening and we appreciate the diligence that our staff and students showed during this time and appreciate our community support in keeping our kids safe," the school said in a news release.

"I would like to add to this that NO weapons were found anywhere on campus and this was in response to social media threats being made by a single student," the statement reads.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- April Washburn wiped a mop across the floor of Cash NA Flash, soaking up what was left from the floodwaters that had inundated the businesses along Riverview Drive.

Cash NA Flash, one of the many businesses in Kalamazoo impacted by historic flooding, on Monday was beginning the process of cleanup now that the waters have begun to recede.

Washburn wasn't having a normal Monday morning at her job at the pawn shop, instead she spent her time trying to soak up the remaining water with an old mop. The 60-year-old, who moved to Kalamazoo from Grand Rapids only a year ago, said she had never seen flooding as bad as what came this past week.

"You hear about flooding," she said. "But, us, here in Michigan?"

The Kalamazoo River reached a historic crest of 11.69 feet over the weekend and has since been dropping. But the water remains on the streets, and in homes and businesses.

Cash NA Flash owner Travis Compton said the store was able to save almost all of their merchandise, but he expected continued damage to the electronics because of the high humidity.

Most of the merchandise was shelved above the six to seven inches of floodwater that filled the entire store. But larger items, like a red moped were unable to be moved, he said.

Compton said the flooding began in the street and within two to three hours Friday it had reached the store. "It took us over," he said about the floodwaters.

Compton, along with other nearby business owners, said they expect some flooding to occur in the area but it has never been this bad. "I wish there would have been more warning," Compton said.

But the business owner did acknowledge one sliver of blessing Monday in that he was able to go home to a dry home, he said.

"If I had to pick, I'd rather it be my business than my house," Compton said. "To not be able to go home and sleep at night, just terrible."

At MVP Auto Sales, owner Deon McKinley wasn't as concerned with the office building as the 15-plus cars for sale sitting in the lot of the business at 717 Riverview Drive.

McKinley said the water by Monday morning had receded "a couple of feet" since Sunday, but that there was still a lot of work to be done.

He said tax season is a "crucial time of year, like Christmas" for dealers, so the timing of the flooding hurt his business greatly.

McKinley expressed frustration that there wasn't earlier notification that such high waters were coming. Officials "did a poor job of notifying us," he said. "We didn't know."

Monday, McKinley said he would try and start each of his cars on the lot to make sure they didn't suffer too much damage.

"Hopefully, it ain't too bad," McKinley said. "But I'll deal with it. I don't have a choice."
CASS COUNTY, MI -- A 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the stabbing death of a coworker, the Cass County Prosecutor's Office reports.

About 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, William L. Henderson, 25, pleaded guilty to second degree murder, admitting that he stabbed Jan Mendez in the neck, killing him at Ameri-Kart, according to a news release from Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz.

As part of a plea agreement the defendant will receive a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, the prosecutor's office said. The court will set the maximum.

The defendant is also required to plead guilty to armed robbery in Elkhart County as part of the plea. Sentences in Michigan and Indiana will be served concurrent, according to the news release.

Investigators believe the men, coworkers at Ameri-Kart, 13900 Grange Street in Mason Township, were on break at 5:26 a.m. Wednesday when a fight broke out between the two, according to a news release from the Cass County Sheriff's Office.

Mendez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mendez, 25, the victim, had lived in the Elkhart, Indiana, area as well as in Puerto Rico.

Sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 6.
Mike Krebs

Mike Krebs | mkrebs@mlive.com

Tacitus Bailey-Yabani washes dishes in his kitchen on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 in Muskegon, Michigan. Bailey-Yabani moved the United States from Ghana 2011 to be with his now wife, Jessica Bailey-Yabani. Tacitus is a lawful permanent resident of the United States and plans to attain citizenship. He has built a life in America by sharing Ghanian culture through art and food in a time where the Americans question why immigrants should be allowed to immigrate to the United Sates.

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Tacitus reaches for a piece of meat while cooking with his wife, Jessica Bailey-Yabani, in their home. "The biggest challenge [moving to America] is food because I've never eat those kind of foods before. So, I started cooking at home," Bailey-Yabani said.

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Tacitus reads to his son, Damian, 3, at their home. Tacitus takes care of Damian during the day. The two spend their day playing, reading, listening to music and practicing pre-school lessons as Damian is being homeschooled.

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Tacitus leans down to give his son a kiss while preparing for food for a tasting station at the Muskegon Farmers Market. Jessica assisted Tacitus with the preparation and serving of the tasting station.

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Tacitus works on a necklace in his basement. He learned how to cook, make jewelry and run a business from his grandmother.

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Tacitus takes a picture of a completed set of jewelry with his iPhone. Tacitus uses social media to promote his lifestyle and work.

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Tacitus and Damian play a drum in their living room. "I chose homeschool for my son is that I have never had a father. That is my life. My mom died at an early age when I was like 4. Grandma took care of me," Tacitus said.

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Family photos hang on the Bailey-Yabanis' refrigerator. Jessica and Tacitus met in Ghana in 2011 while Jessica was studying abroad in Ghana. "The idea I have is like that you meet someone and see that this person you want to be around with because the energy that the person have and the energy that you have is like too much. It's too much. You can see that this person and you fall in love that first time. Yes, I fell in love that first time. Yes, she fell in love at that particular moment," Bailey-Yabani.

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Tacitus prepares [food] at Kitchen 242 at the Muskegon Farmers Market. He was preparing food for his second tasting station at the market. Kitchen 242 Manager Renae Hesselink said that Tacitus's tasting stations have been "very well received" by market-goers.

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Tacitus hands Cindy Johnson a sample of Ghanaian cuisine at the Muskegon Farmers Market. "We're telling the people of Muskegon that we are here for them. Once we are here for them they do not have any problem. I love the people," Bailey-Yabani said.

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Cameron Taylor hugs Tacitus at the Muskegon Farmers Market. Taylor officiated Tacitus and Jessica's wedding. "What he is bringing to us is what, I think, many of us have forgotten. He shakes hands, hugs, loves. He is not afraid to talk to any person, from anywhere. What is he doing? He is sharing something that he worked hard to make. To encourage people to learn about who he is," Taylor said.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - Ottawa County officials are urging residents to stay away from the flooded Grand River due to public health concerns.

The county issued a "no body contact" advisory on Monday afternoon, which is to remain in place until further notice or until flood waters recede, said Communications Specialist Kristina Weighmink with the Ottawa County Health Department.

"From a public health perspective, we want to make sure people don't get in contact with pollution or contaminants, especially if the river came into contact with any chemical runoff or sewage," Weighmink said. "There's also a risk that the river may contain garbage or debris like glass or metal."

The Grand River began flooding last week and reached its peak midday Monday. The Grand River in Robinson Township, in the western part of Ottawa County, was at 16.1 feet and still rising around 9:15 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 26.

The section of the Grand downriver from and well west of Grand Rapids is expected to reach its crest later Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The 16.1-foot level is 1.1 feet higher than the moderate flood level of 15 feet, according to Grand Rapids National Weather Service meteorologist Wayne Hoepner.

Kent County issued a similar warning last week, prompting Ottawa County to get out their own public health message.

Both Ottawa and Kent counties, along with seven other communities, signed official "state of emergency" declarations over the weekend as a result of recent flooding, according to the Michigan State Police's Emergency Management and Homeland Security division.
SAGINAW, MI -- A Saginaw-area Roman Catholic priest has been arraigned in Saginaw County District Court on three charges related to sexual assault.

The Rev. Robert DeLand, 71, known as Father Bob, was arraigned by Judge M. Randall Jurrens on one count of attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct/personal injury, one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and a count of gross indecency between male persons, all felonies.

DeLand appeared via video and is being represented by attorney Alan Crawford.

Crawford asked for a personal recognizance bond for DeLand, stating the multiple decades he has been a pastor and the thousands of people he has helped.

Jurrens released DeLand on GPS tether and restricted him from having contact with the victims or anyone under 21 years old.

DeLand asked Jurrens when he will find out who his accusers are, to which Jurrens informed him to speak with his attorney concerning the matter.

The alleged sexual assaults occurred in Tittabawassee and Saginaw townships, according to police. He was arrested following a six-month investigation.
One of the last images made by NASA's Cassini spacecraft not only shows the location where it would meet its fiery demise in Saturn's atmosphere, but a natural color view of the massive planet.

The U.S. space agency reports in a news release that the area circled in the image below is where the spacecraft entered Saturn's atmosphere hours after making this photo. NASA says the photo was taken Sept. 15, 2017 using red, green and blue filters to show Saturn in its natural color from 394,000 miles away:

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The Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year mission, and 13-year mission touring Saturn when it purposefully crashed into the planet's atmosphere. Before it dove to its fiery demise, Cassini sent back data from eight of its instruments that will help NASA study new insights on Saturn, its formation, evolution and atmosphere.

The U.S. space agency reports that Cassini was rocking back and forth by fractions of a degree as it started its final descent. During this time, it was using its thrusters to keep its antenna pointed at Earth even though it was basically in a vacuum.

The spacecraft originally launched in 1997 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The U.S. space agency says it extended Cassini's mission on two occasions; once for two years and another time for seven more years.
WASHINGTON -- In recent months, President Donald Trump has made several comments regarding the opioid epidemic, even going so far as to claim it a public health emergency in October.

As he continues to talk about this issue, a plan has yet to be released to combat the epidemic, which kills thousands of Americans a year according to estimates. However, Sunday night it was reported by Axios that the president's true feelings on how to deal with the issue involve the death penalty for drug dealers who peddle hard narcotics in communities across the U.S.

Citing a senior administration official who has spoken to President Trump about the issue and White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, the report claims the president believes stricter penalties for drug dealers in foreign countries are the reasons why drug use is lower in those nations as well.

"He says that a lot," said the source. "He says, 'When I ask the prime minister of Singapore do they have a drug problem [the prime minister replies,] 'No. Death penalty'."

The report also says President Trump knows that passing legislation that would require the death penalty for all drug dealers would be extremely difficult. Still, the president often finds himself discussing why he thinks drug dealers should face death if convicted.

Conway says the president's belief is not targeted at smaller drug offenses.

"The president makes a distinction between those that are languishing in prison for low-level drug offenses and the kingpins hauling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into communities, that are responsible for many casualties in a single weekend," Conway said.

What do you think about the idea of passing legislation that would allow for the death penalty to be a punishment for people convicted of trafficking drugs?
[February 25, 2018] Mobile First Performance Marketing Company TAB Opens a New Office in South Korea SEOUL, South Korea, February 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TAB has started 2018 with exciting news of the opening of its new office in Seoul, South Korea. Sooah Lee has been announced as Senior Account Manager and started the growth of the new office. TAB is already present in Berlin, Santa Monica and India, a move into South Korea was a natural progression as it already has several clients in the region. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645135/TAB_Logo.jpg ) TAB has big plans to expand the new office and create a new hub for widening operations in Asia. Sooah is proud of making ood progress and taking on the responsibility. Being the first employee in a new country is always a challenge but she expects TAB and herself to grow exponentially, and is excited to work with global intelligence. Sooah has already started with the expansion of local business and clientele, additionally in getting general things ready - translations, back and forth emails, and most importantly building a positive relationship with future and current partners. To make the opening of the new office as smooth as possible, Scott Park, the Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer in TAB's Santa Monica office visited Seoul during one of the coldest weeks in South Korean history. Scott had this to share about the recent expansion - "South Korea has understandable, clear and orderly regulations familiar to the Western world and it was safest to start from there due to cost and productivity." Some of the noticeable things he experienced during his visit were the high usage of mobile phones, some carrying two phones around as well as Apple launching their first store in Seoul. If you are interested in working with TAB or joining the company you can email korea@tab.company and the team will be happy to meet you in Seoul. Vera Belinskaya

vera.belinskaya@tab.company

+49-17684914809

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ]
The United Forum of Bank Emplyees Unions (UFBU) today said they withdrew the nationwide strike call on March 15, citing the present situation in the banking system following the massive fraud at Punjab National Bank and the overall vitiated atmosphere in the sector.

"The forum met over the weekend and decided to withdraw the strike called on March 15," CH Venkatchalam, general secretary of the All-India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) said in a statement today. The statement furtehr said the forum is seriously concerned over the manner in which a mega fraud has taken place at PNB and the way banks stand exposed to such unthinkable risks.

"However, the meeting also noted that instead of a full-scale investigation, attempts are being made to single out a few lower level employees as if they alone are responsible for the fraud."

The forum also quetioned the efficacy of the bank's monetoring system saying, "no one can hide the fact that there is gross negligence of control, supervision and monitoring as well as possibilities of complicity at various higher levels of management including the top PNB officials."

They also demanded the ascertain the role of the Reserve Bank's monetoring system saying "equally, one cannot absolve RBI for its failure to play its role and responsibilities which would have otherwise unearthed these irregularities much earlier," the statement said.
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The race for Bhushan Power & Steel has just got longer, and possibly more competitive.

In a surprise for its competitors, Liberty Houses bid for Bhushan Power & Steel has got a fresh lease of life after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) today accepted an appeal against the rejection of its proposal.

The resolution professional (RP) and Committee of Creditors had last week rejected Liberty Houses bid for Bhushan Power as it was submitted after the deadline had passed, on February 8.

But the UK-based company had approached the NCLT on February 23, asking that its bid should be considered.

According to sources, Liberty House on Monday backed its appeal with a proposal to turnaround the operations of Bhushan Power & Steel. It also contended that its bid was higher than that of Tata Steel.

Till now, Tata Steel had been leading the race, with a bid of Rs 17,000 crore against JSW Steels Rs 13,500 crore.

Not surprisingly, Tata Steels counsel told the NCLTs Principal Bench in Delhi  hearing the appeal  that Liberty Houses case should be dismissed prima facie. But the judge ruled that the Bench would like to hear in detail what each respondent has to say.

The Bench will now hear the three stakeholders  resolution professional, Liberty House and Tata Steel - on March 5, after asking them to file submissions through an affidavit.

The matter is sub-judice, a spokesperson of Liberty House told Moneycontrol.

The Tribunal has heard us and heard the RP's counsel as well as Tata's counsel, who intervened. The Tribunal has deemed it fit that the respondents put their submissions on affidavit explaining conduct of the insolvency process. The parties will now be heard on the 5th. We are hopeful that our bona fide will stand out, added the spokesperson.

Industry executives said the development was unprecedented and would have bearing on rest of the auctions. This is surprising. Almost everyone expected Libertys appeal to be dismissed, said an official from a steel company.

Bhushan Power & Steel had accumulated nearly Rs 50,000 crore in debts and was referred to the NCLT last year.

Apart from the Bhushan company, Liberty House is also in contention in the auction of Amtek Auto and ABG Shipyard.

Interestingly, the company  owned by billionaire businessman Sanjeev Gupta  had been a savior for Tata Steel in the UK. It had bought some of the facilities of the erstwhile Corus in the UK, reducing the debt burden of Tata Steel. The Indian company had acquired Corus in 2007.
State owned telecom firm BSNL today signed a pact with Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia to roll out 4G services in 10 telecom circles covering western and southern regions in India.

"We are really proud to have technology partner like Nokia with whom we are working in South and West Zone of the country, rolling out the latest single RAN Technology, and further moving towards 5G...," BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement.

Nokia will deploy the technology in 10 telecom circles in India - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana - serving large cities, businesses, technology and tourist hubs  and nearly 38 million BSNL subscribers.

The network technology that will be deployed by Nokia will help BSNL to save operational costs while supporting 2G, 3G and 4G subscribers in a single radio unit, the statement said.

"New VoLTE services will allow BSNLs 4G subscribers to experience HD-quality voice and faster call connections," it added. As per Nokia MBiT Index 2018, released last week , 4G contributed to 82 per cent of data traffic in 2017 and the monthly 4G data usage per user was nearly 11 GB per user per month in India.

In 2017, Nokia and BSNL signed an agreement to explore and develop the applications of 5G for the India market. "We are pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with BSNL on this important project in India.

The deployment of our technologies will enable BSNL to launch exciting new voice and data services, satisfying growing demand in India," Sanjay Malik, head of India Market at Nokia, said.
Mitessh Thakkar of miteshthacker.com told CNBC-TV18, "Bharat Electronics is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 152 for target of Rs 164. Tata Motors is also a buy with a stop loss of Rs 365 for target of Rs 384."

"Buy Lupin with a stop loss of Rs 812 for target of Rs 840. Buy L&T Finance Holdings with a stop loss of Rs 164 for target of Rs 170," he said.
According to the EOW, the accused colluded with the former promoters of Religare Enterprises, Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. (Image: Reuters)

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In a major blow to Singh brothers  the promoters of Fortis Healthcare and Religare Enterprises  the Delhi high court in its interim order on Monday attached all assets of RHC Holdings and Oscar Investments.

RHC Holdings and Oscar investments are privately-held holding companies that own assets of Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh referred as Singh brothers.

The case is related to the enforcement of a foreign arbitration award of Rs 3,500 crore by Daiichi Sankyo in a case related to the sale of Ranbaxy Laboratories by Singh brothers.

The court directed the Singh brothers to submit list of unencumbered personal assets that need to be valued and liquidated.

The court also restrained RHC Holdings and Oscar Investments from operating bank accounts, however, it allowed RHC and Oscar Invests to operate bank accounts for salary and statutory dues.

The court said that each day's delay costs Singh brothers Rs 50 lakh in interest payments.

In April 2016, an arbitration tribunal in Singapore had ruled in favour of Daiichi, directing the Singh brothers to pay around Rs 2,563 crore in damages, plus interest of 4.44 percent per year from November 7, 2008 till the date of the award.

The tribunal found the brothers guilty of making false claims in a self-assessment report and of fraudulently misrepresenting and concealing the genesis, nature and severity of the US regulatory investigations of Ranbaxy when Daiichi bought their 34.82 percent stake for USD 2.4 billion in 2008.

"Looks like all their legal options in India are exhausted and they may have to pay up the arbitration award," said Shriram Subramanian, Founder and Managing Director of proxy advisory firm InGovern Research.

Subramanian said the order may not impact the efforts of Fortis Healthcare to bring in a strategic investor as Singh brother hold little over 3 percent stake.

Shares of Fortis Healthcare declined 1.06 percent and were trading at 158.25 on BSE at 2.45 pm, while the benchmkark Sensex gained 0.94 percent to 34,463.95 points.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Punjab National Banks (PNBs) Executive Director of Finance KV Brahmaji Rao on Monday in connection with the Rs 11,400 crore Nirav Modi scam. The economic intelligence agency had also called on the banks current Managing Director Sunil Mehta, but he could not be present due to some official work.

The ED is the third agency to have questioned the executive director of finance after the Income Tax department and the Central Bureau of Investigation. A senior ED official told Moneycontrol, Today we called Managing Director Sunil Mehta and KV Brahmaji Rao. However, only K V Brahmaji Rao came and the MD informed us that he could not be present due to some official work. We expect to meet the MD in the next day or two.

Another source at the agency told Moneycontrol, Our main focus will remain on examining how it was possible for the senior management not be aware of such large funds being transacted especially the executive director of finance who is responsible of checking inflow and outflow of funds from the bank. A third source said, Questioning could continue for a couple of days.

An official, who did not wish to be named said, We can give the benefit of doubt to the current MD as he is new into PNBs system. Sunil Mehta [the current MD] joined the bank only in May last year. So we may end up calling former MD Usha Ananthasubramanian as well as she had handled the finance department of the bank for a couple of years.

On Monday, the Special PMLA court in Mumbai allowed the ED's plea to issue letters rogatory to six countries in the case that include Hong Kong, US, UK, UAE, South Africa and Singapore.

Letters rogatory are a request from a court to a foreign court seeking judicial assistance, service of process and probing evidence.
Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao today said the state government has a vision to turn the state into a one trillion dollar economy by 2025.

"This will be achieved by increasing growth in sectors like agriculture, textile, tourism," Rao said in his address to the Maharashtra Legislature.

He also said the government has increased investment in infrastructure and agriculture which has resulted in GSDP growing at 8.5 per cent in 2015-16 and 9.4 per cent in 2016-17.

"To usher in one trillion dollar economy, the government has leveraged international funding and alloted substantial state budgetary resources to give a massive push to augment public infrastructure," Rao said, adding to accelerate the high growth rate the government continues to back infrastructure-led growth policies.

Rao further said the state government inherited a crisis-laden agriculture sector.

"From a negative growth of minus 0.5 per cent in 2012-13, the growth rate has increased to 12.5 per cent in 2016-17. This momentum will be sustained in 2017-18. This growth was achieved by making heavy investment in agriculture sector. From Rs 29,000 crore in 2013-14, it grew by 280 per cent to Rs 83,000 crore in 2017-18," the Governor said.

According to the Governor, under the flagship programme of 'Jalyukt Shivar' scheme, nearly 15,000 villages are being made drought-proof by May 2018.

He said 6.1 crore ration card holders have been linked to 'Aadhar' under the National Food Security Act.

"Through this process about 92 lakh people who were earlier not covered under the Act are provided 2kg rice at Rs 3 per kg and 3 kg wheat at Rs 2 per kg. About 10 lakh ineligible ration cards were eliminated," he informed.

According to Rao, 22,670 out of 22,793 gram panchayats and 212 blocks out of 351 have been declared open defecation free.

He also said construction of the first Marina project on the coast will soon be taken up in Panvel creek at Belapur. and in the first phase berthing facilities for 30 boats will be created.

Rao also said to promote innovative financial services particularly to the poor who are not fully served by the formal banking sector and provide employment to educated youth, the government has decided to launch an innovative Fintech policy.

"It provides for setting up Fintech hub in Mumbai with additional FSI, a capital support for setting up common facilities and partnership with banks like the State Bank of India," he signed off.
The government will shortly move a new lawthe Fugitive Economic Offenders Billto impound and sell assets of Nirav Modi-type escapees, a move that will allow quicker recovery of dues through a special court from absconding corporate defaulters.

In September, the Union Law ministry had approved the finance ministrys draft of Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017, and its passage into law is now being expedited as part of the Modi governments response to the PNB scam.

The Bill is likely to be introduced after Parliament reconvenes on March 6 for the second the part of the Budget session. It defines fugitive economic offender as a person who has an arrest warrant issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who leaves or has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution.

The draft Bill covers a wide range of offences including wilful loan defaults, cheating and forgery, forged or fraudulent document of electronic records, duty evasion and non-repayment of deposits among others.

Also read: ED to seek info from over dozen countries on Nirav Modi, Choksi's assets

Once voted into law the new legislation will empower investigating agencies to confiscate, and vest with themselves, any property of the absconding offenders without an encumbrances.

Also, at the discretion of any Court, such person or any company where the absconder is a promoter or key managerial personnel or majority shareholder, may be disentitled from bringing forward or defending any civil claim.

IN PICS: A look at Nirav Modis luxury cars that were seized by ED

This could effectively take away the fugitive offenders rights to reclaim the assets.

The proposed law comes in the backdrop of the alleged Rs 11,400 crore defrauding of Punjab National Bank (PNB)Indias second largest public sector bankby diamond merchant Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Also read: Nirav Modi & Mehul Choksi's web of LLP firms under scanner  Full List

Both Modi and Choksi have left the country and are believed to be somewhere in Europe. They have joined a growing list of economic offenders including liquor baron Vijay Mallya who is facing charges of bank loan defaults worth an estimated Rs 9,000 crore.

Also read: ED hopes to recover Rs 3,000-4,000 cr by attaching properties of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi

The Bills provision is compatible with the provisions of United Nations Convention against Corruption (ratified by India in 2011) that recommends non-conviction-based asset confiscation for corruption-related cases.

In order to ensure that courts are not over-burdened with such cases, only those cases where the total value involved in such offences is Rs 100 crore rupees or more, is within the purview of this Bill. The Bill makes provisions for a court of lawa Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)to declare a person a fugitive economic offender.

It is widely felt that the spectre of high-value economic offenders absconding from India to defy the legal process seriously undermines the rule of law in India. It is necessary to provide an effective, expeditious and constitutionally permissible deterrent to ensure that such actions are curbed. To serve these ends, this Bill is being proposed, a government source said.

While the PMLA allows the Enforcement Directorate (ED)the governments main agency that tracks foreign exchange movementsto seize an accused, the law did not allow complete non-conviction based asset attachment without any encumbrances.

Under current rules, the ED is entitled to provisionally attach a defaulters property pending trial subject to confirmation by the adjudicating authority and appeal. On conviction in the trial, the property stands confiscated, free from all encumbrances, to the central government.

However, the provision for confiscation being available consequent to the conclusion of trial can rarely be used expeditiously. Further, the purpose for such confiscation is as punishment for the offence committed, and not strictly as a deterrent for any absconding accused to return to India, the source said.

This existing provisions have drawbacks when applied to high-value economic offenders. In large defaults, criminal proceedings are likely to be in several criminal courts across the country where assets are located. This multiplicity of proceedings may lead to conflicting orders of attachment by different courts.

Also, a court is unlikely to attach property outside its jurisdiction in the first place without the procedure for endorsement being followed. As a result of such delays, such offenders can continue to remain outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts for a considerable period of time.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill is aimed at addressing these drawbacks. It will allow quicker attachment and disposal of property and assets helping recovery of defrauded or defaulted amount. It will also act as a deterrent for offenders to flee the country.
India's export growth has been largely stagnant over the last eight years. Here are some hard facts.

Six years ago we exported goods and services worth nearly USD 250 million and this has largely been the range since 2012. Last year, Indias exports amounted to USD 243 billion.

On a monthly basis, the numbers are volatile. For January exports dropped to USD 24 billion. In September last year it was just under USD 29 billion.

In a bid to shore up exports and lift domestic manufacturing, the government hiked customs duties on a slew of products in the Budget. The Centre has defended the move saying it's not protectionist and that the government is well within the conventions of the world trade organisation.

So is customs duty hike the best way to bolster Make in India. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission discussed it at length.
(Representat

The chief executive of Huawei said on Monday the pace of commercialisation for next-generation 5G wireless network is picking up pace as the Chinese telecom equipment giant has begun pre-commercial development with more than 30 network operators.

Speaking to reporters at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, CEO Ken Hu also said he welcomed "factual debate" about any security concerns governments or network operators may have about security threats arising from its products.

Huawei is forging closer commercial ties with big telecom operators across Asia, the Americas and Europe, putting the company in prime position to lead the global race for future 5G networks, despite US allegations it poses a security threat.

The Chinese equipment maker, which derives roughly half of its revenue from its home market, is conducting pre-commercial 5G trials in many of the world's biggest cities, including Seoul, Tokyo, London, Milan and Vancouver in Canada, Hu said.

Potential commercial benefits aside, these agreements indicate that many countries allied to the United States do not share Washington's security concerns.

Asked about reports that the US government has raised security concerns with the Australian government over Huawei's role in building communications in the country, Hu said the company is willing to work with authorities to ease any fears.

"We are very happy to conduct open and transparent discussion with the Australian government and telecom operators."On this issue we stay very positive and open".

A bill introduced in the US Senate this month would bar equipment from Huawei from any US government networks to prevent Chinese spying. Hu dismissed Washington's concerns that its products pose security threats as "groundless suspicions".

Huawei has signed 5G field trial agreements with 45 operators in total, the CEO said. Around 25 of those pre-commercial testing and field trial agreements have been publicly announced in recent years, according to Reuters data.

2018 will mark the first year of commercialisation for 5G, the CEO the maker of fixed line and mobile network equipment and the world's No.3 smartphone maker told reporters. "We have seen the emergence of real demand for 5G technologies," Hu said.
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HG Infra Engineering is into infrastructure construction, development and management with extensive experience in its focus area of road projects, including highways, bridges and flyovers. Cos main business operations include (i) providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services on a fixed-sum turnkey basis and (ii) undertaking civil construction and related infrastructure projects on item rate and lump sum basis, primarily in the roads and highway sector.

Co have executed or are executing projects across various states in India covering Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh Haryana, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh.

Valuation

Company is bringing the issue at price band of Rs 263-270/sh at p/e ratio of 30. Co being established roads and highways sector focused construction developer with efficient business model has healthy order book which provides strong revenue visibility in future. Hence we recommend Subscribe on issue.

For all IPO stories, click here

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions

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Gems/Jewellery | Imports from China, 2019: 6 percent. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Kalyan Jewellers is looking to file papers for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) next month, according to a Mint report citing sources.

The Kerala-based company is considering raising around Rs 2,500 crore from the issue, a source told Mint.

"The IPO is a mix of primary fundraise that the company will use to fund expansion of its domestic and new overseas markets and a secondary share sale, primarily by private equity investor Warburg Pincus, which will be selling part of its stake in the company", the source added.

Private equity firm Warburg Pincus invested Rs 500 crore in Kalyan Jewellers last year, according to the report.

Kalyan Jewellers declined to comment on the IPO, the report said.

Axis Capital, UBS and ICICI Securities will manage the initial share sale, according to the report.

The proposed IPO comes at a time when the jewellery industry is facing negative sentiment following the alleged fraud worth Rs 11,400 crore by jeweller Nirav Modi and Gitanjali Gems from Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Media reports say Joyalukkas is also considering an IPO.
3:30 pm Market at Close: The market ended the day on a strong note, marking a continuity in its upward trend for March series, but the Nifty ended below 10,600.

The Sensex is up 303.60 points or 0.89% at 34445.75, while the Nifty is up 91.60 points or 0.87% at 10582.60. The market breadth is narrow as 1606 shares advanced, against a decline of 1159 shares, while 222 shares are unchanged.

Tata Motors, Larsen & Toubro, Axis Bank and UPL gained the most on both indices, while Sun Pharma, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra lost the most.

At 3:20 pm Berger Paints has considered setting up an integrated paint plant in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

At 3:05 pm Lupin launches Testosterone topical solution: Lupin announced the launch of its Testosterone Topical Solution, 30 mg per actuation having received an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier.

At 3:00 pm Reliance Infra wins arbitration award: Shares of Reliance Infrastructure rose 4 percent intraday Monday as the company won arbitration award against Goa government.

The company has won an arbitration award of Rs 292 crore against Government of Goa.

The Arbitration Tribunal, in its award on February 16, 2018, has ordered Government of Goa to pay Rs 292 crore to Reliance Infrastructure by April 15, 2018.

The Tribunal has also ordered payment of interest at 15 percent p.a. on the total award amount if Government of Goa fails to pay the entire award amount by the deadline.

2:50 pm PFC inks MoUs: State-run Power Finance Corporation (PFC) today said that it has inked memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Uttar Pradesh power utilities for providing financial assistance of Rs 50,200 crore.

The PFC has executed MoUs with Uttar Pradesh state sector power utilities - UPRVUNL, UPPTCL and UPPCL - for providing required financial assistance of Rs 50,200 crore, a PFC statement said.

2:35 pm Management Speak: In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Harshil Mehta, Joint MD & CEO of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) spoke about the latest happenings in his company and sector.

According to statement, these funds would be used for upcoming greenfield and extension of thermal power generation projects at Jawaharpur, Panki, Harduagunj, Anpara and Obra; development of coal mines; Integrated Power Development Scheme, Saubhagya, DDUGJY (rural electrification); and for strengthening of transmission and distribution network in the state.

As far as the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) property is concerned the management stand is absolutely very clear that either we would like to put it out on lease or once the lease transaction is done sell it to an investor, said Mehta.

Talking about disbursements, he said its on higher side and is predominantly driven from our retails strategy which is in the tier 2, tier 3 markets driven by organic growth coming in from those markets in the affordable housing segment.

2:15 pm ONGC deadline: Oil producer ONGC has said it may miss the June 2019 target for starting production from its Krishna Godavari basin block due to new policies like GST and local purchase preference rules, including the one that mandates state-owned firms to source domestic iron and steel for infrastructure project.

Clarifying on its last week's filing to stock exchanges, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) said the new policies it had cited for a possible delay pertained to local purchase preference policy, steel policy and GST policy.

"The new policies concerning oil and mining sector, as referred in the reply of ONGC to NSE and BSE, though not amply clarified in the reply, were pertaining to policies like purchase preference policy, steel policy, GST policy etc. and not regulatory policy," ONGC said in a statement.

1:55 pm Sun Pharma observations: Shares of Sun Pharma fell around 3 percent intraday as investors turned wary of observations issued to its Halol plant by the US drug regulator.

US FDA issued three Form 483 observations for its Halol site in Gujarat.

The company didn't disclose the nature of these observations.

A Form 483 is issued by the US FDA inspectors at the end of the inspection outlining any deviations from GMP.

The US FDA conducted Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) inspection of Sun Pharma's Halol facility from February 12 - 23.

1:31 pm Jhunjhunwala speaks: After a euphoric rise seen in the calendar year 2017, the Indian market is not ready to go down that is the word coming from the big bull, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala on the sidelines of Trust India Debt Capital Market Summit which was held in Mumbai on Friday.

After the recent fall that was seen in India equity markets, Jhunjhunwala said that he is in a dilemma in which technically the market is not prepared to go down and you have the highest PEs in the history at the lowest level of profits-to-GDP.

The question Jhunjhunwala put across to the panelist is has the market priced itself for the increase in profit growth? This is something which all of us has to mull.

1:21 pm Brokerage view: Global research and broking firm HSBC has initaited a coverage on ICICI Lombard with a 'Reduce' rating. According to the firm, the stock looks expensive on multiple counts and has a target of Rs 610 per share.

ICICI Lombard has been able to generate an average investment yield of 10 percent in last three years, it said. The research firm feels that non-life insurance industries' gross written premium can rise at CAGR of 19 percent in five years.

The company last month on January 16, 2018 reported a 5.2 percent increase in profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 231.76 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Total income rose to Rs 2,019.77 crore from Rs 1,842.93 crore in the year-ago period, ICICI Lombard said in a BSE filing.

1:10 pm Asian markets: Asian markets rose, tracking gains seen on Wall Street as U.S. bond yields receded from recent four-year highs. Meanwhile, the dollar slipped against a basket of currencies and investors await a testimony from the new Federal Reserve chair.

Japan's Nikkei 225 advanced 244.11 points, or 1.12 percent, after recording gains of more than 300 points earlier in the day. Technology stocks, financials and automakers traded higher on the day. Among index heavyweights, SoftBank Group jumped 1.57 percent and Fast Retailing rose 1.38 percent.

12:55 pm SBI bad loans: In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Rajnish Kumar, Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI), from the sidelines of the conference, spoke about the latest happenings in SBI and also shared his views on the fraud at Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Kumar said that we have clearly communicated our claim to PNB with regards to Nirav Modi fraud.

He further said that PNB fraud seems to be confined to a specific branch.

We can confirm there is no such case in relation to SBI, he added.

12:35 pm Management Outlook: Commenting on the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), Biocon Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said that the scheme has not been given full thought.

"If the government wants to start from scratch and build it up ground up, its going to take a lot of time because I feel that its not been thought through fully", the Biocon chief told Mint in an interview.

The Biocon CMD said partnering with companies is a faster way of rolling out the scheme instead of the government building it from scratch.

Mazumdar-Shaw welcomed the healthcare plan but said it is not viable unless it is integrated with primary healthcare.

12:15 pm Economic Growth prospects: India's economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the October-December quarter as consumers, businesses and the government stepped up spending, a Reuters poll predicted.

This suggests that disruptions from a shock ban on high-value currency notes in November 2016 and the chaotic launch of a goods and services tax (GST) in July are fading.

Gross domestic product grew 6.9 percent in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, according to the poll of more than 35 economists, taken over the past week.

12:00 pm Market Expert: The market is likely to consolidate in a narrow range of 10,350-10,600 but there is one sector which is likely to remain in limelight which is the metal sector, Gautam Shah, Associate Director & Technical Analyst at JM Financial said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

In the last 1-1/2 years, the metal index has exceeding well. It is trading around 15,300-15,400 on the BSE and our near-term target for the index is close to 17,000 but for 2018 our target is about 21,000 which translates into an upside of 20-25 percent over the next 9-12 months, he said.

The way metal stocks have handled themselves in the last 2-weeks that is quite commendable. It is a place in which investors should allocate 20-30 percent of your portfolio, added Shah.

11:45 am Expert Speak: I think the market is trying to consolidate right now. We have had a fairly significant fall, the biggest of the last 12-14 months on the way down from 11,200 to about 10,300 levels, Udayan Mukherjee said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

We could try and work within a range of maybe 10,300 as the base, 10,700-10,800 as the top end of the range and see if we can consolidate for a few weeks after the first big draw-down because markets never fall in a single line, they will give you bounce back and consolidation phases, he added.

I am not terribly comfortable or confident that 10,300 is the final bottom for the year. We may see darker periods coming but that depends also on how the global story plays out, said Mukherjee.

11:32 am Kalyan Jewellers IPO: Kalyan Jewellers is looking to file papers for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) next month, according to a Mint report citing sources.

The Kerala-based company is considering raising around Rs 2,500 crore from the issue, a source told Mint.

"The IPO is a mix of primary fundraise that the company will use to fund expansion of its domestic and new overseas markets and a secondary share sale, primarily by private equity investor Warburg Pincus, which will be selling part of its stake in the company", the source added.

11:15 am Market Check: Shares are trading strong on Monday, with the Nifty eyeing 10,600-mark.

The Sensex is up 271.23 points or 0.79% at 34413.38, while the Nifty is up 81.50 points or 0.78% at 10572.50. The market breadth is negative as 1572 shares have advanced, against a decline of 740 shares declined, while 197 shares are unchanged.

IndusInd Bank and Tata Motors are the top gainers, while Dr Reddys and Sun Pharma were the top losers.

11:00 am Market Outlook: In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Sanjeev Prasad, Managing Director and Co-Head of Kotak Institutional Equities shard his views and outlook on the market. He was speaking from the sidelines of the Kotak Institutional Equities - Chasing Growth Conference.

It looks like earnings growth is coming back fairly strongly, he said.

We are looking at about 25 percent growth for the Nifty-50 index, about 28 percent for entire coverage universe which is slightly above 200 stocks. So looks like there is earnings recovery, he added.

We are also seeing turnaround in infrastructure sector, said Prasad.

10:45 am Buzzing Stock: Shares of A2Z Infra Engineering gained 4.3 percent intraday Monday as the company has entered in to one time settlement with Standard Chartered Bank.

The company approved one time settlement (OTS) with Standard Chartered Bank towards debt settlement of Rs 344.93 crore, for a total consideration of Rs 120 crore.

It has also approved the allotment of shares to Standard Chartered Bank.

10:30 am Market Outlook: The market is likely to consolidate in a narrow range of 10,350-10,600 but there is one sector which is likely to remain in limelight which is the metal sector, Gautam Shah, Associate Director & Technical Analyst at JM Financial said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

In the last 1-1/2 years, the metal index has exceeding well. It is trading around 15,300-15,400 on the BSE and our near-term target for the index is close to 17,000 but for 2018 our target is about 21,000 which translates into an upside of 20-25 percent over the next 9-12 months, he said.

The way metal stocks have handled themselves in the last 2-weeks that is quite commendable. It is a place in which investors should allocate 20-30 percent of your portfolio, added Shah.

Commenting on the global markets, Shah is of the view that US markets have made a multi-month top for the US market. If that is the case, Indian markets will be impacted.

10:15 am Pharma stock in focus: Pharmaceutical names have witnessed a weak 2018 so far, with sectoral index down around 5 percent so far. On Monday too, led by cuts in heavyweight names such as Dr Reddy's and Sun Pharmaceuticals, pharma indices were trading lower. Here is a list of other such scrips in focus.

10:10 am New Listing: Market debutant Aster DM Healthcare listed at a discount of around 4 percent on the exchanges on Monday.

The stock listed at Rs 183 on the National Stock Exchange against the upper band of its issue price of Rs 190.

The healthcare services providers issue was oversubscribed 1.3 times on the last day, as per data available on the NSE website.

10:05 am Market Check: The market has extended its gains from opening tick and is witnessing an upmove of over half a percent.

The Sensex is up 185.56 points or 0.54% at 34327.71, while the Nifty is up 56.00 points or 0.53% at 10547.00. The market breadth is positive as 1432 shares have advanced, against a decline of 537 shares, while 158 shares are unchanged.

Dr Reddys Labs and Sun Pharma are the top losers on both indices, while gains are seen in auto stocks such as Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors.

9:57 am Sterlite Tech gains: Share price of Sterlite Technologies added more than 10 percent in the early trade on Monday on the back of order win worth Rs 3500 crore.

The company has been awarded Rs 3500 crore advance purchase order to design, build and manage the Indian Navys communications network.

This will give the Indian Navy digital defence supremacy at par with the best naval forces globally.

9:42 am Simbhaoli Sugars, OBC plunger 9-20%: Shares of Oriental Bank of Commerce and Simbhaoli Sugars lost 9-20 percent intraday on Monday as investors turned cautious post developments of a likely fraud involving the sugar firm.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Sunday it had filed a fraud case against executives of Simbhaoli Sugar for causing alleged losses of Rs 1.09 billion to state-run Oriental Bank of Commerce, reports Reuters. The bank alleged that the sugar refiner dishonestly and fraudulently diverted a Rs 1.48-billion-loan sanctioned in 2011 for financing cane farmers for private use, a statement issued by CBI said.

This is the second case in three days registered by the CBI upon complaints from the Oriental Bank of Commerce. The police has registered a case against several top officials of Simbhaoli Sugar, including its chairman and managing director, chief executive and chief financial officer, some unknown bank officials, and other private persons

9:30 am Buzzing Stock: Shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories slipped 4 percent in early trade on Monday after the USFDA maintained OAI status for the company's Srikakulam plant.

The company received the establishment inspection report (EIR) from the US Food and Drug Administration for its API manufacturing plant in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.

"FDA has asked us for more details. We are providing those details and continuing to engage with FDA for resolution of pending issues," company said in press release.

9:15 am Market Opens: Equity benchmarks began the week on a positive note, tracking positive global cues.

The Sensex is up 109.15 points or 0.32% at 34251.30, while the Nifty is up 33.30 points or 0.32% at 10524.30. The market breadth is positive as 510 shares advanced, against a decline of 123 shares, while 102 shares are unchanged.

Nifty Pharma is likely to be witnessing some profit booking after days of upmove last week. All other sectoral indices are trading in the green, with financials and auto leading the pack.

Dr Reddys and Sun Pharma are the top losers on both indices, while Tata Steel, Adani Ports and Vedanta have gained the most.

The Indian rupee opened higher by 8 paise at 64.65 per dollar on Monday versus 64.73 Friday.

Pramit Brahmbhatt of Veracity said, "The rupee will see marginal positive impact in today's session on back of positive cues from the domestic equity market."

"We expect the USD-INR pair to trade in a range of 64.50-65," he added.

Asian markets rose early on Monday, tracking gains seen on Wall Street as US bond yields receded from recent four-year highs in the last session.

Japan's Nikkei 225 soared 292.69 points, or 1.34 percent, with technology stocks, financials and automakers higher on the day. Among index heavyweights, SoftBank Group jumped 1.79 percent and Fast Retailing rose 1.34 percent.

Elsewhere, South Korea's benchmark Kospi added 0.42 percent while the junior Kosdaq saw more significant gains, climbing 1.05 percent in early trade.
BSE

The bulls carried forward the momentum seen on Friday as Nifty managed to hit another ton on Monday and reclaimed crucial moving averages which is a positive sign for the bulls. The index made a strong bullish candle on the daily charts and now the next target of 10,900 looks possible.

The Nifty index opened positive and witnessed sustained buying interest for the second consecutive trading session. It rallied by more than 200 points from 10400 to 10600 zones in the last two sessions and finally managed to close above its 50EMA.

The Nifty broke above its crucial 50-days exponential moving average (DEMA) placed around 10,560 on closing basis which is a positive sign for the bulls. Traders can create long positions on the index now with a stop loss below 10,500 markets.

The Nifty which opened at 10,526 rose to an intraday high of 10,592. It slipped marginally to 10,520 before closing the day at 10,582, up 91 points.

It was heartening to see the Nifty witnessing a follow-through buying with a strong gap up opening which sustained throughout the trading session before bulls signed off the day in style with a strong bullish candle near to intraday high, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

Moreover with a close above 50-Days EMA, which offered resistance twice to the index, it appears that bulls are positioning themselves for a bigger upmove towards 10900 levels for which a confirmation will come once they conquer immediate hurdle of 10630 levels on closing basis, he said.

Mohammad is of the view that on the downside it looks imminent for bulls to sustain above Mondays gap zone of 10520 - 499 levels on a closing basis to retain bullish bias.

Hence, traders are advised to make use of dips, if any, to create fresh longs with a stop below 10500 and look for bigger targets as a close above 10630 will force the bears to run for cover, he said.

India VIX fell down by 3.57% at 13.69. Falling VIX is providing stability to bulls in the market. On the options front, maximum Put open interest is seen at 10000 followed by 10400 strikes while maximum Call open interest is at 10700 followed by 11000 which is shifting its support higher.

We have collated the top fifteen data points to help you spot profitable trade:

Key Support & Resistance Level for Nifty:

The Nifty closed at 10,582.6. According to Pivot charts, the key support level is placed at 10,537.53, followed by 10,492.47. If the index starts to move higher, key resistance levels to watch out are 10,610.33 and 10,638.07.

Nifty Bank:

The Nifty Bank closed at 25,687.9. Important Pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 25,472.0, followed by 25,256.1. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 25,813.0, followed by 25,938.1.

Call Options Data:

Maximum call open interest (OI) of 30.46 lakh contracts stands at strike price 10,700, which will act as a crucial resistance level for the index in the March series, followed by 11,000, which now holds 30.25 lakh contracts in open interest, and 10,600, which has accumulated 24.84 lakh contracts in OI.

Call writing was seen at a strike price of 10,700, which saw the addition of 19.36 lakh contracts, followed by 10,900, which added 15.53 lakh contracts and 10,800, which added 14.73 lakh contracts.

There was hardly any Call unwinding seen.

Put Options Data:

Maximum put OI of 34.04 lakh contracts was seen at strike price 10,000, which will act as a crucial base for the index in March series; followed by 10,400, which now holds 32.21 lakh contracts and 10,500 which has now accumulated 29.96 lakh contracts in open interest.

Put Writing was seen at the strike price of 10,400, which saw addition of 20.12 lakh contracts, along with 10,300, which added 18.20 lakh contracts and 10,200, which added 14.40 lakh contracts.

There was hardly any Put unwinding seen.

FII & DII Data:

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 1,119.51 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 1,409.45 crore in the Indian equity market, as per provisional data available on the NSE.

Fund Flow Picture:

Stocks with high delivery percentage:

High delivery percentage suggests that investors are accepting the delivery of the stock, which means that investors are bullish on the stock.

149 stocks saw long build-up:

14 stocks saw short covering:

A decrease in open interest along with an increase in price mostly indicates short covering.

43 stocks saw short build-up:

An increase in open interest along with a decrease in price mostly indicates short positions being built up.

4 stocks saw long unwinding:

Long unwinding happens when there is a decrease in OI as well as in price.

Bulk Deals:

Coffee Day Enterprise Ltd: KKR Mauritius PE Investments II Ltd sold 90,00,000 shares at Rs 324.25 per share while Malavika Hegde bought 55,00,000 shares at Rs 324.00 per share.

Fortis Healthcare Limited: BNP Paribas Arbitrage bought 40,20,000 shares at Rs 157.59 per share and ECL Finance Ltd sold 41,95,754 shares at Rs 155.81 per share.

(For more bulk deals click here)

Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings:

Sadbhav Engineering is likely to meet investors at Kotak Securities Investors Conference on February 28.

Manpasand Beverages is likely to meet investors at Kotak Institutional Equities conference on February 28.

Greaves Cotton met representatives of HDFC Securities at February 26, 2018.

Stocks in news:

Indian Overseas Bank: The bank has approved the convening of EGM and to seek the approval of shareholders for issue of equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each to the government on preferential basis, aggregating upto the extent of Rs 4,694 crore plus Rs 173.06 crore.

Tata Power: Skill development institute given global HR skill development award 2018.

Torrent Pharma: The company plans to raise approx Rs 2,000 crore through a QIP.

Berger Paints: The company is planning setting up an integrated paint plant in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Jain Irrigation subsidiary invests in Innova Food NV Belgium. CY17 turnover of the acquired co - Euro 23.6mn

Mahindra & Mahindra collaborates with LG Chem to for Lio-on battery technology to support EV revolution in India

ACC says there are constraints in implementing merger between the Company and Ambuja Cements

IOB approves preferential issue of shares to GoI upto Rs 4694cr

Music Broadcast - Radio city and Apple music launch Bollywood countdown show

LT Foods - CRISIL upgrades long term and short term ratings of the Co

Sagar Cements board approves acquisition of hydel power plants (capacity of 4.3 MW and 4 MW) for a sum of 26.9cr

USL - ICRA upgrades ratings of various debt instruments

HDFC Bank says will work closely with SEBI in relation to whatsapp data leak

Simbhaoli Sugar says that in relation to the fraud case registered by OBC- co is in process of submitting the information and clarifications to the investigating

agencies

PNB says quantum of unauthorized transactions can increase by USD 204.25 mn Clarifies that govt hasnt asked PNB to pay the fraud liabilities

Indiabulls Real Estates EGM on March 23 to seek shareholder approval for divestment of stake in Indiabulls Properties

3 stocks under ban period on NSE

Security in ban period for the next trade date under the F&O segment includes companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit.

Securities which are banned for trading include names such as Fortis, JP Associates and Oriental Bank of Commerce.
It's raining allegations with Rotomac and Simbhaoli Sugar joining the alleged fraudster list. The political verbal battle has already started adversely affecting banking sector reforms.

A Business Standard report says that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies are expected to be close to 100 seats in the Rajya Sabha in April, well short of the halfway mark of 123. Given the acrimonious environment, it is unlikely that the government can rely on Opposition support to get the Bills cleared.

This would impact passing of the Bill needed to pass relevant amendments to the Bank Nationalisation Act (BNA), which will be required to set up a bank-holding company. The holding company concept was first tabled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 Budget speech.

A precursor for setting up the holding company was the Banks Board Bureau (BBB), headed by Vinod Rai. Reports have already emerged talking about the possibility of BBB being dismantled post-Rai's tenure.

With eight state elections scheduled to be held during the year, the political din is unlikely to come down and it means that most of the Bills which require structural changes are unlikely to see the light of the day.

It means the bank holding company, a revolutionary idea, will also be stuck in limbo. Let's look at what the bank holding company would have done to boost the sector.

Apart from being the holding company of government investments in banks, it would also be responsible for allocating money to banks according to their performance. It was also expected to, with the help of BBB, choose heads of public sector banks. These are not something that cannot be done in the present setup.

The question is, could a bank holding company, had it been in existence, prevented the current mess? The answer is a clear no.

There are two issues that are plaguing the banking system. First is the problem of bad loans and second is the recently exposed frauds.

The first issue is because of flawed government policy while the second one is on account of human greed.

Unless the government gives up its control over public sector banks, setting up the bank holding company would mean one more layer of bureaucracy. Selecting chairmen of banks and expecting them to tow the government line is an exercise in futility.

A big reason behind public sector banks not reporting toxic assets earlier is that an employee's career is connected to the loan. A non-performing asset is thus avoided as far as possible by ever-greening the account by giving additional loans through another route.

Giving a loan is a business call, which a banker gives after the project has been approved by the external rating agency and the internal research team. It is a business call which is taken taking into account the environment at the time of assessing the project. As external environment changes the prospects of the companies changes. The worst affected are those projects which are under construction and do not have too much room to fight the external environment. No amount of ever-greening such account will revive the project unless the environment improves.

As for human greed, the three different cases of Nirav Modi, Rotomac and Simbhaoli Sugars show that they would not have occurred had there been checks and balances in place.

But why mainly public sector employees fall into the trap of fraudsters and not private sector ones? Salary disparity is the first thing that comes to mind and rightly so. Private sector banks incentivise their employees through better salary packages, bonuses and the most importantly - e-sops (employee stocks). The bank employee knows his wealth unlocking will happen through these esops and knows that he would be deprived of the benefit if a scam rocks the bank.

Jaitley, as expected, shied away from the industry associations' call of privatising banks. Jaitley said that privatising public sector banks was a challenging decision and would involve a very large bipartisan political consensus.

Privatising public sector banks does not necessarily mean reducing governments stake. It could be done by giving the public sector banks more leg room. Some of the best banking talents reside in public sector banks who are working with their hands and legs tied. Incentivising them, trusting them and keeping the government away from banks will clean the system faster than any other act or a holding structure.
Mahavir Chopra

The obvious answer is YES, and theres no doubt about that. Even if your brain says otherwise, read on to justify this honest decision made by your heart!

The depth of love your parents have for you can never be measured. They have always been your backbone and you have always been proud of them. Now, it is time for you to become their backbone and make them feel proud of you.

You can start by getting them covered under a health insurance plan. This simple decision will ensure that you or your parents do not face any hardship when your parents fall ill. The best way to achieve it is by including them in the group health insurance provided by your employer.

Yes; you read it right, remember those communications from your HR department asking you to choose whether you would like to include your parents in the group health insurance (GHI) scheme of the organization for an extra premium. And, you passed that opportunity just to save a little money. You did so, as your parents are not covered for free unlike yourself, your spouse and your children.

Well, after reading this, you would definitely sign up and would not mind paying the premiums too. So, lets start with knowing a little more about GHI.

What is a GHI?

Companies and firms offer health insurance coverage to employees, their spouses, and their children. The primary reason being, the creation of a loyal and motivated workforce for the organization. The premium for this scheme is paid by the company. However, some firms also extend this benefit to the employees parents for free or may ask the employee to bear the additional premiums.

Advantages of including parents in employers GHI

The group insurance policy works under certain terms & conditions which are applicable to the entire group insured. Lets have a look at how it works in your favour:

1. No medical examination

Under an employer offered GHI plan, you are not required to go for any medical check-ups. You and your family members get automatic coverage from Day one without any hassle or paperwork.

2. Low-cost affair

The premiums applicable to a GHI policy are 30-35% cheaper against the amount payable for individual health plans. So, if you compare the premiums payable on individual health insurance plans for your parents against employers GHI plans, you would end up saving a lot more than expected.

3. No waiting period concept

Another important benefit of group health insurance is that there is no specific waiting period for any illnesses. All the illnesses are covered right from Day 1. Lets say, cataract treatment has a waiting period of 24 months under an individual health insurance policy. The same illness is covered right from Day 1 under a group health insurance plan.

4. Pre-existing diseases covered

The pre-existing diseases are also covered by the group health insurance right from Day 1. So, if your parents are already diagnosed with health conditions like diabetes or heart ailments or any other illness, there is no need to worry. On the other hand, individual health insurance plans have a waiting period of 48 months. This benefit can only be enjoyed under a group health insurance plan.

5. Adding top-up or super top-up

The coverage offered under a GHI plan is for a small amount say Rs. 5 lakh. However, there is no need to worry. You can increase the coverage to even higher levels by attaching a top-up or super top-up plan to your employer-provided GHI plan. You can use the group insurance sum assured to cover your hospitalization expenses till the deductible limit. And once you breach the deductible limit, the coverage from top-up or super-top will come into effect. However, do remember that under a super top-up plan, the deductible amount has to exceed over the entire policy year. On the other hand, under a top-up, the deductible must be breached in a single hospitalization.

Hence, even if your employer is not providing health insurance coverage to your parents free of charge, you should definitely apply for it, even if you have to pay the premiums yourself.

Though the GHI scheme provides a host of benefits, it only acts as a temporary cover.

The following are the two major drawbacks:

1. Discontinuation of scheme by the employer

Yes, your employer may choose to discontinue the scheme anytime. This is the case especially with the private limited companies in India. They can also choose to reduce the coverage provided under the scheme anytime they want. They may also stop extending this benefit to your parents. This can have a major impact on your and your familys health coverage.

2. Discontinuation due to change of job

Another major disadvantage is the automatic termination of the policy on changing your job. The reason being the GHI is valid only until such time you are part of the group i.e. the company or firm you are employed with. Once you leave your job and are no longer associated with the company, the policy you have enrolled under will come to an end, and along with it, the benefits would come to an end as well. If your new employer provides a policy with same benefits you should definitely opt for it. However, you would be left on your own without any cover during the transition period i.e. until the time, the new GHI plan comes into effect.

One should compulsorily have an independent health insurance plan for his parents, and use the group health insurance as a backup for the main policy. The group health insurance plan can be used till the completion of the waiting period applicable for the pre-existing diseases and other specific diseases and surgeries. Post this the group health insurance plan can be used as a backup plan.

What did we learn?

Whatever, the drawbacks may be, a GHI policy is an excellent choice to take care of the medical expenses during your entire working life.

Thus, this scheme is a win-win situation for the employee. You get free health cover along with getting all the members of your family insured under one health insurance policy. Even if you have to pay premiums for including your parents from your pocket, the amount would be quite less, as against an individual insurance policy bought on your own. The cost-effectiveness and conveniences offered by a GHI plan definitely has advantages that are hard to ignore.
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State-run Power Finance Corporation (PFC) today said that it has inked memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Uttar Pradesh power utilities for providing financial assistance of Rs 50,200 crore.

The PFC has executed MoUs with Uttar Pradesh state sector power utilities - UPRVUNL, UPPTCL and UPPCL - for providing required financial assistance of Rs 50,200 crore, a PFC statement said.

According to statement, these funds would be used for upcoming greenfield and extension of thermal power generation projects at Jawaharpur, Panki, Harduagunj, Anpara and Obra; development of coal mines; Integrated Power Development Scheme, Saubhagya, DDUGJY (rural electrification); and for strengthening of transmission and distribution network in the state.

The financial assistance will support the state in capacity addition of 4,760 MW; and in achievement of the objective of power for all and 24x7 quality and reliable power supply in Uttar Pradesh.

The MoUs were executed for extending financial assistance to state power utilities for next four years with cumulative amount of Rs 50,200 crore.

The MoUs were executed on the sidelines of UP Powering New India Investor Summit 2018 recently held in Lucknow, in presence of Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary (Energy), Government of Uttar Pradesh, Rajeev Sharma, CMD, PFC and other senior officials from states power utilities and PFC.
SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar in Mumbai

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SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar today said he expects PNB to clear the bank's USD 212 million (Rs 1,360 crore) dues in the Nirav Modi case. "I am very much confident that things will get sorted out between PNB and other banks," Kumar said in an interview to CNBC TV18.

"As far as our exposure is concerned on PNB, that number is very much confirmed, calculated and advised to PNB," Kumar said.

He said the exposure of SBI to Gitanjali Gems - one of the companies involved in the scam - has also been crystallised and there was no issue on that.

"So our numbers, our claim is clear because there are some secondary market purchases, so double counting has to be avoided," the SBI Chairman and MD told the news channel.

When asked if banking sector would see more skeletons tumbling out of the closet, Kumar said it looks like the case is confined to a particular branch of PNB.

"At least for SBI, I can confirm that there is no such issue, no such problem. And I am sure that by now all other banks also would have reviewed their portfolios and would have arrived at the similar conclusion because if something was wrong somewhere, by now, I presume, it could have come out,"Kumar said.

When asked if regulator RBI has issued any other instruction to banks other than integrating the core banking solution with the SWIFT system, Kumar said he has no further knowledge on the issue. He said RBI has instructed the banks to put in place the safety mechanism with respect to global money transfer software SWIFT and the banks are in a position to comply with that by April.

Kumar also said the PNB case is more of operational risk and not related to credit risk.

"Whatever has gone wrong, it is about the operational weakness and we have to keep that segregated from the credit risk."

Other than SBI, lenders like Union Bank of India(UBI) and Allahabad Bank also have exposure to PNB to grant loans on the basis of LoUs that were issued fraudulently to Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

Allahabad Bank has an exposure of about USD 366.87 million in the case to PNB through its overseas branch in Hong Kong. UBI has exposure of nearly USD 300 million through its foreign branches.

On February 14, PNB had informed the stock exchanges that the bank was defrauded to the tune of USD 1.77 billion (nearly Rs 11,400 crore) by Modi and his associate companies by getting loans through illegal LoUs for over seven years.
The Indian Railways is trying to fill up close to 89,500 positions by opening up several entry level positions.

According to a Times of India report, the move is set to be the largest recruitment exercise. This will include the hiring for positions such as gangmen, switchmen, trackmen, technicians, cabinmen, welders, assistant loco pilots, helpers and porters.

Close to 1.2 lakh jobs are left vacant in the railways, many of which are ground-level positions that play a role in the safety of passengers.

Following the recent train accidents, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had promised filling up of these vacancies to boost safety. The railways board has also seen members being let go, on account of being top heavy.

Close to 63,000 vacancies are in the group D category - that is assigned to gangmen and trackmen. Another 26,500 personnel are also being hired as loco pilots and assistant loco pilots.

The report quoted an official saying that the exercise was given its due as close to 40,000-45,000 employees retire every year.

The move also relaxed the minimum qualification needed to apply to these posts to clearing Class X instead of an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) certificate for 62,907 vacancies of trackmen.

Younger people can also apply as the railways reduced the minimum age qualifications by two years across all categories.

The NDA government was recently under flak by the opposition for encouraging jobless growth.
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Shares of Welspun Enterprises rose over 5 percent intraday Monday as company emerged as lowest bidder for a project in the state of Tamil Nadu.

National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has, on February 23, 2018, made public opening of the bids for a project for six laning of Walajapeth to Chinnaiyan section of NH-4.

The company has emerged as the lowest bidder (L-1) at bid price of 1,536.39 crore.

The project is on hybrid annuity mode in the state of Tamil Nadu under NHDP phase-V.

At 11:03 hrs Welspun Enterprises was quoting at Rs 172.05, up Rs 6.70, or 4.05 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
A designated PMLA authority has held that a Delhi farmhouse, attached by the ED in the name of RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband, is "involved" in money laundering and ordered that the attachment of the asset should continue.

The central probe agency had provisionally attached the immovable asset, located on a 12-bigha land in south Delhi's Bijwasan area, in September last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"Considering the material (filed) in the original complaint (by the Enforcement Directorate). I find the property provisionally attached is involved in money laundering. I, therefore, hereby confirm the attachment of the property...and order that the said attachment shall continue during the pendency of the proceedings related to the offence under the PMLA before a court and become final after an order of confiscation is passed by the special court," the recent order issued by Member (Law) of the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA, Tushar V Shah, said.

The ED has now seized the property, agency sources said. The property belongs to Misa Bharti and husband Shailesh Kumar and is held in the name of Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd, the central probe agency had said. The agency had said that its investigation found that the farmhouse was purchased "using Rs 1.2 crore involved in money laundering in the year 2008-09."

The ED is probing Misa Bharti, an RJD MP in the Rajya Sabha, and her husband as part of its criminal probe in a Rs 8,000 crore alleged money laundering case involving shell or bogus companies and two Delhi-based alleged entry operators Surendra Jain and Virendra Jain.

Jains were brothers and had been arrested by the ED in this case in the past. It had also arrested an accountant, Rajesh Agrawal, who mediated and provided a cash amount of Rs 90 lakh to the Jain brothers in advance so as to invest in Ms Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd as share premium".

One of the firms that the Jain brothers dealt with was Mishail Printers and Packers Pvt Ltd. Bharti and her husband had been directors of this firm in the past. The company, Mishail Packers and Printers, was registered at the address 25, Tuglak Road, New Delhi till the shares were bought by Misa Bharti.

It was only during the year 2009-10 that the address was changed to farm no 26 Palam Farms, VPO Bijwasan, New Delhi. Bharti and Kumar were the directors of the company during the relevant period, the ED had claimed.

The couple have been interrogated and their statements recorded by the ED. The agency said the Jain brothers, accountant Agrawal and the daughter and the son-in-law of the former Bihar chief minister were the key persons behind the money laundering of Rs 1.20 crore.

The ED had also conducted raids at the farm house and few other locations linked to Misa Bharti, her husband and others in July last year. The accused can appeal against this order, issued by the authority, before the Appellate Tribunal of the Act.
Representative image

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said sought cooperation from the Centre and the governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to make joint efforts to combat the Yamuna river pollution.

Khattar was speaking yesterday during the inaugural ceremony of Rangotsav in Barsana. The UP government organised the Rangotsav (festival of colours) in Barsana to commemorate the traditional Latthmaar Holi.

With the joint efforts of the Union government, Delhi government and the Uttar Pradesh government, efforts would be made to overcome pollution of holy Yamuna", Khattar said.

He also dropped a hint to provide water for irrigation to farmers.

Reacting to Khattar's remarks, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath exuded confidence that the cooperation of both the states would bring a change "beyond expectations".
President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive in Chandigarh tomorrow to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the MCM DAV College for Women on February 28.

This will be President Kovind's maiden visit to the Union territory after assuming office last year.

The president will arrive here tomorrow afternoon, officials said, adding he will stay at Punjab Raj Bhawan.
Sri Devi | She was a veteran actress and India's first female superstar. Sri Devi's demise came as a shock to the country. On February 24, Sri Devi was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Dubai. She was only 54.

People took to social media to express their grief and shock after the news of the death of the legendary actress of the yesteryears Sridevi came in. Numerous film stars, politicians & people from around the country expressed shock at the sudden demise of the loved-by-all roop ki rani.

Amid this, a tweet by the main opposition party in the parliament, Congress, did not go down well with the public and they called out the insensitivity. Consequently, the grand old party of India had to delete the questionable tweet.

The tweet posted on Sunday read: "We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work. Our deepest condolence to her loved ones. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the UPA govt in 2013.

A screengrab of the tweet in question

The backlash was over the last line of the tweet which highlighted the fact that she was awarded the Padma Shri by the UPA government in 2013.

Remembering Sridevi: Some unknown facts about the legendary actor

The tweet was later deleted and a series of tweets praising Sridevi and her work was posted by Congress. The next tweet read: We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work.



We regret to hear about the passing away of Sridevi. An actor par excellence. A legend who will continue to live in our hearts through her stellar body of work.

Our deepest condolences to her loved ones. pic.twitter.com/RPagwsnX9h

 Congress (@INCIndia) February 25, 2018

Our deepest condolences to her loved ones, it added.

Minutes later, another tweet was posted which mentioned the awards she received in her career, including the Padma Shri. "She received a multitude of awards including the fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2013 by the Govt of India & 6 Filmfare awards, the first at the age of 14. Sridevi started her career at the age of 4 in 'Thunaivan'. Her Bollywood debut was in 'Julie' at 12, the tweet read.

The tweet included a picture of former President Pranab Mukherjee conferring the Padma Shri to the actress.

However, Congress' 'course correction' tweets could not stop the criticism from its followers on Twitter. Is it necessary to mention she got Padma Shri award by UPA government hopeless person who is handling this account, a user asked. Congress has PhD in playing politics over dead bodies - didn't even spare #Sridevi, another user wrote.



In 1997, Sridevi ji took a break from bollywood because she knew that BJP govt will be coming in centre next year. A tight slap on communal politics of BJP. Her comeback came 15 years later in 2012 with movie 'English Vinglish' under UPA govt. Rahul Ji zindabad.  THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) February 25, 2018





After much flak, @INCIndia deleted the tweet mentioning 'PadmaShri by UPA', but now replaced with photo of PadmaShri ceremony. Changed from UPA to 'Govt-Of-India'.

What a Shameful scavenging on the dead when #Sridevi isn't even cremated yet@OfficeOfRG @divyaspandana pic.twitter.com/ijMxsGCLYg

 #Intolerant  (@goyalsanjeev) February 25, 2018



Actually they want to tell that #Sridevi was one of few non-congressis ever awarded by UPA govt.

 Lord of the Drinks (@koolsandy6) February 25, 2018

Sridevi passed away at the age 54 in Dubai after a massive cardiac arrest on Saturday night. She was the first female superstar of Bollywood, having worked in movies like Sadma, ChaalBaaz, Lamhe, Khuda Gawah and Judaai.
Two top American business advocacy groups are in an advance stage of launching a US-India IP dialogue to address bilateral concerns and identify best practices and expertise in the innovation sector.

The US has been bilaterally pushing India to tighten its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime for a couple of years and said that India remains a challenging market for IP- intensive investment.

India has over the years maintained that it is fully compliant with multilateral IP regulations.

There is enthusiasm among all stakeholders on both the sides in trying to find constructive ways not only to address concerns but also to reflect best practices, president of the US India Business Council (USIBC) Nisha Desai Biswal told PTI.

This may usher in the kind of innovation that India seeks not only in terms of investment but also in terms of domestic innovation that it wants to protect, safeguard and allow to flourish, she said.

The USIBC and the Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC), that are parts of the US Chambers of Commerce (USCC), are in advance stages of launching a US-India bilateral IP dialogue.

An informal meeting of the various stakeholders is scheduled this week and the dialogue could be launched as soon as in March.

This would include not only corporate stakeholders but also representatives from the governments of India and the US.

"These areas that had in the past been sources of tension can actually be sources of strength in the relationship. There is a tremendous amount of expertise that the chamber brings to the table," Biswal, the former assistant secretary of state for south and central Asia, said.

The GIPC has had a similar very successful bilateral dialogue with China, she said.

"For India, we see a particular opportunity for it to emerge as a real driver in the global economy. We have seen the US play that role after World War II for several decades and in the last couple of decades, China has been a global driver. It seems to me that there is an opportunity now for India to take on that role," the GIPC's Patrick Kilbride said.

Noting that the global economy has changed and the import substitution model no longer seems to be available, he said that the export, lead manufacturing and the way that China did, does not seem to be the model for the future.

The answer lies in the knowledge economy, he said.

Both Kilbride and Biswal argued that competitiveness, going forward, is really rooted in innovation.

India, Kilbride said, has an opportunity to get ahead and make that the basis on which it can drive not only the domestic growth, but also be an engine for global economic growth.

If India succeeds in becoming a leader in the global knowledge economy, US industries will benefit too, he said.

"We can both contribute to the success and benefit from the success," Kilbride said.

The IP dialogue is aimed at not only identifying shortcomings or problems, but also the solutions, best practices, technical knowledge and expertise that can be brought to bear to ultimately create for India the state of the art ecosystem that allows an innovation economy to grow, thrive and flourish, Biswal said.

For several years, the USCC and the GIPC have led a US-China IP-cooperation dialogue, which brought together very senior experts from both the countries to have relatively informal but very substantive conversations about the issues that are driving or impeding innovation in both countries, Kilbride said.

These dialogues and reports resulted in China making relatively big leaps in terms of its own domestic innovative capacity in a way it governs innovative industry and sort of setting a bar for IP-led innovation in the global space that might look like in the future, Kilbride said.

"We think this is a very timely conversation to have with India to make sure that countries like the US and India who are like-minded in terms of approach to democratic governance, market economics, are working together just as closely as we have been doing with China in the past," he said.

"What we know is that innovation cannot flourish if that innovation is not protected," Biswal said, adding that India is innovating.

"Aadhaar is the massive innovation that India has put on the table. India has created an intellectual property that should be protected," she said.

India has shown how it has really revolutionised the way governments can provide not only a universal ID, but an ID that actually then engages a whole host of different areas of service, Biswal said.

The USIBC and the GIPC is working with Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, which could be a venue for having discussion on this bilateral initiative in a public setting.

"What you're seeing here is an approach by both the governments and industries to actually be focused on solutions rather than problems; to create dialogue around best practices and to be looking for opportunities to actually create win-win situations," Biswal added.
BJP chief Amit Shah today hit out at the Congress over an alleged bank fraud case in which Amarinder Singh's son-in-law has been booked, saying it is shameful that the Punjab chief minister's relative pocketed the money meant for hardworking farmers.

Shah questioned why the Congress deleted a tweet about a news report on the alleged bank fraud.

"Punjab CMs son-in-law pockets money meant for Indias hardworking farmers. What can be more shameful than this ! #CongressLootsFarmers," he tweeted.

"Why delete this tweet highlighting the loot of @capt_amarinders son-in-law. Congress has always been at the forefront of highlighting their own robberies such as the NPA mess, bad loans, the free hand they gave to Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi," Shah wrote on Twitter. The BJP chief shared the news story about the alleged bank fraud at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) on the microblogging website.

The CBI had on February 22 registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its Chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore at the bank.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country. Gurpal Singh is the son-in-law of the Punjab chief minister.

Searches were carried out at eight premises including the residences of directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida in connection with the case yesterday.
PM Modi

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Tariq Anwar claimed that the Prime Minister has been selling the dreams of 2022 forgetting that he has to face the general election in 2019.

The Narendra Modi government has projected a vision for a 'New India' that would be free of poverty, corruption, communalism, casteism and terrorism by 2022, three years beyond the NDA government's tenure.

"The PM is showing the dream of 2022 to the people, but he must understand that there will be a new mandate in 2019 itself," Anwar told reporters.

Both the central and state governments have lost popularity and support base among the people, the NCP general secretary claimed.

Anwar also claimed that by-elections for three seats in the state next month will follow the Rajasthan pattern.

The Congress had won all three by-polls in Rajasthan and snatched Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha seats and Mandalgarh Assembly seat from the BJP by huge margins earlier this month.

Similarly, the ruling JD(U)-BJP coalition would lose the by-elections for Bhabhua and Jahanabad Assembly seats, and Araria Lok Sabha constituency to be held on March 11.

Anwar demanded that Joint Parliament Committee be set up to investigate the bank scam.
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Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring the "super rich" and questioned why he had still not appointed a Lokpal to fight corruption. Gandhi, who has been targeting Modi in all public rallies in poll-bound Karnataka, also quizzed Modi over his "silence" on issues such as the Punjab National Bank fraud.

"In Gujarat, Modi ji did not implement Lokayukta. It has been four years since he became prime minister... He did not implement Lokpal even in Delhi," he said.

The Congress president said Modi, who had described himself as the country's "chowkidar" (watchman), was silent on the fraud and the alleged increase in the turnover of a company owned by BJP president Amit Shah's son, Jay Shah.

"The country's chowkidar comes to Karnataka and speaks about corruption with his chief minister (former chief minister Yeddyurappa) who had been to jail on one side and on the other side four ministers who also went to jail during the BJP rule," he said, addressing a rally here.

"Nudidante nade" (practise what you preach)," he urged Modi, quoting 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara from Karnataka. Gandhi, who is on the second leg of his three-day tour of the northern parts of Karnataka, said, "Modiji... nudidante nade. The country has not made you prime minister just to give speeches."

Gandhi said diamantaire Nirav Modi had taken away crores of rupees "belonging to" India's poor. "Nirav Modi took away Rs 22,000 crore belonging to India's farmers, labourers and the poor, but our chowkidar does not utter a word," he said.

In his first remarks on the Rs 11,400-crore fraud in India's second-biggest PSU bank, Prime Minister Modi had on Friday warned of strict action against those involved in financial irregularities and said the loot of public money would not be tolerated.

Attacking the prime minister on GST, which the Congress president has been calling "Gabbar Singh Tax", Gandhi said whatever was in the common man's pocket had been taken away, lakhs of businesses shut and lakhs of people had suffered losses.

"But one person runs a magical new business... Amit Shah's son Jay Shah within three months converts Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore, but the chowkidar does not utter a word," he alleged.

The BJP chief has rejected allegations of corruption against his son, who has filed a criminal defamation suit against a news portal which claimed his business fortunes had zoomed after the BJP came to power in 2014. Hitting out at the prime minister over issues such as employment generation and for not announcing loan waivers for farmers, Gandhi said, "Mod ji... learn a bit from (Karnataka Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah."

"Whatever you do, you do it for people like Nirav Modi. You give thousands of crores money to super rich people in the country; while in Karnataka we give seven kg rice at free of cost to the poor," he said.

Alleging that money power, marketing, television and the media were on the side of the BJP, Gandhi said despite all these, the Congress would win the Assembly polls in Karnataka because the party had the "strength of the poor and weaker sections".

"Whether they like it or not, Siddaramaiah and I, along with the Congress party, will work for weaker sections, the poor. We will take every one together for the progress of Karnataka," he said. State Assembly polls are expected to be held in April/May.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Rajya Sabha, at the Parliament in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI)

Continuing to target the Prime Minister in his campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today asked why Narendra Modi, who had described himself as the country's "chowkidar", was "silent" on the PNB fraud.

He also asked Modi as to why he was not taking any action regarding the alleged sudden increase in turnover of a company owned by BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah.

"Modi ji comes to Karnataka and speaks about corruption. He had told the country not to make him Prime Minister but make him the chowkidar (watchman) of the country," he said at party rallies in Vijapura and Bagalkote districts in north Karnataka. Gandhi said, "On one side there is his party's (former) chief minister (B S Yeddyurappa) who had gone to jail and on the other side are the other four former ministers of the BJP government who had gone to jail; sitting in between them, Modi speaks about corruption."

"Shah's son converts Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months and the chowkidar of the country doesn't get it enquired and doesn't even utter a word," he alleged.

The BJP chief has rejected allegations of corruption against his son Jay Shah, who has filed a criminal defamation suit against a news portal which claimed his business fortunes had zoomed after the BJP came to power in 2014.

Gandhi is on the second leg of his three-day tour of northern parts of Karnataka. This is his second visit to the state in less than a fortnight. Karnataka is slated to go to the polls in a few months.

At all rallies, Modi has remained the focal point of speeches by Gandhi, who, on the other hand, is projecting Siddaramaiah as party's face to take on Modi in the state, on whom BJP is banking heavily to boost its electoral fortunes.

Hitting out at Modi on demonetisation, the Congress president said, "Modiji told the country to stand in line (queues at banks) for the fight against corruption.You would have not seen a single rich person or someone wearing suit-boot in the line." He alleged that all the "thieves" in India had converted their black money into white with the help of Modi.

Attacking the Prime Minister on the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud issue involving jewellery designer Nirav Modi, Gandhi questioned his silence. "Nirav Modi has indulged in the theft of Rs 22,000 crore, he runs away from the country, but the chowkidar of this country does not even utter a word," he said.

Breaking his silence over the Rs 11,400-crore fraud at India's second-biggest PSU bank, Modi on Friday had warned of strict action against those involved in financial irregularities and said loot of public money would not be tolerated. "Nudidante Nade" (practise as you preach), Gandhi told Modi, invoking 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara from Karnataka.

Basaveshwara is revered by the dominant Lingayat- Veerashiva community,who are predominantly present in northern parts of the state and form a major support base for BJP,which is projecting Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

Gandhi also accused the Prime Minister of "failing" to fulfil the election promise of providing two crore jobs to youths in the country every year. He said despite schemes such as Make in India, Start-up India and Stand-up India, "whatever you buy, from watches to shirts to shoes, every thing is Made in China".

Gandhi said the biggest reason for the progress that India has made during the last 70 years was democracy. "People of the country, Congress party, Ambedkar together gave this country this Constitution," he said. Noting that democracy came into practise in Britain and America about hundred or two hundred years ago, he added, "but Karnataka taught the world about democracy 900 years ago."

"When BJP people talk about changing the Constitution, when they try to invade democracy, they have to remember that they are working against Basavanna, his teachings and principles," Gandhi said. Anubhava Mantapa, located at Basavakalyan in Bidar district,was founded by Basaveshwara as a religious parliament where spiritual issues could be debated leading to a caste less society and bring about equality.

"When any BJP worker assaults any adivasi or Dalit or anyone from the minority community, he is working against Basavanna, Akkamahadevi and Rani Chennamma," Gandhi said. Saint Akkamahadevi was a 12th century Kannada poet, saint and mystic of the Veerashaiva Bhakti Movement. Chennamma was the queen of Kittur, best known for leading an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was in India for The Economic Times Global Business Summit, told reporters that he doesnt believe artificial intelligence (AI) will end up taking away peoples jobs.

Speaking to The Economic Times, the 67-year-old Wozniak said that over a period of time, people end up losing jobs because of phenomena like stock market crashes and market bubbles. These things come and go. But its not like the world is ruined, he said.

Woz, the nickname by which he is widely known, pointed out that no machine ever sits down and says Humm, what should I work on? It is always humans that tell machines what to do. He added that humans are just building technology that will make things easier for them in the future.

Brushing aside negative comments about artificial intelligence made by other big names in the industry like Elon Musk and Bill Gates, Woz said that the machines we have now are not even close to human intelligence.

Stephen Hawking said the same thing. I was saying the same things for almost two years before they were. Then, I thought a lot about it, what is intelligence. These machines are not even close to intelligence. They dont work like the human brain. I studied human brain deeply, almost got my degree in psychology. There is no machine which sat down and said what should I do today? Machines dont think that way, he said.

Wozniak gave an example of a search engine like Google going through 80,000 pictures of a dog and still getting it right only some of the time. In contrast, if one shows the picture of a dog to a one-year-old child, he or she will be able to recognise a dog for the rest of their lives.
German auto major BMW, which is the second largest luxuty car maker in the country, today rolled out the first 6 Series Gran Turismo from its Chennai facility.

The petrol variant of the BMW 630i Gran Turismo Sport Line was unveiled at the recent Auto Expo.

"The Chennai plant is proud to roll out the first-ever BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. It will create a novel segment and set new benchmarks in the luxury car segment in the country," Chennai plant managing director Jochen Stallkamp said in the release on Monday.

The company plans to launch the diesel variant of the new vehicle later in 2018.

The Chennai plant also locally produces the 3 Series, 3 Series Gran Turismo, 5 Series, 6 Series Gran Turismo, 7 Series, the X1, the X3 and the X5.

It has already announced that Chennai facility will commence production of the Mini Countryman as well from June.

The company has already strengthened its long-term commitment to this market by increasing the level of localization up to 50 percent.
A banner of the Mobile World Congress is seen in Barcelona, Spain, February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RC1ECC2EAD00

One of the largest annual mega exhibition and conference of mobile phones, the 2018 World Mobile Congress (MWC), is slated to begin in Barcelona, Spain on Monday.

About MWC

The GSMA Mobile World Congress is not only one of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry but also a conference featuring executives representing mobile operators, manufacturers, technology providers and content owners.

The event was earlier called the GSM World Congress and was later renamed as the 3GSM World Congress.

First such congress happened in 1987 and now it happens annually at Barcelonas Fira de Barcelona.

Catch all the latest updates from the 2018 Mobile World Congress here.

What has happened so far

Large technology companies generally launch their new products a day ahead of the event. Samsung, LG and Nokia were the three leading companies to reveal their new smartphones and other products on Sunday. Here are some of the key launches:

South Korean technology giant Samsung unveiled its latest flagship model in the smartphone segment  Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Nokia launched its new flagship smartphone  Sirocco. The phone has a 5.5-inch display which stretches to all sides of the phone by curving at the edges. It has a stainless steel frame.

The company also launched the new 8110 4G, an updated version of Nokia's classic 20-year-old phone. The tech giant also unveiled Nokia 7 plus, new Nokia 6 and Nokia 1.

Nokia unveils curved glass flagship phone Sirocco, revamps classic 8110. Read more here.

Another South Korean tech giant LG has also revealed a new smartphone. LG has unveiled the V30S ThinQ, an upgraded version of the V30, which the company had launched last year. The V30 was launched as LGs flagship phone.

Huawei launched its Matebook X Pro which is said to be the worlds first FullView touchscreen notebook. It has a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio and has a 13.9-inch 3K display. The front camera has been integrated into the keyboard.

Samsung launches Galaxy S9 & S9 plus at the Mobile World Congress. Read more here.

What happens next

Sony is yet to reveal that they have go in their kitty. Reports suggest that the Japanese tech company could unveil Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, which will be direct successors of Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact.



Meet Sony's first full screen smartphones: Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact https://t.co/8nDL6zuUKc pic.twitter.com/8dMPfB7kze

 Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 23, 2018

In fact, Sony may be moving towards an 18:9 screen ratio and may be doing away with their large bezels.

India at 2018 MWC

India is planning to highlight its readiness for the 5G services and technology leadership including its numero uno position globally in terms of mobile data usage. For that, India has sent one of the largest delegations at the Congress.

The Indian government has set up a high-level committee to work on 5G technology roadmap for India including participation in global standards, test facilities etc.

Union Minister for Telecom, Manoj Sinha is leading a 90-people strong delegation at MWC.

Aruna Sundararajan, Telecom Secretary said, We want to position ourselves not as a recipient of 5G technology but active contributor of the 5G technology. Whether it is core network technology, all services of application ecosystem."

Sundararajan added that most of the used cases being showcased for 5G services at present are largely for the developing advanced economies.

"We want to make sure that we start building in developmental used cases particularly in the field of health, agriculture etc. We should be an integral part of standards," she said.
20:36 That's all for the day. Thanks for staying tuned.

18:30 Vivo showcases concept smartphone Apex with in-display fingerprint scanner

MWC 2018 has seen its share of interesting devices from the stables of Samsung, Nokia, Lenovo and Huawei. One of the most-interesting ones is a concept from Chinese smartphonemaker Vivo  the Apex.

The most important feature of the Apex is the half-screen in-display fingerprint scanning technology. It allows users to unlock the phone by touching the screen, unlike other smartphones which have a separate fingerprint sensor. Also, another exciting innovation is the 8-megapixel pop-up camera, a periscope-like module. While taking selfies the module pops out in under a second to take pictures.

15:51 Lenovo adds Yoga 530 and Yoga 730 to its Yoga series laptops

The two are one of the first laptops to feature have Amazons voice-controlled Alexa virtual assistant and can support Cortana too.

The laptop can be used in three more ways  tablet, stand and tent  thanks to the 360-degree rotatable hinge.

Yoga 530 has a 14-inch UHD IPS touch-enabled display and has 10 hours of battery life. You can configure the laptop with Intel 8th-gen Core i7 series processor, accompanied by up to 16 GB of RAM.

Price: Lenovo Yoga 530 is priced at Euro 549 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 13-inch Yoga 730 will go on sale starting at Euro 999. The 15-inch Yoga 730 will start at Euro 1,099. Both the Yoga 730 variants come along with Active Pen 2.

15:00 Huawei unveils world's first 5G commercial modem

Chinese telecom gear firm Huawei unveiled world's first commercial 5G modem with claim that it can deliver peak speed of over 2,000 megabit per second on next generation network on Sunday.

"Huawei Balong 5G01 is world's first 3GPP 5G commercial chipset with peak rate of 2.3 GBPS (gigabit per second)," Huawei CEO, Consumer Business Group, Richard Yu said while unveiling the new technology.

Yu said Huawei is collaborating with 30 operators, including Vodafone, globally to deploy product based on this chipset.

The company unveiled world's first 5G CPE (consumer premise equipment or router) with the promise of delivering broadband speed of up to 2 Gbps on 5G network. The CPE will also support 4G network, as per the details shared by Yu. The announcement assumes significance for India, which is looking to highlight readiness for 5G and is working on spectrum auction plan to support 5G.

Besides the chipset, Huawei unveiled full touch screen enabled notebook Huawei Matebook X Pro with 13.9-inch display, pop-up camera on the keyboard with price range started Euro 1,399.

The company unveiled three 4G tablet models in Mediapad M5 series with dual use as tablet and notebook at starting price of Euro 349.

14:40 Sony has come up with XZ2 Compact. With a 5-inch screen, it is truly compact.

XZ2 Compact has a Snapdragon 845 processor and has the same camera features as the XZ2. However, it does not have the Dynamic Vibration System.

The rear side of the phone has plastic instead of glass. XZ2 Compact lacks the wireless charging.

13:56 Both  XZ2 and XZ2 Compact  phones now sport shrunken bezels, but not as much as Samsung LG or OnePlus.

They are powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 845 processor. The XZ2 has a 5.7-inch 4K HDR display which has a 2:1 aspect ratio and resolution of 21601440. The ultra-slow-mo mode can record 960fps footage at a higher 1080p resolution.

Pricing and release of the two phones will be announced later.

13:30 Sony Xperia Ear Duo ear buds arrive in May for USD 280

Price and sale date: USD 279.99 and will be available from May. However, pre-orders for these open ear ear buds start today on Amazon.

Ear Duo aim at delivering a dual listening experience which combines users music with the environmental sounds.

Audio notifications of your calendar, news headlines, among others can also be heard on the headset. Sony has built in Siri and Google Assistant integration.

13:16 As expected, Sony had unveiled the new Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact smartphones.

Sony Xperia XZ2 offers Dynamic Vibration System, which gives users haptic feedback when they are watching a video or playing a game.

Xperia XZ2 can shoot videos in 4K HDR.

13:15 Sony is working with Qualcomm and Ericsson to add and optimise 5G. The company has already got a variety of carriers on board.

Talking about their collaboration with Sony and the Spadragon 845 processor Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon has said, "We're very excited about what the two companies can do."

13:05 Sony event has begun at the 2018 MWC. The Japanese tech company is expected to launch three smartphones, amongst others.

12:10 Sony is expected to reveal three new smartphones at 1 pm today.

11:39 Vivo showcases Apex: Worlds first in-display fingerprint scanner concept phone

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo had earlier showcased a prototype phone which had the worlds first in-display fingerprint scanner.

The tech a method of biometric authentication that could result in dropping of screen bezels, rear-mounted sensors altogether. Now, Vivo has come out with a concept phone at the 2018 MWC which has the in-display fingerprint scanner at its heart.

The concept phone is tagged Apex is Vivos main product on display this time. Vivo calls it the Half-Screen In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology and the idea here is for users to be able to place their finger on a large area of the display screen instead of the thumbnail-sized icon to unlock the phone.

11:00 Huawei launches world's first bezel-less notebook Matebook X Pro

Huawei launched its Matebook X Pro which is said to be the worlds first FullView touchscreen notebook.

The Matebook X Pro has a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio and has a 13.9-inch 3K display. It has a metal unibody design.

The notebook is powered by Windows 10 and has up to 8th gen Intel Core i7 processor. It features a 2-in-1 power button with a fingerprint sensor.

There are quad speakers on the notebook for audio while the camera has been integrated into the keyboard.

10:25 Nokia revamps classic 1996 model 8110

The original 8110 was first launched in 1996 and was popular for having a "slider". The 8110 also appeared in the science-fiction movie The Matrix in 1999.

Nokia has not revamped this phone again. This time, it is 4G-enabled.

You can answer calls on the new 8110 4G by simply sliding the case open and also cutting the call by snapping the slider shut.

08:15 India at the Mobile World Congress: To highlight 5G readiness, tech leadership

With one of the largest delegations at the Mobile World Congress, India plans to highlight its readiness for 5G services and technology leadership including its numero uno position globally in terms of mobile data usage.

"We want to position ourselves not as a recipient of 5G technology but active contributor of the 5G technology. Whether it is core network technology, all services of application ecosystem," Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters about India's participation in MWC 2018.

Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha will lead a 90-people strong delegation at the annual event.

The Indian government has set up a high-level committee to work on 5G technology roadmap for India including participation in global standards, test facilities etc.

Sundararajan said that most of the used cases being showcased for 5G services at present are largely for the developing advanced economies.

"We want to make sure that we start building in developmental used cases particularly in the field of health, agriculture etc. We should be an integral part of standards," she said. (PTI)

08:06 Nokia 8 Sirocco Specs:

The new Sirocco has a 5.5-inch 2K display. The smartphone is 7.5 mm thick and is IP67 rated waterproof till 1 metre for up to 30 minutes.

The phone will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. It has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage with an expandable microSD card slot. It will feature dual cameras  12 megapixel and 13 megapixel (rear) and a 5 megapixel front camera.

Nokias latest flagship device will run on Android Oreo One and will have a 3,260 mAh battery.

Nokia has set the price for this phone at Euros 749, which is roughly USD 925. While the release date for United States and rest of the world has not been announced, the phone is expected to hit European stores in April, we have learned.

07:53 Galaxy S9 and S9+ Specs:

Samsung has not revealed the price yet.

The Galaxy S9 comes with 4GB RAM and with internal memory options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB along with an external memory slot, which can support capacity of up to 400GB. It has put 3,000 mAh battery for the 5.8-inch screen.

The Galaxy S9+ comes with 6GB RAM and would also have memory options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB along with an external memory slot of 400GB. The S9+ has a 3,500 mAh battery for its 6.2-inch screen.

Samsung has incorporated several advanced features like the built in live automatic translator in its camera app, which can translate over 50 languages, the company claims.

This includes several Indian languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi and Marathi.

Both smartphones will operate on Android 8 Orio and will give options to users to create their own emojis with their faces while chatting.

Both these phones will have a front camera which is 8 mega pixels and the rear will be 12 mega pixels. The phones will also have features like rear finger scanning and wireless charging system. (With PTI inputs)

07:45 Nokia launches new flagship phone Sirocco

Nokia launched its new flagship smartphone  Sirocco. The phone has a 5.5-inch display which stretches to all sides of the phone by curving at the edges. It has a stainless steel frame.

Sirocco has 2K resolution and functions on the Qualcomm 835 processor. It comes 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The smartphone can be charged wirelessly and is waterproof till 1 metre for up to 30 minutes.

07:37 Samsung launches Galaxy S9 & S9 plus

South Korean technology giant Samsung has unveiled its latest flagship model in the smartphone segment Galaxy S9 and S9+, a day before the Mobile World Congress 2018.

Atmos

The phones have dual aperture and slow motion video options similar to iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 series. It also have features like dual-stereo speakers and Dolbysurround sound.
This three-image mosaic handout photo is the highest resolution view ever obtained of the north polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The view looks southward over cratered plains from high above the north pole of Enceladus. Cassini spacecraft took the image on March 12, 2008, when it flew over the surface of the moon as part of a joint U.S.-European mission. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 20,000 miles (32,000 km) above Enceladus. REUTERS/NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute (UNITED STATES). NO COMMERCIAL SALES.. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.. - GM1E43E0V9B01

Hoping that their efforts will one day help create outposts on the Moon, Indias premier space exploration body, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has started working on building igloos on the lunar surface, according to a report by The Times of India.

The space research organisation is planning to build the lunar habitats by sending robots and 3D printers to the Moon and by using the soil there, among other material.

According to the report, ISRO has made progress with a working model of the 3D printer that they plan to use during the mission, in the terrain test facility.

Although there is no mission plan ready yet, ISRO hopes to have the technology ready soon. Their scientists have already chalked out five designs of the habitats.

M Annadurai, Director, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) told the newspaper, We are planning to use the Moon as an outpost - like missions in Antarctica. In the long run, the space station is likely to be scrapped. Many countries, including the US, are considering building more permanent structures on the Moon and working out of there. When that happens, we want India to have contributed."

Annadurai said that astronauts going to the Moon in the future will spend more than a few hours there.

"To keep them safe and help them work from there, we need smart materials, which is what we are focusing on building," he added.

The Director at the Satellite Centre also said that agency has mastered the process of creating lunar simulant (material that is similar to the properties of the lunar soil), and has about 60 tonnes of it. The simulants properties match around 99.6 percent with the samples brought from the Moon by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)s Apollo missions.
Sri Devi | She was a veteran actress and India's first female superstar. Sri Devi's demise came as a shock to the country. On February 24, Sri Devi was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Dubai. She was only 54.

Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai, her family said in a statement. Some reports suggest the mortal remains are likely to be flown in a private jet and estimate the time of arrival in Mumbai at around 3.30 PM.

Sridevi, who was in Dubai to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest. She was 54 years old.

Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family is deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor," the statement, issued this evening by the Yash Raj Films (YRF) on behalf of the family, said.

"They thank the entire media for their prayers, support and sensitivity during their time of grief. Late Sridevi Kapoors body will arrive in India today, it said. The mortal remains are expected to be brought by a chartered flight.

Earlier, media reports in the UAE had also said her body would be brought to India tomorrow. The Khaleej Times reported, citing UAE officials, that Sridevi's autopsy had been completed and the family is now awaiting laboratory reports conducted by the General Department of Forensic Evidence.

(With inputs from PTI)
Ruchi Soya is close to NCLT resolution. Ruchi Soya is one of few companies in India with backward integration and is largest player in oil seed extraction in the country with capacity of 3.72 mtpa.

The company has presence in both branded and non-branded segments with participation in domestic and international markets. The company is one of the largest exporters of value-added soy products like Textured Soy Protein, Toasted/ Un-toasted/ White Soy Flakes and Soy Lecithin segment. Indias No.1 Food and Agri Products company as per Fortune India 500 Rankings - 2016 and Turnover of USD 3 billion (FY 2016-17)

The company had announced sale of 51% stake and since then there have been bids ranging between Rs 8,000 and10,000 crore for a majority stake in the company. The deal is likely to be completed by June 2018. Large FMCG players such as Patanjali, Godrej, Emami, Adani, large Malaysian players, etc., are bidding for 51% stake in the company.

This is likely to be a game changer for the company as it has being impacted badly due to deteriorating financials. As per the estimates, there would be 30-40% haircut by various banks in this deal.

This would reduce the debt to Rs 4, 000 crore, approximately. It is believed that post completion of deal, the debt would fall from Rs 5, 900 crore to Rs 2, 000 crore and would lead to interest cost saving of Rs 500-550 crore savings for the company. The interest cost would fall from Rs 830 crore to nearly Rs 250 crore, post this deal.

Ruchi Soya has leading brands such as Nutrela, Mahakosh, Sunrich, Ruchi Gold and Ruchi Star and largest player in the cooking oil and soy foods categories of India.

The company has strengthen its relationship with Patanjali Ayurveda and became close with transformation from B2B to BTC segment. The company was earlier involved in processing and packaging agreement with Patanjali for Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan.

To extend this relation, the company announced MOU signing with Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. for an exclusive sales and distribution arrangement for the entire range of Patanjali edible oil in large packs.

Under the MOU, Ruchi Soya would use its own extensive distribution network to sell the complete range of Patanjali edible oils in large packs across all regions of India.

Meanwhile, as per analysts view the Company expects to post Rs 25, 000 crore and 4% consolidated margins for the company by FY20. Analyst expects Rs 11, 000 crore of branded business with 6% margins on conservative basis. If we assume branded business only .4x of sales this would result into market cap of Rs 5500 crore. The residual business topline could be of Rs 14000 crore and EBIDTA of Rs 420 crore. We are assuming 6x EV/EBIDTA for the residual business and arrived at EV value of Rs 2520 crore for the company. This would lead to EV value of Rs 8020 crore (reduce debt of Rs 2000 crore) which would lead to equity value of Rs 220 per share for the company which makes this company potential 12x candidate in next two years. Assuming current EV value of Rs 6600 crore, we arrived at price target of Rs 60 per share in our base case scenario for the company.

Ruchi Soyas utilisation had suffered due to low exports, bad crop and demonetisation and hit as low of 10-15% due to these factors. We believe worst is over for the company and we believe would improve utilisation level of capacity from 40% to 75% going ahead. The utilisation is likely to improve by increase in refining capacity, change in product mix, pick up in exports and improved performance by brand business. the company stated.

The increase in capacity utilisation is in turn expected to boost the topline by around 15% on an annualised basis. This will enable company to regain market share of packed oil sales back from importers and traders of refined oil and will also improve bottomline by 15 to 20%

Meanwhile, the company stated that the GST and hike in import duties were positive for company. We believe GST and government recent hike in import duties are key trigger for company as it would boost a shift from unorganised to organised players. The recent increase in import duty on edible oils which is a big positive for organised edible oil players. The stable rupee and low international edible oil prices combined with the earlier duty differential which was favouring import of refined edible oils had led to immense pressure on the domestic industry with many refining facilities on the verge of closure, however higher import duties would be big boon to domestic players, the company stated.

Disclaimer : This article is generated under featured post to create awareness among readers.
China sought to dismiss the worldwide concerns over the prospect of President Xi Jinping becoming the "emperor for life", saying a strong and consistent leadership is needed for the country at this crucial stage of the country's modernisation. The Communist Party of China, (CPC), which is in power since 1949, yesterday proposed to amend the country's Constitution to remove the two-term limits for the President and Vice President, potentially allowing Xi to rule for life.

The CPC move triggered concerns as 64-year-old Xi would remain a single leader doing away with collective leadership system followed by the party to prevent a dictatorship of an individual emerging from the ranks.

The party opted for a two-term rule of the leadership after extensive deliberations over some of the disastrous policies pursued by party founder Mao Zedong like the infamous decade-long Cultural Revolution in 1966 in which millions of people were killed.

Asked about the global concerns over the spectre of authoritarian rule returning to haunt China with the elimination of the two-term rule for the top leader, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the media should stop guessing and speculating and put the constitutional amendment in proper perspective. He said China's Constitution evolved "little by little" since it came into force in 1954. "We hope that you can put the revision of the Constitution in perspective in the context of the development of China," he said.

The global concerns also arise from Xi's ambitious modernisation of military, expansion of Chinese naval power into the disputed South China Sea, acquisition of naval logistic bases including in Sri Lanka, Djibouti and Gwadar in Pakistan under his first term.

Last October, Xi started his second five-year-term with a focus on transforming China, now the world's second-largest economy, into "a mighty force" that could lead the world on political, economic, military and environmental issues. Since he took over in 2013, Xi launched the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which also included the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which traverses through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to expand China's influence worldwide.

In China too, the removal of the two-term rule is seen as a perpetuation of Xi's rule.

Deng Yuwen, the former editor of the Study Times newspaper affiliated with the Central Party School of the CPC, said the proposed change was a strong signal that Xi planned to stay on.

"This is a very clear sign that the president will remain in office beyond the existing term limit. We dont know if it could be life tenure at this stage," Deng told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who is the author of a 2015 biography of Xi, said that Xi is susceptible to making big mistakes because there are now almost no checks or balances.

"Essentially, he has become emperor for life," Lam was quoted as saying by the New York Times. While the official media harped on the need for strong leadership for China's rise as a global power, the party's theoreticians defended the move to transform the one-party rule into one leader rule by saying that such a move is the need for CPC's rule.

Party theoreticians say as the CPC set to celebrate its seven decades in power next year, the fall of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and disintegration of the powerful Soviet socialist empire weighs in heavily in the minds of party leadership.

Removing the constitutional restriction to two terms is a significant decision made by the CPC to serve its historic mission in the new era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC, told the Global Times yesterday.

"Especially in the period from 2020 to 2035, which is a crucial stage for China to basically realise socialist modernisation, China and the CPC need a stable, strong and consistent leadership. So removal of the section of the clause about the presidency in the Constitution is serving the most important and fundamental national interest and the Party's historic mission," Su said.

"The decision has been made after careful consideration, and this is an adjustment to serve China's current situation and future development, which is consistent with Chinese political characteristics and goals," an unnamed Chinese scholar told the Global Times.

The trinity of Xi being the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the president and chairman of the Central Military Commission has a positive meaning, he said.

"In order to achieve the great goal from 2020 to the middle of the 21st century, China needs a centralised and unified leadership; otherwise the decentralisation of authority will impact realisation of the great goal,"CPC's official newspaper the People's Daily said in its editorial.

The choice of when to leave for Xi to make. "He will be judged not by how long he stays but by how well China does while he is at the top," a commentary in the Post said.
China's ruling Communist Party on Sunday set the stage for President Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely, with a proposal to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office.

Since taking office more than five years ago, Xi has overseen a radical shake-up of the party, including taking down top leaders once thought untouchable as part of his popular war on deep-rooted corruption.

Sunday's announcement, carried by state news agency Xinhua, gave few details. It said the proposal had been made by the party's Central Committee, the largest of its elite ruling bodies. The proposal also covers the vice president position.

Xi, 64, is currently required by China's constitution to step down as president after two five-year terms. Nearing the end of his first term, he will be formally elected to a second at the annual meeting of China's largely rubber-stamp parliament opening on March 5.

There is no limit on his tenure as the party and military chief, though a maximum 10-year term is the norm. He began his second term as head of the party and military in October at the end of a party congress held once every five years.

Zhang Lifan, a historian and political commentator, said the news was not unexpected, and it was hard to predict exactly how long Xi could stay on in power.

"In theory he could serve longer than Mugabe but in reality, no one is sure exactly what will happen," Zhang said, referring to Zimbabwe's former president whose four decades in office ended in November, after the army and his former political allies moved to force him out.

Though positive remarks filled the comments section under the pages of main state media outlets like the People's Daily, the move was not welcomed by everyone on China's Twitter-like Weibo service,

"If two terms are not enough, then they can write in a third term, but there needs to be a limit. Getting rid of it is not good!," wrote one Weibo user.

EMPEROR XI

Constitutional reform needs to be approved by parliament, which is stacked with members chosen for their loyalty to the party - meaning the reform will not be blocked.

There has been persistent speculation that Xi wants to stay on in office past the customary two five-year terms.

The October party congress ended without appointing a clear eventual successor for Xi.

However, the role of party chief is more senior than that of president. At some point, Xi could be given a party position that also enables him to stay on as long as he likes.

Xi is currently the party's general secretary, but not chairman. China's first three leaders after the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 all carried the title party chairman -Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng and then Hu Yaobang. It has not been used since.

"Whether Xi ends up being Party Chairman or just remains Party Secretary doesn't really matter. What matters is whether he holds onto power," said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

"Titles don't matter as much in China as they do in the West. Here what matters is whether you are the emperor," he added. "In China, ordinary people already consider Xi Jinping to be the emperor."

EYES ON VICE PRESIDENT

Mao, the founder of Communist China and still held in god-like awe by many Chinese, died while still Communist Party chairman in 1976, having never retired.

State media has also increasingly been using the term "lingxiu" to refer to Xi, which means "leader". Distinct from the standard usage of "lingdao" for leader, "lingxiu" evokes grander, almost spiritual, connotations.

Mao, for example, was referred to as "lingxiu", but Xi's two immediate predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, were not.

In a Sunday commentary on its WeChat account, state television said: "The people love the people's 'lingxiu'!", above a picture of Xi being greeted by an adoring crowd in Sichuan province earlier this month.

The move to lift the presidential term limits is not unexpected. The party has been laying the groundwork for Xi not to have to go.

One of Xi's closest political allies, former top graft buster Wang Qishan, stepped down from the party's Standing Committee - the seven-man body that runs China - in October.

Aged 69, Wang had reached the age at which top officials tend to retire. But he has been chosen as a parliament delegate this year and is likely to become vice president, sources with ties to the leadership and diplomats say.

The move is significant because if Wang does not retire, that would set a precedent for Xi to stay on in power too after he reaches what is normally considered retirement age.

The Central Committee also proposed other changes to the country's constitution, including inserting "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" into the constitution, referring to Xi's rather wordy guiding political thought that is already in the party constitution.

The constitution will further ensure that party control over the country is not in any doubt, too, strengthening existing clauses about the leading role of the Communist Party in China.

"The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Xinhua cited one of the proposed new clauses as saying.
HMD Global Product Officer Juho Sarvikas presents the new Nokia 8110 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The iconic "banana phone" became popular in its traditional black avatar close to 20 years ago in the film  TheMatrix (REUTERS.)

The new Nokia 8110 is displayed during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It comes with 4G connectivity and a 2.4-inch QVGA display (REUTERS)

HMD Global Chief Executive Officer Florian Seiche and Product Officer Juho Sarvikas present the new Nokia 8110 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The phone goes back to its origins with 2 megapixel rear camera. (REUTERS)

And yes, it comes with 25 days worth of battery, and the latest version of Snake. (REUTERS)
With Chinas Communist Party planning to remove a two-term cap set in its constitution for the President, speaks volumes of the ruling partys faith in its current president.

Although Xi Jinping did pay his dues before he got to the top, it did help that he is a princeling  a term used for the informal group of second generation office holders since the Mao Zedong era.

Xis father was Xi Zhongxun, who was the party propaganda minister under Maos rule. He was also famously known to have been purged off his power by his government many times in his career.

Xi started off by joining the Students Union of the Communist party in the 70s. He slowly worked his way up through the ranks, eventually becoming a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2007. This is a committee of the senior most posts in the country.

His accession has a lot to do with his tough stance on corruption and his views coinciding with that of the party central leadership, as well a career that was relatively unmarked by scandal or any serious political contenders.

His career began to accelerate on the municipal level after becoming the party head in Shanghai, where his predecessor fell from grace after being implicated of a large social security scam in 2006 .

Xi became the Vice President in 2008 and was elected President of the People's Republic of China in 2013 after getting elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

After becoming the President, an Economist report tracked Xi's promised to root out corruption on all levels. He formed the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection in 2012, which held 120 high-level officials on several counts of corruption. This cemented his cult status as a leader according to a Guardian report, immortalised in song,dance and art.

One the economic front, Chinas economy is expected to grow at slower rate. This is due to Xis administration focusing on growth while minimising the impact on social equality, the impact of the environment and financial risk.

The Chinese Navy under Xi has also flexed its muscles. A Vox report states that China has been trying to secure maritime control over the South China Sea region.

This is a region where 10 percent of the worlds fisheries and 30 percent of the worlds shipping trade sails through in between destinations.

China has been following an aggressive policy to rein emissions and the reckless flow of credit in the last two years. This has affected growth rates, a hit which the Chinese are willing to take in line with Xis line of thought.

An important project under Xi that has also wooed the Chinese is the massive Belt and Road initiative. This is a project was conceived as a USD 5 trillion project that will span across more than 60 countries. This would replicate the connectivity between Asia, Europe and Africa along the lines of the ancient silk road.

To maintain the progress of the nation on all this fronts could be a possibile reason for extending Xis leadership. A CNBC report quoted an expert saying that this was a movie to ensure the smooth transition of a political economy to the internal, consumption led economy and that political stability was a necessity for the same.

As the saying goes:"If it isn't broke, don't fix it" and that's the road the Chinese seem to want to take.
February 26, 2018 State Department Troll Farm Receives Huge Cash Infusion The U.S. State Department will increase its online trolling capabilities and up its support for meddling in other countries. The Hill reports: The State Department is launching a $40 million initiative to crack down on foreign propaganda and disinformation amid widespread concerns about future Russian efforts to interfere in elections. The department announced Monday that it signed a deal with the Pentagon to transfer $40 million from the Defense Departments coffers to bolster the Global Engagement Center, an office set up at State during the Obama years to expose and counter foreign propaganda and disinformation. The professed reason for the new funding is the alleged but unproven "Russian meddling" in the U.S. election campaign. U.S. Special Counsel Mueller indicted 13 Russians for what is claimed to be interference but which is likely mere commercial activity. The announcement by the State Department explains that this new money will not only be used for measures against foreign trolling but to actively meddle in countries abroad: Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein said the transfer of funds announced today reiterates the United States commitment to the fight. This funding is critical to ensuring that we continue an aggressive response to malign influence and disinformation and that we can leverage deeper partnerships with our allies, Silicon Valley, and other partners in this fight, said Under Secretary Goldstein. It is not merely a defensive posture that we should take, we also need to be on the offensive. The mentioning of Silicon Valley is of interest. The big Silicon Valley companies Google, Facebook and Twitter were heavily involved in the U.S. election campaign. The companies embedded people within the campaigns to advise them how to reach a maximum trolling effect: While the companies call it standard practice to work hand-in-hand with high-spending advertisers like political campaigns, the new research details how the staffers assigned to the 2016 candidates frequently acted more like political operatives, doing things like suggesting methods to target difficult-to-reach voters online, helping to tee up responses to likely lines of attack during debates, and scanning candidate calendars to recommend ad pushes around upcoming speeches. In May 2016 the Hillary Clinton campaign even set up her own troll farm: Hillary Clinton's well-heeled backers have opened a new frontier in digital campaigning, one that seems to have been inspired by some of the Internet's worst instincts. Correct the Record, a super PAC coordinating with Clinton's campaign, is spending some $1 million to find and confront social media users who post unflattering messages about the Democratic front-runner. In effect, the effort aims to spend a large sum of money to increase the amount of trolling that already exists online. Clinton is quite experienced in such issues. In 2009, during protests in Iran, then Secretary of State Clinton pushed Twitter to defer maintenance of its system to "help" the protesters. In 2010 USAid, under the State Department set up a Twitter-like service to meddle in Cuba. The foreign policy advisor of Hillery Clinton's campaign, Laura Rosenberger, initiated and runs the Hamilton68 project which falsely explains any mentioning of issues disliked by its neo-conservative backers as the result of nefarious "Russian meddling". The State Department can build on that and other experience. Since at least 2011 the U.S. military is manipulating social media via sock puppets and trolls: A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an "online persona management service" that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.

...

The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries". It was then wisely predicted that other countries would follow up: The discovery that the US military is developing false online personalities  known to users of social media as "sock puppets"  could also encourage other governments, private companies and non-government organisations to do the same. Israel is long known for such information operations in which its paid trolls not only comment on issues on social media but actively manipulate Wikipedia entries. Such astroturfing has since become a common tool in commercial marketing campaigns. With the new money the State Department will expand its Global Engagement Center (GEC) which is running "public diplomacy", aka propaganda, abroad: The Fund will be a key part of the GECs partnerships with local civil society organizations, NGOs, media providers, and content creators to counter propaganda and disinformation. The Fund will also drive the use of innovative messaging and data science techniques. Separately, the GEC will initiate a series of pilot projects developed with the Department of Defense that are designed to counter propaganda and disinformation. Those projects will be supported by Department of Defense funding. This money will be in addition to the large funds the CIA traditionally spends on manipulating foreign media: Weve been doing this kind of thing since the C.I.A. was created in 1947, said Mr. Johnson, now at the University of Georgia. Weve used posters, pamphlets, mailers, banners  you name it. Weve planted false information in foreign newspapers. Weve used what the British call King Georges cavalry: suitcases of cash.

...

C.I.A. officials told Mr. Johnson in the late 1980s that insertions of information into foreign news media, mostly accurate but sometimes false, were running at 70 to 80 a day. Part of the new State Department money will be used to provide grants. If online trolling or sock puppetry is your thing, you may want to apply now. Posted by b on February 26, 2018 at 19:02 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
New World South City in Christchuch has gone viral online after sharing a video of their latest toy.

The newly installed machine skins and decores pineapples in just 20 seconds and is a first for New Zealand.

A video of one of the staff members giving a tutorial on how the machine works has been viewed over 1.5 million times in just a couple of days.
We are maintaining our fair value estimates, moat ratings, and moat trend ratings for all utilities after Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt announced plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, promulgated in 2015.

We don't expect this move to have any impact on the utilities sector. We forecast U.S. carbon emissions will fall 28% from 2005 levels by early next decade, based on renewable energy and natural gas generation displacing coal generation. Low natural gas prices and gas turbine efficiency improvements are forcing coal plant shutdowns and reduced run times. Additionally, most uneconomic coal plants retired before complying with the EPA's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

We continue to forecast U.S. renewable energy capacity will double during the next eight years based on state renewable energy portfolio standards and improving economics. We think the move to abandon the CPP could even embolden states to strengthen renewable energy standards, similar to moves made by politicians and corporations following the administration's announcement to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. Corporate renewable energy purchases have also shown to be material source of renewable energy demand. We expect this to continue to grow as businesses realize the economic and public perception benefits.

Utilities operating in states with constructive regulation and environmental policy support could realize 7%-9% annual earnings and dividend growth the next three to five years. Best positioned are utilities like Dominion Energy, (D) Duke Energy, (DUK) American Electric Power, (AEP) and CMS Energy, (CMS) which are investing billions of dollars in new gas infrastructure and transmission infrastructure supporting renewable energy development. NextEra Energy (NEE) and Xcel Energy (XEL) should maintain their lead as the top U.S. renewable energy companies.

Morningstar Premium Members gain exclusive access to our full analyst reports, including fair value estimates, bull and bear breakdowns, and risk analyses. Not a Premium Member? Get this and other reports immediately when you try Morningstar Premium free for 14 days.
Note: This article is part of Morningstar.com's 2018 Guide to IRAs special report. A version of this article appeared on March 10, 2016.

Every year you resolve, "never again." And every year, you're rushing in an IRA contribution for the previous year at the eleventh hour, just before the mid-April deadline. (It's April 18 in 2018.)

You're far from alone: Vanguard found that more than double the amount of contributions are made at the last moment as at the first opportunity.

Certainly, waiting until the last minute to make an IRA contribution is better than not making one at all. But Vanguard's study demonstrated that investors who wait until the last minute to contribute to their IRAs year in and year out hurt their long-term results because their assets have less time to grow in the market. Moreover, many IRA contributors rush in a contribution but leave the money to lie fallow in cash, Vanguard found.

So, avoiding last-minute IRA contributions and getting that money invested as soon as possible are two traps to avoid. If you're rushing in a last-minute contribution for the 2017 tax year, here are 10 more mistakes to step around.

1. Making the wrong contribution type.

There are two main IRA types: traditional and Roth. And traditional IRA contributions are further subdivided into those that are deductible and those that are not.

To help home in on the right IRA type, you need to consider two sets of questions. First, what type of IRA do you qualify for? And if you can make more than one type of IRA contribution, which of them is best?

Answering the first question is fairly straightforward. If your 2017 modified adjusted gross income as a single filer is less than $120,000 ($189,000 for married couples filing jointly), you can make a full Roth IRA contribution for the 2017 tax year. You can make a partial Roth IRA contribution if your income as a single filer is between $120,000 and $135,000; married couples filing jointly can make partial Roth IRA contributions for 2017 if their 2017 modified adjusted gross income is between $189,000 and $199,000.

Anyone can make a traditional IRA contribution, regardless of income. And those contributions can be deducted on your tax return, regardless of income, if you don't contribute to a retirement plan at work. Income limits apply, however, if you contribute to a company retirement plan and want to make a traditional IRA contribution that you can deduct on your tax return. In that instance, single filers' modified adjusted gross income must be below $63,000 for their 2017 contributions to be fully deductible; married couples filing jointly must have modified adjusted gross income of $101,000 or less to make a fully deductible IRA contribution. Those contributions are partially deductible for single filers earning between $63,000 and $73,000 and for married couples filing jointly with incomes between $101,000 and $121,000.

So, of those choices, what's the "right" one? For investors who earn too much to make either a Roth contribution or a traditional IRA contribution that's deductible, a nondeductible IRA is their only option. The tax advantages are limited, but such an account can be used as a conduit to a Roth IRA via "the backdoor," as discussed here.

For investors who qualify for both a deductible traditional IRA contribution and a Roth, the answer boils down to when taking the tax break is more advantageous. Are you better off getting the tax break now, because your income is high relative to where it's likely to be when you're retired? If so, make a deductible IRA contribution and call it a day: You'll be able to deduct your contribution, though you'll pay taxes on your withdrawals. This is often a good strategy for people getting close to retirement who haven't yet saved much. If your taxable income is at a low ebb relative to where it will be in the future, the Roth will be the better bet: You're better off making a contribution of aftertax money in exchange for tax-free withdrawals in retirement. This is often a sound strategy for young earners who aren't earning much at the moment but whose careers are on an upward trajectory.

2. Not splitting between contribution types if you're not sure.

Investors might throw up their hands after reading the above. How on earth are you supposed to know what your taxable income looks like now relative to what it will be in the future? If you're eligible to make either a traditional deductible IRA contribution or a Roth IRA contribution, there's a workaround: Divide your contributions between both account types in whatever proportion you like. Assuming you plan to contribute $5,500 to your IRA for 2017, you could steer $2,750 to a traditional IRA (an amount that you'll deduct on your tax return) and the other $2,750 to a Roth. This strategy can also make sense for investors who are "on the bubble"--who earn too much to make a fully deductible traditional IRA contribution but who can contribute to a Roth.

3. Assuming IRA choice is irrevocable.

If you goof and choose the wrong IRA type, there's a workaround. Though Congress clamped down on IRA recharacterizations with the new tax laws, an investor who inadvertently contributes to the wrong account type can still fix the mistake, as discussed here. For example, if you funded a Roth IRA but later found out that you earned too much to make a contribution, you can recharacterize into a traditional IRA instead. It wouldn't be deductible because if you earn too much to contribute to a Roth, you automatically earn too much to make a deductible IRA contribution.

4. Making a traditional nondeductible IRA contribution and leaving it be.

As noted above, individuals of any income level who are also contributing to a company retirement plan can make a traditional IRA contribution; they just can't deduct it on their tax returns. But whether you'd want to make such a contribution and leave it be is debatable: As this article discusses, the modest tax benefits of holding a traditional nondeductible IRA don't necessarily make up for the strictures it entails--notably, required minimum distributions post age 70 1/2. Instead, a better avenue for high-income folks shut out of the other IRA types is to use the nondeductible traditional IRA as a conduit to a Roth--that is, fund the traditional IRA, and then convert those assets to Roth later on. There are no income limits on conversions. This is called a "backdoor" Roth IRA.

5. Executing a backdoor Roth with other taxable IRA assets in the picture.

But the backdoor Roth isn't for everyone. Specifically, investors who have other IRA assets that have never been taxed (they've been rolled over from an employer's 401(k) plan, for example) will find that a big share of their backdoor Roth IRA assets will be taxable due to the pro rata rule, discussed here.

6. Forgetting about spousal contributions.

For married couples with just one partner earning a salary, it's easy to get caught up in retirement planning for the earning spouse alone. But couples with the wherewithal to do so can make contributions on behalf of both partners, provided the earning partner has made enough to cover both contributions.

7. Misunderstanding the rules about IRA contributions later in life.

A septuagenarian once told me about his wily plan to reinvest his required minimum distributions from his IRA into a Roth IRA. (Roth IRA holders don't have to take RMDs.) That seems like a great idea; but remember, to make an IRA contribution, you or your spouse must have enough earned income--that is, not from your investments or Social Security--to cover the contribution amount.

But nor should seniors reflexively rule out Roth IRA contributions: If they can cobble together enough earned income via consulting or other part-time work, or their spouse is still working and has enough earned income to cover the contribution, they may be able to make at least a partial Roth contribution. This article discusses the ins and outs of IRA contributions for older adults.

8. Not using your IRA to address portfolio issues.

In contrast with 401(k)s, IRA investors have carte blanche on the investment front--with just a few notable exceptions. That can lead to analysis paralysis, and probably explains why so many newly arrived IRA investors hang out in cash for too long. One easy way to determine what to invest in is to take a look at your portfolio today, using Morningstar's X-ray functionality. How does your stock/bond/cash mix look relative to some reasonable target, whether Morningstar's Lifetime Allocation Indexes or a good target-date fund like the Vanguard or BlackRock Index series? Does your portfolio skew heavily (and perhaps dangerously) toward a handful of sectors or a specific section of the Morningstar Style Box? You can use your contributions to an IRA to help correct any unintended bets. For example, adding a core bond fund can help a 55-year-old get closer to an age-appropriate investment mix, while adding a value ETF can help smooth out the risks in a growth-leaning portfolio.

9. Not taking advantage of the IRA's tax-saving features.

The sole benefit of investing inside of an IRA versus investing in a plain-old brokerage account is that you pick up tax benefits--tax-deferred compounding, at a minimum, plus a possible tax break on your contributions (traditional deductible IRA) or on your withdrawals (Roth). Thus, in addition to using your IRA to address portfolio issues or fill holes, it's a great idea to make sure you're taking maximum advantage of the tax breaks the IRA offers. All IRAs--regardless of type--provide an ideal way to shelter investments that kick off a lot of income and/or capital gains on a year-to-year basis (especially short-term gains). That makes them ideal receptacles for assets like high-yield bonds, REITs (whose dividends are taxed at ordinary income levels), and high-turnover equity funds. And because Roth IRAs allow tax-free withdrawals and are generally last in the distribution queue, they're the best holding pens for your highest-returning assets, especially stocks.

10. Going out of your way to find tax-inefficient assets.

Yet, even as you seek to take maximum advantage of the IRA's tax-saving features, you needn't actively seek out tax-inefficient investments that don't mesh with your plan. Young people should generally use their IRAs to hold stocks, even though stocks are more tax-efficient than bonds, and devotees of passive management shouldn't go out of their way to add investment types that aren't as tax-efficient as index funds. Equity index funds and ETFs are indeed tax-efficient, but they're also ideal IRA holdings.
Three New Panels for Marketagent.com

Austria-based online panel and behavioural data specialist Marketagent.com has launched three new ISO-certified panels, covering Finland, Denmark and Greece.



The company was established seventeen years ago by current CEO Thomas Schwabl (pictured), and has around 25 staff, with headquarters in Baden bei Wien, Austria; and offices in Zurich, Switzerland; and Maribor, Slovenia. Its panel of almost one million members was the first in the German-speaking D-A-CH region to be certified in accordance with the ISO 26362 standard.



Schwabl says of the latest expansion: 'With Finland, Denmark and Greece we now provide information about consumers in 45 countries across the globe'.



Web site information in English is here .




Burke/Triolo Productions/Thinkstock Newcomer Mitchell Tenpennys self-titled debut EP is available now. It features his first single, Drunk Me.

The Outlaw Country Cruise 4 will set sail from Tampa next January 27 - February 1 on the Norwegian Pearl, with participating artists to be announced soon

Celebrity trainer Erin Oprea will lead the first-ever ACM Workout for a Cause Saturday, April 14 at 9 a.m. PT at Stoneys Rockin Country in Las Vegas, Nevada. Youve probably heard of Erin through her big-name clients, particularly Carrie Underwood and Kelsea Ballerini.

Opry Country Classics kicks off a new season Thursday, March 1 with a tribute to Johnny Cashand June Carter Cash, on what wouldve been their 50th wedding anniversary. Larry Gatlin hosts the weekly show at Nashvilles Ryman Auditorium, which will run through May 31, with a special June 9 outing set for the week of CMA Music Festival.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
In Focus with Allison Walker is a 30-minute public affairs program, featuring a roundtable of newsmakers representing a range of perspectives, including local officials and expert analysts as they tackle topical issues of importance to Floridians.

In Focus airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., right after Political Connections.
The possibility of stricter gun laws cast a shadow on this weekend's Florida Gun Show in Tampa.

Thousands attend Florida Gun Show

Gov. Rick Scott has outlined a plan for tightening gun laws

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott outlined a plan for tightening gun laws to the Florida Legislature.

The plan includes raising the age on gun sales to 21, banning the sale of bump-stock attachments, and keeping people who have been involuntarily hospitalized for mental health issues from owning a gun.

"Change needs to happen," said Jason Walker, a gun owner. "I don't see why not try something, because doing nothing is not working."

Eric Oyola, a gun show vendor and owner of Class 3 Outbreak disagrees with Gov. Scott's proposal.

"They're just taking the rights from the law-abiding citizens because of people who are going to do it anyways," he said.

Garrett Harkins, 18, says he's a second amendment right supporter and gun owner himself, but feels that owning a high-powered rifle at his age is not necessary.

"I don't think that I should be able to walk into a gun shop and walk out the same day with these federal laws, and take home an AR-15," he said.

A big source of discussion from gun show attendees was the question of if the government can succeed in keeping guns from falling into the wrong hands.

"It's going to be a hard thing to do because people at any time can flip out, whether they're under the radar or not," Walker said.

On Saturday, the Florida Gun Show had more than 7,000 visitors, while thousands more attended on Sunday. The firearms safety classes were also packed.

The Florida Gun show had an event scheduled for March 17-18 in Fort Lauderdale, but at the request of city officials that event has been canceled.

The show will go on as planned next weekend in Lakeland.
The man accused of killing a 65-year-old man at a Cocoa motel has been extradited to Brevard County.

Joshua Keravuori, 19, turned himself into police in Georgia last week.

He was extradited from Georgia to the Brevard County Jail on Saturday.

During his first appearance before a judge, Keravuori was denied bail.

Keravuori is accused of killing Terry Scott Hilliard at the Dixie Motel earlier this month. A nationwide manhunt was issued the 19-year-old before he turned himself in.



Keravuori faces charges of first-degree murder and grand theft. His next court appearance is set for March 22.
A big win for science and the University of Central Florida was announced this week.

UCF to manage Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

It's the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world

Radar system gathers information about planets, moons, asteroids



Starting in April, UCF will manage the most powerful single-dish radio telescope in the world and its located in Puerto Rico.

The process to manage the Arecibo Observatory started months ago. Led by Dr. Ray Lugo, director of Florida Space Institute at UCF, staff submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation which was currently in charge of the observatory.

For Lugo, this win is personal.

"I was actually living probably less than 15 miles from Arecibo when it was being built, he said.

The Arecibo Observatory first opened in 1963 just north of the island. Almost 50 years later, Lugo is back in Puerto Rico with UCF as they transition into managing the 1,000-foot radio telescope.

"The plan we have is to try to find what are some opportunities, some new science that we can perform with that incredible instrument, said Lugo.

The observatory's radar system gathers information about planets, moons, asteroids and comets.

Prior to Hurricane Maria, many thought the observatory would shut down due to lack of funding and resources. Thats when the National Science Foundation decided to open it up to proposals and UCF stepped right in.

"We hope that our students will be able to go there and use the observatory and that students from Puerto Rico will be able to come here and that will have a good exchange of students and information and resources, said Dr. Elizabeth Klonoff, UCF Vice President for research.

After Hurricane Maria, the observatory suffered some damage but nothing that couldnt be fixed. Lugo says there's much to do with what people know as "El Radar de Arecibo."

"It's a 50 year old diamond in the rough and you know we got lots of opportunities to polish this diamond and really create something different and better and still support the primary mission it was built for, Lugo said.

UCF will partner with the Universidad Metropolitana de Puerto Rico and the engineering company Yang Enterprises based in Oviedo, Florida, to manage the site starting April 1.
Police in Cocoa found themselves helping to wrangle an unwelcome visitor to an area apartment complex Monday.

Alligator found at apartment door in Cocoa

Police contacted a trapper to remove it

FWC: Gators may roam in search of water

Officers responded to a call along University Lane from neighbors worrying about an alligator in the neighborhood.

Cocoa police says the officers found a 9-foot alligator at the door of one of the apartments.

The officers reached out to the state for a gator trapper, then helped the trapper remove the gator.

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, gators may roam during warm weather in search of water.

Next time this reptile might want a better navi-gator.

If you see an alligator outside its normal habitat, do not go near it or feed it. Call FWC at 1-888-404-3922.
Orlando has passed an emergency ordinance that makes social media threats illegal, falling under disorderly conduct.

The City Council passed the motion unanimously during a meeting Monday.

I also understand that this is a misdemeanor at a local level. ... I dont know if Tallahassee is going to make it a felony; hopefully so, District 2 Commissioner Tony Ortiz said.

However, others on the council disagreed, saying a misdemeanor was enough of a penalty.

I am concerned that 8 year-old and 9-year-olds in school that make subtle threats get a felony, and we ruin their lives for the rest of their lives, District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill said.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina spoke on behalf of the ordinance, saying social media has outpaced Florida law, and the department has been working on this for some time.

Not in every situation do we put handcuffs on a juvenile. We are looking at the best interest of a trial. Is it just proper to give that child a juvenile civil citation or just release them to their parents, because of the young age of a child? Like you said, we are going to take all of that into account, Mina said.

But since the Parkland mass shooting almost two weeks ago, Orlando and other areas in Central Florida have seen an increase in threats being made. Many of those threats are being made through social media.

Currently, there is what Mina called a loophole in state law, and threats on social media are not recognized fully as a criminal act if it is toward an entity. The ordinance passed Monday allows officers to charge people with a misdemeanor if they make a threat on social media.

. @citybeautiful council unanimously passed the emergency ordinance that would make social media threats fall under disorderly conduct as a misdemeanor. @OrlandoPolice @ChiefJohnMina spoke on behalf of the ordinance. @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/IQV5dhzcRG  Erin Murray News 13 (@emurray1) February 26, 2018

District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan said something needed to change.

I wish there was more that we could do, because I am tired of kids getting shot up and people getting shot up in night clubs and movie theaters, and it is just absurd," Sheehan said. "And I hope that we can somehow stem the madness and listen to some of these kids that are amazing, and passionate, and want to see change in our community and in our state.

The Florida Legislature also working to enact similar legislation at the state level, he said. If passed, that would not go into effect until after the school year on July 1.

There will be a second reading on the social media threat ordinance in two weeks, though it is technically in effect.


CHESHIRE  Police arrested and charged a Cheshire High School student with first-degree threatening and will increase their presence at the school Monday.

Police Lt. Jeffrey Sutherland said the student was remanded to custody and was arrested based on comments made by this student. The departments investigation is ongoing.

In a message to parents posted on social media, Superintendent Jeff Solan said the student charged with threatening made serious but generic threats that didnt identify other students or schools. He said more police would be at the school.

Threats against schools have caused alarm and increased security following the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

Last week, an inappropriate message found written on a Sheehan High School whiteboard in Wallingford prompted a police presence at the school. In an email to parents Wednesday, Sheehan Principal Rosemary Duthie said school officials and police investigated and found no reason for concern.

Authorities were also at Southington High School last week after someone posted a statement on social media saying they will bring a gun to SHS tomorrow.

Police investigated the post and determined the threat was not credible, School Superintendent Tim Connellan said police believe the post originated somewhere in the Midwest and was attaching to schools in a number of areas of the country with the SHS abbreviation, therefore the connection to Southington High School.

The name of the person who posted the threat does not match any current student enrolled in the Southington Public Schools, Connellan wrote.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

203-317-2230

Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
PLAINVILLE  The district is reviewing safety and security protocols following last weeks shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Plainville High School Principal Roberto Medic sent a letter Thursday to students, parents and faculty addressing school safety, including monthly drills.

I write to share with you the measures we take, and will take to ensure the safety of those on our campus, he said. Following each drill we will meet to review how the drill progressed, and will use any new learnings to continually update and ensure that we practice our drill with precisions, effectiveness, and without incident.

His letter comes a week after Superintendent of Schools Maureen Brummett sent a letter about school security measures following the shooting in Florida, which killed 17 students and teachers.

I wish this letter could definitively state that this would never happen here, but in Connecticut we know better than that...I give you my commitment that we are doing everything we can to make sure that your children and our staff are safe while in our schools, Brummett said.

The administrators said they will be meeting with public safety officials and school staff in the next few weeks to further review safety and security protocols.

This has really been something weve been working on since Columbine, said Police Chief Matthew Catania, referencing the 1999 high school shooting in Columbine, Colorado.

After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012, protocols became even more advanced.

Catania said the department works with the schools continuously to prepare for and prevent emergencies.

Town schools do not have a dedicated police officer, also called a school resource officer.

I endorse it and I support the concept, Catania said.

On Feb. 12, he made a presentation to the education board on a proposal to add a school resource officer. The board ultimately adopted a budget that did not include the officer.

Brummett said in the wake of the Florida shooting she is continuing discussions with town officials on the need for a school resource officer.

akus@record-journal.com

203-317-2448

Twitter: @KusReporter
WALLINGFORD  Two Sheehan High School students have been charged following separate incidents at the school last week.

A 15-year-old female student was charged after allegedly writing an inappropriate message on a classroom whiteboard last week. Police say she confessed to writing the message out of frustration, and she was writing her personal feelings out.

The student was issued a summons to appear in New Haven Superior Court and was suspended from school.

Police learned the threatening whiteboard message was written after school on Tuesday, Feb. 20, in a classroom used for media students. The message was seen by several students, but not reported and erased prior to the start of school Wednesday morning, police said. The message was not directed to anyone in specific.

Police also arrested a 16-year-old Sheehan High School male student for breach of peace on Monday, Wallingford Police Lt. Michael Colavolpe said in a statement. The student yelled an alarming statement while walking by a classroom at dismissal time Friday, police said. The comment, alleged to be take cover, disrupted a class and caused students to secure the classroom door.

Menzo said in a statement to parents, I am pleased that in collaboration with the Wallingford Police Department, we have resolved the issues of last week at Sheehan High School. While no educator enters the profession with the goal of disciplining students, we must always balance this need with our ultimate goal to help all students learn from such circumstances.

As we continue to reflect on what happened in Parkland, Florida, I want to ask that all families please share with your children the severity of making comments or posting anything that may appear to be a threat and result in a significant disruption to the school environment, Menzo said in an email to parents. He said incidents will continue to be investigated by the school district and the police, so if culpability is found, the highest level of consequence is enforced which could include expulsion for an entire school year.

Sheehan High School Principal Rosemary Duthie informed parents and students of the incident Friday, adding that the incident would be pursued to the maximum extent allowable and was being taken very seriously by both the administration and the police.

Cheshire Police arrested a Cheshire High School student last week with first-degree threatening and increased their presence at the school this Monday. Superintendent Jeff Solan said the student charged with threatening made serious but generic threats that didnt identify other students or schools.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
Jeremy Wade searches for answers in the most remarkable rivers, lakes and seas on the planet to reveal the secrets of these extraordinary places.

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By Online Desk

The Dubai police on Sunday evening completed the autopsy on actress Sridevi who died of a cardiac arrest. Before this unfortunate incident, Sridevi along with her husband and producer and younger daughter Khushi was attending her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding in Dubai.

After the initial reports came out about the untimely death of the actress, some netizens raised concerns on social media. These speculations caught their attention especially after the Dubai authorities asked for an autopsy.

According to Khaleej Times, Sridevi fainted in her hotel bathroom and was rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai, UAE. However, conducting a postmortem of a deceased person from a different country is a routine. This invariably caused a delay in bringing back the celebrated actress' remains to India. The remains are expected to be brought by a chartered flight on Monday.

We have been receiving several queries regarding the sad untimely demise of the noted actor Sridevi Boney Kapoor in Dubai last night. Consulate is in constant touch with high authorities of Dubai police to expedite formalities so that the mortal remains can depart for India ASAP.  India in Dubai (@cgidubai) February 25, 2018

Many, including Sridevi's brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor, had shared that the actress was not known to have a history of heart disease.

It must be noted that The New Indian Express cannot verify the circumstanes and does not support any rumours surrounding the actress' death.

READ: Actress Sridevi passes away at 54 in Dubai; film fraternity, politicians and sportspersons mourn

The rumours attributed the cause for her death to the multiple cosmetic surgeries the actor had allegedly undergone.

I'll remember #Sridevi as THE early exponent of cosmetic surgery. Gave Michael Jackson a serious run on the nose front. Won't be surprised if her demise was caused by Botulinus poisoning.  Abhimanyu Singh Rana (@abhimanyusrana) February 25, 2018

Sridevi, Boney and their younger daughter Khushi. (Instagram)

While some of her family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and their younger daughter Khushi stayed back.

Her elder daughter -- Janhvi -- had not travelled with the family because of the shooting schedule for her upcoming Bollywood film 'Dhadak', her first in the industry.

Sridevi, known for her versatility as an actor, made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with "Solva Sawan".

But it was only after five years with Jeetendra-starrer "Himmatwala" that she gained commercial success.

Before her entry into Bollywood, the actor had been a known face in South Indian films.

ALSO READ: From Sridevi to Kareena to Anushka, unrealistic beauty standards fuel a disturbing trend

While films like "Mawaali" (1983), "Tohfa" (1984), "Mr India" (1987) and "Chandni" (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings like "Sadma" (1983), "ChaalBaaz" (1989), "Lamhe" (1991), and "Gumrah" (1993) earned her critical acclaim.

She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production "Judaai", co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar.

The actress marked her comeback with the bilingual movie 'English Vinglish' in 2012. Her last appearance was a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan's 'Zero'.
By Associated Press

PARKLAND, FLORIDA: Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and staff members were killed returned Sunday to gather their belongings thrown down in panic during the school shooting nearly two weeks ago.

Thousands of students joined their parents in walking past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the Feb. 14 massacre took place. It is now cordoned off by a chain link fence that was covered with banners from other schools showing their support.

"Just seeing the building was scary," freshman Francesca Lozano said as she exited the school with her mom. Still, she was happy to see her friends. "That made it a lot better."

Seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels stood by a makeshift memorial outside the school before moving near the entrance. Organizer Terry Decarlo said the costumes are sent to mass shootings and disasters so the survivors "know angels are looking over them and protecting them." Many of Sunday's angels were survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando where 49 people died, Decarlo said.

READ: US President Donald Trump suggests arming teachers as he meets Florida school shooting survivors

The school reopens Wednesday and administrators said families would get phone calls about details later. Sunday was a day to ease into the return.

IN PICTURES | Students return to Florida school where 17

were killed

"Two of my best friends aren't here anymore," said freshman Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped as he saw the accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, begin shooting. "But I'm definitely going to school Wednesday. I will handle it."

Junior Sebastian Pena said the gathering was a chance to see friends and his teachers, and to "come together as a family."

Earlier Sunday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office said he had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting. The agency confirmed it would start the investigation immediately.

ALSO READ: Students head to Florida capital to press for gun law change

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has come under withering scrutiny after the revelation last week that deputy Scot Peterson who was on the scene did not go in to confront Cruz during the attack. His office is also facing backlash for apparently mishandling some of the 18 tipster calls related to the suspected shooter. The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed warning signs that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat.

Israel defended his leadership Sunday and said investigators were looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed. To date, the investigation has pointed to only one deputy being on the grounds while the killer was present, he told CNN.

Pulse survivor India Godman, left, hugs Wendy Garrity at Marjory

Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Sunday,

Feb. 25, 2018, for an open house as parents and students returned

to the school for the first time since a shooting took place at the

high school on Feb. 14. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)

Israel also labeled as "absolutely untrue" reports that the deputies waited outside even though children were inside the building needing urgent medical treatment.

ALSO READ: Survivors of deadly Florida school shooting lash out at Donald Trump

State Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican lawmaker from Boca Raton, has called on Scott to remove Israel from office because of the missed red flags.

Israel vowed not to resign, saying Hager's letter "was full of misinformation" and "shameful, politically motivated."

House Speaker Richard Corcoran stepped up the pressure Sunday, calling on Scott to suspend the sheriff.

"In the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz," Corcoran said in a letter signed by more than 70 lawmakers.

Israel insisted that lapses were being investigated. He told CNN that a deputy who responded to a Nov. 30 call referring to Cruz as a "school shooter in the making" was being investigated by internal affairs for not filing a report and had been placed on restrictive duty.

Parents and students walk by the memorial for the victims of the

shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday,

Feb. 25, 2018, for an open house as parents and students returned to

the school for the first time since seventeen victims were killed in a

mass shooting at the school in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14.

(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)

"There needed to be report. And that's what we are looking into that a report needed to be completed, it needed to be forwarded to either Homeland Security or a violent crimes unit," Israel said.

The FBI has acknowledged that it failed to investigate the tip about Cruz that the agency received on Jan. 5.

The Associated Press obtained a transcript of the more than 13-minute phone call. During the call, the woman described a teenager prone to anger with the "mental capacity of a 12 to 14 year old" that deteriorated after his mother died last year. She pointed the FBI to several Instagram accounts where Cruz had posted photos of sliced-up animals and rifles and ammunition he apparently purchased with money from his mother's life insurance policy.

"It's alarming to see these pictures and know what he is capable of doing and what could happen," the caller said. "He's thrown out of all these schools because he would pick up a chair and just throw it at somebody, a teacher or a student, because he didn't like the way they were talking to him."
By AFP

DOUMA: Fresh regime air strikes and heavy clashes shook rebel-held Eastern Ghouta on Sunday despite a UN demand for a ceasefire to end one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war.

After days of diplomatic wrangling, the Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria "without delay" to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a major bombing campaign against the enclave on the edge of Damascus a week ago, and have since killed more than 500 people.

The United Nations resolution raised hopes of stemming the bloodshed but it remains unclear when or how broadly the ceasefire could be implemented.

Russia is a key ally of Assad's regime. In a phone call on Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence to reach a truce.

They called on Russia "to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting," Merkel's office said.

In Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, fresh air raids and artillery strikes could be heard, an AFP correspondent said.

Ground fighting intensifies

At least 14 civilians including three children were killed in strikes on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 530, among them over 130 children.

VIEW GALLERY: Syria toll touches 500 as eastern Ghouta bombing continues, 130 children amongst dead

A child died and at least 13 other people suffered breathing difficulties after a suspected chemical attack on Sunday in a Syrian rebel enclave under intense regime bombardment, said the Observatory and a medic who treated those affected.

Russia's defence ministry said "leaders of armed groups are preparing a provocation to use toxic substances to accuse the regime of using chemical weapons", in a statement that also said the situation in Eastern Ghouta "continued to worsen".

An aid worker in Douma, quoted by British charity Save the Children said a brief pause in bombing had prompted people to emerge after a week sheltering in basements.

WATCH VIDEO: Airstrikes continue battering Syria

"Some people spent these past seven days sitting on the ground. Some people had no food to eat for two or three days," the unnamed aid worker said.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said there appeared be fewer air strikes but that fighting had intensified on the ground.

Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, killing at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, he said.

The Britain-based group uses a network of sources across Syria to monitor the country's conflict.

Mohamed Alloush, a key figure in Jaish al-Islam, tweeted that the rebels were "resisting" bids by regime forces to enter the region.

Eastern Ghouta, home to some 400,000 people, is surrounded by government-controlled territory and its residents are unwilling or unable to flee.

The two main rebel groups controlling the enclave -- Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman -- welcomed the Security Council demand, but vowed to fight back if there were renewed attacks.

VIEW GALLERY: Stop bombing Ghouta: People throng outside Russian Consulate in Istanbul to protest against Syrian airstrikes

UN diplomats say the resolution was watered down to ensure it was not vetoed by Russia, which has provided diplomatic and military support to Assad's regime.

Language specifying that the ceasefire would start 72 hours after adoption was scrapped and the term "immediate" was dropped in reference to aid deliveries and evacuations.

In another concession, the ceasefire would not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities" associated with the groups.

Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate is present in Eastern Ghouta.

The head of the army in Iran, another key Assad ally, said the Syrian military would continue to target "terrorist groups" in Eastern Ghouta.

Assad's regime and its allies routinely describe all opposition forces as "terrorists".

"The zones on the periphery of Damascus... are not covered by the ceasefire and the offensives and clearing operations by the Syrian army will continue," said Mohammad Bagheri, according to the official IRNA news agency.

UN chief Antonio Guterres, who has described Eastern Ghouta under the bombardment as "hell on Earth," said the ceasefire must be "immediately" implemented.

'Used to betrayals'

In the enclave, news of the UN vote made little impact.

"I don't think this decision will be implemented. It will be respected neither by the regime nor Russia," said Douma resident Abu Mazen.

"We can't trust Russia or the regime. We are used to their betrayals."

Rebels in Eastern Ghouta have also been firing into Damascus.

Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since February 18, according to state media.

A total of more than 340,000 people have been killed and millions driven from the homes in Syria's war, which next month enters its eighth year with no diplomatic solution in sight.
Living kidney donor to come to Newport Sunday to raise awareness

Two men walked into a bar in Natchitoches, Louisiana. One needed a kidney transplant, the other had a kidney to spare.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah (left) meets Cambodian Minister of Culture & Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona in Phnom Penh.

Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah met Cambodian Minister of Culture & Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona in Phnom Penh today.

During their meeting they discussed how to strengthen cultural connections between Hong Kong and Cambodia.

Mr Lau then visited cultural facilities and met Hong Kong people living in Phnom Penh.

Over the years, Cambodian cultural representatives have attended the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum hosted by the Home Affairs Bureau.

The Royal Ballet of Cambodia also performed in Hong Kong last year to celebrate the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's 20th anniversary.

Mr Lau will depart for Bangkok tomorrow to meet the Thai Minister of Culture and sign a memorandum of understanding.
German premium carmaker BMW and China's Great Wall Motor Co have signed a letter of intent to jointly produce electric Mini vehicles in China, BMW said on Friday.

If successfully concluded, the BMW-Great Wall talks could yield a first foreign manufacturing partner for Great Wall and a first Mini assembly site outside Europe for the German group.

"Next steps will be to agree on the details of a possible joint venture and cooperation agreement and clarify aspects such as the choice of production location and concrete investments," BMW said.

Great Wall said in a separate statement that a joint venture with BMW would greatly improve its technology level and brand premium, better meet the needs of consumers and further tap into the new energy vehicle market at home and abroad.

Automakers and suppliers are scrambling to meet tough new Chinese quotas for less polluting cars, which call for electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles to account for a fifth of total sales by 2025.

According to analysts at Bernstein, the Chinese electric Mini will be built on a new platform to be developed by the joint venture rather than on the same basis as the battery-powered Mini that will enter production at BMW's British plant in Oxford from 2019.

The Chinese venture could start making the electric Mini around 2021 or 2022, they said, adding it would also produce models under an own brand.

But they were "puzzled" why BMW would have only a minority stake in the venture, less than the 50 percent it holds in its existing Chinese manufacturing venture with Brilliance, as that would give Great Wall rights to the intellectual property the two companies develop together.

Neither BMW nor Great Wall commented on the details of the planned venture, saying details still needed to be worked out.

BMW also said it would further expand its venture with Brilliance, and that it had no plans to set up an additional sales organisation in China.

Rival Audi last year grappled with a dispute with dealers in China who were worried they could lose business to Audi's local partner, SAIC Motor Corp.

Also Watch
German auto giant BMW said Friday it plans to build an electric version of its compact Mini in China, in a possible joint venture with local partner Great Wall.

The Munich-based group is in "advanced discussions" aimed at "a new joint venture in China", it said in a statement, adding that the two firms had signed a so-called letter of intent about the project.

If plans to build the Mini in China go ahead, it would be the first time the unmistakeable cars -- originally created by a British company -- have been built outside Europe.

But BMW and Great Wall have yet to agree on important details like where to build a factory and how much to invest.

China is the fourth-largest market for the Mini after Britain, the United States and Germany.

Some 35,000 were sold there in 2017, or around one in ten sales worldwide.

BMW follows a maxim that "production follows the market", making China ripe for investment in local manufacturing.

Reaching 560,000 units in 2017, Chinese sales of BMW-brand cars -- produced locally under a joint venture with carmaker Brilliance -- outweighed shipments in other major markets the United States and Germany combined.

"A similar growth strategy could accelerate development of the Mini brand significantly," BMW said.

It added that it would continue talks with Great Wall "without questioning BMW Group's commitment in the UK," where production of electric Minis is slated to begin at an Oxford plant next year.

The firm added that it would "further expand" its joint venture with Brilliance, but did not offer further details.

Also Watch: 2018 Hyundai Elite i20 Review (Test Drive) | Exclusive | Cars18
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was on a visit to India to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries made headlines in India mostly for his over-the-top choice of clothing.

Initially smitten by glittery sherwanis, Trudeau was then widely criticised on social media for being "too choreographed" and his exaggerated traditional Indian attires reminded people of Manyavar commercials.

Amidst all the flak that Trudeau faced, not everyone was unimpressed.

In a heartfelt post, Facebook user Kuljeet Kaila expressed how Trudeau and his family's desi avatar gave her a sense of joy.

Growing up in an area largely influenced by the racist, ultra-conservative organization-- Klu Klux Klan (KKK), she describes how her parents were not allowed to step out in their traditional clothing when they migrated to Canada 40 years ago.

While the Sikhs in Canada now enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle and are an integral part of their economy as well as the political scenario with Jagmeet Singh leading Canadas left-leaning New Democrats, life hasn't always been a bed of roses for the Sikhs in Canada.

Photo credits: PTI

In the early 1900s, due to the stringent immigration laws of the country, the non-whites migrating to Canada were unable to bring their families along with them, and in certain cases were themselves sent back.

It was only in the year 1947 when the Sikhs gained voting rights. However, they still had to confine their religious beliefs to their respective homes as they had to cut off their hair and give up on their religious clothing to be able to secure jobs and to avoid racial slurs and violence.

Now that this is all in the past, read how Kuljeet Kaila's parents were left teary-eyed after seeing Trudeau's photographs.
Meerut: Days after claiming that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh could mobilize men faster than the Army, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has courted another controversy after he said that a teen cadre activist was martyred while helping BSF during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

Back in 1971, a 15-year-old tribal boy, studying in class XI, was asked by the personnel of Border Security Force to carry cartons of gunpowder to the forward post till the rest of the battalion arrived. History is witness that the boy, who was also a Swayamsevak, was shot by an enemy bullet while helping the country during times of trouble, RSS Sarsanghachalak Bhagwat said on Sunday while addressing nearly a lakh cadre members at the the RSSs Rashtroday Sammelan in Meerut.

Narrating the incident, Bhagwat said that the 15-year-old boy used to stay very close to the then-Pakistan border and informed the BSF jawans about the activities near the border.

One day, he saw that troops had started to cross the border from East Pakistan to India. Showing his presence of mind, the teen ran to the jawans and informed them about the Pakistanis trying to enter India. There is even a shaheed smarak in West Bengals Raiganj district to commemorate his efforts, the RSS chief said.

The RSS said that to make Sundays event a hit, swayamsevaks had gone to each of the western UPs 10,500 villages to request people to attend the event. The exact number of people who signed up for the event was over 3.11 lakh. However, the total number of swayamsevaks at the venue was just over a lakh.
New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah attacked Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh after the CBI registered a case of fraud against his son-in-law.

Shah alleged that the CMs son-in-law has pocketed money meant for farmers.

Why delete this tweet highlighting the loot of @capt_amarinders son-in-law. Congress has always been at the forefront of highlighting their own robberies such as the NPA mess, bad loans, the free hand they gave to Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. #CongressLootsFarmers pic.twitter.com/b7WS3MnIfp Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 26, 2018

The CBI has registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its Chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, Deputy Managing Director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore. Gurpal Singh is the son-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country.

The company's Chief Executive Officer G S C Rao, CFO Sanjay Tapriya, Executive Director Gursimran Kaur Mann and five non-executive directors have also been booked by the agency.

The CBI on Sunday carried out searches at eight premises, including residences of the directors, factory, corporate office and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

The probe focuses on two loans  Rs 97.85 crore which was declared fraud in 2015 and another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore which was used to repay the previous loan.

The second loan was declared NPA on November 29, 2016, nearly 20 days after scrapping of Rs 1,000 and old Rs 500 notes was announced, according to the CBI FIR.

The bank was allegedly cheated to the tune of Rs 97.85 crore, but the loss incurred by the bank is Rs 109.08 crore, the FIR read.

The lender, Oriental Bank of Commerce, complained to the CBI on November 17, 2017, but the agency registered a case of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Prevention of Corruption Act on February 22.

According to the FIR, OBC sanctioned a loan of Rs 148.60 crore to the company in 2011.

The loan was sanctioned for financing 5,762 sugarcane farmers based on a tie-up agreement under an RBI scheme for supplying sugar produce to the company from January 25, 2012, to March 13, 2012.

The loan money was "dishonestly and fraudulently diverted by the company for its own needs", Dayal said.

According to an MoU, out of the price to be paid by Simbhaoli Sugars Limited to the farmers, loan liabilities were to be adjusted and the remaining amount was to be paid by the company to the growers, according to the FIR.

The account turned NPA on March 31, 2015, and was declared alleged fraud by the bank to RBI on May 13, 2015 for an amount of Rs 97.85 crore.

OBC alleged that in addition to the existing NPA, the bank, under multiple banking arrangements, sanctioned another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore to the company on January 28, 2015, to pay its outstanding loan of Rs 97.85 crore.

The bank adjusted the total liability of Rs 112.94 crore towards the company by way of deposit of the new corporate loan. "The corporate loan, too, turned NPA on November 29, 2016," Dayal said.
New Delhi: Noted architect Hafeez Contractor has offered to design free of charge 19 stations across the country, including several in Mumbai, as part of a redevelopment project being rolled out by the Railways.

Sanjeev Kumar Lohia, Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC), the nodal agency for redeveloping 600 railway stations, said Contractor was among four who had offered to design railway stations free of cost.

Among the stations Contractor has offered to redesign are Dadar, Parel, Wadala, Bandra and Khar in Mumbai. "We had an open invitation for professionals to work pro-bono for developing concepts and master plans for redevelopment of stations. Hafeez Contractor has shown an interest in 19 stations," Lohia said.

He said the corporation had received such offers from another noted architect and two firms. However, we have not finalised any of the designs yet. It is at a preliminary stage," he said.

Contractor, who recently had discussions with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, told PTI that the pro-bono offer was his way of "helping my country".

"The very reason that we (he and his firm) are doing it for free is to show them (the government) what can be done," the Padma Bhushan awardee said.

He said the country suffers when a "lousy job" is done. "Normally, what happens is that all government jobs are given to those who quote the lowest tenders, who then do a lousy job. That way both the government and the country suffer. This is my way of helping the country and to tell them what standards have to be to be met," said Contractor, known for his eclectic style and iconic buildings.

Among the others who have offered to do pro-bono work is architect-activist, P K Das, one of the foremost voices on preservation of open spaces in Mumbai. Two other architecture firms have also shown an interest.

Lohia said the IRSDC has also started the process of empanelling architects who are experienced designers for the transport sector - metro, airports, bus terminals etc -- and have an expert on the railways working with him.

"We need architects as we have to redevelop as many as 600 stations. Designing for railways is different from any other modes of transport. One design error could cost lives. As of now, we have empanelled 11 architects/agencies," Lohia said.

Railway minister Goyal is also slated to hold an architects' meet soon to discuss ways to take the project further. After redevelopment of stations, the railways plans to remain in the business of only running trains, leaving the management of stations to private players.

Under the current station redevelopment plan, the railways allocates operation and maintenance of stations to the developers, including of toilets on platforms, vendors, food stalls, parking and waiting rooms.

The Railway Board had recently also approved plans for giving out railway land on lease for 99 years, allowing construction of residential complexes, and also handing over revenue and operations of platform tickets stations to the developers who undertake station re-development.
Uri: It took a while for Mohammad Irshad, a middle-aged man, to realise that the continuous roaring noise in his village Silikote, near the LoC, was that of gunshots. He had dismissed the first few shots like an everyday affair but when the firing continued and became intense, it dawned on him that perhaps the pre-ceasefire era had returned to torment the border villages of Uri.

His fears soon turned true as villagers of seven LoC hamlets soon had to abandon their houses and take shelter in a school building in Uris main town and its already been five days since then.

Irshad said the firing on Thursday morning was unexpected. There has been a ceasefire in the Hajipir Mountains since November 2003 when the Indian and Pakistani armies decided to give peace a chance in these border areas where Kashmir has been divided into two.

He said he could not move when the firing intensified in his village Silikote. It soon spread to the neighbourhoods of Balakote, Hatlanga, Shoura, Tilawari and Churanda. Irshad told News18 that the firing started at 8am on Thursday when he, along with his wife and children, was preparing for the noon chia (salted pink tea).

It was raining heavily but we rushed out of the house and hid ourselves behind the boulders. We remained there for half an hour and then reached Uri town, he recalled, adding that some of the other villagers could not even wait to wear slippers.

Lag raha tha qayamat barpa ho rahi hai (it seemed like it was the doomsday), he said. But thank God everyone is alive. But I have not been able to find out what happened to the cattle as the firing continued. Today, there was some lull, Irshad added.

Irshad and his family of six are putting up at a government higher secondary school in Uri, where hundreds of displaced villagers have joined them. Authorities and philanthropic organizations are providing food to these villagers.

Gas heaters, blankets, quilts and mattresses have also been laid out in the rooms to accommodate the women and children who look tired and petrified.

Villagers told us that there are hundreds of people who could not come out of their homes because they did not get the time. I guess hundreds are still trapped in Hatlanga, Balkote and Shoura, but now they have moved to safer places behind the mountains. Even the Army has taken shelter in some homes, the sheltered villagers said.

The LoC have been fenced by the Army in such a way at places that some residents have been left outside and they will have to cross a gate that is manned by the Army. These people are at a disadvantage to move to safety when there is firing, a villager said.

Mohammad Yousuf of Balkote village said inmates from the 12 houses outside the fence were trapped and could not move due to non-stop firing.

We tried to bring them out on Saturday when some villagers from here went up to feed the cattle, but the Pakistani troops fired several rounds and the villagers are still struck, Yousuf said. He even displayed a piece of shell and a few bullets to officials.

However, this is for the first time that have I noticed Pakistani troops using loud speakers to warn civilians to get out of the villages. The situation is very bad this time. It is much worse than in the early 90s, said Lal Hassan Kohli of Churanda village.

The Army said that around a dozen villages along the LoC in Uri have been targeted by Pakistani shelling since Thursday, forcing many families to flee. He said that the Indian Army is effectively retaliating the firing.

Brigadier YS Ahlawat of the 12 Indian Infantry Brigade told mediapersons in Uri that the Pakistani Army has been continuously violating the ceasefire and has been indiscriminately using shelling to target civilians.

Barring a few incidents of fidayeen attacks and the Army going after infiltrators over the last few years, Uri has remained largely peaceful with Indian and Pakistani troops restraining themselves. As compared to Uri, the border areas in Poonch and Rajouri on the other hand have faced more pounding on both sides, almost every day. The international border (IB) in the Jammu plains also sees a lot of action.

Last year, the Union Home Ministry said that close to 900 ceasefire violations had been recorded along the LoC and IB while within the first 45 days of 2018, ceasefire has been violated by Pakistani troops on 220 occasions. The Indian Army has said that the unprovoked firing is mostly to provide cover to the infiltrating militants who move along the LoC.
Srinagar: Mohammad Maqbool (18) relentlessly made calls to his parents. He and his four siblings had been living in a temporary camp for the people affected by cross-LoC shelling in Uri. His parents were in Silikote village situated on the zero-line 10 km away.

On February 22, as the shelling started, Maqbools father Abdul Qayoom, and mother Akhter Begum asked their children to leave, but stayed put themselves. We have cattle and we survive on them. They didnt want to abandon the cattle, thats why my parents did not leave home, said Maqbool.

On the third day, Maqbool called his mother Akhter Begum over phone, pleading her to leave home. We cant leave. There is respite in the exchange of fire, Begum answered, adding that a nearby house had been hit by a mortar shell.

Relentless and angry, Maqbool sat down on the porch of a school building doubling up as a relief camp. The temperature plummetted further due to the odd spell of showers. But Maqbool was sweating.

I told them to leave with us. A bullet has no sight and these old people have no mind, said Maqbool in utter frustration.

Most of the families from Maqbools village left their houses and were living in the camp, erected in a school building. But many were stuck in the village as the shelling intensified. I have never seen such a situation in my life, he said. My Class 12 examinations are three days away, but I dont care about it now. I want my parents to be safe.

Around half-past 11, Maqbools phone rang. It was his mother on the other side. There are announcements from Pakistani side that they are going in for heavy shelling. Evacuate us!

Now clearly panicking, Maqbool rushed towards an officer. He requested for an ambulance to evacuate his parents. Dont worry sir, I will accompany the driver. If he is not willing to go, I will drive, he said, making frantic appeals to the government medical official.

He ran, with his cousins Shabir and Tariq in tow, in rain to a nearby hospital. The medical officer at the hospital gave him the contact number of the ambulance driver, who was on his way from a nearby health centre.

Maqbool agreed to take this reporter along. We ran towards the main road and in the next five minutes, got in the ambulance, which was basically a shabby mini-bus with a siren and a beacon.

The ambulance driver was a 40-year-old man called Mohammad Ashraf Ganie from nearby hamlet of Garkote. As we reached the muddy road, crisscrossing the mountainous terrain, we actually began to spot shells flying all over. Every bang of mortar and artillery shelling shook the ambulances window panes.

As we turned past another curve promptly, the deep gorge on our right side was terrifying. But more horrific was the road ahead. It had just started to pour heavily when Ashraf hit the brakes. Suddenly, we could see bullets piercing the road ahead.

Maqbool and his friends shouted in unison, directing Ashraf not to stop: We are in open zone, move.

As we drove, the bangs intensified and the targets were evident now. Everyone was scared, but there was no going back.

After half-an-hour, we halted near Balkote, when a bearded man in his 50s came out of his house and stopped the ambulance. He was Farooq Ahmad, a retired soldier who took us into his home, advising us not to move ahead.

He was staying put with his mother, wife and brother. I will not leave. Somebody has to be here, he said, maintaining his composure while bullets and mortar shells could be heard going off in the background.

It seemed as though the shells were landing just a few meters away. He took us into his private bunker, a concrete room built in his house on a hilly slope.

By now, Maqbool jumped out and directed Ashraf to take the ambulance back by at least half a km towards safety. But Maqbool started in the opposite direction, towards his village which was now just a kilometre away.

Meanwhile, in the bunker, Basheer showed us holes made by high-caliber bullets, which pierced even through the concrete of his bunker. There was no respite from the rains either. Everyone in the house began praying fervently.

After a couple of minutes, an elderly man came running towards Bashirs house, weeping inconsolably. My house has been struck by a shell. Khudaya, main kaha javo. Sab barbad ho gaya (God where will I go, everything is ruined).

Farooq and his brother showed us photographs on their mobile phones. The bullets had pierced walls. Some bullets had landed in their kitchen. He said we were not safe even in the bunker. It can get destroyed if a mortar shell lands on it.

Despite repeated requests, neither Farooq nor family agreed to come with us.

Meanwhile, Maqbool called us with the good news that he had found his parents. Farooq bid us farewell with an advice  run up to the ambulance. Whatever happens, dont stop. You can become targets of a sniper, he said.

It was still raining heavily as we ran for our lives. The run to the ambulance appeared to be the longest ever. But we made it. As we stepped in, we found everyone in the ambulance crying. Maqbools mother Akhter Begum was sitting right in front.

She was lying unconscious when I entered the house, said Maqbool, who had met his father on the way.

Maqbool also managed to rescue two more families in the neighbourhood. We drove past, but Akhter Begum was crying. Her mother and brother were still stuck in another house which couldnt be reached.

Ashraf drove the jam-packed ambulance through the same treacherous road. A father of four children, Ashraf said he had never been on such a daredevil mission in his seven years as an ambulance driver.

Maqbools father raised his hands in the air and said prayers: Thank God, we are alive!

As we reached the relief camp, everyone broke down and the people who had assembled there started hugging us. It was a rescue from death.
Unnao: Attired in crisp formals, a prospective groom and his parents stand at the gate of a womans house in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao district. As nervous, trembling hands reached out to press the doorbell, thoughts of dowry, kundali matching and desirable personality traits cloud the familys mind. While the meeting between the families went off well, a strange demand left the man biting his nails.

The womans family had asked the man to get a No HIV certificate. Thats the new match-making chart for us to ensure couples here have a happy married life, a resident of Unnao districts Prem Ganj said.

The new method to check compatibility was invented after at least 58 people were tested positive for HIV in three pockets of Bangarmau town of Unnao recently.

According to a Times of India report, when Muneeshwar (name changed) visited his fiancees house in Tirwa area of Kannauj district last Monday, the womans parents asked the mans family to abide by their condition prior to the marriage.

Despite the families giving nod for their marriage, the womans family was a little jittery as the man hailed from Prem Ganj, one of the three blocks where people were tested positive for the deadly disease after a quack had allegedly used infected syringes to treat scores of his patients.

"On Saturday, after getting the test report, Muneeshwar and his family members heaved a sigh of relief as he had tested negative for HIV. The doctors report confirmed that he is not an HIV carrier," a relative of Muneeshwar, who played the role of a mediator between families, informed TOI.

When the parents and siblings of the bride were informed about the report, they too were elated and gave their final consent, asking the boy's family to come with baraat on March 4.

"People, who are coming here with marriage proposals, have started insisting the locals to get a No HIV certificate. Most of the residents, however, seem to have accepted the demand and go for HIV test to avoid hurdles in future," confirmed Sunil Kumar, a local corporator.

This unusual demand might upset some people in our traditional society who may even call off a marriage, but both the sides are praiseworthy, said Dr IS Gilada, President, AIDS Society of India.
New Delhi: Amid a rising graph of crime against women in the country, they constitute just 7.28 per cent of the police force in India and at 2.47 per cent, their presence is the lowest in Naxal-hit Telangana, according to government data.

In militancy-affected Jammu and Kashmir, there are just 3.05 per cent women in the police force which has a sanctioned strength of more than 80,000 police personnel, Union home ministry statistics said.

The government data comes amid an increasing graph of crime against women in the country where overall crimes against them rose from 3,29,243 incidents in 2015 to 3,38,954 incidents in 2016.

The situation is pathetic despite the Union home ministry sending advisories in 2009, 2012 and 2016 to all the state governments and Union territories to increase the strength of women police personnel to 33 per cent, a senior ministry official told PTI.

All state and UTs have also been requested to create additional posts of women constables and sub-inspectors and fill up vacancies by recruiting them, the official said.

As on January 1 last year, Telangana had just 2.47 per cent women in the rolls of its police force which has a sanctioned strength of 60,700 personnel, the data said.

In Uttar Pradesh, the country's most-populous state, the police force have only 3.81 per cent women. It has a sanctioned strength of around 3,65,000 personnel.

The percentage of women in police forces in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya was also low, the statistics showed.

While Tamil Nadu has the highest number of women police personnel, the situation in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa was relatively better.

Among the Union territories, Chandigarh has the highest number of women personnel while the Delhi Police, with a sanctioned strength of around 85,000 personnel, had just 8.64 per cent women in its roll as on January 1 last year.

The home ministry has taken a number of steps for increasing the strength of women in paramilitary forces, another official said.

Women are expected to soon account for one-third of constable-rank personnel in the Central Police Reserve Force and around 15 per cent in the border guarding forces  Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), he said.

These forces together comprise around nine lakh personnel of whom only around 20,000 are women now.

The CRPF, considered to be world's largest paramilitary force, is mostly deployed for law and order duties and the anti-Naxal operations.

The year 2015 saw the registration of 34,651 cases of rape in the country and the figure increased to 38,947 in 2016.

Overall crimes against women also rose from 2015 to 2016, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau.

The majority of cases categorised as crimes against women were reported under cruelty by husband or his relatives, followed by an assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping and abduction and rape.

The highest number of rapes have been reported from Madhya Pradesh followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in 2016.
Bhubaneswar: A student from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), has been missing for over a fortnight.

Suhail Aijaz, a resident of Kupwara district in the northern state and pursuing MBBS at the institute since 2016, left his hostel on February 9, and has been missing since then, said police on Sunday.

The second-year student had informed the authorities of the institute that he was going to Chandigarh with his friends to attend a wedding ceremony there and would be back on February 17, Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania said.

The authorities had lodged a missing complaint with the police on February 18, a day after the student's scheduled date of returning to the institute.

A note has been recovered from the hostel, Khurania said, without elaborating on its content.

"Efforts are on to trace the student. We are questioning the institute officials and the friends of the missing student," Khurania said.

He said the youth's last known location was somewhere in Howrah in West Bengal.

"We are in contact with the Howrah police and the CID West Bengal. The particulars of the student have also been shared with them," he said.

Meanwhile, Suhail's father Aijaz Ahmed reached here and met senior police officials seeking their help in tracing his son.

Ahmed told reporters that he had spoken to Suhail over the phone for the last time on February 7.

He also said that the institute authorities were the first ones to tell him that his son had gone missing.
New Delhi: Even as a three-judge bench contemplates referring the contentious land acquisition ruling to a larger bench, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has constituted a five-judge bench to decide the legal conundrum which has seen a split between the Supreme Court benches.

By an administrative order, the CJI has set up the Constitution Bench, headed by himself, to determine whether a three-judge bench could have invalidated another three-judge bench ruling by 2:1 majority.

The five-judge bench is likely to hear the matter on Tuesday next week, immediately after the Holi vacation, in view of the fact that adjudication of land acquisition cases, on the point of compensation and possession, across the country has come to a standstill due to an interim restraint order by the three-judge bench in the top court.

The CJI's fresh directive has come after a bench, led by Justice Arun Mishra, sought an appropriate bench to decide whether the cases of land acquisition could be decided as per the new ruling or not.

In effect, the CJI's order frustrates the pending March 7 hearing by the three-judge bench, comprising Justices Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and Deepak Gupta, which was to consider whether the issue required a deliberation by the larger bench.

The new controversy, which has erupted a month after the unprecedented press conference by four senior-most judges, finds its roots in the February 8 judgment on land acquisition.

The new ruling was by a bench of three judges, in which Justices Arun Mishra and Adarsh K Goel ruled by majority that a 2014 judgment by another three-judge bench should be declared 'per incuriam'  invalid for having ignored law and antecedents.

The 2014 judgment, declared invalid, was by a bench of Justices RM Lodha, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph.

After February 8, when a land acquisition matter came up before a three-judge bench, which included Justices Lokur and Joseph, issues of "judicial discipline, propriety and consistency" were dwelled upon following the question whether it was appropriate for a bench of equal strength to invalidate a judgment by some other bench.

Justice Joseph minced no words in expressing his discontent as he repeatedly observed that the Supreme Court, as an institution, could not look like 14 different courts and that all should work together to make it look like one to upkeep the holy principles of judicial discipline and propriety.

Since the arguments on the point of referring the issue to a larger bench could not be completed in a day's hearing, this bench requested the other Supreme Court benches and high courts not to decide any land acquisition case under the new ruling.

But when one such matter was heard by Justice Arun Mishra's bench the next day, the judge remarked that in his opinion his judgement in the land acquisition case on February 8 was legally tenable. But since the interim order by a three-judge bench was placed before him, he referred the case to the CJI for setting up an appropriate bench.

Acceding to the request, CJI Misra has now constituted the larger bench, which renders the hearing before the other bench, comprising Justices Lokur and Joseph, infructuous as far as reference is concerned. The Constitution Bench does not include either of these two judges.

It could be apt to recall that while Justices Lokur and Joseph were two of the four dissenting judges who held the press conference in January, Justice Mishra was dragged in the controversy over complaints of posting of cases of national importance before some selective benches, which included his court too.

What the Controversy is About

2014: A ruling by a three-judge bench of Justices RM Lodha, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph comes on land acquisition cases

All land acquisition cases, on points of compensation and possession, were decided as per this ruling.

January 2018: Four senior-most judges, including Justices Lokur and Joseph, hold an extraordinary press conference. Apart from the CJI, Justice Arun Mishra also becomes a target over posting of politically sensitive cases before his bench.

February 8: A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, declares the 2014 ruling to be 'per incuriam'. This decision is by 2:1 majority, comprising Justices Mishra and Goel. Justice MM Shantanagoudar dissents.

February 10-20: Some land acquisition cases get decided as per new ruling.

February 21: A three-judge bench, including Justices Lokur and Joseph who were part of the 2014 ruling, questions the February 8 verdict on point of judicial discipline and propriety. This bench issues the interim restraint order and posts the case to March 7 for deciding whether a five-judge bench should examine the contentions.

February 22: When one land acquisition comes up before Justice Arun Mishra's bench, the restraint order is shown. Justice Mishra observes it is only for a larger bench to examine questions of judicial discipline. He refers the matter to the CJI.

February 24: Even as the other three-judge bench keeps the matter pending, the CJI constitutes a five-judge bench, headed by himself. The case is listed on March 6.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly's Budget Session began on Monday amid ruckus with the address of Governor Anandiben Patel amid ruckus by Congress MLAs.

In her speech, Anadiben briefed the House on policies and works of the state government. She touched upon topics such as power supply to farmers, 3350km Namami Narmada Yatra, Ekatm Yatra, skill development courses.

Patel also discussed mega solar power project of Rewa which has been developed as a model project in the country.

During her address, the Congress MLAs created a ruckus over the farmer's issue, delay in payments and water crisis. However, Anandiben continued with her address.

Leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh accused Anandiben of not completing her speech.

Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya will present his fifth and last budget on Wednesday.

Among other things, she highlighted the development of irrigation facilities, development and maintenance of roads including new roads of 6537 km of new projects, sanction to 7.56 lakh houses under PM Gramin Awas Yojana and other initiatives.

This is the first session to be chaired by Patel after she took over as Governor in January. The session culminates on March 28.

The budget session comes days after the closely contested bypolls in Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly constituencies held on February 24.
An epitome of beauty and grace, an actor par excellence and a style icon beyond compare, Sridevis unfortunate and untimely death due to a massive cardiac arrest, had the entire nation grieving as the news of her demise on late Saturday night in Dubai spread.

As an actor who has inspired thousands of girls and women across generations, by way of her acting skills, impeccable style and infectious and charming persona, Sridevi ruled the hearts of millions of fans for over five decades.

Aged 54, Sridevi turned heads every time she made an appearance in public and set hearts a-flutter with her sparkling smile. She was not just a brilliant actress with an extraordinary body of work including films like Lamhe, Chalbaaz, Mr. India, Sadma and Chandni among others as her legacy, but was also a fashion icon who many designers felt honoured and humbled to have worked with.

And at this hour of grief, as the entire nation mourns her death, the film and fashion fraternity too feel a void that can never be filled.

Fashion designer, and a close friend of Sridevi, Manish Malhotra was among those with the actress in Dubai where she was attending husband Boney Kapoors nephew Mohit Marwahs wedding, accompanied with her younger daughter Khushi.

Recalling his first meeting with Sridevi and speaking about his association with her, in an e-mail exchange, designer Malhotra told News18.com, Sridevi and I first met in 1990 when she was already a superstar and I was beginning my career. Working with an icon I always called Maam was a turning point in my career, as it was the beginning of many associations and a longstanding friendship beyond work. We have seen each other grow professionally and personally - it was amazing to see the roles she blossomed into, her passion for painting, and the doting wife and mother she was.

I met Sridevi very recently in Dubai and we just had so much to share. The news that she is no longer with us comes as a shock. I will always cherish the precious memories of a friend who was an iconic superstar. At this point, all my thoughts are with Sridevi's family and I request for privacy as we honour a friend and we grieve her loss, he added.

A post shared by Manish Malhotra (@manishmalhotra05) on Feb 20, 2018 at 7:14am PST

Ace designer Gaurav Gupta says he still in shock and that he shall be in shock for a very long time to come. Describing what he thought of Bollywoods first female superstar Sridevi, he told News18.com, She was and will always be light, celebration, hope, electricity, grace, woman, fighter, mother, dedication, peace, saint, omnipresent. She was life itself, art itself. She was everything good that could be.

A performer of all performances lived life with a flare of giggles and humour despite acting for 50 years out of her 54, he added.

Expressing his thoughts on Sridevi as a style icon, the designer said, A true icon, an artist in every way, she inspired generations of women to liberate themselves and be Indian yet individual. She was fearless in her style, an awe enchanting enigma with utmost dignity which inspired and would inspire generations of all artists, designers and individuals alike. The ultimate muse for any artist. A true mother of creative spirits. Joy to millions. She will always be everywhere. She must be inspiring more universes now. The legend lives! Forever, he added.

Several other designers took to social media to express their condolences to Boney Kapoor and his two daughters and mourn Sridevis demise.

Ace couturier Sabyasachi wrote, We are extremely saddened by the sudden demise of Sridevi. We extend our deepest condolences to her family at their hour of bereavement. May her soul rest in peace.

Designer Tarun Tahiliani wrote took to Instagram to pay his homage to the veteran actor. He wrote, Saddened by the untimely demise of Indias greatest actor, Sridevi. An epitome of beauty and grace. We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family. May her soul rest in peace.

A post shared by Tarun Tahiliani (@taruntahiliani) on Feb 24, 2018 at 10:52pm PST

In a detailed post on Instagram, designer Nikhil Thampi wrote, "One of the biggest reasons why I chose my career path was my fascination with Bollywood and this gorgeous woman, she made every character immortal and memorable. I was convinced that one can dance in a chiffon saree on the snow peak mountains of Switzerland or when she made the colour white immortal which became a very integral part of my body of work or when she danced on the sand-dunes in a bright yellow which made that colour one of my favourites till date.You are, and will be, my muse and inspiration for life! RIP Sridevi, thank you for the eternal inspiration."

A post shared by Nikhil Thampi (@nikhilthampi) on Feb 25, 2018 at 11:27am PST

Sridevi was last seen in Ravi Udyawar directed Mom as Devki Sabharwal. But, that wouldnt be her last on-screen appearance. Fans will get to see the iconic star for the final time in Anand L Rai directed Zero, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif, in a special appearance.
Apart from helping you to find a partner, dating app Tinder may also increase the chances of getting you caught if you are cheating on your partner, revealed a study.

According to the researchers from Texas Tech University, US, many participants said they were not sure if Tinder was a good way to do so, as they saw a few profiles of people on the dating app who were already in a relationship.

"The participants are quite mixed though as to whether Tinder is an effective way to meet extradyadic partners," said co-author of the study Dana Weiser from Texas Tech University in the US.

"This may be because, while it is easy to meet individuals via Tinder, it may also be very easy to get caught, as a percentage of our participants also indicated they saw people who they knew were in relationships on Tinder," Weiser added.

For the study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, researchers examined 550 undergraduate students who participated in the study.

Among the participants, 12.5 percent had spent time with someone they met on Tinder, 17.1 percent had messaged someone on Tinder, 8.9 percent had been physically intimate and 7.2 percent reported having sexual relations with someone they met on Tinder while in an exclusive relationship.

The researchers found two personality traits they said could predict a person's likelihood to cheat on a partner: willingness to engage in sex outside of a committed relationship and intention to engage in infidelity.

"We expected these same personality traits that predict in-person infidelity would also be associated with engaging in infidelity via Tinder," Weiser said.

"We found those traits were more important for predicting infidelity than gender. Basically, men and women looked very similar when we accounted for personality," Weiser added.
Mathura: Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini today condoled the death of Sridevi, saying she had achieved the highest position in Bollywood because of her dedication to her work.

"I value her for her sanskars as in spite of achieving the highest position of 'superstar' in Bollywood, she never compromised with the south Indian sanskars inculcated in her," Hema Malini said.

Malini said she couldn't believe Sridevi was no more as the late actor was healthy and energetic when Sholay star had met her recently.

Sridevi achieved the highest position in Bollywood because of her work and dedication, Malini said.

The actor died reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding. Her mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai today, her family said in a statement.

"Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi (daughters) and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family is deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor," the statement, issued this evening by the Yash Raj Films (YRF) on behalf of the family, said.
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Sridevi Cremated With State Honours As India Says Farewell To its First Female Superstar Sridevi funeral LIVE updates: Sridevi's final journey has begun with a decorated truck carrying the iconic actor's mortal remains to the Vile Parle crematorium, where the final rites will take place at 3:30 pm. News18.com | February 28, 2018, 18:03 IST
Sridevi's nephew Mohit Marwah, for whose wedding the veteran actor was in Dubai, posted a heartfelt tribute for the late star on Instagram. Marwah shared Sridevi's still from her 2012 comeback film "English Vinglish" and wrote, "You were more than a legend. Your vacuum will always be felt."

Sridevis mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai in a few hours from now and the cremation will be held later in the day in Mumbai. Sridevi died late on Saturday reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone to attend the wedding.

The body could not be repatriated yesterday as the final investigation reports from Dubai Police were not ready last evening. The remains would reportedly be brought back onboard a chartered aircraft.

The loss of the actor is being felt by each and every actor in the film industry. While many took to social media to express their grief, close friends rushed to Anil Kapoor's residence to pay their respects.
Rishi Kapoor, who co-starred with Sridevi in films like Chandni, Nagina and Banjaran, took a dig at media houses for referring to the late actors mortal remains as a mere body.

Sridevi, 54, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah.

Kapoor on Sunday took to Twitter to express his displeasure over the media coverage of the actor's death and said: "How has Sridevi all of a sudden become the 'body'?"

How has Sridevi all of a sudden become the body? All television channels reporting the body will be brought to Mumbai in the night! Suddenly your individuality gets lost and becomes a mere body?? Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 25, 2018

Kapoor also offered his condolences on the death of the evergreen queen of Indian cinema and shared a picture of the late actor from the film Chandni.

Henceforth no more Moonlit nights! Chandni gone forever. Alas! pic.twitter.com/VUuO3dQebL Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 25, 2018

In another tweet he wrote, "Woken up to this tragic news. Absolute shock. Sad. Heartfelt condolences to Boney and their two daughters!"
Mumbai: Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, who essayed the role of Sridevi's onscreen husband in Mom, says people in Pakistan are going to miss her as much as the people in India.

"I am in Dubai. I was invited for Srideviji's nephew's wedding. She was there smiling dancing looking as beautiful and healthy as ever. Who would believe that she wouldn't be here just four days later? I met her husband Boney Kapoor saab last (February 17)," Adnan said.

"I just couldn't bear to see him looking so devastated...I am really saddened. I was honoured to have worked with her in 'Mom'," he added.

The actor also said: "I am truly saddened that she is no more with us and we won't see her again. The people in Pakistan are going to miss her as much as the people in India. God give strength to her family."

The actress died on Saturday night at around 11 p.m. after suffering cardiac arrest in Dubai.

Sridevi was in Dubai to attend the marriage function of actress Sonam Kapoor's cousin Mohit Marwah, along with husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi. Her elder daughter Janhvi, who is due to make her Bollywood debut, was in Mumbai.
Mumbai: Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai on Monday morning and the cremation will be held later in the day in Mumbai.

Sridevi, 54, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah.

Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family is deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor," a statement, issued on Sunday evening by Yash Raj Films (YRF) on behalf of the family, said. "They thank the entire media for their prayers, support and sensitivity during their time of grief. Late Sridevi Kapoors body will arrive in India tomorrow, it said.

The mortal remains are expected to be brought by a chartered flight.

The Gulf-based Khaleej Times had reported that Sridevi's autopsy had been completed and the family was now awaiting laboratory reports conducted by the General Department of Forensic Evidence.

Sridevi, a Padma Shri awardee, made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with Solva Sawan. But it was only after five years with Himmatwala, co-starring Jeetendra, that she attained commercial success.

Before her entry into Bollywood, the actor had been a known face in South Indian films. She made her debut as a child artist in in Tamil film Thunaivan in 1969. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.

Sridevi's beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after actors in the Hindi film industry.

While films such as Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Mr India (1987) and Chandni (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings in Sadma (1983), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Gumrah (1993) earned her critical acclaim.

She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production Judaai, co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. It was director Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish in 2012 that marked Sridevi's comeback.

Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.

Last year, she was seen in revenge-drama, Mom, opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. She also shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, Zero, which releases in December.

Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.

Minutes after the news of her death broke, many Bollywood actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh took to Twitter to offer their condolences.

Personalities such as Lata Mangeshkar, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and South superstars Rajanikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Baahubali director SS Rajamouli also offered their condolences on the death of the legendary actor.

Director-producer Karan Johar recalled having a fan moment when he first met the superstar on the sets of his father's film Gumrah.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Congress president Rahul Gandhi also condoled her death.

"Shocked to hear of passing of movie star Sridevi. She has left millions of fans heartbroken. Her performances in films such as Moondram Pirai, Lamhe and English Vinglish remain an inspiration for other actors. My condolences to her family and close associates #PresidentKovind," a tweet from the official Twitter handle of the President said.

Naidu tweeted, "Felt very sad over the sudden demise of popular actress Sridevi. She was an extremely versatile and talented film star, who had acted in Telugu, Hindi and other South Indian languages."

Modi said he was saddened by Sridevi's untimely demise.

"She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace," the PMO tweeted.

Irani, in an emotional letter published by News18, remembered the actor as her "favourite star who defined joy in my childhood".

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival, tweeted, "Shocked to hear of the passing of Indias legendary Sridevi. Honoured to have been in her presence in 2012 when she visited Toronto for English Vinglish. She made countless millions fall in love with her characters."
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Diva Sridevi: From the Covenant of Madrasi Magic

A still from the Sridevi-starrer Himmatwala.

They make you laugh, they make you cry. They bedazzle you with their eyes, smack you with an inviting pout. They seduce you, they charm you into slavery, they drive you mad. They are the temptresses, the Divas of filmdom.



They have so much in common. They are bound by a common code of the Migrant Madrasis. Beauties beyond imagination. As good actors as they are stars. Made their careers in the south before conquering the north.



Sridevi was one of them. But she was neither the first. Nor is she the last.



There were days when the only thing south Indian known to Bollywood and the north was the Madrasi character that Mehmood parodied in Hindi films  a loud chap wearing a veshti, a horizontal white tilak on his forehead, the head half-shorn and with a tuft, the atrocious Hindi mouthed in an unintelligible accent, back half bent as if in perennial supplication.



Amid the laughs that Mehmood commanded, there came about, unnoticed, a steady infusion of southern talent into Bollywood. It worked its magic into the skin of the Mumbai film industry and settled down there for all times. It was the female Madrasi that slithered her way from down south.



Literally slithered her way. Like what Vyjayanthimala did in her first foray into Bollywood with Nagin in 1954. In no time, she could name her price and her co-star, and actually replaced perhaps Indias first superstar, Madhubala. Even Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor came under her spell.



Waheeda Rehman was waiting in the wings as Guru Dutt transported her from Hyderabad to Mumbai and OP Nayyar made her dance maddeningly to the tune of Kahin pe nigahen, kahin pe nishana in CID in 1956. Dev Anand wooed her in film after film. Guru Dutt lived for her.



Then another talent from the south suddenly burst over Mumbai. Padmini. A famous actress of the south. Known for her depth of acting with a figure to boot. Nobody imagined she would become Raj Kapoors muse in Mera Naam Joker. Only he could have convinced her to bare her voluptuous self as she danced to Shankar-Jaikishans seductive Ang lag ja balma.



The picturisation ranks up there with Satyam shivam sundaram and Roop tera mastana. Padmini left her memorable image in Kaajal, as she danced to Meena Kumari singing Chun chun ghungroo bole with Raj Kumar and Dharmendra losing their senses.



Then, of course, theres the Dream Girl  Hema Malini. You simply cannot have enough of her, even if it means watching her in a water filter ad! You could have asked Raj Kapoor who agreed to star in Sapno Ka Saudagar, her debut movie. You can ask Dharmendra. Ask any top hero of the time. Ask Lalu Yadav, who told Bihars roads department to make roads as smooth as Hema Malinis cheeks.



Chal Dhanno... aaj teri Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal hai Audiences still bite their nails and sit on the edge of their seats as Dhanno tries to save Basanti in Sholay. The southern accent had come a long way by then!



The diminutive Laxmi introduced the rest of India to the struggles of an unwed mother in Julie, though the 1975 film is often talked about in the context of sex, and an English song  My heart is beating. It was a milestone in tackling taboo issues.



Whos this, they asked, of the dusky and doe-eyed Rekha who received the best actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards for her 1978 portrayal of a gang-rape victim in Ghar. Indian viewers realised that here was a woman from Madras with good acting calibre. Little did they know then that in a few months, before the end of 1978, she would truly siren her arrival with Amitabh Bachchan in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.



Madrasis, as they were called, come in pairs! As Rekha made her mark, Sridevi made her entrance, not resting till her audience called her Indias first woman superstar. There was a time when producers and heroes had only a south Indian actress to choose from  Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Jayaprada.



In course, it was time for the next generation to take over. Meenakshi Sheshadri filled the gap with Hero. Zarina Wahab chipped in with Gharonda and Chit Chor.



GenNext arrived with Madhavi, Madhoo, Bhanupriya, Rambha, Ramyakrishnan.



But Bollywood had to wait for a while for the southern magic of 1950s-1980s. They came, one by one, slowly but surely, and enveloped Bollywood  Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Suman Ranganathan, Shobhana. Then came the blockbuster bunch of Tabu and Aishwarya Rai.



The next generation from the south is there too in Deepika Padukone, Aditi Rao Hydari and Shruti Haasan. And as we remember the chirpy Madrasi Diva, Sridevi, we come a full circle with her daughter Janhvi, wholl debut later this year in Dhadak.
New Delhi: Bank frauds, which have been tumbling out of the cupboard almost at the rate of one a day recently, have lead to persistent calls for privatisation of public sector banks (PSBs).

Business chambers, CII and FICCI, have suggested that the government should bring down its stake in PSBs so that they can function efficiently. The chambers have also suggested that the total number of such banks be reduced, by merging some, to create less number of such banks but stronger banks. The governments own chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian has earlier called for greater private sector participation in PSBs.

We currently have 21 PSBs, against 13 old private sector banks and 7 new private sector banks, according to data available with the Department of Financial Services.

Not just the business chambers, other stakeholders also seem to suggest that the problem lies in government control of these behemoths, which lack proper regulatory oversight and become hubs for rampant siphoning off of lakhs of crores of taxpayers money.

So, when corporates take large loans and begin to default on repayments, it is the government, and by extension, you and me, who ultimately foot the bill since the state is the majority owner in PSBs. Whether privatization is the panacea to cure all that ails public sector banking in India, is a question worth pondering.

CII has said the first step should be for the government to reduce its stake to 52% and then devise a roadmap to bring down its stake in PSU banks to 33% in three to four years. And a Business Standard piece this morning speaks of revival of an earlier idea  a bank holding company  which will house all the shares the government owns in PSBs. Such a holding company could be managed by competent individuals, and decide when to lessen government holding in various PSBs and how much money to infuse in such banks.

Whether this is a first step towards eventual (even if long term) privatisation of PSBs is any bodys guess. But the idea has gained currency at just the right time, as the government readies for an improved showing in Rajya Sabha to be able to push this initiative, amid growing clamour for wide ranging banking reforms.

Why does private banking inspire more confidence in banking sector analysts than PSBs? Public sector banks are being funded by the government through tax payers money. This straight away means when large scams or frauds get unearthed, the taxpayers feel cheated. The Nirav Modi case, where there has been alleged siphoning off of over Rs 11,000 crore, is neither the first nor perhaps the last in a series of such cases where corporate loans turn bad and the defaulter flees India, never to return. PSBs then become punching bags of the aam aadmi, who feels betrayed.

A piece in the New Indian Express quotes government data to say that public sector banks restructured loans worth Rs 6,09,661 crore in last three years (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17) meant for the industry sector alone (excluding agri lending). So if government were to reduce its stake in PSBs progressively, this automatically means its liability in cases of fraud or default in repayments comes down and by extension, protects the tax payer from sustaining further losses.

Or does it? The reason for persistent calls for privatization is also the perception that private banks (private enterprise wherever and in which ever sector) is better managed and therefore less likely to look the other way when large scale bad loans are burdening the banks books. This, however, has not been conclusively proved anywhere in the world.

The global financial crisis in 2008 showed how private banks can very well become targets of deep financial frauds. Even then, following the financial crises, the US government had to step in to hand bail outs to banks that were too big to fail. Effectively, for a time they became nationalized and so did their losses. Then what is the sense in seeking greater private sector participation while merging smaller banks to create larger entities, if government will eventually have to again prop them up in times of crises? Anyway, given PSBs role in serving farmers or MSMEs sometimes even in remote areas, privatization seems like a half baked idea to tackle the current mess.

Besides, even in India, the record of private banks is far from blemishes. According to a written reply in Lok Sabha last month, while PSBs reported 8,622 cases of fraud between 2014-15 and 2016-17, private sector banks reported 4256 cases of fraud during the same period. So, while PSBs were dealing with frauds at roughly twice the rate at private banks, the latter were also significantly troubled with fraud cases.

The CEA Arvind Subramanian has been advocating greater private sector role in PSBs but not in all such banks. In this piece from the Hindu Business Line, Subramanian has said that The question is, are we getting enough value for this taxpayer money and will this taxpayer money be better protected in the current government ownership structure or will it require a different policy structure. The government also realises that some banks are unviable and need to be shrunk. There are three strong cases which have emerged for private participation in public sector banks. I am not saying all public sector banks should be privatized.

All this brings us to the unavoidable truth: banking sector reforms are the need of the hour and a receding government role in running some PSBs is only part of the solution.

(The author is senior journalist. Views are personal)
New Delhi: A week after Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash alleged assault by two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs at the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence, the Delhi government is mulling a plan to broadcast live stream all meetings with bureaucrats.

According to a Delhi government source, the move is aimed at creating greater transparency in the inner workings of the government and a way for the Kejriwal-led outfit to avoid any further allegations from bureaucrats. The meetings are likely to be live streamed on the Delhi government site.

A source added, We are also considering a move to put all files online so that people can know who has signed on the file, who has not, who is the next person who has to sign the file etc. They will know who has raised what objections to which move of their government.

The Delhi state budget is expected in the month of March. If the Kejriwal cabinet approves the decision to live stream meetings and live track the movement of internal files, the budget is likely to provide a separate allocation for this move.

Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash Prakash alleged that at a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence on Monday evening, AAP MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan physically assaulted him. Both the MLAs are now in police custody.

The Chief Ministers office has denied the allegations and said the incident never took place. Delhi CM office strongly denies allegations by the Chief Secretary. There was no incident of assault or attempted assault by any AAP MLAs, a statement from Kejriwals office said.

On Wednesday, Aruna Asaf Ali Government Hospital issued a medical certificate detailing the physical symptoms that Prakash was showing when brought to the hospital.

The symptoms, according to the report, were more or less consistent with his claims of having been assaulted at the meeting. The Chief Secretary, the report said, complained of painful neck movements, pain behind both ears and pain behind right eye. Doctors also noticed other physical markers of assault on Prakash.
Hyderabad: Three Rajya Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh will go to polls on March 23. Going by the numbers, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) should grab two seats while main opposition YSR Congress may clinch the remaining one. But defections of MLAs mean that the picture might not be that clear.

The YSR Congress has alleged that the TDP is trying to lure its MLAs by offering a huge amount of money to win the third Rajya Sabha seat also. The numbers explain why there is a tough fight for the third Rajya Sabha seat.

Andhra Pradesh has 175 MLAs and to win each Rajya Sabha seat parties need the support of 44 legislators. After 2014 elections, the TDP won the majority with 103 seats and the YSR Congress bagged 67 seats. But in past few months, 23 YSR Congress MLAs have defected to the ruling TDP, bringing down the strength of the Jagan Reddy led outfit to just 44 MLAs.

The TDP can easily win two seats with 88 MLAs. But for the third seat, the Chandrababu Naidu led party is short of only one MLA, with the support of 43 legislators.

Speaking to CNN News18, YSRCP MP and general secretary Vijay Sai Reddy said, "In the current scenario, YSRCP is winning one Rajya Sabha seat with 44 MLAs. But the TDP is trying to lure our MLAs by offering huge money. The TDP has already defected 23 of our MLAs unconstitutionally. If they continue with their tactics, we will teach them a lesson this time."

The YSR Congress has officially declared industrialist Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy as its candidate. The party is confident that the remaining 44 MLAs will not switch sides.

Despite several complains by the YSR Congress, no action has been taken against the illegal defections in the state till now.

At a time when YSRCP is making all efforts to mount the pressure on the ruling TDP over the issue of "special status", winning the Rajya seat has become important for it to send out a strong message.

The TDP is yet to officially announce their Rajya Sabha nominees. The decision will depend on the future course of TDP-BJP alliance also. TDP has given March 5 as a deadline to the BJP to fulfil promises it made in AP Reorganization Act.

It will be interesting to see, whether TDP announces two or three candidates.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP would sweep the March 11 bypolls to the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats.

The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats respectively, following their election to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

"The lotus (BJP's poll symbol) will bloom in both the seats. I have no doubt about this. The very fact that people are talking mostly about the BJP's winning margin is itself an indicator that the party is going to win. "You can be rest assured that we are going to improve our margin in both the seats," Maurya told PTI in an interview here on Monday.

Taking a jibe at the opposition, he said, "As soon as the by-elections were announced, the opposition parties started discussing the victory margin. This is a clear indication that the lotus will bloom in Gorakhpur and Phulpur."

The deputy chief minister, a former president of the state BJP, said as far as the vote-share was concerned, "60 per cent is ours and the rest is for the others to share".

On whether he wanted one of his family members to contest from Phulpur, Maurya said, "Party workers, owing to their affection towards me, floated the idea that someone from my family should contest the bypolls

.

"However, I am a kaaryakarta-waadi (workers-centric) person, and not a parivaar-waadi (believer in dynastic politics). I am a member of the BJP's big family."

Referring to the BJP's winning show in the 2014 general election and 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, he expressed confidence that the "lotus will bloom in 2018 (bypolls) and it will lay a strong foundation for the 2019 Lok Sabha election".

The by-elections are expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress. The saffron party has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur and Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against the SP's Pravin Nishad and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel respectively.

Sureetha Kareem is the Congress candidate from Gorakhpur. The party has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur.

"Voters are very clear as regards which party can usher in development, provide jobs, ensure safety and a robust law-and-order situation in the state. They know that it is the BJP, which is a pro-poor political party, is working to ensure that the benefits of development reach the last person, and also that it can take a tough stand against corruption," Maurya said.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur is significant as it is the bastion of the chief minister, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Adityanath, the seat was thrice represented in Parliament by his mentor Avaidyanath.

Phulpur, on the other hand, was once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It had, for the first time, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Maurya won the seat.

Voting for the bypolls will be held on March 11 and the results will be declared on March 14.
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi appears to be less angry. He doesnt strut and fret much. He doesnt fold his kurta sleeves as much. His pinned tweet gives the impression of an ordinary Twitterati who is making light of PM Narendra Modis tweet asking for ideas for his monthly Mann ki Baat radio address. He raises questions on the Nirav Modi scam and Rafale fighter planes deal. You ask for ideas when in your heart you know what every Indian wants to hear you speak about, he says.

But what do Indians really want to hear? Is Rahul Gandhi actually being heard or is the impact of his words only limited to social media and news headlines? Is he moulding his politics on the lines of the Arvind Kejriwal of 2015-2017, picking noise over substance?

Arvind Kejriwal borrowed a leaf from Narendra Modis social media playbook, and now so has Rahul Gandhi. From aggressive Twitter usage to puns and Pidi videos, Rahul has been grabbing eyeballs, but has failed to convert the interest into votes. Like Kejriwal in Punjab, Rahul suffered defeat in Gujarat. This, ironically, when the BJP seems to be slipping on the virtual platform where it had the first-mover advantage.

Sanjay Kumar of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies feels there is a difference in the noise being made by Rahul and Kejriwal. I dont see any similarity in Rahul Gandhis politics and Arvind Kejriwals politics. Kejriwal has always tried to create noise by making allegations, even if there was no evidence. I think Rahul Gandhi is also trying to create noise, but by asking more relevant and carefully crafted questions. Kejriwal seems to be in haste all the time, but Rahul seems to be the opposite.

His sharp questions on the Rafael deal did send the BJP scurrying for cover.

The differences between the two leaders can also be seen in the way they lead their parties. In January 2013, when he was anointed as the party vice-president, Rahul showed an infectious impatience to cut the Congress to size. Four years on, he has slowly worked his way to effect changes, appointing general secretaries in states, but not going in for a shock overhaul of the Congress Working Committee.

Appointing Ashok Gehlot as election in-charge in Gujarat and little-known Avinash Pandey in Rajasthan, infusing new blood in Mahila Congress with Shobha Ojha and Sushmita Dev were Rahuls choices. A Congress source said Rahul is operating with a velvet glove, hinting to the old guard that they are valued and that the old and new can co-exist.

This has not been Arvind Kejriwals motto. He went in for the kill by throwing out AAP co-founders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan.

Itll be interesting to see what shape Rahul gives to the Congress Working Committee in the party plenary next month. After the debacle in Delhi Assembly Polls in 2013, Rahul had said that the Grand Old Party needed to learn a thing or two from Kejriwal.

Image guru Dilip Cherian, too, feels the two leaders are diametrically opposite. Rahuls political imagery is that of someone who is not focused on political change, but on internal change. He is showing far greater patience in immediate political outcomes, and the process is far more important for him. Kejriwals approach has been that of get the political change first and the process will follow. They are diametrically opposite, said Cherian.

While the urgency and impatience dented AAPs electoral fortunes outside Delhi, the lack of it may prove detrimental to the Congress.

Rahul did emerge as Narendra Modis challenger in Gujarat, awakening a comatose Congress machinery with his temple yatras. But these temple runs yielded limited dividends. The Congress tally increased to 77 Assembly seats from 61 seats in 2012, but the BJP retained power for the sixth consecutive term in Modis home state.

While it may be alright for Rahul to claim moral victory to boost cadre moral, sooner or later he has to conjure up a BJP-like hunger for victory.

Does Rahul Gandhi have the political instinct to build up the organisation? Without an organization, you cannot win elections. Politics is not about rallies. Politics is about winning elections, a Congress leader, who did not wish to be named, said. The leader added that Rahul must, like his grandmother Indira Gandhi, look at everything from an electoral point of view.

Political scientist AK Verma sees Rahul Gandhi as a natural competitor to Modi, but says the formers leadership style isnt convincing. Rahul Gandhi is into the jibe game like Kejriwal. He is making things light. He is pursuing a negative politics.

Different as they may be, Rahul and Kejriwal face a common question  what is their agenda and model of governance?

The Congress is ruling just two big states today  Punjab and Karnataka. Poll-bound Karnataka registered the sharpest jump in farmer suicides from 321 in 2014 to more than 1,300 in 2015, the third-highest among all states. Capital Bengaluru could go thirsty any day. The infrastructure in the state is bad and power cuts of 8-9 hours are normal. In Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh is yet to give shape to his nine-point remedy to problems of drug addiction and unemployment.

These are the same issues Kejriwal faced. While putting out attacking tweets against Modi did position him as a potential challenger, that alone was not sufficient to win in Punjab and Goa.

After Punjab elections, Kejriwal realised that he was not unpopular by himself. He invited social media abuse from the middle class when he directly criticised Narendra Modi in terse terms, an AAP leader close to Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal since seems to have mellowed down. A study of his tweets by news agency IANS shows the former IRS officer has used Modi in his tweets in 11 months. In 2016, he had mentioned Modi 124 times and 33 times in 2017.

While he has kept up his Twitter attack on Modi, Rahul is yet to spell out his model of governance. All regional leaders have some sort of a model  Nitish Kumar talks about a collegial model, Mayawati displays a bureaucratic model parallel to Modi, Akhilesh Yadav showed a watered-down family model, while Sharad Pawar is an old school-agrarian engine in financial packaging.

In comparison with the regional satraps, Rahul faces the dilemma of shedding multiple images associated with him. He maybe positioning himself well for 2019, but faces an uphill task. The Congress is currently at 44 seats (in Lok Sabha) and has to win over 200 seats in 2019 to come to power. Even if we lose 100 seats, we will still be forming the government in 2019, said a BJP leader.
Bengaluru: Congress president Rahul Gandhi seems to have discovered the power of Vachanas after Prime Minister Narendra Modi discovered its author Basavanna to take on Nehru in Parliament two weeks ago.

Gandhi, who travelled across the Lingayat-dominated Mumbai-Karnataka region for the past three days, extensively quoted the Vachanas of Basavanna, the 12th century social reformer and the founder of Lingayat religion or sect.

Buoyed by the good public response he is getting across the region, the Congress chief did not forget to use Basavannas Vachanas (preachings) to counter Modi in all his public meetings.

On Saturday, his first day in the region, Gandhi quoted Basavannas most famous Vachana  Ivanaarava Ivanaarava Endenisadirayya, Iva Nammava Iva Nammava Endenisirayya (Dont ask who is he. Say he is one among us, he is one among us)  to take on what the Congress calls Modis divisive politics.

But Rahul Gandhis rendition of the Vachana in anglicised Kannada set the internet on fire, with BJP poking fun at him. Since this particular Vachana is a tongue twister for him, the next day Gandhi decided to quote less complicated Vachanas.

On Sunday and Monday, he used Nudidanthe Nade (walk the talk) to hit back at Modi. In the last two days, he used Nudidanthe Nade and Kaayakave Kailasa (work is worship) more than three dozen times in his public meetings in Bijapura, Bagalkote, Belgaum and Dharwad districts. He accused Modi of going back on his 2014 election promises and demanded that he walk the talk as preached by Basavanna.

Carefully quoting lines from Basavannas Vachanas is serving two main purposes for the ruling Congress in this election. Mumbai-Karnataka is a Lingayat dominated region and considered a BJP stronghold. By using Basavannas name, Rahul Gandhi is trying to endear himself to the powerful caste, which is mostly with the BJP. Secondly, he is turning the tables on Modi by using the Vachanas to attack him.

Two weeks ago, thanking President Ram Nath Kovind for his address to Parliament, PM Modi had invoked Basavanna to counter Congress claim of Nehru being the father of democracy in India.

Modi had said that Anubhava Mantapa founded by Basavanna was Indias first experiment with democracy and Nehru was not the father of Indian democracy. After that, almost all top leaders of the Congress in Karnataka have been using Basavannas name and Vachanas to hit back at the BJP and Modi.

Vachana, which means speech, is a form of rhythmic writing in simple Kannada that dates back to the 11th century. Anubhava Mantapa was a forum founded by Basavanna to debate and discuss socio-political issues of his time. It was the most secular forum which gave equal rights to Dalits and women 800 years ago.

The MumbaiKarnataka region, formerly a Kannada speaking part of Bombay presidency under the British rule, has seven Lok Sabha seats and 56 Assembly seats.

Even though the Congress did quite well in the 2013 Assembly elections, the BJP swept the region in 2014 Lok Sabha polls by winning six seats and the Congress managed to win just one seat.

The BJP claims that in 2013 the region voted against them mainly because the Lingayat face, BS Yeddyurappa, had fielded his own candidates under the Karnataka Janatha Party (KJP) banner. This time they are hopeful of winning the region back under his leadership.

Speaking to News18, Yeddyurappa said, We welcome Rahul Gandhi quoting Vachanas. Instead of telling us to follow Basavannas Vachanas, he should tell his own party men in Karnataka to follow Basavanna. Because the Congress leaders and their children are into goondagiri. They need to be educated about Basavanna more than us.

The Congress has countered him, saying the party has taken swift and strict action against MLA NA Haris son Mohammad Nalapad for an alleged attack on a youth, and that Yeddyurappa should rein in criminals in his own party.

The Congress believes that MumbaiKarnataka is supporting a separate religion tag for the Lingayats and it wont be easy for the saffron party to win the region back. Water Resources Minister MB Patil, who is spearheading the movement, is from Bijapura district in the same region and he appears to have emerged as the new face of Lingayats in the state.

The Congress, which had no big face from the politically and economically strongest community, is using him to take on Yeddyurappa.

Like his previous HyderabadKarnataka region tour, Rahul Gandhi visited several Hindu temples even in the MumbaiKarnataka region.
Taking on Apple and Google, Microsoft and Chinese electronics major Xiaomi have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered budget speakers and smartphones. The companies would work closely in Cloud computing, AI and hardware. Since they have chosen to sign a memorandum, their partnership is not legally binding and it is unclear if any financials are involved, the Verge reported late on Friday.

Microsoft is planning to allow Xiaomi to use its Cloud computing products, including Azure, to develop upgraded phones, laptops and smart devices. At the same time, the partnership will also give Microsoft more reach and access to the Chinese market. According to the Chinese player, it stands to benefit from "Microsoft's globally leading technologies in Cloud computing and AI."

Xiaomi might also integrate Microsoft Cortana with the Mi AI speaker -- a budget speaker with a modern look. So far, Microsoft has only developed one Cortana smart speaker "Harman Kardon Invoke" that has struggled to compete with other popular digital assistant speakers from Amazon, Google and Apple. Microsoft and Xiaomi are also in talks about projects that will use several Microsoft AI technology, including conversational AI and speech and services like Bing, Edge and Skype, the report said.

Microsoft and Xiaomi have ties that date back to 2015, when they signed a deal to test Windows 10 on Xiaomi devices. Last year, Xiaomi was the world's fifth most popular smartphone company, shipping 92.4 million phones, trailing the likes of Apple, Samsung and Huawei, according to numbers released by market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

Watch: Tech and Auto Show Ep 31 | Auto Expo 2018 Special | Unveilings & Launches
Samsung Electronics Co. has announced that it will cooperate with Qualcomm Technologies to produce 7-nanometre chips for fifth-generation (5G) network service amid rising demand for semiconductors. The two companies will expand their decade-long cooperation into Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) lithography process technology, including the manufacture of future Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G mobile chipsets using Samsung's 7-nanometre Low Power Plus (LPP) EUV process technology, said the South Korean tech giant.

Samsung and Qualcomm have been maintaining close ties with foundry business in the production of 10 nm and 14 nm technologies, Yonhap News Agency reported. "We are pleased to continue to expand our foundry relationship with Qualcomm Technologies in 5G technologies using our EUV process technology," Charlie Bae, Executive Vice President of the Foundry Sales and Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

He added that the collaboration is an "important milestone" for the firm's foundry business. Foundry business refers to making chip designs for other companies that do not have a semiconductor fabrication plant. Using the 7LPP EUV process technology, Snapdragon 5G mobile chipsets will offer a smaller chip footprint, giving more usable space inside upcoming products to support larger batteries or slimmer designs, it said.

Samsung introduced 7LPP EUV, it's first semiconductor process technology to use an EUV lithography solution, in May 2017.

Watch: Tech and Auto Show Ep 31 | Auto Expo 2018 Special | Unveilings & Launches
Sydney: A conservative rural politician who once expressed strong anti-gay views was Monday chosen to replace scandal-plagued Barnaby Joyce as Australia's deputy prime minister after he resigned over an affair with his now-pregnant aide.

Michael McCormack, 53, was chosen by the Nationals  the junior partner in the governing Liberal-National coalition  to take over as leader and deputy PM in a party-room vote.

"We are the party for small business and farmers and we want to make sure that continues and that can only continue with a close relationship with the Liberals," McCormack told reporters in Canberra after winning the vote.

"Look forward to having a good discussion with (Prime Minister and Liberals leader) Malcolm Turnbull in a few moments," he added.

McCormack, who had been serving as veterans' affairs minister, was widely expected to win the leadership role after other Nationals MPs withdrew from the race.

Maverick Queensland MP George Christensen launched a late bid for the leadership, but was defeated. The vote count was not released.

McCormack is not as well-known as Joyce, who made international headlines for threatening to euthanise Hollywood star Johnny Depp's dogs over a quarantine violation.

But he is seen as a safe pair of hands as the Liberal and National parties seek to repair their relationship after the Joyce scandal.

Tensions between the two parties rose after 50-year-old Joyce's affair with ex-staffer Vikki Campion, 33, was splashed across the frontpage of Sydney's Daily Telegraph in early February.

Revelations about the affair and allegations that Joyce breached ministerial rules made daily headlines, prompting Turnbull to harshly criticise his deputy's behaviour and impose a formal ban on sex between ministers and their staff.

Joyce in turn slammed Turnbull's comments as "inept" and initially refused to step down, before resigning Friday after a separate sexual harassment complaint was lodged against him. He denied the allegation.

Turnbull welcomed McCormack's appointment, saying he expected the more than 70-year coalition between the two parties would continue under his leadership.

McCormack was first elected to the lower House of Representatives in 2010 representing Riverina, a rural region in southwest New South Wales state.

More than two decades ago as a local newspaper editor he wrote a column in which he described homosexuality as "sordid behaviour".

In August, as he oversaw a voluntary nationwide postal vote on same-sex marriage as the minister in charge of the government agency running the poll, he "apologised wholeheartedly for the comments at the time".

McCormack later voted in parliament in support of amending the Marriage Act to legalise gay unions.
Beijing: China's Communist Party has handed President Xi Jinping an open path to indefinite rule -- a move analysts warn carries enormous risks by abandoning a succession model that brought stability after turbulent decades under Mao.

Xi, who has concentrated power, accumulated titles and purged potential rivals since becoming head of state in 2013, could remain president for life after the party proposed abolishing a rule limiting the top leader to two five-year terms.

But giving all the levers of power to one man could further erode human rights, unsettle other nations and even set up traps for Xi's rule at home, analysts warn.

"The two-term limit was supposed to increase stability. By ruling beyond the standard 10-year tenure, Xi will be subject to much closer scrutiny by Chinese citizens and the political elite," said Simone van Nieuwenhuizen, Sydney-based co-author of "China and the New Maoists".

The announcement made abruptly on Sunday further chips away at the era of "collective" leadership that was championed by reform leader Deng Xiaoping to prevent the return of another Mao-like cult figure.

Xi's two predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, both served two five-year terms, providing a smooth succession that accompanied China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy.

But Xi, 64, has adopted Mao's playbook, tightening his grip with a relentless crackdown on civil society and corruption, enshrining his name in the party constitution and building his own personality cult.

Remaining in power beyond 2023 gives Xi a chance to push through his vision of a rejuvenated China with global clout, a prosperous society, a revived Silk Road trade route and a powerful military.

China's rubber-stamp legislature is expected to give Xi his second term and remove the 10-year limit at its annual meeting opening on March 5.

"Term limits were a crucial part of the institutionalisation of the leadership transition, something that has plagued Communist parties leading to both tyrannical reigns and catastrophic party decline," said Jonathan Sullivan, director of the China Policy Institute at Nottingham University.

The rule enabled smooth transitions and preserved party unity, he said.

"The removal of term limits is a rejection of all this and it comes with real risks for stability in the long term."

- Great leap backwards? -

Xi provided a major hint that he intended to stay in power when no heir apparent was anointed at the five-yearly party congress in October.

The state-run Global Times tabloid said the Central Committee's proposed amendment to lift term limits would "improve" leadership.

"From the anti-corruption campaign to comprehensively advancing the rule of law to profound economic restructuring, the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core has sturdily opened a new era for a hopeful China," the daily said in an editorial.

Sam Crane, a Chinese history expert at Williams College in the US, expressed scepticism about reforms. "I strongly doubt he will use his political power to force economic reform because that would require empowering non-party economic agents," Crane said. "His chief focus I suspect will be further repression of civil society, a continuation of his political orientation since 2012."

Susan Shirk, chairwoman of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California in San Diego, said there are "acute" risks. "One is the risk of making bad decisions while surrounded by sycophants," Shirk said. "One of the bad decisions is to control information and to control civil society to an extreme extent that the Chinese talent and the middle-class ultimately will find incompatible with their ambitions for their children."

- 'Elite rebellion' -

On Twitter, Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, who has been fighting off jail terms over his role in pro-democracy protests, declared "the era of Emperor Xi". Some people on China's Twitter-like Weibo website said they were "witnessing history" but others were critical, with one commenter saying "now I really feel like I'm living in North Korea".

Censors quickly struck down unfavourable comments and blocked users from reposting an image of Winnie the Pooh hugging a giant jar of honey and the message "Find the thing you love and stick with it" -- Xi has been compared to the portly cartoon bear.

On the diplomatic front, Shirk said Xi could get bad advice at a time when China is asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea and East China Sea, which several Asian nations contest. "It's a risk because of China's international overreaching, more aggressive actions in the South China Sea or handling crises in a way that's immoderate," she said.

Xi's concentration of power could also face opposition within the party, which has seen a relentless crackdown on corruption that has punished more than a million officials.

"The other risk is some form of elite rebellion because it puts all the other politicians at great risk. There's no real power-sharing," Shirk said.."
New Delhi: The Communist Party of China revealed on Sunday that its Central Committee, which comprises 200 elite members of the worlds largest political organisation, had proposed a change to its constitution.

The new proposal would scrap the limit of two consecutive terms for both the President and Vice President of China. This proposal will be put to vote in the upcoming National Peoples Congress which is Chinas version of a parliament and which meets for two weeks every year in March. Given the kind of unbridled power that Xi enjoys within the party, these proposals are expected to sail through.

Not since Mao Zedong has a Chinese President served more than two consecutive terms in office. Deng Xiaoping had introduced this clause in the 80s to ensure that power is not concentrated in one persons hands for too long.

Xi has already acquired unrestricted power by becoming not just General Secretary of the party, but also Chairman of the Central Military Commission. And now the Xi Jinping Thought will officially be part of the Chinese constitution.

So why should this matter to India or to other neighbours of China? Ever since Xi assumed office in 2012, China has shown increasingly aggressive behaviour towards its neighbours, especially those with whom it has a territorial dispute; cases in point being Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and, of course, India.

Xi not only launched an aggressive anti-corruption campaign at home, but also clubbed it with a muscular, expansionist policy in Chinas neighbourhood. China has not only aggressively changed the status quo in the South and East China Seas, it is also now projecting itself as the defender of globalisation at a time when US President Donald Trump and Brexit are fanning insular flames in the western world.

Even with India, there was Depsang in 2013, Chumar in 2014 and the prolonged Doklam face off in 2017. By all indications, these provocations are only going to increase and perhaps be more intense in the years ahead.

What Xi is trying to do is build a new Chinese order. And that begins by establishing Chinas supremacy in its immediate neighbourhood. The One Belt, One Road plan is Xis equivalent of the Marshal Plan. Xi is convinced that United States rise after World War-II was on the back of virtually no challenge to American military power on either of its oceans. China is hoping to establish a similar military superiority in the waters of South and East China Seas, and now increasingly in the Indian Ocean.

Its worth reiterating that there will be more Doklams. If not in the same spot which flared up last year, it could be in other vexed spots along the 3,500-km long disputed Line of Actual Control. For India, the response must not only be militarily strong (as was shown in Doklam) but also one that establishes that India is no pushover geopolitically and strategically.

It may also mean making some concessions. For example, becoming part of the Maritime Silk Road in exchange for Chinas support at the Nuclear Suppliers Group or on Masood Azhar at the United Nations Security Council.

As per the Chinese Lunar calendar, the Year of the Dog started last week. May it bring good tidings for the worlds two most populous countries.
London: Britain's Indian-origin "chicken king" is planning to sell off his Irish fish supplying business to consolidate his food empire following a hygiene scandal at one of his chicken plants in the UK last year.

The 2 Sisters Food Group, owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan, is believed to be working with corporate finance advisers from Clearwater International on a possible disposal of the business, The Sunday Times reported.

An undercover investigation last year had showed workers appearing to change the dates on food labels and picking up dead poultry from the floor and returning it to the production line at a plant in West Bromwich. The company has since put a series of safety measures in place at all its chicken production units.

Earlier this month, 2 Sisters said it would close three of its factories, threatening the future of nearly 900 jobs. Last month, Boparan sold the pizza brand Goodfella's to the owner of Birds Eye for 200 million pounds in cash.

The 51-year-old tycoon, based in the Midlands region of England, left school at 16 and turned 2 Sisters into Britain's largest poultry supplier through a series of acquisitions, including a 342-million-pounds takeover of quoted rival Northern Foods in 2011. He also acquired turkey business Bernard Matthews and restaurant chains FishWorks, Giraffe and Harry Ramsden's.

According to the newspaper, the deal spree left 2 Sisters with debts of 824 million pounds at the end of last year, 5.4 times its underlying earnings although the Goodfella's sale will reduce that total. The company has 250 million pounds of bonds that will need to be repaid next year.

In November last year, the credit ratings agency Moody's downgraded its debt rating deeper into junk territory on fears over meagre profit margins and huge debts. Boparan is also shouldering heavy pension payments after acquiring Northern Foods' final-salary pension scheme. The plan has about 17,000 members and had a 541 million pounds shortfall in March 2015, its most recent disclosures show.

2 Sisters has reportedly also held talks about merging its Fox's Biscuits brand with the Jammie Dodgers maker Burton's Foods, which is owned by a Canadian pension fund.
Johannesburg: South African special police unit Hawks have arrested an Indian-origin woman and her partner, both allegedly linked to ISIS, on charges of abducting a British couple. Fatima Patel and Safydeen Aslam Del Vecchio also face charges of robbery and theft after they went on a spending spree using the couples credit cards, building up a stash of jewellery, camping equipment and electronic devices which were found at a remote location where an ISIS flag was being flown.

The Hawks declined to provide any further information due to the sensitive nature of the case as the search continues for the couple whose vehicle was found abandoned more than 300 kms away from where they were last seen on February 9. But the weekly Sunday Times, quoting a charge sheet after their court appearance, reported that Patel and Del Vecchio also stand accused of contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act by hoisting an ISIS flag at a modest homestead in a rural area.

Del Vecchio also faces another terrorism-related charge for allegedly participating in "extremist web forums that support ISIS and offering to supply phone numbers and sim cards that are not traceable."

Yousha Tayob, the lawyer representing Patel and Del Vecchio, confirmed that the pair had appeared in the court and were remanded in custody at Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The incident had prompted the British government to issue a travel advisory about possible terrorist attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, but local Muslim organisations have dismissed this as an "overreaction".

Ebrahim Deen of the Afro-Middle East Centre told the weekly that South African Muslims posed no threat to travellers and that the incident was more related to crime than an ISIS attack.

"Muslims are largely integrated in (South African) society, are not disillusioned and they face little discrimination like in Europe and elsewhere," he said.

Martin Ewi of the Institute for Security Studies said South Africa was regarded as a "logistics base" for terror cells in transit, and is not traditionally a target for attacks, although the arrests of Patel and Del Vecchio confirmed the presence of an active terror cell in South Africa.

"We in the counter-terror fraternity suspected that they were working as members of an active cell, and the kidnapping will confirm the presence of an active IS cell," Ewi said.
THE family of three women in Bulawayos New Magwegwe suburb who were recently fatally shot by a soldier who later turned the gun on himself in a suicide attempt, is demanding $40 000 as compensation for the killings, lobola and pain caused to them.



Initially the family had demanded $12 000 for funeral expenses. Carlos Tinashe Chapeyema (23), who is based in Gweru and attached to the Zimbabwe National Army Infantry Battalion Brigade in Battlefields, Kwekwe, allegedly fired about 20 shots, killing his wife, her two siblings and injuring his 18-month- old daughter before shooting himself in an alleged suicide attempt following an infidelity row. The Chapeyemas managed to pay part of the money before burial.



A relative who spoke on condition of anonymity, said part of the initial demand was paid and families had agreed on a payment plan for the remaining balance.





The family of the deceased women demanded a total of $40 000, including the initial $12 000 that was demanded before burial. The demanded money covers lobola and compensation for the killings. The Chapeyemas have paid about $5 000 and nine beasts, which am not sure how they were valued, said the relative.





A payment plan of not less than $200 per month was agreed on. We are glad the families are in good books and all went well at the burial of the victims and negotiation meetings.





Chapeyema and his daughter Tlowi Chapeyema, whom he shot once on the leg, are still admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital. His wife, Ashley Phiri (21) and her siblings, Nkosivumile Ncube (16) and Rita Nkomo (23) died on the spot. The incident occurred in the early hours of February 1. Mpilo Central Hospital Clinical Director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said the father and daughters conditions had greatly improved.





Chapeyema is stable now and had a speedy recovery although he is still undergoing specialist treatment for some serious injuries that he had incurred. His daughter is stable and fully recovered now. Doctors are contemplating on discharging her now, he said.





A relative to the deceased women, Ms Idah Mutasa, said to be taking care of Tlowi in hospital, declined to comment on the compensations. She said she has been confined to hospital since day one of the shooting incident and is not aware of what was agreed between the families. I have been in hospital since the day of the incident, hence, cant comment on any other details. The baby is doing fine now, she said.

Members of the bereaved family refused to comment. Chapeyema, who is facing murder and attempted murder charges, was on Friday further remanded in custody in absentia to March 2. He initially appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Franklin Mkhwananzi during a court conducted at his bedside at Mpilo Central Hospital. Chapeyema allegedly went to his wifes house armed with an AK 47 assault rifle, which was loaded with a magazine of 20 rounds.





He was arrested at the scene and the weapon used in committing the alleged offences was also recovered. The couple lived in Mutare but the accused persons wife is alleged to have returned to her parents, accusing Chapeyema of physically abusing her. Chronicle
FORMER president Cde Robert Mugabe was not removed from office by the army but he was pressured to resign by Zanu-PF, a senior party official has said.



Addressing scores of supporters at Nemamwa in Masvingo West on Saturday, Masvingo Senator Cde Clemence Makwarimba said the former president had been surrounded by rogue elements in the form of members of the G40 cabal.



This, he said, prompted the army to launch Operation Restore Legacy but the party remained responsible in pushing Cde Mugabe out of power.





There are some who are lying that Cde Mugabe was removed from power by the army. It is the Zanu-PF Central Committee, which dismissed him as leader of the party, said Cde Makwarimba.

He said there was no way Cde Mugabe was going to withstand the pressure that the people of Zimbabwe had mounted on him, led by war veterans.





The war veterans called for a solidarity march and you saw that there was a sea of people in Harare in November last year. The people from all walks of life, even threatened to go to Cde Mugabes blue roof residence as his resignation took long.





After Zanu-PF Central Committee had dismissed him from the party, we then decided to move a step further and remove him as Head of State. We then teamed up as parliamentarians from MDC-T and Zanu-PF to do the process of impeaching him, he said.





The former President, then wrote a letter to the Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda announcing his resignation and Parliament could not progress with the process of impeachment.

Cde Makwarimba said a majority of legislators wanted Cde Mugabe to leave office as soon as possible and they had unanimously agreed. He said the problem with Cde Mugabe was that he had allowed his powers to be usurped by his wife, Grace, who was also dismissed from the party.

Speaking at the same event Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Ezra Chadzamira called on women in the party not to behave like the former First Lady.





Cde Mugabe did a lot for us until he was surrounded by criminals in the form of G40 cabal members. His wife proved to be a destructive woman and I do not expect Zanu-PF women here to be like her. She wanted to impose herself as Vice President of this country then President later and you saw how our President Emmerson Mnangagwa was humiliated and subsequently fired from his post as Vice President, said Cde Chadzamira.





He called for members to vote resoundingly for President Mnangagwa in the harmonised elections expected sometime in July this year. Herald
ZANU-PF Womens League has pledged to regain the respect of the electorate that was lost during the past years due to mistakes made by former president Robert Mugabe.





Speaking at a meeting held in Mutare last Thursday, secretary for administration Cde Monica Mutsvangwa said there was need to be humble and respectful to win over new members.





In the past, support for Zanu-PF had gone down, especially in rural areas. But under the new dispensation, we need to show people that this is a party that respects people, she said.





We might love our party regalia, but there are times when you need to remove it to get into church and pray with the people. There are times when you see that if you chant slogans, people will not be happy. So just be humble and people will see how wonderful your party is.





She said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had been preaching a message of love and peace across the political divide and as such, the Womens League was keen to engage the church for spiritual guidance.





The spiritual element is required if we are to walk together because whoever you pray for does not forget you. Every one of you is a leader, you need to show people your best personality for them to respect you and your party, said Cde Mutsvangwa.





She said investors preferred to put their money where there was peace, which was all the more reason for women in the province to sow love everywhere.





The President has on numerous occasions declared that Zimbabwe is open for business and promised to implement key reforms that will ensure that the operating environment is conducive for investment.





We need investors and when they come, they should see that Zimbabwe is peaceful, it has people who work together despite their differences, said Cde Mutsvangwa.





The Womens League has already embarked on an initiative to recruit new members in the province. To date, the Manicaland Womens League has held voter education meetings in Makoni, Mutasa, Zimunya and Marange.





Manicaland Womens League chairperson Cde Happiness Nyakuedzwa said the meetings would continue in all districts.





We are mobilising women to vote. We have been explaining the new dispensation to people in the remote areas. We are now reaching out to them in their constituencies. We will have four meetings in each constituency, as we continue with mobilisation at village level, she said.




One of Only 11 Early Copies

of Constitution Up for Auction
(Newser)  The inside story of one of the US' most famous prison breaks is told in a new book from New York Daily News reporter Chelsia Rose Marcius, who spent more than 100 hours interviewing surviving inmate David Sweat, who was shot and captured three weeks after escaping from New York's Clinton Correctional Facility. In an excerpt from Wild Escape published in the Daily News, Marcius recounts how Sweat's escape partner, Richard Matt, noticed prison seamstress Joyce Mitchell seemed to have feelings for Sweat. He saw her crying what Marcius describes as "uncontrollable tears" after Sweat was removed from working in her tailor shop, and asked her what she would do if Sweat ever kissed her. She said she probably wouldn't report Sweat if that happened, and Matt decided the men should use her in their escape plot.

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"She's f---ing nuts," Matt reportedly told Sweat. "She'll bring us whatever we want." And thus Mitchell was roped into the plan, smuggling in items including hacksaw blades, a chisel, drill bits, and a steel punchby hiding them in two pounds of raw hamburger meat she brought in to work. As Marcius explains, prison employees often brought in food and it was not subject to search, so even a tub of raw meat did not raise suspicions. Marcius' book also delves a bit into Mitchell's motivationsshe was looking for an escape from her monotonous life, and Sweat, who was the most talented employee she'd ever worked with, "stirred something in her she had long suppressed"and Sweat's relationship with Matt, who was ultimately killed by authorities. The two bonded, among other things, over art, with Matt inspiring Sweat to take up painting. Click for the full excerpt, which begins on the morning of the escape. (Read more David Sweat stories.)
(Newser)  A well-prepared California hiker missing for six days in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park has been found. The National Park Service tells KTVU that Alan Chow of Oakland was found hydrated and in good health. A ranger in a helicopter spotted him Friday after an extensive search. Chow planned an overnight backpacking trip alone and was last seen Feb. 17, the AP reports. He wasn't officially noticed to be missing until three days later. Yosemite park ranger Scott Gediman says Chow got lost, then set up his tent and stayed put until he was found. Officials say that was the right thing to do.

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Gediman says Chow had food, warm clothing in preparation for the cold temperatures, and used melted snow for drinking water. "The lesson here is for everybody, is that if you're out in the back country and you fall, you hurt yourself, you get lost, just stay put and don't try to walk around and get even more lost," Gediman says. He says the 36-year-old Chow has been reunited with his family and did not require hospitalization. (In December, a lost 92-year-old hunter in Virginia was rescued after a drone joined the search.)
(Newser)  Scores of Republican lawmakers in Florida are calling for a suspension of the sheriff who oversaw the response to the Parkland school shooter. Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and 73 other Republicans, most of the caucus, have signed a letter accusing Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, a Democrat, of "incompetence and neglect of duty" in the months before the shooting, when police received multiple warnings about alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz, the Washington Post reports. "Sheriff Israel failed to maintain a culture of alertness, vigilance, and thoroughness amongst his deputies," the letter states. "As a result of Sheriff Israels failures, students and teachers died."

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott says he has called for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the response for the shooting but will not be suspending Israel at this time, the Sun Sentinel reports. Scott says he has spoken to Corcoran and "like me, he wants the families to have answers and for there to be full accountability." In a CNN interview Sunday, Israel said he had provided "amazing leadership" and it wasn't his fault that deputy Scot Peterson had failed to enter Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the shooting. Politico reports that the sheriff's office's active shooter protocol does not require a deputy to engage the shooter. A sheriff's office spokeswoman declined to explain why. (Read more Parkland school shooting stories.)
(Newser)  The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in one of the biggest cases of the term, one that could prove devastating to public-sector unions. The issue revolves around an employee for the state of Illinois who objects to having $45 a month taken out of his paycheck to support the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, explains SCOTUSblog. Mark Janus doesn't belong to the union and doesn't think it's fair he has to pay those dues. If his argument prevails, it could wipe out a vital source of funding tor public unions. Details and developments:

The key vote: In this case, all eyes are on Neil Gorsuch, not Anthony Kennedy. Why? This same issue came before the court two years ago and seemed certain to end in a 5-4 defeat for the unionsuntil Antonin Scalia died, resulting in a 4-4 deadlock instead. Gorsuch is the only newcomer since that 4-4 result. A problem for readers of tea leaves: On Monday, he asked no questions during arguments, reports the AP.

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The current law: Back in 1977, the court ruled in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education that non-union workers can be required to pay such dues because, even though they aren't union members, they still benefit from collective bargaining and such, explains NPR. However, their money can't be used toward the union's political activities. Monday's case could overturn the 1977 decision.

Back in 1977, the court ruled in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education that non-union workers can be required to pay such dues because, even though they aren't union members, they still benefit from collective bargaining and such, explains NPR. However, their money can't be used toward the union's political activities. Monday's case could overturn the 1977 decision. One prediction: Barring a "shocking pro-union" stance from Gorsuch, the court will likely rule for Janus and ring in "a new, weaker era for the unions that represent teachers and other public-sector employees," writes Sam Baker at Axios.

Barring a "shocking pro-union" stance from Gorsuch, the court will likely rule for Janus and ring in "a new, weaker era for the unions that represent teachers and other public-sector employees," writes Sam Baker at Axios. Two justices: Conservatives hoping to deal a setback to unions seemingly have nothing to fear from Kennedy. On Monday, he was downright "strident" in his criticism, per Politico. "What we're talking about here is a captive audience [being] compelled to subsidize a private party to express its view publicly," he said. Sonia Sotomayor, on the other hand, complained at one point, "You're basically arguing to do away with unions."

Conservatives hoping to deal a setback to unions seemingly have nothing to fear from Kennedy. On Monday, he was downright "strident" in his criticism, per Politico. "What we're talking about here is a captive audience [being] compelled to subsidize a private party to express its view publicly," he said. Sonia Sotomayor, on the other hand, complained at one point, "You're basically arguing to do away with unions." Two views: Dueling opinion pieces at the Nation (a ruling against the unions "would turn First Amendment law on its head") and from the Wall Street Journal editorial board ("Correcting Aboods 40-year-old mistake is long overdue") make their cases.

Dueling opinion pieces at the Nation (a ruling against the unions "would turn First Amendment law on its head") and from the Wall Street Journal editorial board ("Correcting Aboods 40-year-old mistake is long overdue") make their cases. The backers: Janus is backed in his fight by deep pockets on the right, including the Koch Brothers and the Bradley Foundation, reports the Guardian. In fact, the case "illustrates the cohesiveness with which conservative philanthropists have taken on the unions in recent decades," per the New York Times.

Janus is backed in his fight by deep pockets on the right, including the Koch Brothers and the Bradley Foundation, reports the Guardian. In fact, the case "illustrates the cohesiveness with which conservative philanthropists have taken on the unions in recent decades," per the New York Times. Also at stake: A ruling for Janus would hurt unions financially and politically. But the Washington Post sees an "under the radar" effect, as well. The case "could affect an important state government obligation: paying post-employment benefits other than pensionsprimarily health-care coverageto retired public workers." That is, with weaker unions, states might be able to cut benefits or ask workers to pay more to their health plans.

(Read more US Supreme Court stories.)
(Newser)  When the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm was called off last week, the Alabama Department of Corrections said it was because it didn't have time to prepare the inmate before a midnight death warrant expired. "I wouldn't necessarily characterize what we had tonight as a problem," claimed prison commissioner Jeff Dunn early Friday, saying it had only been a "time issue." A lawyer for the 61-year-old inmate, however, says the state is actually talking about a "gory, botched execution" that made a bloody mess of the death chamber and the inmate himself, Reuters reports. "They gave up when they could not find a vein," says Columbia Law School professor Bernard Harcourt. He says two sets of medical personnel worked on Hamm at the same time, trying to find a usable vein in his legs or groin.

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The lawyer says an IV team almost certainly hit Hamm's bladder, and probably "hit his femoral artery as well, because suddenly there was a lot of blood gushing out," NBC News reports. "There were multiple puncture wounds on the ankles, calf, and right groin area, around a dozen." In recent court filings, Harcourt argued that terminal cancer, hepatitis, and prior drug use would make it difficult and painful to execute Hamm, who was sentenced to die for killing a motel clerk during a 1987 robbery, the AP reports. He says he warned that it would be "tortuous and bloody and they wouldn't succeed." The incident is being reviewed by a federal court and a judge has ordered the state to preserve evidence, including Hamm's bloodied clothes. Alabama hasn't said whether it will seek a new execution date. (Read more execution stories.)
(Newser)  A day after she was escorted out of the Conservative Political Action Conference for her own safety after taking conservatives to task for supporting politicians accused of sexual misconduct, including Roy Moore and President Trump, Mona Charen doubled down in an op-ed for the New York Times. "I'm glad I got booed at CPAC," the conservative columnist wrote Sunday, noting she was initially wary at accepting the invite to speak at a conference that has, like the GOP, "become heavily Trumpified." She noted how it's felt like a "Twilight Zone episode" for old-time conservatives since Trump emerged, and that many have "succumbed with numbing regularity" to the new order. But Charen, who was asked to sit on a #MeToo panel addressing sexual misconduct, isn't willing to let "bad actors take control"and so even though she anticipated her audience would be "hostile," she accepted the invite.

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The moment Charen said she'd been "dreading  for days" came when she was asked about "feminist hypocrisy" by the panel's moderator. She answered by saying that conservatives' credibility on sexual ethics is rightly challenged when they don't stand up against people like Trump and Moore, and the boos started flying almost immediatelybut, despite her initial fears, Charen actually found it "freeing." "It must be done, again and again, by those of us who refuse to be absorbed into this brainless, sinister, clownish thing called Trumpism, by those of us who refuse to overlook the fools, frauds, and fascists attempting to glide along in his slipstream into respectability," she writes. Amid the boos, Charen reveals one woman said to her as she was ushered out: "That was so brave!" "She was one of my fellow panelists," Charen writes. "I hope she's encouraged. I am." Her op-ed is here. (Read more CPAC stories.)
(Newser)  The public library in Winchester, Mass., is closed until at least Tuesday, per a Facebook post, for a reason both unexpected and horrifying: On Saturday morning, a woman was fatally stabbed with a hunting knife there in what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack. Boston.com quotes Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan as saying Deane Kenny Stryker, 22, was in a reading room adjacent to the lobby "apparently studying or doing work" when she was attacked from behind. Jeffrey Yao allegedly slashed her head and upper torso some 20 times with a 10-inch blade, and also attacked a 77-year-old man who tried to help Stryker; that man's injuries were not life-threatening. Patrons restrained the 23-year-old Yao until police arrived. More on the crime:

The court appearance: Yao was arraigned Monday in Woburn District Court on one count of armed assault with intent to murder and one count of murder, reports NECN. A not guilty plea was entered, and he was held without bail. His next court date is April 11.

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The victim: Stryker was a first-year student at the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine, reports the Boston Globe. The university's president says she "was just beginning her journey toward becoming a physician, and showed great promise. ... She was an advocate for domestic violence and mental health awareness. ... [She] was part of a student organization that provides confidential peer support to other students who need a place to turn when they are struggling."

Stryker was a first-year student at the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine, reports the Boston Globe. The university's president says she "was just beginning her journey toward becoming a physician, and showed great promise. ... She was an advocate for domestic violence and mental health awareness. ... [She] was part of a student organization that provides confidential peer support to other students who need a place to turn when they are struggling." "Severe mental illness": The Globe reports Yao is being represented by JW Carney Jr., who has been attached to high-profile cases like James "Whitey" Bulger and Brookline clinic shooter John C. Salvi III. In comments to the Globe, Carney called the attack "completely random" and "unquestionably related to [Yao's] severe mental illness," though he didn't provide specifics. Though Yao and Stryker attended Winchester High School around the same general time, they did not know each other, Carney said.

The Globe reports Yao is being represented by JW Carney Jr., who has been attached to high-profile cases like James "Whitey" Bulger and Brookline clinic shooter John C. Salvi III. In comments to the Globe, Carney called the attack "completely random" and "unquestionably related to [Yao's] severe mental illness," though he didn't provide specifics. Though Yao and Stryker attended Winchester High School around the same general time, they did not know each other, Carney said. Missed warnings? "We warned them. We warned them. I can't believe this. This whole thing could have been avoided, all of it." So says one of Yao's neighbors to the Boston Herald. The unnamed man says Yao tried to smash his family's door in at 3am one night in late 2017. The neighbor says he not only alerted police but told them point-blank, "He will kill someone."

"We warned them. We warned them. I can't believe this. This whole thing could have been avoided, all of it." So says one of Yao's neighbors to the Boston Herald. The unnamed man says Yao tried to smash his family's door in at 3am one night in late 2017. The neighbor says he not only alerted police but told them point-blank, "He will kill someone." Another neighbor's fear: He wasn't the only neighbor who was scared of Yao, who had allegedly been slashing tires and doing other damage in the neighborhood; one woman says residents had started keeping bats near their beds for protection. She says police told her they were tracking Yao at night.

(Read more murder stories.)
(Newser)  A climber who abandoned a Polish team following a dispute with fellow mountaineers to attempt a solo ascent of K2, the world's second-highest peak, returned to base camp on Monday because of bad weather, reports the AP. The news dispelled concerns expressed by the other climbers after Denis Urubko walked away from the team on Sunday to attempt a summit on his ownsomething that Pakistani climber Mirza Ali Baig tells the BBC is "completely suicidal." Urubko, a Russian-Polish national, had reportedly argued with team members. He left base camp on Sunday without informing the expedition management, and an expedition spokesman later tweeted they had no radio communication with him. Asghar Ali Porik, chief of Jasmine Tours, which organized logistics for the Polish K2 expedition, said Urubko returned to base camp 2, located at an altitude of 21,982 feet.

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"He is known as the 'Himalayan expert' among the mountaineering community ... but his decision is not correct and does not suit someone of his stature," mountaineering pal Karim Shah says. Urubko was part of last month's mission, along with Adam Bielecki, that rescued French mountain climber Elisabeth Revol from Nanga Parbat, another Himalayan peak in Pakistan. Her climbing partner was injured and is presumed to have died during that summit. Ashraf Aman, the first Pakistani who climbed K2 in 1977, spoke highly of Urubko's skills and rescue of Revol. "He is the star of this era of mountaineering ... he has done the Broad Peak (another Himalayan summit) as a solo climber in 36 hours and just recently rescued (Revol) by climbing without a rope in the night," Aman said. Per Porik, Urubko will wait at base camp for the weather to improve and ascend the summit with the other team members.

(Read more mountain climber stories.)
(Newser)  Last-ditch efforts to save The Weinstein Company have failed and bankruptcy is now the only viable option, the company's board of directors says. The studiofounded by disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob in 2005says that while "this is an extremely unfortunate outcome for our employees, our creditors, and any victims," it has no choice after the collapse of efforts to sell its assets to an investor group, the Los Angeles Times reports. Talks to sell TWC to a group led by former Obama administration member Maria Contreras-Sweet came to a halt earlier this month after New York's attorney general filed a lawsuit against the company and the Weinstein brothers.

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The lawsuit accused the company of ignoring evidence of Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct and other mistreatment of employees. In a strongly worded letter, the board slammed investors Contreras-Sweet and Ron Burkle, whose plan involved buying 51% of the company, introducing a majority-female board of directors, and creating a $40 million fund to compensate the scores of women who say they were sexually assaulted or harassed by Harvey Weinstein. After they presented a plan with "no viable option for a sale" following the lawsuit, "we must conclude that your plan to buy this company was illusory and would only leave this company hobbling toward its demise to the detriment of all constituents," the board wrote, per the Hollywood Reporter. (Read more The Weinstein Company stories.)
(Newser)  China's Xi Jinping was set to step down in 2023, his presidency curtailed by a two-term limit. Now, with the news that China's ruling Communist Party has proposed scrapping the clause that president and vice president "shall serve no more than two consecutive terms" from the constitution, a path may be opening that would allow Xi to rule for life. Five takes on the news:

Bloomberg, Brendan Scott: "The move shows the speed with which Xi has consolidated power over a fifth of humanity, sidelining rivals and silencing dissent. And it provides short-term stability to investors who have come to view Xi as a steadyif heavyhand as China manages slowing growth, increasing middle-class demands and expanding global clout."

New York Times, Chris Buckley and Keith Bradsher: "The timing of the announcement startled even experienced observers of Chinese politics: Mr. Xi completes his first term as president next month and could have waited until late in his second term to act. He also could have stepped down after his second term and run the country from behind the scenes, as some of his predecessors have."

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Blog of China expert Jerome Cohen: "Term limits for the leadership are not usually found in dictatorships. The ... proposed abolition of Chinas presidential term limit means that it has forgotten one of the main lessons of Maos long despotism. The two-term limit ... reflected a widespread desire to prevent the return of one-man dictatorship. Its abolition signals the likelihood of another long period of severe repression. ... Xi decided to strike while the iron is hot rather than wait for later in his new term when increasing problems might have made the change more difficult."

Guardian: "Bill Bishop, the publisher of the Sinocism newsletter on Chinese politics, said the move confirmed Xi's mutation into a species of 'Putin-plus'only Xi was 'much more effective, much more powerful and, frankly, much more ambitious' than his Russian counterpart."

Washington Post, Simon Denyer: In an otherwise critical piece, Denyer sees "a potential upside to all of this. Xi has already used his power to implement a far-reaching crackdown on corruption, even if it has also been used to instill obedience and eliminate rivals. He is equally determined to improve the way the party governs China, eliminate poverty and even improve the country's poisoned environment."

(Read more Xi Jinping stories.)
(Newser)  Some good news for "Dreamers," though it could prove temporary: The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to get the justices to intervene in the controversy over protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants. The justices on Monday refused to take up the administration's appeal of a lower court order that requires the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. What made the appeal unusual is that the administration sought to bypass the federal appeals court in San Francisco and go directly to the Supreme Court, per the AP.

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Trump announced last year that he wanted the DACA program to expire on March 5 unless Congress came up with some kind of alternative, notes the Washington Post. Congress has not done so, but lower courts have essentially blocked Trump's order from taking effect. However, no appeals court has yet weighed in on the issue, and the White House wanted the Supreme Court to skip that step. The justices' decision means the matter probably won't reach the Supreme Court until the next term. (Read more DACA stories.)
(Newser)  When a call alleging domestic violence came in Sunday night to the police department in Thousand Oaks, Calif., cops headed over to a private residence and made an arrestand the person arrested was Heather Locklear. TMZ reports a 911 call was apparently placed by Locklear's brother when he arrived at her home and allegedly found Locklear and her boyfriend fighting. Law enforcement officials tell TMZ that when they arrived, they spotted a mark on the boyfriend, and that when they tried to take Locklear into custody, the 56-year-old Melrose Place actress became "combative, flailing [and] kicking and [striking] three deputies."

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Locklear was charged with a felony count of domestic violence and three counts of battery on emergency personnel, which are misdemeanors. Both TMZ and Page Six note Locklear's previous battles with substance abuse, as well as her involvement in past domestic violence incidents. TMZ notes a 2011 incident between herself and former boyfriend Jack Wagner, in which they allegedly got physical with each other (neither pressed charges). A Thousand Oaks Police Department spokesman tells the Hollywood Reporter that Locklear is no longer in custody after being booked at the Ventura County Jail. (Read more Heather Locklear stories.)
(Newser)  A Slovak investigative reporter and his girlfriend were shot dead in their home in an attack likely linked to his reporting on tax evasion, Slovakia's top police official said Monday. The bodies of 27-year-old Jan Kuciak and his partner were found on Sunday evening in their house in the town of Velka Maca, east of the capital, Bratislava, after police went to the house at the request of a worried family member. National police force president Tibor Gaspar said the slayings "likely have something to do with his investigative activities." He declined to elaborate. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said if that if that were the case, it would be "an unprecedented attack on freedom of the press and democracy in Slovakia" and announced his government was offering $1.23 million to anyone who helped the authorities find the people responsible, reports the AP.

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Gaspar said the reporter was shot in the chest and his girlfriend was shot in the head sometime between Thursday and Sunday. Kuciak was working for Aktuality.sk news website. His latest story reported on a businessman suspected of selling flats in an apartment complex to his own companies. The reporter questioned the business reason for doing that, and speculated that it could be a method of avoiding taxes. Last year, Kuciak alleged that the businessman, Marian Kocner, threatened him following publication of a previous story. The reporter said he filed a complaint with police and alleged they failed to act. Reporters Without Borders, a watchdog group based in Paris, noted that Kuciak was the second journalist killed in the European Union in five months. Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in October by a bomb that destroyed her car.

(Read more journalists killed stories.)
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A man leaps from the top of an overturned vehicle at the scene of a multi-vehicle accident scene in the northbound lane of the Richardson Highway between North Pole and Fairbanks Monday morning, February 26, 2018.
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New Delhi:

Rajasthan's Gandhinaagar Railway station is all set to be operated by women staff from the ticket collector to the station superintendent, from the enquiry counter to the station master and even pointsman. This is countryas second railway station which will be managed by women, first being Matunga railway station in Mumbai.

Of 40, four will look after train operations, eight will do bookings, six will handle reservations, six will check tickets and make an announcement, 10 will look after RPF while remaining six will take up other small work.

The staff will work in three shifts of eight hours. Neelam Jatav will be Gandhi Nagar's first woman station superintendent (SS).

This is a good step for Rajasthan. It would have been even better had this been started earlier. We are working in shifts. Booking & ticket cancellation continue even at night & being handled by women: Santosh Saini pic.twitter.com/ZRzFBolN7r a ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2018

A staff-member, Santosh Saini, lauded the step and said, aThis is a good step for Rajasthan. It would have been even better had this been started earlier. We are working in shifts. Booking & ticket cancellation continue even at night & being handled by women.a

In a tweet, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said, aRailways is leading by an example to empower women and bring positive change in the society.a

Gandhi Nagar Railway Station in Jaipur, Rajasthan becomes India's first non-suburban station fully operated 24x7 by women staff, which includes station operations & Railway Protection Force. Railways is leading by an example to empower women & bring positive change in the society pic.twitter.com/8eKUegsMoP a Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 21, 2018

In another tweet, posted by the Ministry of Railways, it was informed that the station staffs Government Railway Police (GRP) and women traffic police officials too.

CCTV cameras and sanitary napkin vending machines have also been installed at the all-women railway station.
New Delhi:

Itas very hard to believe that Bollywoodas first female superstar Sridevi has left for her heavenly abode. The beautiful actress impressed millions of fans with her performances in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema.

The diva breathed her last on Saturday in Dubai after suffering a cardiac arrest. A She was 54.

Fans are in a state of shock hearing the news of untimely demise and have expressed their grief on social media.

Sridevias strong screen presence, mesmerising dancing skills and flawless acting made her the empress of Bollywood in the 80s and 90s. The actressa last outing on the silver screen was Mom, where she played of the role a mother.

Pakistani actress Sajal Ali who played Sridevias on-screen daughter in the thriller posted a heart-breaking message for the ageless beauty. She shared a picture with the Sadma actress and captioned it as ,''Lost my mom againa'.

Lost my mom again... A post shared by Sajal Ali Firdous (@sajalaly) on Feb 24, 2018 at 11:51pm PST

Sajal who is a popular actress in Pakistan lost her mother during the shoot of Mom and it was reported that Sridevi comforted her.

"Sajal was very close to her mother, who she lost recently. It shattered the young girl. Sri took Sajal under her wings after that tragedy and treated her like her own. After the tragedy, Sajal called Sri from her hometown in Pakistan and broke down, saying the whole experience was too close to her to be treated just as a film", a source had told Deccan Chronicle.

Sajal had last year shared a video where Sridevi can be seen getting emotional and saying, aaSajal, I Love you bachaaa. The Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay captioned the video as aa I love you Shrimaaaa.A

Various Pakistani actors mourned the sudden demise of the talented actress on social media.

So grateful to have grown up and lived in the times of #sridevi . Thank you for the movies, thank you for the magic. You shall live on forever.. pic.twitter.com/jS2YJU1zoq a Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) February 25, 2018

My condolences to @BoneyKapoor Ji and the Kapoor family. Deeply saddened to loose an icon like #Sridevi Ji. a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (@RFAKWorld) February 24, 2018

Rest in peace #Sridevi ji. You have left us with great memories of joy and tears. a Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) February 25, 2018

Indeed, it is a great loss to the industry and we express her condolences to Sridevias family.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Central government on Monday decided to reimburse the payments made by the victims of cross-border firing living in bordering areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision of reimbursement was made after a request by Ministry of Home Affairs, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

Singh further added that the fund paid as compensation by the Jammu and Kashmir government will be reimbursed to the state government by the Centre through Security Related Expenditure (SRE).

The Centre will also pay relief and compensation for housing damages, crop or livestock losses, relief for stay at camps and displacements at the rates equal to NDRF recommendation.

The new orders also directs the state government to submit details from time to time in order to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre.

The communique also advises the State Government that item-wise claims and compensations paid by the State Government to the victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, in order to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre.

Also read: BSF foils infiltration bid along IB in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district

The incessant ceasefire violations by Pakistan have resulted in loss of human lives and mass scale displacement in Kashmir valley along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border. According to government figures at least 20 people have been killed including 11 security personnel and nine civilians and over 75 others were injured in Pakistani shelling and firing along the LoC in the last 56 days.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

India has once again tried to bring a calming influence to soured relations with its neighbour Pakistan by inviting their Commerce Minister, Pervaiz Malik, to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting taking place in Delhi on March 19-20.

As per reports in Indian Express, Malik is said to have confirmed his attendance. The move has left many political pundits surprised as the timing of the invitation comes amid the heightened tension between Indian and Pakistan due to ceasefire violations along the International border and Line of Control.

The invitation to Malik comes in the wake of the late-December secret back-channel negotiations between the two national security advisors, Ajit Doval and Nasser Janjua, first reported in The Indian Express, and takes place after the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) threatened to isolate Pakistan over the weekend if it didnt stop using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

As the decision to participate in the SAARC summit, to be held in Pakistan, comes up again for consideration by the Centre  India and several other South Asian nations had refused to go last year, ensuring a cancellation of the summit  Delhi is planning a more nuanced Pakistan policy than it has been seen since the Pathankot attacks two years ago.

Diplomatic sources from India and Pakistan have confirmed that the two sides have decided to undertake an exchange of all their prisoners in their respective jails. They will soon begin this exercise by releasing the most vulnerable, that is, women and children and mentally disturbed prisoners, some of whom languish behind bars after long outliving their original sentence.

As many as 50 vulnerable prisoners are said to be living in pitiful conditions in Indian and Pakistani jails.

This most obvious of humane steps will now be carried out alongside targeted measures already being undertaken to control militancy inside Jammu & Kashmir as well on the Line of Control and the international border.

However, under pressure by the international community to reach out to the Pakistani government and its civil society, Delhi has withdrawn its objections to participating in multilateral meetings with Pakistan.

As reported by The Indian Express, Delhi even hosted a four-member team from the Pakistani security and intelligence establishment  including its director-general in charge of counter-terrorism in the Pakistan foreign ministry  from January 31 to February 2 in Delhi, along with similar delegations from other SCO participating nations.

The invitation to the Pakistani Commerce Minister should be seen in that light, diplomatic sources said. Sartaj Aziz, then foreign affairs advisor, was the last Pakistani leader to visit India in December 2016 for the Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan in Amritsar.

Malik will, of course, meet his host, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, but it isnt clear yet whether he will also be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Shillong:

A constable of Railway Protection Force (RPF) shot dead his senior, an assistant commandant rank officer, and injured three other personnel at Mawkyrwat camp of the paramilitary force in the poll bound Meghalaya on Sunday, state police said on Monday.

The Meghalaya Police during investigation have learnt that the constable opened fire at the assistant commandant and three others after an altercation over sanctioning of leave.

The deceased assistant commandant has been identified as Mukesh C Tyagi and the accused constable as Arjun Deshwal.

Police said, Deshwal pumped in 13 rounds of bullet from his rifle into Tyagis body after altercation on leave.

Also read: BJP's Bhagalpur district SC, ST cell president murdered by miscreants



Three other RPF personnel identified as Constable Joginder Kumar, Sub-inspector Om Prakash Yadav and Inspector Pradeep Meena were rushed to North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science for medical attention.

We have arrested the accused constable, said Police.

Meghalaya goes to polls on Tuesday, with voting in 59 of 60 assembly constituencies.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Former Cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian has passed away, officials said on Monday. He was 79.

Extremely shocked to hear the sad news of the demise of T S R Subramanian. He was the tallest amongst all and is a big loss for the IAS fraternity and the nation. Deepest condolences to all family members. We hope and pray that your ideas and thoughts will continue to guide us, the IAS association said in a tweet.

His cremation will take place at the Lodhi Road crematorium here at 5.30 pm, the association said.

Subramanian was the Cabinet secretary from August 1, 1996, to March 31, 1998.

The cause of death and other details were immediately not known.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel Jitendra Singh and other senior IAS officers have condoled his death.

Former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian is no more. Saddened by the news. He was affable, full of ideas and energetic. In many a debate on TV channels, shared thoughts with him. Condolences to his family and his fraternity, she said.

Also Read: Modi govt opens coal mining for private companies, Coal India to lose monopoly

The MoS said, "Saddened by news of the demise of former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian. My condolences to the entire IAS fraternity and his family."

Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Anil Swarup, said, Bichde sab bari bari (all left one by one)."

One of the most outstanding officer T S R Subramanian is no more. Rest in Peace. RIP, he said on Twitter.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

China's attempt to increase its economic and military might in the Indian Ocean came to light once again with East Asian nation's plan to establish a Joint Ocean Observation Station in the Maldives.

China's Joint Ocean Observation Station is seen by strategic experts as a major security challenge for the Indian government with the Maldivian opposition leaders claiming that the observatory will also have a military application with provision even for a submarine base.

The observatory location in Makunudhoo, the westernmost atoll in the north (not far from India), will allow the Chinese a vantage point of an important Indian Ocean shipping route through which many merchant and other ships pass, said political sources in Male. It will be uncomfortably close to Indian waters and test red lines with regard to ties with the Maldives.

Indian officials confirmed that an official agreement titled Protocol on Establishment of Joint Ocean Observation Station between China and the Maldives was finalized last year around the time the countries also controversially signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). They, however, said theyll have to check the specifics of the agreement before offering a comment.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

A former top adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges in the special counsel's Russia investigation.

The plea by Rick Gates revealed that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates' longtime business associate, Paul Manafort.

Gates, 45, of Richmond, Virginia, made the plea at the federal courthouse in Washington. He admitted to charges accusing him of conspiring against the U.S. government related to fraud and unregistered foreign lobbying as well as lying to federal authorities in a recent interview.

With his cooperation, Gates gives Mueller a witness willing to provide information on Manafort about his finances and political consulting work in Ukraine, and also someone who had access at the highest levels of the Trump campaign.

Gates' plea came a day after a federal grand jury in Virginia returned a 32-count indictment against him and Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, accusing them of tax evasion and bank fraud.

The indictment in Virginia was the second round of charges against Gates and against Manafort, who has denied any wrongdoing. The two men were initially charged last October with unregistered lobbying and conspiring to launder millions of dollars they earned while working on behalf of a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party.

Gates' decision marks the fifth publicly known guilty plea in the special counsel probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.

The plea also comes quickly on the heels of the stunning indictment last week that laid out a broad operation of election meddling by Russia, which began in 2014, and employed fake social media accounts and on-the-ground politicking to promote Trump's campaign, disparage Hillary Clinton and sow division and discord widely among the U.S. electorate.

The charges to which Gates is pleading guilty don't involve any conduct connected to the Trump campaign. They largely relate to a conspiracy laid out in his indictments, but they do reveal that Gates spoke with the FBI earlier this month and lied during the interview. That same day, his attorneys filed a motion to withdraw from representing him for "irreconcilable difference."

The court papers accuse Gates of lying about a March 19, 2013, meeting involving Manafort, a lobbyist and a member of Congress. Gates said the meeting did not include discussion of Ukraine, when in fact prosecutors say it did.

The charges don't name the lobbyist or the lawmaker but filings with the Justice Department show Manafort and lobbyist Vin Weber of Mercury Public Affairs met with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., on that date as part of a lobbying campaign on behalf of Ukrainian interests.

On Friday, Manafort said in a statement that he maintains his innocence.

"I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise," Manafort said. "This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled-up charges contained in the indictments against me."

In court filings over the past few months, Gates gradually began to show the strain the case was placing on him and his family.

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Johannesburg :

South African special police unit Hawks have arrested an Indian-origin woman and her partner, both allegedly linked to ISIS, on charges of abducting a British couple.

Fatima Patel and Safydeen Aslam Del Vecchio also face charges of robbery and theft after they went on a spending spree using the couples credit cards, building up a stash of jewellery, camping equipment and electronic devices which were found at a remote location where an ISIS flag was being flown.

The Hawks declined to provide any further information due to the sensitive nature of the case as the search continues for the couple whose vehicle was found abandoned more than 300 kms away from where they were last seen on February 9.

But the weekly Sunday Times, quoting a charge sheet after their court appearance, reported that Patel and Del Vecchio also stand accused of contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act by hoisting an ISIS flag at a modest homestead in a rural area.

Del Vecchio also faces another terrorism-related charge for allegedly participating in "extremist web forums that support ISIS and offering to supply phone numbers and sim cards that are not traceable."

Yousha Tayob, the lawyer representing Patel and Del Vecchio, confirmed that the pair had appeared in the court and were remanded in custody at Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The incident had prompted the British government to issue a travel advisory about possible terrorist attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, but local Muslim organisations have dismissed this as an "overreaction".

Ebrahim Deen of the Afro-Middle East Centre told the weekly that South African Muslims posed no threat to travellers and that the incident was more related to crime than an ISIS attack.

"Muslims are largely integrated in (South African) society, are not disillusioned and they face little discrimination like in Europe and elsewhere," he said.

Martin Ewi of the Institute for Security Studies said South Africa was regarded as a "logistics base" for terror cells in transit, and is not traditionally a target for attacks, although the arrests of Patel and Del Vecchio confirmed the presence of an active terror cell in South Africa.

"We in the counter terror fraternity suspected that they were working as members of an active cell, and the kidnapping will confirm the presence of an active IS cell," Ewi said.

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The Japanese government says it will issue the J-ALERT nationwide emergency warning system in multiple languages.

The system urges the public to evacuate when North Korea launches a ballistic missile and the missile is on course to fly over or fall onto Japanese territories.

J-ALERT messages are currently available only in Japanese. Foreign missions in the country have been asking for multilingual messages. More travelers are expected to visit Japan in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The government will utilize the Tourism Agency's "Safety Tip" smartphone app and provide J-ALERT service in English, Chinese and Korean starting next month at the earliest.
Japan earned a total of 13 medals, including four golds, in the Pyeongchang Olympic Games, which ended on Sunday, with the total number marking a record high for the country in the history of the Winter Olympics.

One of the four golds was won by Yuzuru Hanyu in men's singles figure skating. Hanyu defended the title he gained in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, becoming the second man in 66 years to clinch two consecutive Olympic golds in the sport.

The three other golds were won in speed skating events for women. Nao Kodaira scored a victory in the 500-meter sprint with an Olympic record time of 36.94 seconds, becoming the first Japanese female speed skater to win an Olympic gold.

The Japanese squad of Nana Takagi, her younger sister Miho Takagi, Ayano Sato and Ayaka Kikuchi won the team pursuit event.

Nana Takagi claimed her second gold at the Pyeongchang Games, in the mass start event, which was newly added to the Winter Olympics. She is the first Japanese female athlete ever to claim multiple gold medals in a single Winter Olympics.
Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly stabbing his male roommate at their residence in Yokohama early Saturday, reports TV Asahi

At around 1:45 a.m., Hiroyuki Baba telephoned emergency services to report that he had killed his roommate at the residence, located in Isogo ward.

Officers arriving at the scene found Mizuho Kojima, a 33-year-old elementary school teacher in Yokosuka City, collapsed face-down and bleeding from his chest in a room.

Kojima was transported to a hospital where he is in serious condition.

At the time police arrived, Babaas hands were covered in blood. A knife that is believed to have been used in the crime was also found at the scene.

Baba, who has been accused of attempted murder, admits to the allegations, police said.

Police are now seeking the motive for the crime.
A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a 17-year-old high school girl after he took her to his home in Tokyoas Setagaya Ward and kept her there for six days following an online correpondence, police said Sunday.

According to police, Masakatsu Yamaguchi, an employee of a game development company, has admitted to the charge and quoted him as saying, aI was hoping for a sexual relationship if all went well,a Fuji TV reported.

Police said Yamaguchi invited the girl, who lives in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, to his residence after reading a message she posted on a social networking site that said, aIam thinking about running away from home.a

Yamaguchi suggested she come and stay with him. He drove to Utsunomiya early on the morning of Feb 18 and picked up the girl who stayed at his place until Feb 23.

Her parents reported her missing on Feb 18 after finding a message in her room, saying she was running away from home. Although the girl appears to have gone with Yamaguchi willingly, he has been charged with kidnapping, as she is a minor.

A police officer spotted her getting on a shinkansen train bound for Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Feb 23. She was taken into protective custody when the train arrived in Hiroshima. She was not harmed, police said.

Yamaguchi surfaced as a suspect after street surveillance camera footage showed the girl getting into his car in Utsunomiya. His name was also obtained from correspondence with the girl online.
Ishikawa Prefectural Police on Thursday found the body of a 36-year-old woman inside her residence in Kanazawa City after her husband apparently attempted to commit suicide, the Sankei Shimbun

At just past 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, officers working off a tip from Niigata Prefectural Police found the body of Naoko Hashimoto, the 36-year-old manager of a clothing store, inside her residence in the Yonaizumimachi area.

According to police, the results of an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be suffocation. About one week had passed since she died.

About 90 minutes before the discovery, Hashimotoas husband, 48, told police in Myoko City, Niigata that he had akilled a family membera in Kanazawa.

Niigata police later arrived at the location of the husband and discovered that he had consumed a large quantity of tranquilizers prior to making the call.

After he received treatment at a hospital, police arrested him suspicion of murder on Friday.
COOPERSTOWN, NY -- The hottest ticket in the annual line-up of Upstate New York beer festivals has a theme this year that may help answer a question.

What does "Ommegang' mean, anyway?

The hot ticket is to the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival, held in early August each year at Brewery Ommegang, just south of Cooperstown.

Online tickets go on sale at noon April 1. Typically, they sell out in minutes. This year's BCTC is Aug. 3 and 4.

The fest always has a theme, often tied to movies or some other bit of pop culture. But for 2018, the theme is Ommegang itself.

Ommegang is a street fest or pageant held each year in the Belgian capital of Brussels. It's dates back to at least 1549, when the first Ommegang was held to celebrate a visit by Emperor Charles V. In Dutch, the word "ommegang" means, roughly, "walk around." There are Ommegang pageants held throughout Belgium and the Netherlands, but the one is Brussels is among the largest.

The original owners chose the name Ommegang for the Belgian-style brewery they opened in late 1997. Soon after, they began an annual beer fest, in which they celebrated all things Belgian, served their own Belgian-style beers and invited others to do the same.

Crowds for Belgium Comes to Cooperstown started to get out of hand, so several years ago Brewery Ommegang started the online sales to limit the number of attendees. The 3,000 people who score tickets will be able to sample beers from about 100 Belgian or Belgian-style brewers (or breweries who make a Belgian just to get into the fest). There's also food, activiites and music. Camping on the grounds is available.

Events include a five-course beer dinner Aug. 3 for VIP tickets holders only. Brewery Ommegang is partnering in the dinner with food from Beekman 1802 of nearby Sharon Springs (made famous in TV's "Fabulous Beekman Boys"). The main Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event is the 2:30 to 7 p.m., on the Ommegang grounds. More information.

Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Sunday paid sympathy visit to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Yobe State.

Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Sunday paid sympathy visit to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam in Yobe State.

He came with a message meant to strengthen his host following recent attacks on Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, headquarters of Bursari local government area in Yobe State, where schoolgirls are suspected to have been abducted.





Shettima said during his visit that the unfortunate incident in Dapchi reminds him of conspiracy theories regarding the Chibok abduction, cautioning that politicians should learn a lesson on the need to separate politics from issues of security.





Your Excellency (Gov. Gaidam), I have been in your shoes since 2014 when schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok. I know exactly how you feel. When our daughters were abducted in Chibok, only God understood how I felt and I can imagine how you also feel, and the trauma you are going through.





The parents of these girls would always look up to you with hope in the midst of agony. I know you are pained but I also believe that insha Allah, these girls will be rescued very soon. It is unfortunate that we have faced yet another abduction but that only reminds us about the difficulties of fighting insurgency.





LOftentimes, they strike where you least expect. Before Boko Haram attacked Chibok, that Chibok had the least threat of Boko Haram in the northeast. No one expected them to even think about Chibok because it a mostly Christian community where Boko Haram was hardly an issue there. If the parents thought Chibok wasnt safe, I dont think they would allow their children to be there.





Of course, as Government we wouldnt dare do so. In the same vein, I dont think anyone ever expected an attack in Dapchi. This incident however, reminds all of us not only in Borno and Yobe but perhaps across the northern Nigeria to be on guard.





I think the difference between the Chibok incident and this one, is that the Federal Government didnt react in denial, doubt or formed a conspiracy theory.





The Federal Government assumed responsibility which we hope will lead to rescue of the schoolgirls.





When schoolgirls were abducted in Chibok, some people said there was no abduction because Borno was in the opposition.





Those who admitted there was abduction, came up with a conspiracy theory that the APC leaders perpetuated it in order to win the 2015 elections.





Now, this abduction took place in an APC controlled State under an APC led federal government. What this reminds us, in very painful way, I should add, is that as political actors, we should learn to separate politics from issues of security. Human lives are very precious in the sight of Allah, Shettima said.





The Governor said he was in Yobe not only as Governor of Borno but also to represent the Northern Governors Forum.





I am here as Governor of a sister State, because Borno and Yobe are like siamese twins; what affects Yobe invariably affects Borno.





I am also here as representative of the Northern Governors Forum. I am used to traveling all the way to the south to represent our forum over sensitive issues, particularly on security.





I felt it would be an irony if I go to far places and I dont come to neighboring Yobe State at a time like this. Your Excellency (Gaidam), our colleagues have mandated me to tell you that we stand by you at this difficult time.





We share the grief of parents whose daughters are affected by this unfortunate incident. They are not their daughters alone, they are our daughters as well.





I know that Your Excellency has been supportive of the military over the years with other security establishments in the State. I know you are working closely with them to have this resolved.





This period requires us to be stronger, more united and more focused. We should remain in prayers with a strong hope that these girls are rescued as quickly as possible.





We should remain in prayers that insha Allah, insha Allah enduring Peace will return to Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, the entire north and Nigeria. I am an eternal optimist. I see optimism in Your Excellency every day. I believe that these trying phases shall pass, inshaAllah. Bi iznillah, Yobe and Borno will gain lasting Peace, tranquillity and prosperity and this, we pray and hope, will happen soon, Shettima said.




The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed additional air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms...

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed additional air assets, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, to the Northeast in a renewed effort at locating the missing Dapchi girls.This was made known via a statement issued by the Air Vice Marshal, OLATOKUNBO ADESANYA the Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force.Before now, following confirmation of reports that some of the girls were yet to be accounted for, the NAF had deployed some ISR platforms and helicopters to search for and possibly locate the missing girls as well as the rogue Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs). Although these search operations were conducted in a covert manner, for obvious reasons, the efforts did not yield the desired results.Accordingly, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed the immediate deployment of additional air assets and NAF personnel to the Northeast with the sole mission of conducting day and night searches for the missing girls. It is noteworthy that the renewed efforts at locating the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other surface security forces.While the NAF will spare no efforts at possibly locating the girls via its air operations, it also seizes this opportunity to call on anyone, especially the locals, who might have any useful information that could lead to the location of the girls to bring such information forward to NAF authorities through any of the following GSM numbers: 08122557720, 08035733438, 08172843484 or 08058419128.Such useful information could also be forwarded to other relevant security agencies. You are please requested to use your medium to disseminate this information for the awareness of the general public. While thanking you for your usual support and cooperation, please accept the assurance of my best regards.
The minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government in collaboration with Yobe State Government will s...

The minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government in collaboration with Yobe State Government will set up a Situation room to coordinate all information and progress report on efforts geared towards the rescue of Dapchi School Girls.Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was fielding questions from journalists in Damaturu after a closed door meeting with Governor. Ibrahim Gaidam and other stakeholders on the Dapchi attack, also informed that the Federal Government through the ministry of Interior would ensure the parents of the missing girls get sucour while the search and rescue lasts.Yes, the Federal Government will ensure the parents get succor. The Hon. Minister of Interior made it clear that we will bring succor to the parents but we need to work with the parents, security, state government and everybody. That is why a kind of situation room is being put together now that will comprise of traditional rulers, the parents, local people, representatives of the parents, and all the security agencies, Alhaji Mohammed said.The minister also disclosed that the Federal government is very serious over the unfortunate incident at Dapchi, saying, The fact that the federal government has sent a delegation to Yobe State twice in less than four days underscores the importance the Federal Government has attached to the unfortunate incident in Dapchi.We have come here to meet with all the stakeholders, the security outfit, the governor, reps of the parents, Local government Chairman not just to get first hand information of what happen but also to get progress report of what is being done to rescue the girls, he said.Speaking on the actually number of girls that are yet to be accounted for and as to whether there was an abduction, the minister replied; There is no doubt that the insurgents were in Dapchi and as at today, we cannot account for 110 girls. Because the total register of the students that came to school that day was 906 but as at today(Sunday,25 February, 2018) about 110 of them cannot be accounted for and that is the situation.But far reaching decision were taken here today: one, is that henceforth, the police and the civil defense corp will ensure that their presence is strong in every school to serve as a deterrent to the insurgents, secondly, the security agencies and outfits are working together and synergizing to ensure that these girls are recovered as fast as possible. We are working on very important things that would not be very impudent to talk about but we want to assure Nigerians that no stone will be left unturned in our determination to rescue these girls.Mohammed explained that his earlier statement in Dapchi on Thursday that Boko Haram is looking for oxygen to breath is not trivializing the abduction but rather to underscore the major success the government has achieved against the insurgents in the last few years.If we you look at what this government has done in containing the Boko Haram insurgency, you will agree with me that this is actually looking for attention. It is actually more like oxygen. Just one life is very important. We are not making it look trivia but we are just saying that we must remain focused. It is a very huge task and we want to assure Nigerians that the days of Boko Haram is almost at an end, he explained.
Some students of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the university authorities to resolve the lingering industrial crisis in the institution.Some of the students told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Ado Ekiti that they had become uncomfortable as the strike has entered the third month.The university lecturers embarked on an indefinite strike at the end of December 2017, on issues bordering on staff welfare and under-funding.A cross-section of the students, some of who should have graduated, as well as returning and newly-admitted students, said they were tired of staying at home.A student, Mr. Solomon Adewale, said except the matter is settled on time, there is a tendency that the students might miss a whole semester.Another student, Mr Gboyega Akinola, urged ASUU and the school authorities to shift ground.Akinola said both the school authorities and the lecturers should consider the future and plight of the students who bear the consequence of the strike.The chairman of ASUU in the university, Prof. Olufayo Olu, said the strike was embarked upon as a result of unpaid salaries and poor funding by the state government.Olu said that only N260m was released as monthly subvention to the institution, as against the about N500m required.According to him, efforts made by the unions to make the state government understand the financial position of the institution and the need to be pro-active about it did not yield positive result.For instance, our several demands for increased subvention to the university and improved welfare of workers have always been treated with disdain.As I speak with you, we have not received Academic Allowances for six years.The management, at a time, paid some of us the allowances of 2011 to 2014 by borrowing N200m from the bank. I do not know how others will get theirs with this paucity of fund.The university currently has a wage bill of N455m, so there is little we can do with a paltry sum of N260m monthly subvention from the government.Our university has not got any of such subventions for some months. As a result, the university has always been borrowing to pay net salary.To further compound our situation, within the last one year, the total number of additional workers has almost caught up with total number of employees of the institution since its inception in 1982.This is without increase in budgetary allocation to the institution.The consequences of poor funding and such unregulated employment have contributed largely to irregular payment of salaries, poor research, and poor learning environment.Other consequences are increased health casualties, epileptic power supply, inability to pass accreditation, staff and students increased agitations, among others.He said ASUU and other unions of the university would not return to work until all the demands are met.According to him, the strike began after ASUU and other unions of the university lost four of their members due to unpaid salaries and inability to maintain their families.Olu sympathised with the students for missing classes, saying the unions had, in the past, cooperated with the management, thinking that the opportunity offered by the unions would be well appreciated.Reacting, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Samuel Oye-Bandele, said the management was not losing sight of the plight of the students.Oye-Bandele gave an assurance that everything humanly possible was being done to bring the strike to an end.NAN reports that the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Technologies and Allied Matters had earlier embarked on strike.The strike became effective in December 2017 when ASUU joined the other three unions to press home their demands.
Controversial on-air personality (OAP), Daddy Freeze, has attacked the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa over his doctrine on Anointing with...

Controversial on-air personality (OAP), Daddy Freeze, has attacked the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa over his doctrine on Anointing without money is annoyance.





Freeze took to his Instagram page to share a photo of the late Idahosa, which had the inscription: Anointing without money is annoyance.





Reacting to it, Freeze said the doctrine is false.





He wrote: This is a FALSE doctrine! Benny Hinn confessed that he was schooled in error, we were ALL schooled in error.





John the Baptist didnt need money to baptize, Moses didnt need money to deliver Israel, Jesus and the apostles didnt have and didnt need money!




Over the years, different narratives of how ex-President Goodluck Jonathan became running mate to late President Musa YarAdua in the 2007...

Over the years, different narratives of how ex-President Goodluck Jonathan became running mate to late President Musa YarAdua in the 2007 elections, have surfaced.





Ahmadu Ali, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time, has given his own version of the story in an authotised biography.





According to excerpts published in THISDAY, Jonathan initially turned down the offer of vice-president because he was more comfortable being governor of Bayelsa state.





YarAdua would later die three years into his first term  and Jonathan automatically became president, going on to rule the country for five years in total.





There had been a planned 24-hour delay in naming YarAdaus running mate after the nomination convention.





The name Peter Odili, then-governor of Rivers state, had been tabled before YarAdua but the then-Katsina governor was not well disposed to it.





The vacuum led to intense intrigues among PDP governors, Ali revealed, forcing then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to summon YarAdau for an emergency meeting.





As soon as YarAdua arrived, Obasanjo told him without any preamble: Now, name your running mate, now, now. We dont have twenty four hours.





Goodluck Jonathan, he said without hesitation. He had obviously thought about it or tutored to mention the name.





Immediately, they sent for Jonathan.





When Jonathan arrived a little later, the president said, We have summoned you here to offer to you the position of Vice President. What do you think?





Jonathan was stunned. He was obviously not expecting this and had not remotely considered the possibility. He opened his mouth as if to say something but nothing came out.





The president seeing his discomfiture added helpfully, This decision was taken after a long process. We just want to know what your opinion is.





Finally, Jonathan found voice, although he was disconcerted by this development  as if proposing to his sweetheart.





Well, Jonathan began tentatively, If I had a choice, I would prefer to remain as governor. I know the job. I know where I stopped. But this VPI dont know what it entails. After a look of disapproval from the chairman and the president, he added quickly, but if you want me to serve in that position, I accept.





YarAdua turned to Jonathan and asked him, Would you like to be my running mate?





Yes sir.





Obasanjo turned to the chairman and said, Amadu, take him to my parlour. The television crew are on their way for a press conference. You and Chief Anenih should stand on either side of him and let him announce the name of his running mate.





WHY WAS THE DECISION RUSHED?

According to Alis biography, Obasanjo got wind of plan by the partys governors to hijack the VP position and quickly moved to stop the plot.





Ali said in the book that he, Obasanjo and Tony Anenih, a former PDP board of trustees chairman, had considered Jonathan to replace Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers, to contest the election alongside YarAdua, after the partys governors rejected Odili.





YarAdua, who was not comfortable with the choice of Odili as his running mate, was reported to have said in reaction: Thank you sir, but I would request





But Ali cut him short, saying You request what? The party produced you and the party will also produce the VP! thundered the chairman.





Obasanjo, who was present at the unfolding of the drama, asked Ali to give YarAdua time to digest the news.





But Ali said there was no time, and directed YarAdua to write his acceptance speech and include Odilis name in it.





The book said Obasanjo later got wind of the governors plan to influence the choice of the candidate for vice-president, and quickly arranged a meeting for YarAdua to announce his candidate on national television.





Amadu, come quick! Come, please and dont argue. Quick, quick!, Obasanjo was quoted to have said.





We must act quickly or the governors will hijack this thing. Anenih is on his way and I have already summoned YarAdua. If he hasnt thought of a running mate, then we must impose one on him.




The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has sparked a slew of controversy on the Nigerian social media afte...

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has sparked a slew of controversy on the Nigerian social media after he was pictured wearing a jacket atop agabda.

Agbada is one of the names for a flowing wide sleeved robe worn by men in mostly West Africa region.

The minister, who paid a guided tour to Real Madrid Stadium, Santiago Barnabeu, Madrid, Spain was lensed wearing a flowing skyblue cloloured agbada with a dust grey jacket on top and a traditional cap.

Some Nigerians, who were stunned at the ministers sense of dressing, called for immediate psychiatrist test on him.





Some reactions below.





@ nkuuse lol this man is good at disgracing Nigerians, sir its not funny





@thesiciliannA top government official with a conscience will not be doing this just days after such a massive kidnap of school children.Newpride(m): 9:43pm On Feb 25

When lies supercedes and precedes everything he does, the he must dress this way.

wearing a coat (that one no be suit) on top agbada. grin grin grin

I leave the rest for nairalanders





@adecz: A whole Minister of the FRN, so excited & behaving like one common tourist because

he is visiting Real Madrid Stadium.

See him testing all the seats like one village man from. Where sef??

PMB & his Charlie, Charlie ministers sef. See dressing like Jagwa or Wizard Of Oz..





@Hokafor Lie lie Mohammed you look haggard. After all the Moines you have been stealing you still look like my gateman.





@aspirebig: Suit on top Agbada..

When you wear cloth like you cant tell which country jollof rice sweets better because your subconscious mind is battling with the wrong cloth combination.

Why not wear English though as a pure liar wey im be, the lies will not be flowing wellor you wear just native so when doing your  lie lie (work),you can easily cover the truth well with the Agbada

Shioor.misplaced priorities every where

You dress how you want to addressed.

Do these guys even think about their image as  Nigeria government  at all?





@knightsTemplerSuit on top agbada hehehe.Nigeria don really enter one chance.

His dressing is a reflection of how the country is govern. That is anyhow anyhow lol





@roffeluczy1 For Gods sake what has he gone there to do? instead of looking into Nigeria predicament as to sort things out, there he is at the pitch.

Nigerians, shine your eyes come 2019.





@Eaa247 were there no police officers in the stadium to stop a mad man from entering there? This must b a porous stadium.




Some of the students kidnapped from Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state, have been taken to Niger Republic, according t...

Some of the students kidnapped from Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state, have been taken to Niger Republic, according to Daily Trust.





Quoting a source, the newspaper said the girls were split into two groups; with some kept in Borno state.





The Musa Albarnawi faction of Boko Haram is suspected of being behind the kidnap. The Albarnawi faction is loyal to the Islamic State of West Africa.





The group was responsible for the kidnap of some University of Maiduguri lecturers who were conducting an oil research in Borno state last year.





While some were killed, those abducted regained freedom, earlier in the month.





The newspaper mentioned the location where the girls are reportedly kept.





The girls ferried across a shallow river and are held in the border town of Duro in Niger Republic, the source was quoted to have said.





Tumbun Gini area of Abadam LGA of Borno. The second batch has been moved toTumbun Gini area of Abadam LGAof Borno.





President Muhammadu Buhari has described the abduction as a national disaster, urging security agencies to ensure that the 110 girls are found.





During a visit to Yobe, Ibrahim Shetimma, governor of Borno, expressed worries that the Dapchi incident is a sad reminder of the Chibok schoolgirls saga of 2014.





Shetimma urged residents to cooperate with the security services to unravel the mysterious Dapchi kidnap.





Neither denial, nor conspiracy theory as was done in the case of Chibok girls abduction under PDP-led Federal Government. We should learn to separate politics from human lives, he said.




Despite the crisis within All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, weekend, said the reconciliation committee led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has no business in the state, saying Ondo is at peace and does not need any troubleshooter.His submission, however, did not go down well with an aggrieved party member in the state, who said the governor is afraid of his own shadow and is vindictive.Governor Akeredolus position was made known during a programme tagged Meet the Governor, which was part of the governors first-year anniversary celebration.Asked to comment on the reconciliation moves led by Tinubu, the governor declared that the former governor has no business coming to Ondo State since there was no crisis.Governor Akeredolu said: All is well with APC in Ondo State; we are waxing stronger. Olusola Oke has just returned to stay longer, so Asiwaju Tinubu has no reason to come here.Where there is peace, you dont need a peacemaker so you dont create more problems. The Presidential reconciliation committee is not needed here in Ondo State; there is peace in Ondo APC.Opposing the agitation for local government autonomy, Akeredolu said: On local government autonomy, I campaigned and I have not forgotten what I said about local government autonomy; there was not a time that I spoke about supporting local government autonomy.I am a lawyer and I know what is called federating units of a federal government. Nigeria cannot be the only place where we would bastardise the institutions. We copy something and make it totally dysfunctional.Akeredolu explained that there cannot be three federating units in a federation, but two and that there was no need agitating for autonomy for the local government.His words: Federation is made of a federal unit and a federating unit. There are no three federating units in any federation. The federal unit is the Federal Government and other federating units are states.There is no way I will stand anywhere and put my weight behind local government autonomy. I am never in support local government autonomy, I never said so.An aide to the factional state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said: Governor Akeredolu is afraid of his shadow.The aide, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard that the governor should come down from his high horse and carry everybody along and stop nursing the wounds of over one year.He will do the party and state good by showing some level of maturity, which his office deserves and stop being vindictive.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday promised that his administration would ensure the safe return of all those abducted by the Boko Haram sect, including the 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State.Buhari made the promise at the Presidential Villa, Abuja while receiving three University of Maiduguri lecturers, one policewoman and nine other women rescued from the insurgents.In a series of messages he posted on his Twitter handle, @MBuhari, the President said he assured his guests that nobody would be left behind in captivity.I cant fully express the joy I felt this afternoon, as I received our citizens recently released from Boko Haram captivityfathers, mothers, sons, daughters. We will go to any length to ensure that no one is left behind in the hands of terrorists. Every Nigerian life matters, he wrote.The President added, There were the University of Maiduguri lecturers, abducted while on service to their fatherland, and also the women abducted from a funeral procession.Today they are safely back home, and Nigeria rejoices with them and with their families.They told me that they had given up all hopes of ever coming back alive. I assured them that we will never give up on any of our citizens.I have asked the security agencies to ensure that every abducted personincluding the Dapchi girlsis safely released.
UPDATE:

Authorities

of a Dumont High School student who was taken into custody after a shooting threat led officials to lock down the borough school Monday, police said.

Police removed the student, a 15-year-old boy, from a classroom without incident during the lockdown, around 1:15 p.m., WABC-TV reported.

Dumont police Chief Michael Conner said his department received word around 11:50 a.m. of a "possible threat" on social media of a shooting at the school.

"The threat just simply stated, something to the effect of ... someone was going to shoot up the school," Conner told a crowd gathered outside the school.

"We did respond to the suspect's home and retrieve a long gun, a rifle, from that home," the chief added.

Conner said the student was being interviewed by investigators with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and his parents were cooperating with law enforcement. Police conducted a sweep of the complex and found nothing harmful.

Borough police, school officials and the prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking more information Monday afternoon.

Bergen County SWAT officers and local police entered the building shortly after 12 p.m., according to witnesses and photos from the scene posted to social media.

MaryBeth Iacono said her daughter Gianna, 16, texted her that the school was on full lockdown and that students were ordered to shelter under their desks.

"I tried to call her but she didn't answer. She texted me that they were told to put their phones on mute," said MaryBeth, who left her job and drove to the school.

"They were all hiding under their desks," Iacono said.

Dumont High School is on lockdown. I'm at work freaking out. I called LeAnn's school and they are fine. Please pray everyone is ok Posted by Lisa Leon Morales on Monday, February 26, 2018

NBC New York reported the student was escorted from the school in handcuffs and taken to a police car.

MaryBeth Iacono said students were patted down about 1:45 p.m. and allowed to leave the school.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Noah Cohen contributed to this report.
The 26-year-old woman killed in a crash Friday in South Jersey has been identified as a Vineland resident who was on her way to work for the New Jersey State Police, officials announced Monday.

Renee Wright was killed when a 17-year-old driving on Flyatt Road in Tabernacle failed to yield to traffic and struck her Hyundai, police said.

The impact caused Wright's vehicle to spin, and it then was hit by a vehicle traveling southbound on Route 206, according to police.

Renee Wright. (New Jersey State Police)

New Jersey State Police announced in a Facebook post Monday that Wright worked for the department.

"It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Public Safety Telecommunicator, Renee Wright, who was tragically killed in a motor vehicle crash on Friday, February 23 as she was traveling to work to begin her shift," the post said.

One other driver sustained injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, police said.

Wright had graduated as a public safety telecommunicator in March 2017. She had previously participated in a state trooper youth program, graduating in 2009, according to authorities.

"Renee and her family will forever be a part of the Blue and Gold family," police said in the post.

The crash remains under investigation.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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With the Atlantic Ocean serving as a backdrop, a mixture of Atlantic and Cape May county officials gathered on the boardwalk in Ocean City to oppose a proposal that would allow oil and gas drilling off the coast of New Jersey.

Their combined voices, along with the feedback from the public which must be submitted to the federal government next week, is what U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo is hoping will draw attention to their position against putting New Jersey's tourism and environment at risk.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has a proposed lease agreement for up to 26 planning areas for the drilling of oil and gas along the United States shores. According to the proposed plan, areas off the New Jersey coast, which resides in the proposal's North Atlantic Zone, would be auctioned off in 2021 and 2023 to companies wishing to set up and drill off those areas. New Jersey is hoping to receive a waiver from drilling just as Florida, citing that the tourism industry is as vital to the state as its southern counterpart.

The proposal has been met with resistance by government officials, businesses and environmental groups in an area that relies heavily on tourism.

"I think it is critically important to be able to show strong, complete bi-partisan support in opposition to the proposal and a cross section of chambers of commerce, environmental organizations and fishing organizations which will make our point that it just doesn't make sense to gamble with this off the Jersey coast," said LoBiondo.

"Oil and gas exploration in the Mid-Atlantic region puts at risk some of the nation's most sensitive coastal and marine resources," LoBiondo wrote in an official statement. "The State of New Jersey and the waters off its shores are home to more than 300 species of fish, 350 different species of birds, 5 species of sea turtles and over 20 different species of whales and dolphins. If this current plan moves forward, it could cause significant harm to this valuable ecosystem."

Two candidates vying for the LoBiondo's seat in the upcoming mid-term elections, Democratic candidate State Senator Jeff Van Drew and Republican candidate Robert Turkavage were also present and both liked the display of bipartisanship displayed at the event.

"This is about everyone coming together to do what is best for our people in our region and I hope we see more of that in our future in a variety of stuff," Van Drew said.

"Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, it is important to realize that intended offshore drilling is completely unacceptable here in South Jersey where we depend so much on the commercial fishing industry and tourism for jobs," Turkavage added.

Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak, D-1, also liked seeing elected officials from both sides of the aisle and come together in agreement that he says is "terrible for the state of New Jersey."

"With offshore drilling, it's not a matter of if something will happen but when something happens," Andrzejczak said. "It's not really worth the risk of when it will happen. It took us years to recover (from) Hurricane Sandy and now you are talking about doing something that is completely preventable to begin with is offshore drilling. It's simple. Just don't do it."

On Jan. 23, Cape May County Freeholders unanimously passed a resolution opposing any type of offshore oil and gas activity. In federal testimony, Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald 'Jerry' Thornton used the Deepwater Horizon rig accident as an example of why drilling should not be allowed. In 2010, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico operated by British Petroleum (BP) exploded and killed 11 workers. The ensuing spill affected wildlife and tourism in the area. Thornton does not want to see a similar disaster happen to Cape May County.

"I have really fought against offshore drilling because of the impact it will have on the county of Cape May and the potential threat it has," Thornton said Monday. "The one thing people do not realize is the onshore problems that they eventually will have to create because they will have to pump the oil onshore someplace."

He added that "hundreds of millions of dollars" have been spent to "make sure we have pristine ocean water here in Cape May County with our municipal utilities authority. Now all of a sudden after spending that money and spending millions of dollars a year, we are going to have them pumping oil off shore? Not likely."

Residents have the opportunity to comment in favor or against the proposed offshore drilling proposal. All comments must be submitted to the federal administration by Mar. 9.

Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Stacey Dash may not be a Fox News contributor any longer, but she's just propelled herself back into the headlines by filing papers to run for Congress, CNN reports.

On Monday, Dash, a Republican, filed paperwork to run in California's 44th district, which includes South Los Angeles and is represented by Rep. Nanette Barragan, a Democrat, CNN says.

Dash, 51, who is best known for starring alongside Alicia Silverstone in the 1995 movie "Clueless," once attended Paramus High School. Her entry to the political space came in 2012, when she drew widespread criticism for tweeting her support of Mitt Romney in the presidential election.

As as Fox News contributor, Dash, who joined the cable network in 2014, was a constant source of controversy for her often incendiary comments. She once called sorority members who would go to parties, including potential victims of sexual assault, "naughty" and "bad girls," and on another occasion expressed her view that there shouldn't be a Black History Month.

In 2016, Dash, who rejected a boycott of the Oscars in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, starred in a Chris Rock bit at the awards show. Rock, the show's host, introduced her as "the new director of our minority outreach program," minting the ultimate cringeworthy moment for celebrities in the audience and everyone on social media.

"I cannot wait to help my people out," Dash said. "Happy Black History Month."

Fox suspended Dash for on-air profanity in 2015 after she used explicit language when talking about President Barack Obama. In 2017, Fox decided not to renew Dash's contract.

A number of people online and off have suggested I run for political office. I wanted to see what my online community thinks of this idea as I mull the possibilities. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/L71fF0NnXR -- Stacey Dash (@REALStaceyDash) February 9, 2018

In 2016, Dash launched a political website called Dash America (the URL is now defunct) that she touted as "an exhilarating political movement that focuses on unity, faith, family values, and feminism." The website's logo was a feminine silhouette crossed by two rifles (Dash, who says a gun saved her life, is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment).

"I believe we can and must return to Reagan's Hollywood, a time when movies were pro-America, pro-freedom, and pro-family values," she wrote at the time.

But Dash also tweeted about running for office this month, alongside a logo that said "Dash to D.C." (She pinned the tweet.)

"A number of people online and off have suggested I run for political office," she tweeted on Feb. 9. "I wanted to see what my online community thinks of this idea as I mull the possibilities. Thoughts?"

"Things are taking shape," she tweeted on Feb. 22, followed by "Soon" on Feb. 23.

According to papers filed with the Federal Election Commission, Dash is registered to run under the same "Dash to D.C." name from an address in Newport Beach, California.

If Dash won the seat, she'd be representing North Long Beach, Watts, Compton and San Pedro.

As is the custom with Stacey Dash-related developments, Twitter bubbled with critical tweets.

Hell will freeze over before I let Stacey Dash represent Compton. Whatever the maximum donation I can give to her opponent, consider it done! https://t.co/zcRfLAymIQ -- Travon Free (@Travon) February 26, 2018

only thing I want to see Stacey Dash running for is her plane in the All Falls Down music video am I right folks -- Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) February 26, 2018

Wait... Stacey Dash is running for Congress... as a Republican... for Watts and Compton? pic.twitter.com/2e2vTub6TB -- Wakandan-American (@JdotMurray) February 26, 2018

"Stacey Dash is running for Congress" pic.twitter.com/Wlm4uWoy0q -- Robert Kessler (@robertkessler) February 26, 2018

Stacey Dash is running for Congress in a district that includes Compton and Watts. She couldn't even convince someone to give her extra jelly for her biscuit out that way. Bless her heart. (blame @XavierDLeau for sharing this news.) https://t.co/Xq4T7odtWV -- Michael Arceneaux (@youngsinick) February 26, 2018

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
Two juveniles were charged after a threat was made to students and staff at Abundant Life Academy, a private Christian school on Washington Avenue in Nutley, authorities said Sunday.

The threat occurred about three weeks ago. But school officials did not learn of it until speaking with students after the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Nutley Commissioner Alphonse Petracco and police Chief Thomas Strumolo said in a statement.

Once becoming aware of the threat, school officials notified police and closed the school on Friday, police said.

"Two juveniles were quickly identified and cooperated with police. One juvenile is a former student and the second is currently a student at the school," the statement said.

The two were charged with third-degree false public alarm and released to their parents. Their names were not released because they are under 18.

Students in pre-K through grade 12 are enrolled at the private school.

Police and detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigated the threat.

"We will not tolerate anyone making threats to any of our schools," Petracco and Strumolo said. "The protection of our school children is our number one priority and we will use all available resources to ensure they are safe."

Officials did not release further details or describe the the nature of the threat. School officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Police said the school reopened Monday with an increased police presence.

There were also increased patrols at all Nutley Public Schools following a threatening post on Instagram.

In that incident, Joseph Rafanello, 18, was charged with third-degree false public alarm, police said.

The Instagram video was posted Feb. 15 -- one day after a former student gunned down 17 people at his former high school in Parkland, Florida - and shows teens apparently shooting a handgun and rifle at a firing range. A still photo of Nutley High School was included in the video.

In the nearly two weeks since the mass shooting in Florida, there have been numerous threats to schools across New Jersey, prompting daily police investations and, in some cases, criminal charges.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
They've taken buses to their state capitol, flights to meet with the president and now they've come to New Jersey.

Student survivors of the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school brought their message of gun control to the Temple B'nai Abraham in Livingston on Sunday.

"This is an issue of lives," said David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who has become a high-profile voice for survivors of the attack. "This is a non-partisan issue that we need to work together to solve,"

The rally comes more than a week after a 19-year-old former student turned gunman mowed down 17 students and teachers at the campus on Valentine's Day.

Since the rampage, student survivors have mobilized to force a conversation and change around access to high-powered assault-style rifles, such as the AR-15 used in the massacre.

Hogg said he was in his AP science class when he heard a pop that sounded like a gunshot. At first, students thought it was a drill but learned it was "life or death."

"I'm here, I'm alive and and we have to change something about this," Hogg said.

The students, as well as leaders from local religious and advocacy groups, met with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., as he led a rally for gun reform legislation.

Officials at the temple where they rallied had to repeatedly fold back temporary walls to make the room bigger. Even still, it was standing room only and the rally started late to make sure all the people who were standing outside in the rain were able to come in.

"How high must the body count climb before Congress puts the safety of our families ahead of the gun industry," Menendez remarked.

The senator called for universal background checks to be completed before guns are sold. He spoke highly of the Parkland students, who sat behind him, saying they had turned their grief "into a movement."

Those students have made national news, appearing on nightly cable news shows, marching to Florida's state capital to demand change and posting online using the hashtag, "#neveragain."

"They have seen the blood of their classmates and they are not standing still," said Rabbi Avi Friedman, of the Temple Ohr Shalom.

The actions of the Parkland students have inspired their contemporaries across the country, including in New Jersey, as the shootings became a flashpoint in the nation's long-simmering gun control debate.

Last week, hundreds of students walked out of school in solidarity with their Parkland peers.

Parkland shooting survivors speak in Livingston 29 Gallery: Parkland shooting survivors speak in Livingston

Two New Jersey high school students were among those who came to Sunday's rally to be a part of the conversation. They said they are both planning walkouts at their schools as part of a larger, national walkout set for March 14.

"We want our government to see that we're more than just teenagers," said Darcy Schleifstein, a sophomore at Randolph High School. "We want change and we mean business."

Schleifstein said she and other high school students have banded together in light of the shooting earlier this month, checking in to make sure everyone's ok and talking about what they can do to bring action.

"It's been an enlightening process," said Samantha Levy, a sophomore at Columbia High School. "Some kids are kinda clueless about what's going on in the world. But, there's much-needed change."

The Parkland students return to class on Wednesday, where they will be greeted by hand-painted hearts made by Newark students.

Behind the microphone on Sunday, the students encouraged everyone in the room to stand up and join their efforts to continue the conversation about gun control and bring about change.

"Stay woke and get out and vote," Hogg said.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.
A teacher at a school in Gloucester County for children with special needs has been charged with vehicular homicide after he allegedly struck and killed a woman after falling asleep behind the wheel, and then fled the scene.

Nicholas Jahn. (Salem County Correctional Facility)

In a statement Sunday, Washington Township police said Nicholas Jahn, 34, was arrested Saturday afternoon on charges stemming from the death of Jawana Wilcox, who was killed earlier that morning.

Police said investigators believe Wilcox, 44, was approaching a bus when Jahn fatally struck her on the shoulder of state Route 42 near its intersection with Ganttown Road. Her body was found by a resident of a nearby motel.

Jahn, of Washington Township, is a teacher at the Durand Academy in Woodbury, according to police. Jahn's employment status was not immediately available Sunday evening.

Authorities said officers found the Honda SUV believed to have struck Wilcox when they arrived at Jahn's home.

In addition to vehicular homicide, police said, Jahn is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and endangering a victim.

Records show Jahn is being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility. Police said he will remain jailed pending the outcome of a detention hearing. It was unknown Sunday evening whether Jahn had retained an attorney who could comment on the charges.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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JERSEY CITY  A small group of people gathered at a Bramhall Avenue church on Sunday afternoon to pray for the victims and families of the deadly shooting at a Florida high school earlier this month.

During the service, hosted by House of the Lord Church and held at St. John's Baptist Church, the roughly dozen people who attended reflected on the efforts of young adults to push for stricter gun laws.

"In Florida there is a lot of hope," the Rev. Herbert Daughtry said. "Because these youth, they are really taking up the fight."

The Feb. 14 shooting killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and injured 15 others. Students at the school have been rallying at state offices and urging elected officials to do everything they can to make going to school safe.

School districts across the country have been making security changes since Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire inside his former school. Closer to home, one Hudson County district revamped its security policy for visitors arriving at schools.

During Sunday's service, attendees also reflected on gun violence in Jersey City and racial divides in the state's second largest city.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Secaucus announced on Friday the town will assign police officers to patrol the district's schools while it provides firearms training to the schools' currently unarmed security guards.

The announcement came nine days after a school massacre in Parkland, Florida left 17 dead, and in the wake of security scares at schools in Nutley and Bayonne. The Florida killings led President Trump to suggest arming teachers to avoid future massacres.

Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli told The Jersey Journal the town will pay between $500 and $900 a day for each officer assigned to patrol buildings. The 2,100-student district has four schools and a preschool.

The district's 15 security guards are all retired police officers and will undergo psychological evaluations and other testing so they can possess firearms inside schools, Gonnelli said. He estimates the process will take about two or three weeks. While costly for the town, Gonnelli said town and school officials agreed having armed guards "had to happen."

"In this day and age, we need to do something," he said.

School officials did not return a request for comment. The town's police department directed questions to the mayor's office.

Secaucus' school district reported seven instances of violence in the 2015-16 school year, up from four the year before, and zero incidents of weapons possession both years, according to a report submitted by the state Department of Education.

Hudson County school and law enforcement officials are panning Trump's suggestion that teachers start packing heat. Robert Zywicki, Weehawken's schools superintendent, called the idea "ridiculous."

"Teachers are not law enforcement officers," Zywicki said. "Their only concern should be educating and caring for the kids. This shouldn't even be on their radar."

Trump first suggested arming teachers following the Feb. 14 massacre at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. On Thursday he said teachers could get "a little bit of a bonus" plus firearms training and turn schools into a "hardened target."

Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will protect them. Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2018

Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante said police officers get extensive training on using firearms that he worries teachers wouldn't receive. Hoboken has four full-time police officers assigned to its high school, in addition to the district's unarmed security personnel.

"We do not want schools to become the O.K. Corral," he said. "We want to try to prevent shooters from getting into the school."

It's no surprise that liberal Hudson County opposes a Trump idea. In November 2016, just 23 percent of voters here supported Trump, while 74 percent voted for Hillary Clinton. In New Jersey, Clinton's share of the vote in Hudson was second only to her share in Essex County.

Jersey City's 29,000-student district has 15 full-time cops assigned to schools. Four travel among elementary schools and the others are posted at high schools. Another eight off-duty cops patrol outside high schools during lunch.

"We know that at this moment, after the horrific events in Florida, people feel vulnerable, even helpless," Jersey City schools spokeswoman Maryann Dickar said. "However, we do not believe that arming teachers will solve the issues of gun violence. We support the solutions presented by students across the country and in Jersey City, that we need better and saner gun laws, not more guns."

Journal staff writer Caitlin Mota contributed to this article.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
A small group of people gathered at a Bramhall Avenue church yesterday afternoon to pray for the victims and families of the deadly shooting at a Florida high school earlier this month.

During the service, hosted by House of the Lord Church and held at St. John's Baptist Church, the roughly dozen people who attended reflected on the efforts of young adults to push for stricter gun laws.

"In Florida there is a lot of hope," the Rev. Herbert Daughtry said. "Because these youth, they are really taking up the fight."

The Feb. 14 shooting killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and injured 15 others.

Students at the school have been rallying at state offices and urging elected officials to do everything they can to make going to school safe.

School districts across the country have been making security changes since Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire inside his former school. Closer to home, one Hudson County district revamped its security policy for visitors arriving at schools.

And it has spurred debate and controversy on national gun control laws.

During yesterday's service, attendees also reflected on gun violence in Jersey City and racial divides in the state's second largest city.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Mets' manager Mickey Callaway preaches a pitching philosophy of getting ahead of hitters. He must have used the phrase 1,000 times with the media alone since pitchers and catchers reported to spring training and countless other times with his staff and, you know, the actual pitchers.

Robert Gsellman could be a case study in this approach. Falling behind was his downfall in 2017. Even when he was good, he always had to use too many pitches and was often pulled early. He made it through seven innings only three times in 22 starts.

This came after a breakout year in 2016 when he went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in seven major league starts.

So what changed? Gsellman said his sinker wasn't sinking, instead it had too much run from side-to-side. He couldn't get a feel for it in a bad season and he wasn't sure why until it ended, when he returned to Los Angeles and saw the Kerlan-Jobe clinic physical therapist who had rehabbed his non-throwing shoulder after labrum surgery.

She changed the way he was working out and he changed the way he viewed his body. He paid more attention to it and loosened up his shoulder and upper back with deep tissue therapy, which has allowed him to throw more downhill and get the sink back on the sinker.

"I learned my body this offseason," Gsellman said Sunday, after the Mets defeated the Miami Marlins 10-3 in Grapefruit League play. "I know where my trigger points are and when they're tight and when they're loose. I just go in and keep my arm prepared and get that action. Last year, it was a little tight and it moved side-to-side instead of down."

Gsellman tossed two shutout innings against the Marlins, striking out two and allowing only one hit -- a chopper off the end of the bat that looped fair. The sinker was, in fact, sinking and he was doing exactly what Callaway has preached all spring: He attacked hitters with the off-speed and got ahead of them.

"We want guys to get ahead with their main pitch," Callaway said. "It's his key pitch. He can't ever not have it and not throw it. Even if he's not on with it that day, he's got to continue to throw it because it's his best pitch."

Yogi bombs

Yoenis "The Yogi" Cespedes showed off his winter work with a 2-for-3 performance Sunday, smashing a homer run off of Tyler Cloyd and over the left field fence and into one of the back fields. It was the first spring training homer for Cespedes as well as his first spring start, playing as the designated hitter.

Ty Kelly manned Cespedes' territory in left field, making a great play to end the second inning. Kelly snared a sinking liner hit by Braxton Lee over his shoulder and on the run.

Training room

Dominic Smith (straight right quad) will undergo an MRI on Monday and Jay Bruce (plantar fasciitis) will DH on Tuesday. There is no timetable for Tim Tebow (ankle) or Juan Lagares (strained left hamstring).

Callaway seems unfazed by the early injuries.

"It would bother me if we hadn't taken precautionary measures to try and prevent some of these things," he said. "Injuries are going to happen no matter what you do, but as long as we are doing the right thing and trying to prevent them it's not going to bother you as much."

What's next

The Mets will play their first road game of the spring exhibition slate, heading to West Palm Beach to play the first of two straight games against the Houston Astros.

Abbey Mastracco may be reached at amastracco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @abbeymastracco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Karon Council. (Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office)

Hours after authorities announced charges against him Sunday evening, a Neptune Township man was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Florida in connection with the fatal shooting of a 10-year-old boy in Asbury Park last week.

In a statement, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Karon Council, 18, was arrested in Pompano Beach by personnel from the Marshal's Service's regional fugitive task forces from both Florida and New Jersey.

US Marshals JUST arrested Karon Council in Deerfield Beach. Investigators say he shot and killed a 10-year-old in New Jersey last week. They say he is a known member of the "the bloods" gang and came to South Florida to hideout with his girlfriend. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/ohvuu3Or1B  Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) February 26, 2018

Earlier Sunday, the prosecutor's office had announced murder, conspiracy, assault and weapons charges against Council in the death of Yovanni Banos-Merino, who was fatally shot at his home in the 400 block of Ridge Avenue on Wednesday night.

Merino's 38-year-old mother, Lilia Merino, also was injured by gunfire but was released from a local hospital after treatment, authorities said.

The prosecutor's office has not publicly alleged a specific motive for the shootings.

A 16-year-old boy, also of Neptune Township, was arrested Thursday on the same charges and is being held at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center pending further court proceedings.

The prosecutor's office said Council will be held at the Broward County, Florida, jail awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A survivor of the mass shooting at a high school in Florida is calling for tourists to cancel their plans to visit the state unless gun legislation is passed.

David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, renewed his request Sunday night while attending a gun reform rally in Livingston.

Survivors of the attack have become high-profile, strong voices leading the charge to reform gun laws in the days that followed the incident in Parkland, Florida.

On Valentine's Day, a 19 year-old former student student at the school went on a rampage there and ultimately killed 17 people at the school's campus.

Alongside leaders of local religious and advocacy groups, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and his fellow classmates, Hogg encouraged everyone to help fight to reform gun control and to get out and vote.

"They refuse to take action to save our lives, so we have to," Hogg said in one-on-one interviews. "We are taking action and asking people not to come to Florida until reasonable gun legislation is passed."

He questioned whether the tourists who were coming to the state were actually "safe" and wondered if the lawmakers would be swayed by losing money from the tourism industry.

Just last week, days after the mass shooting, Florida lawmakers refused to further move a motion to ban assault rifles.

Hogg also put out his call online to keep tourists from visiting Florida, using the hashtag popularized in the movement following the Parkland shooting, #neveragain.

Let's make a deal DO NOT come to Florida for spring break unless gun legislation is passed. These politions won't listen to us so maybe the'll listen to the billion dollar tourism industry in FL. #neveragain  David Hogg (@davidhogg111) February 24, 2018

Better Idea: Spend your spring break in Puerto Rico, it's a beautiful place with amazing people. They could really use the economic support that the government has failed to provide. #SpringBreak2018 #SBinPurtoRico #itsspelled PUERTO RICO  David Hogg (@davidhogg111) February 24, 2018

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

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A passenger who said he boarded the wrong United Airlines flight exited the plane in an unconventional way -- by opening the emergency door and zipping down the inflatable chute.

Troy G. Fattun

Troy G. Fattun, 25, of Micronesia, made the mad dash off flight 1640, Port Authority police said. He was arrested when after he reached the ground and charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and interference with transportation, a Port Authority police spokesman said.

"While Flight 1640 was parked at the gate at Newark Liberty International Airport, a passenger opened the emergency exit door and departed the aircraft using the slide," United airlines spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said in a statement.

The stunt delayed the flight to Tampa about five hours as passengers had to deboard after the incident and then reboard a different aircraft. Scheduled to leave at 7 p.m, the flight departed Newark at 12:09 a.m. Monday and landed in Tampa at 2:51 a.m, according to United.

A passenger told NBCNewYork.com that passengers heard a commotion in the back of the plane and first thought a fight had broken out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Although Hudson County wisely disentangled itself from the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals almost two decades ago, the organization remained strong elsewhere.

Seventeen years ago a blistering state report showed the NJSPCA didn't fulfill its mission to protect animals but abused its powers by acting unreasonably to enforce made-up regulations.

NJSPCA members promised to clean up their act. But they didn't. Now they'll have no more chances.

The first report described waste, abuse, fraud, and criminal activities. The second said in 17 years the situation had grown even worse.

Created in 1868, the NJSPCA was established as a statewide law enforcement agency to investigate complaints of animal abuse and neglect, and if warranted, to charge individuals with criminal or civil violations of state statutes. Despite similar names, the NJSPCA had no connection to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The New Jersey group was organized as a charity, relying on donations and the collection of fines for its funding. On paper it had a 15-member board of trustees, but in reality a few members ran everything. They seldom spent energy or funds on public education about animal treatment but focused solely on enforcement of regulations. They hired 55 investigators, including 20 humane law enforcement officers authorized to carry firearms.

According to the latest report, enforcement officers often took weeks to respond to even the most egregious complaints and often those were not investigated or mitigated properly.

Somehow they accumulated more than $775,000 in legal bills in the past five years, more than eight times the amount spent on direct animal care. Most of the legal bills resulted from battles they started themselves, such as fights between members, failure to enforce their own policies, and citizen complaints against their officers.

They purchased 30 vehicles, equipped with lights, sirens and radios, for use by officers, some of whom flaunted their NJSPCA badges during unauthorized traffic stops. Some members even carried badges identifying themselves - inaccurately - as prosecutors. In 2014 alone they spent more than $25,000 on ammunition, and almost $100,000 on promotional items such as tee shirts and logoed paraphernalia.

Despite some really shoddy record-keeping, the State Commission of Investigation was able to pinpoint these and many other instances of malfeasance and mistreatment of individuals with whom members had a beef.

After the second report was issued, legislators decided they had to act. S-3558 was introduced to abolish the NJSPCA over a 13-month period and turn animal law enforcement over to municipalities.

Then, believe it or not, the NJSPCA managed to make things worse.

They strongly opposed S-3448, of course, and enlisted NJSPCA members and friends to call legislators urging them not to support it. However, the emails directed them not to identify themselves as NJSPCA members in those phone calls, even if asked, but merely to state they were NJSPCA supporters. When they were found out, the author of the emails said he did that to protect members who feared for their lives if their identities were known or disclosed by the legislators.

When the deception was revealed and the explanation discounted, the NJSPCA called for an investigation of how the emails became public.

By that time, legislators had had it. The bill passed both Houses and was signed by the Governor with an even shorter time for the organization to be disbanded. Each county prosecutor now has six months to create an animal cruelty task force, engage at least one investigator, and designate an organization to oversee animal protection efforts.

A former Assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp.

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By Ronen Kauffman

For many teachers, the existence of classroom guns would feel anathema to why we chose this work.

Teaching is a calling that goes well beyond math and reading -- we work to grow a society that values inquiry, constructive critical thinking, and the belief that we can always be better. Parents give us their children for eight hours a day and trust us -- not only to educate, but to feed, comfort, and nurture.

And that trust -- the same I place in my own son's teachers -- demands that we advocate forcefully for our students. To advocate for a better world for them and their children. To advocate for love over fear.

President Trump says that armed teachers will act as a deterrent to potential shooters, while also providing schools the ability to fire back immediately. Like the NRA, he wants us to think that "the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

Yet during the recent mass shooting in a Florida school, multiple good guys with guns not only failed to stop the shooter -- they didn't even enter the building. Perhaps they didn't like the odds of their handguns against an AR-15. And had they engaged the shooter, what would have been the likeliest outcome?

An NYPD officer only has an 18 percent chance of hitting his or her target in a gun fight. Why would anyone expect an armed teacher - trained or not -- to do any better? And what if police arrived on the scene of a school shooting to find multiple people wielding firearms? How would they know which gun-wielding person was the bad guy?

For these reasons and many more, arming teachers is simply a terrible idea. But beyond the lack of merit, we should be equally or more concerned with the spirit of this grotesque proposal.

We teachers know well the churn of trends, fads, and "bold" new ideas in education. In fact, teaching is often two jobs: one is navigating the changes, pushing paper around, and other sorts of work nonsense that's part of just about any profession.

The other job -- the real job -- is to teach and love our students. And as such, many of us have developed a healthy skepticism for non-educators who want to change our classrooms. We know learning, and we also know that there is plenty of money to be made for anyone who can sell an idea to schools. So teachers are both bridge and buffer between your children and the ideas of those who claim to know what's best for them.

Except this time, instead of dry erase markers or smart boards, they want to give us guns. And we do not want them.

Armed teachers and metal detectors won't address the systemic causes of these shootings -- namely, the widespread availability of high powered firearms, and an unchecked gun industry whose lobbyists leave a trail of blood leading out from American classrooms. The gun industry has just one priority -- to sell more guns. Any call to curb gun sales is a nonstarter for them, as well as for the elected officials they control -- grieving families, friends and communities be damned.

We must defend our children against shooters. But we must also defend them against a mentality that says weapons can solve a society's problems. Our survival as a species depends entirely on rising above fear and violence, not leaning into it.

The idea that we can end gun violence with more guns is the fakest news.

Let us show grace under pressure. Let us teach our children that while we cannot prevent every act of violence, ideas are bulletproof. We must aspire toward a more peaceful society, and our actions - and policies -- must reflect our values. Teachers across the country want children to be safe -- physically, psychologically, emotionally, and intellectually safe. But arming teachers will not provide any of that. It will, in fact, be a dark step backward.

The president is wrong. Let us not harden our schools. Instead, let us soften the world.

Ronen Kauffman is an elementary school teacher in Jersey City.

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Pass the 2018 Democracy Act so more people can vote

We are alarmed that only an estimated 39% of the eligible population in New Jersey voted in our November 2017 election. It is imperative that we modernize its voter registration and increase participation. We call upon the NJ Legislature and Gov. Phil Murphy to pass and sign into law the Democracy Act proposed in bills A488 and S543. The bills contain a number of commonsense and efficient proposals to expand the opportunity to vote, including automatic voter registration through the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), online voting registration, early in-person voting, streamlined uniformed military and overseas voting, and pre-registration of 17-year-olds. Many of the changes the bill proposed were echoed exactly in Gov. Murphy's campaign platform.

These bills were previously passed in the Assembly and Senate in June 2015, only to be vetoed by former Governor Christie in November 2015. Christie claimed concerns of voter fraud and cost increases in his veto, ignoring the fact that the bill strengthened the process to challenge illegal voting, mandated periodic reports of any suspected voting fraud, banned deceptive voting practices and saved money through automatic MVC registration and by eliminating special elections. Especially in the wake of the failure of President Trump's Commission on Voter Fraud to find any evidence of actual voting fraud, we cannot let the politicians use this false threat as an excuse to maintain barriers to voting any longer.

Voter turnout may be considered a measure of the success of our democracy. People participate in elections when they are confident their voices matter and when the electoral process is free of unnecessary hindrances. These two conditions are not mutually exclusive; a frictionless electoral process is more inclusive, increasing the importance of every vote and motivating participation.

Please, NJ legislature and Governor Murphy, pass and sign the Democracy Act.

Signed:

Martha Howlett, Angela Danica Mustac, Claire Nuchtern, Crystal Miranda, Ivanka Zic, Jacob V. Hudnut, Jessica George, Jim Lane, Mallory King, Max Gray, Meesha Diaz Haddad, Meghan Howard-Noveck, Neil Glassman, Rebecca Missel, Sue Nilsson, Tiziana Nin, all Jersey City; Antonio Guzman and Roger Quesada, North Bergen; Nicole Plett, Lawrenceville; and Caitlin Sherman, Weehawken.

Changes have reaped less discipline in schools

Due to "Diversity," it's much more difficult in being an educator than yesteryear!

Yesteryears' teachers had not only students respect, but also parents respect as well. Today's teachers are dealing with disrespectful students and irate parents whose children can do no wrong. Teachers ask, [why is Cathy Coyle still here?] Those that ask that question either never worked under her or those that did were too dumb to realize that [she] taught in a "safe-haven" atmosphere. While other schools reported violence towards teachers and security by students and parents, Cathy Coyle had "zero tolerance" control. What's misunderstood is her "toughness" was aimed to benefit the students.

Vicky Dee, Jersey City
By Michael Merrill

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in what may be the most significant labor case since 1937, when it ruled the National Labor Relations (Wagner) Act constitutional in NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation. The stakes in Janus v. AFSCME are at least as high, not just for public sector unions and their members, but for all of us.

Everyone should be paying attention. Janus is a libertarian extremist assault on freedom, which raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of collective representation and local democratic governance.

Janus seek to overturn Abood v. Detroit Board of Education (1977), which held that requiring all members of a public sector bargaining unit to pay dues to support the union's collective bargaining and representative functions is constitutional. The plaintiffs in Janus argue that Abood was badly reasoned and that mandatory fees to support the union in its role as the exclusive bargaining agent of covered employees violates both the First and the Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution.

To make their case, the plaintiffs do not claim that public workers are compelled to belong to a union they do not wish to join. There is no hint that the mandatory fees violate an individual's right to freedom of association. The plaintiffs in Janus even insist that unions continue to represent everyone in the designated bargaining units, whether the individual wants them to or not.

Instead, the plaintiffs argue that mandatory agency fees to support public sector unions violate First and Fourteenth Amendment protections of freedom of speech. Mandatory fees, they argue, require that public employees "as a condition of their employment ... subsidize the speech of a third party that they may not support, namely a government-appointed exclusive representative."

The argument is specious. Janus is an attempt to find a side door ("freedom of speech") with which to challenge the legitimacy of collective representation in the public sector. Unions are not "third parties," imposed from the outside. They are democratically-elected, legitimately designated, exclusive representatives of a given community of workers, just as boards of freeholders and town councils are democratically-elected, legitimately designated, exclusive representatives of a given community of residents. They are no more -- and no less -- third parties to their members than local institutions of democratic governance are third parties to their constituents.

The comparison makes plain the underlying intent of Janus. It is specifically intended as an attack the principle of collective public representation. It is of a piece with attacks on the collective representation of all employees, private as well as public, championed by such groups as the National Right to Work Foundation and the Center for Individual Rights, which joined one of the amici curiae briefs filed in support of the plaintiff.

Like freeholders and councilors, union leaders are democratically-elected precisely in order that they might speak on behalf of the whole in what the whole, to the extent possible, takes to be its best interests. They become designated exclusive bargaining agents if and only if they have won a certified representation election in which all potential members are allowed to participate. They also may lose that status in a decertification election, which can be called upon the petition of the members.

As such, unions are the legitimate collective representative of the community of workers, not some "third party" imposed on the community from the outside.

Interestingly, the side door that the plaintiffs in Janus want to use to attack public sector collective representation and undermine the "actual liberty of contract" that the Wagner Act sought to protect for private sector employees is the same side door used by the plaintiffs in Citizens United to undermine what we might call "actual freedom of speech" in the political arena. Citizens United challenged FEC limitations on political spending, which it was claimed were in effect limitations on free speech. Spending money in support of speech, it was argued, is a fundamental First Amendment right, which both Congress and the states are barred from "abridging" or limiting.

In 2010, the Supreme Court narrowly agreed with this reasoning in a 5-4 decision and, in effect, opened the door to the buying and selling of government, not in the old-fashioned way of corrupting the politicians themselves, but in a new-fashioned way of corrupting the entire arena of political debate. It is now possible for those with enough money to buy as much of the available airtime as they desire, even to the point of drowning out all other points of view with a relentless cacophony of bogus claims and outright lies.

Janus threatens a similar undermining in public sector employment relations. Just as the public has an interest in "good" (i.e., sincere and honest) rather than "bad" (insincere or dishonest) political speech, it has an interest in public sector as well as private sector collective representation. Collective representation protects both public and private sector workers from employer abuses and ensures that the public can enjoy the benefits of free-flowing commerce and good government without disruption or taint.

With respect to the latter, collective representation helps to ensure that public sector workers are paid and treated fairly. When they are paid fairly and treated well, they can more reliably be counted upon to perform their duties expeditiously and disinterestedly. It is the least they--and we--can expect. Asking respect from those who are disrespected is asking too much. Only by treating with respect, can we reasonably expect to be treated with respect.

More generally, if the Supreme Court finds collective representation illegitimate where we work, how long before it finds it illegitimate where we live? Not that long, I submit.

Indeed, communities are already being denied the right to pass local ordinances on a range of issues from the environment to immigration by so-called "pre-emption laws," which are championed by the same forces that are championing Janus. This does not end well.

Michael Merrill is a Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Labor Education Action Research Network (LEARN) at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

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A man who gunned down his girlfriend in an execution-style slaying six years ago in Elizabeth has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, prosecutors said Monday.

Under the sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge John M. Deitch, Abdul Shahid Aziz must serve at least 42 years before he is eligible for parole, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Aziz's conviction in December on murder and weapons charges in Ramona Jackson's July 11, 2011, killing came despite a ruling by a state appeals court that blocked his videotaped confession from being used as evidence at trial.

In a statement, Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Spagnoli said Aziz, now 51, drove Jackson, 40, of Staten Island, to railroad tracks at the end of Schiller Street before fatally shooting her in the forehead as she covered her face. Her body was found approximately 12 hours later by workers installing billboards along the railroad tracks.

Aziz's flight from the scene in his 2002 Ford Explorer was captured on surveillance video, the prosecutor's office said, and he surrendered to homicide detectives four days later.

Aziz, whom records show was represented by defense attorney Christopher Dunn, confessed to killing Jackson, prosecutors said, but an appeals court in April 2016 ruled it inadmissible at trial on procedural grounds.

After a three-week trial, the jury in December deliberated for two days before returning a guilty verdict.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Six years after former Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard and three employees pleaded guilty to political corruption charges, his ex-wife is facing a lawsuit from his ex-parish attorney not paying her fair share of the restitution. Tom Wilkinson, who now has a private law practice in Gretna, seeks $30,431 from Karen Parker.

Wilkinson's suit says he and Broussard each were responsible for paying $66,937 of the restitution ordered in their federal criminal cases, and that Parker, who held a deadhead job in the administration, and former chief administrative officer Tim Whitmer each were liable for $40,108. Yet Wilkinson paid $97,427 while Parker put up only $4,600, his suit says. Because U.S. District judges Hayden Head Jr. and Mary Ann Vial Lemmon made them "jointly and severally" responsible, it was up to the four defendants to work out who paid what.

Parker's attorney, David Courcelle, did not respond to requests for comment Monday (Feb. 26).

Broussard's 35-year political career flamed out when he resigned the parish presidency Jan. 8, 2010, amid the FBI inquiry into his administration. Two and a half years later, he pleaded guilty to theft and conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud and federal program fraud. Parker, Whitmer and Wilkinson pleaded guilty to conspiring to cover up corruption, part of which involved putting Parker on the public payroll even though she did little to no work.

Parker, Whitmer and Wilkinson were placed on probation. Broussard was sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison. Another defendant, contractor Bill Mack, was sentenced to one year, eight months in prison for conspiring to bribe Broussard for parish business.

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Wilkinson's suit was filed Jan. 11 in Louisiana's 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna. But there is some question as to which of the 16 judges will hear it.

The clerk's office randomly assigns new suits among the judges, and six of them in succession have stepped aside: Henry Sullivan Jr., John Molaison Jr., Donnie Rowan Jr., Glenn Ansardi, Ray Steib Jr. and Adrian Adams. All cited a personal connection to Wilkinson, Parker or both, except for Rowan, who was not specific in his recusal notice. The suit now resides in Judge Scott Schlegel's division.

. . . . . . .

Drew Broach covers Jefferson Parish politics and Louisiana interests in Congress, plus other odds and ends, for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Email: dbroach@nola.com. Facebook: Drew Broach TP. Twitter: drewbroach1. Google+: Drew Broach.
New Orleans police have named the man they believe fired into a group of people near the parade route on Mardi Gras (Feb. 13), striking two teenagers.

Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Jerald Bordere, 18, and he is wanted for two counts of attempted second degree murder, illegal carrying of a firearm at a parade/during commission of a violent crime, and illegal use of a firearm.

The shooting occurred at about 3:17 p.m. on Mardi Gras, in the 700 block of Union Street, about half a block from the parade route. Police said a fight broke out among a group of about 10 people, and one person fired a gun into the group. Two teenagers, ages 15 and 16, were struck by gunfire: One was shot in the head, and one was hit in the leg.

The teen who was shot in the head is still unconscious and in the intensive care unit, according to NOPD 8th District Commander Nicholas Gernon, so investigators have yet to be able to interview him.

Three men were seen on surveillance camera near the scene, and police have been seeking them for their involvement in the shooting. Police say Bordere was one of the men, wearing a blue shirt in the image.

Police had already arrested 17-year-old Kentrell Howard on Feb. 22, and he was booked with two counts of principal to attempted murder. The third suspect pictured is still being sought by police, who are working to determine his involvement, Gernon said.

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Gernon said in a Monday press conference that investigators believe Bordere may have fled New Orleans or is being assisted in an attempt to flee, possibly to Texas.

"He can continue to run, but eventually he will be found," Gernon said.

Police have found no connection between the suspects and victims, Gernon said.

"We don't have any information that tells us that they knew one another, that there was connections before, that there was an ongoing beef," he said. "It appears there was a fight that broke out, and somebody had a gun on him and they chose to end that fight by shooting."

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jerald Bordere and/or the third suspect, or anyone with additional information on this incident is asked to contact Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Citizens with information that can help solve crimes are asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.
The Army Corps of Engineers will start monitoring levees in the New Orleans area more closely as the Mississippi River water level approaches its annual spring crest. The river is expected to crest March 18.

The corps said Monday (Feb. 26) the Carrollton river gauge had reached 11 feet, prompting twice-weekly patrols along the river. The corps will be coordinating patrol efforts with local levee authorities.

"The increased patrols ensure our ability to respond quickly to any problem areas that may develop along the levee system because of the elevated water levels," a release said.

In addition to regular patrols, the corps and the state of Louisiana prohibits certain river activities when the Mississippi River reaches 11 feet and is expected to continue rising. That includes transport of heavy loads over the levee and disturbing grass cover or subsurface work within 1,500 feet of a levee.

The latest National Weather Service forecast shows the river cresting March 18 at 16 feet, according to the release. The crest is expected to last for two days at the Carrollton gauge, before receding March 20.

The official flood stage at the Carrollton Gage is 17 feet, but floodwalls protect the city of New Orleans to water levels of 20 feet.
A month-long investigation into a suspected Lacombe drug dealer by the St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force culminated Friday (Feb. 23) with the arrest of seven people, including the target of the investigation, as well as a teacher and three Mandeville residents who were caught up in the drug bust, authorities said.

Detectives with the task force executed a search warrant at 24622 Esquinance St. in Lacombe, a residence where 20-year-old Quinten Casnave, the focus of their investigation, had been living, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office reported in a news release. Casnave was arrested and booked on narcotics and weapon charges.

The Sheriff's Office reported that the home was that of Melissa Pattison, 51. She was listed on social media sites as a teacher at Lyon Elementary School in Covington.

When the detectives arrived at the Lacombe residence to execute the search warrant, they witnessed several people driving away in a pickup truck, which was later stopped by Sheriff's Office patrol units. The three occupants, Austin Folse, 20, and two teens, were found to be in possession of ecstasy and marijuana, the Sheriff's Office reported. They were subsequently arrested.

The search warrant of the residence resulted in the seizure of ecstasy, LSD, marijuana, a suspected marijuana oil lab, Xanax and two firearms, authorities said.

In addition to Casnave, two others in the Esquinance Street home were arrested. They were identified as Caleb Pattison, 19, of Lacombe, and Devin Aucoin, 20, of Mandeville, according to the news release. The elder Pattison, who is the owner of the home, was later located at her place of employment and taken into custody.

St. Tammany Parish public school district spokeswoman Meredith Mendez said Monday that Pattison is no longer an employee of the St. Tammany school system. She declined to answer other questions, citing personnel issues.

Pattison's webpage says she has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and has been a teacher for 27 years.

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All of the suspects were booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail.

The suspects and their charges are:

Quentin Casnave was booked with possession of LSD, possession of Xanax, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17.

Caleb Pattison was booked with creation or operation of a clandestine lab, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17.

David Aucoin was booked with possession of ecstasy, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17.

Melissa Pattison was booked with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of a legend drug, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance.

Austin Folse, one of the pickup truck occupants and the two teenagers in the vehicle were each booked with possession of ecstasy.

The St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force is comprised of members from the Sheriff's Office and the Mandeville and Slidell police departments.
A Washington Parish parents group will be raffling 30 guns in March - including two AR-15 rifles like the one used in the recent mass killing at a Florida high school - to raise money for a Project Graduation event for seniors at Bowling Green School in Franklinton.

Tickets for the raffle, dubbed "30 Days /30 Guns" cost $30 each, with 1,000 tickets to be sold, according to a school Facebook post that was published more than a week before the Florida school massacre but was recently taken down. The Feb. 5 post, sent to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, said a gun would be awarded as a prize each day starting March 1.

"Support BGS Project Grad!" it said. "Only a few gun raffle tickets remaining - call the school to secure yours before they're gone!"

The guns to be raffled include pistols, rifles and shotguns, but also two AR-15 rifles, the type a former student used in a Feb. 14 rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Seventeen people, mostly students, were killed. The weapon has also been used in other mass shootings in recent years, stirring controversy over gun control laws.

Beverly Young, principal of the small private K-12 school in Franklinton, could not be reached by phone for an interview about the raffle. However, she emailed a statement Monday that said, "Bowling Green School is neither selling guns nor raffling guns. What you may be referring to is a 'Project Grad' fundraiser that started in early fall."

Such graduation events are held at schools across the country, providing a fun and safe, alcohol-free post-graduation environment for seniors.

In the statement, Young acknowledged that parents of this year's class have undertaken as one of their fundraisers a raffle in which the winners will receive credit for the purchase of a gun from a licensed local dealer. The winners must take their credit to the dealer and must comply with all applicable laws, including age requirements and background checks, in order to receive their prize.

"Bowling Green School, while not directly involved with this activity specifically or as a party to Project Grad in general, is profoundly grateful to our parents and individual and business donors who care so deeply about supporting our young people by providing them with safe alternatives to drinking and driving in order to celebrate their accomplishments and the milestone of high school graduation," Young's statement said.

Young, in a subsequent email, identified the gun dealer as H&H Gun Shop in Franklinton. She decline to identify leaders of the Project Graduation parents' group so they could be contacted for comment.

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Gun store owner Brent Hoggatt said the fundraiser has been in the works since last summer. "It's a first-time thing for this part of Louisiana," he said, noting that similar raffles have been held in many other parts of the country.

Hoggatt said the local community has not raised concerns about the gun raffle and the inclusion of the AR-15 rifles.

"Nobody has said a word about that," he said.

"It's mostly your uneducated, your uninformed that are blowing this out of proportion."

He said of the AR-15: "The firearm is legal to own. It's a semi-automatic. There's nothing different between it and another other semi-automatic firearm other than the way it looks. It looks mean."

Hoggatt said he is not a member of the parents group, which approached him about getting involved in the raffle. He also declined to offer a contact to seek comment from those involved in the Project Graduation organization.

Hoggatt said only about 70 tickets remained unsold for the raffle.

The raffle was first reported by The Advocate, and Hoggatt said the story has done nothing but generate interest.

"I have had people from Baton Rouge drive here, after the original story, to buy tickets," he said.
Melissa Messina shakes her head whenever she tries to understand the last 18 months of her life. She reasons there's only one way to explain it: "It's all God."

All God, and some help from "angels.''

Messina's life has circled back to a place where she's again deeply involved in the horrors of substance abuse and addiction. But this time, she's on the other side - helping others who aren't as far along in their non-stop, lifelong struggle to stay clean.

A recovering addict, Messina and her family recently opened "The Freedom House,'' a nine-bed "sober living house'' in the Covington area. It's a place where recovering addicts can stay after detox, working at jobs and getting their lives in order before moving back to their families or their own homes.

Messina said her family helped her purchase the 1,900-square-foot house. She lives there and runs it with the help of her sister, Michelle Sclafini.

Messina, now 39, became an addict at age 28. She grew up in a middle class family and graduated from college. She drank alcohol and dabbled in drugs recreationally, but says she was hooked the first time she tried crack cocaine.

Crack soon became what she lived for, her two sons, the college marketing degree and her job all taking a back seat to her addiction. As crack took control of her life, Messina's days and nights became a blur of getting high and desperately searching for the next fix.

That's where, she says now, the angels stepped in.

The Covington Police Department, through its chief, Tim Lentz, had spearheaded a local version of the "Operation Angel'' program. That initiative, started in Massachusetts, seeks to help treat addiction rather than toss addicts in jail.

Lentz said more than 200 addicts in St. Tammany Parish have sought help in the past two years. He said a quarter of them are clean today.

"They're not in jail. They don't get the 'convict' label on top of the 'addict' label,'' he said. "That's what this is all about.''

Numerous times, a Covington police officer found Messina on the streets in an obvious search for drugs. But each time the officer chose not to arrest her. Instead, he talked with her about Operation Angel and offered help.

"He just kept telling me there was help, planting a seed,'' she said. "But I wasn't ready to listen.''

Her family had never left her side. "I have the most amazing family in the entire world,'' she said. "My sister was begging me to stop, for my sons.

"But when that drug gets in your body . . .''

But Messina finally reached a breaking point. She hadn't slept in days. She was exhausted. She wanted to try, again, to get to clean.

She showed up at the Covington police station and asked for help. The department steered her to a Baton Rouge detox facility.

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"That was 18 months ago Friday (Feb. 23),'' she reminded Lentz during a tour of The Freedom House last week.

He nodded.

"You were a shell of a person,'' he replied.

A year after the department helped her find a spot in The Grove, a Baton Rouge detox facility, Messina showed back up at the station, a changed person.

"We just became friends,'' Lentz said. "She said she wanted to open a sober-living place. God bless her, she's done it.''

The amount of time the women spend in sober living depends largely on their own recovery, Messina said. She was a year in a sober house after her detox, she said.

Lentz said the house was one of several sober living facilities in St. Tammany Parish.

The women must have jobs and must pay their share of the bills, she said. They must remain clean and sober and attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Six of the nine beds in the house are currently occupied, she said.

"They have to change their lives,'' Messina said. "You can't just do this (get clean and sober) a little bit.

"I need this as much as they do. This is my passion. The point is to give them what someone gave me.''

As Messina continued showing the house to reporters, the tour stopped in one of the rooms, clean and plain and stocked with three single beds. Bibles sat atop dressers and nightstands.

"In my 35 years (in law enforcement) this is by far the highlight of my career,'' Lentz offered.

"Operation Angel?'' someone asked.

"And Melissa,'' he replied.

Messina seemed taken aback. Her eyes misted over.

"I love this man,'' she said with a smile.
He was the 49-year-old president of the United States, arguably the most powerful man in the world. She was a 22-year-old White House intern recently graduated from Lewis & Clark College, a small liberal arts school in Portland Ore.

Twenty years ago, Bill Clinton, the president, and Monica Lewinsky, the intern, became forever linked in a scandal -- of the sex or political variety, depending on how you look at it -- that continues to reverberate through our society and culture.

Clinton and Lewinsky's lies to cover up their relationship would eventually lead to impeachment charges against Clinton in the U.S. House, acquittal in the U.S. Senate and a fissure that continues to widen in American politics between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives.

The debate at the time hinged on the argument of whether Republicans were using a private, consensual sexual relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky for political gain or whether the president's behavior and subsequent lie under oath merited the months-long legal and political battle that ended with Clinton in office and the electorate deeply divided.

Today, the issue takes on an even different dynamic in the wake of the #MeToo movement of women speaking out against men who have mistreated, abused and oppressed them in various ways, not only doing mental or physical harm but often damaging them economically or derailing their careers.

Lewinsky, herself, provides a poignantly insightful analysis of what that means in a personal essay published Sunday (Feb. 25) in Vanity Fair. Lewinsky, now 44, reexamines her experiences and her outlook in light of the many women who have come forward with their stories.

"Until recently (thank you, Harvey Weinstein), historians hadn't really had the perspective to fully process and acknowledge that year of shame and spectacle" of 1998, she writes. "And as a culture, we still haven't properly examined it. Re-framed it. Integrated it. And transformed it. My hope, given the two decades that have passed, is that we are now at a stage where we can untangle the complexities and context (maybe even with a little compassion), which might help lead to an eventual healing -- and a systemic transformation."

Lewinsky, who says she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder from the events of 1998 and after, said she was compelled to look at her experiences in a new light after receiving a simple message from a leader of the #MeToo movement: "Im so sorry you were so alone."

"And yet I don't believe I would have felt so isolated had it all happened today," Lewinsky says. "One of the most inspiring aspects of this newly energized movement is the sheer number of women who have spoken up in support of one another.

"If the Internet was a bete noire to me in 1998, its stepchild -- social media -- has been a savior for millions of women today (notwithstanding all the cyberbullying, online harassment, doxing, and slut-shaming). Virtually anyone can share her or his #MeToo story and be instantly welcomed into a tribe."

Lewinsky notes that just four years ago, she wrote a very different essay in Vanity Fair.

"Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship," she wrote then. "Any 'abuse' came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position."

She now sees "how problematic" that is.

"Now, at 44, I'm beginning (just beginning) to consider the implications of the power differentials that were so vast between a president and a White House intern," she writes now. "I'm beginning to entertain the notion that in such a circumstance the idea of consent might well be rendered moot. (Although power imbalances -- and the ability to abuse them -- do exist even when the sex has been consensual.)"

The definition of consent, she writes, is "To give permission for something to happen."

"And yet what did the 'something' mean in this instance, given the power dynamics, his position, and my age? Was the 'something' just about crossing a line of sexual (and later emotional) intimacy? (An intimacy I wanted -- with a 22-year-old's limited understanding of the consequences.) He was my boss. He was the most powerful man on the planet. He was 27 years my senior, with enough life experience to know better. He was, at the time, at the pinnacle of his career, while I was in my first job out of college. (Note to the trolls, both Democratic and Republican: none of the above excuses me for my responsibility for what happened. I meet Regret every day.)"

Lewinsky says, "I -- we -- owe a huge debt of gratitude to the #MeToo and Time's Up heroines. They are speaking volumes against the pernicious conspiracies of silence that have long protected powerful men when it comes to sexual assault, sexual harassment, and abuse of power."

Embracing the #MeToo movement without condemning Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky has always represented a huge contradiction. Lewinsky has it right.

Tim Morris is an opinions columnist at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at tmorris@nola.com. Follow him on Twitter @tmorris504.
The people of Louisiana should know that when the Zombie apocalypse comes, Baton Rouge offers the best chance of survival in this state, according to an analysis of a report by the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Background

Within the framework of the Organization of American States (OAS) some extremely useful and significant progress has been made in improving and strengthening legal and judicial cooperation among the states of the Hemisphere. One major success is that efforts in this area have led to real cooperation processes that are ongoing and are intended to be permanent and that in no instance was it therefore a matter of simple, isolated, one-shot, or unconnected actions. The processes initiated in this area have, instead, been consolidated through institutionalization as real mechanisms for legal and judicial cooperation that enable follow-up on progress made, give them continuity, and move forward in establishing new cooperation agreements or measures within the framework of said mechanisms.



Prominent among these legal and judicial cooperation mechanisms is the process of Meetings of Ministers of Justice or Other Ministers or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA), including working groups and technical meetings operating under their purview.



The proposal to establish, within the framework of the OAS, a hemispheric forum for dealing with issues related to justice and legal and judicial cooperation through the REMJA was introduced to the Organization in 1996. Until that time, unlike other areas, these particular subject areas had no hemispheric forum whatsoever for bringing together ministers and top officials. Not only was this a serious gap but it was a significant and costly weakness, because these are areas that undoubtedly call for joint efforts and coordinated action among states, if they are to be efficient and effective.



The idea of bringing together the Justice Ministers of the Americas found immediate and warm welcome from the OAS member states, with the General Assembly, at its twenty-seventh regular session held in June 1997, deciding to that end to convene and organize the first meeting of those authorities (REMJA I). Thanks to the offer by Argentina, that meeting was held in Buenos Aires, in December 1997.



This first meeting attested to the advisability and importance of continuing to hold these meetings on a regular basis, which was so acknowledged and mandated immediately afterwards by the Heads of State and Government at their Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile, and reiterated at subsequent Summitsin Quebec City, Monterrey, and Mar del Plata.



REMJA meetings have thus been held eight times since the Buenos Aires gatheringin Lima, Peru, in 1999 (REMJA II); in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 2000 (REMJA III); in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in 2002 (REMJA IV); at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States, in 2004 (REMJA V); in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 2006 (REMJA VI); in Washington, D.C., United States, in 2008 (REMJA VII); in Brasilia, Brazil, in 2010 (REMJA VIII), and again in Quito, Ecuador, in 2012 (REMJA IX).



The REMJA process has become the foremost hemispheric policy and technical forum for issues related to the strengthening justice and international legal cooperation. So important and far-reaching are its concrete results that they have exceeded expectations articulated at the time the proposal to promote this type of meetings was originally put forward. It is now clear that the OAS member states recognize the benefits and usefulness of this process and how important it is to continue consolidating and strengthening judicial cooperation within its framework.


Yasin Sentumbwe (L) and Simon Ssemuwemba

Uganda Christian University (UCU) guild president Duncan Barasha has advised students to pay more attention to their education and avoid situations that may otherwise steer them away from it.

Barasha said this in reference to the expulsion and subsequent law suit concerning two UCU students, Yasin Sentumbwe and Simon Ssemuwemba, all stemming from indiscipline.

Education is our key goal while at the university; let us keep the focus and not be derailed, Barasha said.

The said students dragged UCU to court after they were expelled for leading a strike protesting tuition hike, hence violating the institutions policy on demonstrations.

Regulations require students intending to demonstrate to notify the university to ensure that they are guided, and that their activities do not interrupt other businesses.

The university alleged the students did not notify it while the students said they were not given a fair hearing prior to their expulsion.

Unhappy with the biased manner of their expulsion, the students filed a court case on May 25, 2016, which won them back their place at the institution, compensation from the university of Shs 10 million for damages to each of them and, for the rest of the students, a constant tuition price from their first year of joining the university to the last.

Despite this development, Barasha said the university has a known code of conduct availed to every student upon admission and that it is every students duty to observe and adhere to their provisions.

The rules are meant to create harmonious and orderly living within the UCU community, he stated.

He, however, thinks the court made a fair ruling because, ultimately, justice is what both parties seek. He is positive about the students return, and hopes they are able to resume their studies competently.

They are our fellow students and we welcome them with open hands as our brothers in Christ. We shall make every effort to settle them in, and help them to re-assimilate so they can achieve their academic goals, Barasha said.

Besides the tuition increment scandal, the guild president is happy that the university is on the right track, and there are less chances of another student demonstration.

The university placed a freeze on the tuition increment and no fees have been added onto what we are paying, at least since I joined the university. There is minimal friction," Barasha remarked.

"That is expected in every society. We make every effort to leave harmoniously and we continue to have a fruitful relationship between the student community and the administration with aid from the student leadership.

Isaac Rubangakene, a third-year civil engineering student at UCU, shares the guild presidents opinion about the fair court ruling.

He thinks it was not proper for the university to expel these students, since they had organised a peaceful protest against the hiking of tuition fees, a move more than half of the students population were against.

It is great that the students get to come back and pick up from where they were made to stop; however, their coming back to the university puts them in the spotlight and can be vulnerable to attacks from the big people of the university, which could hinder their progress, Rubangakene said.

He advises his fellow students to know their rights, and not to settle for less, for only then can change occur.

Michael Kazibwe, a second-year bachelor of Economics and Management student, advised that students should always air out their views peacefully so that they are not caught up in such situations as expulsion. They can opt for round-table discussions so that a win-win situation is reached.

triumpdk@gmail.com
The commission of inquiry into land matters has pinned a lawyer for forging land titles and illegally evicting residents in Kyenjojo.



The commission headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire heard that Vincent Mugisha a businessman who claims to work in Office of the President, is in possession of three forged land titles. The forged titles are for 1,500 hectares of Matiri central forest reserve and land in Ganyinayo village in Kihuura sub-county, Kyenjojo district.

Vincent Mugisha (L) after he was handed over to police

John Bosco Suza, the commission's assistant lead counsel told Mugisha that they received 27 complaints from residents of Ganyinayo accusing Mugisha of illegal evictions and harassment.



Suza also said that attempts by National Forestry Authority (NFA) to evict Mugisha from the forest reserve was met with resistance from Mugisha's agents who included armed police officers.

Bamugemereire asked Mugisha to explain how he acquired the land and avail the commission with copies of the land titles, Mugisha submitted copies he claims are genuine.



However upon scrutiny of the titles by the investigators attached to the commission, it was discovered that the titles were forged.



Bamugemereire ordered police officers to detain Mugisha and hand him to detectives for further investigations. Mugisha was also accused of intimidating witnesses who had appeared before the commission to testify against his alleged illegal acts.

"You will go with our investigators and explain why you threatened two witnesses who have appeared before this commission and actually even threatened them inside this commission. To one of them you said; 'you will see me'. To the other, you said; you will kill him. Now, these are very serious allegations. youre yet to defend yourself against them but they are serious allegations, and they are criminal and they not only offend criminal justice but they also offend the Commission of Inquiries Act," said Bamugemereire.



The commission also heard that after encroaching on the forest reserve, he sold the timber illegally from Matiri central forest reserve. Mugisha however declined to reveal how much he realized from the sale.



The commission ended the public hearings in Kabarole which started on Monday. Some of the cases the commission investigated include the controversial leasing out of crater lakes and complaints against Mugisha.



Bamugemereire said that some of the cases that the commission was supposed to investigate in Fort Portal will be heard from Kampala. She mentioned cases such as evictions by Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and evictions of communities by TAMTECO tea factory, among others.
Sudhir Ruparelia

While giving his expert opinion on the Crane bank takeover in January 2017, the chairman of Uganda Bankers Association, Fabian Kasi, asked dfcu managers to ensure that what they were taking over did not affect their operations.

One year since this prophetic speech, dfcu bank faces an uphill task to defend suits filed against it by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, through his Meera Investments Ltd.

At the end of last year, Sudhir went to the Commercial Court seeking an order to dfcu to return 42 properties currently occupied by the bank.

In that suit, the businessman said dfcu and the commissioner for land registration illegally took possession of his 42 properties, initially Crane bank branches, currently occupied by Dfcu.

In another suit last week, through Meera Investments Limited, Sudhir wants dfcu to pay him Shs 32bn plus interest for breach of tenancy agreements in respect to Plot 38 Kampala road (former Crane Chambers) and Plot 40A on Kampala road.

On account of being the successor in title to Crane bank (in receivership), dfcu expressly inherited all tenancy agreements and, therefore, assumed the rights and obligations under the tenancies in respect of the suit properties.

The case stems from a December 16, 2014 tenancy agreement in which Meera Investments let out the basement, ground, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th floor of Plot 38 Kampala road (Crane Chambers) and all of Plot 40A Kampala road to Crane bank for a period of 10 years.

Under clause 3(c) of the tenancy agreement, it was specifically agreed by the parties (Crane bank and Meera) that the tenancies shall remain firm and binding on them until the expiry of ten years, reads part of the plaint filed by Meera.

In the above tenancy agreement, Crane bank would pay $46,980 (Shs 171m) in rent and $46,980 (Shs 171m) in ground rent per month with a seven per cent annual increment for Plot 38 Kampala road and $9,890 (Shs36m) in rent and $9,890 (Shs 36m) in ground rent for Plot 40A Kampala road.

Both rents were payable a year in advance.

What went wrong?

At the time of the takeover, dfcu inherited the entire premises previously rented by Crane bank and rebranded the entire premises. Dfcu also undertook to pay to Crane Management Services (managers of Meera) $531,000 (Shs 1.93bn) in restoration costs and arrears in utility bills.

According to the Meera plaint, Dfcu, in February 2017, entered into a revised contract in respect of the basement and ground floors of Plot 38 Kampala road for a fixed period of three years.

Dfcu, however, reportedly continued to occupy 1st, 2nd 3rd and 7th floors of Plot 38 Kampala road and Plot 40A Kampala road under the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement dated December 16, 2014 until April 30, 2017, when it opted to vacate them.

According to Meera, this constituted a breach of clause 3(c) of the surviving tenancy agreement, that covenanted that the tenancies shall remain firm and binding on them until the expiry of ten years and for this breach, dfcu is liable to pay the plaintiff the sum constituting rent for the unexpired period of 84 months being $8,660,462.34 (Shs 31.6bn).

Meera, read Sudhir, now wants this money plus interest at the prevailing commercial rate from the date the defendant was in default until payment in full.

An official from dfcu, who did not want to be quoted, said the bank has been summoned to file its defence.

Yes, dfcu is in receipt of the plaint and is yet to file its defence, the official said.

As dfcu prepares her defence, questions linger as to why they only renegotiated part of the rental agreement but, one month later, decided to relinquish the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th floors of Plot 38 Kampala road as well as the entire Plot 40A before the expiry of the 10 years and without attempting to renegotiate with Meera.

According to the central bank, 13 institutions bid for Crane bank takeover and dfcu emerged overall winner after vetting. In exercise of its powers as receiver under section 95(1) (b) of the Financial Institutions Act (FIA), Bank of Uganda also transferred the liabilities (including deposits) of Crane bank to dfcu.

In exercise of its powers under Section 87(3), 88(1) (a) & (b) of the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) 2004, Bank of Uganda, on October 20, 2016, took over the management of Crane bank.

Crane bank, which was the biggest traditional bank in Uganda, was progressed from statutory management to receivership by Bank of Uganda on January 24, 2017.

jolanyo@gmail.com
When thinking of ways to assist the poor, offering free breast augmentation or reduction surgery is probably not the first thing to come to mind, but that didnt stop health department officials in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu from doing it.

Most governments are tackling poverty problems the old fashioned way, trying to make sure that unprivileged citizens have access to food, water, a place to live and basic healthcare. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, is taking a slightly different approach, becoming the first state in the world to offer free cosmetic breast surgery to both impoverished women and men. These procedures are currently funded by the state health department, but authorities are trying to get health insurance providers on board to cover them as well.

Photo: FDA/Wikimedia Commons

Why should beauty treatment not be available to the poor? Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar asked Times of India. If we dont offer they may opt for dangerous methods or take huge loans for it.

Poor men and women who cant afford the breast augmentation or reduction surgery theyve longed dreamed of, can have it done for free at a state-run clinic in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. The clinic had already been providing breast reconstruction surgery for cancer patients, but it has recently received requests from patients wanting to either reduce their breast size to alleviate back and shoulder pain, or get implants to boost their self-confidence.

There is a psychological benefit. Many girls who have larger breasts dont like to go out. There is no reason this surgery should be restricted from the poor, said Dr V Ramadevi, head of plastic surgery at the clinic, who added that such procedures would also be available to poor men.

The government of Tamil Nadu has become somewhat famous for it generosity, offering free wedding jewelry and venues to the poor, as well as free food canteens, in the past. Now, free cosmetic breast surgery is on the menu too.

However, this new method of helping the poor has been met with criticism. Dr S Elango, a former state health director told reporters that the scheme is a populist waste of money.

 [It] sounds populist, but it is not an ideal public health programme, Elango said. State funds are required for emerging non communicable diseases and communicable diseases. It is sad that we are now focusing on beauty instead of life-saving surgeries.

Im sure recipients of the offer feel very differently.
Mercury Public Affairs has inked a two-month deal through May 15 to represent the Turkey-US Business Council in its effort to increase trade and investment volume between the countries.

The Omnicom unit will provide PR counsel to TUSBC and conduct outreach to American policymakers.

Though TUSBC is an association of private businesses, Mercury registered the work with the Justice Dept. out of an abundance of caution.

TUSBC operates under the Foreign Economic Relations Board, which in turn operates indirectly under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Economy, according to the filing.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Turkeys president Recap Tayyip Erdogan earlier this month in a bid to improve relations between the two nations.

The US has criticized Erdogan for his crackdown on the media and political opponents. Turkey is upset with US support for Kurdish fighters in Syria.

Following the meeting with Erdogan, Tillerson said the US and Turkey will now lock arms to work together to improve ties.
Finn Partners has been selected by Belong, the worlds largest social network for cancer patients and caregivers, as its marketing and communications agency of record. Finn Partners will support Belong with a multinational team based in New York and Israel. Belong, which currently has partnerships with the American Cancer Society and Colorectal Cancer Canada, is a free app that provides improved access to such life-saving information as real-time forums with doctors, professionals and other patients as well as updates on new clinical trials and suggestions on how to address social and professional issues. Finn Partners is a key partner in helping us to support more and more Belongers, by extending the growth and reach of our fast-growing, life-changing community, said Belong co-founder and CEO Eliran Malki.

rbb Communications has been named the agency of record for insurance intermediary Brown & Brown, Inc. The agency will design and manage a strategic communications program engaging its PR, digital, social media and creative practices to help further Brown & Browns growth plans and build its brand. Brown & Brown offers insurance products and services for business, public entity, individual, trade and professional association customers, with over 230 locations in 40 states, as well as in England, Canada, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands. Over the past 12 months, rbb has introduced the Reputation & Risk Advisors division, formalized its global healthcare practice and added a presence in the New York and Los Angeles-metro areas.

Hemsworth Communications has been named agency of record by Sefira Capital, Oasis Travel Network and Smart Cruiser. Sefira Capital is a Miami-based investment boutique platform focused on acquiring/developing commercial real estate in the United States. Hemsworth will work to raise Sefira Capitals profile in South Florida as well as nationally. Oasis is a leading travel agency and major seller of cruises and its sister company, SmartCruiser.com, is a full-service online retail travel company. Hemsworth will manage national PR for Oasis with a focus on travel and cruise trade outlets, travel agent media and national business press, while its efforts for SmartCruiser.com will focus on national consumer media.
UPDATED Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018: Officials on Tuesday identified the guard as 83-year-old Benjamin O. Lyons of Vancouver.

* * *

An on-duty security guard was found dead early Monday in an apparent Vancouver homicide, police say.

The guard, a man who hasn't been publicly identified, was found dead "from what appears to be homicidal violence" in the 2800 block of Southeast Columbia Way, Vancouver police said in a news release. The guard had been with KnightHawk Protection, a private security business, for about a year, according to owner Rusty Rice.

Rice believed the guard was in his 70s.

The guard was patrolling at a business center that Rice described as an approximately 250-acre complex with warehouses and some retail buildings. He was not armed, Rice said.

Rice said the man wasn't guarding anything particularly valuable, such as money. The guard was healthy, active and well-liked, he said.

His death is under investigation, according to police. Police initially responded about 12:15 a.m. Monday. They didn't immediately release any additional details about the circumstances of his death.

KnightHawk Protection is a private security business that has offices in Portland and Vancouver.

-- Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
A federal judge on Monday declined to dismiss any of the five charges against indicted FBI Agent W. Joseph Astarita, who is accused of lying about firing two shots at Oregon standoff spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum's truck in early 2016.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones said no evidence at this point justifies dismissal of any of the counts. He called the defense motion to throw out four of the five counts premature.

Astarita's lawyers had argued that the three counts of making a false statement and two counts of obstruction of justice are needlessly repetitive and will prejudice Astarita and confuse a jury. Astarita has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Meghan Ferguson, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer for Astarita, called the indictment an "impermissible five-count pileup'' by the government stemming from one alleged lie and one alleged harm that should amount to one alleged crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman countered that Astarita, a member of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team, lied five different times to three supervisory FBI agents and in two interviews with Oregon State Police detectives.

"Defendant told different lies at different times to three different FBI supervisors with different roles and responsibilities,'' Sussman argued.

An investigation found that only Astarita could have fired two rounds shortly after Finicum stepped out of the cab of his pickup truck after he swerved into a snowbank to avoid a police roadblock on U.S. 395 on Jan. 26, 2016, the prosecutor said. Astarita's first rifle shot missed Finicum's truck, but the second entered the truck through the roof and blew out the left rear passenger window, Sussman told the court.

The shooting came as the FBI and state police moved to arrest the leaders of the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as they drove to a meeting in John Day. State police shot and killed Finicum, 54, a short time later at the scene after he walked away from the truck and reached into his jacket towards his left inner pocket, where he had a loaded gun, investigators said.

At the scene shortly after the shooting, an FBI supervisory agent, identified by the initials "I.M.,'' responded to find out if any of the hostage team agents had fired their weapons.

He asked each of the agents, "Are you OK? Did you shoot?'" Sussman said. "Everyone answered except one.''

Astarita didn't directly respond, instead replying, "You don't got to ask me that, bro,'' or "You can't ask me that, bro,'' Sussman said.

When the FBI supervisor I.M. asked him again, Astarita responded, "No, bro, we're good,'' according to Sussman.

Astarita's lawyers argued that their client's "flippant remark'' can't be construed as a lie, since his answer wasn't responsive to the question. They urged the court to dismiss that count, for example.

They also argued that the government could only identify one single harm that resulted from any alleged lie: the failure of the FBI to call out its Shooting Incident Response Team immediately to initiate a shooting investigation, seize the agent's rifle and collect evidence.

Astarita is accused of telling two different FBI supervisors on the night of Jan. 26, 2016, that he hadn't fired any gunshots. Later that night, state police detectives interviewed the five FBI Hostage Rescue Team agents separately, and none said they had discharged their weapon.

Sometime between Jan. 26 and Feb. 6, 2016, Astarita was asked by another FBI supervisory agent, with the initials "T.S.,'' if he had fired his rifle that night, and he said no. By then, the local investigators had alerted the FBI that there were two unaccounted gunshots, that they appeared to have come from an FBI agent, that bullet casings were missing and aerial video showed Hostage Rescue Team agents looking around on the ground and under Finicum's truck after the shooting, Sussman said.

Astarita was interviewed a second time by state police on Feb. 6, 2016, this time with two other FBI agents who were also present at the shooting scene. It appears Astarita didn't speak during this February interview, as all the agents were represented by a lawyer and state police were told the agents wouldn't answer any questions previously asked.

Ferguson said the Oregon State Police detectives during this last interview were hoping for a confession, "which they never got.''

Whether a bullet or a metal fragment is lodged in the shoulder of Ryan Bundy, who was hunched down in the back seat of Finicum's truck, remains a mystery to prosecutors.

"Bundy thinks so,'' Sussman told the judge. "We're not sure. He hasn't been cooperative. We do know the bullet blew out the back window of the truck. Unfortunately we don't have it.''

The judge asked prosecutors why they didn't restrict the charges to their strongest evidence, such as Astarita's flat-out denials of firing any shots?

"Why are you muddying up the waters with these soft counts?'' Jones asked. "Why are you preceding with weaker evidence when you got such strong evidence?''

Sussman said the grand jury returned the five-count indictment based on the five separate circumstances of Astarita's alleged lies.

"The jury should be hearing how the whole story unraveled,'' Sussman said.

The judge said he believes it's better to "simplify'' rather than "amplify'' charges for a jury.

"But that is a strategy that is not my job,'' Jones said. "That's up to the prosecution.''

The judge left open the possibility that he could dismiss some of the counts during a trial upon hearing the evidence, before sending the case to a jury for deliberations.

Ferguson argued that waiting until trial would unfairly prejudice the defendant and imply to the jury that the other counts that remain "are good.''

In related action, defense lawyers in their motion to dismiss wrote that prosecutors had conceded the bullet trajectory analysis of the shooting by a Deschutes County sheriff's deputy and the Tri-County Major Incident Team was somehow flawed. They noted that the government hired new experts for trial.

Sussman refused to let those sentences stand. "That, Your Honor, is pure fiction. We never conceded that the original analysis was flawed,'' he said. "We did hire new experts. We didn't concede anything. We just wanted to make the evidence stronger.''

Astarita waived his appearance at Monday's hearing.

The two sides are expected to return to court in May to determine what expert testimony will be admissible at trial, which is set for July 24.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Correction appended.

SALEM  Oregon lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill that would allow Portland officials to break up homeless camps on Oregon Department of Transportation property within the Portland urban growth boundary.

Senators approved House Bill 4054 unanimously Monday after representatives unanimously approved it last week.

Supporters of the bill have said it would bring state and city policy in line, resulting in a clear and consistent approach to removing illegal campsites. Current law only allows Portland officials to clear camps on city land  not state property, too. Others have said they worry the bill will cause more sweeps of homeless camps.

The bill passed Monday also affects timelines for removing homeless camps. Currently, the Oregon Department of Transportation gives campers 10 to 19 days to clear out before the camp is removed and any leftover property seized. Under House Bill 4054, a camp on state property may be removed two days after a notice is posted near the campsite.

For its part, the city is firmly in support of House Bill 4054. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and all other city commissioners submitted a letter to the Legislature supporting the proposal. They said it would undo "statutory barriers" that make it tough to apply a consistent approach to removing homeless camps on state land versus city land. They said the bill would help the city address "the causes and symptoms of homelessness with compassion."

Opposite the city are several civil rights groups, including the Oregon wing of the American Civil Liberties Union. Its lobbyists were officially neutral on the bill, but said sweeps of homeless camps are "not the answer we should be searching for." An ACLU representative testified that, instead of more sweeps, the state should develop safe places for the homeless to camp and build more housing among other measures.

House Bill 4054 now heads to Gov. Kate Brown who can make it law with her signature.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman

Correction, Feb. 27: An earlier version of this story inaccurately stated that the ACLU of Oregon opposed House Bill 4054. In fact, the ACLU of Oregon was neutral on the bill.
Passengers were told to take off scarves and heavy necklaces. They were instructed to return their seat to the upright position. They were to cross their arms, place them on the seat in front of them and put their heads down.

They were told to steel themselves for impact.

And they sat in silence as the airplane descended.

The pilot and flight attendants yelled for passengers to brace as the ground approached.

But amid the scary descent, Deborah Chapman remained calm. After a bit of bumping and rattling, the plane came to a halt Sunday night. Everyone was safe.

Chapman was among the 122 passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 1551, which blew a tire while taking off in Newark, New Jersey, en route to Portland, according to a United spokeswoman.

A sea of emergency responders met the plane, but passengers were able to deplane normally at the gate.

"I felt that the crew was totally on top of it and had prepared us," Chapman said.

She said an odd sound was heard when the plane lifted off in Newark, but she thought it was overhead bins rattling. The crew didn't initially acknowledge the noise, she said, but the pilot later said he was concerned a front tire blew.

Flight attendants told everyone to get out their safety cards, and they led passengers through emergency evacuation preparations.

But the odds were in their favor. The pilot said there was only a 1-in-100 chance that would be necessary.

Chapman had flown east to return her visiting grandsons to their parents in Boston. She stopped in New York City on the way home to visit her daughter, then flew from Newark to Portland and went back to her Lake Oswego home.

The 59-year-old worked as usual on Monday morning. In a phone interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive, she recalled the experience as a bit surreal.

But it won't keep her from flying again. She has a vacation planned in two weeks.

And she'll return on United Flight 1551.

 Jim Ryan

jryan@oregonian.com

503-221-8005; @Jimryan015
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to enter the national controversy over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), turning down the Trump administration's request to immediately review lower court decisions that keep in place the program that protects undocumented immigrants brought here as children from deportation.

President Donald Trump announced in September that he would let the program expire in March, unless Congress acted. Efforts on Capitol Hill to revive DACA as part of a broader deal on immigration policy have failed.

Federal district judges in California and New York have issued nationwide injunctions against ending the program, siding with states and organizations challenging the administration's rescission. The court orders effectively block the Trump administration from ending the program on March 5, as planned.

No appellate court has reviewed those decisions, and it would have been exceedingly rare for the Supreme Court to take up a case without that interim step. In the past, the court has granted such cases only in matters of grave national importance, such as the controversy over President Richard Nixon's White House tapes or solving the Iranian hostage crisis.

The litigation now will take its usual course, and it will likely be next term before the issue could return to the Supreme Court. The White House and Congress in the meantime can continue to search for a political resolution.

The Trump administration skipped the more usual procedure of asking the high court to stay the lower court decisions. Instead, it said the court should accept the case now because it raised such important legal questions about presidential authority.

"The district court's unprecedented order requires the government to sanction indefinitely an ongoing violation of federal law being committed by nearly 700,000 aliens - and, indeed, to confer on them affirmative benefits," Solicitor General Noel Francisco wrote in the government's brief to the court.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled in December that challengers are likely right that the way the administration is ending the program violated the Administration Procedure Act, because it is arbitrary and capricious.

A nationwide injunction is warranted, Alsup said, because "our country has a strong interest in the uniform application of immigration law and policy." Earlier this week, a district judge in New York came to an almost identical conclusion.

The solicitor general told the court that the administration was ending the program because of the threat of legal challenges from a coalition of states led by Texas, and a belief that the program instituted during the Obama administration could not be successfully defended in court.

The Department of Homeland Security, Francisco said, "opted to wind down DACA after reasonably concluding that the policy was likely to be struck down by courts and indeed was unlawful."

The administration had proposed to end the program next month. But the injunctions require the department to continue to accept renewal applications from those protected from deportation. The administration is not required to accept new applications.

Challengers, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, D, and the board of regents of the state's universities, said the current administration was ignoring past findings by the government that the program was legal.

"Without the injunction, thousands of DACA recipients would lose their work authorization and deferred action status in March 2018 - and thousands more the next month, and each succeeding month, until nearly three-quarters of a million young Americans would be shunted back into the shadows of our society," Becerra wrote in his brief.

And a separate brief from the California Board of Regents noted how unusual it would be for the court to accept the case without the benefit of review from lower courts, a process called "certiorari before judgment."

"In the very rare instances - the last almost 30 years ago - in which the court has granted certiorari before judgment in this situation, it has done so in response to an urgent, overwhelming need for immediate resolution of a legal issue," the brief said.

The case is Department of Homeland Security v. California Board of Regents.
Over the course of its seven-season run, "Pretty Little Liars" built a devoted fan base who tuned in to follow every twist and turn of the melodramatic mystery about a group of girls and their secrets.

Though "Pretty Little Liars" ended its run on Freeform in 2017, there's more "PLL" TV on the way. A new "PLL" spinoff pilot, called "The Perfectionists," will film in Portland in March, and is looking for extras.

Like "Pretty Little Liars," "The Perfectionists" is executive produced by I. Marlene King, and is based on a book series by Sara Shepard. The synopsis for the proposed new series reads like this: "Everything about the town of Beacon Heights seems perfect, from their top-tier college to their overachieving residents. But nothing in Beacon Heights is as it appears to be. The stress of needing to be perfect leads to the town's first murder. Behind every Perfectionist is a secret, a lie and a needed alibi."

The characters of Alison (played by Sasha Pieterse) and Mona (Janel Parrish) will make the jump from "Pretty Little Liars" to the new series. Sofia Carson, who played Evie in the Disney Channel hit, "Descendants," is also on board, playing the character of Ava, which a Deadline report describes as "a trendsetting blogger and coder who strives to be a fashion icon."

"A Bit Extra Casting" is looking for locals to fill background roles for the pilot, which is filming in the Portland and Forest Grove area in March.

According to the notice on the site of "A Bit Extra Casting," the company is seeing twenty-somethings who look college-aged, but "there will be roles available for people of all ages."

Extras will be paid $11.25 per hour, with possible extra pay if their car is used. For more information, follow the "A Bit Extra Casting" Facebook page: facebook.com/ABitExtraCasting

The application form asks a variety of questions, including applicant availability from March 12 through March 30, which is when filming is scheduled to happen.

Here's a link to the application form: http://abitextracasting.com/theperfectionists/

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist
Tuesday 27 February 2018 10:09am



Members of the Pacific community presented Pro-Vice-Chancellor Health Sciences, Peter Crampton, with a traditional vaa (waka) at a welcoming function for Pacific Island students into the Division of Health Sciences on Friday. Photo: Sharron Bennett.

The University of Otago continues to lead the way in education for Pacific peoples with the development of Vaa o Tautai, the Pacific entity within the Division of Health Sciences.

Vaa o Tautai provides strategic leadership within the division bringing together the Office of the Associate Dean (Pacific), the Pacific Islands Research and Student Support Unit and a new centre for research and teaching, the Centre for Pacific Health.

Through Vaa o Tautai, health science students will have increasing exposure to Pacific health teaching.

This years official welcome for Pacific students in the Division of Health Sciences last Friday, 23 February, was significant in that it incorporated the formal introduction of Vaa o Tautai and the cultural acknowledgment for a number of staff who are retiring who have contributed significantly to Pacific developments.

Faumuina Associate Professor Faafetai Sopoaga says the University of Otago is leading the way in Pacific education among New Zealand universities. For example, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Health Sciences, Professor Peter Crampton, strongly supported development of an inaugural Pacific Strategic Framework (2011-2015) for the division and this has since been replaced by a University-wide Pacific framework (2013-2020).

Associate Professor Sopoaga was appointed to her role in 2009 and established the Pacific Islands Research and Student Support Unit in 2010. Following her appointment, new Associate Dean (Pacific) roles were established at the Wellington and Christchurch campuses and in the Dunedin School of Medicine. Other similar roles have since been established University-wide.

More recently, the School of Pharmacy has appointed a Pacific Adviser, Wellington Hospital Clinical Pharmacist and Otago alumna, Kasey Brown.

Associate Professor Sopoaga says she is grateful to the Universitys visionary leaders, former Vice-Chancellor Professor David Skegg, current Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne and Professor Crampton in her division, who have led and supported Pacific strategies.

Im very proud of this University and its visionary leaders.

University settings are unfamiliar environments for Pacific communities, she explains. The University has established the welcoming Pacific Islands Centre with manager Tofilau Nina Kirifi-Alai. Pacific families are now increasingly choosing to bring their children to Otago University.

To come to this prestigious University with its proud history, yet one which has also adopted a social accountability agenda that is inclusive of everyone who wants to come here, is wonderful.

The immersion programme for fourth year medical students at the Dunedin Campus, whereby they spend a weekend living with a Pacific family, is now compulsory and will be rolled out in Christchurch this year, with discussions underway for the Wellington campus next year.

Its about training health professional students to integrate clinical and cultural competencies in a way that translates to positive outcomes for their patients, Associate Professor Sopoaga says.

Professor Crampton, who is later this year stepping down from his role, was formally recognised by the Pacific community at Fridays ceremony, with the presentation of a traditional vaa (waka), symbolising the Pacific journey he has enabled in the Division of Health Sciences.

Associate Professor Sopoaga says the Universitys Pacific Island community is indebted to Professor Crampton who has worked tirelessly to improve Pacific representation within the Health Sciences Division.

The total numbers of Pacific students enrolled in Health Professional Programmes has been steadily increasing since 2009. The total number enrolled in Health Professional Programmes has increased by 20% to 157 this year, up from 130 in 2017. This is more than twice the number enrolled in 2012.

A team of three traditional master carvers from Samoa was brought to Dunedin for three weeks by Vaa o Tautai to build a double hulled waka, with one presented to Professor Crampton and his family, and the other to remain at Vaa o Tautais offices.

Professor Crampton told those gathered on Friday that it was an incredibly humbling experience to be presented with such a remarkable, beautiful and unique gift.

While stepping down from his current roles later this year, Professor Crampton says he will continue working at the University and is committed to working with his Pacific colleagues in the future.

We are all in the same waka together and paddling in the same direction.

Associate Professors Pat Cragg, David Perez and Jonathan Leichter, who are retiring this year, were also acknowledged for their excellent services to Pacific students, staff and communities.

Associate Professor Sopoaga is excited to be part of the Pacific journey in the Division of Health Sciences. Its a journey into unchartered waters, she says.

For further information please contact:

Faumuina Associate Professor Faafeti Sopoaga,

Associate Dean (Pacific)

Division of Health Sciences

Mob: +64 21 268 2244

Email: tai.sopoaga@otago.ac.nz

Professor Peter Crampton,

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Health Sciences

Telephone: +64 3 479 7413

Mob: +64 27 455 0147

Email: peter.crampton@otago.ac.nz

Liane Topham-Kindley

Senior Communications Adviser

Telephone: +64 479 9065

Mobile: +64 21 279 9065

Email: liane.topham-kindley@otago.ac.nz
Tuesday 27 February 2018 12:00pm



Professor Mark Richards, Christchurch Heart Institute Director and Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiovascular Studies

Thousands of New Zealanders can look forward to improvements in treatment and care of heart failure following new research findings that look set to alter the clinical approach and health care planning for heart failure globally.

The findings of a New Zealand-led international research collaboration, recently published in the European Heart Journal, set out how two distinct forms of heart failure previously considered similar in prevalence and risk of death, are in fact very different.

Professor Rob Doughty, NZ Heart Foundation Chair of Heart Health at The University of Aucklands Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, led New Zealands participation in the seven-year collaborative study of more than 2000 patients from Singapore and New Zealand. It involved expertise in heart health from four major centres in New Zealand (Christchurch, Auckland, Middlemore and Waikato), and all six main hospitals in Singapore.

Heart failure is a common and serious condition affecting around 80,000 New Zealanders. In many people with heart failure the heart muscle is stretched and weakened and does not pump properly.

However, in other cases of heart failure, the heart may have near normal pumping function but the muscle is stiff and often thicker than usual and the heart cannot fill properly between beats. These two types of heart failure were thought to be equal in occurrence and risk of death.

However, our new findings reveal that the stiff heart muscle is less common than originally thought, affecting about three out of every 10 heart failure patients, and there is less risk of dying from this type compared with heart failure where the heart is not pumping properly, says Professor Doughty.

Two percent of New Zealands population live with heart failure, and the studys findings provide greater accuracy about their risk of dying.

Based on our new findings from this study, the global approach and treatment of patients with heart failure, based on measures of heart pump function, may need to be reviewed. This information will influence clinical thought and health-care planning of heart failure around the world, and provide more precise treatment, Doughty said.

Professor Mark Richards, Christchurch Heart Institute Director and Heart Foundation Chair of Cardiovascular Studies, provided overall international leadership and coordination of the work between the two countries.

Our findings are pivotal to the understanding of occurrence, death rates and risk prediction within different classes of heart failure, Professor Richards says.

Professor Richards won research funding and supervised execution of the study in Singapore, where he is also Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Singapore. A total of 16 distinguished heart doctors and researchers have been involved, including Professor Carolyn Lam of the National Heart Centre in Singapore and Professor Richard Troughton of the Christchurch Heart Institute.

We are particularly proud to have proven these findings, with identical procedures executed simultaneously in two countries, 5000 miles apart, Richards says.

In addition, we demonstrated that the worlds most successful-ever cardiac biomarker, NT-proBNP, (discovered and validated in the Christchurch Heart Institute) is similarly prognostically powerful in both types of heart failure in both Singapore and New Zealand. Overall, this will exert major influence on clinical thinking and planning.

Funding for the research came from multiple Singapore and NZ sources including the Heart Foundation of NZ, Health Research Council of NZ, Singapore National Medical Research Council and other smaller contributors.
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Over the last year, there has been a lot of discussion about what is data science and who are data scientists. There are those that think ...
McKinley Paper Puts Machine Conversion on Hold at Port Angeles Mill

Photo courtesy: Peninsula Daily News.

Feb. 26, 2018  According to a news story in the Peninsula Daily News, McKinley Paper Company has indefinitely postponed plans to convert its Port Angeles paper mill in Washington to the production of linerboard. The mill, which McKinley Paper acquired from Nippon Paper Industries in March of 2017 for $20.6 million, previously produced paper used primarily for newsprint and telephone directories. A cogeneration facility was also included in the sale.

McKinley had planned to have one of the mill's two machines converted for the production of linerboard and ready for start-up by December of this year, but Herb Baez, vice president of McKinley told the Peninsula Daily News, That's not going to happen.

We are taking it a day at a time, Baez added.

Baez said he hopes the plant can begin production in 2019 but could not be more definitive.

Right now, we don't have anything specific, he said.

I don't want to raise expectations.

Things are happening in the market.

McKinley Paper Company has operated as a subsidiary of Mexico-based Bio Pappel since 1997.

Bio Pappel is an integrated producer of containerboard, uncoated free sheet, newsprint, corrugated boxes, cut size paper, notebooks, paper sacks, and other specialties. The company operates 30 production facilities and 13 recycled fibers collection centers in Mexico, the U.S. and Colombia. Currently, Bio Pappel employs 11,068 people and produces approximately 3.2 million metric tons per year of paper and packaging grades.

SOURCE: Peninsula Daily News, and Bio Pappel
Alice Glass wrote on Twitter that she won the defamation case set against her by former Crystal Castles bandmate Ethan Kath (real name Claudio Palmieri). Back in October, Glass made accusations against Kath on her website about her years spent with him in the band. She detailed allegations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse starting from when she first met him at the age of 15. Glass left Crystal Castles in 2014, a decision she now says was due to the abuse she suffered by Kath.

"Claudio was very manipulative towards me. Over a period of many months, he gave me drugs and alcohol and had sex with me in an abandoned room at an apartment he managed," Glass wrote at the time. "It wasn't always consensual...He forced me to have sex with him or, he said, I wouldn't be allowed to be in the band anymore."

I won in court today!! the defamation lawsuit against me was dismissed !

thank you so much for the love and support throughout this ugly process

 ALICE GLASS (@ALICEGLASS) February 23, 2018

this is a victory for survivors of abuse and sexual misconduct in countries where abusers use the court system to further victimize and keep people silent. WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED

 ALICE GLASS (@ALICEGLASS) February 23, 2018

Kath denied Glass' allegations in a statement, writing that she was "still bitter about breaking up" and alleging that she left Crystal Castles due to substance abuse and mental health issues.

"We are extremely pleased with the Court's decision to grant our motion to strike, which effectively dismisses Palmieri's complaint in its entirety," Glass' lawyer Vicki Greco told The Star. Pitchfork confirmed with the Los Angeles Superior Court that Glass' "motion to strike" was granted.

Image via Getty


The legendary, late Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali is most famous for his otherworldly paintings and delightfully nutty persona. Warped landscapes, unusual quotes, and avant-garde film and sculpture make up his rich, constantly unfolding archive. Now, almost 30 years after his death, a forgotten Dali painting has been found and added to the lot. The work will soon be on display in New York.

Related | Miguel Channels Salvador Dali

According to Artnet, material and signature analysis indicates that Dali painted this piece in 1932 during his first months living in Spain. "With a forgery, there is always a mistake you can track somewhere. This one, no mistake," Nicolas Descharnes, a Dali scholar, told Artnet. The painting pays tribute to the artist's wife Gala via its signature, which reads "Gala Salvador Dali."

The untitled work highlights iconic Dali motifs that he started incorporating in 1932; a window and a pole. It's seemingly inspired by Dali and Gala's shared home in Spain where they lived from 1932 to 1982. Descharnes surmises that the painting was a study, a point proven by Dali's following work, Morphological Echo (193436), which uses the same imagery.

The painting is on display by appointment at New York's Heather James Fine Art Gallery.



Photo via Getty
In January Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Disturbingly Announces that their Chinese Partner for iCloud Services will have equal access to Chinese Customer data." On Saturday, we posted a follow-up report titled "Those who Trusted Apple's iCloud in China lost big Time, as the Government prepares to access iCloud data on Demand." The bottom line is that Chinese authorities will now have far easier access to text messages, email and other data stored in iCloud. The promise of privacy via iCloud is toast in China. At the end of our weekend report we noted that it's now clear that this is the route that any foreign government could take in the future in order to break Apple's privacy policies. Pandora's Box has now been opened and other foreign governments with any clout are likely to adopt China's policy to gain access to data on demand.

While that may have sounded a little draconian to some, we learn today that indeed the EU is about to take a similar stance. Reuters is reporting that "The European Union is preparing legislation to force companies to turn over customers' personal data when requested even if it is stored on servers outside the bloc, a position that will put Europe at loggerheads with tech giants and privacy campaigners."

The EU push comes as a landmark legal battle in the United States nears its climax. The U.S. Supreme Court will this week hear oral arguments in a case pitting Microsoft against U.S. prosecutors, who are trying to force the company to turn over emails stored on its servers in Ireland in connection with a drug-trafficking investigation.

Many law enforcement officials argue such powers are necessary for crime-fighting in the digital age. But campaigners say giving governments so-called extra-territorial authority to reach across borders and access data would erode individuals' privacy rights. Technology firms like Microsoft, Apple and IBM say it would undermine consumer trust in cloud services.

The planned law, which would apply to all companies around the world that do business in the European Union, is an apparent shift in position for the European Commission, the EU executive, which has stood on the side of privacy advocates in the past.

The proposed law would apply to the personal data of people of all nationalities, not just EU citizens, as long as they were linked to a European investigation, one of the sources said.

The legislation is still in the drafting stage and is expected to go before lawmakers and member states at the end of March. It can take up to two years for a law to be finally agreed. "Read the full Reuters report for more.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Iran Arrests Three More Environmentalists For Spying

02/26/18

Source: RFE/RL

Iran has arrested three more environmentalists on spying charges, the country's powerful judiciary has said. The arrests on February 25 came weeks after a wave of detentions and the death of a well-known Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died in Iranian custody. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency, said on February 25 that three people were recently arrested in the southern province of Hormozgan.



Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei speaking on February 25, 2018



"There is no doubt that infiltration by the United States and Israel is a serious matter," the spokesman said, without offering further details on the arrests.

Iranian officials have said the activists who have been arrested were gathering sensitive information under the guise of scientific and environmental activities on behalf of the CIA and Israel's Mossad.

The arrests come after the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami, the Iranian-Canadian managing director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation and a lecturer in sociology in Tehran, who was arrested on January 24 and died in prison two weeks later.

The judiciary said Seyed-Emami, 63, had committed suicide.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a non-profit organization based in New York, said at least nine other members of Seyed-Emami's organization had been arrested on the same day as him.

Seyed-Emami's death along with other inmate "suicides" have sparked a government probe and fueled tension between Iran's dominant hard-line institutions and its president, a relative moderate.

Former Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi, an advisor to Rohani, criticized the handling of Seyed-Emami's case and suggested the public did not believe the official explanation for his death.

"Given the events that have occurred, if a competent and legal agency does not intervene and doesn't give its opinion on the dead individual or those under arrest, public opinion will not believe they are spies even if they are convicted," he said in an interview with the daily Iran newspaper published on February 25.

Yunesi, who was a minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, said the case should be handed to the Intelligence Ministry.

Seyed-Emami's case is said to have been handled by Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which runs an intelligence service that is separate from the government's Intelligence Ministry.

Human rights activists have reported that at least six detainees have died in prisons in the last two months in Iran. The judiciary has confirmed three deaths in custody but said all three were suicides.

With reporting by Fars and Reuters
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.
Government is engaged in necessary stakeholder consultations to equip universities to tackle expected increase in the number of tertiary students in the next three years, as a result of its flagship Free Senior High School Programme, Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh has assured.



We are committed to ensuring that all higher education institutions in the country get their fair share of development projects to enable them all meet their obligations more effectively.



To this end, government is committed to providing the needed infrastructure and equipment to enable the universities absorb the expected increase in the number of potential students that will be graduating from governments flagship Free SHS programme.



The Minister gave the assurance at the official launch of the 70th Anniversary celebration of the University of Ghana, held at the schools main campus in Accra.



Dr. Opoku-Prempeh congratulated the school for how far it has come since its inception, urging managers of the institution to continue working hard to improve on achievements made so far.



He also called on all tertiary institutions to present to his ministry, their plans on how the expected increase in student numbers will be handled, as well as their expectations of government in that regard.



In his address at the event, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice- Chancellor of the University reiterated the institutions vision of transforming into a world-class research-intensive university that serves the growing needs of Ghana and Africa at large, urging all to support in their own ways towards the achievement of same.



He also outlined a number of strategies that his outfit seeks to adopt to generate additional funds to effectively run the school, as governments financial support remains inadequate.



The university has strategized to generate income to cover teaching, research, infrastructure, maintenance, and development, as well as service and administration. The challenge is how to diversify the sources of internally generated funds and reduce the burden of students even as they make fair contribution, he said.

Source: thebftonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged Governors of the United States of America not to ignore Africa, stating his belief that this can be Africas century.



According to President Akufo-Addo, growth in Africa, in 2015 was second only to that of Asia, adding that six of the world's ten fastest growing economies, this year, are in Africa.



We are rich in natural resources, and in possession of nearly 30 percent of the earth's remaining mineral resources. We have a vibrant young population, and, though we still have important security challenges, we are more at peace than before, he said.



The President noted that with the historic decision of the African Union to bring into being, on 21st March, 2018, the Continental Free Trade Area, the agenda of regional integration, which will establish a market of some 2 billion people in 20 years, presents immense opportunities to bring prosperity to Africa with hard work, enterprise and creativity.



This is the time to look at Africa, he added.



President Akufo-Addo made this known when he delivered the keynote address at the National Governors Association 2018 Winter Meeting, in Washington DC, United States of America, on Sunday, 25th February, 2018.



Whilst acknowledging the disheartening spectre of African youths crossing the Sahara desert on foot and drown in the Mediterranean Sea, in a desperate bid to reach the mirage of a better life in Europe, President Akufo-Addo explained that the current structure of African economies, which are dependent on the production and export of raw materials, cannot create prosperity.



These economies cannot produce wealth and prosperity for the masses on the continent. It, therefore, drives the determination to seek a much better standard of living out of Africa, thereby, fuelling the refugee crises and the numerous counts of illegal migrations, he said.



The large wave of migrations into the United States from Ireland and Italy, in the 19th century, the President added, has completely subsided because the economies of the two countries are working properly.



It is for this reason that President Akufo-Addo stated that the only way to ensuring prosperity in Africa and jobs for our young populations is through value addition activities, in a transformed and diversified, modern economy, in which we take full advantage of the digital revolution.



He continued, In other words, the industrial development of our continent, and we are determined to ensure the realisation of this, so that our young people can stay and devote their great energies to the building of a great Africa.



The President was confident that it is only Asians who can engineer, in a generation, their transition from poverty to prosperity.



We are determined to do that in our generation in Ghana, on the continent, and ensure that succeeding generations will be neither victims nor pawns of the global order, he added.



This, the President indicated, will serve as the impetus for re-shaping the continent and charting a new path of growth and development in freedom, which will lift the long suffering African masses out of poverty into the realms of prosperity and dignified existence.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Audio Attachment: Listen to Dr. Matthew Opkoku Prempeh on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme..

The University of Ghana (UG), Legon, stands the risk of losing most, if not all of its assets, in the not-too-distant future.



That is if the premier public university fails to payback a loan of $64m.



This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Monday.



The amount was borrowed from Africa Integras, a private firm to construct Faculty offices on campus but it cannot be accounted for.



The University, back in 2015, entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Africa Integras to invest US$64 million in the construction of 1,000 new students hostel beds for undergraduate and post-graduate students on the Legon campus. The project was structured as a 25-year Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract.



The BOT agreement was signed by Professor Ernest Aryeetey, then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, on behalf of the University, while Ms Andrea Pizziconi, Managing Partner at Africa Integras, initialed for her Organization.



Some have raised questions about the deal, particularly relating to the overall cost to the University.



Speaking to Kwami Sefa-Kayi in a one-on-one interaction on Peace FMs morning show, Monday, the Education Minister disclosed that the amount was borrowed about two or three years ago according to Legonthe council has described it ($64m) as the worst contract the school had gone for and they didnt even inform government before going for the loan.



UG needs to pay 10million dollars for 25 years and by the time they redeem themselves, they would have paid 250million. If they are not able to pay, their assets will be confiscated."



The Minister therefore wished public universities would involve government in its decision-making on such matters.



Asked if it will not be considered as interference on the part of government in the administration of the university, since the universities are considered to be autonomous, he said: "it is about time we realize that Management of a university is different from academic freedomuniversities need to be open to governmentthey are not autonomous



Background



In July 2014, under the leadership of Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, the UG entered a contract with Africa Integras, a private investment company with headquarters in New York, to construct five buildings for the university on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.



The project was to consist of the construction of an expanded facility for the College of Humanities, a complex for the new College of Education, a new building complex for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, a complex to house the Institute of Technology and Applied Science and a building for the College of Health Sciences to aid the university in relocating the medical school to the UG campus from its present location in the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.



Graphic.com.gh reported in 2017 that the project has come to a standstill due to disagreement between the current Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, and his predecessor, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, over the viability of the project.

Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









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Security expert Dr Kwesi Aning has expressed that, the recall of some Ghanaian police contingent on un mission in South Sudan over sexual abuse is a dent on Ghanas reputation.



The information received indicates that some members of the FPU (Formed Police Unit) allegedly engaged in transactional sex. This is a clear breach of the U.N. and UNMISS Code of Conduct which prohibits sexual relationships with vulnerable individuals, including all beneficiaries of assistance, the UN statement said.



It added: UNMISS has informed U.N. headquarters in New York of the allegations, which in turn notified the Member State that the matter was being investigated by the United Nations. There is no indication that this behavior is more widespread within the Mission.



Dr. Aning said Ghana should ensure that the probe into the matter is thorough.



I dont think this would hinder our relations with UN peacekeeping but theres going to be a reputation damage to Ghana where fingers would be pointed anytime our people are on missions. Ghana has really world class reputation when it comes to peacekeeping so we need to handle this so well that it wont dent our reputation, he said.



He also called for a tighter background search into officers selected for peacekeeping operations.



The security personnel are aware transactional sex is a no go area during peacekeeping. Because the UN and the whole frowns on it, Ghana must insist that the results that would come of this investigations are absolutely true. From September I want to introduce a check on peacekeeping recruitment as to whether individuals have any traces of sexual abuses.





Source: ghanacrusader.com









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Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodio, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has indicated the resolve of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to win the general elections in 2020 and ensure the release of former fellow NDC MP, Abuga Pele.



Mr. Vanderpuye stressed the NDCs morale remains high ahead of the 2020 elections despite the incarceration of Pele, adding that the party was on course to regain power.



It is unfortunate but I can only say that this will not dampen the spirit of the NDC. Between 2001 and 2004, they sentenced Tsatsu Tsikata, Dan Abodakpi, Ibrahim Adam and Kwame Peprah. It did not stop us from winning elections in 2008. We are going to win the elections and bring Abuga Pele out, the MP told Citi News after the parts Unity Walk in Eastern Region at Somanya.



Abuga Pele, the former National Coordinator of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA), was sentenced alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill International Group, Philip Assibit, to a combined jail-term of 18 years on various counts, including willfully causing financial loss to the state.



Pele was handed a four and six-year sentence which will run concurrently whilst Assibit got concurrent sentences of 12 and four years on different counts.



The court also ordered the state to recover all assets and money belonging to the state from the convicts. Philip Assibit has since served notice will be appealing his 16-year jail term alongside an application for bail.



Victims of broken system



Another NDC MP, Mahama Ayariga, put up somewhat of a defence for Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit saying they were only victims of agencies that were allowed to operate without any checks.



Responding to their conviction on The Big Issue, Mr. Ayariga said he was not going to abandon his comrades just because they had broken the law.



MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga

These comrades fell because we operated a legal regime that left cracks that became the holes that devoured them. The cracks include the tolerance of unfettered discretionary power in the management of our public affairs and the permissiveness of sole sourcing and other negative practices of allowing institutions to exist without an appropriate legal framework, Mr. Ayariga said.



Threat of legal action



Mr. Ayariga also said he was going to give some state agencies an ultimatum to present to Parliament, reforms of their regulations or face action at the Supreme Court.



He said he will move against every state agency exercising unfettered discretionary power without clear non-discriminatory non-arbitrary regulations approved by Parliament governing the exercises of their discretionary power.



I shall in the coming week write to each and every agency of government concerned and demand that the regulations be brought to Parliament within 30 days otherwise I will proceed to the Supreme Court to seek an injunction against all that they are doing in violation of the law.

Source: Citi News









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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Former President, John Dramani Mahama has called for a stakeholders conference to address challenges associated with the implementation of the free Senior High School(SHS) policy.



He said the current implementation if not properly handled could derail the entire purpose of the free SHS programme.



It will do the government good, if we have a stakeholders conference and agree on the pace of implementation to free funds for other important projects like the one district one factory and the one village one dam programmes, he said.



He accused the government of pushing all available resources into funding the free SHS programme to the extent that government now had no funds for the District Assemblies common fund, National Health Insurance Scheme, GETFUND and other statutory payments.



Former President Mahama said the strategy adopted in the implementation of the free SHS programme had raised issues of inadequate dormitories to house the students, classrooms, textbooks laboratories, dining halls and other facilities for effective teaching and learning.



The former President made these statements when he addressed the party faithful at the Sixth National Democratic Congress (NDC) unity walk at Somanya in the Eastern Region.



The 16-kilometre walk started from Kpong Junction, through the principal streets of Agormenya, Odumase and ended at the Somanya lorry park.



The walk drew thousands of party faithful across the length and breadth of the Eastern Region as well as some leading members of the party.



He said his pronouncement about the Free SHS was not from a partisan interest, but in the interest of the programme and the country.



Former President Mahama explained that the NDC strongly agree with the Free SHS concept, but disagrees on its implementation strategy.



He called for the review of the strategy for implementation to give the opportunity to families that could afford to pay for their wards, while students from homes that could not afford to pay were given bursaries to ensure long term sustainability of the programme .

Source: GNA









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has revealed that Special Prosecutor Martin Alamisi Amidu is very tenacious in holding on to his views.



He said he has known him for this for several years to the extent that they were opponents on many landmark constitutional cases in the early 1990s.



The president expressed fond memories of him and Mr Amidu on Friday, when he swore him in as the Special Prosecutor. Mr Amidu is expected to help government in the fight against corruption with his new role.



As the President once put it, he is expected to the fear of God in public servants.



He assured the National Democratic Congress (NDC) member that the Executive, and for that matter, the Attorney General, respects the independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.



[We] will also provide [Mr Amidu] with whatever assistance is required to enable him discharge his high duties effectively, in the interest of the Ghanaian people.



He said the tenacity with which the former Attorney General advocated his cases in court should be made to benefit Ghanaians in this new position.



I have known Martin Amidu for several years.



Indeed, I was his opposing counsel in many of the landmark constitutional cases in the early years of the 4th Republic in the 1990s, and can personally testify to the tenacity with which he holds onto his views.



That tenacity has now to be exercised in favour of the Ghanaian people in his new office.



Mr Amidu assured the president, and the nation, by extension, of fairness.



I will treat crime as crime and nothing else.

Source: 3news.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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Audio Attachment: Listen to Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh

Minister of Education, Mathew Opoku-Prempeh has fired salvoes at former President John Dramani Mahama.



The former President on Saturday criticised the Akufo-Addo led government for implementing a broad Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in haste.



He urged government to call for a stakeholders meeting to address challenges facing the Free SHS policy because it is stifling other developmental projects.



The problem this government is facing and it is in their own interest, is that, Free Senior High School is absorbing all the fiscal space they have and so almost every money you have, you are having to put it into Free Senior High School. So you cant pay District Assemblies Common Fund, you cant pay NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme), you cant pay GETFund (Ghana Education Trust Fund), you cant pay other salaries and things because all your money is going into Free Senior High School, Mahama said this weekend, during the Unity Walk organised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Somanya in the Eastern region.



But interacting with Kwami Sefa-Kayi in an exclusive interview on Peace FM's morning show Kokrokoo Monday, the Education Minister sharply disagreed with the former President.



According to him, if he wishes us bad, it will fall back on himwhat does he want us to call a stakeholders meeting for?



While in office, he never bought one text for any school. Ask him where his policy document or guideline for his progressive free SHS is?.there was nothing like that. You were not able to do it in your time and now that we have implemented it, you are complaininghe should tell NDC members not to take their children to school to enjoy the free SHS because it is not good he added.

Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid says he finds it difficult to tag former President John Dramani Mahama as a liar even though he is.



In our culture, its hard to tag an elderly as a liar knowing very well that the person is, he said.



His comment comes after John Dramani Mahama lashed out at the government for what he describes as the slow pace of development, saying the Nana Addo-led government has failed majority of its promises to the citizenry.



Addressing a gathering of NDC members at Somanya after the partys 6th 'Unity Walk' aimed at reorganizing the party ahead of the 2020 elections, the former President said the government had failed in fulfilling its promises on many levels, including paying road contractors working on various projects across the country.



NPP promised the moon but has not even delivered clouds and so it makes your goodwill dwindle so fast . . . I know that when we were here, we were working on asphalt upgrading roads in Somanya and Odumase. I saw the contractors asphalt plants parked by the roadside and you will be surprised that for nearly two years the contractors have not been paid their money and so the work has come to a standstill, the former President complained.



Mahama also criticized the Akufo-Addo government for its inability to stabilize the price of petroleum products to the satisfaction of Ghanaian consumers.



Ex-president Mahama warned that the high price of fuel, particularly Liquefied Petroleum Gas, had long-term degrading effects on the environment because of the cheaper, but more destructive alternative of charcoal.



We were told that it [petrol] was too expensive and that 50 percent of the petrol was made up of taxes alone and that when they win and come into office, they would remove the taxes so that petrol will [be cheaper]. Today petrol is selling at GHc 22 per gallon.



I am even more concerned about LPG because LPG was about GHc40 before December 7. Today LPG is more than GHc80. What it means is that for those who cannot afford LPG, they will go back to using charcoal and we all know the implications of using charcoal. When you use charcoal, it degrades the environment and so government should do something about the price of LPG particularly, the former President stated.



Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie, Mustapha Hamid described the former first gentlemans utterances as unfortunate.



Its just a year after former President Mahama left government. Ghanaians still remember his style of leadership. People havent forgotten, he claimed Ghanaians have short memory but that is not true. 2016 elections should teach him a lesson, he noted.



It is very terrible for someone like him to say things which are not true about the Nana Addo government just to win political points. Its terrible, its not right. His mindset of governance dragged Ghana behind, he told host Akwasi Aboagye.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash









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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Audio Attachment: Listen to Education Minister, Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh

Education Minister, Dr Mathew Opoku-Prempeh has described former President John Mahama as the worst head of state in the annals of the country's political history.



He said the country is suffering because of the bad governance of the Mahama administration.



His comment comes on the heels of various comments made by the former President over the weekend.



Mr Mahama, after a Unity Walk in the Eastern Region, criticized the Free SHS policy of government. He also chastised the ruling government for its inability to stabilize the price of petroleum products.



We were told that it (petrol) was too expensive and that 50 percent of the petrol was made up of taxes alone and that when they win and come into office, they would remove the taxes so that petrol will (be cheaper). Today petrol is selling at GHC 22 per gallon. I am even more concerned about LPG because LPG was about GHc40 before December 7. Today LPG is more than GHc80. What it means is that for those who cannot afford LPG, they will go back to using charcoal and we all know the implications of using charcoal. When you use charcoal, it degrades the environment and so government should do something about the price of LPG particularly, the former President stated.



Speaking on the Free SHS Policy, he urged government to call for a stakeholders meeting to address challenges facing the Free SHS policy because it is stifling other developmental projects.



According to him, the Free Senior High School is absorbing all the fiscal space they have and so almost every money you have, you have to put it into Free Senior High School. So you cant pay District Assemblies Common Fund, you cant pay NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme), you cant pay GETFund (Ghana Education Trust Fund), you cant pay other salaries and things because all your money is going into Free Senior High School.



Addressing these issues in a one-on-one interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show on Monday, the Education Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, wondered why the former President did not do his best to put the economy on a higher pedestal when he had the opportunity to be in office as president.



Mahama is the worst president in historywe are suffering because of President Mahama. His actions resulted in the country being saddled with corruption; create loot and share he noted.



The Education Minister, popularly known as Napo, wondered why the former President is not wishing the ruling government well on the Free SHS policy but rather engaging in criticisms.



I will prefer my children to study on the floor than to sell by the road, he indicated and urged the former President to advise NDC members not to take their children to school if he feels the Free SHS policy is so bad.

Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh has disclosed that as part of government's commitment to enhance Ghana's education system, 30 percent of poor people will be admitted into best schools in the country.



According to him, this is to bridge the gap between the privileged and underprivileged in the education sector.



Speaking in an exclusive interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Hon. Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called Napo, said the government has implemented its free SHS policy to absorb every student in the country.



Therefore, one of his top priorities of ensuring that the free SHS policy becomes beneficial, is to have these 30% poor people enrolled in the 52 best acclaimed schools across the country.



The 52 schools considered to be our best schools, whether they like it or not, 30% of your admission will go to poor people. Those who from a difficult background had 26, 24.....If you claim youre a good school, get them better, he stated.



He also told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that, his outfit will ensure that women receive the best of education to bridge the gender balance gap for the simple reason being that "when women become successful, the country will be successful. So, nobody should sit somewhere and think the only benefit of women to society, is to marry them off....No successful woman will allow her child to live a wayward lifestyle, but there are several successful men who dont even take care of their children. So, I want women to be great in Ghana.



He further stated that the government has realized that one of the biggest challenges facing the education sector is the lack of teacher empowerment.



He revealed that under the erstwhile Mahama administration, no graduate teacher was employed, while only Teachers with Diploma Certificates always had automatic appointments, a situation he described as wrong and unacceptable.



To remedy the situation, he noted that all teachers must be given a basic education qualification so that the country employs as much of teachers as it can.



He further revealed that as part of the NPP administrations programme of empowering the teacher to give off his or her best, the government will soon upgrade all Colleges of Education into Degree awarding Universities.



In the last 5 years, between 2012 and 2016 - that four-year period  till we came in 2017, no graduate had been employedI think it is wrong. We should let all teachers have some basic education, qualification which is the degree and employ as much as we can employ.....Currently when a student does a Diploma Course he or she spends 3 years and does a top up course of 2 years spending 5 years to become a full degree teacher. But government says no, it will upgrade Colleges of Education to Universities Colleges of Education to ensure that all the Colleges are attached directly to the University as University Colleges. Youll start and end with a degree within 4 years," he stated.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle threatened Delta Airlines today over their decision to cut ties with NRA. In a tweet published to Twitter, he said, I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.

The tweet comes at a time when multiple companies (at least 20 at the time of this article) are ending relationships with the NRA over their decision to thwart sensible reforms that curb gun violence.

The Tweet & Its Implications

I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.  Casey Cagle (@CaseyCagle) February 26, 2018



While he may later attempt to backtrack on his threat after being warned of its ethical and constitutional implications, Cagles tweet threatening to harm Deltas bottom line if they dont support his political allies is still up as of the writing of this article.

It should be noted that Delta Airlines corporate headquarters are based in Atlanta  meaning they should take any threat from Cagle seriously, even if that threat and any subsequent action would violate constitutional law.

In his current role as Lt. Governor, Cagle acts much like the Vice President does as he can affect legislation making its way through the state legislature.

According to Business Insider, The Georgia legislature is considering a broader tax reform bill that includes a provision to exempt Deltas purchases of jet fuel from the state sales tax, a move that could potentially save the airline around $40 million. The exemption was originally offered by Georgia in 2005 when the airline was struggling, but was repealed in 2015.

They added, According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cagles opposition effectively blocks the tax break from becoming law. Several other Georgia GOP lawmakers suggested they would not support the tax change until Delta reversed its decision.

After critical reaction, Cagle  who is running for Governor of Georgia  decided to double down tweeting:

Discriminating against law-abiding gun owners will not solve the problem #2A #gapol pic.twitter.com/DqR6PePBd7  Casey Cagle (@CaseyCagle) February 25, 2018

Reaction

While party-line Republicans like state Senator Rick Jaffares support Cagles threats against the airline, most responses to the threat have been cautionary and negative. Heres a sampling:

No big deal. Just an elected official corruptly threatening to use his official position to retaliate against companies that dont do favors for his political supporters.https://t.co/F0KUMWGrCC  Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) February 26, 2018

So youre not a big believer in the free market and capitalism, huh?  Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 26, 2018

Also, as an elected official do you consider it your job to only protect the financial interests of conservatives? Can you note an occasion that you stood up to protect the interests of liberals who were under attack?  Tom Bonier (@tbonier) February 26, 2018

So your trying to threaten a company & its employees In your state to give a specific special interest group a discount? Or else?  Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 26, 2018

True.  Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) February 26, 2018

The Lt. Governor of Georgia is threatening to punish a business that takes a political stance he doesnt like. https://t.co/N8PC3d7wQv  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 26, 2018

bye-bye Amazon headquarters. (Atlanta was on the short list) https://t.co/DwjYpLQJSS  Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) February 26, 2018

Georgias Lt. Gov. is threatening to make tax policy on the basis of whether a single private company maintains commercial arrangements with his favored political group. Deeply unhealthy in a democracy. Usually only authoritarian regimes target companies for not bending the knee. https://t.co/N8PF9w02Qg  Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) February 26, 2018

extortion (noun)

1. the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. https://t.co/WlVLovsVyV  William Cancel Amazon Prime Today LeGate (@williamlegate) February 26, 2018

Sounds like maybe its time for @Delta to move its HQ to somewhere else. Im sure a number of states would be glad to have the boost to their economy and might offer them some tax breaks to entice them. https://t.co/7zDpXbOD5u  Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) February 26, 2018

The Lt. Governor of Georgia saying that if Delta does not extend discounts to the NRA that he will kill their tax breaks. Is that legal? https://t.co/536QhpIEm6  Shaun King (@ShaunKing) February 26, 2018



Those last two tweets make important points. The legality and intelligence of the decision to use taxpayer-funded public office to threaten a private business to coerce them into making a decision that aligns with your personal politics raises a lot of ethical and legal questions.

Citizens United

Believe it or not, Citizens United plays a big role in why Cagles threat is wholly unconstitutional. Should he carry through with that threat, Delta  citing that precedent  could sue the state for unconstitutionally censoring their corporate free speech.

Citizens United guarantees corporations the same free speech rights  including receiving monetary donations speech  all individuals enjoy. Because of that, using the power of government to threaten or censor the free speech of a corporation that disagreeable expresses views violates their constitutional free speech rights.

Writing for ThinkProgress, Ian Millhiser pointed out:

The First Amendment requires heightened scrutiny whenever the government creates a regulation of speech because of disagreement with the message it conveys, the Court explained in Sorrell v. IMS Health. Cagle plans to punish Delta because he disagrees with the political message Deltas decision to no longer offer a discount to NRA members conveys.

He added:

That all said, courts may be reluctant to intervene when a government official blocks legislation for impermissible reasons, rather than causing legislation to be enacted for a similar reason. Though Cagle may act with unconstitutional motives, it is difficult to predict whether a bill that did not become law would have been enacted  or whether it would have been enacted with amendments  if Cagle hadnt engaged in illegal retaliation.

Even if they tried and failed to sue Cagle and the Georgia state government for punishing their constitutionally-guaranteed free speech, they have another important option: relocation.

Location Location Location

With Amazon seeking a location for its new headquarters and the movie industry ferreting out the best tax breaks and perks for television and movie filming, 2018 isnt the best year to threaten financial ruin to a company if they speak out in a way thats disagreeable to conservative lawmakers  particularly when those same lawmakers are support laws that would allow businesses to discriminate against customers based on politically motivated religious beliefs.

Little is stopping Delta from taking their business to a more friendly city that doesnt punish companies for engaging in corporate citizenship.

Peacock Panache readers:

Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website.

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Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

Officially, Gov. Tom Wolf has tried to stay above the fray in Pennsylvania's ongoing redistricting saga. In tweets and official statements, the York County Democrat has stressed his commitment to "fair and equal" elections.

Pennsylvanians want fair and equal elections. The old gerrymandered districts were neither fair nor correct"  Pennsylvania's highest court found them unconstitutional. Now my administration is focused on ensuring fair and secure elections. We can't go backwards. https://t.co/sR28PJuW4T  Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) February 20, 2018

He's also tried to offer handy advice to Pennsylvanians who might be understandably confused about the state's redrawn political topography"

.@PAStateDept responded immediately to @SupremeCtofPA's decision and is implementing its response plan for a new congressional map. Over the next few days, updated info and support will be provided to local elections officials & candidates to ensure a smooth and orderly process. https://t.co/eeSUWtpylk  Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) February 20, 2018

For the most part, the administration has publicly tried to draw a bright-line distinction with Republican leaders, whom it believes is engaging in sharp-elbowed partisanship, upping the rhetorical ante as the fight over Pennsylvania's redrawn Congressional map heads to the U.S. Supreme Court.

That's officially. When it comes to Wolf's re-election campaign, that's another matter entirely.

There, Wolf's camp isn't above scaring the bejeezus out of loyalists, raising the specter of Republicans "rigging" elections, and arguing that if Wolf loses in November "we could be stuck with unfair maps for years to come."

In a fundraising email sent to supporters on Sunday, Wolf's campaign manager, Jeffrey Sheridan, raises all those nightmare scenarios in a push to raise $15,000 by this coming Wednesday.

Here's the email in full:

"Pennsylvania Republicans spent years rigging our electoral maps. And after the state Supreme Court ruled their congressional map unconstitutional, they tried to draw another designed to benefit them. Governor Wolf fought back and rejected their maps.

"And last week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court drew maps that would finally give Pennsylvania voters a fair chance to make their voices heard. But now Republicans are suing to bring back the rigged maps -- and they're backed with President Trump's support.

"If they defeat Tom in November and win in court, we could be stuck with unfair maps for years to come. We can't let them win. We need to raise $15,000 by Wednesday to show that we have Tom's back so he can keep fighting for fair elections. Will you chip in now?"

As we've noted before, it's nearly impossible to cleave the politics out of redistricting, which is an inherently political process.

Take Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner, for instance, he's using the redistricting fight as a campaign issue as well.

In an email to supporters sent out last week, Wagner urged Wolf to "to stand up to the national, liberal special interests that are trying to carve up Pennsylvania and keep the 2011 map in place."

And if he were governor, Wagner would "refuse to implement the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's remedial map and I would instruct the Secretary of the Commonwealth to oversee the 2018 elections under our old map - the map that was created by bipartisan, elected representatives of the people," the email reads.

And for good measure, Wagner adds, "this redistricting fight was never about fair maps. This fight is about Tom Wolf enabling a politically-motivated Court to do the bidding of Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Nancy Pelosi and George Soros in exchange for their campaign contributions. It's nothing less than a quid-pro-quo."

Which doesn't mean that Wagner isn't above shaking the money tree either.

In a Sunday email, the York County pol urged supporters to help him close a $50,000 fund-raising goal by Wednesday. The campaign boasted it had received more than $19,000 in contributions by Friday, but still needed help.

"We've got three days left to prove we have what it takes to win the tough fights -- all the way to victory in November," the email reads.

All this is just another reminder that there's some serious political stakes to a fight that's being publicly framed like it's a high school civics class.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

Keeping things on the gubernatorial tip, GOP hopeful Paul Mango is out with a clumsily green-screened spot where he hammers Scott Wagner for missing Senate votes and talks about what he'd do to fix state government.

Here's the script:

"I'm Paul Mango, and I'm running for Governor to fix Harrisburg. I think any Harrisburg politician convicted of corruption should lose his state pension. There should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment by any Harrisburg politician. And if there's a settlement, they should pay it, not the taxpayers. And any Harrisburg politician skipping work shouldn't get paid. I'm hoping if a few of you agree you'll stand with me, or a lot of you."

Here's the spot:

Meanwhile, Wagner's campaign head, John Kennedy, has been tied to an email attacking state GOP leaders, and urging party loyalists to cut off their cash and support, City & State Pa. reports.

Wagner is the featured speaker at today's Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon at the Harrisburg Hilton. The festivities get underway at high noon.

State Sen. Daylin Leach has officially ended his suspdended congressional bid, The Inquirer reports.

Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale holds a 10 a.m. newser at the Capitol to talk about his own ambitions in Dauphin County's redrawn 10th District.

More than 100 people picketed frosh U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Whatever It Is Now, for not holding a town hall and for taking NRA money, Lancaster Newspapers reports.

Uncertanity over state funding has some state-related universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, debating whether they should go private, The Post-Gazette reports.

Philly will hold its own 'March for Our Lives' rally to protest the lack of action on gun violence, BillyPenn reports.

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

Has Philly's Manayunk Bike Race run out of road? WHYY-FM takes up that very question.

A new bail policy has opened the door for Philly's pre-trial inmates, The Associated Press reports (via WITF-FM).

What Goes On.

Budget hearings roll on in the state House and Senate Appropriations committees this Monday morning. Here's your handy clip-and-save schedule:

Senate:

10 a.m.: Dept. of Labor & Industry

1 pm.: Dept. of General Services

3 p.m.: PennDOT

House:

10 a.m.: Dept. of Environmental Protection

1 p.m.: Career & Technical Education (Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, PA Association of Career & Technical Administrators & Community Colleges).

3 p.m.: Dept. of Agriculture

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition)

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Dave Reed for Congress

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie's Congressional campaign

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Sen. Bob Mensch

Ride the circuit, and give at the max, and you'll be out a mere $12,700 today.

You Say It's Your Birthday Dept.

Best wishes go out this morning to Christian Alexandersen of Pa. Senate Democrats, who celebrates today. Congrats and enjoy the day, sir.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's a 1970s British pub rock obscurity we discovered over the weekend. It's a fun way to start your Monday morning.

And now you're up to date.
More and more alleged heroin addicts who are also parents could be facing charges for endangering their children.

Case in point is a 29-year-old mother in western Pennsylvania who is now facing charges after allegedly overdosing last month, passing out and exposing her 5-year-old son to a syringe.

The mother was revived. But first responders and police also noticed the alleged danger the mother's OD posed to her young son, prompting a month-long investigation that culminated last week.

As the Butler Eagle reports, the mother, Christine R. Banfield, 29, of Valencia, Pa., was charged last week with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children in the Jan. 12 incident that occurred in her residence.

Police told the newspaper that Butler County Children and Youth Services was consulted during the investigation and was aware of the incident involving the child.

However, information regarding custody of the child was not immediately available.
Mardi Gras may have been weeks before, but that didn't stop the folks in Manayunk.

The Philadelphia neighborhood welcomed in the Mummers for its annual Mardi Gras Parade on Main St. Mummer String Bands strutted down the street in elaborate costumes.

Among the mummers?

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

Kelce was playing with the Avalon String Band, which provided him the mummer suit he wore for the Eagle Super Bowl Parade earlier in February. Kelce's outfit was noticeably different from the rest of his mummer brethren -- his costume was from the band's 2008 year rather than the 2018. That's because they could not find a costume from this year that would fit him.

Kelce is a dues-paying member of Avalon and plays baritone sax with the band. The group got its start in 1938 as the 12th Ward String Band. In 1944, it took on the Avalon String Band. But the Avalon String Band that exists today really came out of the 1982 revival of the band, which had dismantled years before due to financial problems.

The Mummers Mardi Gras Parade is one of many opportunities to see the mummers throughout the year. Of course, the signature event is the Mummers New Year's Parade down Broad St. in Center City Philadelphia. The bands also do various charity and other performances throughout the year.

You can see photos from the Mummers Mardi Gras Parade in Manayunk at the gallery at the top of this post.

Stay up-to-date with all of PennLive's Philadelphia Eagles coverage by clicking here. Want more stories about Philly in general? Click here for all our coverage of the City of Brotherly Love.
At 12:17 p.m. Feb. 26, 1993, a 1,200-pound bomb in a rented truck exploded in the parking garage of the North Tower of New York's World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 others.

The explosion knocked out the World Trade Center's power - which disabled the sprinklers, generators, elevators, public address system and the emergency command center.

In March 1994, terrorists Mohammad Salameh, Ahmad Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad and Mahmoud Abouhalima were convicted of the bombing and sentenced to 240 years in prison. Their sentences are later reduced to 100 years.

The man allegedly behind the plot to blow up the World Trade Center, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef was later captured, convicted and sentenced to 240 years in prison. The driver of the van, Eyad Ismoil also was captured, convicted and sentenced to 240 years in prison.

The FBI also uncovered plots to blow up the George Washington Bridge, the United Nations and other New York landmarks.

The attack also had a local connection. In 1993, the FBI raided the home of Kelvin E. Smith near New Bloomfield, Perry County, saying he allowed Muslim fundamentalists to receive military-type training at a public shooting range on his property.

While the three did fire weapons at Smith's range, Smith said he had no idea who they were.

Smith had said he thought the men were mercenaries who planned to help the Muslims in Bosnia.

Smith pleaded guilty in September of 1999 to three counts of making false statements to the FBI and one count of destroying evidence - he dumped four semiautomatic assault rifles in the Delaware River. In 1999 he was sentenced to 366 days in prison.

At the time, the World Trade Center bombing was one of the worst terror attacks in United States. Eight years later on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States faced the worst when Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center, bringing down both towers and killing thousands of people.
PARKLAND, Fla. -- Students at a Florida high school where 17 of their classmates and staff members were killed returned Sunday to gather their belongings thrown down in panic during the school shooting nearly two weeks ago.

Thousands of students joined their parents in walking past the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where the Feb. 14 massacre took place. It is now cordoned off by a chain link fence that was covered with banners from other schools showing their support.

"Just seeing the building was scary," freshman Francesca Lozano said as she exited the school with her mom. Still, she was happy to see her friends. "That made it a lot better."

Seventeen people dressed in white costumes as angels stood by a makeshift memorial outside the school. Organizer Terry Decarlo said they try to go to every mass shooting and disaster so the survivors "know angels are looking over them and protecting them."

The school reopens Wednesday and administrators said families would get phone calls about details later. Sunday was a day to ease into the return.

"Two of my best friends aren't here anymore," said freshman Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped as he saw the accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, begin shooting. "But I'm definitely going to school Wednesday. I will handle it."

Junior Sebastian Pena said the gathering was a chance to see friends and his teachers, and to "come together as a family."

READ MORE: Florida school shooting prompts several governors to consider gun law changes

Earlier Sunday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office said he had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting. The agency confirmed it would start the investigation immediately.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has come under withering scrutiny after the revelation last week that deputy Scot Peterson who was on the scene did not go in to confront Cruz during the attack. It is also facing backlash for apparently mishandling some of the 18 tipster calls related to the suspected shooter. The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed warning signs that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat.

Israel defended his leadership Sunday and said investigators were looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed. To date, the investigation has pointed to only one deputy being on campus while the killer was present, he told CNN.

Israel also labeled as "absolutely untrue" reports that the deputies waited outside even though children were inside the building needing urgent medical treatment.

State Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican lawmaker from Boca Raton, has called on Scott to remove Israel from office because of the missed red flags.

Israel vowed not to resign, saying Hager's letter "was full of misinformation" and "shameful, politically motivated."

House Speaker Richard Corcoran stepped up the pressure Sunday, calling on Scott to suspend the sheriff.

READ MORE: 'A shameful display of political and civic cowardice': NRA responds to corporate backlash

"In the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz," Corcoran said in a letter signed by more than 70 lawmakers.

Israel insisted that lapses were being investigated. He told CNN that a deputy who responded to a Nov. 30 call referring to Cruz as a "school shooter in the making" was being investigated by internal affairs for not filing a report and had been placed on restrictive duty.

"There needed to be report. And that's what we are looking into-- that a report needed to be completed, it needed to be forwarded to either Homeland Security or a violent crimes unit," Israel said.

The FBI has acknowledged that it failed to investigate the tip about Cruz that the agency received on Jan. 5.

The Associated Press obtained a transcript of the more than 13-minute phone call. During the call, the woman described a teenager prone to anger with the "mental capacity of a 12 to 14 year old" that deteriorated after his mother died last year. She pointed the FBI to several Instagram accounts where Cruz had posted photos of sliced-up animals and rifles and ammunition he apparently purchased with money from his mother's life insurance policy.

"It's alarming to see these pictures and know what he is capable of doing and what could happen," the caller said. "He's thrown out of all these schools because he would pick up a chair and just throw it at somebody, a teacher or a student, because he didn't like the way they were talking to him."

___

Terry Spencer of the Associated Press wrote the story. AP writers Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida, Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
Norwegian-born journalist Vegas Tenold spent six years embedded with three of America's most ideologically extreme white nationalist groups: the KKK, the National Socialist Movement, and the Traditionalist Workers Party. At the time, these groups were mostly disorganized counterculture fringe elements, far from the mainstream.

Vegas Tenold

But the pendulum has swung and now their militant ideologies have gained political traction. Tenold, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Al Jazeera America, last year penned his experience with these groups in his book, "Everything You Love Will Burn: Inside the Rebirth of White Nationalism in America." Ahead of his appearance on Tuesday at the Midtown Scholar, Tenold sat down with PennLive for a Q&A.

Q: How has this movement changed since 2016 when the nation saw a resurgence of these groups?

A: In terms of the politics of it all, I don't see there being much of a difference. We call them the alt-right, which I don't think is a very helpful term because it implies there is something new and different about them. What they believe, to a large degree, is the same as we have seen several incarnations throughout recent decades .... the same old-fashioned white supremacy. I think we are doing ourselves a disservice when we treat something as new. Yes, this is first time they've gained this quote unquote power that they have, but their ideas are nothing new.

Q: Do you agree with the assessment that one of the big differences between groups like the KKK of yesteryear vs. the modern-day white nationalism movement is that the latter, unlike the former, has political power?

A: Many congressmen in 1924 election owed their seats to the KKK. They were huge power players back then. They are not anymore... but if not they themselves, then certainly their ideas and rhetoric have bled through to mainstream politics, which I think is a scary proposition.

Vegas Tenold: 'If I were a Republican, a Reagan Republican, I would be concerned that my party is being hijacked by this very calloused, opportunistic worldview.'

Q: Do you think there is more sympathy for this movement, even from people who wouldn't normally subscribe to this rhetoric?

A: I think that for years we thought we were doing better as a country than we really were. We had managed to trick ourselves. We felt we had moved past it and I think the election of Donald Trump showed us just how wrong we were. I'm not saying everyone who voted for Trump or everyone who is a Republican is a racist, but it showed the issue of race is something that can still rally voters, that can still sway elections. I was somewhat surprised to see how salient that point still is.

Q: How did you gain access?

A: I was always very up front about who I was and what I wanted to do. There was never any talk of going undercover. I'm a white, bald man. I could certainly fit into these groups, but I wanted them to know who I was and I what my agenda was. I'm a Norwegian socialist. I have voted socialist for as long as I could. I managed to turn that into a positive. By all measures, I should have been their ideological enemy but I was able to discuss things with them and we talked. That became a plus that I was able to be honest and upfront and we could talk and argue.

Q: Was there anything of merit in their arguments?

A: There are smart people on the far right and we need to recognize that. I don't think their theories hold water at all, but they are certainly not blathering idiots. I think we need to recognize that their views aren't bullet-proof and we shouldn't be afraid to hear what they have to say, only then can we arm ourselves against that rhetoric. You can have a conversation with them and see that what they say isn't true and it doesn't hold water.

Norwegian-born journalist Vegas Tenold spent six years embedded with three of America's most ideologically extreme white nationalist groups - the KKK, the National Socialist Movement, and the Traditionalist Workers Party.

Q: Why should the average American be concerned about the resurgence of this movement and not think that it's just another wave that will fade?

A: We should and shouldn't be afraid. The movement won't become what it was in 1920s, I don't think. We won't have a Neo-Nazi president anytime soon but as a movement they are capable of spreading fear and violence. I don't see them becoming a major societal force but on the other hand the things they have been telling me for years are things we are hearing from the Oval Office. Things we hear from Rep. Steve King [Iowa] saying way-out far-right stuff or Paul Nehlen, who wants to unseat Paul Ryan, is a raging anti-Semite and very public about it. Their talking points have leaked in. Sure the Klan won't march by the thousands down the streets of D.C., but they don't have to because they made their points heard.

Q: Where we are today with rallies such as the one in Charlottesville and the violence, did you see this coming?

A: I was fully prepared to have no one care about my book after the election. I was so sure this would go away when Hillary became president. No I didn't see it coming at all.

Q: Is Trump unfairly blamed for emboldening this movement?

A: No. He must know. He should know. He hasn't endorsed a neo-Nazi group but he has worked very hard not to denounce them. Trump and the people around him are smart in that they recognize that for an increasing number of Americans this is not a deal breaker. If I were a Republican, a Reagan Republican, I would be concerned that my party is being hijacked by this very calloused, opportunistic worldview.

Q: You say that being a Neo-Nazi entails certain social sacrifice and that it's not easy. Do these individuals have a change of heart?

A: It happens all the time, which is one of the few things that gives me joy about all this. I just got a message the other day from one the sources in my book who has been a skinhead for a long time that he left the movement. It is possible to turn these people around to have them come back to us and rejoin us. As much as we hate this ideology and abhor it, people can renounce this bigotry and come back to us.

Q: How do you turn them around?

A: I don't know but I think a lot of it is you talk to them as a person. You try to remind them that although I'm your ideological enemy and find your politics wrongheaded, I'm willing to listen to you and maybe you listen to me as well.

Vegas Tenold: 'We should and shouldn't be afraid. The movement won't become what it was in 1920s, I don't think.'

Q: Hate groups are still predominantly populated by young, white males, but is there anything about the women that stands out as any less or militant?

A: So many of these groups have a reactionary and traditional view on gender roles. They see a woman's role in the movement as carriers of one's children. That not only speaks to how they view women but how they view themselves. These guys like to believe they are warriors fighting not only for their race but for their women - fighting marauding hordes of rapists of other color. I think they need to give themselves import they need to feel they are warriors...because if they are not warriors what are they?

Q: Did your physical appearance help you gain access to these groups?

A: Obviously the way I look was a big deal and I don't think it's a good thing. I'm the last person in the world to be a victim of racism or sexism or bigotry. I think we would benefit by another perspective on this but it would be a lot harder to get this kind of access.

Vegas Tenold will be at the Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The event is free and open to the public.
A former co-owner of the Fairgrounds Diner in Carlisle is urging a federal judge not to send him to prison in a $139,000 tax fraud case.

Atef Hussein made that plea to U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III in a sentencing memorandum filed by his lawyer, Peter R. Willis.

Hussein, 49, a native of Egypt who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and a father of five, is too important to the financial health of his family to be locked up, Willis argued.

He claimed Hussein's physical health is in jeopardy due to kidney disease that may not be adequately managed in prison.

Hussein is in this legal predicament because federal investigators determioned he used his position as the co-owner/manager of the eatery to secretly siphon money from the business and wire it to his family in Egypt. He didn't report that cash to the IRS.

The feds charged Hussein with income tax evasion in September. He pleaded guilty the following month. Jones is to sentence him in April.

Hussein bought the Fairgrounds Diner with his brother. His conviction has forced Hussein to sell his share of the restaurant, Willis wrote. He said Hussein now manages a diner in Hagerstown, Md.

It would be financially catastrophic for Hussein's family if he lost that job because he had to go to prison, Willis argued. He urged Jones to sentence Hussein to probation instead.
The sudden death of a 13-year-old Harrisburg student has prompted immediate action from friends, residents, and a state representative.

Mylinh Nguyen died Feb. 15. Details about her death have not been publicly released. She attended a middle school in the Harrisburg School District.

Since Mylinh loved to roller skate, friends are holding a "Let's roll" fundraiser from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Olympic Skating Center, 60 E. Shady Lane in Enola to raise money for her family.

City residents, meanwhile, immediately formed a community action group focused on addressing bullying and finding ways to provide more support for students and families.

State Rep. Patty Kim also hosted a community meeting Feb. 19 including grandparents, Mylinh's school bus driver, former school administrators, a suicide prevention volunteer, community activists and former school resource officer to talk about bullying prevention programs, school safety and educating teachers and students about the signs of depression.

"It makes me so sad to know that we may have missed some of Mylinh's signs for help," Kim said. "Middle school is difficult for all students especially with social media today."

Kim said she is convinced the school district needs more mental health counselors and she is searching for funding sources.

"A number of students have endured some type of trauma like homelessness or "couch surfing," a sudden death of a family member, an incarcerated parent, or some type of verbal, physical or mental abuse," she said. "I think it's important that we have experts available at the school for students who need counseling and an outlet. For far too long, we've seen negative, disruptive behaviors from students who struggle to deal with their trauma and it affects the entire classroom. We need to support these students and work with their parents."

The death of Mylinh shocked and devastated neighbors who were used to seeing her smiling face on the block.

Friends are selling these wristbands for $3 as part of the fundraiser.

Mylinh had a gorgeous smile, a generous heart and an affinity for her elders. She adopted elderly residents on her block as "grandmom and grandpa," said Maria Vargas, whose son was friends with Mylinh since they were young.

Mylinh enjoyed creating videos and selfies and having friends over. She was extremely close to her younger brother, Vargas said.

"This has been a true struggle," she said.

For Tuesday's fundraiser: Admission is $4 and skate rental cost an additional $1. Wristbands that say: "Love hope courage, in memory of Mylinh," also will be sold in addition to raffle tickets to win prizes donated by area businesses.

People interested in donating to the cause, even if they don't want to roller skate, can drop off donations at the rink or contact organizers at lillex8299@gmail.com.

Kim said she wants to keep the conversation about student peace and safety going. She said the residents who started the "call to action" community group created subcommittees to tackle different issues and they have planned regular meetings, which will be posted on the Concerned Citizens of the Hbg Community Facebook page.

"I'm hopeful that we can come around as a community and support our students," Kim said, "so that this type of incident will never happen again."
A 27-year-old man died Sunday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash that ended on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County, according to state police.

The crash started at about 1:17 p.m., along Route 901, about 150 feet from Interstate 81 in Foster Township, police said.

The victim was identified as Adam Gregory Ould, 27, of Pottsville, police said.

Investigators said Ould was driving his 2000 Jeep Cherokee along the northbound lanes of Route 901, when he crossed into the southbound lanes "for unknown reasons."

His Jeep then struck a guard rail along Route 901, went down an embankment and struck a concrete barrier along the shoulder of I-81, then entered the interstate "where it came to a final rest position on its roof in the right lane" of the northbound lanes, police said.

Ould, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner's office.

Interstate 81 was closed for more than three hours after the crash, police said.
State police in Lebanon County are looking for a man accused of molesting a teenage girl and trying to photograph her in the nude.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Jose Sierra-Troche, 39, of Lebanon, on charges of aggravated indecent assault, attempted creation of child pornography, child endangerment, corruption of minors, indecent assault and invasion of privacy.

Trooper Daniel Womer reported the charges stem from the 15-year-old's claims that Sierra-Troche touched her genitals numerous times at a home in Richland. In January, Sierra Troche hid his cell phone in a pile of laundry with the video function on to try to film the girl taking a shower, the trooper said. Womer said the girl found the phone before undressing.

Sierra-Troche is known to have ties to Florida and Puerto Rico, Womer said.
A central Pennsylvania restauranteur convicted of scamming an elderly couple out of $319,500 has failed to convince a state appeals court to grant him a new trial.

Instead, the Superior Court panel upheld Alfonso Picone's theft and receiving stolen property convictions and the 1 1/2- to 5-year jail term served up by Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin. It also refused to overturn Baldwin's demand that Picone, 47, of Tamaqua, repay every penny he stole.

The state court denied Picone's appeal in an opinion by Judge Alice Beck Dubow.

Dubow agreed with prosecutors, and a county jury, that Picone took advantage of the failing mental capacities of the victims, who were both in their 90s, to siphon money from their financial accounts.

Investigators from the state attorney general's office contended Picone used a friendship he struck up with the couple, who were regulars at his La Dolce Casa restaurant, to rip them off. The couple didn't know what Picone was really up to when they agreed to let him help them with paying their bills, prosecutors said.

Picone insisted before and during his 2016 trial that the couple willingly gave him financial gifts and loans. On appeal, he argued the $319,500 in restitution he was ordered to pay the Rush Township couple was "entirely speculative."

Authorities began investigating Picone in late 2014 after a caseworker for the county's Office of Senior Services probed a report that the victims were being exploited financially. Dubow cited investigators' findings that Picone diverted the couple's money to his personal use and to pay operating expenses for his restaurant.

Among other things, Picone contended on appeal that he wasn't given an adequate chance to confront the couple in court.

The man and his wife didn't testify during Picone's preliminary hearing. The wife died before Picone went to trial. Although the husband did testify during the trial, Picone claimed Baldwin improperly limited his lawyer's ability to cross-examine the man.

Dubow found no flaw with Baldwin's action, concluding the county judge merely prevented Picone's lawyer from asking the frail victim questions that already had been asked by the prosecution.

Picone's claim that the money he received from the couple was knowingly and gladly given gained no traction with Dubow. The evidence, she wrote, clearly shows "all of the money transferred to (Picone) was transferred as a result of his criminal conduct."
By Raymond L. Gover

It was almost four years ago that I wrote an "As I See It" column about a legislative process that had passed in Colorado, Mississippi and Louisiana and was ready for submission to a state referendum in Arizona that passed with a resounding majority.

Raymond L. Gover

The law was tagged "right to try" and gave terminally ill patients an opportunity to be given experimental drugs that were in the process of evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), were considered safe but not ready for the market.

My suggestion at that time was that this would be a worthwhile law for our legislature to explore because it offered hope to those stricken with incurable diseases and willing to take one more shot at either cure or extending life with a degree of quality.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with state Sen. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland, over breakfast. And he asked if there were any legislative issues that concerned me. I told him about "right to try."

The concern has been personal because one of our sons was afflicted with glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer that caused his death complicated by spinal meningitis over five years ago.

This is the same cancer that U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., battles today and took the lives of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, and Beau Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Legislation emerged last year and I am happy to say that Regan was an early co-sponsor in the Senate. The law passed both Houses and was signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in October.

Pennsylvania joined 37 other states in making this their law, providing terminally ill patients with consensual support of their physicians a chance to take that "one more shot."

Of course, the law provides legal protection for drug makers as well as physicians but it gives the patient and his family one more option. In my son's case, I am sure both he and his wife would have signed off for the opportunity of continued life with some semblance of quality---even for a few more months.

Similar legislation has passed the U. S. Senate and is now before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump addressed the issue, saying "patients with terminal illnesses, and terminal conditions, should have access to experimental treatment immediately that could save their lives."

The bill brought forward by Sen. Ron Johnson, R.-Wisc., says government should not get in the way of a patient with life-threatening disease who wants to take a flyer on a treatment not approved by the FDA.

Rep. Walden's position as the committee chairman reviewing the bill is that he is concerned that the legislation likely would give the patient "false hope."

I understand the congressman's concern but would remind him that hope is a four-letter word with many connotations.

A period of time at the bedside of one who has no hope would convince him, I am sure, the person deserves that "one last shot."

Raymond L, Gover retired as president and publisher of The Patriot-News in 2001. He writes from Lower Allen Township.
By Marc A. Thiessen

When the Republican-controlled Congress first approved its tax bill in December, most Democrats believed it would be a political loser for the GOP.

Indeed, a New York Times poll found that just 37 percent of Americans approved of the plan. "To pass a bill of tax cuts and have it be so unpopular with the American people is an amazing achievement for the Republicans -- it's never been done before," Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) crowed.

Marc Thiessen (Washington Post photo)

He's not crowing any more. In January support had risen to 46 percent, and this week it reached a 51 percent majority. Meanwhile, disapproval has dropped from 57 percent in December to 45 percent today. That is a swing of 26 points.

Why the change? Because taxes are personal. The tax bill is extremely complicated, and when it was passed, many Americans were confused about how it would affect them.

A December poll found that only 17 percent believed they would pay less in taxes, while 32 percent thought they would pay more. In fact, about 80 percent of taxpayers will receive a tax cut this year averaging about $2,100, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. For the middle class, an even larger share benefit: More than 90 percent of taxpayers in the middle income quintile will receive a tax cut.

It is taking time for voters to figure this out. In 2001, when President George W. Bush passed his across-the-board tax cuts, his message was simple: Every American who pays taxes will get a tax cut.

But in 2017, Republicans overhauled more of the entire tax code. They cut tax rates and doubled the standard deduction but also eliminated many traditional deductions for those who itemize. As a result, a lot of taxpayers didn't know whether they would end up winners or losers.

Now, more Americans are starting to discover that they are winners. Millions are starting to receive their Trump tax cuts as employers lower their tax withholdings, leaving more money in their paychecks.

And the bill will become more popular as more people learn the good news. Even now, only one-third of Americans think they will see an income tax cut. Many voters are going to be pleasantly surprised when they discover their taxes are being reduced thanks to President Trump and Republican lawmakers.

And that does not take into account the bonuses and raises that many Americans are receiving from their employers because of the corporate tax cuts -- or the wage increases they will get from the economic growth that tax reform unleashes in the months and years ahead.

When House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) dismissed these tax saving as "crumbs," she came off as an elitist. A couple of thousand dollars a year may be crumbs to a San Francisco multi-millionaire, but to most hard-working Americans that is real money. Indeed, Pelosi is getting slammed by her fellow Democrats for her out-of-touch response.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) warned that "language is important" and "we cannot be seen as patricians," while Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), a member of the House Democratic leadership, said, "I think for people making $40,000 a year, any increase in their take-home is significant for them."

Democrats are in a bind because they voted against that increase in take-home pay. The growing public support for tax reform is especially a problem for the five vulnerable Senate Democrats running for reelection in states that Trump won by double digits. All of them will have a hard time explaining why they sided with the "resistance" and opposed giving their constituents a tax cut.

The success is already bolstering GOP candidates. In North Dakota, a state Trump won by 36 points, the success of the tax bill has drawn Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) a strong challenger in Rep. Kevin Cramer (R). Just last month, Cramer had announced that he was not going to run. Why did he change his mind? The Post reports that one reason was Cramer's belief that Heitkamp's vote against the tax bill was "fatal" for her.

Expect to see a lot of other GOP challengers -- and purple-state voters -- come to the same conclusion.

Marc Thiessen writes a twice-weekly column for The Washington Post on foreign and domestic policy and contributes to the PostPartisan blog. He is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush. His work appears frequently on PennLive Opinion.
By Jennifer Rubin

Recently, Timothy K. Lewis, a former judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, wrote:

Since then, matters have gotten considerably worse. Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) started hinting about impeaching the state court justices last week.

He phrased it as beginning a "conversation," but the notion that judges should face impeachment when their decisions don't line up with politicians' partisan wishes is a dangerous one, contrary to our system of checks and balances.

That Toomey, a U.S. senator, would go after a state court in such a manner also defies what used to be a conservative principle, federalism.

(The state court ruled on the basis of the state constitution; for that reason, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. For the same reason, Toomey would be well advised to butt out.)

"Look, I think it's inevitable that that conversation's going to take place," Toomey said. "I think state House members and state senators are going to be speaking amongst themselves and their constituents, and the fundamental question is does this blatant, unconstitutional, partisan power grab that undermines our electoral process, does that rise to the level of impeachment?" Inevitable? Well, sure, when partisans start suggesting that impeachment is an appropriate remedy, conversations have been known to start.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor and a Democratic candidate for Illinois attorney general, tells me: "The Pennsylvania Constitution permits impeachment for 'misbehavior in office.' The Pennsylvania Supreme Court didn't engage in misbehavior -- the justices did their jobs." He adds: "The reason Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices serve lengthy terms is so they're focused on doing their jobs, not partisan outcomes. Impeachment shouldn't be used as a tool to punish judges for decisions we don't like."

The urge to retaliate against judges, Lewis suggests, smacks of Southern defiance of Brown v. Board of Education. ("The late Strom Thurmond's 'Southern Manifesto', drafted in opposition to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education, also accused the Court of a 'clear abuse of judicial power.'") We are also reminded of right-wing pols who threatened to remove state court judges or defy decisions on gay marriage.

"Impeachment is a severe remedy to be used for serious misconduct. It would be really abusive to impeach judges because we don't like the decisions they make, especially the partisan implications of that decision," says Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University. "I have a hard time believing they would actually go ahead with this. But a United States senator, when asked, should say 'No, impeachment for partisan reasons is inappropriate,' not 'Hmm, let's think about it.' "

As Lewis points out, there is a pattern here, not only in the states but also in rhetoric emanating from the White House:

He also took on President Trump, who "has repeatedly attacked the federal judiciary, including personal attacks on judges overseeing cases in which he is a party."

Beyond judges, Trump, of course, has sought to discredit the entire notion of nonpartisan administration of justice. He has made wild accusations against the FBI. He reportedly told the FBI to lay off Michael Flynn and has been publicly baiting the Justice Department to investigate Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration. He pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had been convicted of criminal contempt.

In every instance, Trump has sought to break down the arm's-length relationship with the Justice Department that other presidents have adhered to and/or sought to undermine the legitimacy of the courts. Waldman notes of the attack on the courts: "This is all part of the erosion of vital democratic norms. Everything gets reduced to brute politics."

In short, once the president sets the pattern, others will follow, whether it is in attacking federal judges ("so-called" judges, as Trump would say) or state judges. Judges must resist the urge to slap back, and thereby reduce themselves to the level of political street-fighter.

That then requires other government officials, the organized bar and ordinary citizens to defend the apolitical administration of justice and the independence of the courts. (The American Bar Association, which has a "rapid response" manual to address attacks on the independent judiciary, had no comment on Toomey's remarks at this time; its president, who would normally be the one to comment, is traveling. We have not seen anything from the state bar of Pennsylvania.) So far, Trump has not hit a speed bump in his quest to mow down the judiciary, so he and other Republicans will continue to run roughshod over one of the jewels of our constitutional system.

Hilarie Bass, president of the ABA, has provided a statement, which reads: "The Pennsylvania Constitution specifies that public officials shall be liable to impeachment 'for any misbehavior in office.' In this case, there is no allegation of misbehavior. Rather, one party to the dispute believes the Supreme Court has overstepped its authority in deciding the case. The remedy is appeal. Above all else, our American democracy rests on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary to interpret the law free from political interference or threat."

Jennifer Rubin writes The Right Turn blog for The Washington Post, which presents reported opinion from a conservative perspective. Her work appears frequently on PennLive Opinion.
A deer living in the big woods of northern Pennsylvania generally roams a home range more than twice the size of a similar deer living in the urban, suburban and agricultural areas of the state.

Duane Diefenbach, adjunct professor of wildlife ecology at Penn State, documented the disparity through five years of monitoring dozens of deer fitted with GPS tracking collars in Penn State's Deer-Forest Study. But, with a focus on the application of his research in deer management, he did not consider potential implications for other mammal species.

More recently, however, German researchers asked him to contribute data to a worldwide study of mammal movement.

He noted, "In Pennsylvania, we can go from contiguous forests to highly fragmented landscapes that are dominated by agriculture with small wood lots, and I noticed that when we had highly fragmented landscapes, home ranges of deer were much smaller, and the deer we studied in contiguous forest and undisturbed areas had larger home ranges.

"I attributed it to a couple of things. The fragmentation leads to many different types of plants available to deer, so they do not have to travel as far in search of food. Also, people tend to live in areas with better-quality soil, because crops grow better, which also provides more food for deer."

The Deer Forest Study found that the home range of deer in the big woods of northern Pennsylvania, the home range of male and female deer outside the breeding season is about a square mile. But in the agricultural areas, a deer's home range is more likely to be half of a square-mile or even a third of a square-mile. In the rut, males generally have twice the home range size of females, he noted, but outside the breeding season they have essentially the same home range size.

And, it turns out, wildlife researchers around the world have made similar discoveries about other mammal species.

On average, mammals move distances 2-3 times shorter in human-modified landscapes than they do in the wild. That was reported by the international team of researchers in the January 26 in the journal "Science," with Diefenbach as a co-author.

Most mammals are on the move every day while searching for food, to find a mate or to seek shelter. Some larger mammals, such as zebra, generally move longer distances, while smaller mammals, such as hares, usually cover shorter distances.

Lead researcher Marlee Tucker, a biologist with Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre and Goethe University Frankfurt, has shown that the extent of these movements is significantly reduced in human-modified areas. In these areas, mammals move distances that are only half to one third of what they cover in more natural areas.

Tucker and 114 coauthors from various institutions collated movement data from 803 individuals across 57 mammal species from around the globe.

"Our study looks at everything from hares to wild boars to elephants," Tucker said. "The scientists in our team equipped individual animals with a GPS tracking device that recorded each animal's location every hour for a period of at least two months."

The researchers then compared these data to the Human Footprint Index of the areas where the animals were moving. The index measures how much an area has been changed by human activities such as infrastructure, settlements or agriculture.

In Pennsylvania, Diefenbach has seen the effect that human-built structures such as roads and pipelines have on both deer home ranges and movement. Deer tend to avoid areas where there are few roads, he explained, but in areas with a high density of roads, that behavior flips and they are actually more likely to be associated with roads and spend time along them.

"I can't explain why they have shown that pattern," he said. "When yearling deer disperse from where they were born, we know they are less likely to cross a busy highway and they are more likely to disperse away from a busy highway.

"We know that when they set up home ranges, things like roads, pipelines, streams and physical changes in the landscape will help define the boundaries of where they spend their time, their home range. So when humans build roads and pipelines, animals will naturally use those landscape features as boundaries of their home range," which may be another reason why deer home ranges are smaller in fragmented landscapes.
FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2017, file photo, Bill Cosby departs after a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. Bill Cosby's 44-year-old daughter Ensa Cosby died Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, in Massachusetts from kidney disease, a spokesman for the comedian said Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
ExxonMobil misleading Guyana with ad

ExxonMobil misleading nation By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018 In an advertisement published on page two of today's edition, USA oil giant, ExxonMobil attempts to mislead the citizenry on several aspects of oil deal it has with Guyana.



In the ad, ExxonMobil says that its US$460M bill for pre-contract costs is not a trap; that it is invested in discovering Guyana's oil future. Yet, other nations like Chad, Tanzania, Ghana, Indonesia and Uganda have strongly rejected such bills as well as prevented oil companies like Exxon from recovering costs prior to the date of discovery.



Many nations have also guarded against the costs of unsuccessful exploration through the use of adequate ring-fencing provisions. Guyana does not have this in place.



The company went on to state that it enjoys limited Duty free concessions. But this is far from the truth. The company enjoys duty free concessions galore. It does not have this privilege in other countries.



Further, ExxonMobil says that the Government of Guyana has extensive rights to visit its operations. But what it fails to mention is that there are other nations which do not have to provide notice at all. Uganda for example, retains the right to visit the operations of oil companies at any time. This is also the case in Ghana, where ExxonMobil recently signed an oil deal.



ExxonMobil also says that Government has strong audit rights. What it fails to tell Guyanese is that the Government can only conduct one audit per year. It also fails to state that Guyana is not able to access documents about operations here which may be in nations with nondisclosure laws. Other countries have guarded against being prevented from accessing information in such jurisdictions.



What is also worse is the fact that Guyana's royalty, rental and training fees, signature bonus and fees for an environmental fund represent a gross insult when compared to what ExxonMobil has given to other frontier nations.



Additionally, ExxonMobil continues to state that the contract does not exempt it from any new laws or otherwise. This is false. The oil contract specifically states,  After the signing of this agreement the Government shall not increase the economic burdens of the Contractor under this Agreement by applying to this agreement or the operations conducted there under any increase of or any new petroleum related fiscal obligation, including but not limited to, any new taxes whatsoever, any new royalty, duties, fees, charges, VAT or other imposts. 

Story from Kaieter News



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Guyana's Government not actively considering funding Auditor General's scrutiny of oil sector

By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018 The Government of Guyana is not currently looking to see how it can make finances available to the Office of the Auditor General to carry out additional investigations, particularly in the oil sector.



Guyana is yet to begin audits of the sector in keeping with the country's petroleum laws.



At the most recent post-Cabinet press briefing, the media asked Minister of State, Joseph Harmon about special considerations for additional funding for the Audit Office.



Harmon responded saying that Auditor General, Deodat Sharma has to make his case.



Harmon said that the state does not interfere with or dictate the work of the Audit Office, therefore the Auditor General must know how he is to fashion his application for funding for the work which he has to do; he has to identify in his framework what it is he needs to do. If he (Sharma) needs to be auditing a new industry, then he has to make a case for new funding for that.



Harmon also said, we were in an economy which was based on a few items and now we are moving to another type of economy and therefore all entities including the Auditor General must recognise that and make their application at the appropriate time.



Auditor General Sharma is on record saying that the shortfall in the cash he requested will stymie the work of the office.



This was following the approval of the annual allocations for constitutional agencies by Parliament's Committee of Supply.



The National Assembly approved a $783M allocation for the Audit Office for 2018. Sharma lamented the loss of more than $63M in requested funds for that Constitutional Agency, since it will hinder the preparation of the Office to audit the emerging Oil and Gas sector.



The reduced funds will directly affect my office since we have to shift to doing more work in the Oil and Gas Sector if you cutting us, you affect us in doing our work including carrying out audits in the new sector.



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ExxonMobil getting pay to exploit Guyana and its resources  Nigel Hinds

By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018 Chartered Accountant, Nigel Hinds said that ExxonMobil has been able to outsmart Guyana.



He said that the company is now making Guyana pay it to exploit its resources when the company should be the one paying.



Guyana is now hurrying to put measures in place to monitor and assess cost recovery claims. However, it has already tied itself to the repayment of US$460,237,918. This is according to the 2016 Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA) that Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, signed with ExxonMobil. Annex C of the PSA deals with Cost Recovery.



One of the many expenses that Guyana will have to stand is what is referred to as pre-contract cost.



Hinds recently told Kaieteur News that one of the most wholly unacceptable features of the PSA that Guyana signed with ExxonMobil is the pre-contract cost of US$460,237,918. He said that the quoted sum should be absorbed by ExxonMobil.



The pre-contract cost is referred to in the contract as the cost incurred by contractor with petroleum cooperation carried out pursuant to the 1999 Petroleum Agreement. This pre-contract cost being foisted on our Government by Exxon in the form of an invoice is fantastical and absurd.



Was Exxon late in their billing? Is the invoice period from 1999 to 2015/2016/2017? Has there ever been such a first invoice covering seventeen years?



Hinds said that from the look of things, it seems as if Guyana is being asked to pay ExxonMobil a special Oil Discovery Bonus.



Things seem upside down here and the back is now the front, the payee is now the payer.



In previous commentary, the chartered accountant said that it is simply unheard of for a company to just quote a figure to be paid, whether by another company, a person, or a government, without at least giving a breakdown of the expenses.



There seems to be no science in the mathematics used to arrive at these figures; it's more like numbers sourced from an alternate universe.



The accountant said, too, that he is sure that most right thinking Guyanese would like to see a breakdown of the pre-contract cost or have an explanation on how the amount was determined.



Hinds noted that US$18 million identified post-investigation by Christopher Ram amounts to four percent of the US$460M pre-contract costs.

He described the money as a slush fund (money used for illicit purposes, especially political bribery).



Hinds said, Considering the billions ExxonMobil will spend in post-contract costs, the slush fund signing monies will be less than one-hundredth of one percent. What a tragedy!



The quoted US$460M may very well be just part of the pre-contract cost.

The PSA said that this sum shall be included in the pre-contract cost. The PSA states that the pre-contract cost shall include four hundred and sixty million, two hundred and thirty seven hundred thousand and nine hundred and eighteen United States Dollars (US$460,237,918) in respect of all such costs incurred under the 1999 Petroleum Agreement prior to the year ended 2015,



and (2) such cost as incurred under the 1999 Petroleum between January 1, 2016 and effective date which shall be provided to the Minister on or before October 3, 2016 and such number agreed on or before April 30, 2017.



For purposes of this paragraph, the term pre-contract cost includes contract costs, exploration costs, operating costs, service costs, and general and administrative costs and annual overhead charge as those terms are defined in the 1999 Petroleum Agreement.



According to ExxonMobil's website, even though the agreement was signed since 1999, the company only initiated oil and gas exploration activities in Guyana in 2008, collecting and evaluating substantial 3-D seismic data that led to the company safely drilling its first exploration well in 2015.



The PSA also ensures that Guyana stands the cost of even the interest added to loans taken by ExxonMobil for the purpose of the operation.



Story from Kaieter News



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ExxonMobil-Guyana oil agreement does not provide for additional revenue to country if oil prices increase







By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018

ExxonMobil Oil Agreement

Not a cent more



That's what Guyana will be getting if international oil prices rise, thanks to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) the Government has signed with ExxonMobil.



That agreement prevents the Government from taxing higher than expected profits, which is likely to occur when international oil prices are high.



The contract's stabilization clause' is what prevents Guyana from securing

such windfall profits in the future. This clause insulates ExxonMobil from any new taxes or laws or fees not agreed to in the contract.



But while the nation is prevented from fully benefitting from higher than expected revenues, ExxonMobil gets to profit from favourable changing conditions in the oil market. This was also confirmed by Chartered Accountant and anticorruption advocate, Chris Ram.

The question of whether there should be a windfall or normal profit tax really revolves around the issue of the fiscal regime and the level of the government take But the tax you talk of is prevented by the stabilization clause, Ram said.



We lost out on that because of the stabilization clause 

STRANGULATION CLAUSE?'



Ram in his recent writings has also deemed the Stability Clause to be a Strangulation Clause'. The columnist said it is unthinkable that any government would sign on to an agreement which insulates an operator from any new law or tax that the Parliament approves. He also noted that the clause can even be deemed as anti-Constitution.



Additionally, the Chartered Accountant said that when one compares the Janet Jagan Agreement to the 2016 Trotman Agreement, one notices several worrying additions in the Trotman Agreement.



Ram said that additions to the 2016 Agreement only serve the interest of ExxonMobil, as it limits the role of the government in applying new laws made in the petroleum sector. Ram revealed that if Guyana were to amend any of its laws which would affect the entity's operations then the Government would have to restore the benefits that are lost.

Ram noted that the Stability Clause provides, inter alia, that any delay by the government to respond to any notification from the contractor that they may have suffered any adverse effects can result in the contractor taking the matter to arbitration.



The Chartered Accountant added, In such a case, the arbitral tribunal is authorised to modify the agreement to re-establish the economic benefits under the Agreement to the Contractor. Where such restoration is not possible, the tribunal has the power to award damages to the Contractor that fully compensates for the loss of economic benefits under the Agreement, both for past as well as future losses.



While ExxonMobil was able to get Guyana to sign a contract with such rigid stabilization provisions, it was quite comfortable signing on to a deal with the African state, Ghana which had none.






Brazil's President Temer says he will not run in October presidential election



By Reuters



BRASILIA

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018 Brazil's President Michel Temer said on Friday that he will not run in the October 7 election and denied that a federal security intervention in Rio de Janeiro state was designed to improve his low approval ratings. I am not a candidate and I won't be a candidate, Temer, a former vice president who took office when leftist Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016, said in an interview with Radio Bandeirantes.



Reporting by Anthony Boadle Editing by Chizu Nomiyama from Reuters.



reuters.com 02 23 2018

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U.S. ready for high-seas crackdown on N.Korea sanctions evaders-sources







By Matt Spetalnick, Phil Stewart and David Brunnstrom



WASHINGTON

Petroleumworld 02 26 2018

The Trump administration and key Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea, a plan that could include deploying U.S. Coast Guard forces to stop and search vessels in Asia-Pacific waters, senior U.S. officials said. Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown that would go further than ever before in an attempt to squeeze Pyongyang's use of seagoing trade to feed its nuclear missile program, several officials told Reuters.

While suspect ships have been intercepted before, the emerging strategy would expand the scope of such operations but stop short of imposing a naval blockade on North Korea. Pyongyang has warned it would consider a blockade an act of war.

The strategy calls for closer tracking and possible seizure of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to or from North Korea, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Depending on the scale of the campaign, the United States could consider beefing up the naval and air power of its Pacific Command, they said.

The U.S.-led initiative, which has not been previously reported, shows Washington's increasing urgency to force North Korea into negotiations over the abandonment of its weapons programs, the officials said.

North Korea may be only a few months away from completing development of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, despite existing international sanctions that, at times, have been sidestepped by smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, according to officials. There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un we mean business, said a senior administration official.

The White House declined official comment.

The effort could target vessels on the high seas or in the territorial waters of countries that choose to cooperate. It was unclear, however, to what extent the campaign might extend beyond Asia.

Washington on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens more companies and vessels linked to North Korean shipping trade and urged the United Nations to blacklist a list of entities, a move it said was aimed at shutting down North Korea's illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.

Tighter sanctions plus a more assertive approach at sea could dial up tensions at a time when fragile diplomacy between North and South Korea has gained momentum. It would also stretch U.S. military resources needed elsewhere, possibly incur massive new costs and fuel misgivings among some countries in the region.

BOARDING SHIPS

The initiative, which is still being developed, would be fraught with challenges that could risk triggering North Korean retaliation and dividing the international community.

China and Russia, which have blocked U.S. efforts at the United Nations to win approval for use of force in North Korea interdiction operations, are likely to oppose new actions if they see the United States as overstepping. A Chinese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such steps should only be taken under United Nations auspices.

But Washington is expected to start gradually ratcheting up such operations soon even if discussions with allies have not been completed, according to the senior U.S. official.

U.S. experts are developing legal arguments for doing more to stop sanctions-busting vessels, citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution which they say opened the door by calling on states to inspect suspect ships on the high seas or in their waters.

Washington is also drawing up rules of engagement aimed at avoiding armed confrontation at sea, the officials said.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in Washington on Friday the United States does not rule out boarding ships for inspections.

But U.S. officials said privately that such actions, especially the use of boarding crews, would be decided on a case-by-case and with utmost caution.

Some U.S. officials believe the risk could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters, which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions, are used in certain cases rather than warships.

The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the Asia-Pacific region but acknowledged its ties to countries there. Future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets, said spokesman Lieutenant Commander Dave French.

THE MORE PARTNERS WE HAVE'

A senior South Korean government official said there had been discussions over intensified maritime interdictions, including at a foreign ministers' meeting in Vancouver last month where U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed counterparts on the issue.

We are discussing with various countries including the U.S. and South Korea how to fully implement the sanctions but I have not heard talk of creating a framework or a coalition, said a Japanese defense ministry official involved in policy planning.

The Trump administration has also sought greater cooperation from Southeast Asian countries, which may have little military capability to assist but are seen as sources of intelligence on ship movements, U.S. officials said.

The more partners we have, the more resources we have to dedicate to the effort, said Chris Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation. He declined to talk about discussions with specific countries.

Washington is especially interested in detecting of ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, something North Korea has increasingly resorted to as vessels have faced greater scrutiny of their cargo in Asian ports, the officials said.

Reuters reported in December that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea at sea in a violation of sanctions. Washington also said at the time it had evidence that vessels from several countries, including China, had engaged in shipping oil products and coal. China denied the allegation.

U.S. interception of ships close to Chinese waters is something likely to be avoided, in favor of informing Chinese authorities of banned cargo onboard and asking them do the inspection, one official said.

It's probably impossible to stop everything, but you can raise the cost to North Korea, said David Shear, former deputy secretary of defense for Asia under President Barack Obama.




Warren Buffett attends "The Post" premiere on December 14, 2017 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Read more

Shares of Israeli drugmaker Teva slipped briefly in pre-U.S. market trading Monday, after investor Warren Buffett told the cable TV network CNBC he wasn't sure why staff at his Berkshire Hathaway Corp. had bought 18.6 million shares of the company. The stock quickly returned to the level it has traded at since Buffett's company disclosed the Teva investment Feb. 15.

Teva employs more than 1,000 at its North American headquarters in North Wales, Pa., and other suburban Philadelphia locations.

Buffett's company bought the shares and became a nearly 2 percent owner of Teva earlier this month after cutting his stake in General Electric Corp. and expressing disgust at GE's insurance write-offs.

Teva shares rose on that news Feb. 15, as commentators speculated that maybe Buffett saw hidden value in the stock. Teva has lately hovered around $20 a share, after tumbling from more than $30 last Spring to as little as $11 in November on disappointing sales and profits.

Berkshire Hathaway owns almost 2 percent of Teva, according to SEC data collected by Bloomberg LP. The company's largest shareholders is the management group that buys stocks for the Los Angeles-based American mutual funds, which owns around 12 percent. Wellington Management Co., whose clients include Malvern-based Vanguard Group, owns around 4 percent.
U.S. Marines watch during the change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest military field in Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan. Read more

If you're a veteran  or the spouse of a vet  you may qualify for a scholarship at the American College Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs, established to help vets and their spouses can transition into the world of finance.

The Center in Bryn Mawr, just surpassed $2 million in scholarships awarded to more than 360 military veterans, active duty, and their spouses since its founding in 2012.

Jonathan Childs, a West Point graduate, is taking coursework to receive his CFP designation, or Certified Financial Planner.

"Especially since the Great Recession in 2008, people are understandably nervous. They respect the CFP designation, and it gives me a broader base of knowledge so I can help my clients  and not just push a life insurance policy or an annuity," he said.

Childs, 37, and his business partners last year founded New Perspective Financial Group in Warrington, after working several years for Prudential. With a full scholarship to the veterans program, he's taking his third course in estate planning, after completing the investments and retirement planning courses over the past nine months.

"They let you do it on your own time, which is great," he added.

Tamra Ivanoff, wife of an active duty Army officer, lives on base with her family in Carlisle. She was a stay-at-home mom until 2010, when she applied for the Military Spouse Financial fellowship through FINRA (www.militaryspouseafcpe.org).

"FINRA pays for military spouses to become an AFC, or accredited financial counselor. As part of that, I worked in Army community service for 1,000 hours of internship time," paid for by FINRA, a Wall Street regulator.

Through that, she heard about the American College veterans scholarship. The 49-year-old currently works educating active-duty officers and enlisted servicemen and women from all military branches at Naval Operational Support Center in Mechanicsburg, and won a full scholarship to study at the American College for her CFP designation.

Would she recommend it?

"Yes, particularly for veterans who wonder what they're going to do next. They may qualify for the scholarship or they may have education benefits through the military that pay for it. The program is an easy transition."

Ivanoff also just got linked up with a mentor in financial services who's based in Lancaster, through the American College veterans center.

Bryan Eberly, 30 and a Naval Academy graduate, said the scholarship covered what would have cost between $6,000 and $8,000 in tuition.

"The CFP program is awesome for guys like me without a finance background who get out of the military. It's like a mini-MBA," said Eberly, who works now as a financial adviser associate with Janney Montgomery Scott in Bryn Mawr. The American College also offers a Retirement Income Certified Professional designation (RICP), which focuses on optimizing Social Security benefits. For more information visit the website: https://veterans.theamericancollege.edu.

Due diligence on your adviser

Does a certification mean your adviser is pure as snow? Of course not.

Here are some resources to do a background check:
A church in the Poconos has the community on edge as it plans to bless couples toting an AR-15. Read more

A Pennsylvania school district will be moving its elementary students for the day on Wednesday due to a nearby church's decision to bless couples carrying AR-15 rifles.

The Wallenpaupack Area School District will move students out of Wallenpaupack South Elementary School in Newfoundland due to its proximity to the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary church, where couples will be blessed alongside their semi-automatic rifles.

The district in the Poconos sent letters to parents on Friday notifying them that students would attend class at another elementary school further from the church on Wednesday. Students who miss school that day will be marked as excused. The move will impact about 260 students.

Both the Pennsylvania State Police and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office will have a presence at the school to protect the maintenance and support staff remaining behind, assistant superintendent Keith Gunuskey said. An extra school resource officer will also be deployed at the school. No other schools in the district, which spans parts of Wayne and Pike counties, are moving students.

Gunuskey said parents were rattled by the news of the gathering, particularly since three years ago the district was forced to shutter classrooms during the manhunt for Eric Frein, who gunned down two state troopers outside their Pike County barracks in 2014, killing 38-year-old Corporal Bryon K. Dickson.

"It has definitely had put some parents on edge," Gunuskey said of the church's ceremony. "For us, there are no templates to follow, so it does cause some anxiousness within the community, which is understandable."

The church, which strongly supports the Second Amendment, has said it planned the Feb. 28 ceremony months ago, well before this month's massacre in a Florida high school that left 17 people dead. Authorities say the alleged Parkland gunman used an AR-15 during the attack, a gun the church believes symbolizes the "rod of iron" mentioned in the Bible's apocalyptic book of Revelation.

>> READ MORE: Survivor of Fla. school shooting urges Main Line students to fight for change

>> READ MORE: Everyday gun violence must be part of gun control reckoning | Helen Ubinas

The church's leader, Rev. Sean Moon, is the son of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who proclaimed himself as a messiah and founded the Unification Church, which has been referred to as a cult by several former members.

"If unable to purchase and legally transport such a 'rod of iron' because of laws barring the purchase of such weapons, or other reasons, couples are invited to purchase a $700 gift certificate from a gun store, as evidence of their intent to purchase a 'rod of iron' in the future," the church says on its website.

The ceremony follows a "President Trump Thank You Dinner" the church organized last Saturday night in nearby Matamoras, Pa. The dinner, a fundraiser for the group Gun Owners of America, was co-sponsored by Kahr Arms, a guns manufacturer based in Greeley, Pa., and founded by Moon's brother, Justin Moon.

Last week, Pennsylvania State Police trooper Mark Keyes told the Associated Press that there were no plans to send any troopers to the event, since the church isn't breaking any laws.

"It's something I would consider keeping my child home," parent Liz Zoccola told WNEP-TV last week. "It's scary."
Gayle Isa talks about the beginnings of the Asian Arts Intitative in the main exhibit space of their building on Vine Street. Isa is leaving after 25 years at the helm. MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer Read more

When Gayle Isa, a fourth-generation Japanese American, arrived on the Swarthmore College campus in the late 1980s, she felt like a stranger in a strange land.

"I come originally from Southern California and found an environment in Swarthmore College that was really different from the place where I'd grown up," she said recently. "All of a sudden, Asian Americans were almost invisible and it became important for me to try and reach out and connect. That had never been something I craved or needed before."

Isa didn't care for invisibility, nor was she someone to accept it easily. Instead, she reached out to a number of Asian American groups, on and off the campus, and in her senior year, in 1992, she worked as an intern with the Painted Bride Art Center's tiny new Asian Arts Initiative, a program formed in the wake of flaring tensions between the city's African American and Asian communities.

The next year, after the departure of the initiative's curator, Isa applied to run the whole show and got the only job she's had in her life.

Now, a quarter of a century later, she's leaving.

After overseeing countless community workshops and meetings, performances and readings, after moving the growing initiative out of the Bride and into more expansive and useful digs, after moving and moving again, and finally establishing a home on Vine Street, Isa has decided to call it a day.

She will remain through the end of June as the organization's first and only executive director. She shepherded the initiative from a small community project under the wing of the Bride into a full-fledged independent community organization with a palpable impact on the face of the city.

The Asian Arts Initiative is about exhibitions and workshops, still, but it is also seeking to transform four blocks of bedraggled Pearl Street into a jewel of diversity, among other things, and boasts an operating budget of about $1.5 million a year.

"Now it's a great time, with it being our 25th anniversary and with there being strong leadership on our staff," she said. "It's a good time. If not now, when?"

"Community activism is what initially attracted me," Isa said. "The Painted Bride's mission statement says that it is the power of the arts to bring people together, the healing and transformative power of the arts  that drew me."

(A number of exhibitions, performances, and gatherings of all kinds are scheduled to mark the anniversary, May 3-6. Details are at asianarts25.org.)

At 46, Isa, a diminutive, direct woman, wants to take some time and maybe not be an activist  for a few months, anyway. The initiative has launched a national search for her successor.

Gerry Givnish, a cofounder of the Painted Bride and a member of the initiative's board, said that even when Isa was fresh out of Swarthmore, she knew what she wanted to do.

"She was very, very strong for a young woman," Givnish recalled. "There were confrontations. I said, 'This is what I want.' She said, 'This is what I want.' I knew I was dealing with someone strong."

Isa worked with kids and adults from all ethnic backgrounds, always seeking ways to bring communities together, Givnish said. There was violence in West Philadelphia. There was violence in South Philadelphia.

"She empowered people," Givnish said. "She brought high school kids into school programs [helping create] a generation of kids who see art as a way to empower."

In 1997, growing in ambitions, the initiative moved completely out of the Bride and into the old Gilbert Building on Cherry Street, what Isa calls "our first apartment." That space lasted about a decade before expansion of the Convention Center led to demolition of the Gilbert Building.

The initiative found itself forced out of the Gilbert by the Redevelopment Authority and subsequently parked by the RDA in a building with no heat.

"We had students there who'd wear gloves," she recalled. "They'd take their gloves off and blow on their hands. You could see their breath in the air and then they'd do a quick sketch and put their gloves back on. That was a very challenging space."

Eventually, the initiative managed to identify what had once been a Warner Bros. screening and booking building at 1219 Vine St. And with the help of the city, it managed to acquire it in 2006.

The first floor had to be reconstructed, and access was through the basement and up a ladder. But it was home.

The floor has long since been rebuilt, and multicultural workshops and performances have been going on daily. In recent years, Isa has been absorbed by her vision of a diverse, invigorated Pearl Street, a small street that runs from Broad to 10th just north of Vine.

Pearl embodies the high and low of the city  the abandoned properties and the soaring real estate valuations, the homeless and the luxury condo dwellers, the hapless and the Chinese Christians.

It's a bedraggled patchwork that Isa wants to transform, a project that could easily last a lifetime or two.

Yet its possibilities intrigued her, its contradictions became a challenge. Isa thrives on fusing contradiction. She jumped in.

"She's really made a successful effort at forging an identity and a place at 12th and Vine," said John Chin, executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. "Pearl Street is a very, very challenging project. But AAI remains an art-focused organization. Pearl Street is something they ventured into. Their bread and butter is arts and culture, particularly for the younger generation."

For Isa, however, the arts and the development and the strengthening of the diversity of the community are all of a piece.

"When I think back over the history of the organization, the most important thing has been those times when we've literally served as a bridge or as a convener," she said. "Especially when we're able to do that with people who would not otherwise come in contact with each other."
Add the longhorned tick to the growing list of invasive species farmers, foresters and officials are confronting.

The Rutgers Center for Vector Biology published a study last week confirming an infestation by Haemaphysalis longicornis at one farm in Hunterdon County, N.J. Previously, the tick wasn't known to have made it into the U.S., though animals carrying the tick have been stopped at borders.

The longhorned tick, which originates in East Asia, was first discovered in New Jersey in November. The arachnid was found on a 12-year-old Icelandic sheep on the farm, in the northwestern part of the state. Rutgers worked with Monmouth and Hunterdon counties to examine how many of the ticks there were, using DNA analysis to identify them.

They found a large number of the critters, in all life stages, on both the sheep and its paddock. The sheep had never been outside the U.S. so how the tick got there is unknown. The sheep has has since died, most likely from an unrelated cause.

Scientists are concerned whether the infestation survived the winter, said Dina M. Fonseca, a professor and director of the center at Rutgers. Results might not be known until May so it remains unclear whether the tick has established a permanent presence.

Rutgers' scientists do not believe climate change provided a path for the pest to New Jersey. However, they note its survival in the U.S. could be affected by increasingly warm temperatures. The tick adds to the number of destructive invasive species from Asia that New Jersey and Pennsylvania are already dealing with, including the spotted lanternfly, southern pine beetle, and hemlock woolly adelgid, among others.

The longhorn tick, also known as the bush tick, poses a threat to livestock such as cattle, horses, goats and sheep. It is a major problem in New Zealand and transmits a disease in animals called Theileriosis that leads to anemia and sometimes death. The impact on humans is less clear. In other parts of the world, the tick has been associated with diseases that are found rarely in people, such as spotted fever rickettsiosis.

Andrea M. Egizi, the senior author of the tick study, said scientists need more information before they can assess whether the new tick poses a threat to local residents.

She said the tick transmits human pathogens in its native range in Asia, but only on occasion and usually affects those that are in contact with livestock. Those pathogens are not normally present on U.S. soil. The question, she said, is whether the longhorned tick can transmit pathogens native in the U.S.

"So the potential for human health impact is unknown at this point," Egizi said. "What we do know is that it can definitely be a problem for livestock."

The species is dark brown and grows to about the size of a pea when engorged on the blood of its hosts. Nymphs emerge in spring but are hard to spot with the naked eye. They become adults in the summer.

Officials say have treated the New Jersey property and animals where the tick was found. However, the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Environmental Protection are watching to see if the tick has spread. Farmers are encouraged to monitor livestock for anemia.
Researchers from Penn and Columbia identified a drop in crime rates in neighborhoods surrounding trash-strewn vacant lots that were transformed into mini parks. This lot at the corner of N. 7th and West Boston Streets was not part of the study but underwent the same treatment. Read more

As the United States once again debates how to combat gun violence, criminologists say they have had trouble determining which measures will actually work.

That is partly due to congressional restrictions on research funding passed under pressure from gun-rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association. Also there are so many guns in the U.S. that certain efforts, if they work at all, do little to move the needle.

But a new Philadelphia study, financed by the National Institutes of Health, finds evidence for a gun-violence remedy few would argue with: clearing trash and debris from vacant lots.

Researchers selected 541 blighted parcels to receive one of three treatments from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: a full-scale makeover with grading, planting, and fencing; a basic intervention with just clearing and mowing; and no treatment at all. When study authors analyzed crime rates in the areas surrounding these lots for 18 months before and after treatment, they found that both kinds of "greening" appeared to reduce gun assaults, burglaries, and overall crime.

The biggest decrease was seen in the rate of shootings in neighborhoods where the median income was below the poverty line. When compared to the areas surrounding untreated lots, gun assaults dropped by 17.4 percent near lots that received the full makeover and by 29.1 percent near lots that got any kind of greening  either the full treatment or basic clearing and mowing.

If the city were to clear all of its blighted lots  a total currently close to 30,000  the researchers estimated that the number of fatal and nonfatal shootings could go down by as much as 350 each year. In 2016, there were 1,279 shootings in Philadelphia.

Study authors said greening vacant lots would not prevent mass shootings such as the Parkland, Fla., slaying of 17 teens and adults on Feb. 14. But it could reduce the day-to-day urban gun violence that accounts for the bulk of U.S. homicides, said lead author Charles C. Branas, chair of the epidemiology department at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

"We have an area the size of Switzerland in our cities that's been abandoned like this," said Branas, also an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "This is an opportunity for the U.S."

Branas, his colleagues, and others have previously studied the potential of green space as a crime-prevention tool. But the new study, published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was unusual in its scope, said Medical College of Wisconsin researchers Sandra Bogar and Kirsten M. Beyer. The two were not involved in the new study but reviewed research on the topic in 2015.

"The implications of this study are particularly exciting because they can support the generalizability of findings across both large spaces and diverse urban populations," Bogar and Beyer said in an email.

What's more, the decline in crime near the greened land parcels was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in nearby neighborhoods, said Penn criminology professor John M. MacDonald, who worked with Branas on the study.

"It was a strong sign that it was not just getting pushed a few blocks away," MacDonald said.

The study authors, who included researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, Rutgers University, and the U.S. Forest Service, randomly selected which plots of land would get the green treatment. The goal was to eliminate bias and to ensure that any drop in crime was indeed linked to the greening and not some other factor.

"This is the same procedure that the Food and Drug Adminstration requires before it'll approve a drug for market," Branas said.

Another plus: the intervention is inexpensive, as the Horticultural Society has been doing similar work on a large scale for more than a decade, primarily funded through the city Division of Housing and Community Development.

The full makeover described in the study required an initial cost of about $5 per square meter and just 50 cents per square meter each year after for maintenance, authors said.

The Horticultural Society program, called LandCare, is currently maintaining about 12,000 cleared parcels, said society president Matt Rader. At least 1,200 other parcels were cleaned through the program but are no longer part of it because they were redeveloped.

The broader goal of LandCare is urban revitalization, not specifically crime prevention, but its overseers welcome that benefit. Another goal is jobs. The full makeover was undertaken by contractors, most of them minority-owned, and the basic clearing and mowing of other lots was supervised by nonprofit partners who hired neighborhood residents. Each year LandCare also trains and hires several dozen former prison inmates.

"We're trying to figure out how to apply horticulture and greening to address as many needs as exist in Philadelphia's neighborhoods," Rader said.

In a 2011 study of green space and crime, Branas and MacDonald hypothesized that clearing vacant lots reduced gun violence because there were fewer old couches and other debris under which drug dealers could hide guns.

But for the new study, several of the researchers lived for months in two communities  Point Breeze and West Kensington  interviewing residents and observing the impact of lot-clearing. It turns out guns are too valuable to be hidden in vacant lots, and that drug dealers hide them instead in the trunk or behind a hidden panel of a car parked in front of a vacant lot, said UCLA anthropologist Philippe Bourgois, one of the study authors.

Once a lot was cleared, residents began to use it and felt empowered to shoo away criminals  and their cars.

"What we think is that it made people invested in that space," Bourgois said. "People got hope."

The lot-clearing was not universally popular in Point Breeze, where economic development has given rise to fears that long-term, lower-income residents will be pushed out. But residents were all for the lot-clearing in Kensington, Bourgois said.

"The lots were no longer no-go zones," he said. "It basically gave people the courage to start hanging out."
Aaron Carter is releasing his first album in 15 years, but you wouldn't know his hiatus had been so long if you were just paying attention to just the celebrity magazines, where he has been a regular presence since he was a kid pop sensation in the late 1990s/early 2000s with his debut single "Crush on You." The brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter famously declared bankruptcy (he settled with the IRS for back taxes at the ripe old age of 16), and has since acknowledged an eating disorder and bisexuality.

With his new EDM-tinged LVe, featuring singles "Sooner or Later" and "Fool's Gold," Carter, 30, is embarking on a tour of intimate venues that includes a stop at Voltage Lounge on Tuesday. He's also talking with legislators about his proposed "Carter law" that would require child entertainers to attend business school and receive incremental payouts so they don't blow through their earnings.

Youve spent half of your life apart from what you do best. Did you pressure yourself into cramming every bit of growing up into this new album?

I don't think so. I just dove in wholeheartedly, writing and producing the project. If I was going to wait that long, I needed to make it count. During the time that I wasn't in the industry, or on the radio, I wanted to be. There were, however, things that held me back  psychological problems, bankruptcy. I had to go through a lot of crazy stuff in my 20s that most people don't have to do in their lifetime.

But few of us get the opportunity to sing in front of millions of screaming German children or open for the Backstreet Boys at their first gig. What do you remember about that?

I did "Crush on You" and got a record deal right after that show. I was off to the races.

When you were a child singer, did you have dreams or foresight to know what sort of artist you might want to be?

That's a good question. The experiences I had  all surrounded by adults and musicians who were with me forever  shaped me as I went along. I believe I was developing into becoming a real artist. Not that I wasn't then  at least I was an entertainer whose songs were written for him. I did get that I wanted more. I knew I wanted to write, control some aspects of my output. I did know that I wanted to have that clout. I wanted the credit for being a good artist  for being authentic. I just didn't want to be a voice on a track. There's nothing wrong with that  I just wanted more.

You are open about what you want, who you are, the issues you have dealt with  from bisexuality to bulimia.

Being in the biz for so long and told to put on personae  you see the outcome. Personally, I developed my own brand of honesty, one that I have to say can sometimes be too revealing. I don't want to be caught not being true or authentic. This is my life. Not everyone has to dig it. I'm in a good place.

Do you feel as if by coming out as bi  discussing your sexuality  you have connected with a broader audience?

That wasn't my intention. I just wanted to discuss something that happened; that I could find both men and women attractive. Now, moving forward, I foresee myself being with a woman and having children with a woman. That doesn't mean I couldn't if I was with a man. But that's not the case with my future.

What was the first song you wrote and produced for LVe that gave it direction?

"Fool's Gold" was really the starting point of the whole thing. I released it independently. It charted and it got the attention of Sony, who signed me. But I had already finished the entire album on my own before they got hold of it  that was a nice feeling. I brought them a whole project  a whole story, mine  that I had done. That was a very therapeutic project to get through, especially after my last two relationships went wrong. "Don't Say Goodbye" also focused on the most recent relationship I had. I'm proud of being able to fit that in there. It's very present.

This new album is less glossy pop  how we remember you first  and harder-edged EDM and trap. Why did that sound suit your new songs, and is this where we want to nestle for a bit?

EDM was what I heard as a kid when I was touring in Europe. Growing up in Florida, my siblings were all about Miami hip-hop: Juvenile and Trick Daddy. It's a hybrid I believe suits where I'm going. It's pop music and it's organic in that it comes straight from me. Then again, my evolution and the evolution of music itself moves quickly. Who knows where I could go?
Jared Block, a sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who was at the Parkland, Fla., school when the mass shooting took place Feb. 14, speaks with his mother Gayle, in a Skype session with students and their parents at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018. Read more

On Valentine's Day, Jared Block, a sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who was born and raised in Cherry Hill, heard gunshots, then took cover in a large storage closet with his other drama-class schoolmates until a SWAT team freed them 90 minutes later, urging them to run out of the building.

The 16-year-old survived that deadly day when a former classmate fatally shot 17 students and faculty members at the school in Parkland, Fla.  and unleashed an extraordinary movement by young people for changes to gun laws.

"Be the voice for those who don't have one," Jared said during a CNN town hall meeting in Florida after the shooting.

On Sunday, he brought his call-to-action to Lower Merion Township via Skype.

"If it can happen in Parkland, it can happen anywhere," Jared, at home in Parkland, said to about 90 Hebrew school students and their parents at the Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley. The students are part of the Lower Merion Area Hebrew High program for teens.

Jared was joined by his parents, Gayle and Josh. Together, they urged action regardless of political persuasion. Marches. Calls to elected officials. Continued speaking about Parkland until someone finally does something, they said.

"Please be the voices behind all these kids in Parkland," said Gayle Block, a Huntingdon Valley native and former Philadelphia School District teacher at Harding Middle School in Frankford for six years.

The Blocks moved to Florida in 2012, where they were living in a "bubble" in the small, tight-knit community of Parkland before the shooting at Marjory Stoneman, she said.

"We are now part of that bubble that burst," Gayle Block said.

Days later, sadness turned to anger "at what this monster has done not only to Parkland but to my little family of four  my kids who were scared to walk into a dark room  I had to lay with them in bed until they fell asleep," she said.

The shooting suspect, Nikolas Cruz, 19, has been jailed on 17 counts of murder and has admitted the attack, authorities said. Warnings to authorities that he was a danger capable of shooting up a school went unheeded.

"Hug your kids," Josh Block told the gathering at Har Zion, where his sister, Kami Verne, is a congregant.

Norman Einhorn, director of the Lower Merion Hebrew school program and of member engagement at Har Zion, organized the hour-long event to emphasize the importance of taking action and speaking out. In an earlier interview, he noted that the post-shooting hashtag, #neveragain, was the rallying cry among Jews following the Holocaust.

Also joining the Skype conversation were U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat who represents Parkland and who has been outspoken about a ban on assault-style weapons, and John Wood Jr., director of media development for the nonpartisan group Better Angels, which seeks to unify people from different parts of the political spectrum.

From a large projection screen at Har Zion, Jared described practicing a song for the spring musical, "Yo Vikings," in his drama class on Feb. 14 when he heard a fire alarm. As he and his classmates started heading toward the door, Jared said he heard "hollow" and "ricocheting" sounds "like a trash can was falling over," which he later realized were gunshots from the next building over.

"My teacher was screaming at us, like, 'Go in the closet. Go. Go. Go!" he recalled. About 60 to 70 in all would huddle in that closet, getting only snippets of information on cell phones.

Jared was able to text his mother. His parents rushed to the school, but were kept outside for hours before they could be reunited.

"What keeps me motivated is that I'm still alive," he told Tes Goldman, 16, when the Lower Merion High School sophomore asked how he stays strong. "I'm going to be the voice for the 17 people  They're looking down now on us, telling me, 'You need to fight for this so I'm the last person.'"

After the Skype session, Sydney Schur, 15, a sophomore at Lower Merion High School, said she will tell classmates in morning announcements:

"We need to take advantage of this opportunity to make a change and make our voices heard."
Michael DeMasi Jr., 4 (left) will donate his bone marrow to his twin baby brothers on March 8. Read more

Four-year-old Michael DeMasi Jr. knows about the needle.

"Yeah, it's a big, giant needle," he said.

He knows it will be plunged into his back on March 8, so doctors at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia can extract bone marrow, which will then be transplanted to save the lives of his twin 4-month-old brothers, who suffer from a rare immune disease.

DeMasi's parents, Michael DeMasi, 35, and Robin Pownall, 31, of South Philadelphia, call their quiet, shy boy "a superhero" for what he's about to do. But Michael Jr. just considers himself a good big brother.

"I want to help them," he said. "I'm not scared."

DeMasi and Pownall, who have been together for 11 years, have four children: Dominick, 9; Michael Jr., 4; and the 4-month-old fraternal twins: Santino, who goes by "Sonny," and Giovanni, who's called "Gio."

The twins were a surprise, to say the least. The couple wasn't planning on getting pregnant, and when they found out they were having twins, it was a curveball.

"God's a good pitcher, I'll tell you that," Pownall said. "He threw us a good one."

It's not the first curveball the family's been thrown. The couple's first son, Dominick, was diagnosed with a rare immune disease called Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) and spent nearly his entire first year of life at CHOP before an umbilical cord donation from a stranger gave him the stem cell transplant he needed to survive.

According to Pownall, who's had to become an armchair expert on CGD, it is a disease that affects the immune system, making it impossible for the body to fight infection.

"It's like the bubble-boy syndrome," she said. "If we don't do a transplant, they can get very sick from a small infection. A cut can be fatal."

But eight years after his transplant, Dominick is a healthy, high-energy, fast-talking kid. He is, essentially, cured.

CGD is hereditary, and Pownall found out she was a carrier. Only one in 500,000 people is diagnosed with CGD every year and it tends to affect boys at a higher rate than girls, she said.

Michael Jr. wasn't born with the disease, but when Pownall found out she was pregnant with twins, she feared the worst. The twins were born on Oct. 14 at 33 weeks, and spent the first five weeks of their lives at the neonatal intensive care unit of a local hospital. They were home for only 10 days, during which time they tested positive for CGD, and Santino developed an infection from his circumcision.

Both boys were then taken to CHOP, where they've lived since November. Pownall sleeps next to them in a cot in their room. She must wear a face mask and gown at all times when with her baby boys, so she doesn't pass along any infections.

"I have to sneak kisses," she said. "They're my babies. How am I not going to kiss them?"

>> Read more: Pennsylvania doesn't really know how many babies are born dependent on opioids. That's a big problem.

The family knew a transplant was the only way to give the twins a shot at a normal life. A perfect sibling bone marrow transplant match is even better than an umbilical cord stem cell match, Pownall said, so when Michael Jr. tested as a match for both boys, his parents asked him if he wanted to donate his bone marrow. They explained to him what he would have to do.

"We wanted to give him that option. People think he doesn't realize what's happening, but he knows what's going on and he's on board," she said. "He's so brave. He is our courageous boy."

Citing hospital privacy rules, a spokeswoman for CHOP declined to offer any comment on the case.

On Monday, the twins  who only weigh 11 and 12 pounds  will begin 10 days of chemotherapy before the transplant.

"They wipe their immune systems entirely and then give them the bone marrow," Pownall said. "It's a very serious, scary operation for all three, actually."

Michael DeMasi Sr., the boys' father, said he tries to keep a clear mind in order to cope.

"I try not to think about it," he said. "There is that risk they could not make it, and I don't want to think about that."

Pownall, whose positive and calm demeanor belie her emotional and physical exhaustion, said she has moments where the reality of what's happening crashes upon her.

"Sometimes I just break down. I'll be in the shower, and it will just all come out," she said. "And then I'll meet a mom at CHOP whose daughter just got diagnosed with stage-four cancer and it brings me back, and I remember how grateful I am that there is hope for my situation."

If the transplant goes well, Michael Jr. will be able to leave the hospital the same day as the operation, and the twins should be able to head home four-to-six weeks later.

When they are reunited, their first wish is a simple one  to go camping and fishing together as family.

"I'm so grateful for all the support we've received. I'm so grateful CHOP is right here," Pownall said. "And I'm so grateful that this can be a positive story."

A GoFundMe page has been has been set up to help the family with expenses.
Larry Krasner supporters shortly after Krasner won the primary for District Attorney. The Campaign Workers Guild seeks to unionize teams running campaigns, like Krasners primary run. Read more

Every time she worked on a campaign, often pulling more than 80 hours a week for little pay, Julia Ackerly told herself she'd never do it again. And as soon as the campaign ended, sure enough, she'd suffer from a sort of willful amnesia. "OK," she'd ask herself, "what's the next campaign I'm going to work on?"

The last one was different.

After a three-month local campaign many considered a long shot, Ackerly's slate of candidates won. But the victory party was bittersweet, tainted by what she called a toxic culture in which her manager had guilted staffers into working long hours, saying that if they didn't, they must not truly care.

On top of that, Ackerly was broke.

No win bonus, no gas reimbursement, no pay through the end of the month. The checks they got two weeks before Election Day, it turned out, were their last. No one had prepared the team for that.

The experience was a wake-up call for Ackerly, 27, who declined to identify the campaign in question.

It wasn't just about the money but also the message: that campaign workers weren't valued; that once they finished the job, they were disposable.

Political veterans may be thinking: Yup. Welcome to the business.

But Ackerly  and a growing chorus of millennial campaign workers  are refusing to accept the status quo.

She is one of 17 campaign staffers running a new nationwide union called the Campaign Workers Guild, which aims to combat what they describe as the exploitative nature of the work. The movement, which went public just ahead of the midterm elections, intersects with the current cultural and economic moment: the way millennials are leading the growth in unionization, the fight for worker rights in the gig economy, and #MeToo.

"We want to set a precedent for what campaign culture can be," said Ackerly, of West Philadelphia, who has worked on several Democratic campaigns, including District Attorney Larry Krasner's primary race.

The point, she said, is to build a more sustainable career path for those who go into this industry. Instead of working young campaign staffers to the bone, only to have them burn out in a few years, why not develop practices that will support them and encourage them to stay in the political arena?

The union's goal is a collective-bargaining agreement that covers all Democratic campaign workers  the party that already leans pro-labor  but right now, the group is proceeding campaign by campaign. So far, three staffs have reached such agreements with their employers, including two Democratic congressional candidates: the eight-member team running the campaign for Randy Bryce, the pro-union challenger to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in Wisconsin's First District, and the three-member team behind Jess King in Lancaster, who is running in Pennsylvania's 16th District. More are in the works, according to guild spokeswoman Meg Reilly, though she declined to identify them until the deals are finalized.

"I believe all work has value and all workers have rights," candidate King said. "So I was excited that we could embody that in our campaign."

The agreements include a salary floor ($2,500/month for King's, $3,000/month for Bryce's), health-care reimbursement, and a sexual harassment policy  particularly important, Ackerly said, in a workplace that often lacks a formal HR policy, where the next gig relies heavily on networking and connections, and where it's drilled into staffers that they must not do anything to jeopardize the campaign, which can lead to sexual harassment and discrimination going unreported.

Lauren Hitt, who left her post as Mayor Kenney's communications director to join Bryce's campaign in January and is now a member of the Guild, said a union contract with salary floors could help diversify campaign staff.

If the industry is peopled only by those without student debt or who can afford low pay, "then we're really going to have a divide in how campaigns are run," she said, adding that she might not have considered campaign work right out of school if she had college loans to repay.

This is also the first year that Hitt, 26, cannot be on her parents' health insurance. So the health-care reimbursement in the agreement is "a huge relief."

Democratic political consultant Aren Platt says the philosophical reasons for working on a campaign can create an environment ripe for exploitation.

"When I was doing it, everyone was doing it for the greater good," Platt said. "It's very hard to separate out the work that you do from this place of emotion, from trying to change the world."

If you're sitting down the hall from the candidate who's spending all day fund-raising, he said, it can be hard to ask for more money. You know it could be spent on mailers or granola bars for volunteers.

Political consultant Dan Fee says he agrees with the union's insistence on living wages, but he thinks salary floors could do campaigns more harm than good.

"It'll chase true grassroots candidates out of the races because they simply can't raise enough money," Fee said. "It'll make the impact of big money even more outsized."

He also warns against salary ceilings, contending that they could make campaigns less competitive.

But Jessica Cosme, a political consultant and former Democratic staffer, pointed out that the salary floor on Bryce's campaign is "very obtainable" and pretty much the going rate.

"Money is always important in every race, and every cycle, more is required to compete," she said. "This wouldn't have much of an impact."

The organizing effort has left some local veteran politicians scratching their heads. They point out that campaigns are short-term positions without many of the benefits of more traditional jobs, and that's explained upfront.

"The hours these people work are crazy, but that's what the business is," said former State Sen. Vince Fumo, who was incredulous that such a union would exist. "That's just what it's been forever."

He added, "Unions have their place. I don't think this is one of them."

Former Gov. Ed Rendell said it would be difficult to negotiate a contract covering all workers because of the variables involved: the size and length of a campaign, but especially the money behind it, given the unpredictability of fund-raising.

"You're talking to someone who's been pro-union all his life," Rendell said. "But it doesn't lend itself to commonsense negotiation because the biggest variable is missing: the resources."

His suggestion to campaign workers who feel they're being exploited?

"Move carefully at the beginning," he advised, "and if the conditions are lousy, then don't sign up."

Besides, he said, most people don't get into this for the money.

On that, the Campaign Workers Guild agrees. A living wage is important, Ackerly said, but it's not the sole issue in the fight.

The union leaders want training and reporting procedures around sexual harassment. They want open dialogue between management and staff. They want that elusive concept, one that might sound a touch too millennial to old-school ears: respect.

That kind of work environment, they say, would only benefit candidates.

"The stakes have never been higher to elect progressive candidates," Ackerly said. "Now is the time to lay the groundwork. This is our moment."
Nina Ahmad speaks with members of the media in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. Read more

Nina Ahmad, a former aide to Mayor Kenney who had been campaigning for a Philadelphia congressional seat, is now jumping into the race for lieutenant governor.

The move comes a week after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court imposed a new congressional map, changing district lines and scrambling U.S. House races across the state. The court had ruled that the previous map was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander drawn to favor Republicans.

"Harrisburg has been male-dominated for too long, and its culture won't change without new voices," Ahmad said in a statement Monday. "I will partner with Governor Wolf to help stamp out sexism and sexual harassment that holds us back."

She said she would push for a tax on natural gas drillers to pay for schools, something Gov. Wolf has advocated but which the GOP-led legislature has blocked.

Ahmad announced in November that she would quit her job as deputy mayor for public engagement to challenge longtime U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D., Pa.) in the First Congressional District's Democratic primary. Brady said last month he would not seek reelection.

The new map left Philadelphia with one fewer congressional seat by effectively displacing Brady's district. Another former First District candidate, pastor Kevin Johnson, said Monday he will run against U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in the newly configured Third District, which now will be in Philadelphia. Willie Singletary, a former Traffic Court judge who was convicted of lying to the FBI and who had been challenging Brady, has also said he will run against Evans.

Ahmad loaned her campaign $450,000 and had about $560,000 on hand as of Dec. 31, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Ahmad, former president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women, has told friends that she has spoken with EMILY's List regarding her prospective candidacy for lieutenant governor, according to a person familiar with the matter. The group works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights.

About a half-dozen other candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, including the incumbent, Mike Stack III of Philadelphia. Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, hasn't endorsed a candidate in the May primary. The governor yanked Stack's security detail last year amid allegations that the lieutenant governor and his wife had mistreated staff.

Stack "has failed to provide the leadership we need," Ahmad said. "I will bring fresh new energy to serve all of our families better."

Marty Marks, a spokesman for Stack's campaign, called Ahmad "another ambitious newcomer who has zero experience in state government and no statewide accomplishments."

Stack, he said, is an "accomplished leader" who has implemented "nationally recognized reforms at the Board of Pardons."

In another sign of the Supreme Court's impact on the political landscape, State Rep. Madeleine Dean decided last week to drop out of the lieutenant governor's race to run in the newly configured Fourth Congressional District in Montgomery County, where she lives.

Staff writer Holly Otterbein contributed to this article.
State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced Monday that he will not run for Congress, ending about a week of speculation. Read more

HARRISBURG  Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced Monday morning that he won't run for U.S. House, ending days of speculation.

DePasquale, a Democrat from York County, said many people contacted him after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a new congressional map last week and asked if he would be interested in running in one of the newly revised districts; his home district was drawn in a way that made it more competitive for Democrats than before.

DePasquale said he seriously considered a run because he's frustrated with dysfunction in Washington and felt an obligation to the country. But, he said, he ultimately felt he needed to fulfill a campaign promise to complete his term as auditor general and that he still has work to do in that office. He was elected to a second four-year term in 2016.

"Everything I would do for the next nine months, instead of being viewed as how it's going to make Pennsylvania better, would be viewed through the political lens," he said. "So, I think it would take away nine months of critical work."
AFSCME DC47 president Fred Wright is worried about what the outcome could mean for public-sector unions. Read more

Generations of Pennsylvanians have built better lives here in our commonwealth because of the work unions have done to improve working conditions, increase economic security, and ensure workers are treated fairly.

But this week, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear opening arguments on Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could take our nation backwards by undoing this progress.

The case aims to reverse the work done by school workers, sanitation workers, teachers, mine workers, carpenters, telecommunications workers, nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and many more to make sure they had the opportunity to work together and improve their conditions and pay.

As this case attempts to take us backwards, we must charge in the opposite direction and make the economy work for all Pennsylvania. If the Janus case is decided against workers, they could lose the right to have their voices heard in their workplace.

This doesn't just impact unions.

Unions have done more than protect their own members: They have consistently raised health and safety and wage standards for everyone. When unions are strong and workers are heard, everyone benefits. And when workers are silenced, we just have to look to recent history to see how it impacts all families.

Our nation is not far removed from a time when workers died by the thousands each year in industrial accidents. Children as young as four were put to work in factories. This is not ancient history or an abstraction. This was the reality of our grandparents and their parents who sometimes gave their lives, or their children's lives.

Today, American children do not work in factories, deaths on the job are thankfully rare, and 15 hour days are no longer the norm. But we did not get here by accident. Our workplaces are better, fairer, and safer because unions fought for all of us.

Unfortunately, for special interests that are driven by profits, Janus v. AFSCME is part of decades-long effort to destroy unions. Special interest groups have formed throughout the country with the goal of weakening unions, and making it easier for their donors to make money at the expense of working families.

Janus v. AFSCME is just the next step in their efforts to make it more difficult for all workers to be heard, paid fairly, or treated with respect. Instead of seeking to destroy unions, our efforts should focus on growing them

We need unions because the American Dreamonce a promise for those who work hard and play by the ruleshas become elusive for far too many Americans. The pathway to the middle class provided by unions has never been more important. A recent study by researchers at Harvard, Wellesley and the Center for American Progress, finds that children born to low-income families are much more likely to raise themselves into the middle class in areas where the union membership is higher. The study also finds that not only does more union membership secure the wages necessary to raise a family; unions prove effective at helping all workers.

Here in Pennsylvania we are going to fight for working families. That means pushing for policies that benefit all working people like raising the minimum wage, sick days and education funding. It also means fighting for the right to organize and join a union that will make sure your voice is heard.

A living wage and strong unions for workers will allow our economy to grow and strengthen Pennsylvania's middle class. As the Supreme Court hears this case, we will do everything in our power to make sure Pennsylvanians can join together to fight for the good, union jobs our communities need.

Tom Wolf is governor of Pennsylvania. Jim Kenney is mayor of Philadelphia. Bill Peduto is mayor of Pittsburgh.
By deciding last week to force its own congressional map on the people of Pennsylvania, our Supreme Court made an unprecedented and reckless ruling that could have drastic implications for years to come.

If I were governor, I would refuse to implement the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's remedial map and I would instruct the secretary of the commonwealth to oversee the 2018 elections under our old map  the map that was created by bipartisan, elected representatives of the people.

Not only did the court make a deliberate political move to implement a map designed to get more Democrats elected to the U.S. House of Representatives  the very definition of gerrymandering  but it overstepped its constitutional authority in order to do so.

It is impossible to reflect on the commonwealth's redistricting saga and not conclude that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Gov. Tom Wolf are working in tandem to circumvent the will of Pennsylvania voters and advance their radical, liberal agenda.

If the court really wanted to create fair districts, why did it give the legislature such a short time to draw new maps? Why would it implement such drastic changes in the midst of the 2018 primary election? Why did the court not issue its full opinion and provide the criteria it wanted for a new map until it was too late?

If the governor really wanted a fair map, why did he refuse to come to the table and negotiate with the legislature after he rejected the Republican leadership's proposal?

The answer to these questions is that the redistricting fight was never about fair maps.

This fight enables a politically motivated court to do the bidding of Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Nancy Pelosi, and George Soros who have stated that their goal is to install progressive power in the states  starting with Pennsylvania.

The Supreme Court issued an initial order to draw new maps. Wolf ran out the clock to thwart any effort by the legislature to have a say in the process. A liberal, out-of-state professor was invited to step in and carve up our commonwealth. In turn, Democrats will dump millions into their 2018 campaigns in Pennsylvania.

This redistricting disaster was nothing less than a quid pro quo.

Now the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued the final order in its takeover scheme, and has directed the executive branch to implement its remedial map for the 2018 congressional elections.

Wolf should not comply. Rulings by the Supreme Court only have weight if a governor chooses to implement them. That's the entire purpose of separation of powers. If a governor can't stand up to an order he deems unconstitutional, then he is a subordinate of the court.

I invite people all over Pennsylvania to take a stand with me against national interest groups, against George Soros and his permanent progressive power, against having your voice drowned out by a corrupt state Supreme Court, and against a governor who is complicit in ignoring the Constitution and rigging the electoral system.

Wolf's lack of leadership has delivered to us a constitutional crisis. Stand with me, and let's give him an electoral one.

Scott Wagner, a Republican state senator from the 28th district, is running for governor of Pennsylvania. @SenScottWagner
Name change aside, there are also some significant LOP-G updates in this budget. First of all, LOP-G has its own line item, with $504 million proposed for 2019 and $2.7 billion total penciled in over the next five years. That means LOP-G is officially happening, and it would take Congressional intervention to stop the program at this point.

Theres also some information about LOP-G components, launch dates, and operation plans. Recall that sizewise, LOP-G is a far cry from the ISS. The working design calls for a power and propulsion element (PPE), a habitation element, a logistics element, and an airlock. Some proposed add-ons also include a robotic arm and fancy glass cupola. (Side note: since the LOP-G will probably be positioned in a near-rectilinear halo orbit, a glass cupola would offer incredible, sweeping views of the Moon and Earth together. NASA, I urge you to make that happen!) The PPE isnt habitable, so astronauts will be confined to just two modules, a visiting Orion spacecraft, and an airlock. The longest crews would stay at the LOP-G in this configuration is a month; NASA might increase that duration if more pieces are added later.

The PPE will be launched first. It uses solar electric propulsion, and incorporates a lot of the technologies NASA was working on for the now-defunct Asteroid Redirect Mission. SEP engines provide low thrust over very long periods of time, and require very little propellant, making them ideal for transitioning LOP-G between various orbits to support different types of missions. The SEP system is expected to be around an order of magnitude more powerful than the ones used on missions like Dawn. Humans-to-Mars transportation systems may need to be yet another order of magnitude more powerful, so the PPE provides a good intermediate testing platform.

NASA plans to award the PPE contract by the end of this fiscal year (September 30), and launch it in 2022. By NASA standards, for a human spaceflight vehicle, that's soon! And theres another twist: Instead of launching the PPE on SLS with the first crewed Orion capsule, NASA will use a commercial launch vehicle.

At first, I took that as a shot across the bow of SLS. The whole point of SLS is, after all, deep space exploration. If the PPE is small and light enough to fit on a commercial launch vehicle, why can't NASA do the same for the other LOP-G components? Then, after more research and some helpful conversations on Twitter, I realized that the reason the LOP-G components are launching on SLS with Orion is so that Orion's thrusters can be used to insert them into the correct lunar orbit. The PPE is an exception because it has its own propulsion system, but the other modules cant just be lobbed solo at the Moon with a rocket like Falcon Heavy. The modules need a way to slow down when they get to the Moon, and rocket stages that use cryogenic propulsion wont work because the propellant wont stay stable during a multi-day coast to the Moon. (Thats why United Launch Alliance is working on a new upper stage technology called ACES to keep cryogenic propellants stable for longer.)

After the PPE, the next LOP-G component launched would be the habitat element. Through a program called NextSTEP, six companies are already developing ground prototypes for future deep space habitats. Those prototypes will help NASA decide on a final design for the actual hab element, with a contract for that to be awarded in fiscal year 2019.

However, the new NASA budget also says the agency is entertaining the idea of having international partners contribute the hab element if they are interested in teaming up on the LOP-G. Perhaps one of those partners will also contribute a better name!
Republican state lawmakers in Florida called on Sunday for the suspension of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, accusing him of incompetence and neglect of duty in the months before the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and 73 Republican colleagues urged Gov. Rick Scott (R) to suspend Israel, a Democrat who was reelected in 2016 and has said he would not resign over his agencys handling of one of the countrys deadliest school shootings.

Sheriff Israel failed to maintain a culture of alertness, vigilance and thoroughness amongst his deputies, Corcoran wrote in a letter released Sunday. As a result of Sheriff Israels failures, students and teachers died.

The sheriff has faced intensifying questions about his offices response to the massacre after the revelation that an armed deputy on the scene did not enter the school while the shooter was inside. That deputy, Scot Peterson, retired last week after being suspended.

Israel said Sunday that he should not be faulted for Petersons actions. You dont measure a persons leadership by a deputy not going in, he said.

State Rep. Bill Hager (R-Boca Raton) sent a letter to Gov. Scott on Saturday accusing Israel of neglect and incompetence and calling for his removal.

Israel said Sunday, Of course I wont resign, adding that Hagers letter was shameful and politically motivated, The Washington Post reports.
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said an officer at State Correctional Institute-Somerset died Monday from injuries sustained in an attack earlier this month at the hands of a 22-year-old inmate, Penn Live reports.

Paul Jawon Kendrick is accused of fatally beating Sgt. Mark Baserman just before 7 p.m. Feb. 15, which led to Baserman's hospitalization for 11 days. Corrections Secretary John Wetzel reported Baserman's death in a news release Monday afternoon.

"The minute we learned of this unprovoked, brutal attack on Sgt. Baserman and another officer who came to his aid our hearts sank," Wetzel said in the news release. "We are greatly saddened by Sgt. Baserman's death and our thoughts are with his family at this time."

The Tribune-Democrat obtained charging documents in the assault and reported that the men were talking when Kendrick suddenly lashed out and struck Baserman in the face 8 to 10 times. Baserman fell to the ground, which is when Kendrick began kicking him in the head with his heavy Timberland boots. Kendrick's motive for the attack was because Baserman had confiscated a towel earlier in the day Kendrick was using to block other's view of his bunk, according to the report.
Bitcoin: not black, not white (x)

While more and more people all around the world are being bitten by the bitcoin bug, tax authorities are subjecting transactions executed with the cryptocurrency to ever closer scrutiny. Meanwhile, it is increasingly obvious that the world of bitcoin is starting to give shape to a new form of tax haven - comments Akos Barati, tax advisor at Jalsovszky Law Firm.

Bitcoin and offshore Since 2008, the Western World has been more and more assertive in taking steps to reduce the damage caused by international tax avoidance. Various international treaties, including European Union rules, treaties on international information exchange, and even the USAs FATCA system, all aim to curtail the efforts of taxable persons to hide their wealth in offshore companies. The pressure exerted on tax havens is visibly yielding better results all the time. All these efforts could be undermined, however, by the mass adoption of bitcoin and similar means of payment. Owing to the nature of the blockchain technology on which bitcoin is based, these transactions involve no central clearing house between the parties (such as the financial institution in the case of a bank transfer). Instead, due to the use of a public register, they are supervised by the whole community. But unlike conventional transactions, in the blockchain system the participants in individual transactions are protected by encryption and anonymity. The absence of central supervision, and the encryption, can facilitate the movements of whole fortunes between individual players in the economy, without the authorities finding out. At the moment, cash is one of the mainstays of the black economy because on the one hand its an internationally accepted means of payment, and on the other its movements are essentially untraceable. It isnt too much of an exaggeration to say that bitcoin is like cash, but can be mobilised more easily and in greater quantities: unlike cash, huge amounts can be shifted in bitcoin with an anonymous transfer over the internet, or on a USB drive. And whats more, while in the past bitcoin was used to pay for illegal services, today there is a growing number of legal and everyday places that accept it - even in Hungary, in some places you can now use bitcoin to pay for a haircut, or even for legal services. And because bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are perfect for hiding transactions from the state authorities, its also well-suited for tax avoidance and the accumulation of large fortunes. Tax havens, therefore, could be replaced by cryptocurrencies in a few years. Whats in a name? Naturally, none of this takes away from the fact that the taxation of transparent bitcoin transactions is an increasingly hot topic. But the authorities are divided about how bitcoin should be treated. Bitcoin is a payment instrument, or at least that was the conclusion reached by the European Court of Justice, when it examined the nature of the cryptocurrency from a VAT perspective, and decided that transactions carried out with bitcoin are VAT-exempt. The courts judgment is of great import, because it was the first public position statement on the nature of bitcoin from a taxation perspective. Meanwhile, member states are falling over themselves to declare that bitcoins classification as a payment instrument only determines the VAT implications, and this has no effect on other tax types. With regard to income taxes, the individual member states usually treat bitcoin as a promise of payment, or a receivable, and determine the consequences of its mining, sale or use as a payment instrument accordingly. The Hungarian tax authority takes a similar line: in its practice, within the corporate tax system, the tax authority classifies gains generated from bitcoin as income from financial transactions and taxes them accordingly. The personal income tax treatment of income generated from bitcoin throws up a number of dilemmas. But because income of this type cannot be treated as either a trading gain (as bitcoin isnt a security) or as the income from a regulated capital market transaction, it is taxed as other income, so in addition to the personal income tax liability a healthcare contribution of 19.5% is also payable. What does the future hold? Its a safe bet that cryptocurrencies will soon come under strict regulation all around the world, and this will probably also settle the taxation issues, and attempt to eliminate the anonymity and prevent its use as a means of digital tax avoidance. The ball is currently in the court of domestic and European decision makers. Some, however, believe that any restriction or ban will be as ineffective as prohibition in 1920s America. This would result in cryptocurrency trading being forced underground" rather than ceasing, and continuing to provide a fertile ground for tax avoidance. (x)
Thinking of collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia? There are many ways to do it today.

My first suggestion is to check out the history, people and places within the history of Coca-Cola. A book on the topic is " The Coca-Cola Trail," by Larry Jorgensen.

"I am not a Coca-Cola collector," Jorgensen recently told me. "But folks sure like my book.  I feel that this book provides the reader both history and a travel adventure, as it visits locations throughout the United States where pioneering entrepreneurs believed in a new product and successfully created a business network for generations to follow."

Jorgensen will be speaking at the annual Coca-Cola Atlanta banquet in March, and plans to attend the national convention, June 26-30 in Davenport, Iowa.

Winonas Coca-Cola bottler ceased production of returnable glass bottles in 2012. "I believe they are the last to bottle the small bottle," Jorgensen said.

Where to find them

Commemorative bottles usually sell for a few dollars each at the time theyre issued. Collectors also find pleasure in finding the 6-ounce bottles, distributed at sporting events, that are considered souvenir bottles, though more recently cans have replaced the bottle. If you find a souvenir bottle, they can sell in the $3-$10 range and probably wont increase much in value for quite some time. You can also find vintage ad pages from old magazines at antique shops and flea markets selling for about $2-$5 apiece. Some collectors even trade single vintage playing cards from beautifully illustrated decks.

Neil Hunt, of A-Z Collectibles, Winona, said, "I have Coca-Cola trays from the 50s and newer bottles, including Winona and La Crosse. Some newer Coke toy trucks mostly small ones. When I opened, I chose to go soft drink, not beer, so I have a wall of different soft drink bottles. Also some paper Coke items."

Churn Dash Antiques in Rochester has Coke collectibles, says Ann Collins. So does Old River Valley Antiques in Stewartville.

"We have a large variety of Coca-Cola advertising collectibles, from bottles, glasses, trays, crates and playing cards, all the way up to high-end signs," said Chris Rand Kujath. "Prices range from $2 on up. Prices vary by age of items."

Angie Pehler, of Angies Vintage Rust at Treasures Under Sugar Loaf, Winona, said, "Vintage paper advertisements (are) $1-$4, Coca-Cola cooler, a neat piece along with trays, glasses and more since a lot of people collect and are buying. I even have old Coke crates priced around $18-$25."

Joan Thilges, of New Generations of Harmony, said, "We have Coke collectibles scattered throughout the mall, with one of our vendors that specializes in Coke."

Sarah Kieffer, Sarahs Uniques, St. Charles, said, "I always try to have Coca-Cola items in the shop since I seem to have all age groups interested, and older folks remember sitting at the soda fountain having a cherry Coke. The younger generation has grown up as well with Coca-Cola surrounding them. Seems with the nostalgia, the availability, the diversity, and the fact that theres so much still around today its a great collection to start to have, or to continue to grow with. Yes, I have it all including a light up neon, and many old Coca-Cola bottles. Some of the signs, as you know, can be quite expensive! The ones in my shop range from $40 to about $350."

A few tips

Arm yourself with knowledge by studying up on reproductions and fantasies before you go shopping. Buy from reputable dealers. Since there is no exact, "what is it worth" book, I use, like many dealers and appraisers, the "Antique Trader 2018 Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide," by Eric Bradley, as this book shows you the value to help you estimate the value of your own items. I also use "Petrettis Coca-Cola Collectible Price Guide," 12th edition, by Allan Petretti.
"I dont claim to be an unbiased observer," writes activist and photographer David Bacon, who has documented migrant farmworkers in Californias breadbasket for 30 years. "I am on the side of immigrant workers and unions in the United States and share their struggle for rights and a decent life."

His book, "In the Fields of the North / En los campos del norte," combines black and white portraiture with interviews and oral histories of his subjects to reveal the reality of laborers.

"Photographers must be objective and neutral, the word goes," writes Bacon, who was a factory worker and union organizer for two decades. "But I believe our work gains visual and emotional power from its closeness to the movements we document."

His photographs, which are strong and intimate taken alone, are ultimately not designed to speak for themselves: The impact of "In the Fields of the North" arises from the accompanying text, in which workers tell their own stories. The text appears in both English and Spanish, and the book is organized geographically, with chapters devoted to Californias Imperial Valley and Sonoma, as well as Washington and North Carolina.

Farmworkers face visceral hardship. Lorena Hernandez, a single mother from Oaxaca living in Madera, Calif. , describes taking salt tablets in order not to faint from the heat while working in the fields. Lucrecia Camacho, who speaks Mixtec, an indigenous language of Mexico, recounts being detained by immigration authorities in Oxnard, a town known for its strawberries.

Stories like these remind us to consider where our food comes from. Workers are paid roughly 20 cents to fill a box of strawberries. "If the price of a clamshell box increased by 5 cents," Bacon writes, "the wages of the workers would increase by 25 percent"  and most consumers wouldnt notice the change in price.

Exploitative wages and living conditions are the norm for migrant farmworkers, but the book does search for solutions. In the final chapter, Rosario Ventura describes becoming a striker. "We cant leave things like this," she says. "I want a little house and to stay in one place with my kids."

Threaded throughout stories of picking olives and peaches, of poverty and backbreaking labor, are also the stories of families  parents left behind in Mexico, children born in the U.S.  and of the intersection of lives.

"Migration creates communities," Bacon writes. "The function of these photographs, therefore, is to help break the mold that keeps us from seeing this reality." His book aims not merely to show but to tell. "I believe documentary photographers stand on the side of social justice; we should be involved in the world and unafraid to change it."
LONDON  Queen Elizabeth II has always dressed with style and flair  but Tuesday marked her first visit to the showy catwalks of London Fashion Week.

The monarch squeezed in the front row, chatting with American Vogue editor Anna Wintour  who wore her trademark sunglasses  and presented an award recognizing British design excellence.

It was an unusual outing for the 91-year-old monarch, who seemed totally at ease at the type of event usually frequented by stars like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.

She was elegant in an Angela Kelly duck egg blue tweed dress and jacket detailed with tiny aquamarine Swarovski crystals set off by formal black gloves.

Elizabeth carried a matching handbag  of course  and wore her mostly white hair swept back.

The queen didnt bother with the statement stiletto heels favored by many of the younger fashionistas, opting for sensible dark low-heeled court shoes for the awards presentation.

"As a tribute to the industry, and as my legacy to all those who have contributed to British fashion, I would like to present this award for new, young talent," she said.

The royal family has often hosted Fashion Week receptions for top designers and journalists, but the new award  and the queens personal visit  have added a new dimension to its support for the industry.

The lucky recipient was Richard Quinn, a recent fashion graduate of Central Saint Martins who started his own label in 2016 and has quickly earned recognition as part of the next wave of talented young British designers.

The London-based Quinn received the first Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The British Fashion Council chose him for the prize.

His provocative show included a model wearing what looked to be a decorated green motorcycle helmet with a dark visor along with black and white polka dot leggings and a gauzy top with different size dots.

The queen, who has maintained an active schedule even as her 96-year-old husband Prince Philip has stepped back from public life, took to the catwalk to address the crowd and praise Britains fashion heritage.

"From the tweed of the Hebrides to Nottingham lace, and, of course, Carnaby Street, our fashion industry has been renowned for outstanding craftsmanship for many years, and continues to produce world-class textiles and cutting edge, practical designs," she said.

She also toured showrooms before presenting the award on the final day of fashion week, which brought hundreds of designers, buyers and journalists to London for a series of catwalk displays highlighted by Christopher Baileys farewell show at Burberry.

The queens visit followed a Buckingham Palace fashion reception hosted Monday night by Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge  who is expecting her third child in April  and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.

The gala was attended by Wintour, model Naomi Campbell, designer Stella McCartney and other luminaries of the fashion scene.
Johns CPAC wrap-up post included a discussion of Mona Charens contribution to a panel on feminism. I didnt see the panel (or attend CPAC). However, according to Yuval Levins account, Charen criticized CPAC for inviting Marion Marechal Le Pen to speak at the convention. She stated:

[T]here was quite an interesting person who was on this stage the other day. Her name is Marion Le Pen. Why was she here? Shes a young, no longer in office politician from France. I think the only reason she was here is that shes named Le Pen. And the Le Pen name is a disgrace. Her grandfather was a racist and a Nazi. She claims that she stands for him. The fact that CPAC invited her was a disgrace.

Im not sure Le Pens name was the only reason CPAC invited her. Shes a physically attractive, talented, fiery speaker and an ardent nationalist. She earned the admiration of Steve Bannon, who featured prominently at last years CPAC (how quickly they forget).

But I agree with Monas conclusion. Inviting Marion Le Pen was a disgrace.

Le Pen does, indeed, stand with Jean-Marie Le Pen. She told the Washington Posts James McAuley that she is his political heir.

Is Jean-Marie Le Pen a racist and/or a Nazi? Close enough. He has defended the French governments collaboration with the Nazis during World War II and he seems unsure whether the Holocaust occurred. If it did, Le Pen considers it a mere detail in the history of World War II. The political party he founded, which his daughter Marine Le Pen took over, expelled him for these and other sickening views.

In her speech to CPAC, Marion Le Pen did not echo the worst views of Jean-Marie. However, she did say that the France of today, with its political correctness and large-scale influx of immigrants, is not the France our grandparents fought for.

But her grandfather, a paratrooper, fought for a vision of France that American conservatives should reject to a significant degree. Inviting his like-minded granddaughter to speak at CPAC implies too much comfort with that vision.

Therein lies the disgrace.
In a sign of the times, the California Democratic Party has declined to endorse the states senior senator in her bid for reelection. In fact, Dianne Feinstein lost to her Democratic opponent in a vote at the states Democratic convention. Hard left-winger Kevin de Leon received 54 percent of the vote, compared to Feinsteins 37 percent.

De Leon fell short of the 60 percent support required to get the Partys official endorsement. Nonetheless, Feinsteins poor showing is an embarrassment to her and a clear indication of her partys leftward lurch. De Leon is said to favor universal medicare and free college tuition, among other forms of free stuff.

He faces an uphill battle with actual Democratic voters, though perhaps not an impossible one. A recent PPP poll found him running 29 points behind Feinstein, but with 37 percent of voters undecided.

California leftists understandably believe their ultra-Blue state should be represented by someone more extreme than Feinstein. Its the same kind of thinking many conservatives subscribe to  purify the party by defeating non-hardliners in safe states and districts.

This approach has had mixed results on the Republican side. The GOP membership in Congress has become more conservative, but safe seats have been lost  e.g. in Indiana and Alabama.

Democrats probably face less risk than Republicans of losing seats when they they try to replace incumbents with ideologically pure outsiders. The mainstream media isnt likely to dig up 40 year-old stories about the dating practices of Democrats; nor, I suspect, are Democratic voters likely to be as finicky as their Republican counterparts.

The danger for Democrats is less about losing seats than about losing the electorate. The more the Democrats become the party of handouts and the party of special treatment for minority group members and illegal immigrants, the more they will be abandoned by white voters, both working and upper middle class. Stated differently, it will be difficult for the party to thrive in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin if its congressional delegation is driven too hard by leftists from California, New York, and Illinois.
Hang around a campus long enough and youll soon get wind of the great bete noir of the left these days: Neoliberalism. When I first started hearing the term, I thought back to the early 1980s, when old line liberals like Charlie Peters of the Washington Monthly were trying to work out a neoliberal manifesto to go up against the highly successful neoconservatism. In fact Peters and Philip Keisling produced a book in 1985 entitled New Road for America: The Neoliberal Movement. (This was really just about finding a program for Gary Hart, whose famous new ideas and new leadership theme in 1984 turned out to consist of no more than his name change and self-assertion.)

Youd think neoliberalism would be something people on the left would embrace, but today neoliberal is a term of supreme hatred for the campus left, and it refers to any kind of market-friendly policieslike low taxes and deregulated marketsand restraints on social spending. The lefts critique of neoliberalism naturally hates Reagan, Thatcher, and other governments that adopted market-friendly policies (China?thats less clear to me, because I think the left still likes Chinas one-party authoritarianism). Milton Friedman always comes in for a heavy slagging. But above all the left really hates the liberal politicians who embraced neoliberal policies, like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Theyre even worse than Reagan and Thatcher, because they are traitors to the people, or something.

One nation comes in for particular scorn: Chile, because of the Pinochet dictatorship that succeeded the coup that toppled leftist hero Allende back in 1973. Milton Friedman and other free marketeers advised the Pinochet government about how best to get their economy going again, but Friedman also advised China around this same time, and somehow that never draws a complaint from the left. Anyway, Pinochet ultimately relinquished power and re-established free elections (anyone think Allende would have ever done that?), and today Chiles economy is one of the strongest in the world.

How strong is it? The New York Times reported recently: The Chilean government, facing skyrocketing rates of obesity, is waging war on unhealthy foods with a phalanx of marketing restrictions, mandatory packaging, redesigns and labeling rules aimed at transforming the eating habits of 18 million people.

Contrast this with Venezuela, where the equivalent of the Allende government has held power for nearly 20 years now, and the population is on the verge of starvation. Think Venezuelans might want a bit of neoliberalism right about now?

The New York Review of Books has a long piece by Enrique Krauze about Venezuela in its most recent edition, and it makes for bracing, but at times comical, reading. The bracing part is how thoroughly the Chavez-Maduro regime has botched the economy (especially the cash cow of the nationits oil industry), and how completely they have suppressed political opposition:

This is a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions. By May 2017, Venezuelas minimum monthly wage wasnt enough to meet even 12 percent of a single persons basic food needs.2 A survey of 6,500 households by three prestigious universities showed that 74 percent of the population had lost on average nineteen pounds in 2016. Infant mortality in hospitals has risen by 100 percent. Diseases nearly eradicated in many countries, like malaria and diphtheria, have flourished; illnesses largely new to the area, like Chikungunya, Zika, and dengue, have spread. Caracas is now the most dangerous city on the planet. All this is happening in a country that has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. None of the present crises seemed likely in 2007 and 2008, when I made a number of visits to Venezuela. Caracas was seen as the new Mecca for the European, Latin American, and American left. Progressive news organizations, magazines, and newspapers including The Guardian, The New Yorker, and the BBC reported favorably on Hugo Chavez, whose presidency lasted from 1999 until 2013. They mentioned the dangers of his cult of personality but yielded to it all the same.

Actually these crises were entirely predictable to anyone not lost in the fever swamps of paranoia about neoliberalism. Theres a clear lesson in the contrast between Chile and Venezuela. And no doubt to the pains of the NYRBs left-leaning readership, it even gets the fundamental cause right:

It became common to call Chavez the soul of the fiesta. The people of Venezuela hung on his every declaration. In December 2007 he scheduled a referendum that proposed dozens of constitutional changes meant to consolidate the Venezuelan socialist state: unrestricted presidential terms, limitations on private property, a new political geometry (which in practice would become a form of gerrymandering), the consolidation of his personal guard as a kind of army parallel to the countrys military, suppression of the autonomy of the Central Bank, direct access for the president to the countrys international monetary reserves and the license to use them however he pleased, and the establishment of a popular power based on the creation of communes. . . To become a political heir to Castro, Chavez aspired to transform himself into the leader of twenty-first century socialism, to become everything.

Im still waiting for an instance where this kind of government worked out well for the people. The article concludes, In one of the countrys hellish hospitals, a woman told a reporter for El Nacional: So rich a country. We had everything and they destroyed it. And the future.'

Read the whole thing if you have a moment. The NYRB offers better reporting on Venezuela than the New York Times or Washington Post.
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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced technologies, digitisation, and changing consumer demands are leading financial services companies to adopt a more consumer centric approach. As a result, many companies have launched innovative products, services, and solutions. The use of advanced technologies - which include cloud, platforms, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Blockchain, and application programming interfaces (APIs) - impact operations of companies and customer experience. The application of technologies enhances the outcome of services and sub-segments like fintech platforms, Robo-advisory, InsurTech, RegTech, and PayTech, which are expected to grow rapidly. While it is early days for Quantum Computing, the use cases and experiments are extremely encouraging.

The latest Frost & Sullivan analysis, FinTechGrowth Opportunities in the Global Market, highlights emerging products and services, technology-enabled sub-segments, new business models, and innovations that are set to disrupt the industry.

To access more information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/28c

"With the number of connected devices expected to reach 40 billion by 2022, Big Data will significantly increase the need for cloud storage, analytics, AI, and ML within the financial sector. The impact will be seen across banking, wealth management and insurance, and we can expect a significant shift in how the industry operates," said Frost & Sullivan Information and Communication Technology Senior Industry Analyst Deepali Sathe. "New business models and innovative products and services from neo-banks, InsureTech, and WealthTech companies will drive the change in the entire industry."

The report covers many aspects across the global FinTech sector; namely, BaaS, InsurTech, WealthTech, RegTech, PayTech, and provides forecasts as well as regional trends. The trends are further illustrated with examples of successful implementation. Factors driving growth within the global financial services market include:

Financial services companies that are adopting a consumer centric approach to provide personalised services and an enhanced customer experience;

An increase in partnerships between incumbents and start-ups to promote rapid innovation and achieve faster time to market; where start-ups contribute agility and incumbents provide scalability;

The application of technology and enhanced outcomes across different areas within FinTech are driving growth opportunities across BaaS, RegTech, InsurTech, PayTech and WealthTech.

A technology-enabled omnichannel approach, which enables a consistent and seamless experience for consumers across different channels, devices, and multiple touchpoints;

Anytime, anywhere access to financial services is critical for success.

"Alternatively, factors hindering market growth include issues related to security of data, the regulatory environment and prevailing confusion, lack of skilled personnel to apply advanced technologies, and a slow pace of change," said Sathe. "The industry is gearing up to meet these challenges by working together in order to create a more cohesive ecosystem, including liaising with regulators to ensure greater clarity."

FinTechGrowth Opportunities in the Global Market is part of Frost & Sullivan's Information and Communications Technologies Growth Partnership Services program.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion .

FinTechGrowth Opportunities in the Global Market

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TIRUPATI, India, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Government of India's Category - I, BRICS 122 Ranked, Asia's 223 Ranked, NAAC A+ Category Andhra Pradesh State Government True Multi-Disciplinary University: 'SVU - Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati' is rolling out FREE Smart Phone Application 'Digital SVU' for all of its about 2 hundred thousand students spread across UG / PG / Diploma/ Professional/ Pharmacy/ Engineering & M.Tech of campus and that of 247 affiliated colleges and also of distance education of entire SVU periphery. 'Digital SVU' enable students to avail every single service of university right at their fingertips. Be it student profile, examination applications, digital fee Payments & receipts, hall tickets, results and even their digital education certificates / memo's, students can avail all these 24x7 through 'Digital SVU'. Students can read the complete list of benefits, do-how guide here: https://www.svuniversity.edu.in/DEES/students . SVU has been able to bring this world class innovation into reality through 7+ Crore CSR given by KOTII GROUP OF TECHNOLOGICAL VENTURES P. LIMITED.

Through the 'Digital SVU' initiative, the university can make its services transparent, efficient, precise and democratized. The university anticipates to empower its students to avail the digital services without any delay. Through this app students can greatly reduce unnecessary time, overhead of university personnel and enable this great deal of time in advancing quality of academics.

'Digital SVU' has been made available across all the Google Android mobile via PlayStore and made available across all the Apple iPhones via AppStore. Sri Venkateswara University is the first ever public university in the country, probably in Asia to empower their entire student fraternity with a digital initiative.

The 'Digital SVU' is one of the many resultants of Sri Venkateswara University's implementation of world-class international EduTech innovation 'DEES - Digital Education Eco System[TM]' for the recent couple of years. Through DEES, SVU has digitalized academics, examinations, finance and is moving forward to digitalize establishments as well to offer world-class international quality education and serve more students within or at the lesser cost per student than ever before.

The app was launched by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri. Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Minister of Higher Education, Shri. Srinivasa Rao . Ganta 'DEES - Digital Education Eco System[TM]' is a multi-patented innovation, the first integrated EduTech Platform built by 'DEESPL - Digital Education Eco System P. LIMITED' [UIN: U74999TG2017PTC117135], Govt. of India's StartUpIndia awardee organization [DIPP: DIPP5312]. DEESPL is a part of the prestigious Kotii Group of Technological Ventures P. LIMITED [UIN: U74999TG2016PTC113061].

This multi-patented integrated EduTech Platform- Digital Education Eco System[TM] of DEESPL is of more than seven crore worth which was given to SVU by KGVPL at no cost under CSR. DEES has since then been empowering SVU to innovate future of Higher Education for people, region and mother nation.

About Sri Venakteswara University:

Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati , is established in 1954 in the world famous holy temple town of Tirupati on the sprawling campus of 1000 acres with a panoramic and pleasant hill view. Read more at https://www.svuniversity.edu.in

About Digital Education Eco System P. LIMITED :

Inventors of only-of-its-kind patented, integrated EduTech Platform 'Digital Education Eco System[TM]' addressing academics, examinations, establishments. DEES empowers public universities transform into digital universities, reach the unreached - enhance industry connect & employability. Digital Education Eco System P. LIMITED [UIN: U74999TG2017PTC117135], Govt. of India's StartUpIndia awardee organization [DIPP: DIPP5312]. If you are interested in the platform, want to know if your university is eligible for CSR program, reach out to: [email protected] or +91-9618008811

About Kotii Group of Technological Ventures P. LIMITED:

Kotii Group of Ventures [P] LIMITED is the parent organization for most respected group of 14 Technology R&D organizations. Purposed to be part of the 784 crore people's lives across 238 countries and make this world a better place through innovative technology products within EduTech, HealthTech, FinTech, ConstructionTech, AgriTech & MediaTech.

Founded by engineers those who have architected world's best operating system, we are 100% employee owned Innovative, Research & Development organization, having our internationally patented technology products in diversified verticals empowering people and businesses around the world to make this world a better place.

Over 47 million real people across 160+ countries already being benefited with 5+ billion tech instances of ours, delivered through 20+ years of state-of-art technological expertise. We have been contributing in the successful growth of largest governments, high scale organizations, improving efficiency, delivery times, overall customer & employee satisfaction levels, Get the most for your investment, We would love to be part of your esteemed organization successful growth. See more details at http://www.kgvpl.com

33% of our earnings are committed for Corporate Social Responsibility [Under Privileged Children Education, Elderly People Medication, Widowed Mother Empowerment, Feeding people with lack of food on the name of almighty through our SEVA Foundation, Kotii Foundation]. Kotii Group of Technological Ventures P. LIMITED is the parent organization for DEESPL is part of prestigious Kotii Group of Technological Ventures P. LIMITED [UIN: U74999TG2016PTC113061].

For more information please visit, web site: https://www.kotiigroupofventures.org/

Logo: https://www.apherald.com/Imagestore/KGV/Images/KGV-logo-banner.png

Media Contacts:

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SOURCE KOTII GROUP OF TECHNOLOGICAL VENTURES R&D P. LIMITED
ALBANY, New York, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Albeit there are few players that dominate the global market for plant growth regulators, nature of the market is highly competitive on account of numerous small vendors that hold significant market shares. The intense competition in the market can be mainly attributed to the widespread foothold of leading market players coupled with their huge production facilities globally. These players compete on the basis of product innovations, cost and quality. A new report of Transparency Market Research identifies key players underpinning growth of the global plant growth regulators market that include WinField Solutions, Dow Chemical Company, Valent Bioscience Corporation, Nufarm Limited, Syngenta AG, Xinyi Industrial Co., Ltd., Somitomo Chemicals Company LTD, Bayer Cropscience, FMC Corporation, and BASF SE.

According to the report, an impressive expansion will be reflected by the global market for plant growth regulators between the forecast period 2017 and 2026. Sales of plant growth regulators around the world are poised to bring in more than US$ 3,000 Mn revenues by 2026-end.

Get PDF Brochure for more Professional & Technical industry insights: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1314

Adoption of New Farming Methods to Drive Adoption of Plant Growth Regulators

In a bid to curtail production costs and ensure crop protection, farmers are being prompted to employ new methods such as utilization of agrochemicals and organic farming, driven by increasing profitability concern. Adoption of these farming methods will create significant demand for the plant growth regulators, especially in agriculture-driven nations. In contrast, robust use of fertilizers in agriculture sector will constrain adoption of plant growth regulators upto a certain extent. Stricter regulations associated with use of pesticides will further restrain demand by shifting focus of farmers toward bio-based alternatives that are cost effective. Plant growth regulators seek extensive adoption in modification of the plant physiological processes, which include regulation of the plant metabolism and inhibition or stimulation of enzyme systems. Growth in textile industry in countries such as Turkey, India, Germany, Bulgaria, and China, will create high demand for cotton. Plant growth regulators are extensive used for the regulation of cotton metabolism, which in turn will augment the market expansion.

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Tremendous surge in expansion of the organic industry is considered to be a major factor fuelling demand for plant growth regulators. Soaring awareness on health hazards apropos to utilization of chemicals in household and food products has been impelling individuals in shifting their preference toward organic food products. In addition, there has been a rapid growth of the pharmaceutical sector in the recent past, driven primarily by rising prevalence of chronic diseases, growth in aging population, unhealthy consumption patterns of consumers, and their changing lifestyles. Growing pharmaceutical industry entails the requirement for herbal medicines, owing to rising prices of their allopathy counterparts. Leading pharmaceutical companies have been making huge investments in research and development of plant-derived medicines for coping up with growing demand for herbal medicines. These instances will further create demand for plant growth regulators in the foreseeable future.

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Key Prospects of Plant Growth Regulators Market

Europe will continue to spearhead the global plant growth regulators market in terms of revenues, trailed by Asia-Pacific excluding Japan and North America . However, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is projected to register a relatively faster expansion in the market through 2026.

will continue to spearhead the global plant growth regulators market in terms of revenues, trailed by excluding and . However, excluding (APEJ) is projected to register a relatively faster expansion in the market through 2026. Cytokinins and auxins will prevail as top-selling hormone type segments in the market, with revenues collectively estimated to close in approximately US$ 2,100 Mn by 2026-end.

by 2026-end. Fruits & vegetables are likely to remain dominant as well as fast-expanding crop type segment in the market.

Wettable powder formulation of plant growth regulators are set to exhibit the highest CAGR through 2026.

Based on function type, plant growth promoters will continue to remain leading revenue contributor to the global plant growth regulators market.

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MUMBAI, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Edelweiss Private Wealth Management, the wealth management arm of the Edelweiss Group, has been awarded 'Excellence in Wealth Management - India Domestic', at the 7th Awards for Distinction 2017 by Asian Private Banker. The accolade acknowledged the firm for its private banking facilities that have demonstrated industry-leading and quality business growth, a strong sense of value proposition, fiduciary responsibility and a willingness to innovate.

Commenting on the win, Anshu Kapoor, Head - Edelweiss Private Wealth Management elatedly said, "We are very proud of our team for winning this prestigious recognition. It brings with itself great honour to us and reflects the success of our commitment to excel in our ability to leverage present opportunities and bring to the fore client-oriented innovative offerings."

The APB awards are Asia's most prestigious recognition for those that have excelled in the wealth management industry. The award program is built on a stringent methodology that is combined with a rigorous approach in selecting the best institutions and individuals operating in Asia. The honours are adjudicated by APB's Board of Editors, who collectively has several decades' worth of experience writing about the wealth management industry and evaluating awards in Asia.

Basis this methodology, six-year old Edelweiss Private Wealth Management, which advises and provides advisory to New-age Entrepreneurs, Business Owners/Promoters, Family Offices, CXOs and Corporate Treasuries, was chosen under the 'Excellence in Wealth Management - India Domestic' category, from among a number of institutions that applied from India.

About Edelweiss Private Wealth Management:

Edelweiss Private Wealth Management , part of the Edelweiss Group, is one of India's fastest growing Wealth Management businesses in India. Our clientele includes New-age Entrepreneurs, Business Owners/Promoters, Family Offices, CXOs and Corporate Treasuries. In 2017, we have been awarded as the 'Best Wealth Manager - Rising Star, India', by the Asset Hong Kong, one of Asia's eminent financial publications.

Our experienced Financial Advisors enable solutions that span:

Family Governance and Wealth Structuring

Asset Protection and Asset Transfer Strategies

Investment Management - Capital Markets, Real Estate and Alternatives

Financing

Investment Banking

Risk Management

Insurance Advisory

The Edelweiss credo of 'Ideas Create, Values Protect', directs our actions, and its practice makes us the most trusted advisor to our clients.

To learn more about Edelweiss Private Wealth Management, please visit https://wealth.edelweiss.in.

To learn more about the Edelweiss Group, please visit http://www.edelweissfin.com.



Media Contact:

Zohar Reuben

[email protected]

+91-9820920816

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SOURCE Edelweiss Private Wealth Management
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Exegy, Inc., a leading provider of managed services and technology for low-latency financial market data, has introduced the availability of new feed handlers for Systematic Internaliser (SI) data feeds from Cboe Global Markets, Tower Research Capital, and Jane Street and Indications of Interests (IOIs) data feeds from Citadel Execution Services, Jane Street, and KCG Americas. The new additions expand Exegy's broad portfolio of over 200 feed handlers for real-time market data feeds from the leading execution venues and pricing sources across the globe. "Exegy experienced unprecedented growth in its feed handler portfolio over the course of 2017 as market participants and clients reassessed investment strategies, trading infrastructures, and new regulatory mandates," said chief executive officer James O'Donnell.

Electronic liquidity providers are responding to evolving global regulation, mainly the SEC-mandated Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) project in the U.S. and MiFID II regime in Europe. Only seven firms registered as SIs under MiFID I and that number quickly grew to more than 60 ahead of the recent MiFID II deadline. As liquidity providers evolve their services under new regulatory regimes, other market participants benefit from transparent access to direct data feeds from the new Systematic Internaliser and Indications of Interest facilities.

"Providing feed handlers for new SI and IOI venues reflects our ongoing partnerships with strategic clients. Firms have enlisted our help in dealing quickly and efficiently with the complexities of increased global regulatory compliance, new trading venues, and business expansions into new markets and asset classes," said chief technology officer David Taylor. Exegy has added new SI and IOI feed handlers in response to demand from their customers who operate the leading agency execution, dark pool, and ATS businesses for equities in the US, Canada, and Europe. As part of its standard managed services, Exegy develops and installs new market data feed handlers on existing appliances without deploying additional equipment or increasing service fees. "The addition of these SI and IOI feed handlers to ticker plants that already consume direct feeds from exchanges and alternative trading systems provides Exegy customers with a comprehensive view of available liquidity. Our hardware-accelerated market data appliances allow Exegy to deliver this expanded visibility with no impact to data latency or system cost," said Taylor.

About Exegy, Inc.

Exegy provides best-of-breed technology and managed services for the normalization and distribution of real-time market data to a diverse set of elite firms in the financial services industry. Today Exegy serves as a strategic partner to leading exchange and ATS operators, market makers, sell-side banks, buy-side asset managers, and proprietary traders. At the heart of Exegy's product line are purpose-built, hardware-accelerated appliances derived from an extensive portfolio of patented and patent-pending technology. For more information, please visit www.exegy.com and follow Exegy on LinkedIn and Twitter @ExegyMarketData.

Contact:

Diana Leach

Exegy, Inc.

1 314 218 3622

[email protected]

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PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report by Allied Market Research, titled, Electronic Skin Market by Application: Global Opportunities Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2025, the Electronic skin market was valued at $464.04 million in 2020, and is projected to reach at $1,719.38 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 38.7% from 2021 to 2025.

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Electronic skin consists of stretchable network of sensors and flexible electronics, which are used in biometric prosthetics, intelligent robots, and others. It senses heat, pressure, temperature, and other influencing factors.

In 2020, wearable technology segment dominated the market, in terms of revenue, due to increased disposable income across various developing and developed nations.

Request for Sample Request at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4561

North America is anticipated to be the highest revenue contributor to the electronic skin market in 2020, accounting for around 37.90% share, owing to rise in investment on robotics technology.

The report features a competitive scenario of the electronic skin market and provides a comprehensive analysis of key growth strategies adopted by the major players. The key players profiled in the study are MC10, Xensio, Rotex Inc. Intelesens ltd, Immageryworks Pty Ltd, Dialog Devices Limited, SmartLifeinc Limited, Xenoma Inc., Plastic electronic GmbH, and VivaLnK, Inc.

Key Findings of the Electronic Skin Market:

Wearable technology segment is anticipated to generate the highest revenue in 2020, accounting for $186 million .

. North America is expected to dominate the market, in terms of market share, during the forecast period.

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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
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Browse 86 tables and 64 figures spread through 176 pages and in-depth TOC on "Industrial Networking Solutions Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-networking-solutions-market-263573485.html

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The major factors that are expected to drive the growth of the Industrial Networking Solutions Market include the growth in need for predictive maintenance and proliferation of wireless technologies in industry operations. In addition, advent of data analytics and data processing, and increase in demand for Software-Defined Wide-Area Network (SDWAN) solutions are some of the factors that are expected to drive the market growth.

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The technology segment is expected to be the fastest-growing component in the Industrial Networking Solutions Market during the forecast period

The wireless technologies, such as SDWAN, LoRa, SigFox, and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), have helped industrial organizations to simplify their network infrastructure by enabling multiple computer users to simultaneously share resources on the plant floor or at an operation center, without additional intrusive hardware specification. These technologies do not require laying wires, drilling into walls, or stringing Ethernet cables in a manufacturing plant building or office.

The network planning and optimization segment is expected to hold the largest market share in the Industrial Networking Solutions Market during the forecast period

Network planning and optimization help enhance the performance of network infrastructure for the advancement of network availability and secured data flow. Network planning majorly deals with traffic forecasting and capacity planning to stabilize the network's performance. In addition, it helps develop network strategies and action plans to achieve business-specific goals and provide timely inputs during the designing and architecting phase of the network.

North America is expected to have the largest market share in the Industrial Networking Solutions Market during the forecast period

North America is one of the largest contributors to the Industrial Networking Solutions Market due to its dominance with sustainable and well-established economies, empowering it to invest in Research and Development (R&D) activities strongly. Owing to the early adoption of new technologies, such as SDWAN, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and WLAN, the North American organizations would integrate industry-grade networking solutions to enhance their networking ecosystem. Various stakeholders in this market, such as industrial networking solution providers, Managed Service Provider (MSPs), technology consultants, and network operators, have partnered with major players for the advancement of organizations' networking ecosystem in this region. For instance, Sierra Wireless partnered with T-Mobile, one of the leading network operators in North America. Further, under this partnership, T-Mobile integrated Sierra's embedded modules on its network to transform Internet of Things (IoT) applications by enabling lower costs, longer battery life, and superior network coverage.

Some of the major vendors in the Industrial Networking Solutions Market include as Cisco (US), Dell EMC (US), Juniper Networks (US), Sierra Wireless (Canada), Aruba Networks (US), Veryx Technologies (US), Moxa (US), Belden (US), and Rockwell Automation (US).

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Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) Market by Component (Virtual Appliances, Physical Appliances and Hybrid), Deployment Type (On-Premises and Cloud), Technology Service (Managed and Professional), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

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NEW DELHI, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) launched an exclusive and first of its kind interdisciplinary, Master of Business Laws Programme. The unique Master's degree programme was launched on the side-lines of the seminar on 'How to Fill the Legal and Regulatory Knowledge Gap in Business and Industry' with distinguished panellists at the Jindal Global Educational & Professional Academy in New Delhi.

The programme is JGU's initiative to address the needs arising from the unique dynamics of the current corporate environment, where business intersects with law, policy and dispute resolution. Today, corporate professionals - ranging from those involved with human resources, financial management, innovation strategy, intellectual property management or business compliance - have to synchronise their managerial and professional skills with legal and regulatory strategy to ensure effective compliance and reduce their company's risk profile, while growing their business. The Master or Business Laws degree provides an all-important bridge between the various disciplines and skills required by the modern business professional.

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU said, "Our University is committed to playing a larger role in the development of society. We shoulder a leadership role of preparing future professionals for the radically changing socio-economic environment, which influences global businesses. The purpose of introducing the Master of Business Laws Programme is to empower, enable and educate the business side of corporations, to provide opportunities for business officials, leaders and working professionals who have not had formal training in law, to be able to study law, particularly the laws that are affecting the business in all its forms and manifestations. The programme is interdisciplinary in nature and draws upon the academic and professional experiences of experts from both within the faculty and outside."

Elucidating the nuances of the course and the comprehensive curriculum of the Master of Business Laws Programme, Prof. Dr. Michael J. Barnes, Director of the Programme, said, "In the corporate world, there is no quicker way to destroy the value of a firm or a brand than transgressing the law. By launching this degree programme, JGLS has opened a new window of opportunity for adult learners in India. Business professionals who do not possess an LLB; experienced general managers and business entrepreneurs and practitioner scholars who want to embark on a rigorous and memorable journey of self-improvement are the categories that will be the core focus of programme outreach. The interactions between world-class faculty and our students inside our classrooms are the greatest medium of thought exchange and knowledge creation at our university. This programme requires and expects focus, determination and hard work from the student's end. In return, during the course of learning, they will enjoy an unparalleled learning experience with an elite cohort of like-minded men and women."

Delivering the inaugural address, Mr. Dhanendra Kumar, former Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India, said, "I take great pleasure in launching the Master of Business Laws programme. With its academic brilliance and world-class faculty, JGLS will undoubtedly bring out the best in students by imparting the best of education in business laws and I really look forward to meeting some of the students in due course. Your students are bound to play a stellar role in meeting the needs of changing dynamics of India's businesses. JGLS has a proven reputation is providing world class legal education and this programme will engage with the world of business underscoring the need for imparting the knowledge of law to the business professionals."

One of the eminent panellists, Mr. Bharat Vasani, Former Chief Legal and Group General Counsel, Tata Group, stated the importance of laws in business. He said, "It has been very rightly pointed out that today, laws are not just made by the Parliament, but also by regulators. The interface between the government and business has become very complex and intense in today's age. This has made it essential for business professionals to understand the law and its implication on various aspects of business."

Underlining the significance of communication in law, panellist Tejas Patil, General Counsel, GE South Asia, said, "There is a dearth of professionals with good communication skills in large companies and India in general. The legal drafting and communication module of the Master of Business Laws Programme curriculum immediately caught my attention in this context. While practicing law, communication becomes a critical parameter of highlighting a flaw or conveying the facts of the matter. It is essential to highlight that every working professional should have a basic understanding of the law, not necessarily to solve a legal problem, but to identify and flag the issue or to get the right people in the room to look at it."

Dr. Vinod Kumar Verma, Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Development Cell, Aditya Birla Group, underlined that current business demands require ease of doing business in compliance with law. He also emphasized that knowledge of law transcends beyond legal matters and is relevant for all aspects in which a business functions.

Mr. Manoj Piplani, Managing Director and CEO, Bank of Baroda Financial Solutions Limited, said, "An organisation's capability to comply with law and regulations can be strengthened in three predominant ways. Firstly, by imparting education and addressing the knowledge gap at the sub-functional level of an organisation. Secondly, by building organisational systems and structures which comply with the legal and regulatory requirements of the law. Lastly, defining the work culture of an organisation is of critical importance. While we may think that culture is defined inside the organization, it is actually a function of the broader society and economy in which most of the organizations exist and operate."

The confluence of like-minded law and policy practitioners from diverse backgrounds at the seminar stressed the urgent need to strike a balance between the legal and business approach of businesses. At times, organisations confront situations when its legal and business functions speak at cross-purposes. However, the panel unanimously agreed that every strong business or commercial structure should be strengthened by a strong legal foundation to ensure that a business runs smoothly.

The discussion also drew references to India's ranking in the 'Ease of Doing Business Index' announced by The World Bank. According to the 2018 report of the index, India has moved up by 31 points and stands at 100th position on the global index. The panellists agreed that there is a long way to go when it comes to improving its business regulations in absolute terms.

The panel discussion was moderated by JGU faculty member, Ms. Shuchi Sinha, Associate Professor, JGLS & Associate Director, Master of Business Laws Programme. While moderating the discussion, Ms Shuchi Sinha drew attention to the fact that organisations often confront situations when its legal and business functions speak at cross-purposes and it is imperative for businesses or commercial structures to have a strong legal foundation. Mr. Avirup Bose, Assistant Professor, JGLS & Assistant Director, Masters of Business Laws Programme, introduced the theme of the panel discussion and underlined the need to bridge the gap between legal and regulatory framework in Indian businesses. Professor (Dr) Y S R Murthy, Registrar JGU gave the concluding remarks and Mr. Anand Prakash Mishra, Assistant Professor & Assistant Dean (Admissions & Outreach) proposed the vote of thanks.

About O.P. Jindal Global University

A non-profit global university established by the Government of Haryana, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). JGU was established as a philanthropic initiative of its Founding Chancellor, Mr. Naveen Jindal, in memory of his father, Mr O.P. Jindal. JGU has been awarded the highest grade 'A' by the National Accreditation & Assessment Council (NAAC). JGU is one of the few universities in Asia maintaining a 1:13 faculty-student ratio and appointing faculty members from India and different parts of the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. A research-intensive university, JGU is deeply committed to its core institutional values of inter-disciplinary and innovative pedagogy; pluralism and rigorous scholarship; as well as globalism and international engagement.

JGU has established eight schools: Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities (JSLH), Jindal School of Journalism & Communication (JSJC), Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA) and Jindal School of Banking & Finance (JSBF).

For more information please refer to - http://www.jgu.edu.in/

Media Contact:

Devadeep Konwar

[email protected]

+91-7027850344

Assistant Director

Communication and Public Affairs

O.P. Jindal Global University



SOURCE O.P. Jindal Global University
Programmable Open RAN innovative solution is set to enable digital inclusion and next-generation networks

NASHUA, New Hampshire, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Parallel Wireless, Inc., a leader in connecting things and people at home, work, play and in emergencies with end-to-end 2G, 3G, and 4G Open RAN solutions by making deployments as easy and as cost-effective as Wi-Fi, and Telefonica, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, today announced that they successfully completed a technology pilot based on Parallel Wireless programmable and Open RAN to connect remote communities in LatAm with mobile broadband as part of Telefonica's initiative "Internet Para Todos".

The multiple locations in the region benefited from 3G and 4G wireless connectivity based on General Purpose Processing platforms. Two different solutions provided by Parallel Wireless were deployed:

Converged Wireless System (CWS) is a base station built with Commodity off the Shelf (COTS) components that integrates 3G and 4G access in the same form factor.

HetNet Gateway (HNG) is a carrier-grade software platform that enables an Open RAN architecture by using standard-based and open interfaces between network components to simplify network management and integration of new RAN products into the core of the network.

The settlements used the full SDR capability of the Parallel Wireless Open RAN technology to provide data and voice services over both 3G and 4G technology to thousands of clients. The pilot has validated the maturity of these technologies to provide a cost-effective connectivity in low density areas, getting a voice growth of 12% per month and Circuit Switch Fall Back (CSFB) success call rate of 99%. 3G/4G traffic benefited from the technology's intelligent packet processing to deliver over 10GB per settlement of daily 3G and 4G data traffic. Each cell availability stood at 99% with Parallel Wireless HNG delivering 100% intra frequency mobility success rate that ensured the highest Quality of Experience for end users.

Supporting quotes

Patrick Lopez, VP networks Innovation at Telefonica said, "This successful pilot is a proof of our commitment to simplify and reduce the costs of our radio networks using innovative solutions. 'Internet Para Todos' is a project aimed at connecting more than 100 million people in LatAm. An open and programmable RAN is an important part of the solution."

Steve Papa, founder and CEO of Parallel Wireless said, "As a global leader in integrated telecommunications, Telefonica is setting the standard for connecting the worldwide population. We are proud of our role in enabling open ecosystem to foster social innovation, rural wireless connectivity, and new wireless services like connected farming, connected transportation, connected education and health and much more. Parallel Wireless simplified, programmable and virtualized all IP network architecture enables global MNOs to reduce costs, speed time-to-market, and sustain profitable growth. Our innovation support 2G, 3G and LTE services that enable the highest quality of experience and best KPI for MNOs and end users alike as we showcased in this pilot program with Telefonica."

About Telefonica

Telefonica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world by market capitalization and number of customers with a comprehensive offering and quality of connectivity that is delivered over world class fixed, mobile and broadband networks. As a growing company it prides itself on providing a differential experience based both on its corporate values and a public position that defends customer interests. Telefonica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 5,192,131,686 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in London, New York, Lima, and Buenos Aires. www.telefonica.com

About Parallel Wireless

Parallel Wireless is on a mission to connect the 4 billion unconnected people by reimagining the networks. The reimagined cellular architecture enables operators to connect things and people at home, work, play and in emergencies by deploying any G cellular networks as easily and as cost-effectively as enterprise Wi-Fi whether for rural, enterprise, public safety, M2M, Smart Cities, or dense urban. The company is in production on six continents and engaged with many leading operators worldwide. Parallel Wireless' innovation and excellence in multi-technology open virtualized solutions has been recognized with 34 industry awards. Connect with Parallel Wireless on LinkedIn and Twitter.

www.parallelwireless.com

SOURCE Parallel Wireless
NEW DELHI, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Cash prizes worth INR 1,75,000 awarded to winners from IIT Delhi and G B Pant Government Engineering College

ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd. ('ReNew Power'), one of India's leading renewable energy companies, announced the winners of the EnvironmenD: Cleaning our Air & Water contest at Tryst 2018, the Annual Technical Festival of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. This ReNew Power-led initiative invited participants to submit disruptive technology-based solutions on 'Avoiding or mitigating emissions that pollute air and water'.

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Mr. Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO, ReNew Power said, "We are living in an age when access to clean air and water, basic necessities for a healthy life, has become unimaginably difficult. At ReNew Power, we understand the role technological innovation can play in solving this crisis. With this contest, we wanted to reach out to the brightest minds in India and ask them to work on solutions that could be converted to working projects. ReNew Power would be proud to support such solutions."

He further said, "We are really excited to have received so many fabulous entries. More than ever, we are now convinced that the future of our country is in good hands. With their projects, participants have showcased how entrepreneurship and innovation, if applied effectively, can mitigate the looming crisis of unhealthy air and water. There could also not have been a better platform to reward the winners than Tryst 2018, an event synonymous with technology and innovation."

The event saw high levels of enthusiasm and several entries were received from student teams across India. These were evaluated on parameters such as practical orientation, relevance to the theme, uniqueness, and cost effectiveness. Eight teams made it to the final round. In the end, Team Algaetreat from IIT, Delhi bagged the first place to win the contest while Team Vaayu from IIT Delhi and Mechanical Warrior from G B Pant Government Engineering College, Delhi came in second and third, respectively. The winners stand a chance of having their projects scaled up and commercialized to real-life implementation.

While the top three teams received cash prizes worth a total of INR 1,75,000, the eight shortlisted projects will also receive a funding sanction of a maximum of INR 25,000, for preparing their respective projects.

About ReNew Power

ReNew Power Ventures, one of India's leading clean energy Independent Power Producer (IPP) companies, is committed to working towards changing the country's current energy portfolio by delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices and thereby reducing India's carbon footprint. ReNew Power's mission is to play a pivotal role in meeting India's growing energy needs in an efficient, sustainable and socially responsible manner.

For more information please visit: http://www.renewpower.in

Follow ReNew Power on Twitter @ReNew_Power

Media Contact :

Arpita Kedia

[email protected]

+91-1244131400

Account Manager, Edelman India



SOURCE ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd
UK, Ireland, Germany and France among the countries that will experience faster expansion



LONDON, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan's latest analysis, European DC Power Distribution Market, Forecast to 2025, finds the market is expected to reach $40.1 million in 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.2% over the forecast period 2017-2025, driven by the increasing integration of solar photovoltaic system (PV) and energy storage in residential and commercial buildings. Despite combined savings opportunities from direct current (DC)-powered LED lighting and energy efficiency regulations and targets, the market is challenged by strong barriers such as existing AC infrastructures and lack of DC-ready end-user products.

For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/28w

"The United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Nordic countries will witness faster growth than other countries due to energy efficiency renovations and successful pilot project implementations," said Anirudh Bhaskaran, Energy & Environment Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Office, retail, and industrial warehouses will be immediate targets with LED lighting serving as the gateway for participants to enter the DC power distribution market."

The analysis provides an assessment of disruptive trends and technologies, drivers and restraints, market share, and competitive analysis of significant players such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, ABB, Bosch, and Legrand. Revenue forecast by country and end-user vertical are also provided.

Strategic imperatives for success and growth include:

DC-powered LED lighting and USB-C complied electronic products are critical for successful implementation of DC power distribution in homes and commercial buildings;

and USB-C complied electronic products are critical for successful implementation of DC power distribution in homes and commercial buildings; Distributed energy sources and LED lighting are key growth opportunities for participants to create additional revenue in this highly emerging market;

and LED lighting are key growth opportunities for participants to create additional revenue in this highly emerging market; Using LED lighting as a test bed for implementing DC power distribution in buildings due to its scalability and economic feasibility;

and economic feasibility; Focusing on buildings installed with solar PV and battery energy storage to convert full AC into hybrid AC-DC infrastructures;

to convert full AC into hybrid AC-DC infrastructures; Partnerships between end-use product manufacturers and DC infrastructure suppliers for the adoption of DC power distribution; and

between end-use product manufacturers and DC infrastructure suppliers for the adoption of DC power distribution; and Collaboration between governments, industry associations, and manufacturers to promote and accelerate DC power distribution in buildings.

"Currently, generation, transmission, and distribution systems associated with the grid are built around AC technology. Therefore, implementation of the DC infrastructure will pose a huge challenge for governments, utilities, and manufacturers," observed Bhaskaran. "To overcome this hurdle, stakeholders will need to come together to frame a pathway for the adoption of DC products and demonstration of benefits of DC power in commercial buildings."

European DC Power Distribution Market, Forecast to 2025 is part of Frost & Sullivan's Energy & Environment Growth Partnership Service program.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion

European DC Power Distribution Market, Forecast to 2025

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today showcased its latest achievements in 5G commercialization, 5G connectivity, cloud services, IoT applications as well as new terminal products at Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, further enhancing the company's leadership in 5G innovations.

ZTE has been committed to early commercialization of 5G technologies. In early 2017, ZTE released a full range of pre-5G solutions for both high and low frequency bands in addition to the initiation of a wide array of 5G field tests. ZTE plans to deploy commercially viable pre-5G solutions by the end of 2018 followed by 5G products in commercial networks in the first half of 2019, and is already well prepared to help operators deploy 5G networks.

At MWC 2018, ZTE showcases how the company is working with partners in rolling out the world's leading 5G commercialization solutions and key technologies verification, including the most commercially viable 5G field test network currently available, the first 3GPP standards-based multi-vendor IoDT test, and the industry's first carrier grade 5G end-to-end commercial network slicing.

Of note, Qualcomm, China Mobile and ZTE are scheduled to jointly demonstrate what's being described as the world's first 5G New Radio (NR) Interoperability Data Testing (IoDT) system (3.5 GHz) with a data connection based on 3GPP Release 15. Successful data connection represents an important milestone for large-scale fast verification of 5G NR technologies and commercialization, supporting in-time deployment of 5G commercial networks.

ZTE also showcases its 4G and 5G hybrid networking solutions and products that can help operators quickly incorporate and deploy 5G solutions on their existing 4G network infrastructure, as well as the latest Pre 5G products that have incorporated elements of commercialization. Integrated Pre 5G solutions can build complete 5G networks, enabling 5G network functionalities, 5G network architectures and 5G business applications. ZTE's 5G Flexhaul solution, featuring ultra-high clock accuracy and ultra-low time delay, in addition to having passed backhaul and fronthaul testing on the operators' networks, as well as TITAN, a centralized routing and signalling platform that provides 5G Fronthaul and FMC (fixedmobile convergence) and fully supports network reconfiguration on the access layer, will allow operators to quickly incorporate and deploy 5G networks.

As the day when most businesses are cloud-enabled will quickly be upon us, ZTE's innovative 5G cloud infrastructure, cloud network and services, as well as cloud-enabled business solutions, are all displayed at the MWC 2018. ZTE's SDN-based IP +optical vPIPE solution including a few illustrative business use cases in addition to the carrier-class basic computing platform are also highlighted at the event.

In addition, ZTE's network intelligence solutions combining artificial intelligence and big data, as well as key businesses including big video and IoT will help operators succeed commercially in the 5G era.

Turning to ZTE's work in Internet of Everything solutions, ZTE's IoT "Chip, Network, Cloud" strategy will soon be implemented on the telecommunications solutions providers' global platforms. Furthermore, ZTE's new IoT platform created in association with multinational operators around the world makes its debut at the show. The company also displays business applications including smart street lighting, parking, meter reading, and air quality monitoring, with a demonstration setup at the Shanghai World Expo Museum as a prototype.

ZTE is an industry leader in 5G next-generation networks that will provide incredible connectivity for consumers and enable an entirely new ecosystem of products and services. Its leadership in 5G enables ZTE to understand the future of connectivity and design mobile devices with both the consumer experience and future network dynamics in mind. This year at MWC 2018, ZTE Mobile Devices announced the ZTE 1.2 Gbps smartphone, which will become the industry benchmark for 5G devices. ZTE will launch 5G mobile devices in late 2018 or early 2019. 5G tablets, CPE, and smartphones are all under development and will be launched as leading carriers around the world provide 5G service to consumers.

"Ready for commercialization, ZTE's 5G solutions are going to be launched soon." As a pioneer in the 5G era, ZTE has made the roll out of its 5G solutions the core goal. In the past year, research and development teams at ZTE worked assiduously through the creative process during which they came up with the ideas and the proposed solutions, followed by the R&D stage with tests and verification as well as cooperation with industry partners to complete proofs of concept in terms of commercialization.

ZTE sees itself moving towards a digital society and intelligent transformation in the very foreseeable future by joining hands with operators and customers to deliver 5G commercially viable solutions that benefit businesses and consumers alike.



About ZTE

ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE's strategy, the company is committed to providing customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE's products and services are sold to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in international standard-setting organizations. ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member of the UN Global Compact. For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn.

Media Contacts:

Margaret Ma

ZTE Corporation

Tel: +86 755 26775189

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ZTE Corporation
"All homes will have a humanoid robot to take care of us and help us with domestic chores". This has been one of the projections made today during the presentation of the products awarded with the Taiwan Excellence Awards, organized by Taitra (Taiwan External Trade Development Council), at the Mobile World Congress 2018. "We position ourselves as an 'Accelerator +', helping to optimize the startup ecosystem in Taiwan, and connect startups to global venture capital opportunities," said Mr. Shih-Chung Liu, Vice Chairman of Taitra.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/646002/Taiwan_Excellence_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/646024/Taiwan_Excellence.jpg )



During the event, Taiwanese companies like ADVANTECH, SECOM and D-Link demonstrated new technologies largely oriented toward IoT and security. New scenarios were revealed during the presentation, alongside creative technological solutions in a world increasingly connected by objects such as electrical appliances, medical and comfort devices for the home. Here is a summary of the highlights

ADVANTECH: "The IoT will need more efficient and faster virtual networks."

AI will lead to an increase in bandwidth usage and therefore a much more efficient infrastructure in the transmission of data is required. "We are on the threshold of the 5G era as a foundation for IoT" Paul Stevens said.

D-Link: "Smart homes should be safe, and the gateway is always the router."

D-Link is developing smarter routers such as the new AC2600 Wi-Fi Router presented during MWC18. This router incorporates a McAfee technology security solution, which allows all home devices to be automatically protected by SHP.

SECOM: "We will control all household appliances through a single mobile application."

SECOM presented security solutions for different areas of industry and society, such as technologies for cloud-based home health, parking management in cities, Big Data analysis, surveillance by drones and disaster prevention.

IEI Group: "Every senior citizen will have a robot at home to monitor their health."

IEI Group presented health care and monitoring solutions for homes and hospitals. By connecting medical devices that deliver real time data, IEI Group's solutions allow for nursing care, telemedicine and services during surgeries.

BotPartner: "Conversations between customers and companies will be intelligent."

BotPartner is a leading company in the development of bots for sales, customer service and data collection. They presented their solution for intelligent sales and customer service through intelligent machines (chatbots).

iXensor: "Health monitoring in real time is key to preventing diseases."

iXensor has developed a device that read, digitize and synchronize patient data in the cloud e.g. glucose levels, and hence extract trends and graphics that make it possible to motorize and diagnose diseases.

https://www.mci-group.com/es-ES

SOURCE Taitra (Taiwan External Trade Development Council)
GOTEBORG, Sweden, Feb 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Capio has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Novakliniken with operations in the southeastern parts of Skane, Sweden. Novakliniken operates eight primary care centers and two branches, and provides some occupational health and dental services. 2017 net sales were MSEK 245. The acquisition of Novakliniken complements and strengthens Capio's presence and healthcare offering in Skane.

Novakliniken's units are located in the eastern parts of Skane and the acquisition complements Capio's existing primary care operations well, as Capio Proximity Care, before the acquisition, only runs one primary care center in the southeastern parts of Skane. Novakliniken has about 45,000 listed patients and is since its inception in 1987 a well-established healthcare provider in the region. The primary care operations are remunerated based on Region Skane's free healthcare choice model for primary care and represents about 90% of Novakliniken's net sales. After the acquisition, Capio will have 28 primary care centers and about 220,000 listed patients in Region Skane. In total, the business area Capio Proximity Care will provide primary care at 93 centers with close to 800,000 listed patients across twelve county councils and regions in Sweden.

"The acquisition of Novakliniken further strengthens Capio Proximity Care's position as a leading primary care provider in Sweden. It also increases our presence in Skane as well as the patient base for Capio's digi-physical offering with digital consultations and a broad network of physical care units", says Britta Wallgren, Country President of Capio in Sweden.

Since November, all of Capio's existing primary care centers in Skane have access to the new digital services "Better visits" (Sw: Battre besok) and "Consultations Online" (Sw: Lakarbesok Online). Consultations Online give patients access to healthcare wherever they are and when the need occurs. The services will also be made available to patients at the now acquired primary care centers. When fully implemented, the online service will be available to all Swedish inhabitants.

Enterprise value is MSEK 88 and the acquisition is expected to be closed and included in Capio from April 2018. Novakliniken will be reported as part of the Nordic segment. The acquisition, which is subject to approval by Region Skane and unconditioned approval from the Competition Authority, is not expected to significantly impact the Group's earnings in 2018.

For information, please contact:

Kristina Ekeblad, IR manager

Telephone: +46-708-31-19-40

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/capio-ab/r/capio-to-acquire-the-swedish-primary-care-group-novakliniken,c2459692

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Capio AB
NEW YORK, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

BUCM expertise will help enrich and enhance existing Elsevier content; opening new resources up to users as research and evidence about traditional Chinese medicine grows

As global interest in traditional and alternative medicine grows, Elsevier, the global information analytics business specializing in science and health, today announced that it is working with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) to create a new taxonomy for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Embase, the world's most comprehensive biomedical literature database. During the six-month collaboration, BUCM, one of the first institutions of higher learning on TCM, will review terms and help build a detailed, robust taxonomy to encompass all TCM data in Embase. The taxonomy will enrich and enhance the existing content in Embase; making it easily discoverable to users seeking knowledge from clinical practices for modern biomedical sciences. On completion, Embase will contain the most comprehensive taxonomy for TCM available.

Currently valued at 786 billion yuan (approx. $121 billion USD), the TCM market is growing, with pharmaceutical companies becoming interested in developing and verifying the benefits of TCM. Despite having been practiced for thousands of years, research into TCM can present some modern challenges. Although TCM literature from the historical period and from modern clinical studies has recently been digitized in relational databases or text documents, searching and retrieving the precise evidence using abstract and indexing databases remains a challenge. Further, TCM relies on numerous spellings, synonyms, translations, and symbols - with multiple ways to refer to the same medicine. The new taxonomy will cover a variety of branches, including the 'up' branch, 'narrow' branch and 'children' structure of TCM, enabling researchers to search for any of the compounds which may make up traditional Chinese medicines and discover linked results.

"The trend in the use of traditional and complementary medicine is growing globally, and as a result, the volume of published resources into this field is increasing at a rate of around 6 percent per year, with more than 10,000 scholarly research or review articles published in 2017 alone[1]," said Cameron Ross, Managing Director of Life Science Solutions at Elsevier. "According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, more than 100 million Europeans are currently using traditional and complimentary medicines, with many more users in Africa, Asia, Australia and North America.

"In response to these market demands and the expectations of our customers, we are working with BUCM to build a taxonomy for Chinese medicine that will help our clients examine specific TCM practices from a scientific perspective," Mr. Ross added. "By enabling this discovery and analysis of integrated health and medical research, we can provide our customers with more successful outcomes and a deeper understanding of the evidence behind how TCM complements conventional medicine to improve prospects for patients."

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine is one of the top ranking Chinese universities, with a long heritage of, and experience in, teaching TCM. The university is also involved in the Cochrane Collaboration, a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers and individuals interested in health. As part of the Cochrane China Group, BUCM is dedicated to publishing high evidence-based practices, which, along with its vast experience of TCM, makes it a great collaborator to help make Embase's TCM data more widely discoverable. The taxonomies will be provided in English, and researchers will be able to search the spelling of Chinese characters as part of the new taxonomies, which will be live in Embase in early 2019.

"BUCM has been working in the field of traditional Chinese medicine for over 60 years, building a deep knowledge of the domain," said Professor Jianping Liu, Director, Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. "We recognize the increasing interest in TCM and traditional medicines more generally and are extremely pleased to be able to share our knowledge with a wider audience through Embase. We are excited at this opportunity to further the field of TCM beyond the 313,000 professionals who have studied at BUCM. This is a chance for us to promote scientific research and evidence-based practice of TCM in China and around the world, while helping researchers globally to develop further the understanding of TCM as a medical science, useful for both the prevention and the treatment of disease."

About Embase

Embase is Elsevier's biomedical literature database allowing researchers to access the biomedical research they need quickly and accurately. It has over 32 million records from almost 8,300 published journals. Embase contains a wide range of comprehensive, evidence-based medicine, drug and medical device efficacy studies. Embase is supported by Emtree, a hierarchically structured, controlled vocabulary for Biomedicine and related Life Sciences. As of 2017, Emtree contained over 75,000 preferred terms (more than 32,000 for drugs and chemicals) and over 320,000 synonyms.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals progress science, advance healthcare and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, Scival, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 35,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Christopher Capot, Global Communications

Elsevier

+1-917-704-5174

c.capot@elsevier.com

Jason Chan, Global Communications, Asia Pacific

Elsevier

+65-9177-8358

j.chan@elsevier.com

[1] Source: Scopus mentions of traditional, complimentary or alternative medicine, conducted January 2018

SOURCE Elsevier
BARCELONA, Spain, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The car of the future at the MWC

The company partners with the popular music-discovery app to safely allow users to identify music through SEAT DriveApp

XMOBA is created, a new company which identifies, tests, markets and invests in business models related to future mobility

SEAT explores collaboration possibilities with the Barcelona Council to turn the city into the European hub of 5G networks

SEAT is set to become the first carmaker in the world to integrate Shazam, one of the world's most popular apps, which is used by hundreds of millions of users to magically connect with the world around them. This was announced today by company President Luca de Meo at a press conference on the first day of the Mobile World Congress. The integration will become operative starting this April in the brand's cars via the SEAT DriveApp for Android Auto.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645629/SEAT_Logo.jpg )



The partnership will enable SEAT customers to easily identify their favourite songs while driving in a completely safe manner thanks to the safety features available in SEAT DriveApp. With this move, the brand is taking a further step in its goal of providing an experience that is increasingly simple and personalised, and that causes less distraction to drivers. "For all music lovers, being able to identify songs is going to be at their fingertips. Integrating Shazam will enable us to continue making progress in our goal of delivering maximum safety for our customers and achieving zero road accidents" assured de Meo. In his presentation, he added that "attending the MWC not only allows us to showcase our latest technological breakthroughs, but it also gives us the opportunity to connect and learn from other benchmark companies in the sector and make future scenarios a reality."

Future mobility was precisely another major topic of de Meo's speech, who took the opportunity of the opening day of the congress to make an exclusive announcement in this regard, namely the creation of XMOBA, a new company with the main goal of identifying, testing, marketing and investing in projects that contribute to promoting solutions that improve future mobility.

In order to do this, the new entity will work independently to identify new trends and business models and implement pilot projects through investments or the development of initiatives that offer solutions to current and future mobility challenges. "The creation of XMOBA is framed within SEAT's reorganisation as a corporate holding of different companies. XMOBA joins Metropolis:Lab Barcelona or CUPRA, the sporty new brand we launched just a few short days ago. With these initiatives we recreate the spirit of startups at a great company like SEAT" de Meo pointed out.

XMOBA is beginning its activity by spearheading two major initiatives. One is 'justmoove', the first project launched by the new company that will be available to all drivers. It is a platform that integrates a set of services for users to reserve and pay for parking, tolls and refuelling, among other options. The other, the carsharing company Respiro recently acquired by SEAT, will become wholly owned by the new entity, which will centralise and coordinate its activities. Not only will XMOBA offer its services to SEAT users, but it will also develop compatible solutions for the general public.

5G technology, the key to the future of the connected car

SEAT also announced at a press conference about its intention to get involved in one of the most important projects that the city of Barcelona is going to take on - to become the 5G technology capital. Promoted by the Catalan government, the Barcelona Council and Mobile World Capital, among others, the initiative aims to turn the city into the European 5G lab.

The purpose of the brand's participation in the project is to work in collaboration with the stakeholders involved to develop 5G technology in a prototype connected car that will be tested next year in the city. "We want Barcelona to be the place where these kinds of initiatives are developed before anywhere else, as this is the fifth most innovative European city and the 13th in the World, and we're here to move this process forward. We have also begun implementing collaboration agreements with Telefonica to conduct research into the benefits of 5G technology for connected cars" declared de Meo.

The SEAT stand at the MWC, the epicentre of technological innovation

SEAT, which has clad the facade of its future Casa SEAT in the centre of Barcelona with a canvas covering to announce its participation at the congress, is using the MWC as the backdrop to reveal its vision of the future of driving and its commitment to safety. In this sense, in addition to the integration of Shazam, SEAT is also presenting its successful SEAT Leon Cristobal concept car, the 'guardian angel' of drivers. This prototype, which aims to achieve zero road accidents, is equipped with more than 15 safety assistants, whose functions can contribute to reducing the main causes of traffic accidents by up to 40%, including distractions, drowsiness, excess speed or alcohol consumption.

Furthermore, the main area of the stand is showcasing the SEAT Connected Experience 2.0, an impressive simulator that will give a 360 view of the future of digitisation that the brand is developing. Users can access the simulator by creating a SEAT ID to personalise their information and the configuration of the car. They can also introduce their mobility routines in the system, and the simulator will offer them the best transport options in the city of Barcelona. Seated at the wheel of the simulator, visitors will get have an interactive experience showing them what future driving will be like with the breakthroughs in connectivity and driving assistants that the brand is currently working on.

In addition, the brand is also going to be present outside the stand. This year's MWC has a new space that will give visitors the chance to unwind after the intense activities of each day of the congress. SEAT and Primavera Sound, who recently announced a collaboration agreement whereby SEAT is going to become a strategic partner for this year's edition of the festival, are kicking off the Mini Primavera Sound MWC, a cool place decorated with urban art featuring cool afterwork music.

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 80% of its vehicles, and is present in over 80 countries through a network of 1,700 dealerships. In 2017, SEAT achieved worldwide sales of nearly 470,000 vehicles.

The SEAT Group employs close to 14,700 professionals at its three production centres - Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza, Leon and Arona. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia.

The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focussed on developing innovation for Spain's largest industrial investor in R&D. SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the company's global digitalisation process to promote the mobility of the future.

SEAT Communications

Cristina Vall-Llosada

Head of Corporate

Communications

T: +34-93-708-53-78

M: +34-646-295-296

cristina.vall-llosada@seat.es



Daniel Martinez

Corporate Communications

M: +34-648-280-851

daniel.martinez@seat.es

http://seat-mediacenter.com





SOURCE SEAT
- In the 'hyper-connected' 5G era, the issue of "network security" becomes critical

- To provide safer 5G network, SK Telecom will invest KRW 70 billion (US$65 million) in ID Quantique, the world's No. 1 quantum-safe crypto solutions provider

- Partnership will expand SK Telecom's global portfolio in quantum cryptography communications technology

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) announced today that the company will invest KRW 70 billion (US$ 65 million) in ID Quantique (IDQ), the world's No.1 quantum-safe cryptography solutions provider based in Switzerland.

In the hyper-connected 5G era where some *43 billion things worldwide* get connected through wireless networks, the importance of security on mobile communications will rise exponentially.

* based on data by market research firm Gartner about expected number of connected devices in 2026

Against this backdrop, quantum cryptography has emerged as an essential solution. The technology encrypts transmitted data using special quantum keys, which are impossible to intercept or steal.

As the first South Korean conglomerate to establish a quantum technology laboratory in 2011, SK Telecom has continuously invested in the development of quantum cryptography for wireless communications networks. In 2017, the company developed the world's smallest (5x5mm) *Quantum Random Number Generator.*

* A Quantum Random Number Generator is a device that constantly generates "random numbers," which creates strong keys that are not biased and cannot be predicted.

SK Telecom has maintained a close partnership with IDQ since 2016. The company invested KRW 2.5 billion (US$ 2 million) and co-developed the Quantum Random Number Generator chip with the Swiss company.

Established in 2001, IDQ launched the world's first Quantum Random Number Generator in 2002 and the world's first commercial *Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems in 2006. IDQ's co-founders Prof. Nicolas Gisin and Prof. Hugo Zbinden of Geneva University are proof of the company's continuing strength in research and innovation.

* Quantum Key Distribution is a core technology of quantum cryptography communications that generates quantum keys that can be safely shared between two communicating users

Thanks to IDQ's extensive global partnerships that range from telecommunication service providers and transmission equipment companies to space agencies in North America, Europe and the Middle East- the latest investment is expected to further reinforce SK Telecom's position in the field of quantum-safe communications.

According to market research firm Market Research Media, the global quantum cryptography communications will grow into a KRW 26.9 trillion (US$ 24.75 billion) industry by 2025.

"In the 5G era where everything in the real world is connected wirelessly, the issue of safety will continue to rise," said Park Jung-ho, CEO and President of SK Telecom. "We will continue our utmost efforts to provide our customers with the world's safest 5G technology."

"Quantum communications technologies will play a significant role in securing our data and communications, both in backbone networks and at the edge, in an era where the quantum computer will render vulnerable much of today's cryptography," added Dr Gregoire Ribordy, CEO and co-Founder of IDQ. "Partnering with SK Telecom will allow us to accelerate development of leading-edge solutions to meet these market needs."

ID Quantique and SK Telecom will, in parallel, collaborate in the field of Quantum Sensing in order to keep growing the company's core quantum photonics technologies and provide the most innovative solutions for high potential industrial markets.

About SK Telecom

Established in 1984, SK Telecom is the largest mobile operator in Korea by both revenue and number of subscribers. As of December 2017, the company holds around 50 percent of the market, with 30.2 million mobile subscribers including 22.87 million LTE subscribers. It has reached KRW 17.520 trillion in revenue in 2017. SK Telecom has led the advancement of mobile technologies ranging from 2G to 4G, and is currently setting important milestones in its journey to 5G. The company is not only leading innovation in the field of mobile network, but also providing IoT, media, home and platform services. SK Telecom is determined to play a significant role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by achieving innovations and promoting shared growth with other players in the industry.

For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or www.globalskt.com.

About ID Quantique

Founded in 2001 as a spin-off of the Group of Applied Physics of the University of Geneva, ID Quantique is the world leader in quantum-safe crypto solutions, designed to protect data for the future. The company provides quantum-safe network encryption, secure quantum key generation and Quantum Key Distribution solutions and services to the financial industry, enterprises and government organizations globally. IDQ's quantum random number generator has been validated according to global standards and independent agencies, and is the reference in highly regulated and mission critical industries - such as security, encryption, critical infrastructure and IoT- where trust is paramount.

Additionally, IDQ is a leading provider of optical instrumentation products, most notably photon counters and related electronics. The company's innovative photonic solutions are used in both commercial and research applications.

IDQ's products are used by government, enterprise and academic customers in more than 60 countries and on every continent. IDQ is proud of its independence and neutrality, and believes in establishing long-term and trusted relationships with its customers and partners. For more information, please visit http://www.idquantique.com/.

* based on data by market research firm Gartner about expected number of connected devices in 2026

Related Links

http://www.globalskt.com



SOURCE SK Telecom
WHISHWORKS, a MuleSoft integration and Big Data specialist, is extremely proud to announce that it has received the Best Employer Brand Award for its Continuous Innovation in HR Strategy at Work. The Awards ceremony was held at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on the 16th February 2018, and welcomed over 2500 delegates from more than 120 countries.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/646014/WHISHWORKS_Employer_Awards.jpg )



The Best Employer Branding Awards recognise excellence in attracting and engaging talent, and creating an overall positive brand experience for employees; an area in which WHISHWORKS has strategically focused on and innovated in over the past few years. The results of this effort have been visible across different areas of the business, and are supported by improvements in key metrics, including Employee Attrition Rate, Employee Satisfaction Score, as well as Customer Satisfaction Score.

Lekha Sishta, Senior VP and Head for Talent at WHISHWORKS, commented: "This award is a major achievement and a testament to our continuous effort to create an engaging environment, where employees can learn, innovate and realise their aspirations. Amidst a galaxy of Goliaths vying for this award, we were the David that caught the jury's eye and I hope this inspires other SMEs and start-ups to keep on investing in human capital!"

"We compete in the global IT services industry and as such, our success is driven by our people. Over the past 10 years, we have made great strides in building a brand that employees and customers alike recognise and trust. This award shows that we are on the right path and encourages us to do more in the future," said Sri Arardhi, Founder & CEO of WHISHWORKS.

The Employer Branding Awards are organised by the Employer Branding Institute (EBI), hosted by World HRD Congress and sponsored by Times Ascent. Dr. R.L. Bhatia, Founder of World CSR Day & World Sustainability, in his opening speech during the Awards Ceremony mentioned that the winners have been selected by a jury of industry experts following an extensive selection process.

About WHISHWORKS [www.whishworks.com]

WHISHWORKS is a global IT services and consulting company, specializing in systems integration and Big Data analytics since 2008. The company works with an ecosystem of systems integration and Big Data partners, including MuleSoft, Hortonworks, MapR and Cloudera, to develop leading solutions that enable digital transformation. Over the years WHISHWORKS has helped hundreds of businesses access, control and monetize their data becoming the partner of choice for data-driven organizations.

For more information please contact:

Vala Marcou

vala.marcou@whishworks.com

+44-(0)-20-34757980 ext. 054

SOURCE WHISHWORKS
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Jaipur, Feb 21 : Sitting BJP legislator from Rajasthan's Nathdwara, who had been suffering form cancer, passed away early on Wednesday in a hospital in Udaipur. He was 58.

Singh passed away at 2 a.m. in GBH American Hospital after prolonged illness, hospital sources said. He was admitted here for the last three-four days.

His last rites will be performed near Dagwara.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje expressed her condolence on Singh's demise.

Singh had been frequently visiting the hospital for his treatments, BJP media in-charge Anand Sharma said.

State BJP president Ashok Parnami also expressed his condolences.
Los Angeles, Feb 22 : Swiss chocolatier brand Lindt & Sprungli has sued the Weinstein Company alleging that it has not been reimbursed for its sponsorship of the company's cancelled Golden Globes party.

Lindt & Sprungli claimed that the company owes the manufacturing brand a sum of $133,000, in the suit filed in the New York Supreme Court, reports variety.com.

Lindt has been the presenting sponsor in the confectionery category for the Weinstein Co.'s Golden Globes parties since 2016.

The company paid a $400,000 fee, in three instalments, for the privilege.

As part of the deal, Lindt employees got tickets to the events and the company was able to offer its chocolates to party guests.

After the Weinstein scandal consumed the company last fall, where disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexually harassing Hollywood actresses and models last year, the 2018 party was cancelled.

Lindt asked for a refund of its sponsorship fee, and Weinstein Co. employees acknowledged a breach of the agreement and promised that payment would be made by the end of December or early January, according to the suit.

However, despite repeated entreaties, the bill still has not been paid, the suit alleges.

The suit alleges breach of contract, conversion, and unjust enrichment.

The Weinstein Co. is attempting to negotiate a sale to an investor group backed by Ron Burkle. If that fails, the company is likely to declare bankruptcy.
New Delhi, Feb 23 : Chinese technology giant Huawei and telecom services provider Bharti Airtel on Friday announced to have successfully conducted 5G network trial under a test set-up in India.

The trial was conducted at Airtel's Network Experience Centre in Manesar (Gurugram), the company said in a statement.

"We are moving quickly to begin collaboration towards 5G interoperability and development testing (IODT). We look forward to work closely with our partners for developing a robust 5G ecosystem in India," said Abhay Savargaonkar, Director-Networks, Bharti Airtel.

During the test trial, a user throughput of more than 3Gbps was achieved.

This is the highest measured throughput for a mobile network in 3.5 GHz band with 100MHz bandwidth and end-to-end network latency of approximately 1 msec, the company said.

"We have been focusing on developing 5G ecosystem and use cases and the show with Bharti Airtel impressively demonstrates the performance capability of 5G in 3.5 GHz band," said Emmanuel Coelho Alves, Director, Wireless Marketing, Huawei HQ.

The setup demonstrated high-spectral efficiency and potential for diversified services such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) that can be delivered by 5G technology to serve a digitally connected world.
New Delhi, Feb 25 : Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday asked Lt. Governor Anil Baijal to take action against people who attacked a government school teacher here.

Sisodia took up the matter with Baijal, as Delhi Police falls under the jurisdiction of the Lt. Governor.

The Deputy Chief Minister was referring to the attack on the school teacher by a mob, who broke into the school in Narela area of north Delhi earlier this month.

"In a recent case of an alleged assault of a senior IAS officer, the Delhi Police has taken no-hold-barred action, including arrests within 24 hours, 50 police officers going for collecting evidence in the matter," Sisodia said, referring to the arrest of two AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal.

"I would like to request the LG to ensure that the Delhi Police takes the same level of interest in the case of an assault of a teacher in SKV Narela. Otherwise, it would give a message that the security of teachers is far less important than that of IAS officers," the letter said.

Sisodia also requested the Baijal to ensure swift action in the case and to make adequate security arrangements for all government schools in the city.
Moscow, Feb 26 : Russia has said it will "severely suppress" any attempt to undermine the process of political settlement in Syria after the adoption of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding a truce in the war-torn country.

Russia supported UNSC Resolution 2401 unanimously adopted on Saturday, which urged a ceasefire of at least 30 days across Syria and would allow humanitarian access and urgent medical evacuations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

"It is gratifying that the U.N. Security Council has noted the ongoing work actually carried out by Iran, Russia and Turkey as guarantor countries of the Astana process," the Ministry said.

Russia will continue to work with all the Syrian parties in the interests of a proper settlement of the conflict and the eradication of the terrorist threat, the statement read.

Moscow began military operations against terrorist groups in Syria at the request of Damascus in September 2015.

With the support of the Russian army, the Syrian government has re-taken most of its territories controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group in the past two years.

Given the victory on the ground, the Russian army began a partial withdrawal of its troops in Syria at the end of 2017 under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia, together with Iran and Turkey has been actively brokering reconciliation among conflicting parties in Syria at the Astana peace talks.

The peace talks started in January 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan for Syria settlement.

The next round, which will be established in late February, will discuss the establishment of a fifth new de-escalation zone in Syria and its constitutional reform, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in an earlier interview with Russian news agency Sputnik.
Paris, Feb 26 : France and Germany have said they are ready to work with Russia and their European partners to realise the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

This was said in a joint statement on Sunday, issued by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angel Merkel following their telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xinhua reported.

In this context, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will visit Moscow on February 27, according to the statement issued by the French presidency.

Macron and Merkel called during the talks to Russia "to exert maximum pressure" on the Syrian government to stop immediately bombing and to implement without delay the UN resolution adopted on Saturday with the implementation of a robust surveillance mechanism, the French presidency said.

It added that all those with influence on the ground should contribute to this implementation, especially the countries of the "Astana" format, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Macron stressed that France "will be extremely vigilant" so that the resolution adopted Saturday at the UN "does not remain a dead letter", according to the French presidency statement.

Macron and Merkel welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of the resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities in Syria to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded and sick, the statement said, adding that this is a first step that responds to a major humanitarian emergency, especially in Eastern Ghouta.
Sydney, Feb 26 : An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale hit Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Monday. However, no casualty was reported.

The earthquake, which occurred on Sunday near Mendi town, was determined to be at 6.149 degrees south latitude and 142.766 degrees east longitude at a depth of 35 km, Xinhua news agency reported.

No fatality has been reported in the township of around 50,000 people.

However, Don Blakeman from USGS told the media that significant damage was very likely.

No tsunami warning has been issued.
Jerusalem, Feb 26 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked US President Donald Trump for deciding to move the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, Israel's Independence Day.

Netanyahu on Sunday said this will be "a great moment for the citizens of Israel, and this is a historic moment for the state of Israel", Xinhua news agency reported.

"On behalf of the entire government and people, I would like to thank President Trump for both his leadership and his friendship," he said.

The US announcement on Friday (February 23) followed Trump's declaration on December 6, 2017, to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and order to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking away from a long-held US policy that considered the Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem an occupied territory.

"This will have significant and historic long-range implications," Netanyahu said. "We will celebrate it together, all citizens of Israel."

Israel annexed East Jerusalem along with the rest of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has claimed East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians regard as the capital of its future independent state, as part of its "indivisible capital," in a move never recognized internationally.
Mexico City, Feb 26 : The seventh round of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations began in Mexico City with hopes of finalising more sections.

Negotiators from Canada, the US and Mexico held a closed door meeting on Sunday at a hotel in the city's upscale Polanco neighbourhood, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mexico said the first day of talks will see 27 different working groups hold discussions on agriculture, good regulatory practices and rules of origin, among others.

Mexican Economy Minister and head negotiator Ildefonso Guajardo said this round will conclude on March 5 and could see up to seven sections or chapters finalised.

"It is a matter of making the necessary decisions, of which there are not too many, to close topics that have not been updated in 22 years," Guajardo said.

Also on the table are labour issues, pharmaceutical transparency, financial services and intellectual property rights.

Among the issues, the three NAFTA partners have been unable to agree on is rules of origin in the automotive sector, which stipulates what percentage of a vehicle should be regionally manufactured.

The US has proposed raising it to a minimum of 85 per cent within the NAFTA region, and at least 50 per cent from the US. However, Mexico and Canada want the rate to remain at 62.5 per cent.
Seoul, Feb 26 : South Korean prosecutors on Monday raided the home and office of former President Lee Myung-bak's son-in-law for alleged bribery charges.

Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office stormed the home and office of Lee Sang-joo, who is married to Lee Myung-bak's eldest daughter and works as a senior executive for Samsung Electronics, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lee Sang-joo was suspected of receiving bribes from an unidentified third party on behalf of the former president.

The prosecution's investigation into Lee Myung-bak has been underway over corruption allegations involving DAS, a domestic auto parts manufacturer.

Lee Si-hyung, the son of the former leader and a DAS executive, was summoned and grilled on Sunday by prosecutors as part of the prosecution's probe into the corruption allegations.

Prosecutors have planned planned to summon the former president early next month.
Lucknow, Feb 26 : The Uttar Pradesh Assembly was adjourned on Monday after paying tributes to BJP legislator from Noorpur (Bijnore) Lokendra Singh Chauhan, who was killed in a road mishap last week.

The House will now meet on March 6.

Due to the demise of the lawmaker, the House did not take up discussion on the motion of thanks on the address of Governor Ram Naik.

Leader of the House and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his heartfelt condolences over Chauhan's demise and saidthe people have lost a well wisher and the House, a dedicated legislator.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhary termed it as an irreparable loss.

Legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress also condoled Chauhan's death.
Los Angeles, Feb 26 : Weinstein Co., the New York studio co-founded by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, will file for bankruptcy protection, said the company's board of directors.

The announcement comes after last-ditch talks to sell its assets to an investor group collapsed, reports latimes.com.

"While we recognise that this is an extremely unfortunate outcome for our employees, our creditors and any victims, the Board has no choice but to pursue the only viable option to maximise the company's remaining value: an orderly bankruptcy process," the board said in a statement.

The decision came after the board was unable to revive a deal to sell the struggling studio to an investor group led by former Small Business Administration chief Maria Contreras-Sweet.

The bid, backed by billionaire investor Ronald Burkle and Dallas private equity firm Lantern Asset Management, would have given Contreras-Sweet's consortium control of Weinstein Co.'s assets in a deal worth about $500 million.

Weinstein Co. has been searching for a financial savior since its former co-chairman was accused of sexual harassment and assault against dozens of women. Weinstein, who was fired from the company on October 8, has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
Patna, Feb 26 : An FIR was lodged against BJP leader Manoj Baitha for the death of nine school children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, police said on Monday. The parents of the killed children demanded his arrest.

"We have registered an FIR against Baitha on Sunday on the basis of a complaint by Moh Ansari of Dharampur village, who lost five grandchildren in the tragedy on Saturday," Station House Officer of Meenapur police station Sona Prasad Singh said.

Singh said raids were conducted to arrest Baitha who hails from Sitamarhi district but he is absconding. On Sunday, shocked villagers staged a protest by blocking the National Highway to demand Baitha's arrest.

Ansari said in his police statement that Baitha was driving the vehicle when the speeding vehicle mowed down the children on Saturday. Clad in a white cotton kurta-pyjama, he fled after the vehicle hit and killed the school children, he added.

Ansari said a closed-circuit television footage also showed the BJP leader driving the vehicle.

The accident occurred near Dharampur school on National Highway-77 in Minapur block when a Balero jeep hit the children while they were crossing the road. Angry over the deaths, area residents beat up teachers and set ablaze chairs and benches there on Saturday.

Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Kumar said the injured children were admitted to a city hospital.

The state has announced Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the killed children.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has already demanded stern action against the culprit.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, after visiting the injured, said their families told him that the killer vehicle belonged to the BJP leader and no arrest had been made so far.
New Delhi, Feb 26 : Having done films as different as chalk and cheese like "London, Paris, New York", "Bhoomi" and "Padmaavat", actress Aditi Rao Hydari says versatility is very important for her.

Asked why she's majorly done multi-starrer projects, Aditi told IANS in a recorded response: "I have done a mix of different kinds of cinema. I have done films like 'London, Paris, New York' or 'Murder 3' where it's just about one person or two people or 'Bhoomi' for that matter... I have done lots of those and I have also not shied away from films which are multi-starrers because for me a film is all about the director and the team that makes a film and about the script and character I am playing."

Aditi says she is inspired by the way international artists work.

"Like people in the West, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman or Brad Pitt and all the amazing actors... they also do a mix of different kinds of cinema. So, here even I am inspired with that way of working and I also do a sort of mix of different kinds of films.

"I think versatility for me is very important," she added.

The "Wazir" actress stresses that cinema is a director's vision.

"And I completely surrender to the director's vision and I am like putty in their hands and they mould me. So, that's the way I work and I like to be challenged," she added.

Aditi has also worked in the south Indian film industry. She was seen in "Prajapathi", "Sringaram" and "Kaatru Veliyidai".

Talking about working in the south Indian film industry, she said: "Films are about feelings... Feelings don't have a language... they are universal. So, I consider myself blessed that pan-Indian audiences are watching my films and I am being given these opportunities to work with some of the greatest directors of our country."

The "Murder 3" actress considers herself blessed for getting all the opportunities as an "actor who does not have any backing and who has come into the industry just because I love being in front of the camera".

Aditi, who was in Chennai last week to unveil the Summer-Spring 2018 collection of the watch brand Swatch, says it is not about the region, boundaries or language.

"It is about the director and the team that makes the film. It's their vision and I give myself completely to that vision. So I don't want language to ever come in my way. Whether it is in India or abroad... If there is a director I am dying to work with I will work extra hard and do that film," she added.

After the success of her latest release "Padmaavat", Aditi is now gearing up for her next film with filmmaker Mani Ratnam.

The actress considers herself lucky to work with the filmmaker for the second time.

"I can't tell you anything about the film. But I consider myself very blessed to be working with Mani sir again. Mani sir and the Madras Talkies team is like family... and to be picked the second time to work with him is really more than what I ever imagined," she said.

Aditi says she really loves working with Mani Ratnam as he challenges her.

"I am always up for the challenges and I look forward to beginning work. It is a multi-starrer and there are some amazing actors in it. I am a little nervous but also looking forward to working with them. I think with amazing people on set, hopefully my performance will also be better. It's going to be tough but I am looking forward," she added.

(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)
Visakhapatnam, Feb 26 : The Andhra Pradesh government signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 4.39 lakh crore at the CII Partnership Summit which concluded here on Monday.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the government signed 734 MoUs with various companies. The investment is expected to create 11 lakh jobs.

Addressing the valedictory function of the three-day event, he said the state received investment commitments from several major companies including Reliance, Adani Group, Lulu Group and Google.

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners had on Saturday announced Rs 55,000 crore investment in energy, electronics and other sectors in the state.

Naidu said RIL signed MoUs for three projects. These include a unit at Tirupati to manufacture one million mobile phones. He said the company will also create best ecosystem for innovation incubation, and startups with venture capital.

United Arab Emirates-based Lulu Group signed a MoU to build a convention centre, hotel and shopping mall in Visakhapatnam.

The Adani Group has announced an investment of Rs 9,000 crore including the development of a port at Bhavanapadu.

Naidu said he would personally monitor the progress of the projects and assured the investors that all clearances will be granted within 21 days.

"If you have any problem you can bring it to my notice. I am only a call away," he said.
New Delhi, Feb 26 : In wake of an alleged Rs 11,300 crore fraud on state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said there was no use of blame game as the banking system in the country was going through a systemic falure.

"There have to be some regulations and those regulations must work effectively. If there is a systemic failure, we have seen what will happen like in the banks. Systems have to be rectified. There is no meaning and no use of blame game," Naidu said after giving away the Prime Minister's Shram Awards to over 300 workers here.

"The solution can be found only by understanding the reason behind the systemic failure and trying to correct it... Politics would go on," he said.

The Vice President said that India was the economic hope of the world and that the picture was both "fascinating and complex as our economy is fast expanding".

He also called for improving the education level of labour force and improving their access to quality training.

"A small difference in annual productivity growth can add up to a bid difference in standards of living of a generation. It was pointed out that a productivity growth of 2 per cent per year can double the living standards in about 35 years," he said.

"But if productivity growth is slower, say at 1 per cent every year, it means doubling of average standards of life only every 70 years.

"So, it is essential that all necessary initiatives and interventions are undertaken to improve the productivity of our workforce by ensuring an enabling environment both at workplace and home," Naidu added.

The Vice President also called for evolving a political consensus on reforms in labour laws.

"We can not live with rules which come in the way of creating more job opportunities. Rules that make running of an enterprise difficult need to be relooked at.

"There is widespread acknowledgement that present labour laws are coming in the way of increased investment flows. If that is the case, should they not be examined to find solutions?" he asked.

Naidu asked the government and private sector to address the concerns, needs and aspirations of the work force by ensuring an appropriate ecosystem.

"At the same time, we need to create enough opportunities for those aspiring to join the ranks of workforce," he said.
Shillong, Feb 26 : With Meghalaya all set to vote on Tuesday to elect a new Assembly, the Congress exuded confidence of retaining power while the BJP and regional parties were equally gung-ho about unseating the ruling party in the northeastern state.

The Congress -- ruling the state for a decade -- has fielded candidates in all 60 seats, of which 59 will go to polls. Seven of its legislators have since quit and jumped on to the bandwagon of the Bharatiya Janata Party, National People's Party (NPP) and newly floated People's Democratic Front (PDF).

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, the chief architect of the Congress win on 29 seats in the 2013 elections, said he was confident of increasing the number of its MLAs in the new house.

"We (Congress) are confident of coming to power again for the third consecutive time," Sangma, Meghalaya's longest serving Chief Minister, told IANS.

"I don't see any anti-incumbency. Instead, there is so much of pro-incumbency. People of the state have faith and confidence in the Congress," he added.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who visited Meghalaya twice in the past one month and campaigned in Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills regions, had told IANS: "We have the people's support and I am confident we will retain power in Meghalaya."

The BJP, fighting the polls alone by fielding 47 candidates, is equally confident of winning a good number of seats and forming a non-Congress government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons were among a host of top BJP leaders, apart from Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who campaigned in the state.

"Meghalaya is also getting ready for change. People have grown wary of misdeeds and misrule of the Congress and pinning their hopes on change," BJP's election strategist and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The NPP, an ally of the BJP with two MLAs, is hopeful of increasing the numbers as five former Congress legislators are contesting on NPP symbol this time.

"People's voice is for change. We are hopeful to emerge as the single largest party in the Assembly and form the government," NPP President Conrad K. Sangma said.

The combined regional alliance comprising United Democratic Party, Hill State People's Democratic Party and Garo National Council also was gung-ho about electoral victory.

The HSPDP and the UDP forged a pre-poll alliance in 36 seats in Khasi and Jaintia Hills, while the UDP tied up with the Garo National Council for 24 seats in the Garo Hills.

"I hope people will reject the Congress, which even its own people have rejected by not contesting," UDP leader Bindo Mathew Lanong said. He said he is hopeful of the regional alliance leading in the new government.

Voting to 59 of the 60 constituencies will be held between 7 a.m. and 4 pm. The counting of votes will take place on March 3, Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor said.

Polling in Williamnagar seat was countermanded following the killing of Nationalist Congress Party candidate Jonathone Sangma in an IED blast at Sawilgre area in East Garo Hills district on February 18.

A total of 18,09,918 electors, including 9,13,701 females, will be eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 361 candidates -- including 32 women -- across 3,025 polling stations.

As many as 340 polling stations have been categorised as 'critical' and 580 'vulnerable'.

Balloting in 183 polling stations will be webcast, to be made available at the offices of Chief Electoral Officer or District Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India, Kharkongor said As many as 66 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations have been set up.

Mawlai constituency in East Khasi Hills district has the highest voters at 42,670, and Dalu in West Garo Hills the lowest 18,640 voters.

In all, 106 companies of central armed police forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful polls, he said.
Agartala, Feb 26 : Over 90 per cent of electors cast their votes at the six polling stations where re-polling was held on Monday after the Election Commission (EC) declared void the polling at these centres on February 18, a senior EC official said.

"Out of the 5,582 voters in six polling stations, over 90 per cent voters cast their votes today (Monday) in the re-polling at these polling stations," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti told IANS.

According to him, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the six polling station areas spread across six assembly constituencies.

One such polling station falls in Dhanpur segment (in western Tripura's Sepahijala district), from where Chief Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Manik Sarkar is contesting.

The CEO said the Commission has also issued order that during the counting of votes on March 3, the slips of VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails) of seven polling stations in seven Assembly constituencies also be counted, since their Presiding Officers did not get clearance from EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) control units for the votes cast during the mandatory mock poll before the start of actual polling on February 18.

The EC has also told the Tripura CEO that in four other polling stations in four Assembly seats, the total number of electorate did not match with the total number of votes recorded.

"The Election Commission has also asked the Returning Officers of these four Assembly constituencies not to declare results without prior permission, if the winning margin is one vote," Taranikanti added.

CPI-M Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar earlier criticised the Election Department for what he called "criminal negligence" regarding polling on February 18 in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats.

"Due to technical problems in EVMs-VVPATs, the voters suffered inordinate delays in casting their ballots...(in some cases) till February 18 midnight. This happened because of the incompetence and apathy of election officials," Dhar said.

Dhar said he came to know of technical glitches in EVMs-VVPATs at around 520 polling stations through his party's polling agents, and demanded a probe.

The CEO earlier said that 191 (6 per cent) VVPATs and 89 (5 per cent) EVMs malfunctioned across the state during the polling on February 18.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Vice President Tapas Dey, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the officials of Election Commission and the state Election Department were biased in favour of a particular party.

Over 92 per cent of Tripura's 2,536,589 voters cast their votes in Sunday's peaceful elections in 59 of the 60 Assembly seats, setting a new record in the electoral history of India.

In the 2013 and 2008 assembly polls, Tripura registered 92 per cent and 91 per cent voting, respectively.
Kochi, Feb 26 : The Kerala High Court on Monday rapped the counsel of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal Mar George Alencherry for pointing out to the court that as far as the Cardinal is concerned, the appellate authority is the Pope.

Taking a strong view of the Cardinal's counsel's contention, the court told him that it is strange to hear that the law of the land is not applicable to the Cardinal and said the court is looking if there was a breach of trust in the land deal.

The court made this observation when a petitioner sought a probe into the land deal done by the Cardinal which came under severe attack from the laity and even from a section of priests attached to the dioceses headed by the Cardinal.

The Ernakulam archdiocese in 2016 sold a three-acre piece of land in Kochi to repay a Rs 60 crore bank loan it had earlier taken to construct a medical college. The agent appointed by the church to facilitate the deal had estimated the value of the land at Rs 27.30 crore, but priests and local people claimed that the property's real value was at least Rs 80 crore.

The Cardinal's counsel told the court that as per the Canon Law, the Pope is the appellate authority to take action against a Cardinal.

The counsel also told the court that despite a few petitions against this land deal and the demand for a detailed probe into it being raised with the Vatican, no action has been initiated by the Pope against the Cardinal.

The petitioner urged the court to order a probe to find out if there was any wrong-doing in the sale of land by the Cardinal, which has caused a loss to the Church.
Mumbai, Feb 26 : Bollywood personalities like Karan Johar, Tabu, Saroj Khan and Madhuri Dixit-Nene gathered at actor-producer Anil Kapoor's residence here on Monday to offer condolences to the family of actress Sridevi, who breathed her last on Saturday.

Amidst tight security, paparazzi and fans, veteran actress Sarika was among the ones to arrive early with her daughters Shruti and Akshara Haasan. Their father and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan is expected to meet the Kapoors soon.

Right after the news of her sudden demise got viral on Sunday, Kamal, her co-star from "Sadma", tweeted: "Have witnessed Sridevi's life from an adolescent teenager to the magnificent lady she became. Her stardom was well deserved. Many happy moments with her flash through my mind including the last time I met her. Sadma's lullaby haunts me now. We'll miss her."

While Sarika and her daughters, actress Jaya Prada and director-writer Shashank Khaitan chose white outfits, some donned black to express grief.

Karan turned up in a grey sweatshirt and black ripped jeans with white sneakers. Choreographer Saroj Khan who had worked with Sridevi in films like "Judaai", "Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja" and "Lamhe", walked in in a black and white suit.

Madhuri also arrived at the venue in a black, white and blue outfit surrounded by guards who made way for her.

Ace designer Manish Malhotra was also one of the celebrities who seemed to be greatly affected by Sridevi's death.

"Sridevi and I first met in 1990 when she was already a superstar and I was beginning my career. Working with an icon I always called 'Ma'am' was a turning point in my career, as it was the beginning of many associations and a longstanding friendship beyond work," Manish said in a statement.

Manish dressed the actress a number of times in his creations.

He added: "We have seen each other grow professionally and personally -- it was amazing to see the roles she blossomed into, her passion for painting, and the doting wife and mother she was. I met Sridevi very recently in Dubai and we just had so much to share."

Actress Ameesha Patel, choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, producer Ritesh Sidhwani, actor Venkatesh Daggubati wore black tops and blue jeans. Actress Tabu had her hair tied in a bun and sported a black and beige suit.

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar also showed up in black fitted T-shirt, shades, head band and bottoms.

Veteran actor M. Nassar was also seen entering Anil's residence to pay tribute to the late actress, where even politician Amar Singh was spotted.

A Dubai Police forensic report stated that the 54-year-old had passed away due to accidental drowning in the bathtub in her hotel room in Dubai.

According to reports, her body will be flown to Mumbai later on Monday.
Patna, Feb 26 : Opposition parties in Bihar on Monday questioned the delay in the arrest of BJP leader Manoj Baitha whose vehicle was reportedly involved in an accident on Saturday, in which nine school children died in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

"BJP leader Manoj Baitha, who was driving his vehicle that hit and killed nine school children, is yet to be arrested even three days after the accident," former Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader also threatened to launch a protest in the state if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader is not arrested soon.

He demanded that a probe be conducted to establish whether Baitha, "who was driving the vehicle at the time of incident", was drunk or not in the "dry state of Bihar".

On Saturday, Yadav had said: "The vehicle had a BJP board attached to it and the driver was drunk at the time of incident. BJP leaders are totally drunk in power."

The police had said that Baitha was present in the vehicle at the time of the accident, but he along with the driver fled and went underground after the incident.

Earlier on Monday, a FIR was lodged against Baitha over the children's death.

"We registered a FIR against Baitha on Sunday on the basis of a complaint by Mohd. Ansari of Dharampur village, who lost five grandchildren in the tragedy on Saturday," Station House Officer of Meenapur Police Station Sona Prasad Singh said.

Singh said raids are being conducted to arrest Baitha, but he is traceless.

On Sunday, angry villagers staged a protest by blocking the National Highway to demand Baitha's arrest.

Ansari said in his police statement that Baitha was driving the vehicle when it mowed down the children on Saturday. Clad in a white kurta-pyjama, he fled after the vehicle hit and killed the school children, he added.

He claimed that CCTV footage also showed the BJP leader driving the vehicle.

The accident occurred near Dharampur school on NH 77 in Minapur block when a SUV hit the children while they were crossing the road.
Kolkata, Feb 26 : The Narendra Modi government failed on the test of fiscal consolidation and the people of this country will pay the price for it, former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Monday.

"Starting from 4.5 per cent, the present government should have brought down fiscal deficit to three per cent in 2016-17. They twice postponed it and they said they would do in 2017-18. In the last year, they said they would do in 2018-19.

"In 2017-18, the fiscal deficit is supposed to be 3.2 per cent but in the budget he (Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) has done 3.5 per cent. Next year, it should have been 3 per cent but he said he would do 3.3 per cent. On the test of fiscal consolidation, the government has failed," he said.

"From 4.5 per cent to 3.3 per cent of fiscal deficit, it is a reduction of 1.2 per cent in five years," Chidambaram said, adding that when the UPA left office, it had brought down the fiscal deficit from 5.9 per cent to 4.5 per cent, a reduction of 1.4 per cent in two years.

The UPA government had also brought down revenue deficit to 3.2 per cent and also current account deficit 1.7 per cent, he said.

"We achieved reasonable fiscal consolidation," he said, noting that fiscal stability is the base on which any economic policy can be constructed and without fiscal stability, nothing can be achieved in any country.

Farmers and youth of the country are "in distress" as the government failed to provide relief to the stressed agriculture sector and to create jobs for youth, said the Congress leader.
New Delhi, Feb 26 : A day before the Najeeb Ahmed case is to be heard in court, students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and other universities demonstrated outside the CBI headquarters here on Monday demanding answers about the scholar's disappearance.

Ahmed, a biotechnology student of JNU, went missing on the night of October 15, 2016, from the university campus after an altercation with some Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students during a hostel election campaign.

The case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in July last year, after the police failed to make any headway in tracing the student hailing from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

The protest on Monday marked 100 days of a similar protest by students against the top investigation agency.

About 250 students, including those from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), clashed with the security forces deployed there to prevent any trespassing during the demonstration.

"The protest was largely peaceful but some of the protesters from AMU who had reached the place a little earlier clashed with the police. At least three were detained by police," Qasim, Ahmed's roommate at Mahi-Mandavi Hostel where he lived, told IANS.
Panaji, Feb 26 : Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar continued to be hospitalised in the Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji through Monday, even as the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said his condition is stable.

"The Chief Minister's health is stable. He was under observation through the night at the hospital. Doctors have advised him rest," an official attached to the CMO told reporters on Monday evening.

No official statement on Parrikar's health has, however, been issued yet.

Late on Sunday evening, Parrikar was rushed to the state government-run health facility after he complained of dehydration and low blood pressure.

Parrikar was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 and was being treated for "mild pancreatitis", the CMO had said earlier.

He arrived in Goa on Thursday (February 22) and presented the annual state budget.
Jaipur, Feb 26 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday visited the families of some of the persons killed in a cylinder blast in Rajasthan's Ajmer district.

She offered floral tributes to the dead at a condolence meeting held at the Hanuman temple premises here.

At least 19 persons were killed and 18 injured after two LPG cylinders exploded at a wedding function in Beawar on February 16 night.

Scindia consoled Tara Devi, who lost a son, two daughters-in-law and two grandsons in the tragedy.

She also spoke to Anita Devi, wife of victim Basant Kumar Cheepa, and Jagdish Cheepa's spouse Sonu Devi apart from asking after the health of Vishwas Cheepa who was injured in the head.

Scindia was accompanied by Ministers Gulabchand Kataria, P.P. Chaudhary and Shrikhand Kriplani.
New Delhi, Feb 26 : A high level committee on Monday approved a central assistance of around Rs 6,000 crore for nine states which suffered from natural calamities last year, an official said.

In a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the committee approved assistance of Rs 1,711.66 crore for Bihar, which was affected by floods during 2017-18, an official statement said.

The committee also approved assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) amounting to Rs 1,055.05 crore for Gujarat, Rs 420.57 crore for Rajasthan, Rs 420.69 crore for Uttar Pradesh and Rs 838.85 crore for West Bengal, all of which were affected by floods.

It also approved central assistance of Rs 169.63 crore for Kerala (affected by cyclone Ockhi), Rs 133.05 crore for Tamil Nadu (affected by cyclone Ockhi and North East Monsoon), Rs 395.91 crore for Chhattisgarh (affected by kharif drought) and Rs 836.09 crore for the state of Madhya Pradesh (affected by kharif drought).

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also attended the meeting.
Patna, Feb 26 : Armed criminals on Monday looted over Rs 18 lakh from three petrol pumps in three districts of Bihar, police said.

District police official Satish Kumar said Rs 10 lakh was looted from a petrol pump near Dinars Bazaar in Rohtas, after the criminals fired and injured a girl as pump owner Dinesh Singh resisted their attempts to rob him.

In Darbhanga, Rs 4.5 lakh was taken away from a petrol pump in Kusheshwar Asthan whereas in Muzaffarpur, Rs 3.88 lakh was looted from a petrol pump in Sahebganj police station area.
Islamabad, Feb 26 : Pakistan will not force some two million Afghan refugees in the country to leave but encourage voluntary repatriation, a Pakistani cabinet minister said on Monday, as the legal stay of around 1.4 million registered refugees in Pakistan will end on March 31.

Pakistan Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch told members of the Pakistan-Afghan Track II Dialogue in Islamabad that Pakistan is treating the refugee issue purely on humanitarian grounds, separating it from the security or political domain.

Pakistan also hosts nearly one million unregistered Afghan refugees in the country, whose documentation is currently underway across the country.

On January 31, the Pakistani cabinet extended the stay of the registered Afghan refugees in the country by 60 days.

"The refugees have nothing to do with security situation. Also there is no serious law and order issue or conflict witnessed between the local communities in Pakistan and Afghan refugees," the minister said as Pakistani leaders routinely cite the longer stay of refugees as one of the security issues.

The minister said Pakistan is working in close coordination with the UN refugee agency and the Afghan Embassy to deal with the refugees' dignified return.

Afghan delegates at the track II initiative "Beyond Boundaries" earlier said the Afghan government will not be able to accommodate millions of refugees if they are forced to leave Pakistan.

"We also dealt with it as our international responsibility. The educational and health facilities in Pakistan were available to the Afghan refugees. I am glad to find out that 50,000 people educated in Pakistan are serving in Afghanistan presently," he said.

The UNHCR representative Ruven Menikdiwela told the participants that the refugee agency is "encouraging voluntary return of Afghan refugees and support Pakistan's idea that those who want to stay in Pakistan should get Afghan passports first and then stay there (in Pakistan) with a valid visa."

"Pakistan has been providing access to schools and hospitals which is an in-kind contribution," she said, adding that "we cannot vouch for every individual refugee. We say if there are bad guys, deal with them according to law but don't bracket every one with terrorists."

"We would request the Pakistani government to give all stakeholders sufficient time ahead to prepare for implementation of repatriation plans. The Afghan government should prioritize building capacity of authorities in Kabul for issuing passports if it is ready to launch its resettlement programme for the returning refugees," said the UN refugee agency representative.
New Delhi, Feb 26 : The BJP on Monday attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for what it called the repeated violation of the Indian Constitution's spirit, adding that he still seems to be a student of the school of Naxalism whose first teaching is violate the law.

The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers also organised a prayer meeting at Rajghat for what they called "wake up his conscience".

Speaking to the media, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said: "We organised the prayer meeting since he has been repeatedly violating the spirit of the Indian Constitution."

"It seems Kejriwal has a penchant for violating constitutional provisions. We first saw him disrespecting the Constitution in January 2014 when he threatened to boycott the Republic Day celebrations.

"And now, in the last three years, we have seen him repeatedly violating the constitutional provisions on governance," the BJP leader said.

"The contempt with which Kejriwal treats the Constitution makes it seem he is a student of school of Naxalism whose first teaching is violate the law of the land," Tiwari remarked.
Jaipur, Feb 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on March 8 on World Women's Day, regarding which hectic preparations are on, officials said on Monday.

According to information, Modi will expand the scope of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative and launch yet another ambitious scheme -- National Mission on Nutrition (Rashtriya Poshan Yojana) from here.

The event, informed sources said, will be organised by the Women and Dhild Development Department.

At a meeting called at the Secretariat here, presided over by Chief Secretary N.C. Goyal and attended by Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Shrivastav, Goyal directed the officials to ensure that the assigned tasks are finished on time.

Shrivastav said a proposal has been made to organise an event during Modi's visit to Jhunjhunu, wherein Naari Shakti awards will be handed over by him to awardees.

District Collector Dinesh Yadav said arrangements were being made for the visit.
Kolkata, Feb 26 : Taking a swipe at the Centre, former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday raised questions on the accessibility to the National Health Protection Scheme.

"I suspect what they will do (I don't have evidence), they will make access to the scheme so difficult, and the coverage so restrictive, that nobody will bother. For example, it may be said that if you want to access the scheme, you bring your income certificate, local residential certificate, get it attested by government servant. How will a person in Meghalaya where banks are kilometres apart, access the scheme?" Chidambaram asked at an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce here.

In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the scheme proposed to cover 10 crore poor and vulnerable families providing coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

The Minister had assured of adequate funds for its smooth implementation.

Chidambaram said the government had announced a similar scheme in the previous year's Budget also.

The government had announced insurance cover of up to Rs 1 lakh for poor and economically weak families.

"Nothing happened. There is no scheme, no Cabinet paper or decision, no funding allocated and the scheme died quietly and nobody spoke about it," he added.
Panaji, Feb 26 : Even as Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar continued to be hospitalised, BJP's South Goa MP Narendra Savoikar on Monday said his condition is stable and he will be discharged soon.

"He was admitted in GMC (Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji) through Monday for mild dehydration and is recovering. Parrikar is likely to be discharged soon and will resume his duties," Savoikar said in a statement here.

Late Sunday evening, Parrikar was rushed to the health facility after he complained of dehydration and low blood pressure.

Parrikar was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15 for treatment of mild pancreatitis, the CMO had said earlier.

He arrived in Goa on Thursday and presented the Budget in the Assembly.
Kolkata, Feb 26 : Best known for essaying poles apart roles - ranging from playing a gun-toting gangster Faizal Khan in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' to a hilariously funny journalist in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' Nawazuddin Siddiqui thinks it is the 'Bollywood hero' who becomes stereotypical with time, but the actors do not.

In an interview with IANS, one of the most versatile performers of present day Bollywood talked about evolution of Indian films, lack of audience in theatres as well as his methods and aspirations as an actor.

"I think only the heroes can become stereotypical, not actors. It is the concept of hero in our films that you and I have been seeing for the last 60 years. The Bollywood hero who sings and dances with a heroine by his side, fights but still manages to look good after a beating-- has become a stereotype. An actor can never become a typecast," said Siddiqui, who was in the city to attend the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.

"I think it's important for an actor to try out characters with different dimensions. I've done intense films but I have also done films like Freaky Ali and Lunchbox which were pretty light-hearted."

The actor, who would be seen playing the enigmatic author Saadat Hasan Manto in his next film, believes Bollywood has not evolved much in making thought-provoking cinema.

"It is not that parallel or content based films are a new thing in the industry. I don't think much has changed here. Even earlier, there were great films made by directors like Tapan Sinha and Gautam Ghose. I do not find any massive improvement in terms of film making in Bollywood. I think we still have a long way to go."

"Cinema is an art seen by thousands of people. It is not just for a niche audience. So films should have such a quality that it can be enjoyed by everyone. It should be all-encompassing," Siddiqui said, terming films as "art for all".

"We cannot blame the audience for not coming to the theatres. The makers should also think about the audience. In some cases, the filmmakers themselves do not see their films twice. How can they expect the audience to come and see it?" he questioned.

He also criticised the idea of categorising films as commercial or parallel.

"It's only in India that the films are assorted into different categories like parallel cinema or commercial cinema. I think in reality, films can be of only two types-- it is either a good film or a bad film. If it's a good film, it is appreciated by everyone, be it the intellectuals or the working class."

Siddiqui, who has played challenging roles like that of a serial killer in 'Raman Ragav 2.0' and is set to play Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, dreams of playing characters like Leonardo DiCaprio's in 2013 Hollywood flick 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and Dilip Kumar's portrayal of Salim in the iconic historical drama 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960).

The actor also revealed his mode of preparation and claimed all his roles, whether big or small, makes him equally motivated and nervous.

"I prepare for the films according to the characters I am playing. Actually, you cannot start preparing for all the characters in the same way. The characters themselves would demand certain kind of preparations. Also the director's feedback is really important."

"I cannot choose any of my roles as more challenging or close to my heart than the others. Even if it is a one minute role, I get nervous before playing that, thinking whether or not I'd be able to do just ice to the character."

The actor from Budhana in Uttar Pradesh, who initially struggled to get a break in films for not being 'hero-like', said he would be happy if his success story inspires upcoming actors from moderate backgrounds and average looks to make it to Bollywood.

"I cannot claim it would be easier for new kids to get work in films because of what I have achieved. But certainly it should impart a certain amount of confidence among the average looking actors that if someone with the looks of Nawaz can thrive in the industry, so can we."
Tehran/New Delhi, Feb 26 : India's Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) will be the coordinating centre on medicinal plants, to promote trade and technology among the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), after the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) entered into a pact on Monday.

The IORA is an association of 21 countries and seven dialogue partners which have identified six areas of cooperation including medicinal plants.

The CSIR entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer (RCSTT) of IORA at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Tehran.

The MoU now designates Lucknow-based CSIR-CIMAP as the coordinating centre on medicinal plants.

According to officials, the IORA centre at CSIR-CIMAP will establish a database on the important medicinal plants, their value added products, related experts and industries of the IORA member states and organise meetings and training programmes to promote trade, commerce and scientific exchanges to complement the strength and limitation of the member states.

India had been advocating preservation and trade of medicinal and aromatic plants at several international forum, including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Preservation of flora, especially the medicinal plants, is also on the United Nation's agenda under REDF+ or "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation".

According to the officials, research conducted in 18 Indian states, including in the Northeast, showed that existence of about 350 medicinal plants is threatened and listed red. The government is identifying areas across the country and marking them as medicinal plant conservation areas to conserve some plant species.

"CSIR has developed expertise and contributed in solving hundreds of problems of people. We invite scientists and business houses to visit CSIR labs in India to explore the possibilities of partnerships between CSIR labs and Iranian industry," said Dr. Girish Sahni, Director General, CSIR.
Dubai, Feb 27 : Hours after Dubai Police transferred the case of Indian actor Sridevi's death to Dubai Public Prosecution following revelation that she died due to "accidental drowning" in her hotel room, diplomatic sources here on Monday night said the repatriation issue is now open ended.

According to local media reports, the Indian Embassy is in talks with the Dubai authorities to get clearance and is hopeful it will happen "soon", though the embassy officials could not provide a definite time for the repatriation of the body.

Earlier, India's Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri had told the media that they had got clearance from Dubai authorities to repatriate Sridevi's mortal remains. But, the new development of the case being referred to the public prosecution further delayed the repatriation, making it "an open-ended issue", according to the sources.

In a shocking twist to her sudden end, a Dubai Police forensic report stated 54-year-old Sridevi died due to "accidental drowning" in the bathtub of her hotel room here before her surprise dinner date with husband and film producer Boney Kapoor.

A day after media reported that she had died following cardiac arrest on Saturday night, a Dubai Police forensic report stated that the 54-year-old had passed away due to accidental drowning.

Another twist came with the mention in the forensic report of traces of alcohol in her blood -- with some media reports claiming that it was found to have been at "elevated levels".

Sharing the image of the forensic report, Gulf News stated that Sridevi, who had traces of alcohol in her blood, lost balance and fell into the bathtub and drowned.

According to a post on the official Dubai Media Office Twitter handle, Dubai Police has transferred the case to Dubai Public Prosecution, which will carry out regular legal procedures that are followed in such cases.

"The investigation is still going on to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident as the forensic report only says that she drowned," an official told Gulf News.

The police are trying to piece together the sequence of events and ascertain what exactly happened.

A chief prosecutor told Gulf News: "In such accidental death incidents, the results of the post-mortem and forensic examination reports are referred to the Public Prosecution as part of ordinary law enforcement procedures. The papers are revised by the prosecutors of the jurisdiction where the incident happened. An official order to hand over the body of the deceased to the family or relatives is issued shortly after that."

Earlier reports said that the actor was getting ready for a dinner date with her husband.

Boney flew to Dubai from Mumbai and went to her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel at around 5.30 p.m on Saturday to "surprise" her with the dinner, a source close to the family told the Khaleej Times.

He woke her up and the couple chatted for about 15 minutes before he invited her for dinner.

The "Mom" star then went to the washroom. After 15 minutes had passed and Sridevi did not come out, Boney knocked on the door to check on her. When he got no response, he forced open the door to find the actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water, the source said.

"He tried to revive her and when he could not, he called a friend of his. After that, he informed the police at 9 p.m," he added.

The police and paramedics rushed to the site, but she was pronounced dead.

Her body was taken to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

Sridevi, Boney, and their younger daughter Khushi Kapoor were in Ras Al Khaimah, another part of UAE, last week to celebrate the wedding of her actor-nephew Mohit Marwah.

Boney had returned to Mumbai after the wedding, but decided to return to Dubai to "surprise" his wife.
London, Feb 27 : British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson claimed on Monday that Britain would become a colony of the European Union (EU) under a potential trade deal outlined by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Brexit-supporting cabinet minister joined a chorus of what was divided opinion after Corbyn, leader of Britain's main opposition party, outlined Labour's Brexit strategy, reports Xinhua.

Corbyn, in a key-note speech in Coventry, said Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive Britain-EU customs union to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland.

Under current EU rules, membership of the customs union and the European single market would mean Britain having to accept free movement of people across the 500-million population bloc.

Prime Minister Theresa May has consistently rejected such a deal.

The Guardian, in its commentary, said Corbyn has not given a speech on Brexit for about a year and in the House of Commons he often avoids the subject.

"But today's speech was well-crafted and substantial, and could potentially have a decisive impact on UK Brexit policy," said the commentary.

Johnson did not mince his words, attacking Corbyn's proposals: "Crumbling Corbyn betrays Leave voters, and all because he wants to win a commons vote. Cynical and deluded."

Johnson said remaining in a customs arrangement would make Britain a colony of the bloc.

"Labour's confused policy would be bad for jobs and wages, it would leave us unable to sign up to comprehensive free trade deals, and it doesn't respect the result of the referendum. This is another broken promise by Labour," International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was quoted as saying.

Carolyn Fairbairn, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Director-General, said the Labour leader's commitment to a customs union will put jobs and living standards first by remaining in a close economic relationship with the EU.

"It will help grow trade without accepting freedom of movement or payments to the EU," said Fairbairn.
Phoenix Chemical brings unique skills and capabilities, and we look forward to all our businesses supporting each other as we build the PSG platform.

Polymer Solutions Group (PSG), a leading manufacturer of specialty polymers and additives, today announced it has acquired the assets of Phoenix Chemical Company, Inc. (Phoenix Chemical). PSG is a portfolio company of Arsenal Capital Partners (Arsenal) and was established in June 2015.

Based in Calhoun, GA, Phoenix Chemical is a specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor focused on the carpet, textile, water treatment, and household, industrial & institutional chemicals markets. Phoenix Chemical brings to PSG significant market expansion, technical and manufacturing capabilities, and enhanced logistics that complement PSGs other business units; in particular, Peach State Labs (PSL), Flow Polymers, and SASCO Chemical.

Mike Ivany, President and Chief Executive Officer of Polymer Solutions Group, said, The addition of Phoenix Chemical to PSG will allow us to further build our Functional Materials Business Unit. Phoenix Chemical brings unique skills and capabilities, and we look forward to all our businesses supporting each other as we build the PSG platform. We are fortunate that John Bryant will be staying on to lead the Phoenix Chemical business.

I am delighted with the sale of our Phoenix Chemical business to PSG. We have built a great business and combining it with the PSG platform allows us to continue our growth with expanded technology and manufacturing resources, said John Bryant, President of Phoenix Chemical. Our customer relationships are key to our success, and with PSG, we expect to be able to expand our offerings and enhance our ability to add value.

The assets of Phoenix Chemical and its affiliated entities, New South Distribution, Inc. and Olive Branch Distribution, Inc., are being acquired by Phoenix Chemical Company LLC, a newly formed subsidiary of PSG.

About Polymer Solutions Group

PSG is a manufacturer of specialty polymers and additives for the rubber, wood, consumer, construction, and medical industries. PSG was formed by Arsenal Capital Partners (http://www.arsenalcapital.com) in 2015 with the acquisition of Peach State Labs (Rome, GA). Flow Polymers (Cleveland, OH), SASCO Chemical (Albany, GA) and Alkon Solutions (Leeds, UK) were added in 2016. For additional information on PSG, please visit http://www.polymersolutionsgroup.com.

About Arsenal Capital Partners

Established in 2000, Arsenal Capital Partners is a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middle-market specialty industrials and healthcare companies. Since inception, Arsenal has raised institutional equity investment funds of approximately $3 billion. Arsenal invests in industry sectors in which the firm has significant prior knowledge and experience and seeks companies typically in the range of $100 - $500 million of initial enterprise value. The firm works with management teams to build strategically important companies with leading market positions, high growth, and high value-add.



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If you would like more information about the acquisition, please call Christine Dunlop at +1.216.249.4900 ext. 1+106.
Secure.Systems provides an extra layer of security through a NIST-certified container that helps mitigate risk from BYOD. We look forward to demonstrating Secure.Systems at the summits, and interacting with attendees for feedback on the product to better support customer needs.

SyncDog, Inc., the leading ISV for mobile application containerization, today announced they are sponsoring two Microsoft Tech Summits in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco with live product demonstrations of the Secure.Systems containerized mobile application workspace version for Microsoft Intune. The Microsoft Tech Summits are free, technical learning events where attendees can build cloud skills, connect with experts, and learn the latest trends and tools in Azure and Microsoft 365 to simplify management and deliver up-to-date security, while enabling a modern workplace for users.

We had a great experience at the Tech Summit in Toronto and are excited to sponsor the next two Microsoft Tech Summits in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, said Jonas Gyllensvaan, founder and CEO of SyncDog. Secure.Systems provides an extra layer of security through a NIST-certified container that helps mitigate risk from BYOD. We look forward to demonstrating Secure.Systems at the summits, and interacting with attendees for feedback on the product to better support customer needs.

The Washington D.C. summit will be held on March 5-6, 2018 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The San Francisco summit will be held on March 19-20, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis. For more information on upcoming summits click here.

The Secure.Systems Containerized Workspace for BYOD

The Secure.Systems containerized workspace provides a secure application platform that encrypts and transports data between the enterprise and secure, sandboxed applications running on employees mobile devices. The workspace delivers a highly functional and easy app experience for users, and protects client enterprise networks with secure, partitioned FIPS 140-2 certified* container on both iOS and Android devices. Secure.Systems secures data both on the device and in transit using AES 256-bit encryption. A full suite of mobile-enabled productivity applications is available in the defense-grade container, including SharePoint, Skype for Business, Enterprise Chat, Geo-location Services, DropBox, a Personal Information Management (PIM) suite, Office Suite, Office 365, File Sync, and Secure Mobile App Management & Development functions. Secure.Systems can be deployed via on-premise or through cloud-based managed service as well as hybrid. For more information about Secure.Systems deployment via managed service or for a free trial of the product please visit https://secure.systems.

About the Microsoft Tech Summits

The Microsoft Tech Summits are free, technical learning events for IT professionals and developers to build cloud skills with the latest in Azure and Microsoft 365 with two days of in-depth sessions, network opportunities, industry insights, and hands-on skill-building from the experts behind Microsofts cloud services. The cloud is changing expectations and transforming the way we live and work. Whether youre developing innovative apps or delivering optimized solutions, a Microsoft Tech Summit can help evolve skills, deepen expertise, and grow careers. With beginner sessions that will help develop core cloud skills to advanced, 400-level training that will take expertise to the next level, there is something there for everyone.

About SyncDog, Inc.

SyncDog is the leading ISV for building mobile IT frameworks that extend enterprise app functionality to mobile devices while securing networks from mobile-endpoint threat. SyncDog Secure.Systems delivers an unimpeded, fully-functional mobile app experience that supports Microsoft OneDrive, Office 365, Skype for Business, and other Microsoft productivity apps within a NIST-certified, FIPS 140-2 containerized workspace. The Secure.Systems mobile-app container is ideal for organizations that want to deliver a rich mobile app experience across BYOD, CYOD, or other device policy. Secure.Systems can be deployed as managed service from https://secure.systems or as an on-premise solution.

Secure.Systems can be found on both the Microsoft Azure and MobileIron marketplace exchanges. For more information about SyncDog, please visit https://syncdog.com.

*NIST Certificate #2687  more info here.
After previously serving as president of the New Jersey Chapter of IAMCP, Goldstein assumed his new role effective February 1, 2018. I am thrilled at the opportunity to serve as president of such a tremendous organization, says Managing Director of Queue Associates, Inc., Jeffrey Goldstein. As the leading networking organization in the Microsoft partner community, IAMCP offers members business opportunities through partner to partner networking, advocacy, community service, and education and growth.

Microsoft Partners who are members of IAMCP provide an array of Microsoft Technology options including: Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Server Technology, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and more. Additionally, the IAMCP says, Partners that are part of the IAMCP typically enjoy significantly higher revenues and higher margins than their counterparts.

Mr. Goldstein added, I look forward to working with so many of my innovative, business and technologically minded colleagues and to represent an organization that has been such a vocal member of the IT community. Before 1992, Goldstein was a Senior Computer Consultant at Gotham Computer Services, ultimately co-founding Queue Associates, Inc. that same year. Goldstein would go on to serve as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, President and eventually Managing Director for Queue with offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. As a global leading specialist for Microsoft Technology, today Queue supports more than 400 clients worldwide and their award-winning team is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable business transformation solution consulting organizations in the industry.

About Queue: Queue Associates, Inc. is a Microsoft Gold Certified global information technology consulting firm with offices in New York, London and Hong Kong. Their primary focus is to support Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions including accounting, finance, project accounting, financial reporting, Internet-enabled enterprise resource planning (ERP), sales force automation and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

About IAMCP: The International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) is the leading independent global organization for business networking in the Microsoft partner eco-system, with 100+ chapters in over 40 countries around the world. Its members represent the trusted, independent voice of the Microsoft partner community.
"We saw a 150% jump in parts sales, which exceeded our expectations." -Jon Palazzo, OEC Vice President, Mechanical

Ford Motor Company has selected OEConnection LLC (OEC), the leading automotive technology provider for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) distribution networks, for a comprehensive mechanical parts ordering and fulfillment program through the OEC RepairLink solution.

With the Ford and Motorcraft Stars (FAMS) Pricing Program, Ford Certified Parts Wholesale Dealers are able to offer competitive pricing to their mechanical repair shop customers on program parts utilizing the RepairLink platform. Over a pilot period of five months, program parts sales increased 182% year over year. What was more interesting, though, noted Jon Palazzo, OEC Vice President, Mechanical, was that the program lifted parts sales overall. We saw a 150% jump in parts sales, which exceeded our expectations.

The program achieved those results by giving the shop the best price while sourcing parts, he added.

Another benefit to the program is that it builds loyal RepairLink customers, which benefits all OEM dealers using RepairLink. Shops coming to RepairLinkShop.com to order program parts notice that the OE part prices are comparable to aftermarket parts, so they can order more OE parts at the best available price, Palazzo said.

The pilot was a huge successour FAMS program part sales grew, but most importantly all of our parts sales grew in the RepairLink channel during the pilot. We are excited to move forward with the FAMS program. We see huge potential in growing our mechanical presence throughout the United States, said Carey White, Aftermarket Operations Manager at Ford Motor Company.

OEC technology solutions address critical problems for players across the OE parts ecosystem. RepairLink is the preeminent, online mechanical OE parts ordering solution, providing the mechanical repair market with best-in-class data and parts program capabilities. RepairLink currently boasts 6 OEM programs, including the Ford FAMS program. Over 20,000 shops across the U.S. access the application daily.

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About OEC

OEConnection (OEC) is the leading automotive technology provider for OEM distribution networks, enabling automakers and dealerships around the world to deliver parts and service information quickly and accurately into the hands of repairers in collision, fleet, mechanical and retail segments, as well as their own service lanes, through a suite of parts cataloging, supply chain, pricing, ecommerce, service and business intelligence solutions. OEC serves nearly 50 international auto brands and fleet companies, and more than 150,000 dealership and repair customers worldwide. OEC is headquartered in the greater Cleveland area at 4205 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio, USA, 44286. Additional information is available at http://www.oeconnection.com or by emailing Kathy Jambor at Kathy.Jambor(at)oeconnection(dot)com.
2017 was a breakout year for Pendo, said Todd Olson, co-founder and CEO. Im incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in such a short period of time. Weve built a best-in-class product and team to accelerate growth into larger enterprises, new industries, verticals and time zones.

Pendo.io, creator of the leading SaaS-based Product Experience Platform, today reported highlights from its fiscal year, which ended January 31, 2018. Notable milestones include substantial growth in bookings, new customers, fundraising and headcount, along with new product capabilities, an acquisition, and a new downtown Raleigh headquarters.

2017 was a breakout year for Pendo, said Todd Olson, co-founder and CEO. Im incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in such a short period of time. Weve built a best-in-class product and team to accelerate growth into larger enterprises, new industries, verticals and time zones.

Highlights of the fiscal year include:

Revenue: Annual bookings growth tripled in conjunction with the addition of 24 new sales reps and the appointment of Bill Binch as chief revenue officer.

Customers: A 240 percent increase in net new logos tipped the customer count above 500. New customers welcomed in the fiscal year include Zendesk, Red Hat, Marketo, Workfront, Gainsight, Realtor.com, Venafi, and Elsevier (parent of LexisNexis).

Fundraising: A $25 million Series C round led by Meritech Capital Partners in July 2017, brought total equity funding to date to $56 million.

Board of directors: New board members include Rob Ward, founder and managing partner at Meritech; and Brett Queener, former EVP of Salesforce, seed-stage investor in Pendo, and its first independent board member.

Acquisition: In September 2017, Pendo made its first acquisition, adding Israel-based Insert.io to its portfolio. This acquisition brought engineering talent, new product capabilities and the companys first international office.

Product: Over the fiscal year, Pendo shipped new code every week, culminating in new capabilities and product enhancements, including:

NPS--breakthrough feature allows product teams to capture and analyze Net Promoter score (NPS) in-app, combining rich product analytics with qualitative user feedback to understand how the product experience drives delight or frustration.

Trends--deepens insight by allowing product teams to compare feature usage and user segments side-by-side to visualize trends across multiple product and user dimensions.

Goals--lets product teams set product goals such as product and feature usage rates or NPS score in-app, measure progress, and take action based on these observations.

Compliance--Pendo successfully completed a Service Organization Controls (SOC) 2 audit. SOC reports are an internationally recognized framework related to compliance or operations including how sensitive data is stored, handled, and transmitted. Pendos audit included all five SOC 2 trust principles.

Headcount: Pendo saw headcount growth across every function, adding nearly 100 new employees--including nine new executives--in the most recent fiscal year. This brings total headcount to 170 employees.

Awards: In November, Pendo won a spot on the LinkedIn Top 50 U.S. Startups list drawn from a pool of 25,000 eligible venture-backed companies. In addition to Pendo, the list included Silicon Valley unicorns Slack, Stripe and Uber. Locally, Pendo took home two awards from the North Carolina Technology Association, as well as recognition as a Best Place to Work by the Triangle Business Journal.

Offices: Pendo added new offices in San Francisco, New York City and Yakum, Israel (via the Insert acquisition), and ended the fiscal year by moving into a 43,000-square-foot headquarters at the Wells Fargo Capitol Center in downtown Raleigh. Its fourth move since founding in 2013, the new headquarters offers room to grow to 400 employees over the next several years. Pendo expects to hire over 100 people in 201822 positions are open now at http://www.pendo.io/careers/.

About Pendo

Pendo is a product experience platform that helps product teams deliver software users love. With Pendo, product teams can understand product usage, collect feedback, measure NPS, onboard users, and announce new features in appall without requiring engineering resources. Founded in 2013 in the heart of Raleigh and backed by Battery Ventures, Spark Capital and Meritech Capital, Pendo has raised $56 million and has over 500 customers, including Zendesk, LexisNexis, Coupa, Gainsight, BMC, and Sprinklr. In 2017, it was named a Top 50 Startup by LinkedIn. Pendo tracks 27 billion user actions, and improves the product experience for 56 million users every month. For more information, visit: http://www.pendo.io
Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri, a Junior Research Fellow at the Darwin College and Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry & Center for Misfolding Diseases at the University of Cambridge Atomic force microscopy has emerged in the last decades as one of the most powerful and versatile single molecule techniques because of the possibility to acquire three-dimensional morphology maps of specimens on a surface. The Park AFM is fundamental for my research on amyloids because of some extr

Park Systems, world leader in atomic force microscopy (AFM) is offering a free webinar on Mar. 8, 2018 titled Unraveling Amyloid Formation and Heterogeneity by AFM Single Molecule Statistical Analysis. The webinar will be led byresearcher Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri, a Junior Research Fellow at the Darwin College and Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry & Center for Misfolding Diseases at the University of Cambridge.The webinar will present information on the biophysical characterization of proteins at the single molecule scale by means of atomic force microscopy based-techniques. Register here for the free webinar today.

Today, more than 40 million people worldwide are affected by dementia and neuro degenerative disorders. Onset of these and more than other fifty human diseases is associated at the molecular level with insoluble fibrillar protein aggregates, termed amyloids.

The Park AFM is fundamental for my research on amyloids because of some extremely important features: i) it has a extremely low electrical noise in the order of 25 pm, which enable high-resolution measurements at the nanoscale. ii) the decoupled XY and Z scanner, which enables an easier post processing (flattening) of the image at this small scales, together with a consistence exclusion of the molecules during the 3-D AFM maps flattening. Iii) the versatility, the instrument interface and software are extremely easy to use and allow high throughput high-resolution measurements, explains Dr. Ruggeri. Atomic force microscopy has emerged in the last decades as one of the most powerful and versatile single molecule techniques because of the possibility to acquire three-dimensional morphology maps of specimens on a surface. This capability has been widely used in the field of protein aggregation and amyloid fibrils formation.

Dr. Ruggeri explains in the webinar how a simple AFM map can provide extremely valuable information at the nanometer scale on the structure of amyloid fibrils, such as height, width, periodicity, flexibility and packing of single proto filaments inside mature fibrils. Furthermore, he shows that the possibility to analyze the morphology at several time points, during the process of amyloid aggregation, enables to shed light on the mechanisms of protein misfolding, on the pathway of fibrillization and the hierarchical polymorphic process of assembly.

Differently from bulk techniques, single molecule techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, possess increased robustness in measuring the properties of heterogeneous populations by allowing direct measurements and correlation of the biophysical properties of protein aggregates at the nanoscale and single molecule level.

The understanding of the mechanisms of amyloids formation and polymorphism is of fundamental importance to gain biophysical insights into the potential toxicity of the intermediate aggregation species. The comprehension of these fundamental processes could allow the design of pharmacological approaches to contrast the onset of amyloid diseases.

This webinar series is offered by Park Systems as part of Nano Academy, a platform for providing education and shared knowledge on the latest nanotechnology advances.

About Park Systems

Park Systems is a world-leading manufacturer of atomic force microscopy (AFM) systems with a complete range of products for researchers and industry engineers in chemistry, materials, physics, life sciences, and semiconductor and data storage industries. Parks products are used by over a thousand of institutions and corporations worldwide. Parks AFM provides highest data accuracy at nanoscale resolution, superior productivity, and lowest operating cost thanks to its unique technology and innovative engineering. Park Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with its global manufacturing, and R&D headquarters in Korea. Parks products are sold and supported worldwide with regional headquarters in the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore, and distribution partners throughout Europe, Asia, and America. Please visit http://www.parkafm.com or call 408-986-1110 for more information.

About Dr. Francesco Simone Ruggeri

Francesco Simone Ruggeri is a Junior Research fellow at the Darwin College and Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry & Center for Misfolding disease at University of Cambridge. Both at Cambridge and previously at EcolePolytechniqueFederale de Lausanne (EPFL), his research is focused on the biophysical characterization of proteins at the single molecule scale by means of Atomic Force Microscopy based techniques. This approach has brought new insights into the formation and structural characterization of misfolding of protein and its correlation with the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.
Oak Brook, IL Attorney Kathryn Harry Named to 2018 Super Lawyers List Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C., is proud to announce that principal partner Kathryn L. Harry has been selected for Super Lawyers list of outstanding Illinois attorneys in 2018.

Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C., is proud to announce that principal partner Kathryn L. Harry has been selected for Super Lawyers list of outstanding Illinois attorneys in 2018. It is the fourth consecutive year that Harry has received this honor.

Super Lawyers chooses its honorees based on independent research and evaluation by a peer panel. Attorneys who make the Super Lawyers list are among the top five percent of nominated attorneys in their state.

For more than 25 years, Oak Brook, Illinois, attorney Kathryn Harry has represented clients in the areas of divorce, criminal defense, DUI defense, and expungement. She founded her law firm in 1995 on the principal of teamwork. Harrys brand of lawyering differs from that of many other attorneys. It is important that the attorneys at the firm work as a team on each case in order to craft the best solutions for our clients, states Harry.

In the past, Harry has served as chair of the DCBAs Professional Responsibility Committee and Bankruptcy Committee of the DuPage County Bar Association. She has also been an advisor to the Legal Referral Service Committee and member of the subcommittee for the Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop for Practicing Attorneys.

Harry earned her bachelors degree in finance from Millikin University, located in Decatur, Illinois, in 1988 and her juris doctor from DePaul University, located in downtown Chicago in 1991. She was admitted into the Illinois State Bar and U.S. District Court, Northern District Bar in 1991. In 2005, she was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

About Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C.:

The attorneys at Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C., take a personal approach to serving clients who need representation in cases involving divorce, family law, and criminal defense. The firm believes that its clients should understand their rights and options before making any decisions and deserve comprehensive representation. Located in Oak Brook, Illinois, the firm serves clients in Hinsdale, Lombard, Villa Park, Addison, Westmont, Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Willowbrook, Clarendon Hills, and surrounding areas. To learn more about the firm or schedule a free initial consultation, call 630-472-9700 or fill out our online submission form.
Level Homes President Ric Rojas appears with this years recipients of a new home from Operation Coming Home, who were surprised days before Christmas about their new home. Level Homes is honored and proud to build a home for a deserving veteran and his family. We can think of nothing better to honor this vet than to build a quality home that his family can enjoy and thrive in a safe environment.  Level Homes President Ric Rojas

Level Homes is proud to be the 2018 builder of a home for a deserving veteran family as part of Operation Coming Home, a local non-profit organization that provides homes to disabled combat veterans. Level Homes will be building the 17th Hero Home in the Triangle.

Level Homes is honored and proud to build a home for a deserving veteran and his family, says Level Homes President Ric Rojas. We can think of nothing better to honor this vet than to build a quality home that his family can enjoy and thrive in a safe environment.

Operation Coming Home (OCH), which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, was created when a group of local vets and members of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County joined to assist severely wounded veterans. To learn more about Operation Coming Home, visit http://www.hbawake.com/about-operation-coming-home.html.

The new home will be built in 5401 North, a master-planned community in Raleigh, which has a strong focus on nature, sustainability and plenty of open space for residents to enjoy. Amenities include hiking and bike trails, a community farm, an elementary school, a middle school and a state-of-the-art planned community center and pool.

The home will go to Sgt. Anthony Von Canon and his family, who were surprised just days before Christmas 2017 with the news that they are the recipients of a new home, courtesy of Operation Coming Home.

Level Homes builds new homes and sustainable communities that reflect the way homeowners live today. With 28 employees in the Raleigh area, Level Homes was previously one of the 50 Fastest-Growing Private Employers in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina market by The Triangle Business Journal (ranking No. 2 on the list) and was Ranked No. 10 of Best Places to Work by the Triangle Business Journal and was recently named the fastest-growing firm on Builder Magazines annual ranking of the Next 100 Builders in the United States.

Founded in 2000 in Baton Rouge, Level Homes builds new homes in five communities in the Triangle, North Carolina area, and has expanded to the Wilmington area along the North Carolina coast.

Visit https://www.levelhomeslifestyle.com/nc/ to learn more about Level Homes, its award-winning new homes and communities in North Carolina and the firms unique approach to building Life. Style. Home.
The State University of New York at Old Westbury School of Business will offer in Fall 2018 the first graduate program in Forensic Accounting available on New Yorks Long Island. The SUNY Old Westbury Master of Science in Forensic Accounting is a 30-credit program for students seeking a career in this fast-growing arena as a forensic accountant or fraud examiner.

We are very excited at being able to expand for Long Island our high-quality stable of graduate business programs, said President Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III. An Old Westbury education in accounting has for decades prepared our graduates to excel when they sit for the states certified public accountancy exam. Now, by combining our existing undergraduate and graduate programs with our new program in forensic accounting, we are offering among the most comprehensive services in the preparation for the CPAs of tomorrow.

Offered over a three-semester arc in one calendar year, the program enables students to meet the 150-credit hour requirement to qualify for CPA licensure in New York State. In addition, the program serves as a strong foundation for those seeking Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certification. In pursuit of the M.S. degree, students are required to obtain access to the CFE Manual whose content is integrated into courses across the curriculum, ensuring the program provides a comprehensive overview of materials covered in the CFE exam.

Recent studies show that organizations globally lose an average five percent of annual revenues to instances of occupational fraud and abuse, said Raj Devasagayam, Ph.D., dean of the SUNY Old Westbury School of Business. Through this degree program, we will prepare professionals with the skills and preparation to identify fraud when it occurs, and to inform decision-making processes and develop procedures to protect against it.

For more information on the M.S. in Forensic Accounting, visit http://www.oldwestbury.edu/new/forensic.

A member of AACSB InternationalThe Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the SUNY Old Westbury School of Business has been preparing students for careers in accounting, finance, management, marketing and more for nearly 40 years. Through the instruction and research of its faculty, the School pursues its mission of empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and values to think critically, communicate effectively, and act responsibly. Serving 750 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the School of Business offers rigorous academic training in a small class atmosphere.
A Texas-based Christian writer has released her debut book that aims to revitalize Christians who are doubting their beliefs, provide a path of healing and encouragement to believers who are lost and unite Christ-followers through faith, ultimately allowing them to work together to create a better world.

In S.O.F.T.: Standing on Faith Together, author Kathleen Zacca presents an inspirational roadmap for Christians to overcoming pain and hurt, reigniting their relationships with God and standing on faith together. Through her book, Zacca calls for all believers to get the message of hope and salvation out to the world and empowers them to embrace and nourish their own faith.

My goal is to reach every single person that is struggling with faith in our Lord, Zacca said. God gave me a vision about faith and what it means to Him. In todays society, we are so divided, and so many are questioning why we must continually face daily tragedies. If we stand strong together, our faith in Him can change this world.

A gentle and compassionate manual for establishing, nourishing and embracing faith, S.O.F.T. offers Christians of all ages a spiritually fulfilling and scripture-guided journey through the challenges and victories that come with building a relationship with God.

S.O.F.T.: Standing on Faith Together

By Kathleen Zacca

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8590-6 (hardback); 978-1-5127-8588-3 (paperback); 978-1-5127-8589-0 (electronic)

Available at the WestBow Press Online Bookstore, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

About the author

Kathleen Zacca has been a passionate follower of Christ for more than 17 years and is a wife and mother to four children and a grandmother to three grandchildren. Zacca currently resides in Crossroads, Texas, with her family and two dogs. To learn more, please view a trailer for the book here.

###

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Danielle Grobmeier

480-648-7557

dgrobmeier(at)lavidge(dot)com

General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Maggie Driver

480-998-2600 x 584

mdriver(at)lavidge(dot)com
Inspirus accepted a Skills Development Fund grant last week awarded by the TWC. Inspirus will partner with Tarrant County College and Divergence Academy to provide on-site training to employees.

Inspirus, a Sodexo Group company and leader in elevating employee experiences and optimizing organizational culture through people-focused SaaS technology and integrated solutions, has been awarded a $198,503 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Partnering with Divergence Academy of Addison, Texas, and Tarrant County College (TCC), Inspirus will provide on-site job training.

TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar presented the check to Inspirus at the official signing event held at Tarrant County College. Inspirus will use the grant to provide 3,816 customized training hours to 96 new and incumbent workers by providing corporate learning in high-value areas. Courses include Development Operations Engineering with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Data Analytics and Warehousing, Cybersecurity Awareness, Microservices Data Architecture, Pentaho Business Analytics for Splunk and SQL Queries. All courses will be hands-on with technology simulations in instructor-led learning labs at the Inspirus corporate office, bringing the training directly to the employee workplace.

Skills grants deliver customized training solutions that help Texas employers and workers succeed in the marketplace, and we are extremely fortunate to have received this 2018 award to enhance the education of our employees, said Lesa Blakey, VP of HR and Culture at Inspirus.

The money from the Skills Development Fund will help Inspirus continue to invest in our employees. Employees want opportunities to grow, learn and develop in demand technology skills to advance their careers and enhance their job performance. This will continue to enable Inspirus to bring vanguard technology to the Human Capital Management marketplace, added Tim Hough, CIO and SVP, IT.

Sravan Ankaraju, CEO and Co-Founder of Divergence Academy states, Im honored to accelerate the initiatives of Inspirus. They are the best in emerging technologies. Inspirus is innovative, agile and flexible to allow employee paid training during work time for their team, and we are excited to get started.

Since its inception in 1996, Skills Development Fund grants have created or upgraded more than 342,428 jobs throughout Texas. The grants have assisted 4,238 employers with their customized training needs. The Skills Development Fund was allocated $48.5 million for 2016-17.

About Inspirus

Inspirus believes employees make up the foundation of culture, which is shaped and evolved through everyday experiences that are essential to the development of strong, high-performing organizations. We seek to influence the employee experience through our six Quality of Life dimensions: recognition, health and well-being, personal growth, physical environment, social interaction, and ease and efficiency.

Only Inspirus combines an integrated rewards engine, learning courses, communication tools and analytics into a single platform spanning recognition, well-being, safety, milestone awards and community involvement. Through Sodexos broader mission of improving the Quality of Life of all we serve, Inspirus aims to bring joy to work, one experience at a time.

Visit inspirus.com for more information.
Ecotech Institute, an Aurora, Colorado-based renewable energy education college is pleased to announce a special Veterans Workshop event taking place on campus on Thursday, March 8, 2018. Veterans, active service members and their families, and the local community are invited to attend the workshop designed to provide veterans with expert information on how to leverage their military experience to start new rewarding careers in civilian life.

WHAT: Reentering Civilian Life Veterans Workshop

WHEN: Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST.

WHERE: 1400 S. Abilene Street, Aurora, CO 80012

RSVP: The event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Laura Leitner at (720) 213-2601

MEDIA: To request interviews, photos or to cover the event, please contact:

Vlad Drazdovich at (954) 379-2115 ext. 5 or via email at vlad[at]redbanyan[dot]com.

This workshop is designed to provide encouragement and helpful advice that will assist veterans in the following:



Re-entering civilian life

Choosing a civilian career

Leveraging military experience for civilian employers

Developing a plan of action

How to use VA benefits to help pay for education

Plus, attendees can enjoy refreshments, and participants ages 18 and older can register to enter a drawing to win giveaway prizes.

About Ecotech Institute

Ecotech Institute is a college solely focused on renewable energy education. Located in Aurora, Colo., Ecotech Institute offers an array of practical diploma programs that prepare students for careers in the energy industry, with an emphasis on the fields of renewable energy, sustainability and energy efficiency. Through flexible programs designed to meet diverse career goals, students get the hands-on training they need to be successful in these high-tech industries. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call (877) 326-5576.
NewNet Communication Technologies is pleased to announce its presence at GSMA Mobile World Congress, the worlds largest mobile industry gathering. NewNet will be exhibiting its powerful cloud-based payment transaction solution, Secure Transaction Cloud (STC), at Booth #8.1K61 in Hall 8.

NewNets STC solution is a virtualized payment transaction application designed for public, private or hybrid cloud use. It allows for faster migration to cloud-based infrastructures for a broad spectrum of payment ecosystems, network operators and telecommunication companies. With advanced data security, point-to-point encryption and tokenization for facilitating the end-to-end security of payment transactions, the STC is a highly secure alternative to costly legacy Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and switching hardware.

Available on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace, NewNets STC empowers MNOs, Cloud Service Providers, and Payment Service Providers for Internet and mobile payment transactions.

The Secure Transaction Cloud (STC) virtualized payment transaction solution is demonstrated at NewNet's Booth at GSMA Mobile World Congress. The demo will be featured on Spire Payments Point of Sale (POS), Smartphones, Tablets and Laptop based transactions conducting mobile and Internet payments.

To ensure seamless migration from legacy infrastructures, NewNets STC provides a carrier grade payment solution with a comprehensive set of features and benefits:



High security

Faster completion of transactions

Scalability with rapid creation of additional instances

Assured performance

Economic deployment with pay per use models

Reliability for seamless continuous usage of critical functions

NewNets STC solution enables Mobile Network Operators and Cloud Service Providers with one of the most innovative and advanced payment applications available on the market today. Migration from legacy infrastructures is seamless, we are able to exceed payment security requirements while at the same time realize it significant cost savings. said Devarajan Puthupparambil, Head of NewNets Secure Transactions Division. This new delivery platform from NewNet presents the MNOs and CSPs with a powerful solution to generate new revenues from the ever expanding mobile and internet payment segments.

NewNets team of experts will be on hand at GSMA Mobile World Congress (Booth #8.1K61) to explain the features of the Secure Transaction Cloud (STC), show demos and discuss successful implementations. To arrange an onsite meeting, please email Devarajan.puthupparambil(at)newnet(dot)com

NewNets STC solution can be accessed at AWS Marketplace here:

https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/B076D9HY55

About NewNet Communication Technologies

NewNet Communication Technologies is a leading provider of innovative communication and payment solutions. NewNets global customer base includes next generation mobile and fixed line networks, secure transaction transport, enabling global telecom operators, acquirers, processors, financial institutions and enterprises to rapidly develop and deploy cutting edge revenue generating applications that deliver feature-rich, value added services. NewNet Secure Transactions (NST) BU offers secure Payment transaction routing, switching, transport solutions. NewNets payment systems powers over 25% of all global payment card and digital transactions, worldwide. NSTs latest solution of Secure Transaction Cloud (STC) offers virtualized secure payment applications for transaction transport in cloud with specific Virtual Network Functions for Security, Transaction protocols, P2PE, Tokenization, Host Interfaces, Load Balancing etc. for a wide range of payment types including Internet payments, mobile payments, POS/mPOS based transactions and variety of eCommerce, mCommerce payments with PCI compliant HSMs.
PSSC Labs, a developer of custom High Performance Computing and Big Data computing solutions, announced today it was selected by CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) to help facilitate, manage, securely store and access massive amounts of cyber forensic data by building a custom turn-key cluster server.

CyberSecurity Malaysia is the national cybersecurity specialist agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). The role of CSM is to provide specialized cybersecurity services that contribute towards a bigger national objective of preventing or minimizing disruptions to critical information infrastructure in order to protect the public, the economy and government services. CSM receives about 10,000 security incident reports each year. Recently, CSM has seen a growing number of cyber-incidents with fraud topping the list followed by intrusion, malicious codes and cyber-harassment. As of October 2017, CSM received 3,240 reported incidents on fraud; 1,781 on intrusion; 694 on malicious codes and 499 on cyber-harassment.

To facilitate, manage, securely store and access massive amounts of cyber-forensic data, CSM required an infrastructure upgrade. CSM security experts embarked on a worldwide hunt for a vendor partner and selected PSSC Labs to custom build a turn-key cluster server that could be delivered to Malaysia. With over 25 years of experience providing the most cutting edge HPC and Big Data computing solutions to customers including the US Army, NASA and other major US research universities such as Harvard, PSSC Labs had the precise expertise that CSM was looking for.

PSSC Labs engineers custom-built a CloudOOP Rax Cluster server solution to meet CSMs requirements of a powerful ready-to-deploy system that would not be an energy drain. The tightly integrated CloudOOP Rax solution provides superior performance with a framework that enables a single view of diverse streams of security data, allowing CSM to rapidly detect and respond to emerging threats.

The complete system included ten PSSC Labs CloudOOP 12000 Data Nodes and three CloudSeek Name Nodes. All the necessary rack, 10GigE network switch and power connections were preconfigured and included. They also installed Hortonworks HDP Data Platform and Apache Metron which were preconfigured for the CSM team. Apache Metron is a streaming analytics application that makes it faster and easier for security operations personnel to do their job. It is a next generation SOC (security operations center) data analytics and response application that integrates a variety of open source big data technologies into a centralized tool for security monitoring and analysis. Total storage capacity of the system is 150 terabytes.

By using PSSC Labs hardware and system, CSM hopes to have high processing performance for central analysis in analyzing multiple incident images. CSM will also utilize the hardware to analyze and visualize large amounts of data for malware analytics where the size of data can be as big as 100gb/year and increasing, said CyberSecurity Malaysias Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Solahuddin Shamsuddin. The PSSC Labs system will act as the platform for data processing and analytics as well as visualization. The visualization will be fed to stakeholders with dashboard access.

To ensure the installation was flawless, CSM organized a Strategic Training and Working Visit to PSSC Labs in the fall of 2017. The participants were from the Digital Forensic Department in CyberSecurity Malaysia. They were trained on Big Data platform and technology by PSSC Labs engineers.

The PSSC Labs platform will also provide sufficient resources for CSM to incorporate AI into its offerings. Artificial intelligence will enable CSM to predict cyberattacks before they happen by detecting changes or anomalies. The country has a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, and AI will act as a force multiplier to enable fewer analysts to identify, thwart and counter a far greater number of attacks. It will also provide analysts with situational awareness by identifying and classifying any backend limitations a system may have. Artificial intelligence enables a proactive defense, constantly monitoring for vulnerabilities that could be exploited for malicious purposes.

About CyberSecurity Malaysia

CyberSecurity Malaysia is the national specialist center for cyber security, under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.cybersecurity.my. For general inquiry, please email to: info(at)cybersecurity(dot)my.

About PSSC Labs

For technology powered visionaries with a passion for challenging the status quo, PSSC Labs is the answer for hand-crafted HPC and Big Data computing solutions that deliver relentless performance with the absolute lowest total cost of ownership. All products are designed and built at the company's headquarters in Lake Forest, California. For more information, 949-380-7288, http://www.pssclabs.com, sales(at)pssclabs(dot)com.

Media contact:

Len Fernandes

Firecracker PR

len(at)firecrackerpr(dot)com
GAM Conference 2018

Dan French, Founder and CEO of Consider Solutions has been invited to present on a panel of other expert practitioners on the topic of 'Navigating Technology Innovations' at the General Audit Management Conference on March 12-14 2018, in Las Vegas, USA.

Dan will conduct a session on the specific topic of the 'Impact of AI on Audit and Assurance'. With artificial intelligence and machine learning getting a lot of media attention, Dan will look at how these techniques affect approaches to data analytics and the very concepts of audit and assurance. An advanced research program informs this talk in both concepts and practice.

In this session, participants will:



Explore the current best practice in data analytics for risk and control assurance.

See examples of advanced technology concepts, differentiating between RPA and AI, that can be applied to risk and control assurance.

Discuss the impact of emerging Machine Learning data science techniques, with case study examples.

Analyze the impact of new approaches on risk and control assurance activities, including future opportunities and challenges.

Dan will also draw on some lessons from Consider Solutions Co-Founder Tom Gruber (of Siri fame) who gave an enlightening TED talk around Humanistic AI, focussing on how new technologies can augment and enhance human activity, not just replace it.

For more information on the conference and to register your attendance, follow this link
The 11th annual Womens Private Equity Summit will be held March 7  9, 2018 at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California. As this major industry conference for senior-level women in private equity and venture capital begins its second decade of dealmaking, the Summits influence continues to grow. Conference producer Falk Marques Group expects more than 550 attendees at the 2018 event.

Beth Falk, Summit founder and president of Falk Marques Group, says that the conference convenes at a time of upheaval, both in the United States and globally. Politically, economically, and culturally, the last few years have proven to be a watershed era, Falk observes. From Brexit, Macron, and Trump to the #Me Too movement, record-breaking public markets, and oceans of capital in the private markets, the world is in flux. And all of these events have an impact on women leaders in private equity and venture capital. This years Summit will address all of these issues.

Falk added that particular attention will be paid to the challenges women face breaking through to the highest levels of power in private equity and venture capital. The women who attend the Summit are the change-makers who help women succeed, says Falk. She notes that the Summit is the premier conference focused on promoting the success of women leaders  GPs, LPs and advisors to the industry. Our mission is to be the place that helps change happen.

TRAILBLAZER AWARD RECIPIENT 2018

In a highlight of the 2018 Summit, the seventh annual Private Equity Trailblazer Award will be awarded to Kate Mitchell, co-founder and partner at Scale Venture Partners. A groundbreaking industry leader and champion for womens success, Mitchells keynote address is entitled The Elephant in the Room: Women and Our Industry...So What are We Going to Do About It?

AN IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF DYNAMIC SPEAKERS

Once again, the Womens Private Equity Summit has convened a powerhouse group of speakers from the private equity worlds top limited partners and general partners including: Runa Alam, Chief Executive Officer, DPI; Lauren Dillard, Managing Director and Partner, The Carlyle Group; Jennifer Fonstad, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Aspect Ventures; Jennifer Kerr, Managing Director, Head of Investment Strategy and Portfolio Construction, Total Portfolio Management, CPPIB; Andrea Kramer, Managing Director, Hamilton Lane; Aileen Lee, Founder and Partner, Cowboy Ventures; Nancy Pfund, Managing Partner, DBL Partners; George Roberts, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, KKR; Joan Solotar, Senior Managing Director, Private Wealth Solutions and External Relations, The Blackstone Group; Risa Stack, General Manager, New Business Creation, GE Ventures; Theresa Whitmarsh, Executive Director, Washington State Investment Board.

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS - WOMEN'S PRIVATE EQUITY SUMMIT 2018

The 2018 Womens Private Equity Summit has attracted an extraordinary group of blue-chip sponsors and partners including some of private equitys top industry advisors and organizations, as well as leading private equity firms:

PLATINUM SPONSORS

KPMG

Neuberger Berman

Proskauer

GOLD SPONSORS

Aberdeen Standard Investments

The Abraaj Group

American Securities

GCM Grosvenor

KKR

Landmark Partners

Lindsay Goldberg

Vista Equity Partners

SILVER SPONSORS

Adams Street Partners

Castlelake

DPI (Development Partners International)

Globalization Partners

TPG

West Monroe

Find the Womens Private Equity Summit at http://www.womensprivateequitysummit.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/womensPEsummit

Note to media: The Womens Private Equity Summit is closed to the press. We would be pleased to facilitate interviews with Summit speakers before or after the conference. Contact Lisa Fruitt at +1 617-512-1613 or lisa(at)fruittcomm(dot)com
The demands of deployment can be overwhelming, so it is important to remember to prepare financially.

Deployment can be an extremely stressful and emotional experience for service members and the families of those being deployed. To coincide with Military Saves Week (February 26, to March 3, 2018), national nonprofit American Consumer Credit Counseling has created a series of videos with tips for military members on how to manage and prepare finances during all stages of deployment including pre, during, and post.

The demands of deployment can be overwhelming, so it is important to remember to prepare financially, said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling, which is based in Newton, MA. There are a variety of logistical and financial challenges military personnel have to take into account during this time. Maintaining your financial obligations and sticking to a budget can create financial peace of mind and make the deployment process less stressful.

The three-part video series includes videos on Pre-Deployment Budgeting, Budgeting During Deployment, and Post-Deployment Budgeting. Military personnel face unique financial situations and considerations, such as managing deployments abroad, while also needing to follow billing and payment schedules in the U.S. These money management challenges can lead to a variety of issues, such as failing to pay household expenses, a heavy reliance on mortgage options to finance housing, and significant credit card usage and debt.

Financial situations and obligations are bound to change post-deployment, added Trumble. As part of the transition into civilian life, it is important that returning servicemen and women revisit their finances to minimize any stress and improve their financial well-being.

The Pre-Deployment Budgeting video explains the steps military personnel must take to ensure their financial readiness for deployment. The most important step one should take is choosing a financial overseer. The financial overseer will manage day-to-day financial issues, including what bills are due each month and when. This person may also be given power of attorney and can be authorized to act on a service members behalf in any legal or business matter.

The Budgeting During Deployment video explains the importance of sticking to a budget and remaining financially responsible. If service members find they are overspending, it is important for them to take another look at their budget and include these expenses. If they have extra money at the end of the month, consider using it to pay off debts or save for an emergency fund. It is important to track all expenses while away, whether it is by a financial overseer or with automatic bill pay.

The Post-Deployment Budgeting video explains how the financial situation of military personnel tends to change when they return home. It is important that servicemen and women regain control of their finances immediately for the smoothest possible transition. Income will most likely change, so review the leave and earnings statement and clarify what was earned while deployed. It is important to reassess a budget, especially if income changes post-deployment, and stick to it.

ACCC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides free credit counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and housing counseling to consumers nationwide in need of financial literacy education and money management. For more information, contact ACCC:



For credit counseling and student loan counseling, call 800-769-3571

For bankruptcy counseling, call 866-826-6924

For housing counseling, call 866-826-7180

Or visit us online at http://www.ConsumerCredit.com

About American Consumer Credit Counseling

American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) is a nonprofit credit counseling 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to empowering consumers to achieve financial management through credit counseling, debt management, bankruptcy counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling and financial education concerning debt solutions. To help consumers reach their goal of debt relief, ACCC provides a range of free consumer personal finance resources on a variety of topics including budgeting, credit and debt management, student loan assistance, youth and money, homeownership, identity theft, senior living, and retirement. Consumers can use ACCCs worksheets, videos, calculators, and blog articles to make the best possible decisions regarding their financial future. ACCC holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). For more information or to access free financial education resources, log on to ConsumerCredit.com or visit http://www.consumercredit.com/financial-education.aspx
Mohr Partners Inc., the worlds largest wholly-owned commercial real estate firm providing global corporations and US public-sector clients with integrated full-service solutions exclusively to occupiers/tenants, today announced Cindy Brohoski has joined the firm as a Managing Partner to lead the firms newly established Strategic Consulting & Advisory Services group.

Cindy will help our corporate and public-sector clients in such critical areas as strategy alignment, change-management, benchmarking, organizational development and restructuring, and occupancy cost management to improve their bottom-line financial performance and improve the productivity of their core business operations, Chairman and CEO Robert Shibuya said.

Mohr Partners robust business intelligence platform, known as Horizon, will allow me the opportunity to collect, analyze and present large data-sets, both real estate and non-real estate, to enable my clients to make optimal real estate decisions, Ms. Brohoski said.

Prior to joining Mohr Partners, Ms. Brohoski was a senior vice president with Binswanger for 16 years. She previously served as Director for Corporate Real Estate for five years with Fannie Mae and began her career with Arthur Andersen as a manager in their Real Estate Services Group. During her career, she has advised some the worlds leading corporations in managing their real estate including Fortune 500 firms in technology, energy/oil and gas, aerospace, and manufacturing sectors.

Ms. Brohoski holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Georgetown University and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

About Mohr Partners, Inc.:

Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate services firm providing tenants and occupiers integrated solutions including strategic consulting and advisory, portfolio strategy/lease administration, research and site selection, location incentives consulting, transaction advisory, project management and business intelligence/data analytics services. Since 1986, Mohr Partners has been managing real estate portfolios for organizations around the world. Mohr Partners' 200 professionals working from the firms 22 North American owned offices, deliver integrated services worldwide through strategic alliances with best-in-class partners in Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia. As the leading diverse commercial real estate firm, Mohr Partners became a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) in 2017 Please visit http://www.mohrpartners.com.

For more information contact:

Robert Shibuya

Chairman & CEO

214 907 8094

robert.shibuya(at)mohrpartners(dot)com

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This release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on managements assumptions and assessments in light of experience and trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other relevant factors. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ significantly from those envisaged by our forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or implied in the forward-looking statements are general business and economic conditions, production delays resulting from lack of regulatory certifications and other factors, competition in our existing and future markets, lack of market acceptance of our products and services, the substantial leverage and debt service resulting from our indebtedness, loss or retirement of key executives and other risks disclosed by us or generally associated with our business.
Woman, Thou Too Art Called: It's Not a Commercial Call . . . You Need to Answer: a riveting work about how God gives a disobedient heart a chance to change. Woman, Thou Too Art Called: It's Not a Commercial Call . . . You Need to Answer is the creation of published author, Cynthia Harris, a minister, pastoral counselor, author, talk show host, professional actress, and the director of the WEB Du Bois Honors Program at Alabama State University.

Harris shares, Many times, we refuse to accept what is being said of us. We usually refuse because we know the type of life we are living, and we dont want to give up our lifestyle. We feel that we are going to miss out on something. But what we fail to realize is that we are already missing out on the most important thing in our livesliving according to Gods purpose for our lives. We were created for his purpose, and he has called each of us to a specific task. He has equipped us with everything we need to perform our task.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Cynthia Harriss new book is a heartfelt story of a faithful and merciful God working in a persons life despite the years she has spent running away from him and his command for her to preach.

The book takes into account the chances God has given Harris to obey him and change her ways. In the end, every believer can surrender their fears to the Lord and follow his commands wholeheartedly, despite the challenges ahead after obedience.

View a synopsis of Woman, Thou Too Art Called: It's Not a Commercial Call . . . You Need to Answer on YouTube.

Consumers can purchaseWoman, Thou Too Art Called: It's Not a Commercial Call . . . You Need to Answer at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Woman, Thou Too Art Called: It's Not a Commercial Call . . . You Need to Answer, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Plate It Like You Mean It Contest

Entrepreneurial Chef, a new multimedia platform designed to inspire and educate food entrepreneurs, has launched a national contest with Oneida to give one lucky winner a full tabletop installation in 2018.

The Plate It Like You Mean It Contest will begin February 21, 2018, and run through March 21, 2018, where industry professionals can enter by submitting a photo of a featured dish, provide a compelling reason for winning, and be entered for a chance to receive one of four prize packages comprised of Oneida products collectively valued at over $40,000.

Most notably, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a full tabletop installation in 2018 for their upcoming or current establishment.

The vision when building our platform was centered on helping foodservice professionals and entrepreneurs at various stages in business with educational content and resources, having just celebrated our first year, we are thrilled to present a collaboration of this magnitude for our audience, said Shawn Wenner, Founder of Entrepreneurial Chef. Oneidas incredible prize package is a testament to their support of our mission to empower the next generation of food entrepreneurs.

Were so excited to collaborate with Entrepreneurial Chef for this contest. We love their mission of supporting food entrepreneurs, and we wanted to support them and their readership, said Jeff Jarrett, CMO of The Oneida Group. We know it can be tough to open a new restaurant or refurbish an existing one, and we hope these prizes will help the winners bring their tabletop visions to life to create the ultimate dining experience for their guests.

The Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia (U.S.), age 21 or older at the time of entry and requires no purchase necessary. The prize packages include the Grand Prize of a full tabletop installation in 2018, a Voters Choice Award with $10,000 in Oneida products, a First Runner Up with $5,000 in Oneida products, and Second Runner Up with $2,000 in Oneida products.

Entries can be submitted at http://entrepreneurialchef.com/oneida between the designated time frame.

About Entrepreneurial Chef

As a new and exciting multimedia platform, Entrepreneurial Chef produces educational content centered around food entrepreneurship. The platform has quickly grown to serve a community of passionate foodservice professionals and entrepreneurs working to build, grow, and scale their businesses. Visit Entrepreneurial Chef online at http://entrepreneurialchef.com
You need this talent in your organization, and you need them engaged, motivated and succeeding. As we go forward, recognize all voices are required to generate change and to help our industry lead the change.

Women in Construction Operations (WiOPS), a professional organization whose mission is aimed at providing a forum to mentor and further the advancement of women in the building industry, is now five years old. WiOPS celebrated this milestone by highlighting its work in mentoring, relationship building and technical training for females in the construction industry during an anniversary party on January 24, 2018. More than 200 WiOPS members and supporters attended the celebration, which was held at Murray Company Mechanical Contractors in Rancho Dominguez, Calif.

With the support of leading construction companies and the interest of females working in construction operations positions, WiOPS has grown from 150 members to nearly 600 since its Southern California Chapters first meeting on January 24, 2013. The organization is continuing to expand with 300 prospective members attending its Northern California launch just one week prior to its anniversary event.

Five years ago, we had no idea if this would be a long journey or a short one, or how many travelers we would meet or take with us as we charted new paths, said Holly Cindell, WiOPS National Board of Directors President, while addressing the crowd at the anniversary event. When I stood up here at our launch in 2013, we were a small group of women who had joined together to say, we love what we do, there are things we do not like, and what can we do to lead the conversation on the difference gender plays in the experience of the construction professional. Lets make a difference.

Since that time, Cindell says that WiOPS has accomplished much and the industry has embraced the organization. Weve gone from quarterly to monthly meetings and events, with nearly all areas within our industry participating. Our calendar is full for 2018, and we are looking for support [meeting sponsorships] for 2019. With the launch of our Northern California Chapter in San Francisco, we are now a two-chapter organization, and other cities are asking how to sign up, says Cindell. Moving forward, we will be participating in the broader conversation and joining with other organizations similar in mission to enhance our industry.

To prepare for its growth, WiOPS restructured by forming a National Board of Directors to oversee the organization, as well as installing southern and northern California chapters' Board of Directors. The members of the Board of Directors will serve a three-year term with officers holding their positions for one year.

New WiOPS leadership board installations announced at the anniversary event include:

National Board of Directors



President  Holly Cindell, Lendlease Project Executive

Vice President  Kelly Martin, ISEC Vice President

Treasurer  Sarah Carr, McCarthy Building Companies Vice President

Secretary  Emery Molnar, Gilbane Vice President

Board Member - Nancy Goldman, Granitex Operations Manager

Board Member - Dani Paxson, KPFF Associate

Board Member - Erin Volk, AGC of California Vice President, Workforce & Operations

Southern California Chapter Board of Directors



President  Shaabini Alford, Murray Company Vice President

Vice President  Kasie Bowden, Hensel Phelps Project Superintendent

Treasurer  Erin Lawless  ISEC Senior Project Manager

Secretary  Sammi Shepherd, McCarthy Building Companies Project Manager

Director (Events)  Amanda Corbet, McCarthy Building Companies Senior Manager

Director (Fundraising) - Lucy Villanueva, DPR Project Executive

Director (Marketing)  Leah Wimberly, Pacific Wall Systems Estimator

Northern California Chapter Board of Directors



President - Ha Le Khac, ISEC Business Development

Vice President - Kelly Coogan, McCarthy Building Companies Sr. Project Manager

Treasurer - LaDrena Dansby, Vanir Construction Management Project Director/Associate

Secretary - Marie Patterson, Murray Company Preconstruction Manager

Director (Events) - Christina Greystone, ISEC Senior Project Engineer

Director (Fundraising) - Melissa Berg, Dome Construction Associate Director

Director (Membership) - Stacie McConnell, ISEC Operations Manager

Director (Social Media) - Jennifer Lauritzen, Swinerton Project Executive

Cindell concluded her anniversary presentation with this call to action for its members and the construction community: WiOPS is helping increase the participation of a diverse talent. Yet, there are more reasons than it is the right thing to do. Our industry needs the talent in the worker pool if for no other reason than to achieve the goals set by every company here tonight. You need this talent in your organization, and you need them engaged, motivated and succeeding. As we go forward, recognize all voices are required to generate change and to help our industry lead the change.

About WiOPS

The mission of WiOPS is to advance women in construction operations positions and mentor future leaders in the industry. Through mentorship, education and networking, WiOPS is dedicated to establishing a platform to share its goals and explore solutions to the unique challenges women encounter. WiOPS promotes hard work, commitment and integrity to maintain a professional network of construction leaders today and tomorrow. Based in in Newport Beach, Calif., the organization has two chapters. Its Southern California Chapter was formed in January 2013 and Northern California Chapter in January 2018. The organization holds free monthly meetings open to both men and women. For more information about WiOPS, or to sign up to attend a WiOPS event, visit https://womeninoperations.com/.
(Feb. 26, 2018)  Where were you on September 11, 2001? Dr. Gregory Fried was there on the ground, in his official role as an Executive Chief Surgeon with the New York Police Department. He was tending to the injured when Tower 2 collapsed, burying him in rubble and debris.

The life of a surgeon, and also of one serving the NYPD, is anything but conventional. Dr. Fried shares the responsibilities and rewards of a wide-ranging career in his narrative Life on the Thin Blue Line: Tales of the NYPD Executive Chief Surgeon, revealing insider observations and intriguing details.

Life on the Thin Blue Line is a compelling autobiography that chronicles Dr. Frieds surgical career and his role with the NYPD. He recounts his medical training and residency on the way to becoming a practicing general surgeon, and also the Executive Chief Surgeon for New Yorks finest. Dr. Fried sheds light on the challenges of being an active surgeon accompanied with the fascinating and sometimes tragic experiences of caring for the NYPD.

Dr. Fried deals with working in the late 20th Century in New York City during a stressful period of high crime, new challenges and police trauma. He vividly recounts his personal experiences as a first responder on 9/11. As a result of his efforts, Dr. Fried was the only Police Surgeon to ever be awarded the NYPD Medal for Valor.

Life on the Thin Blue Line is a very personal account of an insiders view of surgery. Its also a revealing look at the unique perspective Dr. Fried had concerning the NYPD, police trauma, and the evolving practices of surgery.

Kirkus review praised the book as a sometimes grisly but compulsively readable look behind the surgeons mask and the authors bone-dry sense of humor helps put even horrific situations into perspective. Overall he remains an optimistic presence

Clarion review says He is relatable, even though he has lived an extraordinary lifeand shares these events with an eagerness and sincerity that is endearing.

Life on the Thin Blue Line: Tales of the NYPD Executive Chief Surgeon

By Gregory Fried

ISBN: 9781480846289 (hardcover) 9781480846272 (softcover) 9781480846296 (ebook)

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Archway Publishing

About the author

Gregory Fried, M.D., F.A.C.S., attended Cornell University and NYU Medical School. He began his career at Bellevue Hospital as a general surgeon and became the Executive Chief Surgeon for the New York Police Department. He was a first responder on 9/11 and was almost killed when the South Tower collapsed. While the terrorist attacks effectively ended his surgical career, he continues to stay active pursuing numerous civic and private interests.

###

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Jacquelyn Brazzale

480 998 2600 x 569

jbrazzale(at)lavidge(dot))com
"We are excited about this unique eight-part video series on the complex world of Medicare," says Anthony P. Solazzo, CEO of e-TeleQuote. "The informative series will be extremely beneficial for consumers who may not be familiar with Medicare or with what their options may be.

easyMedicare.com (http://www.easyMedicare.com), an affiliate of e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc., is excited to announce the launch of their new Medicare Made Easy eight-part video series. Each video includes an informative overview on an important Medicare topic. The series includes specific segments on Original Medicare (Parts A and B), Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap), Medicare eligibility, Annual Open Enrollment, Special Enrollment and Extra Help.

The videos are designed to be short and to the point, lasting only about a minute in length. This is to help keep the information understandable and friendly for the average person who is not familiar with Medicare.

"We are excited about this unique eight-part video series on the complex world of Medicare," says Anthony P. Solazzo, CEO of e-TeleQuote. "The informative series will be extremely beneficial for consumers who may not be familiar with Medicare or with what their options may be. There will be topics discussed such as Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans, Enrollment Periods and more. Our goal as an organization is to continue to be an advocate for the individual consumer, when it comes to understanding and ultimately finding the right Medicare options. We hope that families and individuals alike, will find the series to be of use when the time comes for choosing a Medicare option that is right for them."

The first video is a general overview of how Medicare works. That video can now be found on easyMedicare.coms YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as http://www.easyMedicare.com/medicare-videos. A new video will be released in each of the next seven months. easyMedicare.com encourages people to share the videos with family and friends who currently have, or are in need of a Medicare plan.

About e-TeleQuote and easyMedicare.com

e-TeleQuote Insurance, Inc. the owner and operator of easyMedicare.com, is an independent digital insurance agency providing consumers the ability to purchase Medicare insurance from the comfort of their homes. The company diligently researches available plan options from multiple insurance carriers, helping consumers choose a plan that best suits their needs. e-TeleQuote provides consumers personal consultation through experienced licensed insurance agents who suggest plan coverage options based on a customers particular needs. The company has proudly served tens of thousands of consumers across the United States.
We are so grateful to the students of PS 13Q Clement C. Moore for choosing to help their fellow students and other New Yorkers at risk of hunger.

Imagine Learning, developer of the award-winning Imagine Language & Literacy and Imagine Math digital curriculum, announced today that students across New York City have raised $1,023 for the Food Bank For New York City during the Do Math! Pay It Forward contest.

Imagine Math is a product that allows students across the city to increase their math understanding while making the conscious decision to give to charity. Last fall, New York City students worked on Imagine Math lessons and earned a type of currency called THINK points. Students chose how to spend their points with options ranging from dressing avatars, contributing to class goals, or donating to a charity.

During the donation period, students solved more than 252,000 complex math problems and donated more than 10 million earned math points, which translated to $1,023 for the Food Bank For New York City. This donation is a part of Imagine Learning's charitable giving program, which has raised more than $550,000 for local and national charities since its inception.

The Do Math! Pay It Forward celebration event will take place Tuesday, February 27, at PS 13Q Clement C. Moore Elementary School. This school had the highest percentage of THINK point donations during the fall contest and has been named the Do Math! Pay It Forward Representative School for all of New York City.

One in five children in New York City is at risk of hunger, said Dr. Camesha Grant, Vice President for Community Connection and Reach at Food Bank For New York City. Hunger affects childrens health and their ability to learn. We are so grateful to the students of PS 13Q Clement C. Moore for choosing to help their fellow students and other New Yorkers at risk of hunger. This donation will have an incredible impact and provide more than 5,000 meals to New Yorkers who rely on food pantries and soup kitchens.

Studies show that providing kids the option to donate points to charity, instead of redeeming rewards for themselves, develops decision-making skills, boosts confidence, and lays the groundwork for a lifetime of philanthropic thinking and practice.

About Imagine Learning

Imagine Learning delivers award-winning language, literacy, and mathematics solutions for K12 students, revolutionizing the way kids learn. Students and teachers love Imagine Language & Literacy, Imagine Espanol, Imagine Math Facts, and Imagine Math because they are research-based, data driven, instructionally differentiated, and incredibly fun to use. The Imagine Learning family is dedicated to changing lives and opening doors of opportunity for kids.
Were excited to welcome owners DaVonne and Matt Leber and their team to the Crimson Cup community. Helping entrepreneurs develop unique coffee businesses is a big part of our success as a coffee roaster and coffee shop franchise alternative.

Columbus, Ohio Coffee Roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently welcomed Rustic Joes Coffee House to the group of independent coffee shops, cafes and bakeries it supports in 36 states. The shop at 4983 National Pike in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania was one of 20 new independent coffee shops that opened in 2017 through Crimson Cups 7 Steps to Success coffee franchise alternative program.

Were excited to welcome owners DaVonne and Matt Leber and their team to the Crimson Cup community, said Greg Ubert, founder and president. Helping entrepreneurs develop unique coffee businesses is a big part of our success as a coffee roaster and coffee shop franchise alternative.

Rustic Joes can be found in the main building of Lebers Log Cabins, a family business established in 1932 by Roy and Frances Leber, two Midwest brothers of German decent. They fell in love with Pennsylvanias Laurel Highland Mountains, purchased land and turned local timber into log cabins. Located along scenic Route 40  also known as The National Pike  the cabins and new coffee house are near the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.

The new coffee shop serves a full menu of hot, iced and frozen espresso drinks  including mochas, lattes and cappuccinos  as well as iced coffee and tea, cold-brewed coffee, hot chocolate, fruit smoothies and other custom drinks. Its signature drink is the Rustic Joes Mocha, which melds white chocolate, caramel and steamed milk with an espresso base. A variety of locally baked goods round out the menu. Cupcakes from the Mountain Cupcakery attract customers from all over the area.

The Lebers learned how to open a coffee shop through Crimson Cups 7 Steps to Success coffee shop franchise alternative program. Based on Uberts Book, Seven Steps to Success in the Specialty Coffee Industry, the program has helped hundreds of independent coffee shops develop into thriving businesses over the past 26 years.

As a coffee roaster and coffee shop franchise alternative, Crimson Cup believes that our company only succeeds when our customers do, Ubert said. As a result, we support coffee shop owners at every step  from scouting a great location and writing a coffee shop business plan to planning a menu, choosing equipment, hiring staff and providing comprehensive training.

To support customers ongoing success, we supply award-winning wholesale coffee beans, coffee shop supplies, marketing support and ongoing training, he added. Our coffee-buying team travels more than 45,000 miles annually to bring back the finest coffee beans available to our customers, and our Innovation Lab team works every day to create new and better coffee drinks.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is Roast magazines 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Since 1991, Crimson Cup has roasted sustainably sourced specialty and craft coffee in small batches, which it sells directly to consumers and as wholesale coffee beans. The company also teaches entrepreneurs to run successful coffee houses through its coffee franchise alternative program, which includes a coffee shop business plan. Crimson Cup coffee is available through a community of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 36 states, Guam and Bangladesh, as well as the companys own Crimson Cup Coffee Houses. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.
YUKKA Lab It is exciting to work with a company that shares our passion for news and is successfully using the latest in analytic technology to further the value that newsfeeds can provide the finance industry, shares Brad Scher, NewsEdge President.

News aggregation, distribution and Content-as-a-Service (CaaS) experts, NewsEdge, announces that its premium collection of real-time financial news was chosen by YUKKA Lab to be their provider of choice for the anticipated YUKKA News & Trend Lab platform. YUKKA chose the NewsEdge augmented language intelligence platform to feed their text analytics technology as a real-time resource for global financial news.

For us it is key to have a broad and high-quality offering of professional financial media as the starting point for our augmented language intelligence technology, states Oliver Berchtold, Chief Business Development & Co-Founder of YUKKA Lab. Based on this solid foundation, we precisely quantify the mood for markets, companies and topics enabling us to deliver unique trend signals. And that is why after a thorough benchmark we decided to partner up with NewsEdge as they can deliver exactly what we need: high-quality financial news content with global coverage from a broad range of sources through a single API.

With its roots deep in the financial news industry, NewsEdge has long understood the connection between news and movements in the markets. It is exciting to work with a company that shares our passion for news and is successfully using the latest in analytic technology to further the value that newsfeeds can provide the finance industry, shares Brad Scher, NewsEdge President. YUKKA Lab is providing real insight to its users and we are proud to be a part of it.

NewsEdges news collection has grown to over 18,500 sources from the top brands and trusted resources from web, print and social media. The collection is comprised of global newspapers, press release wires, newswires, press agencies, trade journals, online publishers, industry experts, blogs and curated social media. Through NewsEdges proprietary business taxonomy and categorization tagging, NewsEdge feeds can be filtered for relevancy to match each organizations need making NewsEdge the ideal choice for CaaS requirements.

About NewsEdge

Acquire Media NewsEdge, a NEWSCYCLE Solutions company, provides an advanced technology platform devoted to delivering breaking news and multimedia in formats that make the content usable and searchable for business professionals in need of reliable information. NewsEdge has clients in the digital publishing, corporate and financial services communities who depend on speedy delivery, cutting-edge technology, reliable 24x7 support, and an ability to handle multiple formats. A variety of delivery options are available for content from thousands of news sources. More than half-a-million news articles daily are aggregated and optimized in near-real time to provide valuable insights and intelligence to business leaders throughout the world. On the Web: http://acquiremedia.com.

About NEWSCYCLE Solutions

NEWSCYCLE Solutions is the leading provider of software and services powering the global media industry. Our content management, advertising management, subscription management and mobile solutions help companies drive profitability and accelerate digital business models. With headquarters in Bloomington, MN and regional offices throughout the world, NEWSCYCLE Solutions a trusted partner serving over 10,000 news media, broadcast, magazine, financial services and corporate clients. Please visit http://newscycle.com for more information or write to us at info@newscycle.com
Everyware has redefined customer engagement via two-way text communication Marketing is the new customer service and simple text messages that touch the customer at every point in their customers journey is the key to success. say Larry Talley, President & CEO

Capital Factorys startup ecosystem will provide Everyware with the support and resources for a clear path towards higher profitability and growth. This community is surrounded by a strong network of like-minded founders, mentors and investors who have built, scaled, and sold startups themselves.

Everyware has redefined customer engagement via two-way text communication. The Everyware platform provides businesses the ability to text without ever picking up the phone. Emails get buried in junk mail, just like phone calls go unanswered. Unlike other text messaging companies that use shortcodes and limit communication options, Everyware assigns each business a dedicated messaging number that connects directly to any phone number of their choice.

Using our BOT and AI technology, businesses can respond to customers without human interaction and allow customers to reply back when its convenient for them. New, existing and potential customers will appreciate the businesses non-invasive approach to communication.

A recent study found that 89% of consumers prefer to use messaging when communicating with businesses (Twilio).

Our technology allows businesses to elevate the customer experience by improving speed and efficiency, resulting in increased customer satisfaction levels, says Larry Talley, CEO.

Everyware is taking the Hospitality Industry by storm, by combining messaging along with a secure payment processing platform which is perhaps the most powerful feature. The secure payment processing platform delivers post sale text receipts that open up communication to mitigate chargebacks and refunds.

For example, text messages sent at key moments during a guests stay effectively break down the physical boundaries of communication, while expanding the customer life cycle before, during and after their stay. Businesses that adopt Everywares game-changing technology are able to improve their communication and take customer engagement to the next level.

About Everyware, Inc.

Everyware is raising the bar for better customer communication utilizing text messaging to drive a higher level of customer service for businesses. Our technology simplifies communication by creating a personalized connection that drives loyalty, improves reputation and redefines customer service. Everyware promotes real relationships between businesses and customers using just a mobile number. Visit our website today at everyware.com or Linkedin to see how Everyware can change the way businesses communicate with customers.

About Capital Factory:

Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the best state for startups. Last year more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, programmers and designers gathered day and night, in-person and online for meetups, classes and co-working. We meet the best entrepreneurs in Austin and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2013. For more information, please visit CapitalFactory.com or follow @CapitalFactory on Twitter,
Cover of "Martina Ballerina" by Imelda Rose Sobiloff

Childrens author Imelda Rose Sobiloff has released her captivating new childrens picture book, Martina Ballerina. The story follows a young girl named Martina who loves to dance and wants nothing more than to become a ballerina.

Martinas story of facing a challenge and ultimately overcoming it, will embolden readers to believe in themselves and follow their dreams, while also understanding the importance of discipline and rising to the occasion.

Currently a five-star reviewed book on Amazon, the manuscript for Martina Ballerina won the Supreme award from the Authors/Writers Network of New York and New Jersey in 1989.

I wrote Martina Ballerina nearly 30 years ago when my kids were little. It received an award and I nearly got it publishedbut another ballerina book beat me to it! So, I put it aside and then forgot about it, said Sobiloff. All these years later, my adult children dug it up, worked on it, and for my 60th birthday, presented me with my own book! Over the past year I polished it up with the aid of an illustrator and publisher and it is now ready for readers.

With beautiful illustrations by artist David Pfendler that help showcase Martinas passion for ballet and the lessons she learns along the way, Martina Ballerina will entertain and encourage readers of all ages to follow their dreams. To learn more please visit MartinaBallerina.com.

Martina Ballerina

By Imelda Rose Sobiloff

ISBN: 978-1-4808-5461-1 (sc), 978-1-4808-5462-8 (hc), 978-1-4808-5463-5 (e)

Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Imelda Rose Sobiloff was once a little dancer herself, tapping out dance routines under her desk at school. As a journalist, writer, and editor, Sobiloff used her combined skills to create a delightful story for the youngest of aspiring dancers. Sobiloff knows the importance of giving back to her community and is a supporter of numerous non-profits where she gives annual donations to such as Ronald McDonald House, C.A.R.E. and Habitat for Humanity. She currently resides in Cresskill, New Jersey with her husband Peter, and they have two adult children, Christina and Michael, and a grandson named Aiden.

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Lauren Dickerson

480-998-2600

ldickerson[at]lavidge[dot]com
Pharmaceutical returns service provider, GRx, is excited to announce a new partnership with the Well Care Group in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Well Care Group consists of Well Care Compounding, Long Term Care and MDRx, which is a program that enables physicians and private practices to dispense medication at the point of care. GRx is very pleased to be strategically partnering with the Well Care Group to proactively manage their pharmaceutical returns.

Thank you Well Care for the opportunity to serve your members. We look forward to working together. said Richard Campbell, GRx, Vice President, Sales.

About GRx

With over 30 years experience, GRx has a proactive service strategy to meet your pharmacys needs. They handle physical processing, financial transaction and disposition of expired full, partials, recalls, indated pharmaceutical products with unparalleled accuracy and processing speed.

GRx provides pharmaceutical return services to all pharmacy types. Local GRx on-site service representatives are highly valued by customers for their professionalism, trustworthiness and for "going above and beyond." Business review consultations, inventory management assistance and unbeatable customer service are just a few of the attributes that customers say sets GRx apart.

Contact GRx at 1-800-473-2138, or on LinkedIn.
Since we first launched this product line our goals have been to take our customers feedback and quickly implement it into new options that will meet their need and allow them to grow and improve, states Alex Palm, VP

Berkeley Nucleonics, commercially releases the model 7340, a turn-key, broadband, and complete phase noise testing solution from 5MHz to 40GHz. With both Absolute and Additive measurements, Pulse, Amplitude, High-Drift mode for difficult unstable DUTs, and a comprehensive suite of advanced tools in a compact footprint at a fraction of the size of contemporary instruments, this new BNC model offers the highest size-to-performance and performance-to-price ratios in the industry.

With a PC-driven format and the advantages of reduced size, better reliability, and reduced obsolescence the full line of BNCs Phase Noise Testers are provided with a free intuitive GUI, as well as LabVIEW, C++, and MatLab drivers. In addition to easy and powerful control and access to data, the instrument includes a dedicated ATE Mode which provides very fast measurements for fast throughput in manufacturing environments. Independent testing shows a reduction up to 70% of testing time when compared to other competitors.

Model 7340 Signal Source Analyzer Performance Enhancements:



Broad Frequency Range in a single compact instrument from 5MHz to 40GHz

Measurement offsets from .01Hz to 100MHz

Absolute Phase Noise - High Drift mode (ability to measure modulations, high drifting or unstable DUTs, etc.)

AM (Absolute Amplitude Noise) measurements

Pulsed Measurement Capabilities

Transient Mode: measure WB Frequency, NB Frequency, NB Phase, NB Power (WB/NB being Wide Band and Narrow Band).

Dual channel low-noise integrated power supplies

BNC is proud to offer new capable and cost-effective solutions. Since we first launched this product line our goals have been to take our customers feedback and quickly implement it into new options that will meet their need and allow them to grow and improve, states Alex Palm, VP of Business Dev of Berkeley Nucleonics. We are proud of what we are able to accomplish with this latest release of RF / Microwave equipment options and configurations. No other solution can match our suite of customer solutions.

BNC supports their customers with a standard 3-year warranty, overnight shipments, immediate on-call applications support, flexible customization, and more.

About the Company:

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation is a leading manufacturer of precision electronic instrumentation for test, measurement and nuclear research. BNC has its corporate headquarters in San Rafael, California with several additional manufacturing facilities and sales offices located throughout the United States. Founded in 1963, BNC is a recognized leader in the Test and Measurements field.

In addition to our RF / Microwave signal source line of equipment, BNC offers Phase Noise Test Systems (Signal Source Analyzers) & Real-Time Spectrum Analyzers.

For additional information Microwave / RF instrumentation, please visit https://www.berkeleynucleonics.com/ or call (800) 234-7858
Carnegie Council, Making Ethics Matter Carnegie Council is one of the world's top creators of nonpartisan educational resources on international ethics, used by professionals, journalists, educators, students, and the greater public.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs announces its March current events programs in New York City.

To attend in person, please RSVP. Go to the online calendar at https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/calendar.

Events take place at:

Carnegie Council

170 East 64 Street, New York, NY 10065.

Or watch them as live webcasts here: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/live.

Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations

Amy Chua, Yale Law School

Thursday, March 1, 2018 6:00-7:30 PM ET

Can the United States rediscover a national identity that transcends political tribes? How does a tribal worldview undermine American foreign policy?

The Return of Marco Polo's World: War Strategy and American Interests in the Twenty-first Century

Robert D. Kaplan, Center for a New American Security

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 8:00-9:15 AM ET

China has proposed a land-and-maritime Silk Road that duplicates exactly Marco Polo's route in the 13th century. How is this changing America's ability to influence the power balance in the region?

Anti-Pluralism: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy

William A. Galston, Brookings Institution

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 8:00-9:15 AM ET

Does the recent rise of populism represent a corrective to unfair policies or is it a threat to liberal democracy itself? What should our political leaders do to respond to this crisis?

ABOUT CARNEGIE COUNCIL

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an educational, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that produces lectures, publications, and multimedia materials on the ethical challenges of living in a globalized world. Go to http://www.carnegiecouncil.org
Recent estimates reveal fraudsters are scamming the travel industry out of billions of dollars each yearonline card fraud costs airlines more than $1 billion annually,(1) fake hotel websites swindled Americans out of $3.9 billion(2) and some travel agencies have been hit by tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent bookings.(3) Last October, international law enforcement agencies detained 195 individuals suspected of airline ticket fraud during a five-day sting operation.(1) Monica Eaton-Cardone, an IT executive specializing in risk management and fraud prevention, explains how to identify travel-industry scams and protect against losses.

In January 2016, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that payment fraud cost the travel industry an estimated $858 million per year. Airlines absorbed roughly $639 million of those losses, while travel agents and other travel providers accounted for the remaining $219 million.(4) More recently, the IATA has calculated annual fraud losses to be in excess of $1 billion for air carriers alone.(1) Meanwhile, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) found that the percentage of travelers snared by fraudulent websites nearly quadrupled in just two years, from 6% in 2015 to 22% last year, when scammers racked up 55 million hotel bookings worth almost $4 billion.(2) And though there are no definitive estimates of travel agency losses, a number of individual agents admit they were tricked into processing fraudulent transactions worth $20,000 or more.(3)

Fraudulent travel bookings have become a multi-billion-dollar cash cow for enterprising criminals, warned Eaton-Cardone, who serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Global Risk Technologies and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Chargebacks911. Some book lavish vacations for themselves using purloined credentials; others assume the identity of a real travel agent, use stolen credit cards to book travel arrangements, and resell the flight tickets or vacation package to an unwitting consumer for cashleaving the traveler or agent to suffer the loss. In some cases, travel providers are defrauded by actual customers who complete a trip and then file a chargeback to obtain a full refund of the purchase price.

Below, Eaton-Cardone summarizes her top tips for identifying potential cases of travel fraud and preventing financial losses:

1. Always verify each customers identity. Ensure the travelers details match the name and billing address associated with the credit card, confirm the card verification value (CVV) code and check the users geolocation for online bookings. Keep a sharp eye out for digitally altered identification documents, and use behavioral analytics and/or biometric data when available.

2. Monitor for spoofed websites and social profiles. Make a habit of routinely looking up your business name and/or agents names across multiple search engines and social media sites. If impersonators are setting up virtual shop in your name, you need to shut them down as quickly as possible and warn your customers.

3. Confirm the authenticity of any site or caller asking for personal details or login information. Not only do consumers need to remain vigilant to avoid phony travel websites and scammers seeking to steal their credit card information, but its equally important for travel agents to beware of credential requests from fraudsters pretending to be affiliated with Sabre, IATA or other travel organizations.

4. Be wary of last-minute bookings and today-only travel offers. Swindlers need to act quickly to close a deal before identity-theft victims realize their credentials or credit card details have been stolen. They often lure customers with cut-rate, book-now, cash-only offers, or they try to pressure agents into processing rush bookings for travel just a few days out with the promise of a hefty commission.

5. Use automated rules to flag suspicious transactions and human insights to validate them. Automated systems can help businesses identify potential cases of fraud, but they can also result in false positives that cause legitimate bookings to be declined. Missed fraud and false positives are both detrimental to the bottom line; human analysis can be one of the most effective ways to differentiate between them.

6. Employ machine learning and software algorithms to detect new fraud tactics. Fraudsters continually search out weaknesses and experiment with new strategies to exploit them. To keep pace with scammers, its important for fraud systems to be able to quickly identify patterns and respond to them in real-time.

7. Seek a partner with expertise in fraud prevention and chargeback management. Most travel companies are primarily focused on travel logistics and customer service, which means combating fraud and fighting disputes often fall by the wayside. Businesses that fail to devote sufficient resources to these tasks can take a severe financial hit, which is why many find that a partner with proven expertise in these areas delivers an exceptional return on investment (ROI).

There are many proactive measures travel companies can take to protect themselves against fraud; the examples listed here are just a starting point, noted Eaton-Cardone. I urge businesses and travel agents to take the initiative to educate themselves on anti-fraud best practices, emerging scams, and blacklisted domains and individuals. I would also advise them to partner with an experienced specialist who leverages advanced technology and human insights to help them minimize fraud loss, improve dispute win rates and retain more hard-earned revenue.

Monica Eaton-Cardone welcomes the opportunity to discuss fraud prevention and tactical chargeback representment at travel industry conferences and events. She has been a featured panelist at the annual IATA World Financial Symposium, Airline & Travel Payments Summit and Travel Fraud Symposium, and is also available for interviews and future speaking engagements. For more information, visit http://monicaec.com.

About Monica Eaton-Cardone:

Monica Eaton-Cardone is an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, author and industry thought leader who is internationally recognized for her expertise in risk management, chargeback mitigation, fraud prevention and merchant education. Eaton-Cardone found her calling as an entrepreneur when she sold her first business at the age of 19. She later became an eCommerce merchant; and after grappling with chargebacks and fraud, she took it upon herself to develop a comprehensive, robust solution that combined agile technologies and human insights. Today, Eaton-Cardones innovations are helping thousands of organizations achieve sustainable growth, and she continues to pioneer loss-prevention best practices as CIO of Global Risk Technologies and COO of Chargebacks911. Eaton-Cardone is a champion of women in IT and business leadership, and aims to inspire the next generation of young innovators through her nonprofit organization, Get Paid for Grades. Get to know her at http://monicaec.com.

1. Europol. 195 Individuals Detained as a Result of Global Crackdown on Airline Ticket Fraud; press release issued October 24, 2017.

2. American Hotel & Lodging Association. New Research Reveals Online Hotel Booking Scams Are on the Rise, Duping Consumers, Translating to Nearly $4 Billion Each Year; press release issued June 14, 2017.

3. Rosen, Cheryl. Travel Agent Loses $20,000 to Fraud; Travel Market Report; February 28, 2017.

4. International Air Transport Association. News Brief: Reducing Fraudulent Payment Transactions; Par Excellence Magazine; press release issued January 7, 2016.
Karen Kent holding Joia a 48 x 36 mixed media painting. Photo by Daniel Samperi Its the essence, the heart, the soul of the owls I love to capture.

IntoBirds, an online magazine, community, and resource for all things birds connected with Karen Kent, to profile this incredibly gifted artist from Fairfield, Connecticut, who has soared to new artistic heights with The Majestic Owl series.

Kent, who has painted 35 of the 216 owl species, has a gift for capturing the owls true essence, as she describes, the owls heart and soul, in her paintings.

The amazing part is that Kent doesnt even know what kind of owl shes painting.

I have no idea what kind of owl Im painting. Its not what Im after. I like that other people know. To me, its the essence, the heart, the soul of the owls I love to capture, says Karen Kent.

IntoBirds first learned about Kents work when she exhibited her owl series this past fall at the Greenwich Audubon Society in Greenwich, Connecticut.

As soon as we saw Kents first piece titled Courage of a beautiful European Eagle Owl and its flaming orange glowing eyes, we knew we were in for a treat, says Renee Hewitt co-founder, and editor-in-chief of intoBirds. Kents funny and playful owl series is incredible, and we wanted to learn more about her inspiration for this outstanding series to share with everyone who loves birds and art as much as we do.

Every owl Kent paints have a fantastic story behind it. And each has a unique name.

But her motivation to paint this owl series is even more remarkable.

People who love owls, birds, nature, art, creating or who just enjoy a good human interest story will resonate with Karen Kents art.

Read intoBirds profile about Karen Kent here.

People who enjoy bird watching, appreciate birds, bird photos or reading fascinating stories about birds should visit http://www.intobirds.com.

About IntoBirds IntoBirds is an online magazine, community, and resource for all things birds based in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Whether its nature, art, architecture, engineering, literature, film or fashion, birds inspire creative minds to reach for the skies.

Whatever you call yourself: a bird watcher, bird enthusiast or just love birds, we all share a common trait: we are into birds.

Learn more and follow IntoBirds at http://www.intobirds.com , @intobirds, and #intobirds.
Bringing DealVectors information and connectivity to our LoanConnector and LPC Collateral users is an important step forward to deliver greater transparency and communication to the loan and CLO markets, said Mike Lavin, Global Head, Capital Markets Insight, Thomson Reuters.

Thomson Reuters and DealVector have partnered to integrate access to certain DealVector identity-protected messaging capabilities with Thomson Reuters Loan Pricing Corporation (LPC) desktop products. The integration will enable LPC clients viewing CLO and loan data to connect to holders of those specific assets.

Thomson Reuters LPC is a premier global provider of information on the syndicated loan and CLO markets. DealVector is the fixed income electronic asset registry which allows market participants to source liquidity, communicate, and exercise governance rights by connecting directly to other market players affiliated with a specific bond, loan, or other financial asset.

In addition to being able to connect on an asset-specific basis to holders in the DealVector Network from LPCs LoanConnector and LPC Collateral products, LPC clients can receive notifications of outstanding corporate actions and recent pricing activity on loans and bonds through DealVector. DealVector clients will be able to extend their reach with a network of networks effect, as messages posted to bondholders on the DealVector Network will now also have the ability to reach LPC clients. DealVector members will receive access to certain key LPC data fields to facilitate detailed filtering for bonds that come out for bid or offer on DealVectors BondTalk liquidity platform and may receive news alerts from LPC that could impact their holdings.

Bringing DealVectors information and connectivity to our LoanConnector and LPC Collateral users is an important step forward to deliver greater transparency and communication to the loan and CLO markets, said Mike Lavin, Global Head, Capital Markets Insight, Thomson Reuters. This furthers Thomson Reuters commitment to enhance the capabilities we deliver to our clients through partnerships and collaboration.

This partnership and integration with LPC is the first step in our Network of Networks strategy to deliver greater market connectivity, facilitate introductions, and to make data more immediately actionable, and therefore valuable, said Mike Manning, CEO and Co-Founder of DealVector. We look forward to working together with Thomson Reuters and their clients to develop additional features.

By providing a platform to communicate with noteholders and other deal parties, DealVector seeks to drive efficiencies in corporate actions, new issuance, surveillance, and governance. DealVectors ultimate goal is to create a market that is more resilient, transparent, and attractive to a wider range of investors.

Since 1985, Thomson Reuters LPC has been a premier information supplier to the syndicated loan market, providing extensive global loan pricing and editorial coverage, plus comprehensive data and analysis. LPCs publications, end of day valuations, online news, analysis and interactive databases are used daily by banks, asset managers and more to drive valuation, syndication, trading, research, and portfolio management activities.

Thomson Reuters LPCs CLO offering, LPC Collateral, provides a broad view of the CLO market, with detailed data and analytics on the underlying loans including exposure and overlap analysis, market value, trade history and more from a single platform. To learn more visit loanpricing.com.

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About DealVector

Founded in 2012, the DealVector network connects fixed income professionals directly to authenticated, non-public holders of specific assets quickly and securely, helping to enable a more transparent and efficient market. With more than $2T in deal value, 1100+ firms, and over 680,000 deals loaded on its award-winning platform, DealVector provides an online global asset registry and communications platform for the $100 trillion fixed income market, empowering issuers, investors, advisors and brokers to efficiently address governance and restructuring issues, improve market surveillance, conduct price discovery, and source illiquid assets. For more information, visit dealvector.com.
Mohit (Moe) Nagpal, appointed chief operating officer of Pro Mujer.

Pro Mujer, a leading womens development organization in Latin America, today announced the appointment of Mohit (Moe) Nagpal as chief operating officer. Nagpal brings to Pro Mujer more than 27 years of experience in business operations, strategic planning, technology deployment and business development across industries that include healthcare, banking, education and technology.

Nagpal has extensive experience implementing and deploying large-scale strategic programs, overseeing international teams through the fulfilment of complex plans, including change management across functions and geographies. At Pro Mujer, Moe will be involved with all aspects of running, improving and expanding the enterprise, including strategic planning and special programs. Reporting to him will be the Human Resources, Information Technology and Marketing and Communications Teams.

Pro Mujer President & CEO Maria Cavalcanti comments, I have full confidence in Moes ability to lead us towards sustainable, strategic growth. Moe, who brings an impressive proven record growing businesses, will be a key leader driving the implementation of our organizations strategic plan, focusing on improving efficiency, better utilizing technology and data, and designing innovative and technology-enabled program solutions in financial inclusion, health, entrepreneurship and digital literacy.

Prior to joining Pro Mujer, Nagpal served as vice-president of business operations at Hewlett-Packard, where he played a key role in the merger of CSC and the Enterprise Services business of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Afterwards, he served as executive director for client, account and business operations of DXC Technology, leading business operations, strategic planning and transformation. I am really excited about working for a Social Enterprise with a mission to break the cycle of poverty and provide healthcare as well as digital education opportunities to those that most need it. I am looking forward to working with the teams and the Board, to take the services to the next level of excellence and grow the impact on the communities.

Nagpal will report to Cavalcanti and serve as a member of Pro Mujers Executive Team.

About Pro Mujer

Founded in 1990, Pro Mujer is a mission-driven social enterprise whose mandate is to become a large-scale, sustainable platform that delivers relevant and transformative resources and tools to women in Latin America throughout their life cycle. Pro Mujer serves roughly 300,000 clients and patients, and operates across five countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Mexico and Peru. Pro Mujer offers financial, health and educational services and is expanding its offerings to include digital literacy, gender-based violence prevention, family planning, job creation and entrepreneurial services. (http://www.promujer.org)
A timeline was announced today for the seamless transition of leadership for one of Indianas most successful providers of services for people with disabilities.

Opportunities for Positive Growth, in 2018 celebrating its 20 years of improving the lives of thousands of families across Indiana, will on February 26 formally notify its board that by spring 2019 that Gail and Dan Kahl will have wrapped up turning over leadership to its employees, a move that validates the many Indianapolis Star awards the company has won for creating a nurturing and rewarding workplace.

We have a great sense of reassurance about this crucial handoff, given that we have had multiple years to plan this succession, said Gail Kahl, who started OPG as a one-person operation based in suburban Indianapolis that has for years been serving peoples needs in their homes and in the community.

The Kahls transferred 100% stock ownership via an ESOP to the employees in 2010. Employee ownership of companies is an increasingly relied-on model across the United States. This option, known as ESOPs, has 15 million participants across more than 9,600 companies, according to the National Center for Employee Ownership.

Gail Kahl added that for her and Dan Kahl, her husband and business partner, an ESOP allows them to relish in what we feel like is our final lap, and we can now enter the easiest year for us.

Dan Kahl said that watching the employee-owned plan become reality at OPG has been gratifying.

The neat thing is that in these eight years we have risen to 133 employees in the plan (of a 220 employee company), he said. Thats pretty amazing. Thats a very successful level of participation. The employees are now seeing a new benefit to their hard work. This process has been very beneficial for everybody. Its a good plan.

Kristen Palmer has been employed with OPG for 13 years and finds it entirely logical that the Kahls would turn to an ESOP for new ownership.

Ive always felt supported by Dan and Gail, Palmer said. Gail in particular, she always wanted to know what we needed from her, and then she would do the job that we needed so I and others could provide for the OPG families who counted on our services.

While the Kahls are sure to be missed, Palmer said, she is enthused that her colleagues are taking over, saying, I am comforted that the Kahls turned to us at this time to run OPG. I would have felt uneasy had they sold the company and you have questions like, Who is in charge? and What are they going to do with the company.? 

Nancy Macaluso of Kokomo has relied on OPG from its very beginnings to make a better life for her 41-year-old son, Marty, who has Down Syndrome and some autistic traits.

Macaluso said that OPG for the past 20 years has allowed Marty to have a degree of independence she never thought possible.

We had him hospitalized when he was young for mental treatment, she said. He was a wild man.

But thanks to the consistency brought to Martys life and finding the right people to care for him, she can declare her son an emancipated adult who is working at a preschool doing light maintenance, gaining more hours on the job and new responsibilities.

As I tell everyone, my first concern is safety, said Macaluso, who retains legal authority over her sons medical and financial affairs. When you are the parent of a special-needs person, you want them to be safe. And I trust this company so much that I dont need to be involved in the day-to-day stuff.

As Gail Kahl looks back on these past 20 years and the final steps toward employee ownership for OPG, she said, I cherish the long relationships weve had with people, their family members and their extended family members and joined in their celebrations. And then fold into that all the employees who have joined OPG since I began the company.

I dont know what could be more rewarding as we celebrate our 20th anniversary this year than to sit back and remember all the different successes the families and OPGs employees have been had and will continue to experience for years to come.

About Opportunities for Positive Growth

Opportunities for Positive Growth, Inc. is a human services agency whose mission is to inspire people in the pursuit of a rewarding life. Through self-directed services, behavior supports, employment services and music therapy, Opportunities for Positive Growth focuses on a persons skill development to improve his or her quality of life. Opportunities for Positive Growth serves more than 1000 individuals and their families in Indianapolis, Lafayette, Kokomo, Ft Wayne, Marion, Merrillville and the surrounding communities. OPG, Inc. is nationally accredited by the Council on Quality and Leadership at the highest level being Person-Centered Excellence with Distinction. As a national leader in Shared Values defined that people who receive OPG's services determine the design of the supports and how best to use resources. Our culture is one of collaboration, excellence and innovation. It has been chosen by The Indianapolis Star as a Top Work Place in 2009, 2010, 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015 and 2017. For more information go to http://www.opgrowth.com/

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Staff members from Portable Restroom Trailers attended the show to learn what's new in restroom trailers and restroom rentals. "The WWETT Show is like no other for the Portable Restroom Industry, said Teri Pahon, Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC President.

Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC attended the 38th Annual WWett Conference and Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show (WWETT) is the world's largest annual trade show for environmental service professionals. With a team of 8 attendees, Portable Restroom Trailers had the opportunity to network with over 600 exhibitors, explore new innovations, and research changes to ADA laws that will impact the portable restroom and restroom rental industry.

New Technologies for Restroom Trailers and Restroom Rentals

The WWETT Expo gave Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC the opportunity to explore cutting edge developments in the industry, from a completely lowering ADA trailer to new advancements in remote monitoring technology. The newly debuted completely lowering ADA trailer featured transmission fluid instead of hydraulic fluid for the lowering mechanism, which can get thick and gum up the system in cold weather. The new ADA restroom trailer also provides easy ramp access to the ADA restroom, along with a revolutionary folding ramp. The ADA Ramp handrails fold right up into the ramp, raises and secures for transport. The new ADA technology will change and set a new standard in the portable restroom and restroom rental industry.

This years conference introduced several new manufacturers, as well as potential partnerships in Australia. One new manufacturer is already building laundry trailers for Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC and more. The manufacturer sources custom made parts with incredible precision and workmanship. We look forward to these new partnerships and new possibilities in the future.

New App Streamlines Restroom Rental Business

The Smarter Restroom App is an interactive tool that allows portable restroom rental fleet owners to remotely monitor and control operational systems from a smartphone, tablet or computer. Specifically, it sends the user alert notifications when waste and freshwater tank levels are  full or empty, causing the unit will be out of service shortly. The app detects and controls shore power, interior climate temperatures, and up-to-date weather conditions, giving units winter protection from freezing temperatures. With pre-determined geo-zones, rental fleet managers view where trailers are located on a map. If a unit travels outside of the set geo-zone, the manager is notified, providing added security and peace of mind.

This year, Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC is updating the app by adding new features; such as, remote door lock and thermal occupancy sensing capabilities. The two revolutionary features will allow the restroom rental fleet manager to secure multiple trailers without being onsite with the swipe of a button from a smartphone or tablet. The thermal occupancy sensing will also provide restroom rental fleet owners a better picture of occupation and when it is ok to lock the restrooms. For the future, Portable Restroom Trailers are also looking into directing restroom traffic flow and sending attendees to shorter lines and open portable restrooms nearby at large outdoor events. We are very excited about these innovations.

The WWETT Show is like no other for the Portable Restroom Industry, said Teri Pahon, Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC President. New innovative technology is debuted, all the manufactures are in one location, and we learn of new regulations and laws in the works for our industry. We always learn a lot and share a lot. See you next year!

For more information about Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC and the Smarter Restrooms App, please contact Portable Restroom Trailers Operations Manager, Teri Pahon at 877-600-8645 or Teri@PortableRestroomTrailers.com.

About Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC:

Since 2007, Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC has been working with companies, municipalities, government organizations, and individuals to purchase or rent high-quality portable restrooms. We are the only company that offers clients over seven manufacturers to choose from, providing the best value, quality, affordable solution. We serve clients domestically and internationally, delivering the best portable restrooms to fit the clients needs. For more information on this unique solution call us at: 888-998-7443 or visit us online at: http://www.portablerestroomtrailers.com
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nations largest military officers association with more than 350,000 members from every branch of uniformed service. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization.

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Announces 2018 Award Recipients

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will present its annual awards to six people who have made outstanding contributions in support of the military community. The awards will be presented at an April event on Capitol Hill; all awardees are expected to attend.

2018 Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award

U.S. Reps. Martha McSally (R) and Kyrsten Sinema (D), both of Arizona, will receive MOAAs 2018 Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award for their strong leadership advocacy to sustain our nations all-volunteer force. McSally is a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, and Sinema is a member of the Financial Services Committee. The Marix Award is named for the retired Marine Corps colonel who founded MOAA in 1929. It is presented annually to members of Congress who distinguish themselves in protecting the rights and interests of uniformed services members, their families, and survivors.

We selected Representatives McSally and Sinema because of their committee contributions in support of military servicemembers, veterans, and their families in the past and what we hope to see more of in the future, said retired Army Col. Mike Barron, MOAAs government relations director for currently serving and retired affairs.

2018 Distinguished Service Award

Tim Barone, president and CEO of Arizona-based Vantage Mobility International, and Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company, will receive MOAAs Distinguished Service Award. Barone will receive the award for Vantage Mobility Internationals work helping thousands of disabled veterans achieve independence and mobility, while Johnsons award recognizes Starbucks Coffee Companys continued support in the hiring of veterans and military spouses. The award recognizes organizations or individuals not in Congress who have greatly aided people who served in the U.S. armed forces.

Tim Barone and Vantage Mobility International are helping wounded service members reclaim independence, said MOAAs president and CEO, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins. That impacts every aspect of their lives.

Veteran unemployment is always on MOAAs radar, Atkins said. Starbucks Coffee Company is taking a stand where it can, in the way it can, to help with that. I am proud to honor Kevin Johnson and Starbucks with the 2018 Distinguished Service Award.

2018 Colonel Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award

Jorge Rueda, formerly with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and Samantha Gonzalez, with the House Veterans Affairs Committee, will receive MOAAs 2018 Colonel Paul W. Arcari Meritorious Service Award. Rueda is being recognized for his advocacy on veterans issues, and Gonzalez is being recognized for her advocacy to sustain veterans health care. The Arcari award, which honors congressional staff members who have made significant contributions to the uniformed services community, is named for the retired officer who led MOAAs Government Relations Department from 1990 until 2001.

Veterans issues  health care, employment, earned benefits, retirement  are among MOAAs top goals, MOAA Vice President of Government Relations and retired Air Force Col. Dan Merry said. We cannot overlook the efforts of those who are working with us to achieve those goals.

MOAA has awarded the Marix and Distinguished Service awards since 1997. Past recipients of the Marix Award include Sens. Lindsay Graham, John McCain, and Jim Webb; past recipients of the Distinguished Service Award include Tom Brokaw, Toby Keith, and retired Army Gen. Colin Powell. The Arcari award recognizing congressional staff members was first awarded in 2000. For more information about MOAA, please visit http://www.moaa.org.

About MOAA:

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nations largest military officers association with more than 350,000 members from every branch of uniformed service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization and an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families in every stage of their lives and careers, and for those who are not eligible to join MOAA, Voices for Americas Troops is a nonprofit MOAA affiliate that supports a strong national defense. For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org or http://www.voicesfortroops.org.
Mainspire Joins NC RIoT as Sponsor Mainspire's sponsorship of RIoT is a perfect fit, and we look forward to joining the group for events across the country, spreading education and the vision of a future where the way we work, live and play is transformed by the power of IoT.

Mainspire, a leading global IoT and big data marketing firm, today announced that it is joining some of the world's leading IoT companies as a sponsor of NC RIoT (North Carolina Regional Internet of Things), an IoT networking hub, bringing together academia, government and industry to create the future of IoT.

"When I first met RIoT, I was incredibly impressed with their organization, professionalism and dedication to our common mission to advance the Internet of Things, not only in North Carolina, but worldwide," commented Mainspire's founder, Sarah LaLiberte. "It didn't take me long to decide that this was an organization that would have a major impact and we wanted to be involved. Our sponsorship of RIoT is a perfect fit, and we look forward to joining the group for events across the country, spreading education and the vision of a future where the way we work, live and play is transformed by the power of IoT."

"Mainspire's participation from New England is a great example of the power of networking and the opportunities RIoT creates," added Larry Steffann, Founder of RIoT. "We strive to create a community that captures IoT opportunities locally, nationally, and globally, and having Mainspire and others fly in to participate in our events means that we are making a global impact locally. Support from sponsors like Mainspire means a lot to our more than 5,000 members and we encourage anyone in IoT to check out what RIoT has to offer."

RIoT's Executive Director, Tom Snyder, added, "the timing of Mainspire's sponsorship is particularly exciting as we announce their participation in parallel with launching a new RIoT Accelerator Program. Startups that join this program get support from all of our sponsors and the RIoT ecosystem, motivated to help grow great companies."

Mainspire will be joining this week's RIoT Kick-Off Event: Security & Blockchain held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at The Rickhouse Distillery in Durham, NC. Mainspire Founder Sarah LaLiberte will be on-hand with an informational booth to discuss the topic as well as IoT, big data, and other related technology. Tickets are available here.

In conjunction with the RIoT event, this week Mainspire will spend time at RIoT Labs, a hardware, wireless and software prototyping lab with all the tools for full-stack IoT prototyping, and The Wireless Research Center, a world-class non-profit testing and research facility located in the Research Triangle.

To learn more about Mainspire's full-service marketing support for companies in IoT, big data, smart home/cities, or related technologies, please visit http://www.mainspire.com.

About NC RIoT

RIoT represents a network of technologists, engineers, business leaders, academics, policy makers, and entrepreneurs, all of whom have a stake in the Internet of Things industry. The Internet of Things is here, and it's growing. Our mission is to create a community that captures IoT opportunities locally, nationally, and globally. Companies ranging from startups to corporate heavyweights meet to exchange ideas, learn new technologies, and create new opportunities for themselves and their business. RIoT's mission is to formalize the Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest, and Chapel Hill region as a global hub for IoT innovation. http://www.ncriot.org

About Mainspire

Mainspire is an innovative and forward-thinking full-service global marketing agency specializing in IoT and big data. Established in 2014, we understand that good ideas don't automatically get attention, and strive to deliver results for our clients. Unlike other marketing agencies, we see the big picture and recognize that marketing doesn't happen in a vacuum: our programs combine best marketing practices with sales enablement and business strategy. Contact us at http://www.mainspire.com

###

Contact:

Sarah LaLiberte

Founder/Owner

Mainspire

+1 978.502.8558

sarah(at)mainspire(dot)com

Tom Snyder

Executive Director

RIoT

tom(at)ncriot(dot)org
Intellitec Solutions announced today that they have become a business member of LeadingAge PA, an association of 400 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging. LeadingAge PA advocates at the State and Local level throughout Pennsylvania to advance policies and practices that support, enable and empower people to live fully as they age.

"We are pleased to support this exceptional organization that is critical to the success of the long term care organizations we support on Microsoft Dynamics GP and Sage Intacct." said Rick Sommer, president of Intellitec Solutions. "Our involvement with LeadingAge PA is a great way for us to stay in touch with the issues facing our clients and the industry as a whole."

LeadingAge PA monitors and keeps its membership informed of governmental proposals affecting the delivery of health care, social services and housing for the aging. Their membership is comprised of not-for-profit nursing homes, continuing care retirement communities, senior housing facilities, assisted living and personal care residences, and community service providers, that serve more than 65,000 persons in facility-based settings and tens of thousands more in their own homes or other community settings.

About Intellitec Solutions

Intellitec Solutions is a leading ERP and CRM provider strategically located along the influential business corridor between Washington and Philadelphia. Specializing in Microsoft Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, Dynamics 365 and Sage Intacct, they have conducted thousands of engagements helping companies in diverse industries choose and implement software solutions to improve financial or customer relationship management. Using a proven system designed to maximize efficiency and business insight, Intellitec Solutions team of seasoned professionals provides value-added expertise to their clients. For more information or to schedule a demo of our solutions, please visit http://www.intellitecsolutions.com or call 866-504-4357

All products mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Intellitec Solutions, based in Wilmington, DE, will host their fifteenth annual spring Microsoft Dynamics User Group on May 22nd at the Chase Center on the Riverfront. Hosted semi-annually, the Intellitec Solutions User Group is the Mid-Atlantics longest running partner led forum for end users of Microsoft Dynamics. Fueled by the success of past sessions, the latest updates to Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL, more than 125 clients are expected.

We are seeing a lot of interest among clients for this springs User Group, said Rick Sommer, President of Intellitec Solutions. Its great to see so many of our valued clients in attendance, and to see so many gain the knowledge they need to do their job.

This years agenda will feature separate tracks for Microsoft Dynamics SL and Microsoft Dynamics GP. Among the highlights for Dynamics SL will be a look at recently released features, Tips & Tricks and several other training topics. Highlights for the Dynamics GP sessions will include new features in GP, as well as a look at key 3rd party software. There will also be Tips & Tricks, highlights from Microsoft events, as well as other training.

In addition to the presentations, there will be networking time for clients to interact with other users of Microsoft Dynamics, a chance to meet one on one with Intellitec staff. Clients interest in attending should contact Intellitec Solutions at 866-504-4357, or visit the registration page.

About Intellitec Solutions

Intellitec Solutions is a leading ERP and CRM provider strategically located along the influential business corridor between Washington and Philadelphia. Specializing in Dynamics GP, Dynamics SL, Microsoft CRM and Sage Intacct, they have conducted thousands of engagements helping companies in diverse industries choose and implement software solutions to improve financial or customer relationship management. Using a proven system designed to maximize efficiency and business insight, Intellitec Solutions team of seasoned professionals provides value-added expertise to their clients. For more information or to schedule a demo of our solutions, please visit http://www.intellitecsolutions.com or call 866-504-4357

All products mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Inside, the old cell walls bear the hand scratched messages of former inmates, who marked off the time they served and recorded their misgivings.

If the walls of the Franklin County Old Jail could talk, the Franklin County Visitors Bureau is sure it would want to hear the stories. Located at 175 East King Street in Chambersburg PA, the Old Jail celebrates 200 years in 2018.

Built in 1818 as Franklin Countys third jail, the propertys exterior appearance illustrates the balance and proportion of Georgian architecture. Inside, the old cell walls bear the hand scratched messages of former inmates, who marked off the time they served and recorded their misgivings. The jail housed debtors, thieves, and murderers. The gallows sit in the limestone exercise year and reach back to a time when hangings were social gatherings. By 1920, it became inactive.

Over the years, folklore retells that the Old Jail housed freedom seekers within its walls. It definitely secured John Cook, one of John Browns conspirators, before he was transported to Charles Town for his trial and, in the end, his hanging. Just a few years later, in 1862, the Old Jail stood as J.E.B Stuart burned the nearby shops of the Cumberland Valley Railroad and raided its warehouses. As Civil War continued in 1863, it stood unharmed when Robert E. Lee and 70,000 Confederate soldiers headquartered blocks away in the center of town before heading east to Gettysburg. A year later, it was again left untouched as the flames of Tiger John McCauslands burning of Chambersburg destroyed the majority of the town.

In 1971, after serving more than 150 years as the Franklin County Jail, the Old Jail was retired. Today, the physical property houses the Franklin County Historical Society, which is responsible for maintaining the historic property and sharing the history that happened in and around the building. In addition to serving as a museum house, the it houses a genealogy archive.

The Old Jail holds history, is history, and makes history in 2018.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, and fresh foods. Experience the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more. Plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060.
Denny Sanford (left) and Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the San Diego-based National University System., at the 2014 launch of the Sanford Education Center.

The Sanford Harmony program, which is reaching more than 1 million PreK-6 students through a university network led by the private, nonprofit National University System, has been recognized as a leader in social emotional learning by the nations pre-eminent organization that evaluates such programs, the Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Only a select number of evidence-based programs achieve recognition after undertaking the organizations rigorous evaluation process, and the achievement affirms the Sanford Harmony programs dedication to student success.

Sanford Harmony , now included as a SELect program in CASELs listing of Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs, offers a comprehensive toolkit of lessons and activities that encourage the development of skills in communication, collaboration, and mutual respect among all children. The program, which addresses CASELs five core social emotional learning competencies, aligns with research findings that these approaches support student academic achievement and positive outcomes; It is being offered at no cost to nonprofit organizations and schools  including some of the largest districts in the country - thanks to the generous support of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, the visionary of the program. In recognition of the program's successful expansion efforts, Mr. Sanford is scheduled to visit a New York City school Feb. 27 that is implementing the program.

We are so very pleased to earn this recognition from CASEL, which affirms the high quality standards of the Sanford Harmony program and provides teachers and educators access to proven social emotional learning approaches that strengthen student development and achievement, said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the National University System. We are particularly grateful and honored to offer this program at no cost to students, teachers and nonprofit schools, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Sanford, one of Americas greatest philanthropists.

The recognition aligns with a national evaluation of Sanford Harmony, which was conducted independently from the CASEL process, by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and that supports the wide-scale adaptability of the program. Said National University President Dr. David Andrews: The recognition by CASEL and exploration by other researchers reflects our dedication to ensuring the ongoing advancement Sanford Harmony program and our commitment to the programs positive impact.

The initiative is being advanced through a network of universities coordinated through the National University System, including National University that houses one of the Top Ten largest schools of education in the country. Universitys Sanford College of Education prepares more teachers for credentials than any other university in the state of California and it is nationwide the third largest conveyer of masters degrees in education. Universities that have joined the National University System as part of the expansion effort to regions around the country include City University of Seattle, which is also part of the National University System, Long Island University, Touro College, Bellevue University, Texas A & M International, City University of Seattle, South Dakota State University, Nova Southeastern University, East Carolina University, University of South Dakota, and Northwestern College.

Based on Mr. Sanford's desire to improve relationships among children into adulthood, Sanford Harmony supports positive peer interactions through a comprehensive, research-based toolkit of lessons and activities that includes grade-specific plans, storybooks, and other resources. Online resources are also available in Spanish and through a Sanford Harmony mobile app, Sanford SEL. The program programs successful expansion has been supported through public and private donations totaling about $70 million, with about $30 million from Mr. Sanford, and $10 million from National University.

The program is available to public, charter and private schools, and it is being expanded to some of the largest school districts in the country, including New York City; Houston; San Antonio; Sacramento, Calif; Clark County, Nevada; Broward County, Florida, and Los Angeles, Calif. The program is also being advanced through organizations such as Magnet Schools of America, Las Vegas After-School All-Stars, LAs Best After School Enrichment, LA All Stars, Dallas YMCA, and Best Buddies International.

We have consistently heard from teachers and educators around the country about how pleased they are to see the results of Sanford Harmony in their classrooms, said Scott Page, Executive Director of the Sanford Education Programs through National University System. Receiving this recognition from CASEL is an honor, and it demonstrates our commitment to holding the highest standards of excellence in social emotional learning.

Criteria used by CASEL to review social and emotional learning programs includes demonstrating comprehensive approaches for promoting students development across five core social-emotional competencies, with an emphasis on consistency, quality, training/support, and with at least one carefully conducted evaluation that includes a comparison group and that demonstrates a significantly positive impact on student behavioral outcomes.

About the National University System

The National University System is a network of accredited nonprofit education institutions serving higher education and K-12 students that includes National University, John F. Kennedy University, City University of Seattle, and the Division of Pre-College Programs. Established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and demands of education in the 21st Century, the network's complementary universities offer pathways for students to attain professional and terminal degrees through quality and innovative programs delivered in a format that is flexible to the needs of adult learners. The anchor institution, National University, was founded in in 1971 and is among the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in California with more than 150,000 alumni. For more information on the National University System: https://www.nusystem.org/

About the Sanford Education Center and Programs

The Sanford Education Center at National University was established in 2014 through the generous support of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to provide innovative programs in the nonprofit and PreK-12 sectors. The Center, in coordination with universities around the country, is leading the national expansion of three initiatives: Sanford Harmony, Sanford Inspire and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy. The Center's initiatives are supported by National University, which is home to the Sanford College of Education, and the National University System. http://sanfordeducationprograms.org/
HealthSmart, the largest independent administrator of health plans for selffunded employers in the U.S., announced that Ron Wozny has joined the Company as Vice President of Marketing. Wozny will manage all marketing activities, including branding, lead generation, product marketing and corporate communications, to grow HealthSmarts market presence while building on HealthSmarts record in customer satisfaction.

Ron is a strategic hire for us as we look to his leadership to energize our marketing efforts to better engage the marketplace, our clients and our team, said Phil Christianson, CEO for HealthSmart. Last year we grew by 240,000 lives and fiscal 2018 looks to be continuing at that pace.

Wozny will report to Thomas C. Mafale, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer for HealthSmart. While we have established ourselves as a leader in providing services for self-funded employers, we have many new, innovative TPA services that will be game changers in terms of improving care while achieving dramatic cost savings. Were excited that Ron will help bring those services to the market, as well as a renewed focus on our client communication strategies to further help our customers drive better member outcomes while lowering costs, said Mafale.

Wozny has more than 20 years of experience in corporate and product marketing, brand management, public relations, and communications with a variety of healthcare technology and services companies. He comes to HealthSmart from Healthx, where he served as Vice President of Marketing. In this role, he developed and executed strategies to increase market visibility and grow the business with effective lead generation and thought leadership programs. Prior to Healthx, Wozny was Head of Marketing for ZeOmega, a leader in population health management solutions, where he led the marketing team to assist in achieving double digit growth for four consecutive years.

Wozny holds a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing with honors from Regis University in Denver, and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Nebraska.
SignatrueCare ER Scholarship The applicants for this scholarship were nothing short of amazing, and though the decision was very difficult to make Wus essay gave great insight as to why someone chooses a career in the healthcare profession, said SignatureCare Emergency Centers Chief Medical Officer, Billy Miller.

SignatureCare Emergency Center issued their Spring 2018 Scholarship to Texas Southern University student Hanna Wu. The $1000 student scholarship is awarded each semester to a deserving student. Congratulations Hanna!

SignatureCare Emergency Centers Spring 2018 scholarship was awarded to Hanna Wu who is a medical student at Texas Southern University with a 3.5 GPA. Wu was inspired to go into the medical field after uncle was diagnosed with and eventually succumbed to leukemia. She was very impressed by the care her uncle received from the medical staff who cared for him, and wanted to follow in that path.

The applicants for this scholarship were nothing short of amazing, and though the decision was very difficult to make Wus essay gave great insight as to why someone chooses a career in the healthcare profession, said SignatureCare Emergency Centers Chief Medical Officer, Billy Miller.

SignatureCare started their scholarship fund Spring 2018 and Wu is the fifth SignatureCare Emergency Center Student Scholarship Award winner since its creation. SignatureCare awards a $1,000 scholarship twice a year, once for Fall Semester and one for Spring Semester. The scholarship is open to students across America, the applicants must be studying in the medical field, with a 3.0 GPA, and are required to submit a video and an essay answering the question, who Inspired you to enter the medical field?

Ms. Wus passion for and her understanding of what the medical field is about and its importance and impact on life overwhelmingly gave us immense joy in selecting her as our Spring 2018 Scholarship Recipient, said Miller. Investing in her education now, will lead medical certainty for the future.

For more information about the SignatureCare Emergency Center Student Scholarship visit: https://ercare24.com/scholarship. Hurry and apply before July 31st 2018 for our Fall 2018 award. If you miss that deadline apply by December 31st, 2018 for our Spring 2019 award. All the details and information are available on our website.

About SignatureCare Emergency Center

Licensed by the Texas Department of Health Services, SignatureCare Emergency Centers are freestanding emergency rooms that are always open. SignatureCare has multiple locations in the Houston, Austin and College Station areas with each offering state-of-the art medical imaging, and X-rays. All our emergency rooms are fully staffed with medical professionals, including board-certified physicians, licensed nurses, radiology technicians, and emergency-trained ancillary staff. All SignatureCare Emergency Centers are open 24/7- 365 days a year.

For more information on SignatureCare Emergency Center and its locations visit https://ercare24.com.
2017 IT Excellence Awards This years achievements join the great company of previous winners who have made a distinct difference in IT and IT Service Management.

Today, Pink Elephant announced the winners for the 2017 IT Excellence Awards during their 22nd Annual International IT Service Management Conference & Exhibition  Pink18  in Orlando, Florida, at the JW Marriott.

Congratulations to all the 2017 IT Excellence Award winners! said George Spalding, EVP, Pink Elephant. This years achievements join the great company of previous winners who have made a distinct difference in IT and IT Service Management.

The 2017 IT Excellence Awards were granted in four categories, recognizing individual and corporate commitment to IT excellence and IT Service Management (ITSM). The Gold, Silver and Bronze award categories and winners are:

Project Of The Year: Recognizes an organization that has demonstrated significant commitment to best practice frameworks including ITIL, ISO, COBIT, Lean IT, and Six Sigma.



Gold: Project "Orchestra", TELUS

Silver: Integration of Best Practices in NOC and CARE, Total Play

Bronze: Service Management Enterprise Expansion, City of Ottawa

Thank you to Pink Elephant for selecting us as the Bronze Award winner for Project of the Year. This is a tremendous accomplishment for the City of Ottawa, said John Carter, Project Manager, IT Client Services, City of Ottawa. This award is not only the result of the hard work and dedication of our ITS Department, but it also reflects our strong partnership with our non-IT business clients. Our Service Management enterprise expansion has been a big success for us, and hopefully other organizations can learn from our project and follow our example.

Practitioner Of The Year: Recognizes an individual who has shown commitment to best practices, continuous improvement and quality principles.



Gold: Sean Goss, Manager, Technology Services Process Improvement, Cable ONE

Silver: Johnny Rivera, Manager  Service Management Office, Tacoma Public Utilities

Bronze: Carol Christobek, Director, Ashland Business Transformation Office

Our sincere thanks to Pink Elephant for recognizing the accomplishments of our team at Cable ONE. It is truly an honor to be recognized as the Gold-level Practitioner of the Year, said Sean Goss, Manager, Technology Services Process Improvement, Cable ONE. Our Lean journey began over two years ago, and Pink has been with us along the way. This award is a culmination of the good work to date that our teams have accomplished. Through the implementation of ITIL, ITSM and Lean, we are changing behaviors and setting a path for excellence in service delivery. There is much work left to do as the journey is never-ending. We believe we are well on our way to creating an environment where we deliver value consistently to our customers in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

What an honor and humbling experience it is to be recognized as the Silver award winner of this years Pink Elephants Practitioner of the Year award, said Johnny Rivera, Manager  Service Management Office, Tacoma Public Utilities. First, I would like to thank God who has given me the strengths and abilities to succeed. I know I could not do this without His strength. Secondly, I want to recognize our entire ITSM and Service Management Office teams for their dedication and support throughout this past year and for overcoming the many challenges, we faced along the way. I also like to thank the Utility Technology Services senior leadership for putting their trust in me to drive our ITSM vision forward. Lastly, I want to thank Pink Elephant (especially Charlie Miles) for partnering with us and helping us drive ITSM, ITAM and transitioning the organization to a service centric mindset. We are not completely there yet, but hey ITSM, its not a project its a lifestyle!

My sincere appreciation and thanks to Pink Elephant for their recognition of my contributions to Ashland LLC in the areas of ITIL education, continuous improvement, lean, and organizational change management, said Carol Christobek, Director, Ashland Business Transformation Office. I can think of no better resource or partner for an IT organization than Pink Elephant. Every facet of ITIL has provided us with the necessary insights and tools we need to improve our engagement with our external service providers as well as our internal IT team members. Today, an energized, knowledgeable core of IT Service and Process leaders manage all aspects of Ashlands IT service delivery, from Business Relationship Management to the Service Desk. Even more exciting, the commitment to continuous improvement is now being advanced globally across Ashland by our Business Transformation Office team. My thanks to the IT Leadership and the IT Customer Support and User Productivity team for their ongoing support and engagement throughout this transformational journey.

Innovation Of The Year: This award is in recognition of a product or service developed by the vendor community that has made the greatest contribution to ITSM in the last calendar year.



Gold: Loom, Loom Systems

Silver: IT Alerting, Everbridge

Bronze: Luma, ServiceAide

It is an honor to receive an Innovation of the Year Award from Pink Elephant, said Gabby Menachem, CEO and co-founder of Loom Systems. "Our AI-powered platform uses advanced patented machine-learning algorithms to predict and reveal problems before they become customer problems and to be recognized for it is really a testament to the assistance it provides companies in achieving operational excellence. We look forward to joining Pink Elephant in leading the way in IT excellence.

What an honor to be recognized for Pink Elephants 2017 IT Excellence Award for Innovation of the Year, said Vincent Geffray, Senior Director of Product Marketing, IT Alerting and IT Incident Response Automation, Everbridge. Im very proud of the Everbridge product team, whose number one obsession has always been client satisfaction first. All of the innovations weve released this past year are the result of the hard work and dedication of an entire team. This award demonstrates that were listening to IT professionals, that we understand their challenges and that we deliver the key capabilities they really need to make their job easier. Be assured that the Everbridge team will continue leading the way and offering innovative solutions to help organizations minimize the impact of critical IT events on the IT teams and on the business. Stay tuned!

Were proud to be selected as the Bronze Award winner of the ITSM Innovation of the Year award from Pink Elephant, said ServiceAide CEO Wai Wong. ITSM departments everywhere are supporting an unprecedented variety of devices, applications and use cases. But thanks to natural language processing and artificial intelligence, the kinds of service levels and seamless experiences that once felt impossible are now within reach for companies of all sizes. Its an exciting time!

IT Leader Of The Year: Recognizes an individual who works in a senior leadership role, promotes a clear vision for IT within the organization and has shown visible commitment to influencing and empowering the IT team to be successful in realizing their objectives.



Gold: Kris Dalmolin, Information Services Director, City of Eugene

Silver: Penny Rowlands, Director, Continuous Improvement, End User Services, Enterprise Shared Services, Kaiser Permanente

Bronze: Serge Suponitskiy, Chief Technology Officer, Flight Centre Travel Group

What an honor to receive an IT Excellence Award, said Kris Dalmolin, Information Services Director, City of Eugene. Thank you to Pink Elephant for the recognition and the guidance as the City of Eugenes Information Services Division matures its ITSM processes. My team has been on a remarkable journey to transform the way we serve our customers, and this is truly a testament to the hard work of every employee. Thank you to each and every one of them for their trust, innovation, service and pride in their work.

I'm honored to have been chosen for the prestigious IT Leader of the Year award, said Penny Rowlands, Director, Continuous Improvement, Kaiser Permanente. I'd like to thank my Vice President, John Williams, and Executive Director, Linda Chu, for modeling the way on how to be an exemplary leader. I'm also incredibly grateful to my team members who have embraced a continuous improvement mindset, watching their growth and seeing the positive impact of their actions continues to fuel my inspiration for being the best leader I can be.

On behalf of the Flight Centre Travel group I would like express how extremely honored I am to have been selected to receive an IT Leader of the Year award, said Serge Suponitskiy, Chief Technology Officer, Flight Centre Travel Group. We are grateful to Pink Elephant for their leadership and support being instrumental in helping regionalize our IT organization. The quality of training and understanding of our goals and needs was superb and once again on behalf of the entire organization, I express our sincere appreciation. We look forward to our continued partnership.

The Case Study Of The Year Award is chosen by conference attendees and will be awarded on Wednesday February 21, 2018, on the final day of Pink18.

Practitioners are welcome submit their nominations for the 2018 IT Excellence Awards, which will be announced in February 2019 at Pink19.

For more information about the IT Excellence Awards or to submit a nomination, visit http://www.pinkelephant.com.
Honor Guards lead the annual Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade through the historic Greektown district of Detroit. "It's an honor to host this annual tradition that aims to preserve our culture and ensure future generations connect to our past," said Yanni Dionisopoulos, president of the Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade Committee.

The annual Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade celebrating Greece and Greek-American culture in Michigan, Ohio and Canada, is set for Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. ET in historic Greektown Detroit. The family-friendly parade features traditional Greek dancers and musicians, handmade floats by local schools and businesses, a variety of church and non-profit groups, collegiate groups, characters The Parade Companys Big Head Corp., and more.

The parade date coincides with Greek Independence Day, the national holiday celebrated annually in Greece on March 25, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. Nearly 200 years ago, Greece declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, re-establishing freedom and democracy in the country. To observe Greek Independence Day, communities throughout the world hold parades each year. The Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade, now in its 17th year, is one of the largest Greek parades in the United States, with thousands of Hellenes from Michigan, Ohio and Canada gathering in the Greektown district for the celebration.

The schedule of parade-day events are:



1:00 p.m. Dignitary reception, dance performance and press preview inside the Atheneum Suite Hotel. (Note: Parade staging and unit placement takes place on Monroe Street, in front of One Campus Martius.)

3:00 p.m. Parade begins from Campus Martius Park, travels up Monroe Street and through historic Greektown, then concludes at the JACK/Greektown Hotel.

4:00 p.m. Post-parade ceremony, dance performances and street festival in Greektown.

The Parade Committee is still accepting sponsors and volunteers to be a part of the festive, family-oriented, and growing tradition in the metro Detroit Greek-American community. Sponsorships help fund the Parade Committees local student scholarships, and help ensure the parades success. The Parade Committee is also seeking volunteers (individuals or groups) to assist parade staff in setting up, managing the dignitary and pre-parade reception, offering general information to parade-goers, keeping the parade on time as assistant pacers, and more.

"It's an honor to host this annual tradition that aims to preserve our culture and ensure future generations connect to our past," said Yanni Dionisopoulos, president of the Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade Committee. "This is truly a community effort, and we appreciate the support of our business associates, friends, and neighbors to help ensure this years parade is the best to-date."

For nearly two decades, the Detroit Greek Independence Day Parade Committee, with the support of the Greektown Preservation Society, has celebrated the traditions and culture of Greece and Greek-Americans in metro Detroit, through the annual parade and celebration, the Hellenic Museum of Michigan, community grants and awards, and school and collegiate engagement. For more information, visit http://www.Detroit.GreekParades.com or http://www.Facebook.com/DetroitGreekParade.
We are certainly encouraged that Seattle consumers have responded so favorably to our vision for KODA Condominiums, said Kevin Hsieh, Vice President of Development for Da Li Development USA. I only wish we had more inventory to offer.

Da Li Development USA, a Taiwanbased real estate development company and Realogics Sothebys International Realty (RSIR) report first position unit reservations and deposits were received on 95-percent of the 203 homes at KODA Condominiums  a new 17-story condominium that will be built at 450 South Main Street. The project debuted on Saturday, February 24th at 11am at RSIRs New Developments Preview Center located at 2715 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle. Prospective buyers and brokers began lining up the night before the event, at 8pm on February 23rd. Approximately 300 registrants attended the debut of the development, resulting in an additional 80 second and third position reservations. The homes were offered for individual unit reservations, which identifies a specific condominium referencing its preliminary floor plan, specifications and price range in advance of official presales, which are anticipated to commence in the summer 2018 commensurate with the opening of the KODA Sales Center and the groundbreaking of the development. The efficiently-scaled homes range in size from below 400-sq. ft. to more than 1,100-sq. ft. with introductory pricing from below $350,000 to more than $1.5 million.

We extend our congratulations to the many prospective homeowners that secured their future home for priority presale this weekend said Dean Jones, President & CEO of RSIR. We are thrilled to represent this extraordinary opportunity for attainably-priced homeownership in one of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in the region.

Jones says KODA Condominiums are the first of few new development opportunities for presales in downtown Seattle. According to research by RSIR and OConnor Consulting Group, 94-percent of the estimated 27,000 housing expected to deliver in downtown Seattle during the current decade will be for rent and not for sale. Market pundits say that condominiums are notedly undersupplied, citing developers overwhelming preference to build apartments instead of condominiums. Resale opportunities for downtown Seattle condominiums have averaged fewer than 50 units and the median asking price is more than $1.4 million, according to the NWMLS.

The Reservation Agreement is a first right of opportunity offered to consumers in exchange for a fully-refundable $5,000 deposit that will be held in escrow. Reservation holders will be provided notice when the final product offering is released by the seller including the final floor plan, confirmed specifications and fixed price within the quoted price range  just as soon as that information is a validated by the architect, contractor and members of the development team. Reservations holders must be prequalified by the preferred lender, Caliber Home Loans, in order to maintain a reservation. The seller will accept multiple positions for reservations in the event a prospective buyers first choice is already reserved.

We are certainly encouraged that Seattle consumers have responded so favorably to our vision for KODA Condominiums, said Kevin Hsieh, Vice President of Development for Da Li Development USA. I only wish we had more inventory to offer.

Hsieh says they are looking for other opportunities but it can take 12-24 months to entitle new developments through the City of Seattle and then another 20-30 months to build the condominium, depending on the size of the project. He recognizes the challenges in identifying land and digesting rising construction costs, which have been escalating by nearly 1-percent per month.

We only build condominiums in Taiwan and are very comfortable with that product type, adds Hsieh. That said, we can also understand the strategy to build and hold these appreciating assets as apartments, especially as Seattles growth trajectory is so exciting. So, its of little surprise that our units are also attractive to individual investors.

Jones intentionally limits the number of reservations offered to individual investors. The Reservation Agreement requires buyers to identify themselves as either a primary resident, second home buyer or investor and must be qualified as such by the preferred lender. He confirms that investor sales represent a minority of the reservations and that the overwhelming majority of demand is still from local homebuyers.

Mainland Chinese are noted as being a top international buyer profile for US real estate, according to Juwai.com  a leading international home search website in China with more than 2 million monthly users. Juwais survey of Chinese consumers ranked Seattle No. 3 of the top US cities in demand for 2017, behind New York (No. 2) and Los Angeles (No. 1)  the top reason is portfolio diversification within international markets.

"Seattle punches above its weight in terms of Chinese buyer demand, says Carrie Law, CEO of Juwai.com. The city attracts more Chinese buyers than you would expect for its size. A typical seller in Seattle is twice as likely to have Chinese buyer interest than one in greater LA or New York. Seattle attracts similar Chinese demand levels as those larger cities but is less than half their size. Seattle was built on immigration and technology. Links to China and the rest of Asia will perpetuate its growth story.

The government of British Columbia recently imposed additional taxes for foreign buyers in Vancouver, BC, increasing from 15-percent to 20-percent as a method of curbing international home sales. Such a tax has been explored in Seattle but isnt constitutional, according to experts on the matter.

The rising cost of real estate in peer markets like Vancouver will only divert more international demand to Seattle, said Eddie Chang, a real estate broker and member of RSIRs Asia Services Group as well as a founder of the firms Government Affairs Council. The fact is we need to work more on the supply of new condominiums rather than trying to curb the demand. The Washington State Condominium Act has been a major headwind in new development and until its amended, I fear well continue to suffer from anemic inventory and rising prices.

Chang notes that the act, which very consumer protection-oriented, has the unintended consequence of squashing developer enthusiasm to build condominiums because of the limited earnest money deposit structure and exposure to construction defect liabilities. A bi-partisan proposal to reform the act failed to make it to the House floor earlier this year, and will be pushed off for consideration in 2019.

KODA Condominium is designed by KMD Architects with pre-construction services offered by PCL Construction. Caliber Home Loans is the preferred mortgage lender. Marketing and sales are being provided by Realogics, Inc. and Realogics Sothebys International Realty, respectively. Title and escrow services are provided by First American Title and Escrow. For more information, visit http://www.ownKODA.com.

About Da Li Development USA  Taiwan-based Da Li Development USA is a publicly-traded company principally engaged in the development, construction, leasing and sales of properties. The Companys principal businesses include the development of residential buildings and mixed-use buildings, such as condominiums, commercial retail shops, villas, private clubs, and parking spaces. DAL-LI formed DA LI Development USA LLC in 2015 and purchased two commercial retail shopping centers in Washington and is developing the KODA Condominiums in downtown Seattle.

About Realogics Sothebys International Realty (http://www.RSIR.com) - Realogics Sothebys International Realty is a leading global sales and marketing brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest that specializes in new condominium research, product development, marketing and sales. Recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal amongst the fastest-growing private companies in Washington State during the past five years, the boutique real estate firm of 220+ brokers consistently rank among the top producing firms within the markets that it serves with branches in downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Kirkland, Issaquah and Madison Park.

EDITORS NOTES: For high-resolution photography, video or renderings contact Whitney Heffernan at 206.448.5752 or email Whitney(dot)Heffernan(at)RSIR.com.
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The Trump Organization said Monday that the company, as President Donald Trump previously pledged, donated profits from foreign government officials patronizing its hotels to the Treasury Department, The Associated Press reported.

But the president's namesake business made a glaring omission from its declaration: It did not say how much money was donated.

George Sorial, the executive vice president and chief compliance counsel for the Trump Organization, said in a statement that the company made the donation Thursday. That donation, he said, included profits from January 20 through December 31, 2017. Sorial did not provide a sum or breakdown of the donation.

Prior to Trump taking office, he announced through attorney Sheri Dillon that he would "voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotel to the United States Treasury."

It was not clear, however, whether "his hotel" meant all of his properties or just a specific one, such as his Washington, DC, location.

Receiving such profits from foreign government officials has alarmed ethics experts. They have warned that such payments could violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits a president from accepting gifts or cash from foreign governments.

Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland, who chairs the Democracy Reform Task Force, told Business Insider that the Trump Organization essentially gave a "head fake" about the donations.

"They want the first part of your statement to be the lead and give people some idea that they're doing good things," he said. "But then when you just pick a little bit below the surface and try to chase down whether it's real or not real, it's like catching smoke."

He added, though, that it's a positive sign Trump's company made the announcement.

"The good news is by putting this information forward, they are acknowledging that it's something the public is anxious about," he said. "They perceive that this is a vulnerability for them. That reinforces that fact that this is a legitimate issue to keep pressing on."

Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called the announcement "wholly inadequate."

"There is no transparency as to how much money they donated, how they arrived at that number, how profits were calculated, or where the profits came from," he said in a statement.

Bookbinder added that Trump's plan to donate profits from foreign governments to the Treasury Department, "even if fully implemented, is woefully insufficient," because it only covers a very narrow sliver of what such officials could spend money on and includes just "a nebulous 'profit' figure  not all payments  calculated at their discretion."

"There is no independent oversight or accountability; were being asked to take their word for it," he continued. "Most importantly, even if they had given every dime they made from foreign governments to the Treasury, the taking of those payments would still be a problem under the Constitution."

On Twitter, users were quick to respond to the lack of disclosure.

hey is there any, I dunno, ... @ Simon Maloy

Yeah, this will not work. <... @ Chris Geidner

Imma need those receipts. <... @ Jennifer Hayden

We want to see the receipts... @ Citizens for Ethics

Convincing <a href="https:/... @ David A. Graham

#emo#just trust us, ok?" <a hre... @ Tom Namako
On February 14, gunman Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at in Parkland, Florida. The shooting swiftly reinvigorated a national debate on gun control, with the teenage survivors leading the charge on demands for reform.

The backlash has centered on the National Rifle Association (NRA), an organization that promotes gun rights in the United States. As multiple news outlets havenoted, the NRA has become a strong political force, due largely to its political donations and millions of members.

One big way that the NRA retains its members is through discounts on everything from car insurance to hotel rooms. Dozens of American companies have partnered with the NRA to offer special perks to members. On the NRA membership benefits page, it stresses the "access to hundreds of dollars in savings" as a reason to join the organization.

An activist group, which simply calls itself " target="_blank"Boycott NRA Partners," has created a Google Doc that lists retailers that haven't cut ties with the NRA. Below are the ones that Business Insider could verify:

American Cellars Wine Club (Vinesse Wines)

Avis

Budget

eHealth

Emergency Assistance Plus (Worldwide Rescue & Security)

FedEx

Global Rescue

Hotel Planner

Life Line Screening

Lockton Affinity

LTCR (Long-Term Care Resources)

Medical Concierge Network

NetSpend

North American Van Lines

Teladoc

Travel Shield  On Call International

TrueCar

As of writing, the hashtag #BoycottNRA has garnered more than 2.1 million impressions.

Several companies have decided to stop offering discounts to NRA members after the Florida shooting. They include Enterprise Rent-A-Car,

Update  February 23rd, 1 pm: MetLife and SimpliSafe have confirmed to BI that they are stopping their discount programs with the NRA. Lifelock owner Symantec has also cut ties with the NRA.

Update  February 24th, 11am: Voya Financial told BI that its subsidiary Reliastar has closed the NRA discount program.

Update  February 25th, 1pm: Toco Warranty has cut NRA ties, a company spokesperson said. Starkey Hearing Technologies has decided to do the same.

Update  February 26th, 5pm: The First National Bank of Omaha has discontinued its NRA-branded VISA card. VISA does not have a contractual relationship with the gun-rights group.
Gun-control activists are organizing boycotts of companies with ties to the National Rifle Association  and they're already producing results.

People on social media are calling for boycotts of companies that offer or have offered special deals to NRA members who, as part of their membership, receive discounts on things like car rentals and prescription drugs.

While companies such as FedEx still offer such discounts, other companies have cut ties.

Here are all the brands that have cut ties with the gun-rights group after the recent boycotts as well as past efforts by gun-control activists.

Delta Airlines

On Saturday, the airline tweeted that it is "We will be requesting that the NRA remove our information from their website."

United Airlines

The airline announced on Saturday that it is cutting ties to the NRA.

"United is notifying the NRA that we will no longer offer a discounted rate to their annual meeting and we are asking that the NRA remove our information from their website," the company tweeted.

Hertz

On Friday, Hertz tweeted, "

Allied Van Lines

In a statement to Business Insider, an Allied representative said the moving company is discontinuing its discount program with the NRA immediately. "We have asked them to remove our listing from their benefits site," the representative said.

MetLife

MetLife told Business Insider on Friday that it would discontinue its NRA discounts program. "We value all our customers but have decided to end our discount program with the NRA," a representative said in an emailed statement.

SimpliSafe

On Friday, the home-security company SimpliSafe told Business Insider that it would withdraw from the NRA discount program. "We have discontinued our existing relationship with the NRA," SimpliSafe CEO Chad Laurans said in a statement.

First National Bank of Omaha

On Thursday, the bank said it would not renew a contract with the NRA that allowed members to receive an NRA-branded Visa card. "Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA," the bank said on Twitter in response to a call for a boycott. Previously, First National Bank offered members of the gun-rights organization an NRA Visa card, which offered a $40 cash-back bonus.

Paramount Rx

On Friday night, Paramount Rx released the following statement to BI: "The prescription discount program that is made available to NRA members is offered through a third-party vendor. We are working with that vendor to discontinue the program and remove the offering."

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car, and National Car Rental

The car-rental giant Enterprise Holdings announced on Thursday that it would end its NRA discount program, effective March 26. The three car-rental brands that Enterprise operates  Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car, and National Car Rental  will stop offering discounts to NRA members.

A representative did not respond to Business Insider's follow-up questions about why Enterprise was ending the program, though the company has been flooded with boycott threats on social media. Avis Budget Group and Hertz, two rivals of Enterprise, still offered NRA discounts as of Friday morning.

Symantec

The cybersecurity company announced on social media Friday that it had "stopped its discount program with the National Rifle Association."

Best Western

Best Western has been targeted by boycott efforts because it has offered discounts to NRA members as recently as 2016. In response, the hotel chain has tweeted dozens of times that it "does not have an affiliation with and is not a corporate partner of the National Rifle Association."

Best Western has been targeted in past NRA boycott efforts.

In 2012, after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the activist group Avaaz organized a boycott of Best Western and Wyndham Hotel Group, calling for them to cut ties with the NRA. At the time, both hotel chains were listed on the gun-rights group's website as "friends of the NRA" and offered members discounts at hotels.

Wyndham Hotel Group

While Wyndham Hotel Group previously offered a 10% discount to NRA members, the hotel chain cut ties with the organization late last year. In response to boycott threats this week, the Twitter accounts for Wyndham and its rewards program tweeted dozens of times that the hotel chain was "no longer affiliated with the NRA."

Republic Bank

"The NRA Prepaid Card program was previously under review. Upon conclusion of this review, we decided to discontinue the offering," a representative said in a statement.

Avis and Budget

A representative for Avis and Budget told Business Insider that the brands would stop the NRA rewards program, effective March 26, 2018.

Starkey Hearing Technologies

On Saturday, Starkey tweeted that it will not renew its discount program with the NRA.
He was recently arrested in Lagos state where he had been hiding, and when interrogated, Akinyemi Edgar Koja confessed to the crime.

READ MORE: Ex soldier kills wife after realizing she had been into pornography all along

He said: I strangled her at night while she was sleeping. She was sleeping around with other men because she felt I am a poor man and she did not hide it. That fateful night, I suffocated her with pillows.

When I discovered she was dead, I dumped the body inside a well close to our apartment. I ran away to make it look like I was not around when the incident happened.
The incident reportedly happened in a hostel outside the school where the suspect and the deceased lived.

According to yabaleftonline.ng, some students narrated that the two love birds who gained admission into the school early this year, were having an altercation over Simon Wamalwas accusation that Mildred Wanyonyi was having a secret relationship with an elderly man who had been giving her gifts.

READ MORE: Mortuary man turned Taxi Driver says he broke his virginity with corpse of one irresistible lady

In the course of the argument, the suspect became violent and stabbed the deceased to death and tried to commit suicide with the same knife, but was rushed to the hospital by other students.

One student identified as Sylvia Udoto is quoted as saying: Wamalwa had claimed that his girlfriend had acquired a sponsor who was pampering her with gifts. The girlfriend denied and a quarrel ensued and he stabbed her several times.

Another student who was among those that rushed the suspect to the hospital also narrated that: We heard noises coming from one of the rental houses that hosts students and when we got there we saw that the girls had been stabbed severally and was lying unconscious.

Meanwhile, Bungoma South OCPD, David Kirui confirmed the incident, saying We received a report on the incident in Sangalo and police were called in and found the suspect lying on the floor in a pool of blood while Mildred was on the bed. They were both rushed to Bungoma County Referal Hospital where Mildred was pronounced dead on arrival.
However, people hardly give these men the opportunity to justify what many see as a bad habit.

A Ghanaian on Facebook, has given men this opportunity to share their cheating experiences and also give reasons why they do that.

He subsequently shared the shocking stories on his timeline and has received many comments.

Read the stories below.

1. Dave, this whole cheating thing erh, its not like its our fault oh Charley, the thing feels WRONG, but at the same time, it feels GOOD!

2. Im Nine (9) inches long, thick and wide. She cant seem to take all of me inside her. And, she was a virgin when we married. Weve tried everything to enable her enjoy sex with me, but shes always in pain and bruises. Anytime I want sex, shed be in tears. I dont know for how long this marriage to her may last, because I love sex, rough sex, and shes too green slow and godly for my liking. I want a wife at home, and a slut in the bedroom. Shes too much of a wife for me, and she cant seem to find her balance. It turns me off. Thats why Ive been cheating.

3. My wifes Church was organizing a couples retreat, and one of her Church-member friends, made a pass at me, and slept with me the following week. She is married too. I did feel guilty but I dont think I slept with her because I wasnt happy in my marriage Nah, far from it. Wife and I are very cool. These things just happen every now and then.

4. I suck at confrontation. The relationship wasnt working. She knew, yet kept hoping things could change. I wasnt interested anymore, so I cheated my way out of it.

5. Being with my wife now, honestly, feels like she doesn't really care about my emotional needs or what's happening with me on a daily basis anymore. Thats why I had to find someone else who appeared more interested and excited about me.

6. Wife is lazy in bed. When it comes to sex, Im an action movies. Shes into drama. Sexually, we are not compatible.

7. Ive been married for 11 years. I am in love with my wife. I love my family, however, when the opportunity knocks, my zip ought to come down. Its a mans thing. Thank you.

8. I am 49 years old, and I think I feel like an old man when I am with my wife. The Me I know used to love life. I loved adventure, fun, and the challenge. I am cheating because this side-attraction, knows how to make me feel young. Its like, Im at my prime age again  when Im with her.

9. I love being given blowjobs. I love going down on women, Anotafrebomski. My wife wouldnt give me blowjobs because she finds it disgusting. She would rush me to penetrate her when I would want to go down, take time to explore and play with her punaana. Im cheating because she doesnt excite me. Outsiders do.

10. My relationship was going rather too fast for me. I wanted to go out and see the world, before saying Forsaking all others And I sowed my wild oats, before settling down. A blast from the past showed up at my office  and I couldnt just let her go liadat! That was when I started cheating on my wife.

11. I cheat because I am not born to be with just one woman. Its not right!

12. A job opportunity came my way after being home for over Three (3) years. I did not really look into the specifics of the job because I was eager to start doing something. The friend who introduced me to the job assured me that I qualified. All they needed was a full photo of me and my CV. I got to the interview, only to find out it was a fertility-kind-of clinic, which had other chain of businesses operating, on the same building, as cover-ups.

We were supposed to be baby making machines for a monthly salary of a few thousands of GHs plus bonuses. I was given a car, a cover-up office, and my main office, which had a bedroom, toilet and bath, a kitchen, and a hall. Customers would just profile us, and then choose whom to work with. A customer may choose to go the natural way, or I wank and cum into a container for it to be inseminated in them. So far, I am fathering over 29 kids. And most of my customers preferred natural intercourse until they took seed.

All my customers are married women whose husbands are, or may be impotent. Ive also had customers who just preferred a certain gene to father their kids  instead of their husbands gene. The woman I am sleeping with currently is my wifes friend, who paid for our services, and chose me to work on her. She got pregnant, but afterwards, threatened to blackmail me to my wife, if I did not build a sexual relationship with her. Weve been dating for over Four (4) years now, and my wife nor her husband have a clue. I have fallen in love with her over time, so you could say I am in love with two women. She helped me find a new job.

13. My girlfriend finds me attractive; my wife doesnt: At least, not anymore.

14. So why do we men really cheat? Well, I am newly married, a month old to be precise. I remember vividly those days when I frequent David Mbir's page to glimpse on what marriage was all about. And it was just one word I could use to describe it then: SCARY. So back to the question. I'll use those days when I was dating as an example. The lady I dated prior to the woman I married gave me a sour relationship. I almost forgot "the how" and "the feeling" and "the sparks" being in a relationship. It got to a point where I began to see her as my sister hence not attractive.

To paint a better picture; we couldn't even last 10 seconds in kissing not to even talk about hugging and squeezing and caressing. When I initiate, she will push me away. It was like we were having Sumo Wrestling in bed just trying to have one-dying-kiss. When I asked her why she does that; she will say to me that she doesn't trust me. She said it was because of her past lover who had his way with her by spiking her drink which I felt sorry for her. And so I was in this relationship for Three (3) years hoping things will change, hoping she will be exciting, hoping she will be spontaneous, hoping she will crave for my hotness in her wetness.

I am the kind of guy that get emotional with words. I enjoy naughty conversation. So as a consolation, I frequently used to initiate sex chat with her hoping that could trigger some nerve in her body. But when I start, she would use a detour to come out. Or there were some days that she would gel well into the idea of us to be intimate but when we finally see then she switched back into a Sumo Wrestler. So I cried to my wife (then my friend) and somehow, someway, we met and we enjoyed every bit of it. That sensation chasing a fresh fish in the sea.

That usual constant checking ups. Something was borne out of our friendship into love. And when I finally had the chance to kiss her after we watched a movie at the mall. I felt goosebumps on her arms. My wife was practically trembling with just my kiss. I felt special. My ego boosted. I wanted to have more. I wanted a woman that appreciates my kiss, my touch, my cuddling. Dave, it was then I knew I had wasted three years of my life. So Yes! I cheated but I don't regret.

15. Weight is an issue for me. If she hadnt gained so much weight.

16. Dave, I dont know if mine is cheating though: I enjoy sexting and flirting online only. There is no harm in that, is there? After all, I dont meet up with any of these women in person. In fact, to me, its just a game.

17. I lost my job a few years back. Staying at home doing nothing, applying for jobs and not getting any - left me depressed and frustrated. I found myself drinking more than usual, and some of these girls at these bars are to die for, Dave. I died for a few.

18. Ive been attracted to the same-sex for as long as I can remember. I married a woman to fit the manly role society has created for men. Do I love my wife? No! Do I love my kids? Yes! Am I in love with my gay partner (who is also married with kids)? Yes! I am very much in love with him. We are able to make time to be with each other, many times in a week. And because we are also both friends with the others significant other, we are able to be together in each others home, when our wives are away. Its been 25 years of knowing my male partner. Ive been married to my wife for 12 years.

19. Sex in the morning, sex in the evening and sex at dawn is what keeps me sane every day. I want it every day, so when I was getting less than I knew I was entitled to, at home, in our forth month of marriage, I had to seek for it out there And I got it in abundance.

20. Social media makes me sin. When a fine girl reaches out to me on Facebook, or WhatsApps something sexy (photo/nasty sentences, etc.) I go with the flow. I used to fight it, so I stay faithful to my wife, but Dave, the means to enable me cheat are just there  in my home. Technology cause am.

21. I cheated because I became too used to my wife. I needed something different, something fresh.

22. I recently had a baby girl with my friend. We met through an assignment. She is divorced and is leading a very comfortable life. I hit on her because she is matured, single and wanted to have a baby. We hit it out because of our common interest: I have been married for Eight (8) years without children. I wanted kids too, but my wife kept experiencing miscarriages upon miscarriages. We even lost a baby twice. I felt her womb wasnt receptive, so I tried it with my friend and I got the package in Nine (9) months. Healthy baby girl. The most beautiful little thing I have ever seen. We are already having talks about having a boy next year.

23. My wife wanted me to find a substitute to relieve her off her sexual duties. She began to find making love with me a chore. She was okay with me finding one lady to sleep with till her mojo re-activated. Its been Eight (8) months now.

24. First, it was the lump in my wifes breast. Then, the bloody nipple discharge. The inverted nipple, the dimpling of the breasts skin, the pains she felt every time I accidently touched her breasts during sex. I am attracted to a woman more because of her breasts. So if all of a sudden, your once fully equipped wife, begins to feel a sore in her nipple, her lymph nodes in the neck and armpit look swollen, sex becomes almost impossible. I had to look the other way. Now, her breast has been removed. Nothing on her attracts me anymore. Its just the truth.

25. My wife pissed me off in the most humiliating way, and she wasnt willing to apologize. I had an affair to punish her; to hurt her real bad And, I made sure she knew about it. Sometimes, women need to submit, and know who the man of the house is.

26. Dave, even though my wife and I have been through a lot in this 18 years of marriage, with my countless messing ups, having numerous affairs due to the distance (Family is in Kumasi, I work in Accra), I know I love my wife with everything in me. Together with our Three (3) kids may not be perfect, but we are everything as a family. Distance is the main reason I am cheating on her. When I used to work in Kumasi, I was faithful. When I was promoted and transferred to Accra, we all couldnt move to Accra: Kids were in school there, she had a business to sustain there, etc. So we agreed on the weekends visitations. And its unfortunate I cant go three days without sex.
Commanding Officer of the 64 Infantry Regiment, Lt Col Fiifi Deegbe, believes the armed forces are well trained and equipped to control any threats of terror.

He urged the general public to be calm, adding that the soldiers have the nation at heart and will do everything to maintain the peace in the country.

With this exercise the public should be rest assured that the Ghana Armed Forces has the security of the nation at heart and they should be rest assured that everything is under controlWe are well trained to react to any terrorist attack should it occur, Lt Col Fiifi Deegbe, told the media after one of GAFs field training exercises.

He explained that several exercises will be organised to enable the unit execute its special mandate of counter terrorism.

His assurances come after Canada and the UK warned Ghana of possible terror attacks on the nation.

Their warnings followed a rising number of terrorist attacks in Mali, Cote d Ivoire, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and some other West African countries in recent years.

A post from the Canadian government warned its citizens in Ghana that terrorist targets could include shopping malls, government buildings, public areas such as bars, restaurants, hotels and sites frequented by Westerners. Be aware of your surroundings in public places.
The cars were discovered during an operation by the Eastern Regional office of the Customs Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS).

The two cars, Nissan Amerra and Nissan Micra, were spotted and stopped with the same registration number GE 3219-17 embossed on them.

The cars were subsequently seized by the CEPS task force and their respective drivers arrested for their involvement.

Meanwhile, over 34 other commercial and private vehicles, are currently under detention at the Regional CEPS office in Koforidua.

Sector Commander for CEPS, Agnes Kafui Modey, told Accra-based Class FM that investigations are still ongoing concerning the matter.

She explained that both taxi cabs were registered at different locations, and that it was currently unknown why they have same registration number plates.
The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu said, "This is not a good report at all. We are deeply disappointed by the report. Even the mere fact that Ghanaian policemen who have set high standards in all our peacekeeping missions over the years have been mentioned in this very serious allegation is a cause of concern, it is a big blow to us."
According to him, the appointment of the Special Prosecutor should help Ghana curb or reduce corruption.

President Akufo-Addo last week swore-in Martin Amidu as Ghanas first-ever Special Prosecutor after a unanimous approval by Parliaments vetting committee.

The former Attorney-General is expected to take on all government and public officials, both former and present, who have one way or the way looted the state purse.

The UK High Commissioner believes the operations of the Special Prosecutor should help better the performance of Ghana on the Corruption Index.

I think the appointment of the Special Prosecutor is an important stepthe next piece is to make sure he follows through and delivers on his mandate, Mr. Walker told Accra-based Joy FM.

He noted that the biggest antidote to corruption is transparency and clarity of process, but said the country could win the fight against corruption if there is a collaborative effort from everyone.

According to him, the Special Prosecutor will only succeed if he is given the needed support from government, opposition parties and Civil Society Groups.
According to him, the rate at which fuel prices keep going up is alarming and has charged the government to sit up.

Speaking at a Unity Walk organised by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Somanya in the Eastern region on Saturday, 24 February 2018, Mahama said the erstwhile NDC administration managed to stabilize the prices of fuel before leaving power.

He, therefore, opined that the current government should be blamed for the recent fuel hikes, describing it as a worry.

We [National Democratic Congress administration] managed to stabilize the price of fuel in 2016 before we left. Even though we had deregulated, we found a way of making sure that prices remained stable. Now the extent to which [the price of fuel] keep going up is a worry, and so I think it is something that government should look at, Mahama said.

He accused the Nana Addo government of lying to Ghanaians, saying the NPP promised to reduce petrol by 50 per cent but have rather increased the prices.

We were told that it [petrol] was too expensive and that 50 percent of the petrol was made up of taxes alone and that when they win and come into office, they would remove the taxes so that petrol will [be cheaper]. Today petrol is selling at GHS 22 per gallon, he stated.

The ex-president warned that government must endeavor to reduce the prices of fuel, especially Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), adding that failure to do so could lead to the public reverting back to the use of charcoal, which could in turn degrade the environment.
Ex-president Mahama is also expected to hold meetings with the Presidential Candidates, their Running Mates and other stakeholders before the election day.

He was invited by the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) of Sierra Leone.

A statement said Mr Mahama is expected to lead the discussions in a closed-door high-level breakfast meeting between the Presidential Candidates and their Running Mates, Commissioners of the PPRC, Electoral Officials, Police Chief, Paramount Chiefs and Eminent Persons.

According to the PPRC, it recognises Ghanas past president as a leading voice for the consolidation of democracy and improving electoral activities across the continent hence the invitation.

Sierra Leoneans are said to hold him in high esteem and he will explore with the aspirants, their aspirations, challenges and fears ahead of the election as well as encourage them to subscribe to the Peace Pledge.

The former President of Ghana will also preside over the signing of a Peace Pledge by the Presidential Candidates on Wednesday, February 28, hold talks with President Ernest Bai Koroma and hold separate meetings with the Candidates, the Electoral Commission, Police Chief and Sierra Leones Donor Partners.
According to him, all appointees under the erstwhile administration of Mahama should brace themselves for jail if the Nsawam Prisons is full.

He said "All the Day Schools Mahama constructed complete or incomplete, I can assure you that this government will convert them into prisons and fill them with corrupt NDC appointees."

"We will arrest them for prosecution and possible jail every one even if the prisons are full.

"The Akufo-Addo government will jail them one by one and put them into these schools we are about to turn them into prisons," he said on Kumasi based Nhyira FM.

His comments come at the back of former Coordinator of Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit, CEO of Goodwill International Group who were convicted for their role in the GH4.1 million scandal that rocked the agency.
Accra-based Starr FM reports that the deceased complained of dizziness moments after her swearing in and was ushered unto her seat to relax.

However, it was later found that she was motionless whiles sitting on the chair, with her body going cold.

Attempts were then made to get her to the hospital, but she was declared dead by doctors upon arrival.

Her body has since been deposited at the Abura Dunkwa Government Hospital for autopsy. Madam Elizabeth Gaizie was 57 years old and left behind five children.

Meanwhile another contestant in the NPPs nationwide primaries for the Krowor Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, Mohammed Alidu, on Saturday collapsed after ending up on the losing side.

Mr Alidu was said to be seeking re-election in Saturday's nationwide constituency elections by the governing party.
Joseph Mbilinyi, popularly known as Sugu  from the opposition Chadema party, was convicted by a magistrate's court in the southwestern town of Mbeya.

His co-accused, Emmanuel Masonga, was handed a similar prison sentence.

READ MORE: Tanzania president begs men to marry multiple wives to reduce prostitution

The two were accused of committing "hate speech" against President Magufuli at Mwenge Primary School in Mbeya on 30 December last year.

Mbilinyi earlier urged his supporters to remain calm and accept any form of court judgment.

Observers say the ruling will deepen concerns that Magufuli's intolerance of dissent is eroding Tanzanian democracy.

In July 2017, Tanzanian authorities ordered the arrest and detention of the opposition lawmaker for insulting the president Magufuli days after he ordered officials to take action against incitement.

READ ALSO: Once a darling of foreign investors John Magufuli is proving a headache for business
He said, "While in office, he never bought one text for any school. Ask him where his policy document or guideline for his progressive free SHSthere was nothing like that. You were not able to do it in your time and now that we are capably doing it, you are complaining."

John Mahama has over the weekend chided the NPP government for not fulfilling a lot of the promises they made to Ghanaians during the 2016 elections.

However, Napo said, "He should tell NDC members not to take their children to enjoy the free SHS because it is not good."
"They call on Russia in this context to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting."

The statement said Merkel, Macron and Putin had all welcomed the UN resolution on a ceasefire for at least 30 days "particularly to allow humanitarian aid into and evacuations out of the war zone".

Merkel and Macron stressed that a ceasefire could be "the basis to advance efforts toward a political solution in the context of the UN-led Geneva peace process".

"Germany and France continue to be willing to work with Russia and other international partners toward this goal," Merkel's office added.

The leaders held talks after the UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously demanded a 30-day truce in Syria.

More than 520 civilians are thought to have died in a week of heavy bombardment by Syria's regime of the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus.

After the council vote, which had support from Moscow, Syrian warplanes backed by Russian air power launched new raids on Eastern Ghouta, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitor said at least 41 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. Russia has denied taking part in the assault.

Seven more civilians were believed to have been killed on Sunday, and Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that although there appeared to be fewer air strikes, fighting had intensified on the ground.

In a statement issued by the Elysee palace on Sunday, Macron stressed that France would be "extremely vigilant so that the resolution adopted at the UN would not go unheeded and that concrete and rapid progress on the level of needs is made on the ground to alleviate the suffering of civilians" as called for by the United Nations and humanitarian organisations.
A spokesman says he passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

Mark DeMoss, a spokesman for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, says, It was described by nurse and doctor as a very peaceful passing. He was not in any pain, and he wouldnt have suffered any.

After suffering from vision, hearing loss, Parkinsons-like symptoms diagnosed nearly 20 years ago, Grahams personal physician, Lucian Rice of Asheville, says, He just wore out.

I think we can say he passed in his sleep. Nobody would have been with him other than an attendant nurse, DeMoss adds.

USA Today reports that Graham died at 7:33 a.m. He was found by his longtime assistant, David Bruce, who then called Grahams son, Franklin Graham, who was in Dallas.

Tributes to the great Billy Graham

Here are a few condolence messages from popular Christian personalities:

Grahams Burial Arrangements

According to The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the funeral service will hold in the afternoon on March 2, 2018.

The funeral, which will be a private affair, will be held at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.

U.S President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, the living former U.S. presidents, George H.W. Bush, his son, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have all received invitations.

His son, Franklin Graham and his four other children are expected to speak at the funeral service.
It's been six straight weeks of no academic activities in the institution as lecturers vow to continue the industrial action until the government pay the eight-month salaries it's owing them.

The situation is already taking its toll on the students, as freshmen who just gained admission into the school are becoming restless while final year students are getting frustrated over the lecturers' strike.

The university students have been reacting to the endless strike and some of them who spoke with The Sun expressed their worries and frustration about the situation.

A 100-level undergraduate of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Ifeoluwa Sanusi said, I have just got admitted and had been hopeful for a very busy and challenging learning experience. but then the school was shut down on January 16, and we have been here doing nothing. Efforts to read on our own have been boring and unchallenging, as there is no lecturer to guide you."

ALSO READ: 5 courses that prepare you to work anywhere

Another 100-level student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Maryan Ayodele said, This strike is not good for us, especially those of us that are still freshmen. We are not happy because we are being delayed for no fault of ours. We are even losing confidence in the system. We appeal to the government to urgently heed the lecturers demand. They should just find a way and solve this problem once and for all and on time too. The campus has become a ghost town and everyone has left''

Begging the government and the lecturers, a 300 level student of the university said both parties should find a solution.

This strike is just delaying me and my future. I want both the teachers and the government to urgently find a solution to the crisis and let us resume for lectures.

However, while many students appealed to both parties to find a lasting solution to the problem, others put the blame on the Governor Ayo Fayose administrations failure to pay salaries.

One of such student is a 200 level undergraduate simply identified as Oluwaseun, who said the lecturers should not be blamed for the strike.

He said, We learnt that our lecturers are on strike to demand some understanding from the government on the reduction of taxes that the government imposed on their salaries, and which they didnt like. The lecturers also want the government to pay their outstanding salaries for eight months.

''We learnt that there is this disagreement over how many months should first be paid. I think the government is offering less than five months, which is what the lecturers want. For us as students, we would rather pitch our tents with the lecturers because they are also parents and have their own children and other responsibilities to take care of''.
Since he started his own production company - Mainframe Films and Television Productions - in 1991, Kelani has made an array of feature films, mostly literary adaptations, that promote Nigeria's rich cultural heritage.

To celebrate the birthday of the cinematic genius, here are top five Tunde Kelani movies.

1. "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.

"Saworoide" is the film for any young Nigerian interested in a film that encapsulates an interesting culture of a tribe in Nigeria.

The 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 (a talking drum) being played by the right person.

"Saworoide" celebrates the charm of African art, and the beauty of tradition and folklore, it also explores how Nigeria has dealt with civil rule and military dictatorship.

2. "Ti Oluwa Ni Le"

Written by Alhaji Kareem Adepoju aka Baba Wande, and directed by Kelani, the 1993 film featured Grace Oyin Adejobi, KareemAdepoju, Gbolagbade Akinpelu and Dele Odule.

In "Ti Oluwa Ni Le," a clique of land speculators enlists the help of a traditional chief to sell an ancestral land fraudulently to a business man, who plans to build a petrol station.

The community resists this and the case lands in a modern law court. But then, in retribution, the culprits start dying one after the other in bizarre circumstances.

In 1997, this timeless love story was released. The movie sparked a fashion revolution in Nigeria with the short aso oke Iro and Buba called Oleku.

An adaptation of Prof. Akinwunmi Isholas novel of same name, "Oleku" tells the story of Ajani, a final year student of the University of Ibadan in search of a life partner due to pressures from his mother.

He finds himself in a love quadrangle as he becomes involved with three beautiful women- Asake, his old time girl friend; Lola, a first year student he just met; and Sade, a childhood acquaintance who gradually becomes the centre stage of the love drama.

"Oleku" stars Yemi Shodimu and Feyikemi Niyi-Layinka.

4. "Ayo Ni Mo Fe"

"Ayo Ni Mo Fe" is a commentary on the societal attitude to mental illness. In the movie, Jumoke prefers a careless and irresponsible Ayo to a wealthy elderly trader in marriage.

Ayo in a reckless move impregnates an underage Adunni. They are hurriedly packaged into a doomed marriage. Jumoke is rudely shocked when she discovers this state of affairs.

Shock leads to confusion, confusion to depression and Jumoke ends up a lunatic roaming the streets.

The movie features Bola Obot, Yomi Ogunmola, Lere Paimo and Yinka Oyedijo.

5. "Thunderbolt"

Thunderbolt is woven around Ngozi, a young elegant Igbo lady and Yinka, a young man of Yoruba origin who meet and fall in love during the National Youth Service.

Their eventual marriage, against folk wisdom, soon develops problem fueled by rumours of extra-marital affairs, which destroys the trust between a devoted Ngozi and a jealous Yinka.

In the ensuing drama, Ngozi is laced with Magun, the mysterious and fatal chastity control, which will make her sexual victim die instantly after sexual intercourse.
According to Instablog9ja, the drugs were intercepted in Ihunbon-Oke-Odan creek along Idiroko-Benin Republic border.

The reports reveal that the exhibits were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

The rapid response squad has also intercepted four bales of second clothing/shoes used to conceal the hard drugs.

Drug abuse and the race to save our youths

Drug abuse has become a serious issue in Nigeria in recent times, as our youths seem to be turning to illicit drugs.

Reports by new media and the general public indicate that drug use among Nigeria's youth is worsening by the day.

While Lagosians struggle to understand why drug-addled zombies are walking down the city's streets at night, Abuja is getting covered in a carpet of drug sachets and codeine packs.

At first look, it's hard to see why intoxication has become such a priority. There have been few abrupt changes in the Nigerian youth experience since, say the 1990s.

But therein lies the answer, in the fact that the reasons why Nigerian youth are abusing drugs emerged as slow burners instead of instant challenges.

The rise of illicit drugs among Nigerians

In November 2016, Eromo Egbejule published a story titled "Is there a growing drug epidemic in Nigeria?".

In his article, he states that there is a serious drug culture in Northern Nigerian ranging from cocaine, codeine to sniffing fermented human waste known as Jenkem which produces hallucinatory effects.

In March 2016, the undefined for the illicit production of methamphetamine located at Asaba, Delta.

The laboratory had the capacity of producing between 3,000kg and 4,000kg of methamphetamine per production cycle.

In the 80s and the 90s, Nigeria was mostly a trafficking point for narcotics from South American cartels who wanted to smuggle drugs to Europe. Nigeria's security system was poor which made it ideal to move drugs.
"I was scheduled for an interview today, so I called my boss yesterday informing him I wasn't feeling fine & that I would love to visit the clinic.

"He advised I go for proper checkup & he gave me 2 days off; I was shocked when I saw him among panelist interviewing us this morning!," the narrator wrote.

His revelation received a bit of humour from followers who offered interesting submissions concerning the incident.

Their tweets bothered on jest making and curiousity, while others displayed an impressive amount of intelligence on the matter.

Emir of Kano's son resumes duty as a policeman

Prince Aminu, the son of the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has resumed duty as a policeman. This is following his graduation from the Police Academy, Kano.

SP Dolapo Badmos, the zonal Police Public Relations Officer for Lagos and Ogun States made this known in an Instagram post on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

She congratulated him on the new journey following a short break observed after his graduation from the police academy.

"Supol Aminu Sanusi Lamido, Congratulations as you resume fully to police duties from break after your graduation from Police Academy Kano.

"As you begin the 35years career, I have no doubt in my mind that you will excel! While you were a Corp member serving in my office you never hid your plan to become an officer, the dexterity and the passion youve shown towards the profession is an indication that you are cut out for the job, I have no doubt in me that you will excel.

"I wish you best of luck in this noble profession," Badmos said in a welcoming note directed to the new recruit, Aminu.
This prompted a good Samaritan who found her at a supermarket to contact a human rights group in a bid to get help for the child who appeared underfed and maltreated.

On Facebook, a woman named Nzelibe Onyedika Iyke announced that Anyakaora's who lives in Ijegun, Lagos, is on the run.

However, her husband has been arrested.

"Note: Little corrections please!!! Pls Parents b careful on how u give out ur 9 months labour to Daughters of Jezebel in d name of house help/ Baby sitter.

"This little gal has been living under tortures: hard labour,poor feeding,bullying,etc with one Mrs Anyakaora.

"Tenants side,first floor back @ No 12 Dominic Street, Ijegun after Navy town Lagos state.

"D poor Girl was was sent on errand Yesterday to buy something when a good Samaritan met her in a nearby Store with a decayed,Maggot feasted fingers & intervened by getting HUMAN RIGHTS involved in d case.

"Her (Mr Anyakaora) Husband is cooling off his head in one of d Lagos state police stations now,as d wife is no where to b found.

"Mothers,kindly b guided!!! Pls Rebroadcast for d awareness of d Little Gal's family," Iyke wrote in a post shared on Monday, February 26, 2018.

Social media user who responded to the announcement expressed sympathy for the victim while directing scorn to her abusers.

Their responses reflected a society still able to show concern for the downtrodden despite daily hardship.

Orphans rescued from HIV-positive grandmother who blames them for disease

In Cross-River State, Nigeria, a child protection agency has rescued three female orphans who have endured harsh treatment from their grandmother who blamed them for contracting the HIV disease.

The victims who were accused of witchcraft are aged 13, 5, and 3 years old respectively have reportedly lost their parents.

They suffered streaks of torture from their guardian who reportedly invited their uncle to beat them.

Scars displayed on their backs appear indelible signs of their troubled past.

The oldest among the trio defended her siblings refuting claims that they are witches.
The young man identified as Chukwudi, who was studying Optometry reportedly took his life over his inability to graduate for two years.

Some of his friends took to social media to express shock over Chukwudi's decision to commit suicide.

In spite the increasing rate of suicide in Nigeria, especially among students over poor grades, the issue of depression is not yet getting the attention it deserves.

There have been several incidents of students who took their lives over academic failure.

In October 2017, a 16-year-old student, Mercy Afolaranmi at Obafemi Awolowo University allegedly committed suicide because she had an E in a Chemistry test.

Before Afolaranmi, there was a case of Chinedu Iromuanya in Nasarawa State University who took his own life because of piled up carryovers.

ALSO READ: How OAU student drowned inside a hotel swimming pool

On Wednesday, October 4, 2017, Iromuanya allegedly drank poisonous substance suspected to be Sniper to protest his poor results.

Similarly, a final year student of Accounting at Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Benjamin Oghayerio in April 2010 committed suicide because of alleged carry-over courses.
The fast moving consumer goods company known for amazing household products like Always Sanitary Pad, Pampers Diapers, and Safeguard Soap has impacted Nigeria economically and socially over the last 25 years.

Interestingly, the company celebrated the milestone with students of Junior Secondary School (JSS), Karu, Abuja with officials from MercyCorps, an international NGO; the First Lady of Kebbi State Dr Zainab Bagudu; Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and other stakeholders.

As part of activities to mark the anniversary, P&G partnered with MercyCorps, an international not-for-profit organisation, through its Always Keeping Girls in School (AKGIS) programme. The partnership is targeted at enhancing girls knowledge and practice around reproductive health through life skills training, provision of emergency sanitary kits and mobilisation of stakeholders support for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for girls in school.

Reiterating the Companys commitment to invest in Nigeria and give back to the society by addressing social issues, Managing Director, P&G Nigeria, Mr. George Nassar, stated: We have achieved this milestone through our commitment to invest in Nigeria with our relevant stakeholders. We have consistently provided our consumers with the highest quality of household products and we will continue to do even more.

Also speaking on the companys brand activities, Director of Brands for P&G Nigeria Tolulope Adedeji said: We are proud that over the years, not only have we introduced great brands for the satisfaction of our consumers, we have also engaged in citizenship projects to address social issues, programs such as the Always School Program which has helped to equip over 6 million young girls within ages 10  12 with basic information about personal hygiene and puberty in the last 5 years

P&G expanded its companys reach into Nigeria in 1992 with the acquisition of Richardson Vicks manufacturing plant in Ibadan and currently provides six strong portfolios of innovative brands namely, Pampers, Ariel, Always, Oral-B, Gillette, Safeguard in the Nigerian Market. The company has also invested millions of dollars in its various manufacturing sites located in Ibadan, Oyo State and Agbara, Ogun State respectively.
The problem is it became a disaster in his eyes, long after it had become a disaster for the schoolgirls.

Hours after the kidnap, news began to ring out of the North-East state that the deadly Islamist group had staged a massive attack.

With time, it was discovered that the insurgents had attacked the Government Science and Technical College in the town of Dapchi and kidnapped girls from the school.

ALSO READ: Villagers claim to have heard cries of Dapchi schoolgirls in Boko Haram trucks

Initially, no one knew how many girls were kidnapped but photos from the scene indicated that something had happened.

Sandals and school shoes were strewn across the sandy compound with footsteps showing signs that some of the girls had attempted, if for a brief second, to run.

The next day, Wednesday, the government claimed that it had rescued some of the girls, throwing family and the nation into a cocoon of false hope that was quickly dashed.

Eventually, the mothers of Dapchi put together their own list of missing children. After careful consideration, it was discovered that 110 of the girls were missing.

Still, the government refused to admit anything had happened.

At least, not until local and international media began a campaign for the girls whereabouts did the President decide it was a disaster and order jets and soldiers to begin a search for the girls.

It's Chibok, all over again

If this whole thing sounds familiar, its because it has happened before.

It brings back the memory of 2014 where 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok.

The incident drew international attention very quickly, inspiring the hashtag Bring Back Our Girls.

It took weeks and massive international pressure before the Federal Government admitted what is still the largest abduction on record.

The Dapchi incident is the largest abduction since 2014.

The first incident may have come of as a mistake, a grave error even, but theres no explaining the events of February 19 and how the case has been handled since.

In the aftermath of the Chibok incident, the government of the day and the opposition were vocal on the issue; trading claims about who was responsible and how it was a political move.

The issue was so prominent that it became the deciding factor in the 2015 elections which put President Muhammadu Buhari, ever so bullish on how he would flush out Boko Haram and recover the girls, in Aso-Rock.

ALSO READ: The kidnapped Dapchi girls have been taken to Niger

Yet, barely four years after Chibok, the exact same thing has happened, perpetrated by the same terrorist group, in the same region of the country, in the same manner with the same results

Leaders of tomorrow or Pawns of today?

It only goes to prove one thing: that there is no place for young people in Nigeria.

It is easy to say that Nigeria is in a rough patch, that things are not going as they should. But more attention should be paid to the fact that when things go wrong, it is young people that suffer the implications of a reality that have played no part in creating.

It is young people who are suffering the failure of the countrys infrastructure and institutions more than any. Millions roam the streets with no source of livelihood chasing meagre jobs in industries that have been crippled by the elites decade-old culture of corruption.

The insecurity in the North-East and the Boko Haram insurgency have left thousands dead.

On that front, many young people have lost all that they can call 'home' and been rendered orphans, their parents lost to incessant militant attacks.

Now the empty promises of the government have been met with grevious consequences, it is 110 schoolgirls who have fallen in the line of fire.

ALSO READ: One of the Dapchi schoolgirls resumed a day before she was kidnapped

From the North-East to the South-West, it is becoming increasingly difficult, now more than ever, to convince any young person that there is a place for them here.

It is why many hang on to the hope that they can leave the country and start life in a place that sees some value in them.

Boko Haram may have kidnapped those young girls in Dapchi, but it was Nigeria who put them in the group's hands.
There is this young Christian lady I met during my second degree days in the university. Back then, she was a practicing registered nurse graduate.

We became friends and I let her realized that I wanted her as my wife, but she has not been taken me seriously. It is in her nature to always take things with levity. What a complacent lady she is.

Just like herself, her parents wouldn't allow her to settle down and marry without being a university graduate nurse.

Because of the love I have for her, I have waited this long. She now have just two semesters left in the university to be a graduate nurse, in line with her dream and aspiration.

We had little misunderstanding late last year and got it resolved. She has slightly changed in attitude and has now started telling me another story of me not [being] physically up to her taste.

She says further that; since I can't change physically to her taste, its only God can change the projected image she already have in her mind of the kind of guy she wants to marry.

Left to me, I would have abandoned her long ago but my instinct keeps telling me that this lady is my future wife.

I'm confused. What should I do?________________

Dear reader,

I might not know how keen or accurate your instinct usually is, and neither can I be sure of the kind of relationship you share with it.

What I know, however, is that your instinct cant force the woman to agree to marrying you. It can only propel you to make a move.

I dont think you should pay attention to that instinct on this matter. See, if you have been with someone for this long and they are just bringing up the issue of physical attraction being an impediment to your being together, I think that should tell you something as loudly as things could possibly be said.

That woman is not so interested anymore and is just looking for the easiest way to get out of the relationship.

Ideally Id say try to get closure. Ask her to be as honest as possible but I suspect you might have done that already to no avail.

See that abandonment thing you spoke of, I think that is exactly what you should do._______________Do you want to talk about your love life, marriage or family issues?

Do you have burning questions that you would love to get answers to?

Just send a mail to relationships@pulse.ng and I'll provide the most honest answers to them anonymously.

Note; the chances of getting a quick response reduces if the text in your email has a lot of abbreviations. So, please write as properly as possible.

So, why not send that mail today and let's talk about it?
When Sacramento, California mom Jessica Porten started experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression four months after the birth of her daughter, Kira, her husband scheduled a doctor's appointment so she could seek help. He even called ahead to explain the reason for her visit.

But when Jessica arrived, and confided in a nurse practitioner, her appointment took an unexpected turn.

In a now-viral Facebook post, Jessica wrote, "I tell them I have a very strong support system at home, so although I would never hurt myself or my baby, Im having violent thoughts and I need medication and therapy to get through this."

Then Jessica claims the nurse practitioner left the room and called the policenot to arrest her, but to bring her to the emergency room for an evaluation. They told me they need to handle this in the ER, she tells Women's Health.

(Want the days biggest news and trending stories delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our "So This Happened" newsletter.)

Once she arrived at the hospital, Jessica says she had blood drawn and a urine sample taken. During the entire ordeal, which lasted 10 hours, Jessica had her four-month-old baby with her. There was no comfortable place for me to sit and nurse her. They took my shoes away and I was just walking around in socks, she says. They also took her clothes so that she couldnt harm herself with them.

The attitude of the hospital staff from the start was very much Im so sorry, but I have to, its just our protocol,' Jessica says.

At 10:45 p.m., Jessica finally met with a social worker for evaluation. If I didnt get cleared, Id have to go on a 72-hour psychiatric hold and be separated from my family. Still, I kept telling them I was not going to hurt myself or my children, she explains.

She says the social worker decided against putting her on a psychiatric hold, and discharged her. While she says the social worker was very thorough and caring, she couldnt do much except hand her papers with resources for women suffering from postpartum depression.

"I leave the ER at midnight, my spirit more broken than ever, no medication, no follow up appointment, never spoke to a doctor," Jessica wrote in her Facebook post.

According to ABC News, which covered the story, Jessica's ob-gyn office confirmed that she had an appointment that day. ABC News also says the Sacramento Police Department verified that they responded to a call that day. And, while the hospital wouldn't verify the events because of privacy, the news network says Jessica showed them discharge papers from the hospital.

This is what it's like to suffer from depression:

Could This Happen To You?

Jessica's story is alarmingbut it's not the norm for all women with symptoms of PPD.

Most obstetricians use postpartum depression screenings to evaluate women and pinpoint who may be at risk, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. (You should also be screened at the pediatrician's office, according to 2010 guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

"If this isn't an emergencythe patient isn't suicidalwe can take care of women in an outpatient setting. Women shouldn't be afraid of discussing these issues with providers," she adds.

However, if a patient confesses to suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of hurting the baby, or planning to do so, then the doctor is obligated to do more than just provide in-office counseling. "In those situations, medical folks are obligated to get the patient to an emergency facility for an evaluation immediately," explains Minkin.

Regardless, you should feel supported by your healthcare team. The Seleni Institute, a non-profit focused on emotional health in families, suggests opening up to the doctor you trust the most (whether that's your general practitioner or an obstetrician), and bringing a list to the office that expresses your symptoms, questions, and concerns. It's also important to express even scary thoughts without worrying about being judged.

"In obstetrics, I hope that we are all taking women seriously with these problems. I hope that we have been getting better on evaluating a treating these women," adds Minkin.

How To Seek Help For PPD

While in her original post, Jessica said she was still processing her emotions about the ordeal, she now has a clear picture of how she wants her experience to help other moms.

"Millions of women have [violent thoughts] without acting on them. We need to raise awareness that if youre having these thoughts youre not alone, says Jessica. I want to do everything I can to end the stigma about this."

She adds, I want to make sure other people they serve are receiving quality care. I want to fix it, she says.
Led by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, VAIDS educated the public on their tax obligations and why they should embrace the new initiative.

The VAIDS team was received by the Executive Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the Base Event Centre, Enugu. In attendance were the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris; Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi; Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Igwe (Amb) Lawrence Agubuzo; Enugu State Commissioners and several stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Finance said VAIDS is a time-limited opportunity for taxpayers who are in default with their Nigerian tax liabilities to pay the tax due from them relating to previous tax periods and declare all previously undisclosed assets and income.

Adeosun expressed her concern that Nigerias tax-to-GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the world at just 6% and out of 70 million economically viable Nigerians, only 14 million were paying taxes. Speaking further, she said, If we are serious about building a nation where current & future generations can build lasting development & prosperity, we must all embrace our tax obligations.

She disclosed that Nigeria cant rely on solely oil anymore for revenue and cited successful nations attributing their success to a high rate of tax compliance and a sound tax system. "By regularly paying taxes, we will avoid the pain that the recent oil price collapse and the consequent recession inflicted on Nigerians. We will avoid boom-and-bust cycles and join those nations that have predictable revenues and see progressive improvements in citizens' lives," she explained.

The Minister warned that there will be no hiding place for tax defaulters and urged everyone to embrace VAIDS in order to voluntarily declare their assets and income and also, regularise their tax affairs before the scheme ends on the 31st of March.

Also speaking at the event, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi expressed appreciation to the Federal ministry of Finance for bringing the VAIDS initiative to Enugu State and highlighted some of the remarkable feats that have been achieved through taxes.

A lot of roads have been constructed and renovated while the health and educational sector have vastly improved and all these have been achieved with tax payers money, he disclosed.

He listed the strides made in tax administration in the state with the revival of the State Revenue Corp and the adoption of the E-Payment which has improved the effective collection of tax in Enugu State. We will continue in this regard until Enugu state gets to the level we aspire to be, he announced.

He encouraged all tax payers in Enugu to continue the good work in developing the state.

The Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme is part of a nationwide drive to rebuild Nigerias revenue base by providing individuals and companies the opportunity to declare all their assets and income and also to regularise their tax liabilities for all the relevant years without fear of criminal prosecution and the benefit of waiver on penalty charges.
Oloko gave the figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.According to him, there are currently about 600 Nigerians arrested for overstaying their visas and other criminal offences.He said that some of them were arrested for overstaying their visas, engaging in drug trafficking and other criminal offences.

There is no doubt that there are currently a number of Nigerians in various Chinese prisons, at least those under our consular jurisdiction in Guangzhou.He said that some of the Nigerian nationals currently in Chinese prisons were being prepared for deportation.

The consul-general, therefore, enjoined Nigerians desirous of visiting any part of China to always obey the Chinese immigration and general laws when in the provinces.
A statement issued on Sunday in Sokoto by Tambuwals spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said the school would provide shelter, clothing and basic Islamic and western education to the children who fled insurgency in the North-East Zone and were currently living in Sokoto.

This gesture is not only commendable but worthy of emulation by all persons. Seeing these children happy is both touching and encouraging.

In my personal capacity and as a government, we will render our assistance to ensure that the children are comfortable, the statement quoted Tambuwal as saying.

The governor directed officials of the ministries of health and social welfare development to constantly monitor the progress of the children to ensure their comfort.

These are our children. The unfortunate incidence that brought them here notwithstanding, we will step in and act as all parents should.

So they are home in Sokoto, and its our collective responsibilities to cater for their needs, he added.

ALSO READ:See the names of 105 missing students kidnapped by Boko Haram

Kwabo, on his part, said he was moved to establish the school to create a future for the children.

He said some of the pupils in the school were as young as three years, noting that care givers who speak in their native tongues had been recruited to make their stay easier.
Adesina stated this while speaking on ChannelsTV programme, Sunday Politics on February 25, 2017.

The presidential spokesman blamed the Dapchi incident on the sack of insurgents from their home in Sambisa Forest by men of the Nigerian Army.

I just want to appeal to the parents of to please bear with the government and trust that the government will do all that is possible and necessary to bring those students back, Adesina declared.

The insurgency was endemic in three states  Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. But Adamawa and Yobe has been quite under control because the insurgents were driven out completely.

So it is not unlikely that when they lost out in Sambisa forest, they then found their way back to Yobe which was why what happened, happened. But Im sure the military is responding adequately to this.

Asked if the insurgents have been totally defeated like the Nigerian army claims, he replied: If the question is totally, I will say no. But have they been degraded? I will say yes. Terribly, so, the presidential spokesman announced.

He also believes that the Buhari administration has handled the Boko Haram insurgency better that the previous regime.

Compare how the situation was before this administration came. They were virtually running riots everywhere. You cant compare then and now. They have been terribly, terribly degraded. But is the war over, no, it is not over.

110 Dapchi girls kidnap

Like the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok in 2014, another 110 girls were kidnapped from their school in Dapchi on Monday, February 19, 2018.

Information minister, Lai Mohammedconfirmed this while speaking to journalists in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.
The PDP chairman said this in an interview with Punch on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

According to him, the Present administration has not been able to fulfil any of its campaign promises.

Secondus also said that the country will be plunged into further crisis if Buhari is allowed to rule for another four year term.

According to him, everyone who worked hard for Buhari to win in 2015, is regretting.

Secondus said The President may have noticed that Nigerians are eager to end his misrule and thats why he told the governors of the APC to give him some time before he would make up his mind on 2019.

The fact, however, is that, allowing President Muhammadu Buhari to rule for another four years as from 2019 will be disastrous for the country and its citizens.

Buhari promised to fight corruption, he promised to fight insurgency and also revive the economy. Thats good.

But is the fight against corruption working? Is he not shielding alleged corrupt people in his kitchen cabinet? Are we making progress in the fight against insurgency? Nobody is even talking about the economy because if we have remained where we were in 2015 when he assumed office, it would have been better.

But now, we are miles in retrogression. Pray, should we continue like this for another four years? Those wishing to campaign for him or asking him to run are doing so not in the interest of the country, but for self-preservation.

CNN anchor blasts Buhari

CNN correspondent, Isha Sesay on Saturday, February 24, 2018, took a swipe at President Buhari for saying that the kidnap of 105 girls in Dapchi is a national disaster.

The journalist described the incident as a national disgrace.
The president made the promise as he hosted freed lecturers of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) who were ambushed and abducted by terrorists on July 25, 2017.

The lecturers were among a group of geologists prospecting for oil in the Lake Chad basin area of Borno State.

Ten women who were plucked from a police convoy by the terrorists, were among those who met with Buhari at the villa on Monday, February 26, 2018.

The lecturers and women regained their freedom on February 10, 2018, .

'Nigeria rejoices'

I can't fully express the joy I felt I this afternoon, as I received our citizens recently released from Boko Haram captivityfathers, mothers, sons, daughters. We will go to any length to ensure that no one is left behind in the hands of terrorists. Every Nigerian life matters!, Buhari promised.

The president detailed that he met with the University of Maiduguri lecturers, abducted while on service to their fatherland, and also the women abducted from a funeral procession. Today they are safely back home, and Nigeria rejoices with them and with their families.

Dapchi Girls

On Monday Febraury 19, 2018, terrorists stormed the government girls secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State and abducted 110 schoolgirls.

The president has deployed military and police personnel to the northeast to rescue the girls.

"They (freed captives) told me that they had given up all hope of ever coming back alive. I assured them that we will never give up on any of our citizens.
The cable TV anchor said the kidnap is not a national disaster but a national disgrace.

Sesay made this known in some of her tweets on Saturday, February 24, 2018 while lending her voice to the release of the girls kidnapped in Dapchi area of Yobe state on Monday, February 19, 2018.

"Nigeria's President Buhari calls abduction of DapchiGirls "a national disaster." That's an understatement - it's a national disgrace. More girls taken - again?? Yobe ChibokGirls," Sesay had tweeted.

Sesay further tweeted: "I want to live in a world where the lives of the DapchiGirls are held to be just as important as those of kids in other places. A world where everyone is talking about schoolgirls being stolen by terrorists. Is that too much to ask?"

And when a follower tried convincing her, she insisted that the word disgrace captures blame and responsibility by the Nigerian government.

"Nope! "National disaster" doesn't cut it. I'm taking "national disgrace" which implies blame and responsibility," she tweeted.

On Monday, February 19, 2018, the men of the Boko Haram sect invaded a part of Yobe State including the Government Girls Secondary School in Dapchi kidnapping several students and reigning terror on the school and the village.

According to a forum of parents of missing students, the number of girls in captivity have been given as 105.

ALSO READ: Buhari says Dapchi Girls' kidnap is a national disaster

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the girls kidnap saying it's a national disaster.

US condemns kidnap of school girls in Yobe

The United States of America condemned the abduction of over 90 school girls from Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe state.

The Spokesperson of the US Department of State, Ms Heather Nauert, at a press briefing on Thursday, said We are still trying to get all the details about that but we wanted to mention that we condemn in the strongest possible terms the terror attack on a school earlier this week in north-eastern Nigeria.

The choice of targets including schools, markets and places of worship reflect the brutality of terror organisations.

The victims in the attacks were girls who were simply seeking an education.

We continue to support Nigerias efforts to counter the terror group.

ALSO READ: Schoolgirl narrates how Boko Haram kidnapped students in Yobe

We also support Nigerias efforts to enable more than two million displaced in the Lake Chad region to return home safely.

United States continues to provide humanitarian assistance to those who were affected by the violence, Nauert added.

British military offers to assist Nigeria in rescuing 105 kidnapped girls

The British military has offered to assist the Nigerian Army in the search and rescue operation launched for the 105 girls kidnapped in Dapchi, Yobe State.

The Guardian reports that the British army led by Major Ian Robertson, the general advisor, British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) in Nigeria, recently made this known.
Osinbajo said this in Abuja at the opening of the International Conference on Lake Chad, with the Theme: Saving the Lake to Revitalise the Basins Ecosystem.

Osinbajo said the lake, which had shrunk from 25,000 square meters in the 60s to 2,500 square meters presently, had no fewer than 30 million people relying on it for livelihood.

He said the past 30 years had seen tremendous efforts such as the Lake Chad Basin Water Transfer, and the proposed Inter-Basin water Transfer project from the Ubangui River in Congo.

Lake Chad issue is an international issue with a global challenge, saving the lake is preserving the livelihood of millions of people.

Nigeria would implement all recommendations made to restore the Lake Chad at the end of this conference.

In his remarks, the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said despite poverty and the security challenges, the fresh water body was still a source of water supply for drinking, fisheries and other socio-economic activities.

He said saving the Lake Chad in a sustainable manner required the collaboration of all relevant stakeholders, adding that all hands should be on deck to save the lake from extinction.

The lake is the epicenter of human, animal and plant life for the region, it contains a variety of habitats.

The UN Environmental Programme in 2006 reported that persistent drought and ravages of rapidly growing human population have decimated it.

Adamu called on all stakeholders to support the processes to restore the glory of the region, saying that all hands should be on deck.

Mr Sanusi Abdullahi, the Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission, said insurgency, climate change, nonpayment of annual contributions were some of the challenges militating against full implementation of its programmes in the region.

According to him, there is the need to mobilise partnership for reversing the devastating effect of the Lake Chad.

Abdullahi said that the huge progress made toward the realisation of the inter-basin water transfer project to recharge the basin and save it from extinction was worthy of note.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity,Chris Ngige, was said to have disclosed this in Abuja on Monday, February 26, 2018, while speaking at the 40th Anniversary of the NLC.

Ngige said the new minimum wage would be announced before the end of the third quarter.

He said, "in furtherance to the determination by the federal government to attain the decent work agenda which involves opportunities for works that are productive and deliver a fair income, security in workplace, and social protection for families; there have been overtime, three minimum wage reviews and currently the tripartite committee on national minimum wage is set to review the current minimum wage.

"Memoranda are being received from relevant bodies are persons to enable the determination of a new minimum wage for the nation. By the third quarter of this year, a new minimum wage will be announced for the country."

The minister urged the workers to be more patient and understanding, adding that FG wants to ensure compliance by all state governments.

"Better late than never because some State governors are still owing and cannot pay the current N18,000 minimum wage to workers, thats why we are ensuring we bring all stakeholders along and announce the new minimum wage at the appropriate time.

"But I can assure you that the third quarter is the maximum time the new minimum wage will be announced," Ngige added.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had in a new petition submitted to the tripartite committee on minimum wage requested for an increase of wage above N56,000 per month.

The current minimum wage is N18,000 per month.
No fewer than 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi are still unaccounted for after a raid by Boko Haram insurgents on Feb. 19.

Obasi said that kidnapping innocent students in their quest to acquire knowledge was a threat to national development.

 It is unfortunate, barbaric and wicked of insurgents to resort to abduction of students who has no hand in the sorry state we all have found ourselves as a people and nation.

We have consistently been advocating, protesting and even persuading governments at all levels to reverse the worsening conditions of our schools and take the welfare of the future leaders paramount as a deliberate measure to safeguard our nation from disastrous consequences.

We call on all security forces to join efforts at rescuing the abducted Yobe girls; every second that passes with the girls in the hands of the terrorists is an unfathomable torture on Nigerians, he said.

The NANS president said that students were joining the parents of the abducted school girls in prayers and urged the concerned authorities to protect Nigerian students.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said that the Federal Government had directed the police and civil defence authorities in Yobe to immediately deploy their personnel to all the schools in the state in order to ensure security.
A statement by Jibrin Ndache, Chief Press Secretary of the Governor, said on Sunday in Minna that Gov. Abubakar Bello stated this while inspecting the site on Sunday.

It quoted Bello as saying that reviving the grazing reserves was part of Federal Governments efforts toward ending the clashes that had continued to claim human and animal lives.

Bello said that a committee had been put in place to meet with herdsmen on modalities for operating the reserve.

The statement added that government was assessing facilities at the grazing reserve with a view to renovate them and expand the fields to cater for a minimum of one million ruminant animals.

It quoted Bello as saying that our forefathers foresaw a situation of conflict among us that was why they provided the grazing reserves over 50 years ago.

It said that existing structures and facilities would be renovated and refurbished while schools would be revived to meet the educational needs of the herdsmen.

ALSO READ:Army denies shielding Fulani herdsmen in Benue state

We will need more grazing areas, so it has become necessary to grow grasses. We will also need milk collection centres and veterinary services at the grazing reserve, Bello said.

According to him, the Niger government is planning to enforce a cattle tax system for security purposes.

He said that the tax regime would ease the monitoring of herdsmen occupying the grazing reserve area.

To ensure the success of the programme, we are considering tax, though we have not concluded our arrangement, he said.

He said that the tax system was good for security purposes as strange elements would easily be detected.

Bello warned those that had encroached into the land for farming to steer clear of the gazetted area to avoid clashes with herdsmen.

I dont expect any farmer here. I have just been told that there are some farmers who are here illegally.

So, if there is any farmer here, I have just given instruction that notice should be given and they should know that this is strictly a gazetted Grazing Reserve, Bello said.

Mr David Sado, Officer in Charge of the Grazing Reserve, told the governor that past administrations had not paid any attention to the facility ever since it was handed over to the state government in 2006.

Sado explained that Bobi Grazing Reserves consisted of 30,000 hectares of land divided into seven blocks with about 700 households and six earth dams, a solar-powered and motorized boreholes and five pasture blocks.
Daily Post quotes a credible source as saying the girls have been split into two groups.

One group was left in an enclave in northern Borno State, while the other was taken to a village in Niger Republic, the story says.

The source was quoted by the newspaper as saying:  and are held in the border town of Duro in Niger Republic.

The second batch has been moved to Tumbun Gini area of Abadam LGA of Borno.

Factions

The online newspaper also reports that the schoolgirls were abducted by the Musab Albarnawi faction of Boko Haram.

The Albarnawi faction is loyal to ISIS and operates from the Chad and Niger borders.

It is believed that the Abubakar Shekau faction is in custody of the Chibok girls who were abducted in 2014.

Some of the Chibok girls have regained their freedom following a controversial prisoner swap deal between the Nigerian government and the terrorists.

The Shekau faction operates out of the Sambisa Forest in Borno state, near the Cameroon border.

Islamic State

Boko Haram commenced a blood insurgency against the Nigeria State in 2009.

2.6 million people have been displaced with more than 20,000 people killed whilst the insurgency has lasted.

Boko Haram seeks to carve a hardline Islamic State from Nigerias northeast region.

The terrorist sect was founded by Mohammed Yusuf who came to the attention of law enforcement in 2002.

Yusuf died in the custody of law enforcement in 2009. His death gave rise to the bloodthirsty reign of Shekau.

Girls missing

The Nigerian government has disclosed that 110 girls were abducted from Dapchi on the day.

President Buhari has ordered military and police units to rescue the girls as quickly as possible.
We run the rule on the young and the fearless presidential contenders ahead of the 2019 vote..

1. Kingsley Moghalu

Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu is a 55-year-old former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He is a lawyer by training and a political economist by profession. Moghalu also served in the United Nations.

It is the turn of any competent Nigerian to aspire for the post of presidency because career politicians have failed Nigeria, Moghalu announced on the day he made it clear he will be running for president.

The future of Nigeria rests in technocratic interventions. We need thinking people that will take Nigeria from the politics of stomach infrastructure to politics of mental infrastructure,he added.

2. Omoyele Sowore

The founder and publisher of online news platform Sahara Reporters, hosted activists, journalists and young Nigerians at 13a Isaac John Street, GRA Ikeja for a town hall on Sunday, February 25, 2018, and left no one in doubt he will be running for president.

In my first day as a president, I'll turn Nigeria into a construction site. I have created jobs before. Since Buhari became president, his cows haven't multiplied. He has had 150 cows since.

"If you ask Nigerians about the economic plans of Buhari, they'll point to the British accent of the finance minister. How does accent create jobs?, Sowore asked incredulously.

It was an afternoon in which Sowore took on all past and present older generation of political leaders and made the case for why hes the answer to Nigerias problems.

3. Ayodele Fayose

This 57-year-old Governor of Ekiti State has been a Buhari critic before the 2015 general elections.

Hes unabashedly crude and rude in his methods; and has anointed himself the voice of the nations biggest opposition party. Fayose has an opinion on practically everything that happens in Nigeria.

On the day he declared for president, Fayose told his haters that theyll watch him saunter into Aso Rock in 2019.

To the down trodden and those of you who go to bed hungry on a daily basis, I assure you that help is on the way," he said.

To my haters, I want to tell them that they will watch me enter the Villa in 2019 because Im Nigerias president in waiting.

If you have not seen any miracle, this is your opportunity because I am a miracle.

This calling of mine is without repentance and God will not apologize to anyone for making me president come 2019, he added.

4. Donald Duke

56-year-old Donald Duke has been making the case for a young president since forever.

Duke was one of Nigerias better Governors when he oversaw affairs of the serene Cross River State from 1999 to 2007.

Hes suave, urbane and cosmopolitan.

"I am entitled to run for the presidency of this country. Only on right circumstances I will aspire for it. I don't shy away from responsibility, I will aspire for presidency of this country. I have what it takes to be president of this country.

"It is high time Nigerians begun to project people with the technical know-how to take the country to the Promised Land, Duke said in January.

5. Fela Durotoye

This 46-year-old motivational speaker hurled his hat into the presidential ring last weekand hes managed to stir some serious online debate on the chances of a newcomer.

"It is my hope that as I step unto the political scene, many more of our brightest and best will arise to heed our nation's clarion call to contest for elective offices, win the elections, and most importantly collectively deliver good governance to our nation.
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In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja, the PDP said the panel lacked credibility as it comprised officials of INEC, which had been accused of complicity in the issue.

It said that the panel had been detailed to arrive at pre-determined findings and recommendations to exonerate the commission and play down on the electoral implications of the existence of under-age voters.

The party said that the scope of the inquest, particularly the exclusion of Katsina State from the probe in spite of vast evidence of under-age voters in that state, was not acceptable.

It alleged that the fact that the All Progressives Congress (APC) rose in staunch defence of INEC over the existence of minors as voters further confirmed that the ruling party had more than vested interests in the illegality.

Nigerians have been wondering why INEC is afraid of looking at its register in Katsina state.

Is it because Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari and a probe is likely to expose cans of worms?

Is INEC afraid that a sanitised register would lead to a massive drop in the voting population in the state and cripple APCs rigging plan?

Nigerians are also wondering why INEC has vehemently refused to include other stakeholders, including political parties, credible NGOs and Civil Society Organisations in this important assignment to guarantee itscredibility, it stated.

The party alleged that by excluding other stakeholders, INEC was definitely not sincere with the sanitisation of the voter register in Kano, Katsina and other states.

INEC, under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is already manifesting weaknesses and bias, which further confirms why it should not be trusted in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

Consequently, the PDP and all aligning stakeholders will not accept any findings or recommendations from INECs in-house committee as such will not reflect the reality on the ground regarding the contaminated register, it added.

The party insisted that INEC must be bold enough to extend the inquest to Katsina state as well as other states where minors were registered.

According to it, failure by the commission to do so implies that it has already caved in to pressure ahead of the 2019 elections.

The PDP charged the INEC chairman to quickly redeem the image of the commission by immediately disbanding the flawed committee.

It advised the commission to set up a more credible and transparent panel made up of political parties, credible NGOs and CSOs, and extend the inquest to Katsina and other states.

It said Nigerians would not accept anything short of a credible, free and fair general elections in 2019, adding that any attempt by anyone to subvert the will of the people would have himself to blame.

Meanwhile, the PDP has urged the Federal Government to provide answers to urgent questions surrounding the abduction of schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe.

It said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja, that the Presidency needed to react to the allegation that security was compromised around the school.

The party said that the Federal Government should account for all the misleading reports that frustrated the immediate rescue of the girls.
The Managing Director of the company, Malam Rabiu Abdullahi, made the disclosure in a statement in Lagos on Monday.

He said that the project being built in the Funakaye Local Government Area of Gombe State was flagged off last year and that it was expected to be completed next year.

The project will free up about 16 megawatts into the national grid, he stated.

He said that Ashakacem a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, had three main areas of focus in its corporate social responsibility initiative, namely, education, youth empowerment and health.

According to him, the company has also built primary and secondary schools in its host communities to give youths access to education.

Abdullahi said that many youths had been trained in various trades as part of the companys empowerment scheme, adding that some of the youths had been employed by the company.

He said that empowerment programmes were not limited to the companys host communities but that the scheme was for the entire northeast.

Abdullahi said that a health clinic had been established by the company to cater for the health needs of 250 people from the host communities.
The rival Russian-drafted text presented to the council on Saturday and seen by AFP would extend the sanctions regime on Yemen until February 2019 without any reference to the UN report's findings on Iran and possible action targeting Tehran.

Diplomats said Russia could veto the British text, allowing for a vote on its own draft resolution.

Negotiations were continuing on Sunday.

The report by a UN panel of experts concluded that Iran was in violation of the 2015 arms embargo after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

Russia maintains that the report's findings are not conclusive enough to justify action against Iran.

Britain, backed by the United States and France, had initially sought to condemn Iran, but that was dropped in negotiations.

The last draft resolution expresses "particular concern" that "weapons of Iranian origin were introduced in Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo" and that Iran is in "non-compliance" with UN resolutions.

The council would express "its intention to take additional measures to address these violations," according to the British-drafted text.

It adds that "any activity related to the use of ballistic missiles in Yemen" meets the criteria for imposing UN sanctions.

Russia-US clash on Iran

Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia on Wednesday said the draft resolution should focus on renewing the mandate of sanctions monitors for Yemen instead of taking aim at Iran.

"It's a resolution about the extension of the working group, not about Iran. So we should concentrate on extending the working group first," he said.

While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley is pushing for council action to rein in Iran and prevent the war in Yemen from escalating into a broader regional conflict.

In a New York Times editorial last week, Haley wrote that "the UN panel has given the world a chance to act before a missile hits a school or a hospital and leads to a dangerous military escalation that provokes a Saudi military response."

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a conflict that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The Argentinian government has offered a reward of $5 million "to those persons who provide information and useful data" leading to the submarine's location.

"We are searching for the truth and you can join us. We are raising funds to hire vessels with up-to-date technology," the families said in their call for donations to two bank accounts for local and foreign currency.

More than a dozen countries contributed to the search for the submarine, which vanished on November 15 after reporting that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the diesel-electric vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.

Relatives, who met with President Mauricio Macri on February 7, called for the search area to be widened and increased government resources for the effort.

The collection "was an idea relatives were talking about, and when the government announced the reward and ended the tender for foreign companies to search for (the submarine), it was put into action," said Clarin Claudio Sandoval, uncle of one of the crew members.

He said the group wanted to raise at least $250,000 to hire a private search company.
Secret

He is currently on a tour of Tanzania and Kenya.

He said Mombasa was Africas best kept secret, prompting a thank you tweet from Mohammed Hersi of the Kenya Tourism Federation.

Staple food

A section of Kenyans were pleased that Omokri loved their staple food, but quickly protested at the 'dishonourable' manner he chose to devour it.

The author quickly apologised for using a fork ,adding that he was going to use bare fingers to eat Ugali.
Speaking on Sunday, Said Abdalla who contested against Ali for the Parliamentary seat, stated that he will be moving to the Court of Appeal.

Saido, as he is popularly known, stated that he was waiting to get the copy of the full ruling before appealing. He added that he was not satisfied with the orders issued by Lady Justice Lydia Achode.

In the ruling Judge Achode ordered Saido to pay election costs totaling Sh7 million.

Johos cousin had moved to challenge the former journalists win stating that the election was marred by irregularities.

However, Justice Achode threw out the petition noting that the evidence was not enough to support the claims.

Speaking after the judgment Mr. Ali accused Joho and his cousin of witch hunting.
NCIC had summoned Ngilu over her alleged incitement remarks where she is accused of asking locals to 'deal with pastoralists and charcoal dealers' who had invaded Kitui County.

Ngilu had earlier issued an order banning the export of charcoal from the county to other counties.

Crackdown

She called for a crackdown on anybody found burning or ferrying charcoal from Kitui to other counties saying that charcoal burning was killing the economy and destroying the environment.

After her grilling at the NCIC, Musyoka came to her defence absolving Ngilu from any wrong doing warning Kenyans to be prepared to have the country declared a desert if charcoal burning, sand harvesting and cutting down of trees is not banned.

"People must be held responsible. Right now the entire Kamba region is dry due to charcoal burning. If this is not controlled Kenya will be declared a desert,"Musyoka said.

Conservation

The Wiper leader said Kenya should deal with conserving water resources and not prosecuting people trying to defend it.

"What happens if there is no rain? Is the Jubilee government ready to feed the citizens of this country? Imagine myself that the news war will be around water resources. So this are the issues we must deal with. We think that the NCIC should not be misused," the NASA principal added.

The government has already announced that it will spend Sh3.8 billion in its response to address drought between now and April.

Highway blocked

Just hours before Ngilu's grilling, a section of the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway was blocked by angry youth protesting the incident in Kitui County earlier this month where a lorry transporting charcoal was set ablaze allegedly on orders from Ngilu.
In a list published by EBK, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST), South Eastern Kenya University (Seku), Technical University of Kenya (TUK) and University of Eldoret have been excluded yet they offer courses in engineering.

The professional body recognized engineering degrees offers from Kenyatta University, Technical University of Mombasa, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and the Multimedia University of Kenya.

Others included University of Nairobi, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Egerton University and the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.

What this means

If a University offering engineering course is not recognized by EBK, it means a student will acquire their certificate but the professional body will not authorize them to practice.
Governor had earlier issued an order banning the export of charcoal from the county to other counties.

Crackdown

She called for a crackdown on anybody found burning or ferrying charcoal from Kitui to other counties saying that charcoal burning was killing the economy and destroying the environment.

The youth blocked the major highway at Rironi area and deflated tyres for all trucks and cars claiming that their trucks were burnt in Kitui and they wanted compensation.

Exercise caution

Kenyans have been urged to exercise caution along the highway and if possible avoid the Rironi-Maimahiu Road.
Opinion

Ryan Bridge: The Govt's COVID-19 messaging is all over the shop - do lockdowns stop when enough Kiwis are vaccinated?
NETHERLANDS: National passenger operator NS announced on February 26 that the fleet of around 400 trainsets which it uses on the main line network is now being leased from Netherlands-based NS Lease, rather than Irish-registered NS Financial Services Co Ltd. This means taxes will now be paid locally.
In conjunction with freight operator Ferrosur Roca, Argentinas Ministry of Transport has conducted trial piggyback movements carrying lorry semi-trailers between Spegazzinni in Buenos Aires province and the port of Bahia Blanca. Wagons for the trial were supplied by Vale Argentina SA.
Rantoul, IL (61866)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Defendant in Vostochny Cosmodrome embezzlement case sentenced to 12 years

 RIA Novosti, Igor Ageenko

10:56 26/02/2018

MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI)  The Far East District Military Court in Russias Khabarovsk has sentenced former head of Dalspetsstroy building company, Yury Khrizman, to 12 years in a penal colony for abuse of office and embezzling 5.2 billion rubles ($92.8 million) during construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome, the courts press-service reports.

The defendant was also fined 1.5 million rubles ($26,700). His son, entrepreneur Mikhail Khrizman, head accountant Vladimir Ashihmin and former chairman of the Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai Victor Chudov were also sentenced to prison terms varying from 5.5 to 7 years in prison. Mikhail Khrizman was fined 800,000 rubles ($14,200) while Chudov was fined 900,000 rubles ($16,000).

According to the case documents, the defendants acting as an organized criminal group embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.8 million) belonging to Dalspetsstroy in 2006-2009. Victims in the case are Dalspetsstroy company and Roscosmos space corporation. Investigators added that Yury Khrizman and Ashihmin abused their authority by misusing money allocated for the Cosmodrome construction and caused damage to Russia valued at 5.2 billion rubles.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The first launch vehicle operation was carried out on April 28, 2016.
Three defendants in Vostochny Cosmodrome embezzlement case to go on trial

 Fotolia/ V.P.

13:59 26/02/2018

MOSCOW, February 26 (RAPSI)  A criminal case against three more defendants charged with embezzlement and related crimes during construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome has been forwarded to a court for hearing, the press-service of the Investigative Committee reports.

Defendants are former deputy head of the Dalspetsstroy construction company Andrey Zakharov, head of the TSNIIMTSEN company Olga Zugayeva and head of Gosnormativ company Sergey Polivanov. Depending on the role of each of them in the alleged crimes, they are charged with embezzlement, organization of embezzlement, aiding embezzlement and money laundering.

According to investigators, from June 2012 till December 2013 head of the SDA company Vyacheslav Fatkullin, acting alongside with head of FTSTSS company Yevgeny Yermolayev and Zugayeva embezzled 124.9 million rubles ($2.2 million). The embezzled funds were laundered by Zugayeva by transferring money to sham companies through series of financial transactions. Fatkullin was put on the international wanted list and his case is reviewed separately.

Investigators also believe that from September 2013 till July 2014 Zakharov embezzled 280 million rubles ($5 million) more by conspiring with Yermolayev, Polivanov and Zugayeva.

Earlier today, the Far East District Military Court in Russias Khabarovsk sentenced former head of Dalspetsstroy company, Yury Khrizman, to 12 years in a penal colony for abuse of office and embezzling 5.2 billion rubles ($92.8 million) during construction of the Cosmodrome.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The first launch vehicle operation was carried out on April 28, 2016.
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YOU ARE BIDDING ON THE FULL SALE PRICE of 10 acres of land in scenic Apache County, close to many recreational attractions and with distant views of the White Mountains to the south. The parcel is for 10 acres which are located off Hwy 191 just miles from the family-friendly community of St. Johns. The Witch Wells Tavern on 191, at the foot of Witch Wells Road, is where you would turn west to travel to the property, then you would go at least six miles until you reach Spurlock Road. The land lie...

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LAND FOR SALE SHELTER COVE, CALIFORNIA Would you like to own coastal property in stunning Humboldt County? Does residential land in Shelter Cove interest you? Here is your opportunity to purchase a well positioned lot for a fraction of market value. The property itself has paved road access along Telegraph Creek Road. The lot measures approximately 12,197 square feet. Please feel free to drive out and visit the property for yourself prior to bidding. Well situated land in this area of Californa ...

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There are 55 non-banking PPIs operational now, apart from 50 wallets promoted by banks.

The Reserve Bank on Monday said there will not be any extension to the February 28 deadline for mandatory KYC-compliance by prepaid wallet customers.

However, customers who have balances in such wallets or prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) need not worry about their money even if they do not fulfill the KYC (know-your-customer) norms, the central bank said on Monday.

"Sufficient time has already been given to meet the prescribed guidelines.

In the event PPI issuers not obtaining the KYC-related inputs within the timeline, customers will not lose their money," deputy governor B P Kanungo told reporters in Mumbai on Monday evening.

There are 55 non-banking PPIs operational now, apart from 50 wallets promoted by banks.

They were initially given time till December 31, 2017, to make those accounts KYC-compliant, which was extended to February 28.

According to media reports, PPIs were feeling that the KYC requirement was very challenging and if the guideline were to be implemented, they feared losing business as 90 per cent customers have been onboarded using the minimum KYC, which is giving the telephone number.

The PPI industry also feels that if KYC is done for mobile phones, the same should take care of security concerns.

"The guidelines are designed to strengthen safety and security of transactions and customer protection," Kanungo said, adding KYC requirements are necessary to usher in inter-operability.

As per the master directions issued on the matter last October, the RBI wants to make inter-operability between the PPI wallets and also with bank accounts and cards possible.

Apart from paying for purchase of goods and services, PPIs are used extensively for remittances currently, which offer a very lucrative business opportunity for agencies involved in carrying out remittances.

Kanungo said customers can continue to undertake transactions for purchase of goods and services as per the available balance, but will have to fulfill the KYC requirements before remitting money or reloading the wallet.

As per the laws, a customer can fulfil the KYC requirements by submitting any document like the Aadhaar number, voter ID, among others.

Photograph: Reuters
The ED on Monday also examined the state-owned bank's executive director K V Brahmaji Rao to understand how the alleged fraud was detected and other banking procedures.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Punjab National Bank's managing director and CEO Sunil Mehta in connection with the Rs 11,400 crore PNB scam allegedly involving diamantaire Nirav Modi and owner of Gitanjali Gems Mehul Choksi, officials said on Monday.

The ED on Monday also examined the state-owned bank's executive director K V Brahmaji Rao to understand how the alleged fraud was detected and other banking procedures.

Mehta, officials said, will be asked similar questions when he meets ED officials this week.

They said the two officials are not being examined as an accused.

The CBI had examined the two senior PNB officials last week in the same case.

Meanwhile, beleaguered diamond merchant Modi, his wife Ami and his uncle Choksi today skipped their scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai.

It was not immediately known if the agency will issue fresh dates to them.

If it does not issue them fresh summons, it is understood, the ED is expected to move a special court in Mumbai seeking non-bailable arrest warrants against them.

The agency on Monday also obtained the court's nod to issue six Letters Rogatories (LRs), judicial requests for obtaining information from overseas locations, pertaining to its probe against Modi.

The agency is expected to obtain more such LRs in this case.

The LRs issued on Monday will be sent, through the Union home ministry, to Hong Kong, the US, the UK, the UAE, South Africa and Singapore.

The attempt of sending these judicial requests for exchange of information is aimed at obtaining the details of the overseas financial holdings of Modi and Choksi and also their bank accounts, assets, partnerships, showrooms, trusts and other assets, the officials said.

These assets and their sources of income will be investigated and if necessary would be attached under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) if it is found that they have been created using tainted funds or the proceeds of crime of the alleged bank fraud, the sources had said.

The total assets seized by the ED in this case is now over Rs 6,393 crore, officials had said, adding that this was being independently valued.

Modi, Choksi and others are being investigated by the ED and other probe agencies after the fraud recently came to light, following a complaint by the PNB that they allegedly cheated the nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 11,400 crore, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank.

The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each to probe the case. Both Modi and Choski are said to have left the country before criminal cases were lodged against them.

The ED, a central probe agency under the Union finance ministry, is investigating if the allegedly defrauded bank funds were laundered and proceeds of crime were subsequently used by the accused to create illegal assets and black money.
'Significantly, Foreign Secretary Gokhale was received at very high level in Beijing.'

'It only shows China's keenness to move forward and put the relationship on a 'win-win' footing,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.



IMAGE:Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, February 23, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has hit the road running, as it were.

There isn't going to be a time lag following his predecessor's permanent retirement from South Block before the much-needed abandonment of the China policies over the past three years got underway.

Those policies were characterised by a muscularity without precedent or a sense of ground realities that brought the two countries almost to the brink of war.

In retrospect, they proved fanciful, sterile and even counter-productive -- except, perhaps, to create a raison detre for the India-US defining partnership in the era of 'America First'

Clearly, the wasteland in India-China relations cannot be made fertile and productive overnight. There has been much distortion in national priorities.

Nonetheless, the fact that the new foreign secretary undertook a special mission to Beijing within 25 days of taking over charge in South Block underscores a political decision to begin the effort to clear the deck without delay.

There isn't much time left to create the ambience for a productive, forward-looking, meeting between Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in June on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao, China (which, by the way, also happens to be the first time India will be taking its place at the high table of SCO members).

Quite obviously, the Indian leadership counts on the high credibility that Gokhale enjoys in Beijing both as an ace 'China hand' and an Indian interlocutor with whom a meaningful conversation becomes possible even in troubled times.

The MEA press release on Gokhale's discussions (external link) with senior Chinese officials on February 23-24 exudes a positive tone.

The schedule of bilateral engagements in the coming months has been discussed. Will there be a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to India? Apart from being the second-ranking member of the politburo standing committee of the Communist party of China, Premier Li is one of the leading figures behind China's economic policy.

And any paradigm shift in the India-China relationship is best achieved through the infusion of greater economic cooperation between the two countries, which would create a 'win-win' spirit replacing the recent years' acrimony.

The press release noted the renewed interest on both sides 'to build on the convergences.'

What gives added enchantment to the view is that New Delhi has also received an important visitor from China over the weekend -- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun.

The Modi government is paying high attention to Jin's visit, fully aware that he is an important politician and banker with longstanding experience with international financial institutions (World Bank and Asian Development Bank, in particular).

Indeed, the AIIB and the Silk Road Fund provide vital underpinnings to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

In a major speech on the BRI by President Xi at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in early 2015, he had singled out that the AIIB was expected to 'work as an active promoter of economic globalisation and regional integration.'

Xi added that the Silk Road Fund and the AIIB would foster 'economic connectivity and a new-type of industrialisation (in the Asia Pacific area), and (thus) promote the common development of all countries as well as the peoples' joint enjoyment of development fruits.'

The government is organising a high-profile public event for Jin in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 27, to interact with the movers and shakers of India's economic policies and a cross-section of Indian industry and business on 'New Financing Paradigms for Sustainable Infrastructure' with relevance to the Indian situation.

At the event, the government will be represented by three members of Modi's Cabinet -- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, apart from top officials in the economic policy establishment in South and North Block.

To my mind, the event is timely and hugely significant. Hopefully, the government musters the political courage to make the leap of faith as regards the BRI.

The point is the AIIB is working in close concert with the World Bank and the ADB and are undertaking co-funding of projects regionally.

The Chinese statements have been repeatedly emphasising that Beijing welcomes third-party funding/participation in the BRI projects.

Therefore, call China's BRI projects by any name you may like, but the bottom line is that thr economic activity they can generate in India will be a game changer for the country's development; their spin-off by way of job creation can be potentially transformative.

The overall implications for India's political economy are at once obvious. Succinctly put, China is uniquely placed to accelerate India's development. The diplomatic and political challenge lies in exploiting the historic opportunity.

Significantly, Gokhale was received at very high level in Beijing. It only shows China's keenness to move forward and put the relationship on a 'win-win' footing.
'They must take the bull of conservatism within their own ranks by its horns as much as they need to speak out against the fallacies of the non-Hindutva (or 'Muslim-friendly') political forces as well,' argues Mohammad Sajjad.



IMAGE: Maulana Rabe Hasani Nadvi, president, All India Muslim Personal Law Board; Wali Rahmani, general secretary; Khalid Saifullaha Rahmani, assistant general secretary; Fazlurrahman, secretary; and senior member Zafaryab Jjilani, Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, and other Muslim leaders attend a meeting on triple talaq in Lucknow, December 24, 2017. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

For a student of India's political history, the stories preceding and following communal violence may well be significant entry points to evaluate the real character of non-Hindutva political parties.

These would also be significant to evaluate the Muslim leadership in India, and their relationship with the 'secular' parties.

These would help gauge and comprehend why Indian secularism has lost its socio-political credibility so fatally in our times.

The latest case in point is the kind of hidden truths which are emerging now pertaining to communal 'violence unleashed by MP Yogi Adityanath and his henchmen' in Gorakhpur in late January 2007, a few months before the UP assembly election.

It needs to be noted that the then chief minister Mulayam Yadav removed the officers who had jailed the BJP MP (Adityanath). The officers' successors had gone to Adityanath, seeking his forgiveness!

The political scenario then was described by Apoorvanand (Tehelka, February 17, 2007) thus:

'One should know that he (Adityanath) is a Thakur (Rajput); a Thakur (Rajnath Singh) heads the BJP now and the Samajwadi Party is also being run by a powerful Thakur (Amar Singh).'

'The Thakurs spread across party lines ensure that Adityanath is allowed to have his own way in his fiefdom, Poorvanchal...'

'Muslims have been given to understand that neither the Bahujan Samaj Party nor the SP is willing to rein him in.'

'Perhaps the SP is seeking to counter Mayawati's Brahmin card with its own Thakur card by indulging him. The Congress is nowhere and also lacks a will to take him on.'

'All this leaves the Muslims here with no option but to resign themselves to their fate.'

A few months later, in 2007, Gorakhpur-based journalist Parvez Parwaz filed a criminal complaint with the police against Adityanath for his speech and violence.

But for ten years, the successive governments of chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav failed to prosecute Adityanath (Ajit Sahi, The Wire, February 22, 2018).

In April 2008, Parwaz submitted a CD containing Adityanath's hate speech to the chief judicial magistrate in Gorakhpur. This was never sent for forensic examination.

Between 2007 and 2012, there were around 70 Muslim legislators in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, including the fire-spitting law graduate Azam Khan. It turns out that even they preferred to remain silent on this issue.

Civil rights activists kept themselves oblivious of the reprieve provided to Adityanath by the supposedly 'Muslim-friendly' regimes of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party who were in power in UP between 2007 and 2017.

Would it surprise us then why Akhilesh-Azam failed to prevent the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013? In fact, one could argue that the Akhilesh-Azam duo engineered this polarisation, to draw the Rashtriya Lok Dal and BSP's Muslim base to the SP fold, and to push the RLD and BSP's Jat and Dalit base towards the BJP. (Please read my column, August 5, 2013).

It is another matter that this spun out of their control and only the BJP reaped the harvest in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

Shockingly, as the expose about the Adityanath CD emerged in the public domain, otherwise, loud-mouthed Muslims active on social media, speaking out against Hindutva forces, day in and day out, are almost silent.

This silence needs to be decoded and interpreted. How and why do the Muslim leadership -- political and intelligentsia (modern educated and clergy) -- behave the way they do?

One explanation could be this: 'Muslim-friendly' regimes co-opt articulate segments of the Muslim community. They therefore find comfort in silence and docility in order to safeguard whatever loaves and fishes they secure from the party in power.

Secondly, not bringing Hindutva hot-heads to book, keeps Muslims scared.

Scared minorities are slavish and unflinching people who vote for such secularists en bloc.

All through these years, when reactionary majoritarian Hindus were a marginal force, this tactic worked very well for the Congress first, and then for regional single caste/family- based parties.

It is only now, when the Hindutva forces have become dominant, that the politics of communal polarisation eventually benefits only the BJP, and none else.

It is this situation which has left political forces like the SP, BSP, Rashtriya Janata Dal etc confounded and at the receiving end.

Probably because of this, we did not see civil rights activists chasing erring police officials and politicians responsible for the Bhagalpur riots (1988-1990), the Sitamarhi-Riga riots (1992), or even the Gorakhpur riots (2007).

Contrast it with the Gujarat riots (2002) when complicit officers and politicians were chased, prosecuted. In the Gujarat riots, politicians such as Amit Shah were not chased adequately by the Congress which then had central agencies at its disposal.

Many would admit that a Hindutva regime in Gujarat was useful for the Congress to get Muslim votes en bloc in the rest of India. It helped the Congress in fear-mongering.

Likewise, in the Gorakhpur riots (January 2007), Adityanath was not implicated and prosecuted, despite the local journalist's efforts.

Instances of these riots carry extraordinary relevance here. Hence, we need to look into many aspects of its history.

In the Riga riots (1992), Imarat-e-Shariah kind of organisations did not even go there to distribute relief, which they have been doing since their foundation in 1921.

Various shades of political and apolitical Muslim leadership never asked for an inquiry and prosecution. Why?

Was it because articulate segments of the Muslim leadership were co-opted by the Lalu Yadav-Rabri Devi regime?

Was it because the Urdu press (which has reach and influence with segments of Muslims) was silenced by the Lalu-Rabri regime? Just as the Urdu media now maintains a silence on the expose against Salman Nadvi, a member of the Muslim Personal Law Board.

Despite the expose, the MPLB has only 'dissociated itself' from Nadvi rather than initiate any disciplinary action. Insiders confide that most MPLB members are sympathetic to Nadvi.

Today, the Imarat-e-Shariah (Patna), the Muslim Personal Law Board (now hijacked by firebrand politician Asaduddin Owaisi), are up in arms against the Supreme Court verdict, prohibiting instant triple divorce.

This is a practice not sanctioned by the Sharia, and therefore done away with in so many Muslim majority countries across the globe. Yet, they are mobilising Muslim men and women on a sensationally large scale.

On April 15, the Imarat-e-Shariah will convene a Deen (faith) Bachao, Desh Bachao conference in Patna, a kind of clarion call of 'Islam in danger'.

This will inevitably create communal polarisation, the way it did in 1986.

The clergy and other shades of Muslim leadership do not undertake such mobilisation on issues of law and order, on the failure of criminal justice delivery in communal riots, on education, health care, on the farm crisis, on roads and electricity, etc.

As if economic security cannot take care of their religio-cultural concerns!

Only emotive and misleadingly interpreted religiosity remains the prioritised concern of the Muslim leadership.

These kinds of forces brought Muslims out on the streets against the Supreme Court verdict giving justice to Shah Bano in 1985-1986, thereby leaving divorced women quite helpless, hapless, destitute and deserted.

Having nullified the judicial verdict through Parliamentary legislation, they did not erect an institution of endowment which could take care of destitute and deserted women.

This was a tremendous moral responsibility for the Muslim Personal Law Board to have done. But it wants to continue with instant triple divorce to perpetuate the subjugation of women.

Why did the MPLB become a party to the issue in the Supreme Court when it did not have to honour its verdict? Nor is it coming out with a draft Bill for public debate!

Even worse, the modern educated Muslim intelligentsia (whatever their proportion) once again is not speaking out loud enough against the MPLB's regressive stance.

Some of these segments remain dishonestly silent on all such regressivism. Far from repenting the colossal mistake of 1986, they try to conveniently hide behind the argument that the campaign to legislate against the judicial verdict in 1986 was within Constitutionally sanctioned means.

They are still not ashamed of having denied justice to women. Centres of women's studies in universities are not reaching out to women as an awareness campaign to disentangle them from the misogynist clergy.

Such a hypocritical, self-contradictory, dishonest and questionable convenience of Muslim liberals and secular parties will not help the cause of India's secular-plural democracy and its vulnerable minorities.

It is high time, while they feel beleaguered at the hands of Hindutva forces, in and beyond State power, various shades of Muslim leadership should assert, and re-articulate their priorities.

They must confess their mistakes of the past, and move ahead for course correction. That is, if they are really serious about fighting minority and majority communalism.

The Muslim role in Indian politics needs a re-definition.

They must take the bull of conservatism within their own ranks by its horns as much as they need to speak out against the fallacies of the non-Hindutva (or 'Muslim-friendly') political forces as well.

Likewise, the secular political parties should speak out against Muslim conservatives un-inhibitively and eloquently.

Gone are the days of hobnobbing with minority conservatism and communalism if majority communalism has to be fought out effectively.

Professor Mohammad Sajjad is at the Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University.

He has published two books: Contesting Colonialism and Separatism: Muslims of Muzaffarpur since 1857 (2014) and Muslim Politics in Bihar: Changing Contours (Routledge, 2014/2018 reprint).
Delhi Police on Monday said the CCTV footage in the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was tampered with and the Forensic Science Laboratory would examine it soon.

The meeting was not held in the camp office but in the drawing room of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals residence. The CCTV timings are different and that mean it is tampered, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Harendra Singh said.

On February 24, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal met Home Minister Rajnath Singh in connection with the case.

The meeting took place at the house of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Meanwhile, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party President Manoj Tiwari met Rajnath Singh to discuss the matter on the same.

On February 20, the Chief Secretary had alleged that he was beaten up by two Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals house, where he had been called for an emergency meeting.

Following the incident, Secretary of Indian Civil and Administration services Manisha Saxena conducted a meeting on Friday with the Minister of State Home Affairs Hans Raj Ahir and Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

She had also demanded the Delhi government provide security to the officers and guarantee them protection from any further instances of violence or misconduct.

As of now, the AAP MLAs have been sent to 16-day judicial custody by a Delhi Court.

Image: On Friday, the Delhi Police swooped down on the residence of Arvind Kejriwal and seized a hard disk containing CCTV footage in connection with the chief secretary assault incident. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo
A terrorist was on Monday killed after his accomplices lobbed a hand grenade at a police station in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district in a bid to free him, police said.

Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan, who was killed in the attack, tried to escape from Tral police station wearing a burqa. In the incident, constable Mehraj Din was also injured, a police spokesman said.

The incident took place at 12:30 pm. The terrorist hurled the grenade when Chopan was near the main gate of the police station, he said.

At 12:30 pm, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mushtaq Chopan tried to escape from the police station wearing a burqa.

When he was near the main gate, someone from outside lobbed a grenade as a part of the planned conspiracy to divert the attention (of police personnel) so that he could escape conveniently, the spokesman said.

The grenade exploded inside the police station, near Chopan, resulting in his death, he said.

The spokesman said that a magisterial enquiry has been initiated under Sec 176 CrPC. The circumstances under which he was escaping are being looked into, he said.

Chopan was arrested from Baramulla districts Sopore area, but his custody was transferred recently to the police station in connection with a militancy-related case, he said.

A terrorist Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan died in grenade explosion when challenged by sentry while trying to escape from Police Station Tral, Director General of Police SP Vaid said in a tweet.

This is the third attack on the police in the past 24 hours.

Two policemen were killed in separate attacks by terrorists in the Chrar-e-Sharief area of Budgam district and the Soura area of the city on Sunday.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said former defence minister Manohar Parrikar was unaware about Prime Minister Narendra D Modi changing the Rafale contract, as at that moment, the former was 'buying fish' in Goa.

Rahul was addressing a public rally in Karnataka's Saundatti ahead of state assembly elections.

"The defence minister was in Goa buying fish from a fish shop ... he did not even know that Modiji had changed the contract of the Rafale deal," Rahul alleged.

Earlier, he called out Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for changing her stance on revealing the cost of the Rafale fighter aircraft.

In a tweet, Gandhi wrote, 'Tweet- Q. Why did the Raksha Mantri change her stance from 'I will reveal the price of the RAFALE planes in Nov 2017 to the price is a state secret in Feb 2018? A) Corruption, B)To protect Modiji, C)To protect Modiji's friend, D) All of above.'

"I asked the prime minister three questions -- the cost of jets; if they asked the Cabinet Committee on Security about it and why was the contract snatched from HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) and given to a businessman? But got no answers," he told reporters.

Elections in Karnataka are scheduled to be held in April and or May this year to elect members from 224 assembly constituencies.

IMAGE: Congress President Rahul Gandhi greets farmer leaders during his Janashirvada Yatra in Bilagi taluk in Bagalkot district, Jarnataka. Photograph: PTI Photo
While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus India visit was in the headlines, his political rival -- Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party -- tied the knot with fiancee Gurkiran Kaur.

IMAGE: Jagmeet Singh posted this image on Twitter, captioning it, "It's official." Jagmeet Singh and his fiancee were wedded in a Sikh temple, with both of them wearing desi attire. Photograph: @theJagmeetSingh/Twitter

Jagmeet Singh, the Ontario provincial lawmaker, will lead his party into the 2019 election against Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberals.

Jagmeet and Gurkiran were married Thursday night in Mexico, capping off an epic string of wedding celebrations, which included a wedding ceremony held in Brampton, Ontario on February 4, followed by a private ceremony in Mexico on February 19.

IMAGE: Let's do the bhangra! Jagmeet and his wife had a blast at their wedding with a ceremony held in Brampton, Ontario on February 4, followed by a private ceremony in Mexico on February 19. Photograph: gurkirankaur/Instagram

On Friday, the Canadian leader tweeted, Its official!. The tweet included a photo of Singh, 38, and Kaur, 27, sitting together on the floor of what appears to be a Sikh temple, with many others sitting around them. The two are dressed in formal wedding attire. Kaurs hands are decorated in bridal henna, while Singh has a ceremonial dagger, called a kirpan, in his lap.

IMAGE: The two really know how to make an entrance... That's the cute couple at Gurkiran's sangeet ceremony. Photograph: gurkirankaur/Instagram

The wedding is in a long line of parties, which actually began last December, with a celebration of the couples families meeting for the first time.

IMAGE: In January 2017, Jagmeet had proposed to Gurkiran, a designer, where she said yes!

Photograph: jagmeetsingh/Instagram

About a month later, Singh, 39, got down on one knee to propose to Kaur, 27, at a Toronto restaurant where they had their first date. The event was witnessed by friends, family and invited media.

We wish the couple a happy marriage!
The stage is set for Tuesdays crucial assembly elections in the two north-eastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

The two states have a 60-member House each, but voting will be held for 59 constituencies in both.

In Meghalaya, the election has been countermanded in Williamnagar in the wake of the killing of Nationalist Congress Party candidate Jonathone N Sangma in an IED blast in East Garo Hills district on February 18.

In Nagaland, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party chief Neiphiu Rio has been declared elected unopposed from the Northern Angami-II constituency.

The results of the polls in the two states, along with that of Tripura, will be declared on March 3.

A high-decibel campaign for the polls in the two states came to an end on Sunday evening.

Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party is making a determined bid to expand its footprint in the north-east.

For the Congress, the poll outcome in Meghalaya is particularly significant as it has been ruling the state for the last 10 years.

But this time, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to throw the Congress out of power and add Meghalaya into its kitty.

Political observers are keenly watching the BJPs push in the north-east, a Congress stronghold, where the saffron party has traditionally been a marginal player.

In Meghalaya, the Congress and the BJP are pitted against each other. While the former has fielded 59 candidates, the latter has put up nominees in 47 constituencies.

Though they are contesting the polls separately, in Meghalaya, the National Peoples Party of Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, is the BJPs partner in the North East Democratic Alliance.

In Nagaland, BJPs hope hinges on its alliance partner NDPP of Neiphiu Rio, which is contesting from 40 seats. The saffron party has fielded candidates from the remaining 20 seats.

The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland since the states inception in 1963, is contesting from only 18 seats, two less than the BJP, an emerging entity in the north-east.

There are 370 candidates in the fray in Meghalaya. A total of 18.4 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 3,083 polling stations in the state.

Meghalayas Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said for the first time, 67 all-women polling stations and 61 model polling stations were set up in the state.

He added that 32 women candidates were in the fray, the highest ever in the state.

In Nagaland, a total of 11,91,513 voters -- 6,01,707 (50.50 per cent) men and 5,89,806 (49.50 per cent) women -- will exercise their franchise on Tuesday. There are also 5,925 service voters.

Voting will be conducted in 2,156 polling stations as 40 polling stations fall under the Northern Angami-II seat, from where Rio has been declared elected unopposed.

Over 15,000 government employees will be on poll duty and there will be 177 all-women polling stations across 25 constituencies in the state.

The election process in Nagaland had started on a difficult note.

Following a no-election diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations, advocating solution (to the Naga political issue) before election, the political parties had initially kept away from the poll process.

Though the process of nomination-filing had started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their candidature only on the penultimate day on February 5. There was a heavy rush of nominees filing their papers on the last day.

After the scrutiny and withdrawal, a total of 227 nominees are left in the field in Nagaland.

As many as 281 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, beside the state police force, are deployed throughout Nagaland to ensure a peaceful election.

Nagalands CEO Abhijit Sinha said all the polling stations would be manned by the CAPF personnel, while the state police would also be assisting them.

Of the 2,156 polling stations in Nagaland, 1,100 were declared critical, 530 vulnerable and 526 normal, he added.

The Meghalaya CEO said that six of the 10 additional companies of CAPF were deployed in the troubled East and South Garo Hills districts.
Myanmar military releases details about killing of Rohingya villagers

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 11 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar military releases details about killing of Rohingya villagers, 11 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94282aa.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-11

Myanmar laborers dig up the remains of unidentified bodies from a mass grave where soldiers buried Rohingya Muslims they killed in Inn Din village, Maungdaw township, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Dec. 19. 2017. Photo courtesy of Office of Commander-in-chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces/Facebook

Myanmar's military has issued details of the findings of an investigation team that examined soldiers' role in the extrajudicial killings of 10 Rohingya during the brutal crackdown in northern Rakhine state.

The military issued a rare admission on Wednesday that some of its troops killed what it said were Muslim "terrorists" in September and buried their bodies in a mass grave in Inn Din village in Maungdaw township, which along with neighboring Buithdaung and Rathedaung townships, was the epicenter of recent violence against the Rohingya.

A five-member military team led by Lieutenant General Aye Win from the office of military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing began investigating the scene on Dec. 20 to determine whether security forces were involved, after the army received information from an unidentified person that bodies were buried in the village.

The team questioned soldiers, members of the border guard force, security police officers, Inn Din villagers, and six civil servants until Jan. 2, said a press release issued by the military investigative team on Wednesday in Naypyidaw.

Relations between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims who lived in separate areas in the Inn Din village tract grew tense following deadly small-scale attacks by Muslim militants on border guard stations on Oct. 9, 2016, which triggered a crackdown by security forces.

A larger attack on police outposts by the same group on Aug. 25, 2017, sparked another crackdown that forced 655,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh where some accused the military of committing random killings, rape, and arson in their villages in northern Rakhine.

The same day, Rohingya "terrorists" captured and killed Maung Ni, an ethnic Rakhine resident of Inn Din village as he was on his way to farm, and other Rohingya began to threaten Rakhine villagers with sticks and swords, the statement said.

The "Bengalis," a derogatory term for the Rohingya who are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, chanted over loudspeakers about slashing the throats of Myanmar soldiers and occupying the region. The ethnic Rakhine villagers panicked and went to a local Buddhist monastery, the statement said.

Security forces stationed at Inn Din village were then attacked by about 200 Rohingya brandishing sticks and swords on Sept. 1. They fired guns into the air, scaring off the group except for 10 who were arrested, it said.

During an interrogation at the village school, the Rohingya said they had connections with terrorists and were persuaded by Muslim religious scholars to carry out terrorist acts, the statement said.

Although the soldiers should have handed over the 10 men to police, they decided to kill them at a local cemetery on Sept. 2, because Rohingya terrorists had carried out other attacks by landmines and set fire to two police vehicles in Thinbawgwe village, the statement said.

Security forces escorted ethnic Rakhine residents of Inn Din who led the way to the cemetery where the 10 Rohingya villagers, including Maung Ni's sons, were ordered to get into a pit in a ravine between two hillocks. An ethnic Rakhine villager cut them with a sword and four soldiers shot them, the statement said.

The military investigation team suggested that the killings were an act of vengeance.

"It was found that local ethnics had grievances against those 10 Bengali terrorists involved in the terror attacks and against Bengali villagers who arrested and who had killed U [honorific] Maung Ni without reason, and who threatened and bullied the local ethnics," the statement said.

The statement went on to say that action would be taken against the villagers and soldiers who confessed to the murders as well as against officers to whom the soldiers reported.

Rohingya who fled Inn Din village to seek safety in Bangladesh contend that those killed were all civilians, not terrorists, as the army claims, AgenceFrance-Presse reported on Thursday.

'Unlawful' killings

Responding to the press release, Thein Than Oo, a founding member of the Myanmar Lawyers' Network, questioned the authenticity of the statement.

"The release doesn't look like an official release," he told RFA.

"The statement is like a radio play with a plot," he said, adding that it did not read like a statement, but rather a defense of the military.

"I haven't seen anything like this before when the military admits that soldiers killed people," he said. "This is the first time. The military doesn't have the authority to arrest or kill people, even if they [Rohingya suspects] killed U Maung Ni or not."

Thein Than Oo said that in reality some security guards had probably committed the murders, so the incident is "not the entire military's fault."

"But the military's image will be damaged if it protects these security guards who killed 10 people," he said.

"The military has rules of engagement," he said. "If someone violate these rules, action must be taken against him according to the law. The military should take action against anyone who commits crime. If not, the international community will see the Myanmar Army as an organization that doesn't operate according to the rule of law."

Prominent Myanmar legal activist Robert San Aung said the 10 Rohingya were killed in an "unlawful manner."

"Then the military said it killed them because they had killed a man," he said. "This reason is not acceptable. Killing is killing. If someone is found to have committed murder, then action must be taken against him according to the law."

"But because the military has killed people in an unlawful manner, we are having many problems in the country, mostly in ethnic areas," he said. "This case is a big crime committed by the military."

Kyaw Kyaw Win, a lawmaker in the upper house of the national parliament whose constituency encompasses Maungdaw township, noted that it remains largely unknown whether the 10 Rohingya were terrorists, as the military claims.

"We don't know whether these 10 people were terrorists or not," he said. "Only the security guards and some villagers from Inn Din village would know."

US Ambassador Scot Marciel delivers an address on Myanmar-US relations in Yangon, May 10, 2016. AFP

US, EU weighs in

Reuters news agency quoted the U.S. ambassador to Myanmar as calling the revelations "an important step" while calling for more transparency and accountability.

"The military's acknowledgment that the security forces were involved in the killing of these 10 individuals is an important step," Ambassador Scot Marciel said in a forum on media freedom with journalism students and reporters in the commercial capital Yangon.

"We hope it is followed up by more transparency and by holding those responsible accountable," he said. "I would stress this should be done, not as a favor to the international community, but because it's good for the health of Myanmar's democracy."

Meanwhile, the European Union on Thursday called for a credible investigation into Myanmar military's extrajudicial killings.

"These brutal killings confirm the urgent need for a thorough and credible investigation into all violent incidents in northern Rakhine state to ensure the accountability of those found responsible for committing atrocities," said a statement issued by the EU in Yangon.

The Myanmar government has refused to grant entry to the country to a United Nations fact-finding mission appointed under a resolution in March to investigate atrocities that security forces are said to have committed against the Rohingya during the previous four-month security sweep in Rakhine's northern townships that began in October 2016.

In December 2017, the government temporarily barred Yanghee Lee, a U.N. special rapporteur who works with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, from visiting Myanmar this month to evaluate rights developments, particularly in violence-wracked Rakhine state.

The government said a previous mission report Lee issued was biased and unfair.

The Myanmar government has also barred the media and some international NGOs from entering the conflict zone.

"[T]he EU reiterates its call on the government of Myanmar to cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council's independent international fact-finding mission and other independent observers, including journalists and to provide for their full, safe, and unhindered access to all conflict areas without delay," the EU's statement said.

The U.N. and U.S. have said that the military campaign against the Rohingya has amounted to ethnic cleansing, while others have suggested that the army's actions may constitute genocide.

Reported by Thinn Thiri and Khin Khin Ei for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
National campaign to purge 'non-socialist' elements terrifies North Koreans

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 12 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, National campaign to purge 'non-socialist' elements terrifies North Koreans, 12 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94282c4.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-12

A Korean man watches a television news broadcast showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's New Year's speech, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 1, 2018. AFP

North Korean residents are terrified that leader Kim Jong Un's recent call to eliminate remaining "non-socialist" elements in society will mean a return to the bloody executions and fearful politics of the past when nonconformists were weeded out and brutally neutralized, sources inside the country said.

When Kim addressed the nation on the first day of the new year, as he has done annually since 2013, he said that eliminating non-socialist elements in society would be a key task for 2018 in the repressive nation.

Under the campaign, high-level party executives and ordinary North Koreans alike are subject to screenings to determine if they have engaged in non-socialist activities, such as gambling, fraud, prostitution, usury, visiting fortunetellers, following Western culture, and watching or distributing foreign visual media.

The directive comes as Kim, who has been in power for six years, tightens his control over the repressive country as it feels the squeeze of new tough sanctions imposed by the United Nations as punishment for recent missile launches, and experiences heightened tensions with the United States.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011, directed previous rounds of grisly purges of non-socialist elements to fortify his grip on power.

Though Kim also discussed the country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, the possibility of holding conditional talks with South Korea on sending a delegation to the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and the "unprecedented" level of sanctions North Korea suffered in 2017, his call to action about weeding out non-socialist elements reverberated with many citizens.

Kim gave more details about this key task for the new year on Dec. 23, when he told a group of chairpersons of the ruling Korean Workers' Party at a three-day conference that he had ordered rank-and-file organizations to lead a "revolutionary offensive to uproot non-socialist practices," according to the official news agency KCNA.

"He said the offensive should be launched in the party cells, the bases educating the party members and other working people and training them into revolutionaries, and the lowest revolutionary posts defending Korean-style socialism," KCNA said in its English edition.

In that speech, Kim stressed the role of party cells in building a powerful socialist country and said that destructive non-socialist practices have occurred because party organizations and officials had failed in their efforts to provide constant socialist education to people and to intensify the nation's ideological struggle.

"When our socialist culture and art prevails over the corrupt bourgeois reactionary culture, it is possible for people not to harbor illusions about the enemies' culture but to prevent ideological and cultural poisoning by the imperialists," he was quoted as saying.

Kim also said that even though the country "may face manifold difficulties and hardships in the days ahead," members of the Party Central Committee feel reassured about the hundreds of thousands of cell chairpersons who will carry out the regime's policies.

"What we have done is just the beginning and the Party Central Committee plans to conduct more new projects for the people," he said, though he did not provide details.

Getting away with it

North Koreans now fear that high-level executives in key government agencies who engage in "non-socialist activities" will get away with their misdeeds, while powerless ordinary people who get caught will bear the brunt of harsh punishments, including death, the sources said.

"To accomplish tasks from the New Year's message, each regional party unit, judicial authorities, and organizations have announced their New Year's plan," said a source from North Hamgyong province, who requested anonymity.

"The big part of the first project of the annual plan is focusing on rooting out non-socialist elements, so the social atmosphere appears uneasy," he told RFA's Korean Service on Tuesday.

"The North Hamgyong Party Committee will temporarily organize an agency under its auspices to root out non-socialist elements," the source said.

The dominant Korean Workers' Party, judicial authorities, and administrative officials are organizing members for their joint non-socialist elements team, he said.

"Residents are resentful of the high-level executives who will be on the team because they are the main culprits of non-socialist activities," the source said. "It is because high-level executives have always been at the center of non-socialist phenomena."

"Residents have expressed anger over the results of the screenings," the source said, adding that the children of executives working for the party or the State Security Department who are summoned for screenings manage to get off on "sick bail' or another phony excuse.

A powerless college student who has been accused of distributing improper visual images, for example, was executed by a firing squad, he said, illustrating the brutal punishments that authorities sometimes mete out for ordinary citizens who are thought to have engaged in forbidden activities.

Authorities also often accuse people who are unemployed or who do not sell any goods at markets of being non-socialist elements of society, and they "suffocate" them by withholding electricity, water, or food, he said.

"Non-socialist elements will fade away on their own if there are reasonable [food] distributions by the country as a reward for labor," the source said.

A second source from North Hamgyong confirmed that ordinary North Koreans are living in fear after hearing Kim Jong Un's New Year's Day speech.

"Ordinary residents who barely make enough to get by from day to day do not have time to think about non-socialist elements," he said.

"When the screenings begin, however, the executives make false charges against powerless poor people to prove their own effectiveness when it comes to wiping out non-socialist elements, which is something that residents fear," the source said.

Reported by Jieun Kim for RFA's Korean Service. Translated by Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Falling numbers of Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong spark fears for the future

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 16 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Falling numbers of Cantonese speakers in Hong Kong spark fears for the future, 16 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94282e3.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-16

People walking past advertising as they cross the Chinese border from the city of Shenzhen into Hong Kong, Sept. 6, 2017. AFP

Falling numbers of new residents in Hong Kong are now able to speak the city's lingua franca, Cantonese, amid warnings that a growing emphasis on Mandarin could threaten the city's indigenous culture.

Around 166,000 thousand "new Hong Kongers" were listed on the city's 2016 census, which indicates residents who were born across the internal immigration border in China, but who became resident in the city within the previous seven years, the city's census and statistics department said in a new analysis of the data.

While inward migration from China fell slightly compared with the previous census in 2006, mainland Chinese citizens settling in Hong Kong are now better educated than in the past, and fewer of them said they could speak Cantonese, one of the city's official Chinese languages.

Cantonese is the "usual spoken language" for more than 91 percent of the city's population in 2016, but was spoken by just under 70 percent of inward migrants from China, the report found.

"I have lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years, and my feeling is that the status of Cantonese is changing in favor of Mandarin," resident Chen Yang told RFA. "When I had just moved to Hong Kong, Mandarin was looked down on as the language of a hick from the sticks, a closed society."

Now, as China flexes its muscles and deploys growing international "soft power," it's Beijing's money that talks, Chen says.

"It's economics that decides the status of a language," Chen said. "I don't think this has anything to do with politics."

Social activist Sze Lai-shan, who heads the Society for Community Organization, said many of those who indicated they couldn't speak Cantonese in the census data are the spouses of businessmen who initially settled in neighboring Guangzhou, then sent for their wives to join them from elsewhere in China.

"A lot of them come from other provinces in China," Sze said. "In the past, about 80 percent of new Hong Kongers hailed from Guangzhou [where Cantonese is also spoken.] Nowadays, only about 60 percent of them do."

The scenario is still far from that imagined in the independent Hong Kong movie 10 Years, which envisages a dystopian future dominated by the ruling Chinese Communist Party where Cantonese is outlawed in favor of Mandarin, mainland China's national language.

But it has still sparked fears among local commentators, who say the city's traditional freedoms and way of life are already increasingly vulnerable amid growing political influence from Beijing, and point to the rise of Mandarin within the city's education system.

Campaign group Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis reported earlier this year that more than 70 percent of the city's primary schools have classes that use Mandarin as a teaching medium.

Gradual shift since 1997

In a recent commentary broadcast on RFA's Cantonese Service, political commentator Lam Kei said the shift away from Cantonese in Hong Kong's education system has been gradually accelerating ever since the 1997 handover to Chinese rule.

While the city's government talked up "mother-tongue medium education," shortly after the handover, Lam said, the plan hadn't been popular, as it left fluent Cantonese speakers ill-equipped to pursue degrees in Hong Kong's English-medium colleges and universities.

"Hong Kong is discovering, just like Guangzhou and Shenzhen a few years ago, that it is the last bastion of Cantonese, and that [the language] is heading towards extinction," Lam wrote.

Instead of "mother-tongue education," there has been an increasing focus on Mandarin as a language of instruction from schools, which have been offered huge financial incentives to teach Mandarin by Hong Kong's own government.

"Politicization is inevitable, because the teaching materials and textbooks come from mainland China," Lam wrote. "They are taking the opportunity to turn Mandarin teaching into brainwashing sessions."

"This will create favorable conditions for the destruction of Hong Kong's Cantonese culture," Lam said.

He said the growing popularity of Mandarin in Hong Kong schools is no accident.

"The Chinese Communist Party is trying to fundamentally change the thinking of the younger generation in Hong Kong," Lam warned.

In 2010, thousands of people took to the streets of Guangzhou to protest government plans to reduce Cantonese-language broadcasting in the city ahead of the Asian Games

The movement to "protect Cantonese" had its roots in social media, participants said, quickly becoming a trending topic on microblogging services like Twitter and on the QQ chat network.

Activists said at the time that the protest was about respecting the rights of a linguistic minority to preserve their language and culture, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Generally, television stations in China are required to use Mandarin, but Guangzhou TV was given special approval in the 1980s to broadcast in Cantonese to attract viewers from neighboring Hong Kong and Macau, which were still under British and Portuguese rule, respectively.

Reported by Fok Leung-kiu and Ma Lap-hak for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Hong Kong sees 'erosion' of rights, freedoms during past five years: Report

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 16 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hong Kong sees 'erosion' of rights, freedoms during past five years: Report, 16 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94282f6.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-16

Protesters angry at what they described as suppression by Beijing mock Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam in the annual New Year's Day pro-democracy rally in the Chinese city, Jan. 1, 2018. AFP

The freedoms guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong in its mini-constitution, the Basic Law, have been increasingly eroded after two decades of Chinese rule, according to a recent report by a U.K.-based human rights group.

"In Hong Kong, the rule of law is under pressure, human rights are undermined, and the city appears no closer to democracy [and] the situation appears likely to worsen in the coming years unless the people of Hong Kong and international governments unify to protect the rights of those living there," a report penned for the rights NGO Hong Kong Watch by former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown said.

Citing the rule of law in the city as a key concern, the report said that while judges are still independent, the same can't be said for government officials in charge of the judiciary.

"The independence of officials at the Department for Justice is in doubt, which has led to questions being raised about the threat to the rule of law in Hong Kong," Ashdown wrote in a report on human rights in the city after two decades of Chinese rule. "This must be monitored closely."

The report found that Hong Kong's democracy "has been further damaged by the recent changes to the rules of the Legislative Council [LegCo]," which will limit the ability of the minority pan-democratic opposition to properly scrutinize and question legislation.

The anti-filibustering measures "undermine the ability of the pro-democracy opposition in Hong Kong to properly fulfill their mandate, and therefore undermine the democratic process in Hong Kong," the report said.

It said the changes come as Beijing and Hong Kong officials have said they will push through unpopular legislation governing such notions as treason and subversion, legislation that the report said has the potential to breach human rights.

Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam hit out at the report, saying it was "inappropriate" for a member of the U.K. parliament to make such remarks, which were "totally unfounded and unfair."

"I take great exception to the comments and conclusions in that report," Lam told reporters. "Those comments are totally unfounded and unfair," Lam said.

Standing up for Hong Kong

She rejected suggestions that Beijing's central liaison office in the city had been interfering in its internal affairs.

"Quite on the contrary, the central people's government has been fully backing and supporting Hong Kong," Lam said. "In order to better integrate into the national development, we do need a lot more liaison . . . and this sort of liaison will help Hong Kong," she said.

But Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai said Lam's job should be to stand up for Hong Kong.

"I think Carrie Lam is full of mainland Chinese fervor for [President] Xi Jinping right now," Wu said. "She has a duty to make a proper response [to the report], not to stand up for China by saying others can't comment on our internal affairs."

The bilateral Sino-British Joint Declaration treaty signed in 1984 by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, set out how Britain would end its century-and-a-half long rule over Hong Kong, and how China would govern the city using the "one country, two systems" principle thereafter.

But President Xi Jinping shrugged the treaty off during handover anniversary celebrations last year, saying it is a historical document that "no longer has any practical significance,"

Recently, a string of legal interventions by China's parliament, as well as the cross-border detentions of five Hong Kong booksellers and the expulsion from LegCo of six pan democratic lawmakers, have heightened concerns that Hong Kong's promised "high degree of autonomy" may now be a thing of the past.

Hong Kong Watch was founded by a U.K. ruling Conservative Party human rights activist after he was refused entry to the city in October, amid apparent concerns that he would visit three jailed democracy activists in the former British colony.

Benedict Rogers, deputy chair of the party's human rights commission, was taken aside by Hong Kong immigration officers and put back aboard a plane to Thailand, where he had come from, prompting calls from London for an explanation. None has yet been forthcoming.

Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Nomad families forced from their land in Tibet's Chamdo

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 16 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Nomad families forced from their land in Tibet's Chamdo, 16 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428314.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-16

A map showing the location of Jomda county in Tibet's Chamdo prefecture. RFA

Chinese authorities in Tibet's Chamdo prefecture have forced Tibetan nomads from their land following the discovery of mineral reserves near a local mountain, moving those evicted to resettlement housing set up along a nearby highway, RFA has learned.

The move followed nearly ten years of mining of copper, lead, and gold already carried out around Yulung mountain in Chamdo's Jomda (in Chinese, Jiangda) county, a local resident told RFA's Tibetan Service.

"Last year, Chinese officials discovered additional reserves in the area of Lhato behind Yulung mountain," RFA's source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Therefore, early in 2017, they confiscated most of that land from the nomads living there, and they have put fences around the mining area," the source said.

Authorities then warned local Tibetans not to go onto the land to collect caterpillar fungus, which is valued for its purported medicinal properties and was an important source of income for Lhato area Tibetans, the source said.

"And on top of that, they have now also lost their livelihood as nomads, which was passed down to them for generations," he said.

About 400 to 500 nomad families in Lhato have been affected by the seizure of their land, with little money paid to them to compensate for their losses, the source said.

"In the past, the Tibetans appealed many times to Chinese authorities to stop mining operations in the area, as these have polluted the environment and caused widespread illness from cast-off waste, but the Chinese have never heeded their complaints," he said.

Others also forced to move

In April 2017, nearly 200 Tibetan families were ordered to leave their homes in another Chamdo area to make way for an unspecified government construction project, with the move to new locations to be made at their own expenses, sources told RFA in an earlier report.

The families now live in two towns lying on opposite sides of the Gyalmo Ngulchu, or Salween River, in Chamdo's Dzogang (Zuogang) and Pashoe (Basu) counties, sources said, adding that no explanation was given for their order to move.

And in June 2014, police detained 60 men from a village in Dzogang rocked by protests over Chinese plans to excavate gold, sources said.

The protests followed the death in May of a local Tibetan who stabbed himself and jumped from a roof to oppose the project.

Tibetan areas of China have become an important source of minerals needed for China's economic growth, and mining operations have led to frequent standoffs with Tibetans who accuse Chinese firms of disrupting sites of spiritual significance and polluting the environment as they extract local wealth.

Reported by Dawa Dolma for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Seven ethnic Rakhines killed after Myanmar police fire on protest crowd

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 17 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Seven ethnic Rakhines killed after Myanmar police fire on protest crowd, 17 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428334.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-17

People grieve the death of an ethnic Rakhine who died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office in Mrauk U, Jan. 16, 2018. AFP

UPDATED at 1:35 P.M. EST on 2018-1-18

Police in western Myanmar's volatile Rakhine state shot dead at least seven ethnic Rakhine protesters and wounded 13 others after members of the minority group marking a nationalist Buddhist anniversary tried to take over a local government building, sources said Wednesday.

More than 4,000 ethnic Rakhines had gathered in the town of Mrauk U Tuesday to take part in an annual event recognizing the end of the ancient ethnic kingdom 233 years earlier, Rakhine state government secretary Tin Maung Swe said, despite organizers having failed to obtain a permit.

Members of the crowd later protested at the site of the township's government office, the secretary said, confronting officers and attempting to destroy property in the building, at which point police began to fire at them.

"The mob came into government office, tried to destroy property, and threw stones at the district administrator's house," Tin Maung Swe said.

"It was violence that hurt stability, and that's why the police had to shoot at them to get them to disperse," he said.

"The police tried to stop them with a warning by loudspeaker, shooting into the air, and then shooting at the crowd with rubber bullets, but the mob wouldn't stop, and even tried to take the officers' weapons. Because of this situation, the incident occurred. About 20 police were injured."

Tin Maung Swe said authorities had launched an investigation into the shooting and would "take action according to law."

It was not immediately clear why violence broke out at the event, but Agence France Presse quoted a police official as saying that the crowd was demanding the "sovereignty of Rakhine state."

Rakhines who were present at Tuesday's protest disputed the police account of the incident.

Kyaw Tun Oo, a member of the committee that organized the anniversary event, told RFA's Myanmar Service that he had applied to authorities well in advance for permission, but received no response until the day of the gathering.

"The order restricting the right to hold the ceremony came only a few hours before we began the ceremony," he said, suggesting that the police effort to shut down the event had led to the protests.

A witness in Mrauk U, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA that protesters "believed the police were firing into the air to disperse the crowd, but we saw seconds later that people were bleeding from the shots."

Khaine Pyi Soe, the vice-chairman of the Arakan National Party, said the police had failed to follow a step-by-step procedure to deescalate tensions.

"I think the police skipped the requisite steps and employed disproportionate use of force to crack down on the crowd," he said.

On Wednesday, London-based rights group Amnesty International, which said at least eight people had died in the incident, condemned the police shooting in Mrauk U in a statement as "yet another example of Myanmar security forces' contempt for human life" and urged authorities to launch an investigation.

"Even if protesters were throwing stones and bricks, nothing can justify police apparently firing into a crowd of thousands. This is a clear case of excessive use of force in violation of the right to life.

Government response

Observers also questioned the government's response to the incident on Wednesday.

"Using weapons against citizens is not the right way to solve problems . . . and the EU had provided training to the police on how to address riots," said Mya Aye, the leader of the National Democratic Force political party.

"This leaves the government in a difficult situation politically, particularly at a time when the [ruling] NLD (National League for Democracy) has been governing with gunshots," he added, referring to a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine state that followed attacks on government security posts by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents in late August 2017.

Myint Kyaw, a member of the Myanmar Press Council, criticized the government for waiting to release information about the police shooting.

"People were waiting for information for half a day, but it didn't come out," he said.

"There was fear that the situation would be misrepresented on social media, which has led to subsequent incidents in the past due to delays on the release of official information."

Writer Chit Oo Nyo said that celebrating the end of the Rakhine Kingdom was an act of "incitement by people who don't want stability" in Rakhine state, but also condemned the police for "using the wrong method to solve a problem, which led to deaths."

Ethnic tension

Rakhines, also known as Arakanese, are one of 135 officially recognized ethnic groups in Myanmar, but have said that their interests are underrepresented in their own state and in the country's legislature, which is dominated by majority ethnic Bamar.

Tensions have flared over the government's handling of ethnic violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and ethnic Rohingya Muslims in recent years.

Around 1 million Rohingyas are currently sheltering at cramped and squalid refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, after fleeing cycles of violence in Rakhine state across the border, including at least 655,000 who crossed into the country since the military crackdown in August.

Refugees have accused soldiers of committing random killings, rape, and arson in their villages.

An estimated 200,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to avoid communal violence with local Rakhine communities and military operations prior to October 2016.

On Tuesday, Bangladeshi and Myanmar officials agreed to return hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to Myanmar from refugee camps in Bangladesh "preferably within two years" of beginning their repatriation, without specifying when the process would begin.

Later on Tuesday, Rakhine social critic Wai Hin Aung was arrested by police in Sittwe township for defamation after delivering speeches calling for revolt in Rathedaung townships the previous day together with Rakhine nationalist lawmaker Aye Maung. An arrest warrant was issued for Aye Maung on Wednesday.

Both men face charges under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act and Section 505(b) of the country's Penal Code, which pertains to sedition.

Reported by Min Thein Aung, Waiyan Moe Myint, Tin Aung Khine, Thinn Thiri, and Thiri Min Zin for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Correction: An earlier version of the story erroneously stated that Aye Maung was also an organizer of the anniversary event in Mrauk U.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Uyghur inmates suffer health complications due to neglect in Xinjiang detention centers

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 18 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Uyghur inmates suffer health complications due to neglect in Xinjiang detention centers, 18 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942834a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-18

Police officers on duty in the vicinity of a center believed to be used for re-education in Korla city, Xinjiang, Nov. 2, 2017. AP Photo

Amid a campaign of arrests that has led to serious overcrowding in area political detention centers, authorities in northwestern China's Xinjiang region are neglecting the health of Uyghur inmates, according to sources familiar with the cases.

Since April 2017, Uyghurs accused of harboring "extremist" and "politically incorrect" views have been jailed or detained in re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.

Prior reporting by RFA's Uyghur Service found that as arrests in Xinjiang increased around the sensitive 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing in October, the region's re-education camps have been inundated by detainees, who are forced to endure cramped and squalid conditions in the facilities.

Sources recently told RFA that Uyghurs in at least two detention centers in the region are suffering from medical conditions that they believe are being neglected by facility staff.

Naman Bawdun, a Uyghur former head and Communist Party secretary of Awat township's Bashawat village, in Bayin'gholin Mongol (in Chinese, Bayinguoleng Menggu) Autonomous Prefecture's Korla (Kuerle) city, said earlier this month that his wife, Patigul Dawut, had been detained on Oct. 9 for allegedly "allowing others to preach religion," after workers were said to have delivered Islamic sermons at her carpet factory.

Dawut was ordered to serve six months in a local detention center, despite suffering from a number of health complications, Bawdun said, adding that he hasn't seen her since she was taken into custody by police.

"She had her pancreas removed, underwent heart surgery, and got into a car accident that led to three additional surgeries, but now she is being detained and I don't believe she receives any medication for her conditions," he said.

"So many people have been detained that no officer would bother to ask her about her painful conditions unless she was to collapse, and only then would they send her to a hospital or to me for care. That's what I'm waiting for."

Bawdun said that a friend who spent time as an inmate at a local re-education camp told him he had seen officials from the center tell the police to "stop bringing people . . . as it is already too full."

He described cells that had previously held eight people now accommodating 14 inmates, who "were not allowed pillows" and "had to lay on their sides because there was not enough room to lay flat," let alone space to turn over or stretch their legs.

Other acquaintances told Bawdun that they had seen "detainees walking barefoot," and that inmates were "not allowed clothes with buttons or metal zippers," belts, shoelaces, or "even underwear" in some cases, despite average low temperatures of around 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius) at night in December.

Merchant hospitalized

In a separate report, the security chief of Chasa township, in Kashgar (Kashi) prefecture's Kashgar city, told RFA that a fruit and nut merchant from Uruk Bazaar in Kashgar's Yengisar (Yingjisha) county named Mahat Omer is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital in the city after developing serious complications from health condition while in detention.

According to the security chief, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Omer, 55, had been arrested about six months ago after he went on an unapproved Hajj pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in 2016. The merchant had shown no other signs of "extremist" behavior, he added.

In the beginning of 2017, authorities added those who make unsanctioned pilgrimages to Mecca  an obligation to Muslims according to the Five Pillars of Islam  to a list of "The Six Types of Important People to Watch," despite only allowing a very small number of people to make the journey each year.

"He has diabetes and now his feet are oozing pus, so he is receiving treatment for that," the security chief said.

"He has been suffering from diabetes for some time. One of my sons who works in security in Uruk Bazaar is looking after him in the hospital."

It was not immediately clear whether Omer had developed complications because authorities had refused to provide him with treatment, or if his condition had worsened due to neglect.

The security chief said that around 30 Uyghurs from Uruk Bazaar are currently being held in detention.

According to the US State Department's 2016 report on human rights, Uyghurs in China have complained of "systematic torture and other degrading treatment by law enforcement officers and the penal system."

Since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016, he has initiated unprecedented repressive measures against the Uyghur people and ideological purges against so-called "two-faced" Uyghur officials  a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of "disloyalty."

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.

While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.

Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
As repatriation looms, Rohingya stage protests at Bangladesh camp

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 19 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, As repatriation looms, Rohingya stage protests at Bangladesh camp, 19 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942836a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-19

A banner listing 21 pre-conditions made by a Rohingya group for the repatriation of refugees to Myanmar was palced at the Kutupalong camp in Ukhia, in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, Jan. 19, 2018. BenarNews

About 500 Rohingya refugees staged protests Friday at a camp in southeastern Bangladesh to air concerns about their safety and other questions tied to a government plan to repatriate thousands of their people to Myanmar.

The two demonstrations  the first of their kind  took place at the sprawling Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar district while Rohingya leaders visited camps to post a list of 21 pre-conditions they want the government to meet before refugees would agree to be repatriated voluntarily.

These demands include that the stateless people be given Myanmar citizenship. Listed on banners, the 21-points were formulated by a new group, the Rohingya Rights Establishment Committee, sources in Cox's Bazar told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

"We appeal to Bangladesh, the U.N. and the international community not to repatriate us without securing our citizenship. If we get citizenship, we can get our houses and property back and compensation for the loss of lives and wealth," Abdul Khaleq, a Rohingya leader at the Madhuchhara camp in Kutupalong, told BenarNews.

"Otherwise, we will be thrown into the bay," said Khaleq, who was involved in framing the 21-point list.

The list was circulated as officials from Bangladesh and Myanmar moved to implement a bilateral agreement signed on Nov. 23 to repatriate about 700,000 Rohingya refugees from southeastern Bangladesh to Rakhine, a state in Myanmar that borders Cox's Bazar.

"Two brief demonstrations took place on Friday  one at block-B/3 and the other at block E/3 at the Kutupalong camps in Ukhia. I have talked to the protesters about their demands. They protested against the government plan to repatriate them without ensuring their safety and security in Rakhine," Nur Khan Liton, the former director of a leading Bangladeshi human rights NGO, Ain-O-Shalish Kendra, said in an interview from Cox's Bazar.

"They want to return to Rakhine; they are not against the repatriation. But their first demand is: Myanmar must announce granting them citizenship, and ensure their civil rights in Rakhine," Liton said.

'Voluntary, safe and with dignity'

At least 655,000 Rohingya fled from an outbreak of violence and a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine, which started in late August 2017 following attacks on government security posts by a Rohingya insurgent group. Overall, about 1 million Rohingya refugees are sheltering in Bangladesh, including those who fled earlier waves of violence in Rakhine.

Liton said the demonstrators want to return to Rakhine under the protection of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They also want assurances that returnees be taken to a safe zone under the auspices of the United Nations before going back to their home villages.

"They also demand that the Myanmar authorities must give them compensation for destroying their houses and other property, and try the perpetrators committing killings, rape, arson and other crimes against humanity," Liton added. He was referring to widespread allegations that Myanmar security forces and militiamen in Rakhine carried out atrocities against Rohingya civilians, including the burning of villages.

Bangladeshi police and government officials on Friday denied any demonstrations had taken place at the Kutupalong camp in Ukhia, a sub-district of Cox's Bazar.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the first group of refugees would begin returning to Myanmar early next month.

"The repatriation would be voluntary, safe and with dignity," he told BenarNews.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, government officials told the Myanmar Service of Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews, that they were handling paperwork for more than 700 Muslims and 400 Hindu refugees from Rakhine who had applied to return home.

"About 1,100 Muslims and Hindus who lost their houses in fires informed us they want to come back. We have already checked their names and photos and asked Bangladesh to send their application forms, but we haven't received the completed forms yet," said Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary at Myanmar's Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population.

Set of demands

In Cox's Bazar, District Deputy Commissioner Ali Hossain said he had not seen or obtained a copy of the 21-point list, which was circulated and posted at the Kutuplaong, Balukhali, Jamtoli and Thaingkhali, and Leda refugee camps and settlements in the area.

"We will investigate who set up the boards," he told BenarNews.

Apart from a guarantee of citizenship, the pre-conditions for repatriation, as listed by the committee, include civil rights, freedom of movement, as well as rights to religion and education be guaranteed for Rohingya, and that perpetrators of atrocities against the minority group be arrested and put on trial.

The 21-point list is similar to recommendations made last year by the Rakhine State Advisory Commission, which was headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Annan Commission recommended that Myanmar grant citizenship to the Rohingya and ensure their civil rights as a solution for easing long-running inter-communal tensions in Rakhine state.

"We support the demands. We must be given our civil rights back. Otherwise, we will not go back," Abdul Hakim, another leader of a Rohingya refugee camp, told BenarNews.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China detains top human rights lawyer who called for constitutional rights

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 19 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China detains top human rights lawyer who called for constitutional rights, 19 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942838a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-19

File photo of lawyer Yu Wensheng, who had taken up politically sensitive human rights cases and was taken away from his Beijing home by around a dozen police officers on Jan. 19, 2017. Photo courtesy of Yu Wensheng

Authorities in Beijing on Friday detained a prominent human rights lawyer after he penned an open letter to the ruling Chinese Communist Party about proposed constitutional changes.

Yu Wensheng was taken away from his Beijing home on Friday morning by around a dozen police officers.

His family received a call some 10 hours later informing them that he is being held at the Gucheng police station on suspicion of "obstructing public duties."

Yu's wife said she had gone immediately to the police station to inquire after her husband.

"They came and detained him on Friday morning because he sent out [an open letter] on the 18th," Xu told RFA. "The constitution protects the rights of citizens to freedom of expression, to make suggestions, and his suggestion letter fell within those rights, and fell within the law."

"But in mainland China, they don't let people speak out, and that's why he was detained," she said. "Of course he has done a lot of human rights work in the past three years, which probably also has something to do with it."

Guangdong-based rights lawyer Wang Qingying said he is concerned that Yu will be held under criminal detention, paving the way for a criminal case against him.

"I have a sense that Yu Wensheng is in a lot of danger right now; that they will detain him for at least a month this time," Wang said. "A lot of people went to detain him, which clearly indicates a criminal detention."

"If they just wanted to talk to him, they would have just sent one or two people over, or just called him up by phone to tell him to come in," he said. "They wouldn't send all those police officers over to take him away suddenly like that. That's why I'm very worried."

'We are pretty worried'

Rights lawyer Liang Xiaojun, who accompanied Xu to the police station earlier on Friday, agreed.

He said Yu's family are trying to get him a meeting with a defense lawyer.

"We are pretty worried," Liang said.

Yu, 51, has defended a number of clients in politically sensitive human rights cases in recent years, including forced evictees and the families of victims of a tainted vaccinations scandal in the eastern province of Shandong.

In 2014, he was held by police for 99 days for showing public support for the pro-democracy Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong.

Yu was stripped of his professional license to practice after he joined the defense team for detained fellow lawyer Wang Quanzhang, held in the northern city of Tianjin amid a nationwide crackdown on lawyers and rights activists that began in July 2015.

Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Bangladesh: Rohingya can declare return voluntary on repatriation form

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 22 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Bangladesh: Rohingya can declare return voluntary on repatriation form, 22 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94283a4.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-22

A Rohingya man holds identification cards issued to his family at Kutupalong refugee camp, in Ukhia, Bangladesh, Jan. 22, 2018. BenarNews

Rohingya refugees interested in returning to Myanmar will be asked to sign a document stating that their return is voluntary and pledging to abide by the "existing laws" of that country, according to a copy of the repatriation form obtained by BenarNews in Bangladesh.

The form requires each head of family to supply a Myanmar address for his father, mother and spouse, as well as a family photo and thumb prints for all family members over the age of 5.

"I apply to return and live in Myanmar voluntarily without any threat or encouragement. If permission is granted to me to enter Myanmar, I will abide by the existing laws of Myanmar," it says right above the signature line.

Details of the form, which is printed in English only, emerged as a top official acknowledged that repatriation had yet to begin, despite a Jan. 22 start date set in bilateral negotiations two months ago.

"Repatriation is a complex issue. So, we cannot give you a fixed date when the repatriation will start," Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told reporters in Cox's Bazar, a district in southeastern Bangladesh that borders Myanmar's Rakhine state.

The two nations had agreed to begin voluntary repatriation of close to 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled into Bangladesh over the last five months amid an alleged onslaught of arson, killings and rape in Rakhine that amounted to ethnic cleansing, according to U.N. officials.

Kalam said Bangladesh had yet to finish the first step  preparing a list of 100,000 refugees for verification by Myanmar authorities. Bangladesh officials had earlier admitted repatriation would likely be delayed and, once begun, take up to two years.

Bangladesh's decision to "postpone" Rohingya repatriation had given the refugees "temporary relief," global rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a statement Monday.

"While it is positive that Bangladesh has acknowledged the need for further preparations and delayed the repatriation process, there would need to be a wholesale reform of Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya before any returns could truly be considered safe or voluntary," said Charmain Mohamed, Amnesty's head of refugee and migrant's rights.

According to 1982 citizenship act, the Rohingya Muslims are not citizens of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where they have been living for centuries.

"We have heard that Bangladesh has signed a deal with Burma to send us back. We want to go back, but they must return our citizenship," Lal Mohammad, 65, a refugee at the Kutupalong camp, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

On Friday, hundreds of Rohingya refugees in Kutupalong staged protests over the planned repatriation and banners appeared in several camps listing pre-conditions for returning to Myanmar including citizenship, education and freedom of movement.

UNHCR 'in negotiation' with Bangladesh

The two countries agreed to revise the repatriation form during a meeting in Naypyidaw earlier this month, at which they hammered out repatriation logistics, according to Kalam, the refugee commissioner.

"This form contains a new section stating that they will abide by the existing laws of Myanmar and they are returning voluntarily without encouragement or coercion," Kalam told BenarNews.

"This declaration is important for us, too. This declaration testifies that we are not sending them by force," he said.

Kalam said the repatriation form would be administered only for refugees verified as residents by Myanmar's government who want to go back.

"We will then employ people to fill the verification form for the interested people. The filled verification forms will be given to the Myanmar authorities for second verification. Then the returnees will leave on a stipulated date through designated entry points," Kalam said.

Kalam said the government might sign a deal with the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) to fill the forms.

A UNHCR spokesman in Cox's Bazar told BenarNews the agency had received an offer from the government to get involved in the process.

"We have been in negotiation with the government," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Speaking in Geneva on Monday, UNHCR Commissioner Filippo Grandi said more time was needed to prepare for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

"In order for the repatriation to be right, sustainable, actually viable, you need to really to address a number of issues that for the time being we have heard nothing about, including the citizenship issue, the rights of the Rohingya in Rakhine state, meaning freedom of movement, access to services, to livelihoods," Grandi told Reuters.

'We are ready'

On Monday, Myanmar's government said it had not received official word from Bangladesh that repatriation would be delayed.

"Although the Bangladesh government hasn't contacted us regarding refugees' return, we have to continue working on the agreement Bangladesh and Myanmar have reached," Zaw Htay, director-general of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi's office, told Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews.

"We are ready for everything, such as the process of receiving and checking refugees, food, health care and security for them. Reception centers, temporary houses for them are also ready," he claimed.

"The rumors that refugees don't want to return home are not correct. The fact is that some of the Bangladesh officials have said they are not ready for the process to repatriate the refugees. They said they still need time to check the list of refugees and applications for refugees."

Across the border, Kalam said Myanmar authorities had assured Bangladesh they would stop the exodus of Rohingya from Rakhine state before repatriation began.

"We get information that people are still coming in. It must stop," he said.

A total of 688,000 refugees had arrived in Bangladesh between Aug. 25 and Jan. 21, according to the Inter Sector Coordination Group, which oversees the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis in southeast Bangladesh.

"The increase in the number is not as a result of a significant influx, but due to strengthened assessments," ISCG said in its latest situation update.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Top human rights lawyer held on public order charges: Police

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 22 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Top human rights lawyer held on public order charges: Police, 22 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94283da.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-22

Yu Wensheng at his office in Beijing, Feb. 24, 2017. AP Photo

Authorities in the Chinese capital have confirmed they are holding a top human rights lawyer under criminal detention on public order charges, searching his home and denying him visits from a defense attorney, RFA has learned.

"According to Article 80 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the People's Republic of China, this department has placed Yu Wensheng . . . under criminal detention as of 1:00 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2018, on suspicion of obstructing public servants in the course of their duties," Yu's notice of criminal detention said.

The notice, a copy of which was sent to RFA, was issued by the Shijingshan branch of the Beijing police department, and dated Jan. 20.

Yu's wife Xu Yan said her husband hasn't yet been allowed a visit from a lawyer.

"I [went to] the Gucheng police station in Shijingshan, and they gave me a notification of criminal detention," Xu said. "[Yu] has already been transferred to the Shijingshan Detention Center in Beijing."

"They are saying that there was physical resistance when they went to detain Yu Wensheng, but I think that's just a pretext [for holding him]," she said.

Xu said attorneys Ma Wei and Song Yusheng, whom she hired to defend her husband, hadn't been allowed to visit him on Monday when they showed up at the detention center.

"When the lawyers arrived to see Yu Wensheng, the staff there told them to wait, because they were processing papers from other lawyers," Xu said. "Ma and Song then went to dispute this, and they were told they wouldn't be able to see [Yu] that day, and they made an appointment 48 hours later, for Wednesday."

But Xu said she isn't hopeful that the scheduled meeting will go ahead as hoped, either.

"Some of the other lawyers told me that there is no real reason for them to insist on a 48-hour gap; that a defense attorney should be able to show up and be allowed a meeting on the same day," she said.

"I am very worried that something is going on with this 48-hour delay, and I hope people will keep following it," Xu said, adding that she was also prevented from topping up her husband's account in the detention center, so he can buy daily necessities from its store.

"To start with, they said it was because the computer system hadn't yet issued him with a card, but I don't know how to get such a card; maybe it's the card he uses to buy stuff," she said.

She said she believes the charge is a trumped-up one, and that the real reason for Yu's detention was an open letter he wrote last Thursday ahead of the second plenary session of the Communist Party's central committee.

The letter called for an end to party control of China's People's Liberation Army, exercised via the Central Military Commission, and to the parliamentary advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which the letter said has no basis in the country's constitution.

Yu was detained the morning after he published the letter online.

Home searched

Beijing-based rights activist Zhang Baocheng said the police had searched Yu's home on Saturday.

"They are searching right now, and won't allow [the family] to open the door," Zhang said from outside the apartment as police searched it. "I can't get in . . . there are two plainclothes cops in their living room, watching me."

Xu Qin, a spokesperson for the Hubei-based rights group Rose China, said dozens of people had signed Yu's letter to China's leaders after he posted it.

"The latest figure is 54 signatures," Xu said, adding that Yu has been unjustly detained. "Yu is a former rights lawyer whose license to practice was revoked, and yet all he ever did was fight for Chinese citizens to enjoy the protection of the law."

Yu, 51, has defended a number of clients in politically sensitive human rights cases in recent years, including forced evictees and the families of victims of a tainted vaccinations scandal in the eastern province of Shandong.

In 2014, he was held by police for 99 days for showing public support for the pro-democracy Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong.

Yu was stripped of his professional license to practice after he joined the defense team for detained fellow lawyer Wang Quanzhang, held in the northern city of Tianjin amid a nationwide crackdown on more than 300 lawyers and rights activists that began in July 2015.

Reported by Qiao Long and Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Dai Weisen for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Hong Kong's academic freedom 'under threat' since democracy movement

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 23 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hong Kong's academic freedom 'under threat' since democracy movement, 23 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94283fa.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-23

Hong Kong University (HKU) alumni look on as current students protest a university committee's decision to reject law professor and rights activist Johannes Chan for a top leadership post, Oct. 4, 2015. RFA

Academic freedom in Hong Kong is under threat from a politicized backlash from university leaders in the wake of the 2014 Occupy Central movement for universal suffrage, a rights group said as the U.K. parliament geared up to debate human rights in the former British colony, two decades after it was handed back to China.

"The state of academic freedom in Hong Kong is . . . is alive, and generally well, but only due to constant public vigilance against growing threats," rights group Hong Kong Watch said in a report published this week.

It said university management teams appear to be in the process of an ideological clampdown on Hong Kong's campus in the wake of the Occupy movement, which was largely led by the city's students.

"A growing top-down backlash has attempted to limit academic freedom and bring academia under the authorities' control," the report's author Macquarie University lecturer and expert on Hong Kong Kevin Carrico wrote.

"Although academic work in Hong Kong remains considerably freer than in the rest of the People's Republic of China, these trends suggest that elements of academic control in place elsewhere in China are gradually being incorporated into the Hong Kong system," Carrico wrote.

He cited the removal of "controversial academic figures" from their posts, or obstacles to their promotion to leadership roles, as in the case of outspoken legal professor Johannes Chan, who was passed over for the role of pro-vice-chancellor in spite of being highly recommended by a selection committee.

Carrico said such moves were "driven by political motivations."

Large mobilization by Beijing

He called for active monitoring by rights groups and the abolition of the city's chief executive's role as chancellor of all the city's universities.

"There is a growing push to place limits on freedom of speech, without any legal basis," Carrico wrote, blaming a "larger mobilization by the government of China and pro establishment figures to exercise greater control over Hong Kong politics and society."

Such moves are in breach of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.

While China last year dismissed the Joint Declaration as a "historical document," U.K. lawmakers said, ahead of a debate on the state of Hong Kong on Tuesday, that it is a binding bilateral treaty registered at the United Nations, and that the U.K. has a duty to ensure Beijing honors it.

Carrico also hit out at comments made by Hong Kong's two most recent chief executives, incumbent Carrie Lam and Leung Chun-ying.

"[Leung and Lam] have made comments that demonstrate insufficient dedication and even hostility to the academic freedom and freedom of speech central to academic inquiry in Hong Kong," Carrico's report found.

"This issue of accountability extends further into university councils, some of which have become politicized and seemingly accountable primarily to the Chief Executive," he said.

He cited Leung's public criticism of the Hong Kong University's journal Undergrad for its discussion of the idea of independence for the city in the wake of the failure of the Occupy Central movement to achieve its goal of fully democratic elections.

'Hong Kong Independence Research Society'

Such comments were directly linked to the later removal of directly elected lawmakers from office after they held up signs saying "Hong Kong is not China" during their swearing-in at the city's Legislative Council, Carrico said.

Ten of the city's universities also issued a joint statement last September denouncing "recent abuses" of freedom of speech, and asserting that "all universities undersigned agree that we do not support Hong Kong independence, which contravenes the Basic Law."

"Freedom of expression is not absolute, and like all freedoms it comes with responsibilities," the statement said.

The report came just days after students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong set up a study group titled the "Hong Kong Independence Research Society," prompting the university authorities to issue another statement opposing independence.

The group says it will defend students' freedom of speech and organize events to nurture a sense of Hong Kong identity among students.

Ernie Chow, head of the student union at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said universities should be places where free debate can take place on matters of concern to society.

"Hong Kong independence doesn't breach the Basic Law, but even if it did, it wouldn't give rise to any kind of criminal or democratic responsibility," Chow told RFA in a recent interview. "Since ancient times, universities have been a bastion of free speech, academic freedom, of research and debate."

"As for what direction the Hong Kong Independence Research Society will develop in, we should leave that to the students to decide for themselves," he said. "I don't think the university has any business getting involved in that process."

Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Authorities in China's Qinghai province block Tibetans from travel amid Dalai Lama teachings

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 24 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Authorities in China's Qinghai province block Tibetans from travel amid Dalai Lama teachings, 24 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942841a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-24

Chinese passports are shown in a file photo. RFA

Authorities in northwest China's Qinghai province are blocking Tibetans from traveling outside the country by refusing to reissue passports confiscated from members of the ethnic group who attempted to attend a politically sensitive religious gathering last year, according to Tibetan sources.

The move affected hundreds of Tibetans traveling as pilgrims to India and Nepal and as tourists to other Asian countries, and came amid official concerns over Tibetans' presence at a series of Buddhist teachings led by exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in January.

"This year, again, several thousand Tibetans went to the Dalai Lama's teachings in Bodhgaya [India], but none of them were from Qinghai," said a Tibetan from the province who traveled to Bodhgaya last year in the hopes of attending another gathering known as the Kalachakra, citing contacts in India.

The Tibetan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA's Tibetan Service that he and several other pilgrims were forced to travel home from India and miss the Dalai Lama's Kalachakra ceremony in January 2017 after receiving phone calls from Chinese security personnel threatening their families with harm if they failed to return.

Chinese immigration authorities destroyed their passports  which cost 5,000 yuan (U.S. $759) each and are good for 10 years  on arrival at the airport in Sichuan province's capital Chengdu.

"They assured us that the passports would be reissued, but we went to the relevant government offices several times since then to request our passports and the authorities wouldn't give them to us," he said.

"My goal of attending the teachings in India this year went unfulfilled."

Kalachakra, which means Wheel of Time, is a ritual that prepares devotees to be reborn in Shambhala, a celestial kingdom which, it is said, will vanquish the forces of evil in a future cosmic battle.

The ceremony and teachings are often conducted outside Tibet by the Dalai Lama, who is widely reviled by Chinese leaders as a "splittist" seeking to separate Tibet, which was invaded by Communist China in 1950, from Beijing's control.

This year's month-long gathering consisted of a series of Buddhist teachings by the Dalai Lama which ended Tuesday.

Public notice

According to the source, local police stations in Qinghai had issued a public notice ahead of this months gathering that he said "banned Tibetans from listening to the Dalai Lama's teachings in any manner," and also "prohibited contact with Tibetans living outside of China."

"The local authorities also warned that sharing or storing audio and video clips of the Dalai Lama's teachings would constitute a serious offense, punishable under charges of 'separatism,' that would result in arrest and jail time," he said.

In the meantime, the source said that while some "connected individuals" may have been issued new travel documents ahead of the event, "generally speaking, ordinary Tibetans have not been granted passports."

"Thousands" of Tibetans who had traveled to Bodhgaya last year to attend the Kalachakra teachings were compelled to return after receiving warnings from Chinese authorities, he said, and "many of them had their passports cut into pieces" after arriving in Chengdu.

A second source, who also asked to remain unnamed, said that ahead of this year's gathering, many of those who made it to India are from the Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture of historical Tibet's northeastern Amdo region, which is comprised of parts of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces.

In September, sources told RFA that Tibetans whose passports were confiscated after traveling to India last year had still not been given new ones, and "believed that they were deliberately tricked" by the authorities.

They called the refusal to reissue the passports a "discriminatory action" that they said had also been applied to members of the Muslim Uyghur ethnic group in China's northwest Xinjiang region.

Earlier this week, Tibetans traveling to Bodhgaya from Sichuan province revealed they were also told to return home immediately or face "consequences," forcing many to cut short plans to attend teachings by the Dalai Lama. Many had only recently been issued new passports and were surprised by the sudden policy change.

Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Civil society groups in Laos delayed funding, forced to disband under new law

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 24 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Civil society groups in Laos delayed funding, forced to disband under new law, 24 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428434.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-24

Sombath Somphone (third from right) and other recipients of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award link arms during a ceremony in Manila, in a file photo. AFP

A recently introduced law regulating civil society organizations (CSOs) in Laos has further restricted their work, according to sources in the sector, who said groups now face lengthy delays in funding, while others are being forced to operate as small businesses or shut down completely.

In August last year, the government of Laos issued the New Decree on Associations No. 238 of 2017 to replace the Decree on Associations No. 115 of 2009. The amended decree went into effect on Nov. 15, 2017.

The amendment was proposed in 2014, following the disappearance in late 2012 of prominent civil society leader Sombath Somphone, and a 2013 call by then-president of Laos Choummaly Sayason for ruling Communist Party officials to "strictly control actions" of the groups "because they could destroy our country through nonviolent means."

Among the restrictions in the new decree are articles requiring the government to approve the establishment of CSOs; greenlight their projects and acceptance of donations; review their assets; and provide advice and assistance to ensure their operations are in line with party policy, the law, and government regulations.

Other articles state that CSOs are prohibited from "abusing the rights to freedom" and carrying out "activities that threaten national security and the social order," and that the Ministry of Home Affairs has the right to "discipline associations" for disobeying the law.

A development worker with a CSO recently told RFA's Lao Service that groups had never been required to submit financial reports to the government under the previous law, and only needed to provide "broad details" of their activities.

"From now on, if we are going to request funding from foreign sources, the request must first be approved by the government," the worker said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"This is too difficult  it will take us nearly a year to get funding."

The representative of another CSO said the new law is regulating the groups out of existence.

"The new Decree on Associations forces many associations and non-profit organizations to transform themselves into small businesses to survive," she said.

"Others don't even bother renewing their permits, or simply shut down."

Rights group concerns

The comments from CSO workers in Laos echo concerns stated by New York-based Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director Phil Robertson, who said at a December press conference that the new law on associations "is actually worse than the previous decree."

"Under this decree, the state controls the non-profit civil sectors in Laos," Robertson said at the time, noting that articles in the law contradict the Lao government's ratification of the international covenant on civil and political rights, which sets out standards on freedom of associations and peaceful public assembly.

A week after the press conference, which marked the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of Sombath Somphone  who is widely believed to have been abducted by government-linked actors  eight global NGOs joined Human Rights Watch in calling on the Lao government to repeal or significantly amend the decree to bring it in line with international rights laws and standards.

Bounthone Chanthalavong-Wiese, president of the Germany-based Alliance for Democracy in Laos, told RFA that would-be international donors to Laos have been stymied by the government's new law, adding that his group also wants the decree scrapped.

But an official with the committee that drafted the decree rejected calls for its abandonment.

"This decree is not intended to restrict any organizations at all," the official, who also asked to remain unnamed, recently told RFA.

"Before issuing it, we consulted with all levels of government," he said, without specifying whether CSOs had been approached during the drafting period.

Reported by RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Authorities testing facial-recognition systems in Uyghur dominated Xinjiang region

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 25 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Authorities testing facial-recognition systems in Uyghur dominated Xinjiang region, 25 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428454.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-25

Residents pass by a security checkpoint with cameras in Xinjiang's Kashgar city, Nov. 5, 2017. AP Photo

Authorities in northwest China are testing facial-recognition systems that tip off police when residents of the Uyghur-dominated Xinjiang region venture more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) from designated "safe areas," according to media reports.

The safe areas comprise individuals' homes and workplaces, Bloomberg News reported last week, citing a person familiar with the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not have authorization to discuss it with the media.

State-run defense contractor China Electronics Technology Group is leading the Xinjiang alert project, which Bloomberg said is part of the Beijing-based company's effort to develop software to collate data on jobs, hobbies, consumption habits, and other behavior of ordinary citizens to predict terrorist acts before they occur.

The project, which began testing early last year, is focused on southern Xinjiang  home to the majority of the region's more than 11 million Muslim ethnic Uyghurs.

The alert project links security cameras to a database of individuals who have attracted the attention of authorities and tracks their movements within a particular area, Bloomberg's source said, adding that police can then follow up by intercepting the individuals, visiting their homes, or questioning their families and friends.

RFA's Uyghur Service was not immediately able to confirm details of the new facial recognition program while attempting to contact relevant security officials.

Sophie Richardson, China director for the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), called the project "a whole new level in the use of surveillance technology to restrict people's behavior" and said it is important to watch how authorities in Xinjiang use the information they obtain through the project.

"Obviously it is enormously problematic that police can be tracking people's movements without any clear indication of people having broken a law, but it's not exactly clear what the police will do with this information," she told RFA.

Richardson said that based on the research Human Rights Watch had done recently on other kinds of surveillance technology being used in Xinjiang, "the police must be overwhelmed with a lot of data that they can't really use, or even that there's so much data, it's hard to imagine how they sift through it in an effective way."

But she said that part of the purpose of the system is likely to make people "feel or understand that they are being surveilled and to keep that in mind in their behavior, regardless of whether police act on the information at all."

"It's not clear how people are going to respond to this or even who is aware of it, but I do think that's a logical outcome for some people  that they will factor that kind of surveillance into their behavior."

Testing ground

Bloomberg cited IHS Markit senior principal analyst Jon Cropley as saying that China is on track to represent 46 percent of the U.S. $17.3 billion global video surveillance market by year end, and three-quarters of all deep learning-enabled servers for analyzing the data.

China earmarked 938 billion yuan (U.S. $146 billion) for domestic security in 2015  more than its military budget at the time  the media group reported, citing the last figures made publicly available.

Xinjiang  where Uyghurs complain of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule  has become one of the world's most heavily policed places and a testing ground for increasingly restrictive policies since Chen Quanguo was appointed the region's party chief in August 2016.

RFA has previously reported on authorities collecting DNA samples and other biometric data from all residents aged 12-65 of the region under the pretext of a free health care program.

Other reports detail authorities rewarding residents who report "acts of terrorism," ordering residents to hand in all digital devices as part of an operation targeting "terrorist videos," installing GPS tracking systems on vehicles, and even affixing identification codes to knives belonging to Uyghurs so that they can be traced back to the owner if used to commit an act of violence.

Since April 2017, Uyghurs accused of harboring "extremist" and "politically incorrect" views have been jailed or detained in re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, and last week a security official told RFA that around 120,000 members of the ethnic group are currently being held in political re-education camps in the region's Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture alone.

High-tech police state

Ilshat Hasan, president of the U.S.-based Uyghur American Association exile group, told RFA that China had "completely transformed [Xinjiang] into a high-tech police state, the likes of which the world has never seen" since Chen was tasked with overseeing the region.

"This is an unprecedented new phenomenon and is happening right under the nose of the international community," he said.

"For Uyghurs, their homeland has become an open-air prison for them. They cannot live in peace, cannot speak their language, defend their identity, celebrate their culture, practice their religion or visit other countries."

Under the Chen regime, Hasan said, Uyghurs must "watch everything they say and do, and even think," and lack basic human rights, freedoms, security and privacy.

"China hasn't created this total police state to fight so-called terrorism," he said.

"China has created this huge concentration camp to gradually and systematically eliminate the Uyghur people by forcibly assimilating them through cultural genocide coupled with brutal repression."

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.

While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.

Reported by Adile Ablet and Alim Seytoff for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China jails dozens of ethnic Mongolian herders who blockaded highway construction

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 25 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China jails dozens of ethnic Mongolian herders who blockaded highway construction, 25 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428494.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-25

Petitioners seeking redress in land seizures in Zaruud Banner the Inner Mongolian city of Tongliao are dispersed by police in undated photo. Photo courtesy of an RFA listener

Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia have handed down jail terms of up to five years to dozens of ethnic Mongolian herders who blockaded a construction site on their traditional grazing lands.

The sentences were handed down to 35 herders from the Ulzeimurun Sum (a township-like administrative division) in Bayan-Tumen Gachaa following a mass trial at the Zaruud Banner People's Court, near Tongliao city.

The herders were found guilty of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," and gathering to assault government departments," and handed jail terms ranging from six months to five years, the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) reported on its website.

The herders were accused of blocking construction traffic during the building of interstate highway 208 between Ulzeimurun Sum and Lubei township last May, local media reported.

And, according to Zaruud Banner TV, "Jin Haixia and Wu Tiedan rallied the people via WeChat to come to gather illegally in front of the Police Dispatch Station to urge the release of the detainees."

"They staged a demonstration of protest and picketing in front of the Police Dispatch Station for 15 hours, disturbing the [the work of government departments], causing an adverse social effect, and violating state laws," the broadcaster said.

Wu Tiedan was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, Jin Haixia to four, and Borjigin Tsengelt to three years, SMHRIC said.

Fellow protester Ulzeit received a jail term of two-and-a-half years, while Shuang Xi was jailed for two years, and Tsetenbat and Madu for a year and a half, it said.

Buyan and Sarantsogt received one year's imprisonment apiece,while the remaining 26 protesters were released after being handed six-month sentences, as time already served was taken into account, it said.

A relative of one of the herders, who asked to remain anonymous, said the charges were "groundless and trumped-up," and that the herders had done nothing but try to defend their land.

Residents of Bayan-Tumen Gachaa said the court had decided in favor of majority ethnic Han Chinese settlers in the region, in particular, the Xu family who migrated to the area from the eastern province of Anhui during the 1960s.

Crackdown on Mongolian herders

The family had expanded and become rich enough to control key economic sectors in the region, as well as to manipulate local government, police and courts by means of bribery, SMHRIC quoted a statement from local residents as saying.

Local media accused the herders of preventing the Xus from continuing to cultivate the land, causing an economic loss of 3,770 yuan.

"One of the major protests that the herders launched was against the Xu family-run road construction company that illegally occupied the local herders' grazing land," the herders' statement said.

"The trial of 35 herders is an effort of the local authorities to accommodate the Xu's demand to criminalize the protestors to prevent any further resistance from taking place," the statement said.

Without disclosing the details of the defendants, including their full names and sentence terms, the official TV news said, "With sufficient amount of evidences, all 35 defendants are convicted of the crimes that they were accused of being committed."

Relatives and family members of the 9 imprisoned herders said they are denied to right to visit them in prison. Their health conditions and whereabouts remain unknown.

Calls to the Zaruud Banner People's Court rang unanswered on Wednesday.

SMHRIC spokesman Enghebatu Togochog told RFA that the mass sentencing came amid a crackdown on ethnic Mongolian nomadic herding communities within its borders by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

"The persecution is getting worse and worse . . . It's extremely unfair on the herding communities, because they are just trying to make a living, to fight for their land, for their legitimate rights and interests," he said.

He dismissed claims from the Zaruud Banner People's Court judge, who said the herders should have used "legal channels" to pursue their grievances.

"They petitioned and filed complaints about the situation, but they never received a response that they were satisfied with," he said. "In the end, the herders were left with no options, so they went and blockaded the construction site to stop the company from developing their grasslands. That's the sort of clashes that took place. This is a very common occurrence."

He called on the international community to pay close attention to the human rights situation in Inner Mongolia, "which is getting worse by the day."

Reported by Lin Ping for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Overcrowded political re-education camps in Hotan relocate hundreds of Uyghur detainees

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 26 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Overcrowded political re-education camps in Hotan relocate hundreds of Uyghur detainees, 26 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942851a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-26

A security officer holding a shield and baton guards a security post leading into a center believed to be used for re-education in Korla, Nov. 2, 2017. AP Photo

Political re-education camps in Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture, in northwest China's Xinjiang region, face such severe overcrowding that authorities have been forced to relocate hundreds of Uyghur inmates at a time to alternate facilities, according to a local fireman.

Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs accused of harboring "extremist" and "politically incorrect" views have been detained in re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.

Prior reporting by RFA's Uyghur Service found that as arrests in Xinjiang increased around the sensitive 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing in October, the region's re-education camps have been inundated by detainees, who are forced to endure cramped and squalid conditions in the facilities.

According to a staff member of Hotan's Qaraqash (in Chinese, Moyu) county fire brigade, two re-education camps in the Gong Ye Yuan Qu ethnic Han Chinese settlement were so overcrowded in November that hundreds of inmates were sent in a convoy of trucks to a separate camp at the county railway station.

"There were 16 vehicles loaded with people," said the fireman, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, adding that the transfer was ordered "because of the overflow of people."

As many as 640 Uyghurs were sent to the railway station camp, he said, in trucks carrying "30 to 40 people" each that were escorted by the county fire brigade's search and rescue vehicles.

"The people from the two different camps were transferred to the Railway Re-education Camp," the fireman said.

While he was unable to provide an exact number of detainees held at the Gong Ye Yuan Qu re-education camps, the fireman estimated that each facility holds several thousand inmates  numbers similar to what RFA has uncovered through previous reporting on camps throughout the Xinjiang region.

Earlier this month, sources told RFA that detention centers in Korla (Kuerle), the seat of central Xinjiang's Bayin'gholin Mongol (Bayinguoleng Menggu) Autonomous Prefecture, are "completely full" and have been turning detainees away because they could not accommodate them.

Naman Bawdun, the former head and Communist Party secretary of Bashawat village, in Korla's Awat township, said that during the course of a few days last month he had joined around 1,000 people awaiting health checks at the city's main hospital, ahead of being admitted to re-education camps.

Bawdun, who was released due to a medical condition, quoted a friend who was admitted to the camp as saying he had seen officials from the facility tell the police to "stop bringing people . . . as it is already too full."

The friend described cells that had previously held eight people now accommodating 14 inmates, who "were not allowed pillows" and "had to lay on their sides because there was not enough room to lay flat," let alone space to turn over or stretch their legs.

Number of inmates

Chinese authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of re-education camps in Xinjiang, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, but Uyghur activists estimate that up to 1 million Uyghurs have been detained throughout the region since April 2017.

Central and regional authorities do not provide information about the size of the camp population to local Communist Party cadres, members of local police forces, and other lower-level organizations involved in maintaining the system.

Earlier this week, a security official with knowledge of the detention system told RFA that around 120,000 ethnic Uyghurs are currently being held in re-education camps in Xinjiang's Kashgar (Kashi) prefecture alone.

Speaking to The Guardian on Thursday, Maya Wang, a campaigner with New York-based Human Rights Watch who wrote a recent report on the re-education camps, said the figures for the number of Uyghurs held in Kashgar were "credible, although growing levels of repression in Xinjiang meant reliable numbers were impossible to ascertain."

Wang said estimates of the total number of people who have spent time in such centers in Xinjiang, which has a population of about 22 million, ran as high as 800,000.

"It's just like a black hole which people are added to and don't get out of," she told The Guardian.

Since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016, he has initiated unprecedented repressive measures against the Uyghur people and ideological purges against so-called "two-faced" Uyghur officials  a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of "disloyalty."

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.

While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.

Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Nearly 40 Myanmar students dismissed from schools following budget protest

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 29 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Nearly 40 Myanmar students dismissed from schools following budget protest, 29 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94285ea.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-29

Myanmar students protest in Mandalay for an increase in education funding in a January 2018 photo. Photo provided by a student

Around 40 students enrolled in universities around Myanmar have been dismissed from their classes after they joined in a protest calling for an increase in the country's education budget, with some vowing to stay out of school rather than promise not to protest, sources say.

The four-day protest beginning Jan. 22 at central Myanmar's Mandalay Yadanabon University was broken up by police on Jan. 25, and some 72 protesters were briefly held by authorities before being sent home.

Of that number, around 40 have now been dismissed from their schools, protest leader Ye Myo Swe told RFA's Myanmar Service on Monday.

"Up to today, about 40 have been suspended," Ye Myo Swe, a law student at Yadanabon, told RFA.

"The rector of the Sagaing Education University recently met with four of that school's students and told them they would have to quit the school if they couldn't promise not to take part in any more protests," he said.

"All four of them quit," he said.

"We think all 72 students who were detained will [now] be expelled," Ye Myo Swe added in remarks to Myanmar's The Irrawaddy newspaper in a Jan. 29 report.

The Myanmar Teachers' Federation called on Myanmar's Ministry of Education on Sunday to readmit the dismissed students, saying that their forced removal from their schools would discourage other students from speaking out on issues of concern to them in the future, The Irrawaddy said.

Students and other dissidents were routinely imprisoned in Myanmar by the military junta that ruled the country for a half-century, with a military-linked civilian government later jailing nearly 60 students and their supporters in March 2015 for demanding education reforms.

Dozens were freed after democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy took power in April 2016, but concerns persist over violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in the formerly military-ruled country.

Reported by Thet Su Aung for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Interview: 'I came to live a life free from surveillance'

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 30 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Interview: 'I came to live a life free from surveillance', 30 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942866a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-30

Chinese rights activist Zhang Lin (C) is greeted by his two daughters after arriving in the United States, Jan. 26, 2018. RFA video screenshot

Veteran Chinese rights activist Zhang Lin arrived in the United States on Jan. 26 to be reunited with his two daughters who fled China after being denied schooling by the country's state security police. Zhang's youngest daughter Anni was once dubbed "China's youngest prisoner of conscience" after she was denied schooling when he was under surveillance. Anni and her older sister Ruli left China for California after their father's arrest in August 2013, where they were taken in by Reggie Littlejohn, founder of the Women's Rights Without Frontiers rights group, and granted political asylum. After his daughters' escape, Zhang and three fellow activists were jailed for "gathering a crowd to disrupt public order" for their role in the campaign for Zhang Anni's place in school. Zhang was released last August and spoke to RFA's Mandarin Service about how he was eventually allowed to leave China:

RFA: How are you finding things here?

Zhang Lin: I am staying at a friend's place in New York right now. I think it's going to take me a while to get acclimatized. I still feel a bit disoriented.

RFA: There has been a certain amount of debate online about which organizations helped you to leave China. Can you confirm which ones?

Zhang Lin: The main ones were Women's Rights Without Frontiers, Women's Rights in China, and Anne Noonan of the Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting.

RFA: You visited the United States in 1997. Twenty years later, what is the reason for your trip here this time?

Zhang Lin: The first time I came to the U.S. it was just to take a look at it, because I was young, and I wanted to see what a genuinely free and democratic system was like. I stayed here for a year that time, and I got a very strong desire to see Chinese people able to live freely like Americans . . . so I went back to China to work for democracy. It was all a bit hurried at the time. The reason I am in the U.S. now is that I have spent the . . . whole of the past 20 years either being put in jail or under very close surveillance. There is no room for me to exist there, or to promote democracy. I came to see my two daughters, and to live a life that is free  free from surveillance.

RFA: How long did the whole process take, getting to the U.S. this time around?

Zhang Lin: It took a long time; several months. I waited for three months in Nepal this year because John Kamm of the Dui Hua Foundation, who also played a big role, had started talks with the U.S. government. The Dui Hua Foundation was also instrumental in persuading the Chinese government to give me a passport.

RFA: Were you under pressure from the Chinese government before you left?

Zhang Lin: Yes, the Chinese police and other security departments expended a lot of energy on me after I got out of jail the year before last. I didn't know why they had paid such attention to me over the past 20 years, because I thought that there were far more politically sensitive dissidents than myself who were able to move freely around China's cities and provinces. But I was detained and told to leave town wherever I went. I went to Beijing to try to find a job, and I couldn't get a job in Shenzhen, Chengdu or Chongqing, and I was hounded from all of those places. That happened to me wherever I went in China. And the fact that I was under continuous and close surveillance all added to the pressure on me. I have been jailed five times during the past few years . . . The most recent time was for three-and-a-half years because of my daughter's Anni [and the campaign for her schooling]. If the Chinese authorities want to get you, there's nothing you can do about it. They can detain you whenever they want on any pretext and send you to jail. The charges against me were ridiculous.

RFA: What was life like in prison?

Zhang Lin: Over the past few years in jail I was able to protect my health and not suffer too much damage inside. I didn't go on regular hunger strikes as I did in the past, nor did I try to fight the system. But I still got a lot of health problems, and I have mostly been trying to take care of my health in the past couple of years. Also after I got out, I kept a low profile, because I wanted to get a passport and leave.

RFA: When you were released from re-education through labor in 2001, you published a book entitled Sorrowful Soul, which described all the difficulties and struggles you have had over the years. It seems that your troubles have continued since then. Is yours still a sorrowful soul?

Zhang Lin: Yes. I'd even say that I'm even sadder and more despairing than I was back then, because then I was still full of passionate hope for China, that it might develop in a healthier, democratic direction. But 20 years of persecution and struggle have left me feeling that there is no hope for China; that everything there is getting worse and worse.

RFA: What is getting worse?

Zhang Lin: Politically, I think we are seeing a turn to the left, and nobody knows what direction we are going in right now . . . They have polluted the environment to the point where it can barely support human life any more. Three of my relatives were diagnosed with terminal diseases in the space of a month; this is the result of the serious pollution. The level of environmental pollution in China is terrifying right now.

RFA: Can you give us a description of civil rights activism in China?

Zhang Lin: Things are getting more and more difficult for anyone trying to defend their rights. Recently Sui Muqing, an extremely ethical and professional lawyer, had his license to practice revoked. Then there was the persecution meted out to lawyers in large numbers since July 2015. We still don't know what happened to lawyer Wang Quanzhang to this day. Many other rights activists have been subjected to worse persecution. There is less and less space for rights work in today's China.

RFA: How are your two daughters?

Zhang Lin: They're doing really well. I am very, very happy with the way they both turned out. They are both Christians now, and they've been very well raised. I have seen a lot of their photos, and you can tell from the expressions in their eyes in those photographs that they are happy, which pleases me greatly. Both of my daughters are also full of self-confidence, and they are very articulate, which tells me that they have been doing really well during the past four years in the U.S.

RFA: What are your plans now that you are here in the U.S.? Will you ever go back to China?

Zhang Lin: I have no plans to go back for the time being. I had actually planned to leave several years ago, and just as I was getting ready to go, they detained my daughter out of the blue which made me very angry, and I wrote something about that and posted it online. Then they pinned a charge on me . . . and sent me to prison for another three and a half years. So I have been wanting to get out of China for some time now because I don't see any likelihood that it will move towards a democratic system any time soon.

Reported by Wang Yun for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Fok Leung-kiu for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Interview: 'I lost all hope of surviving'

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 30 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Interview: 'I lost all hope of surviving', 30 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428686.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-30

Omurbek Eli with his children following his release from detention in China, 2017. Photo courtesy of Omurbek Eli

UPDATED at 11:05 A.M. EST on 2018-1-31

Omurbek Eli, a 41-year-old Kazakh national of mixed Uyghur and Kazakh heritage from northwest China's Xinjiang region, was arrested by police in Xinjiang's Turpan (in Chinese, Tulufan) prefecture in 2017 while visiting his parents and accused of "terrorist activities." He was refused legal representation and imprisoned for more than seven months, despite never having been tried by a court of law. Eli was eventually freed with the assistance of the Kazakh government, although he believes his family members in Xinjiang remain under the scrutiny of local authorities.

Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs and Kazakhs accused of harboring "extremist" and "politically incorrect" views have been detained in prisons and political re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic groups have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. Chinese authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of re-education camps in Xinjiang, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, but activists estimate that up to 1 million people have been detained throughout the region.

Eli recently spoke with RFA's Uyghur Service from Almaty, Kazakhstan about his experience while detained by Chinese authorities:

RFA: When did you move to Kazakhstan?

Eli: Twelve years ago. I became a Kazakh citizen in 2008. Since then I have been traveling back and forth between [Kazakhstan and China] conducting business. I had been traveling to [the Xinjiang capital] Urumqi without any hassle, and I have never supported any [terrorist] organizations or groups. Since 2016, I have been working for a tourism company.

In March, I went to Urumqi to attend a conference . . . and then I went to Pichan (Shanshan) county to visit my family. The day after I arrived, the police came to the house saying they needed to speak to me . . . That was on March 26. They took me away without any documentation and imprisoned me without any evidence. I was kept in prison until Nov. 4, despite being a Kazakh citizen.

They said I was a suspect. They accused me of instigating terrorism, organizing terror activities, and covering up for terrorists. After arriving at the police station, they said, "There is a warrant for your arrest from the Karamay (Kelemayi) City Public Security Bureau" . . . even though they had no paperwork.

[The police] then handcuffed me, and placed a black hood over my head . . . I was taken to a hospital [in Pichan], where I had blood samples taken and was then given a full body examination, without my hood being removed. I was terrified that they might open me alive to remove my organs for sale.

After the procedure was complete, I was taken to a prison, where I had to change into a prison uniform before being placed in a cell among 13 . . . Uyghurs in shackles. I was kept there in shackles for eight days. On the first day, three men  one Uyghur and two Chinese  came from Karamay to question me. They said, "You assisted people with their visa applications, and took money from them claiming you could obtain passports for them."

On April 3, I was taken to Karamay in handcuff and shackles . . . to the Jarenbulaq district police station and placed in a basement cell. The following day the police chief came to question me . . . I was not allowed to sleep for two days while I was continually questioned . . . [about] people who have left from Karamay to Turkey, Syria, and Europe, [saying I] have been assisting them . . . I denied everything they accused me of. Then, on April 17, I was taken to the Karamay City Prison.

RFA: During that period, didn't anyone visit you from the Kazakh Embassy?

Eli: Officials from the Kazakh Embassy . . . came on July 16 or 17  a diplomat from the embassy in Beijing and another diplomat based [in the consulate] in Urumqi . . . They advised me that the Chinese authorities had no right to torture me or force me to do heavy labor. They said that in prison, if I am ill, the authorities must provide medical treatment and also ensure I receive three meals a day.

The worst experience I endured in prison was that from the time I arrived, my ankles were shackled together and one ankle was chained to the bed. I spent every day and night until June 13 eating, sleeping and using the bathroom on the bed, with only an occasional bath. Afterwards, they used a meter of chain attached to my upper arm and ankle to keep me in a crouching position. It was agonizingly uncomfortable, and I had to live in that position until Nov. 4, when I left the prison.

In the end, diplomats from the consulate approached the Chinese authorities, saying I should be released into their authority if I was not going to be put on trial. The day the [Kazakh] diplomats visited me in July was the only time I was free of my shackles, for about an hour and a half. When I stood up, I couldn't even maintain my balance  I staggered like a drunken man.

I knew I was innocent, but when I was locked up in prison, I lost all hope of surviving. On Nov. 4, I was asked to sign a document [admitting my guilt] as a condition of my bail. I thought, I must leave this hellhole, even if it is just to make contact with the outside world, and I signed the paper . . . I was then taken to a political re-education camp, where I remained for 20 days . . . The place was just like a prison, with guards at the gate.

RFA: How many people were sharing one room?

Eli: There were 23 in my room . . . There were cameras installed in the room, so we were under observation all the time. People who were kept there included teenagers, the middle-aged, and the elderly, and they were all from different backgrounds. There were government employees and teachers. I also saw a whole family  father, mother, and child. People who had completed their prison sentences were transferred there for re-education. The government employees were accused of being two-faced [a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of "disloyalty], which was the most convenient allegation to use.

They were 70-80 percent Uyghur, 20-30 percent Kazakh, and no other ethnic groups represented. According to what I heard, there were more than 1,000 young men in the camp, which was comprised of three different areas, designated A, B, and C. I was in area C, along with approximately 300 other men.

Sleeping hours were from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. In the morning, all beds had to be made in military style. If one failed to do so, it was considered an ideological failure. We were made to attend a flag-raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m. each day. After that, we would wash and attend breakfast, where we first would have to sing a "red song" [in praise of the Communist Party].

Those who didn't know the Chinese language well were taught Chinese. Other lessons included party laws and regulations, and red songs. All lessons were taught in Mandarin and there was an exam every week. Also, during lessons, instructors informed you of trials and sentences, and what offenses they were related to. This was to create fear  they used these examples to show people the heavy price they would pay if they did not follow the rules.

In between lessons, there were two hours of military training, marching, standing at attention, and following orders. From what I experienced, I now suffer from post-traumatic disorder and can no longer sleep properly. It damages one's psychology . . . but the cadres told me that it takes at least one year to complete the re-education program.

RFA: What is the food like in the camp?

Eli: It was slightly better than the prison. Breakfast is rice gruel, while lunch and dinner include some meat. I think they sent me there because they wanted me to improve before returning. I had lost 40 kilograms (88 pounds) in prison.

[In the camp] if you fell ill, you would only receive treatment if you could pay for it . . . In the beginning they refused to provide me with medication, but I argued that it was their responsibility to provide me with treatment. As my blood pressure was very high, in the end I was given medicine for it.

Because there are armed police  some of whom carried wooden batons  if you showed any signs of disobedience they would come immediately and give you a severe beating. Therefore there was no choice but to obey every order.

At about 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 24, I heard my name being called and I was told to collect my belongings and get ready to go. I said to my roommates, "I might be taken to prison or freed, but take care of yourselves." I was collected by a policeman who told me I would be released and returned to Kazakhstan . . . I was sent to my sister's house and my family members were all in tears upon seeing me.

[The authorities] claim that through re-education they can liberate people's minds to embrace the party and love the country, to obey all the party rules and regulations. It was very difficult for me to comprehend the fact that just being a Uyghur or Kazakh, you could be forced to undertake such a re-education regime in a prison. Seeing so many innocent people being treated in such a cruel way left me deeply saddened.

From my point of view, the authorities are hoping that re-educating these people will turn them into lambs, but on the contrary, they are planting the seeds of hatred and turning them into enemies. This is not just my view  the majority of the people in the camp feel the same way.

Reported by Gulchehra Hoja for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Edited by Joshua Lipes.

Correction: An earlier version of the story erroneously stated that Omurbek Eli was arrested in Hotan (Hetian) prefecture's Guma (Pishan) county.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China to block overseas VPN services from end of March

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 31 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China to block overseas VPN services from end of March, 31 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94286a3.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-31

A Chinese man surfs the web at an internet cafe in Beijing in a file photo. AFP

China will begin blocking overseas providers of virtual private networks (VPN) used to circumvent its Great Firewall of government censorship at the end of March, official media reported.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) chief engineer Zhang Feng said VPN operators must be licensed by the government, and that unlicensed VPNs are the target of new rules which come into force on March 31.

"We want to regulate VPNs which unlawfully conduct cross-border operational activities," Zhang told reporters on Tuesday.

"Any foreign companies that want to set up a cross-border operation for private use will need to set up a dedicated line for that purpose," he said. "They will be able to lease such a line or network legally from the telecommunications import and export bureau."

"This shouldn't affect their normal operations much at all," he said.

Meanwhile, the American Chamber of Commerce in China said it had carried out a recent survey of U.S. companies in the country that showed that the inability to access certain online tools, internet censorship, and cybersecurity were impeding their operations.

Around one billion people in China had access to 4G mobile internet services last year, an increase of 76.4 percent compared with the previous year, the MIIT said.

According to Zhang, overall mobile internet and data usage also surged by 26.7 percent in 2017.

An internet user surnamed Zeng told RFA that the new regulations could also hit any Chinese businesses that need unimpeded communications with the outside world.

"I have a friend who is a businessman, and makes things mainly for export, and this has already affected his order book," Zeng said. "He usually uses WhatsApp to communicate [with customers] and now it's very hard to log on, and this has really affected business."

He added: "In future, he won't be able to log on at all, so he told me he will likely have to shut down his factory."

Internet user A Biao said the Great Firewall will continue to put huge limitations on what ordinary internet users in mainland China may do or see online.

"You can't read truthful, objective and balanced information in a timely manner," he said. "If you have an overseas phone, you can get online without going via the Great Firewall, but that's pretty difficult to get hold of, so there are limitations to that approach."

No end in sight

Xie Jiaye, head of the New York-based Chinese Association of Science and Technology, said he doesn't see an end in sight to the crackdown on VPNs in China.

"The Chinese government already holds the power to solve this issue; if they wanted to be more open, they could do it immediately," Xie said. "If they don't want more openness, then it's very unlikely that this problem will ever be resolved."

Wu Fan, editor in chief of the U.S.-based Chinese-language magazine Chinese Affairs, said the new controls on VPNs weren't in keeping with the ruling Chinese Communist Party's promises of an "open internet."

"If they opened it all up, then everybody would be able to operate and communicate normally, including Chinese companies headquartered in China," Wu said. "There is a huge conflict here, as if the MITT is fighting against itself."

China said last July that it planned to force both local and foreign companies and individuals to use only government-approved software to access the global internet, as overseas firms fear losing unrestricted online services by the end of February.

State-run China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom have all been told to ensure their 1.3 billion subscribers can't access blocked content with VPNs.

Chinese internet users had become adept at circumventing the complex array of blocks, filters, and human censorship deployed by their government.

After censors succeeded in blocking Tor, VPNs became the tool of choice for "climbing the wall," in Chinese online parlance, and are used as much by government institutions, state-owned companies, and educational establishments as by the general public.

The licensing program indicates that the government plans to allow only users it trusts to scale the Great Firewall from now on.

Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Lin Ping for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
North Korea installs new radio devices to catch citizens illegally calling abroad

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 31 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, North Korea installs new radio devices to catch citizens illegally calling abroad, 31 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94286ba.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-31

A truck entering the Rason Special Economic Zone makes its way across a bridge marking the border between North Korea (bottom) and China (top), Nov. 21, 2017. AFP

North Korea has installed new Russian-made radio locators along sections of its 880-mile border with China to detect citizens placing illegal mobile-phone calls to friends and relatives outside the isolated authoritarian country, sources said.

North Koreans who live in border areas where mobile reception from China is available use smuggled cell phones to talk to family members living in China or South Korea. Authorities use radio locators to determine the callers' locations through the use of radio waves.

Residents are anxious about the new radio locators because they allow authorities to immediately detect and monitor call locations and conversations, sources said.

The Russian devices perform better than the German ones that authorities have been using and are especially "terrorizing" executives in government's run companies who frequently make illegal calls to the outside world, they said.

"The State Security Department recently ordered installations of the newest version of additional radio locators along the border with China in Yanggang province," said source from the province, adding that the agency has already set up 30 Russian radio locators there since early January.

"They are known to perform better than German radio locators that are already installed, so those who use illegal phone users are filled with terror about them," said the source, who requested anonymity.

As of the beginning of the New Year, the State Security Department, North Korea's secret police agency, stepped up crackdowns on illegal phone users in border areas, he said.

"Until now, there was no problem detecting illegal calls using the German radio locators, so when residents made the calls, they had to change locations every one to five minutes to avoid detection by the German devices," the source said.

But with the new devices, which are not thrown off track by physical movement, more executives from government and judicial authorities have been caught making calls, he said.

"One executive from the Yanggang's Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) got caught, and it profoundly affected the society," the source said.

The OGD is an oversight agency of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the country's ruling party. Its main responsibility is to implement the teachings and decisions of North Korean founder and former president Kim Il Sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un.

Blocking calls in North Hamgyong

State Security officials in North Hamgyong province also recently increased the number of Russian-made radio locators for emergency measures, installing the devices in Rajin city, Onsong county, and Hoeryong city, located opposite northeastern China's Jilin province, a source from North Hamgyong said.

"As the New Year began, the [provincial] State Security Department installed dozens of the latest model of radio locators in the North Hamgyong area to block the inflow of outside information and the leakage of inside information to the outside," said the source who declined to be named.

Though state security authorities informed residents about the installation of the new models and said that those caught using phones illegally would be sentenced to at least six months in a labor camp, the warning has not deterred everyone from placing calls to the outside, he said.

"Illegal phone calls in the border area continue, despite that those making them could face hard labor in a camp in this extremely cold weather," he said.

The source cautioned that authorities will not be able to detect all illegal calls made with the Russian-made radio locators given the high number of people who use illegal mobile phones in border areas.

"Though the devices are the newest radio locators, it won't be easy to uncover all illegal phone calls," he said. "If North Korea blocks all the illegal calls that executives, traders, and smugglers make, its market will be paralyzed."

And even if executives and traders are caught, they can always bribe authorities to look the other way, making use of the devices pointless, sources said.

Reported by Jieun Kim for RFA's Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Vietnam jails three democracy advocates over online postings

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 31 January 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Vietnam jails three democracy advocates over online postings, 31 January 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94286da.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-01-31

Jailed Vietnamese activists Nguyen Van Dien, Vu Quang Thuan, and Tran Hoang Phuc are shown, left to right. Photos provided by RFA listeners

A court in Vietnam's capital Hanoi sentenced three democracy activists to long jail terms on Wednesday after convicting them of criticizing the country's one-party communist government online, sources said.

Vu Quang Thuan, 51, Nguyen Van Dien, 35, and Tran Hoang Phuc, 23, were found guilty of "spreading propaganda against the state" under Article 88 of the country's penal code and handed sentences of eight years, six and a half years, and four years in prison, respectively.

Additional terms of from four to five years of house arrest were also imposed, to be served following their release.

The defendants had been arrested and tried for posting 17 video clips on Facebook and YouTube criticizing Vietnam's ruling Communist Party and government, defense attorney Ha Huy Son told RFA's Vietnamese Service after the half-day trial concluded at 2:00 p.m.

The three defendants and their seven-member defense team asked the judge to allow the videos to be shown in court, Son said.

"But our request was rejected on the excuse that the courtroom lacked the facilities [to show the videos]," Son said, adding that Thuan then offered to pay for the cost of screens and computers so that the clips could be shown.

The evidence given at trial was never evaluated by the court, and the judge finally ruled based only on the conclusions of Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication that the videos contained proof of anti-state activity, Son said.

"I said at the trial that the evidence being presented did not give legal grounds under Vietnamese law for the defendants to be prosecuted, but in the end they were still convicted," he said.

"I think that the sentences given to them are completely wrong and unfair," he said.

Relatives, friends barred from trial

Relatives of the accused were not allowed to attend the trial, and activists said that security forces including plainclothes and uniformed police had guarded their homes for days before the trial to prevent them from traveling to show support.

"I was just sitting on the street because I was not allowed to enter the courtroom," Dien's father Nguyen Van told RFA after the trial.

"The sentence of six years and six months is too harsh for what Dien did," he said.

Calls seeking comment from the Hanoi People's Court rang unanswered on Wednesday.

Authorities have been targeting activist writers and bloggers in a months-long crackdown in one-party Communist Vietnam, where dissident is not tolerated.

Vietnam currently holds at least 84 prisoners of conscience, the highest number in any country in Southeast Asia, according to rights group Amnesty International.

Reported by RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Nearly 4,400 Rohingya killed in Myanmar since Oct. 2016, camp leaders say

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 1 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Nearly 4,400 Rohingya killed in Myanmar since Oct. 2016, camp leaders say, 1 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94286fa.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-01

Refugee Mohammad Karim shows his cellphone video of mass grave he found in Myanmar before he fled to Bangladesh, Jan. 14, 2018. AP

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh turned over a list of almost 4,400 Rohingya killed in Myanmar's Rakhine state since October 2016 to a U.N. envoy, who told reporters Thursday that violence against the Muslim minority bore "the hallmarks of a genocide."

The data was collected by Rohingya leaders going door to door in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, according to people who took part in the effort and who shared the list with BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Some 775,000 fled into Bangladesh as a result of disproportionate military crackdowns carried out after Rohingya insurgent attacks in October 2016 and August 2017.

"Our team visited door-to-door, talked to the refugees, and listed the level of atrocities committed by the Myanmar military, the Border Guard Police and the radical Buddhists after October 2016 and August 2017," refugee Jafar Alam, who led the effort, told BenarNews.

"According to our list, 3,942 people were immediately killed following the operations of the security forces and the Buddhists after Oct. 9, 2016, and Aug. 25, 2017, attacks in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathidaung townships," he said.

430-plus bodies

The U.N. envoy, who visited Bangladesh between Jan. 18 and 24, told a news conference in Seoul on Thursday that she had "received scrolls of names of people who were allegedly killed or missing."

In December, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that based on its own surveys, at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed during the first month of the August 2017 crackdown.

In September, Myanmar officials put the death toll from violence in Rakhine state in the early hundreds. They have not updated the figure since.

Myanmar government officials have strongly denied allegations of atrocities, and blame rebels from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for much of the violence.

Lee, who like other independent investigators is barred from entering Myanmar, said that violent actions committed by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya amounted to "crimes against humanity."

In response to a question about an Associated Press report that detailed a massacre and at least five mass graves in the Myanmar village of Gu Dar Pyin, the envoy said, "These are part of the hallmarks of a genocide."

But she explained that she couldn't make a definitive declaration about genocide until a credible international tribunal had weighed the evidence.

"When I was talking to some of the refugees, a man said to me that he had buried 430-plus bodies before he escaped his town," Lee said.

In her statement simultaneously issued in Seoul and Geneva on Thursday, Lee said she interviewed more than 100 Rohingya when she visited refugee camps in Bangladesh.

"No amount of videos, photographs or news footage can prepare you for witnessing in-person the immensity of the camps and gravity of the loss and suffering experienced by the Rohingya population," she said.

"I listened as Imams stoically struggled through accounts of their villages being attacked until they broke down when revealing that their children were killed  either burned alive or shot by Myanmar security forces," she said.

At least 406 other Rohingya snatched from their homes were later found dead by their relatives, bringing the total number of people killed in the three townships to 4,348, he said.

"We have handed over the detailed list to the U.N. rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yangee Lee, who visited us on January 20," said Alam, 23, a resident of Kutupalong camp.

A spokesman at the U.N. office in Dhaka confirmed to BenarNews that a group of Rohingya refugees had given the list to Lee.

Mass graves

In its report published on Thursday, the Associated Press said it had confirmed the existence of more than five previously unreported mass graves through interviews of survivors in refugee camps in and time-stamped cellphone videos.

"AP's reporting shows a systematic slaughter of Rohingya Muslim civilians by the military, with help from Buddhist neighbors  and suggests many more graves hold many more people," it said.

In Washington, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the department was "deeply, deeply troubled" by the report.

"We are watching this very carefully. We remain focused on helping to ensure the accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations," Heather Nauert told a press briefing.

The list obtained by BenarNews is organized by village and has numbers in columns with headings such as "mass graves," "houses burnt," "raped" and "killed."

It states that in Maungdaw alone, the worst hit of three townships, 2,354 people were killed, and there could be 106 mass graves.

Alam told BenarNews that the data-gathering team could not visit five camps  Unchiprang, Leda, Saplapur, Ghundum-1 and Ghundum-2  which house at least 100,000 more refugees.

"We did not visit the five camps as these are not government-recognized. The security situation in those camps was not good.

Besides, we do not have enough resources to go to these distant camps," he said.

He said his team spent 70 days to finish the list on Jan. 15.

"Our team members volunteered for the work. Nobody, provided us funds to complete the list," he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Myanmar's government denies reports of mass graves, massacre in Rakhine state

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 2 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar's government denies reports of mass graves, massacre in Rakhine state, 2 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428714.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-02

Rohingya Muslim refugees from the Myanmar village of Gu Dar Pyin eat inside their makeshift shelter at the Balukhali refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh, Jan. 28, 2018. Associated Press

Myanmar's government on Friday rejected reports of a massacre and at least five mass graves in the country's troubled Rakhine state, where the military has been accused of committing atrocities against ethnic Rohingya Muslims, saying an investigation had found no evidence to support the claims.

In a report published on Thursday, the Associated Press (AP) said it had confirmed the existence of more than five previously unreported mass graves in Buthidaung township's Gu Dar Pyin village, in Rakhine state, through interviews of survivors in refugee camps in and time-stamped cellphone videos.

The report uncovered what AP called "systematic slaughter of Rohingya Muslim civilians by the military, with help from Buddhist neighbors," with evidence suggesting "many more graves hold many more people" in the area.

On Friday, Zaw Htay, director-general of the office of Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, told RFA's Myanmar Service that the Rakhine State government had been ordered to look into the claims and, after forming an investigation commission, found no evidence to support them.

"The commission  consisting of the Buthidaung township administrator, a police officer, a legal officer, a doctor and an immigration officer  went to Buthidaung and arrived at Gu Dar Pyin village at 1:00 p.m. today," he said.

"They went to the five places AP mentioned and they found nothing. Village heads and villagers said there had been no incident like AP reported in their village. We [government officials] have asked them to conduct further searches around Gu Dar Pyin."

Zaw Htay said the investigation commission had found no evidence that soldiers planned an Aug. 27 attack on the village and tried to hide what they had done, as AP reported, citing survivors who said troops had used shovels to dig pits and acid to burn away faces and hands so that bodies could not be recognized.

Instead, he said, it discovered a police file detailing an incident on Aug. 28 in which rebels from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) "came to the village, killed some people, and set houses on fire."

"Security guards went to the area and fought with ARSA members. Nineteen ARSA members were killed and buried . . . Police filed the case as an anti-terrorist action."

Friday's response followed a pattern of Myanmar government officials repeatedly rejecting evidence and strongly denying allegations of atrocities against the Rohingyas in Rakhine state, and routinely blaming rebels from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for much of the violence.

Call for evidence

Zaw Htay noted that the AP had based its report on information and mobile phone videos it obtained from more than two dozen Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine state into neighboring Bangladesh, and said Myanmar's government had no way of checking the veracity of their claims without investigators viewing the videos to determine whether they "were really taken in Gu Dar Pyin or not."

"Many photos have come out claiming to have been taken in Rakhine, but were not  AP also showed a video of a fire in a village, and village heads said it was not Gu Dar Pyin," he said.

"We don't want to deny the cases by closing our eyes to the claims, but we need primary evidence [if they want to accuse us]. If we receive evidence, we will investigate on the ground. If we find the claims are true, we will take action according to law against the perpetrators."

The Myanmar government's Information Committee, part of Aung San Suu Kyi's office, also denied the AP report in a statement on its Facebook page Friday.

However, Reuters news agency spoke with two Rohingya residents it said were still in the village who disputed the government's statement and said that there were mass graves there. They said senior military officers visited the area on Friday, took photographs and held a meeting with the villagers.

They confirmed the existence of mass graves and said that after the meeting "a large group of military men stayed behind and the villagers are scared."

Independent investigation

Addressing calls from the U.S. State Department and the United Nations to allow an independent investigation into the claims, Zaw Htay said Myanmar's government "plans to allow trusted and fair media" into the area, adding that only those groups that "are not biased" will be given access.

On Thursday, Kuwait's Ambassador to the U.N. Security Council Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar's government told him February was "not the right time" for a visit by the top U.N. body to send a team to investigate the Rohingya refugee crisis in Rakhine state, although authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh recently turned over a list of almost 4,400 Rohingya killed in Rakhine state since October 2016 to U.N. envoy Yanghee Lee, who told reporters Thursday that violence against the Muslim minority bore "the hallmarks of a genocide."

The data was collected by Rohingya leaders going door to door in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, according to people who took part in the effort and who shared the list with BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Some 775,000 fled into Bangladesh as a result of disproportionate military crackdowns carried out after Rohingya insurgent attacks in October 2016 and August 2017.

Repatriation delays

On Friday, Zaw Htay said that the biggest challenge in solving the Rakhine problem is that Bangladesh is not ready to send refugees back to Myanmar, despite an earlier pledge by the two nations to begin the repatriation process on Jan. 23.

"Bangladesh hasn't officially informed Myanmar's government that the process will be delayed," he said.

"Many refugees want to return home voluntarily, but they are threatened by terrorists who are telling them not to return. This is a mutual danger for both Bangladesh and Myanmar  neither country can be allowed to fall into the terrorists' trap."

Myint Kyaing, the permanent secretary of Myanmar's Immigration Ministry, confirmed that he had yet to receive any word on a delay from his counterparts in Bangladesh.

He said that Myanmar was ready to begin the process, and was prepared to receive around 1,100 refugees as part of the first group, but that "no documentation has been sent for us to check and accept them back."

"We have already sent Bangladesh a list with the names and photos of refugees who [the government has determined] really lived in Rakhine state," Myint Kyaing said.

"It appears Bangladesh is experiencing difficulties with the repatriation process."

The Myanmar officials did not say why they believed many refugees want to return voluntarily. Most tell U.N. or media interviewers the opposite.

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have said they will only return to Rakhine under the protection of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and want assurances that returnees be taken to a safe zone under the auspices of the United Nations before going back to their home villages.

They have also demanded that the Myanmar authorities compensate them for destroying their houses and other property, and try members of the security forces they say have committed killings, rape, arson and other crimes against humanity.

Reported by Thin Thiri and Waiyan Moe Myint for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodia blocks online access to shuttered Cambodia Daily

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 5 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodia blocks online access to shuttered Cambodia Daily, 5 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428733.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-05

The Cambodia Daily newspaper is shown in an Aug. 23, 2017 photo. RFA

Cambodia's government has ordered internet service providers to block online access to The Cambodia Daily newspaper, which closed last year amid a widespread crackdown on media and civil society groups criticizing Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party.

In a letter dated Sept. 28, 2017, and only now made public, Cambodia's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications instructed Cambodia-based service providers to block IP addresses to the newspaper's website.

The government's order extended also to the paper's Facebook page and Twitter account, though technology experts say these remain largely unblocked.

Speaking to RFA's Khmer Service, Cambodian Center for Independent Media executive director Nop Vy called the government's move damaging to media freedom and open access to information in the increasingly authoritarian Southeast Asian country.

"Our citizens find it necessary to receive news and information from a wide number of sources," Nop Vy said, adding, "The more they receive news that is independent [from government control], the better they will be able to live in our society."

Calls from RFA seeking clarification from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications rang unanswered on Monday, though ISP offices in Cambodia have confirmed to customers and the Phnom Penh Post that they had blocked access to the website following government instructions.

The Cambodia Daily closed its offices in September 2017 after failing to pay millions of U.S. dollars in what Prime Minister Hun Sen said were back taxes owed to the government.

Cambodia's government at about the same time expelled U.S.-funded NGO the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and suspended some 20 radio stations that aired content by U.S. broadcasters Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

Call for sanctions

In a motion submitted on Feb. 5, Australian legislator Mark Butler called on Australia's parliament to impose sanctions on Cambodia for what he called Hun Sen's persecution of his political opposition, civil society, and independent media ahead of national elections this year.

"Australia has a solemn duty to the Cambodian people and to our own values of democracy and freedom to oppose the anti-democratic actions in the lead-up to Cambodia's June general elections," Butler said.

"Australia, as most Australians know, played an integral role in the Paris Peace Accords promising to safeguard the process of transitioning Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge regime and, most especially, guaranteeing free and fair elections."

"This element of the peace accords remains woefully unfulfilled," he said.

In a response, Cambodian People's Party spokesperson Sok Eysan called Butler's call for sanctions a reflection of the Australian parliamentarian's own "political bias," adding that all moves by Cambodia's government have complied with the Paris Peace Accords and the rule of law.

"Only [a few] organizations that operated against the law have been shut down or expelled," he said.

"We haven't committed any sins against the opposition. They made their own mistakes, and must be held accountable for their actions."

Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Clashes between Myanmar army and ethnic militias ensue in Kachin, Shan states

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 5 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Clashes between Myanmar army and ethnic militias ensue in Kachin, Shan states, 5 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942876a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-05

Soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army secure an area on Hka Ya mountain in northern Myanmar's Kachin state in a file photo. AFP

Much-needed development programs for Myanmar's remote, war-torn Kachin state have been hindered by fighting between the national army and an ethnic armed group, the state's chief minister said Monday.

Myanmar's northernmost state bordered by China and India has been rocked by a resurgence of conflict since 2011 when a 17-year bilateral cease-fire agreement between the two sides broke down. The clashes have left hundreds dead and more than 100,000 displaced.

The latest round of fighting began early this year when government soldiers launched air strikes in the Tanaing township gold and amber mining region, an area controlled by the KIA which relies on its natural resources as a source of income through the levying of a five-percent tax on mine operators.

State media have reported that that the KIA, which controls large swathes of territory in the state, including its lucrative mining areas, has conducted assaults on the regional military headquarters in Kachin since late January.

The government army has accused the Kachin rebel group of illegally using the area's natural resources and taking money from mining businesses that should otherwise go to the state.

The KIA, however, has charged that Myanmar forces have attacked territory it controls in hopes of gaining control of it before a national peace conference later this month.

Despite the hostilities, representatives from the Myanmar military held informal talks with KIA leaders on Feb. 1 in southwestern China's Yunnan province with the support of Chinese government authorities, the online news service Democratic Voice of Burma reported, citing KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bo.

But on Feb. 3, about 50 Kachin Independence Army (KIA) soldiers used small arms and heavy guns to attack Myanmar army camps in Lwele village in Myitkyina district's Moe Kaung township, with some injuries reported, Myanmar's Mizzima news service reported.

While answering questions about the situation in Tanaing, Kachin state Chief Minister Khet Aung told RFA's Myanmar Service said the recent flare-up in hostilities has stymied development projects that would benefit those whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted.

"Development programs in Kachin state are really stalled," he said. "We must work to have peace. We have to work on development projects while we are working to forge peace. We will have the same problems as long as we don't have peace."

Myanmar's Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement, the Red Cross, and government and civil society organizations are currently trying to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Tanaing mining region, he said.

At least four civilians were killed during the fighting between the Myanmar army and KIA between Jan. 19 and 27, Democratic Voice of Burma reported.

March in Myitkyina

Meanwhile, about 5,000 ethnic Kachins, including local residents, members of religious organizations, and civil society groups, marched in the state capital Myitkyina on Monday, calling for an end to the national army's offensives and the rescue of people trapped in war zones, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported.

Though more than 3,000 miners and their families were initially prevented from leaving the mining region by the Myanmar army after the current round of fighting started, the Myanmar army recently permitted about 1,000 to leave on foot and go to Tanaing town.

But about 1,000 mine workers and their families are still trapped in the Tanaing region where they face food and water shortages, and about 1,000 others are stuck in Sumprabung township, The Irrawaddy said.

"We have sent a letter to state government and Northern Military Headquarters to rescue people who are trapped in Tanaing and Sumprabung townships," said Zaw Jut, chairman of the Emergency Relief Committee.

"If the government doesn't allow us to go into the war zone to rescue people, then we can't go because it is a government army-controlled area," he told RFA. "Whenever we have fighting in the region, people become victims and suffer. We want to rescue them, and we want the international community to know that we have these refugees in Kachin."

The KIA is one of several militias with which the Myanmar government is trying to end decades of ethnic separatist civil wars and forge peace in the country through a series of peace negotiations launched in August 2016 by de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the KIA's political wing, has not signed the government's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) that eight of the country's more than 20 ethnic armies inked in October 2015.

Chopper attack on TNLA

Also on Monday, government forces used helicopters to attack another ethnic militia in the Kutkai region of neighboring Shan state in eastern Myanmar, in the first chopper assault of the year, an officer from the rebel army told RFA.

Fighting between the national army and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) occurred in Kyaukme, Namhsan, Namtu, and Kutkai townships, said Colonel Mine Aik Kyaw.

"We engaged in hostilities with the government army at around 7 a.m. in Pharpon Village of Kutkai township," he said. "Many government troops were injured, although we don't know the numbers."

"Around 10 a.m., two helicopters came in and opened fire on us for about 30 minutes each," he said.

The government army has used choppers to attack TNLA forces in Shan state about 50 times in the past, he said.

Around the beginning of the year, TNLA and KIA soldiers attacked government military headquarters in Kachin state government army base camps and the Lashio-Muse Highway, a main thoroughfare in northern Shan state.

The offensive prompted Myanmar forces to launch counterattacks via aircraft, according to an announcement at the time by the office of Myanmar's commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The TNLA has been excluded from signing the government's NCA because of its ongoing hostilities with Myanmar's armed forces.

The TNLA and KIA are members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), which has called for a political dialogue with the government and for peace talks as a coalition rather than as individual members.

Reported by Aung Theinkha, Wai Mar Tun, and Kyaw Myo Min for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
More than 800 Rohingya leave Myanmar's northern Rakhine for Bangladesh

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 5 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, More than 800 Rohingya leave Myanmar's northern Rakhine for Bangladesh, 5 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94287ca.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-05

Members of a commission looking into a news report about mass graves for Rohingya Muslims inspect one of the sites in Buthidaung township in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, February 2018. Photo courtesy of Rakhine State's Information Committee

More than 800 Rohingya Muslims have left Myanmar's volatile Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh in the past week, while others continue to cross the border daily, authorities in Buthidaung township said Monday.

In total, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine's three northern townships of Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung since a military crackdown targeting them began in August 2017.

Buthidaung township administrator Kyaw Min Tun told RFA's Myanmar Service that the government and other organizations have provided support to the remaining Rohingya to get them to stay.

"Actually, the government, civil society organizations, and the U.N.'s refugee agency have provided support to them for their survival, and they also can work on farms and in the fishing business because the situation in the region is getting calm," he said.

Kyaw Min Tun also said Rohingya residents from Rathedaung, which has the smallest number of Rohingya of the three townships, are crossing the border as well.

"Most people from Rathedaung are going to Bangladesh," he said. "They are going there for their own reasons, such as to join relatives already in Bangladesh, and they asked them to leave Rakhine state or else they have threatened to move out."

Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary of Myanmar's Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, said the government has been trying to give the Rohingya what they need so that those still living in northern Rakhine will remain.

"[But] we can do nothing when they go to Bangladesh, even though we try to stop them, because it is their right to decide where they want to live," he said.

About 850 people from 12 villages in Buthidaung township arrived at Dawdu Tharya Creek to go to Bangladesh on Jan. 28, Myanmar's Information Ministry said in an announcement.

Some Rohingya who escaped the crackdown have accused Myanmar forces of conducting a brutal campaign, including killings, rapes, torture and arson, in their communities. The U.N. and the United States have said that the atrocities amount to ethnic cleansing.

The Myanmar government has denied the reports and blocked both a U.N. commission of investigators and the media from independently investigating refugees' claims.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement in November 2017 for the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya with returns slated to begin in January. But delays in compiling and verifying the list of people to be sent back has held up the process, and it remains uncertain whether significant numbers are willing to return.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the U.N.'s high commissioner for human rights, said during a speech in Jakarta on Monday that possible acts of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against the Rohingya could spark a religious-based conflict that spreads beyond Myanmar's borders, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Myanmar faces a very serious crisis with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region," he was quoted as saying.

"It is sometimes said that today's human rights violations will become tomorrow's conflicts," he said. "If the Rohingya crisis were to spark a broader conflict based on religious identities, the ensuing disputes could be a cause for great alarm."

Rakhine state to sue AP

Zeid's remarks came on the heels of the publication of an Associated Press report saying the news agency had confirmed the existence of more than five previously unreported mass graves in Buthidaung township's Gu Dar Pyin village through interviews of survivors in refugee camps in and time-stamped cellphone videos.

Myanmar's government rejected the report, denying that there were five mass graves of Rohingya in the village, and saying that 19 terrorists had been killed and buried in the area.

The Rakhine state government said on Monday that it will sue the Associated Press for what it called a false report, though it has yet to announce under which laws it will file the case.

"We are going to sue the AP," said Maung Maung, secretary of Rakhine state's Information Committee. "We investigated the situation as AP said and found nothing. We have to find out what charges are applicable in order to sue it."

Government authorities said that a commission consisting of the Buthidaung township administrator, a police officer, a legal officer, a doctor, and an immigration officer went to the five places AP mentioned, but had found nothing.

Village heads and residents also said that no such incident as the AP reported had occurred in their village.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar government is committed to not using the term "Rohingya," Thein Swe, Myanmar's minister of labor, immigration, and population told lawmakers on Monday in the capital Naypyidaw.

He made the comment in response to a question from opposition lawmaker Tin Aye of the Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP) about the use of the term, which is not recognized by the Myanmar government.

The government refers to the Rohingya as "Bengalis," because they are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. As such, they are excluded from Myanmar's official list of 135 ethnic groups, and thereby are prevented from becoming citizens.

Thein Swe also said that the Myanmar government has repeatedly told the media that there is no Rohingya ethnicity in Myanmar and that the term cannot be used in any speech or official message.

Myanmar embassy officials around the world and Myanmar diplomats at the United Nations do not use the term, he said.

But Thein Swe told reporters after the parliamentary meeting that the media can now use whichever term they want.

"We have been working for all interests for the nation [and] ethnic groups in the long term with a broad perspective and corrected actions," he said. "We have responded with proper consideration and wisdom according to rules and regulations instead of responding emotionally."

Reported by Min Thein Aung, Wai Mar Tun, and Win Ko Ko Latt for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
North Koreans venting over forced 'donations' for national projects

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 5 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, North Koreans venting over forced 'donations' for national projects, 5 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94287e4.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-05

Cyclists pass along a road in Chongjin, Nov. 19, 2017. AFP

Residents of two cities in North Korea's North Hamgyong province are grumbling over a government directive requiring them to provide funds and supplies to aid the construction of the latest historic site to memorialize the country's founder Kim Il Sung, according to local sources.

In January, authorities in North Hamgyong declared a site at Mt. Wangjae in Onsong county one of North Korea's Revolutionary Historic Places, designating it a major provincial construction project, sources told RFA's Korean Service earlier this week, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But rather than provide them with a source of pride, the designation has left residents furious over the latest project they will be expected to shell out for, even as families already face difficulties making ends meet, they said.

Kim Il Sung (1912-94) is the grandfather of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"The provincial authority named Mt. Wangjae Revolutionary Historic Place a major provincial construction project, but residents are openly questioning how many more Kim Il Sung Revolutionary Historical Places need to be constructed," said one of the sources from North Hamgyong.

According to the source, the site at Mt. Wangjae has been used as an outdoor museum honoring Kim Il Sung's revolutionary history since 1970, and includes statues of Kim and anti-Japanese partisans, a monument, an exhibition center, and a guesthouse for military visitors.

Once the site was confirmed as a Revolutionary Historic Place construction project, however, "residents must cover all necessary funds and supplies" for additional construction and maintenance, he said.

"The offering that Chongjin city's residents need to make is a minimum 10,000 won (U.S. $1.25) per household . . . as well as an arbitrary additional amount of money or supplies," the source said, referring to North Hamgyong's capital on the country's northeastern coast.

"The residents are complaining since they were informed about the . . . construction. They are resentful of the fact that they already have dedicated so much by contributing money to the state's large-scale construction projects upgrading Samjiyon county [in Yanggang province], the capital Pyongyang, and the [tourist beach] project in [Kangwon province's] Wonsan city," he added.

Food 'donations'

A second source from North Hamgyong told RFA that residents of Hoeryong  a city in North Hamgyong on the Tumen river across the border from China's Jilin province  also received a directive to provide assistance for the construction of Mt. Wangjae Revolutionary Historic Place.

"They are being forced to provide food for construction workers at the site," he said, adding that each household is expected to deliver 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of grain in support of the project.

"They are strongly critical of the fact that they must make additional offerings, as they already gave out so much food for the Samjiyon and Wonsan construction projects."

According to the source, authorities collect funds and supplies from residents "every single day, twelve months a year," for varying reasons.

"The residents believe that the Central Committee's directives for construction projects are just another trick to collect money and food," he said.

While residents had regularly accepted Central Committee directives related to Revolutionary Historic Places in the past, the sources told RFA that open criticism of the practice is a relatively new phenomenon in North Hamgyong.

Showpiece projects

Last month, sources told RFA that a critical slush fund controlled by North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is nearly depleted following a series of nuclear weapon and missile tests, and that he no longer has enough money to govern the country.

In addition to expenditures on weapons tests, the sources said that Kim has also spent lavishly from the fund on showpiece projects such as the Ryomyong Street neighborhood in the capital Pyongyang and the Masikryong Ski Resort in eastern North Korea's Kangwon province, as well as on his "on-the-spot guidance tours" of different industries that are used as propaganda by state media.

Earlier, sources had indicated that the Kim regime lacked funding for basic schemes such as building nursing homes for senior citizens  ordering North Korea's provinces to build the facilities as part of a New Year's push to complete showcase projects, but passing the cost of labor and construction on to local citizens who are already strapped for cash.

While funding for construction, including materials and labor, is being demanded from area residents, the sources said North Korean citizens are becoming increasingly frustrated with projects that will end up being hailed as among Kim's achievements.

Reported by Jieun Kim for RFA's Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Myanmar: Rohingya persecution could impact regional security: UN rights chief

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 5 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar: Rohingya persecution could impact regional security: UN rights chief, 5 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428869.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-05

U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, center, answers questions from reporters after attending a conference in Jakarta, Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. AP

Myanmar's persecution of the Rohingya Muslims and atrocities that forced nearly 700,000 of them to seek shelter in Bangladesh could spawn a regional security crisis along religious lines, the U.N.'s human rights chief warned Monday in a speech in Indonesia.

"Genocide and ethnic cleansing" may have occurred when security forces in Buddhist-majority Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown in Rakhine state that caused the latest influx of members of the Rohingya minority into neighboring southeastern Bangladesh, Zeid Ra-ad al-Hussein told a regional conference in Jakarta marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Zeid opened his speech by pointing to five decades of systematic discrimination and violence against the stateless Rohingya" by Myanmar, saying this was a case in the Asia-Pacific region where "rights have gone wrong."

"Myanmar faces a very serious crisis  with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region," said Zeid, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, according to a transcript.

"It is sometimes said that today's human rights violations will become tomorrow's conflicts. If the Rohingya crisis were to spark a broader conflict based on religious identities, the ensuing disputes could be a cause for great alarm."

He did not elaborate on how such a crisis might take shape and widen outside Myanmar's boundaries.

At least 688,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh since late August 2017 amid a military crackdown that followed attacks on government security posts by the insurgent group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

The exodus from Rakhine, combined with reports about alleged atrocities committed against Rohingya civilians, led to anti-Myanmar protests in Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and other countries with large or significant Muslim populations.

Zeid, who was starting a three-day visit to Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, gave his remarks after the Associated Press (AP) broke a report last week saying it had confirmed the existence of more than five previously unreported mass graves in Rakhine through interviews of survivors in refugee camps in Bangladesh, including one who provided time-stamped cellphone videos.

In chilling detail, the report described how Myanmar security forces and Buddhist militiamen allegedly used an acid to disfigure Rohingya victims of a massacre in Gu Dar Pyin, a village in Buthidaung township, in order to make it difficult to identify the bodies.

On Friday, Myanmar reiterated its denial that massacres had occurred in troubled Rakhine state and said an investigation had found no evidence to support the claims made in the AP report. The government, however, had blocked reporters and U.N. investigators from entering the areas in Rakhine to verify similar allegations.

Although a definitive finding should be made by an appropriate tribunal, the U.N. had documented brutal killings and sexual violence allegedly perpetrated by Myanmar security forces against the Rohingya, Zeid said.

The U.N. and the United States had previously labeled the crackdown in Rakhine as "ethnic cleansing."

According to a report published by Geneva-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in December, at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims, including 730 children younger than five, were killed during the first month of last year's crackdown.

Last week, Rohingya refugees, who said they collected data by going door to door in refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, that they had turned over a list of almost 4,400 Rohingya killed in Rakhine since October 2016 to U.N. special envoy Yangee Lee.

On Feb. 1, Lee, who visited Bangladesh between Jan. 18 and 24, said that the violence against the Muslim minority bore "the hallmarks of a genocide."

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Fighting between Ta'ang and Myanmar armies forces residents to flee Kutkai

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 6 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Fighting between Ta'ang and Myanmar armies forces residents to flee Kutkai, 6 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94288ba.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-06

Myanmar villagers from the town of Kutkai seek refuge in an undisclosed location after fleeing fighting between the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and government soldiers in eastern Myanmar's Shan state, in a file photo. RFA

Spreading clashes between the Myanmar army and an ethnic armed group in eastern Myanmar's Shan state have forced more than 150 residents of the town of Kutkai to flee to safety to Theinni town, local lawmakers said Tuesday.

Ongoing hostilities between the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the government military and occasional clashes between the TNLA and a rival ethnic militia  the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S)  have forced thousands of residents in northern Shan state to flee their homes and seek shelter in Buddhist monasteries.

The more than 150 residents of Pharsai and Saikhaung villages in Kutkai have taken shelter inside a monastery in Theinni's Kaungai village, said Nang Khin Htar Ye, a member of the Shan state parliament from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party, who represents the constituency of Theinni.

"Kaungai villagers are helping them, and we have sent food for them," she told RFA's Myanmar Service.

Those who fled said two military helicopters each attacked the villages twice, though no civilians were injured when they began running away after hearing gunshots from the fighting, according to Eik Mon, a member of the Shan state parliament who represents Kutkai's constituency No. 1.

The evacuations come as the Myanmar government gears up for the third round of the 21st-Century Panglong Conference, de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi's key peace initiative to end decades of civil wars between ethnic militias and the Myanmar army.

The government said it intends to hold the next series of talks in February.

The TNLA was excluded from signing a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) with the Myanmar government in October 2015, and it has largely remained outside the country's slow-moving peace process.

Two other non-signatories of the pact  the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU)  have agreed to sign the NCA on Feb. 13, state media reported.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun and Tin Aung Khine for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Hoa Hao Buddhists to be tried in Vietnam for 'disrupting public order'

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 7 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hoa Hao Buddhists to be tried in Vietnam for 'disrupting public order', 7 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94288d4.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-07

Hoa Hao Buddhists protest against local authorities in southwestern Vietnam's An Giang province, April 19, 2017. Photo provided by an RFA listener

Four family members belonging to an unofficial branch of Vietnam's Hoa Hao Buddhist community are scheduled to go on trial on Friday in the country's An Giang province on charges of disrupting public order during a confrontation with authorities at their home last year.

Bui Van Trung, his son Bui Van Tham, his daughter Bui Bich Tuyen, and his wife Le Thi Hen were also charged with obstructing on-duty officers in the April 19, 2017 incident which saw police beat worshipers who had gathered to pray at their home.

Hoa Hao community members Nguyen Hoang Nam and Le Hong Hanh were also charged in the case and will join the others at trial, which will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the province's An Phu district court, defense lawyer Nguyen Manh Phong told RFA's Vietnamese Service on Wednesday.

On April 18, 2017, traffic police accompanied by unidentified men in civilian clothes stopped Hoa Hao Buddhists going to the Bui family's home to observe the death anniversary of a friend, confiscating motorbikes and registration papers, family members told RFA.

Several motorbikes were seized even though their owners presented papers proving proper registration, Bui Van Trung's daughter Bui Thich Tuyen said.

"They took Mrs. Dung's and Mrs. Bay's motorbikes, and Dung had to pay a fine to get hers back," Tuyen said, adding that Bay's motorbike is still being held by police.

"Some people went to meet with the authorities to get back their motorbikes, and were attacked and beaten by thugs on the way," she said.

"Many are now so afraid that they don't dare to go get their vehicles," she said.

Arrested by mob

Two months later, on June 26, 2017, Trung and his son Bui Van Tham were arrested by security officials and unidentified civilians while returning from a visit to a neighboring commune, Tuyen said.

"On their way back, hundreds of people mobbed them and took them away without showing an order for their arrest," she said.

"Later, my mother Li Thi Hen and I were summoned by the local police, and when I showed up they gave me a government order for prosecution. My mother was sick because of the pressure she was under, and couldn't meet with them, so they brought the order to our house to give to her."

Bui Van Trung and Nguyen Hoang Nam are now being held at the An Phu district detention center, while Le Hong Hanh is being held in Long Xuyen city and Bui Van Tham is being detained in Chau Doc. Tuyen and her mother Le Thi Hen are free while awaiting trial.

Vietnam's government officially recognizes the Hoa Hao religion, which has some two million followers across the country, but imposes harsh controls on dissenting Hoa Hao groups, including the sect in An Giang province, that do not follow the state-sanctioned branch.

Rights groups say that authorities in An Giang routinely harass followers of the unapproved groups, prohibiting public readings of the Hoa Hao founder's writings and discouraging worshipers from visiting Hoa Hao pagodas in An Giang and other provinces.

Untrue charges

Also speaking to RFA this week, the head of a local branch of Vietnam's indigenous Cao Dai faith said that he too now faces charges for his leadership of an unapproved group.

"The [ruling] Communist Party has established an official branch in order to control us, the unofficial one," Hua Phi--head of the Cao Dai faith in the Lac Duong district of Lam Dong province in Vietnam's Central Highlands.

"From Jan. 12 to Jan. 28, I received a total of seven summonses from the police requiring me to meet with them related to my having 'offended the nation and submitting false information,' but I refused to go, because the charges are untrue," he said.

On Jan. 29, police arrived in a taxi to take him to their station, where they accused him of having communicated with international media and delegations, he said.

"There were eight provincial police officers there, along with four district police officers, and some communal police officers. In the end they put me under so much pressure that I fainted and they had to call a cab to take me home."

The U.S. State Department's 2016 International Religious Freedom Report, issued in August 2017, said that Vietnamese government authorities restricted the activities of religious groups, assaulting and detaining church members, restricting their travel, and confiscating church land for development projects.

Groups not registered with the state were especially severely treated, the State Department said.

Reported by RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China demands return of 11 Uyghur escapees caught in Malaysia: Officials

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 8 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China demands return of 11 Uyghur escapees caught in Malaysia: Officials, 8 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942891a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-08

Uyghurs living in Turkey and Turkish supporters chant slogans as they hold a Chinese flag before burning it during a protest near China's consulate in Istanbul, July 5, 2015. AP

Malaysian police arrested 11 Uyghurs who escaped from a Thai immigration detention center in November 2017 and Chinese officials are demanding they be returned to Beijing, security officials said Thursday.

The escapees have been interrogated but were not believed to be linked to any terrorist groups, according to two Malaysian security officials who provided the information to BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, separately on condition of anonymity.

They said the 11 men were among the 20 Uyghurs who broke out of their detention cells in southern Thailand. Officials said at the time that the escapees may have crossed into neighboring Malaysia.

"Yes, China had demanded for them to be returned to the country," one of the Malaysian sources said, confirming a Reuters report Thursday that unidentified Chinese officials were in contact with Kuala Lumpur to arrange the possible repatriation of the Uyghurs who fear persecution and abuse on their return home.

Malaysian officials did not give BenarNews details about when the Uyghurs were taken into custody.

Muslim Uyghurs are from China's western Xinjiang region where, rights groups said, heavy-handed rule by authorities had forced many of them to flee abroad.

The Malaysian sources declined to provide more details due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Some Western foreign missions were trying to dissuade the Malaysian government from sending the Uyghurs to China, according to Reuters.

"They (Malaysia) are under great pressure from China to hand them over to China and not to Thailand," one of the Reuters sources said.

In Washington on Thursday, a U.S. State Department official said American officials were "concerned by media reports regarding Malaysia's possible deportation of Uyghur individuals to China."

"We urge Chinese authorities to uphold international human rights norms with regard to any individuals who have been returned to China, and to ensure transparency, due process, and the safety and proper treatment of these individuals," the official told BenarNews.

The 20 escapees were among the more than 200 Uyghurs who were detained in 2015 after they were found at the Tone Nga-Chang waterfall in Thailand's Songkhla province. It was not clear how they had reached the area.

The Uyghurs, who speak a Turkic language, claimed then that they were Turkish and demanded they be allowed to travel to Turkey, but Thailand kept them under detention as authorities tried to verify their citizenship.

Tighter relations under Najib

Malaysia, which has tightened bilateral relations with China in recent years under Prime Minister Najib Razak, said in November it would send one escapee who was arrested back to Thailand.

But in 2011 and 2012, Kuala Lumpur drew criticism from human rights groups and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), when it repatriated two groups of Uyghurs to China, including those awaiting processing of their refugee claims.

Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia not to deport the Uyghurs.

"Uyghurs forcibly returned to China face credible threats of imprisonment and torture, so it's critical that Malaysia does not forcibly expel to China anyone the Chinese claim is a Uyghur," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based advocacy group. "Malaysian authorities should allow these individuals access to a fair process to determine their refugee claims, not ship them to China based on Beijing's demands."

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.

While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing that he did not know of the case, but added that his country would cooperate with relevant countries.

China, he said, will crack down on illegal immigration activities in accordance with the law, to jointly protect regional security and stability.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Dolkun Isa, president of the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress, urged Malaysia not to return the 11 escapees to China and respect the international principle of non-refoulement by working with the UNHCR and resettling the refugees to a safe third country.

"Once these Uyghurs are handed over to the Chinese authorities, they will face immediate imprisonment, torture, disappearance or even death," he told the Uyghur Service of Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews. "Previous Uyghur refugees deported by Malaysia to China have simply vanished."

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Tibetan monk released from prison, disabled from beatings

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 8 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Tibetan monk released from prison, disabled from beatings, 8 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a942893a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-08

A map showing the location of Draggo county in Sichuan's Kardze prefecture. RFA

A Tibetan monk jailed for six years for taking part in Tibetan freedom protests has been freed from prison in China's Sichuan province after serving his full term, but has suffered permanent injuries to his legs from beatings while in custody, Tibetan sources say.

Geshe Tsewang Namgyal, formerly a monk at the Draggo monastery in Sichuan's Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was released on Jan. 24, a Tibetan source in exile told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity and citing sources in the region.

"But he is not able to walk normally now," RFA's source said, adding, "The people in Draggo county are afraid to talk openly about his condition."

Namgyal, who had gone to India in 1987 to study Buddhism and returned to China in 2011, was arrested on Jan. 23, 2012, during the Lunar New Year, "when the people in Draggo rose up and staged a peaceful demonstration," the source said.

Chinese police had then fired into the crowd, killing a protester named Yonten along with several others, and many protesters were badly wounded, he said.

"A few days later, Geshe Namgyal, Tulku Lobsang Tenzin of Gochen monastery, a businessman named Thinley, and an accountant named Dralha were arrested in [Sichuan's capital] Chengdu on charges of having taken part in the protest."

"They were later sentenced to prison terms of from five to seven years, and their families only learned of their sentencing weeks afterward," he said, adding that as many as 36 local Tibetans were eventually jailed for their roles in the protest.

The protest in Draggo began when Chinese authorities insisted that local Tibetans celebrate the Lunar New Year against the wishes of residents saddened by earlier protest deaths, sources told RFA in earlier reports.

Tibet's India-based exile government later quoted sources saying that six were then killed in what it described as "indiscriminate firing" by the police.

Sporadic demonstrations challenging Beijing's rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the region in 2008.

Reported by Sangye Dorje for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Malaysian studio specializes in news for stateless Rohingya

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 9 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Malaysian studio specializes in news for stateless Rohingya, 9 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94289a4.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-09

A staffer at Rohingya Vision TV is shown in his editing suite at the channel's studio in Ampang, near Kuala Lumpur, in this undated handout photo. BenarNews

In Ampang, a high-rent district in Kuala Lumpur, a studio and newsroom of a Rohingya-run operation churn out online broadcasts about dramatic developments in Myanmar's Rakhine state for an audience of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and beyond.

Because access for journalists to Rakhine, the home of the stateless ethnic group, is tightly controlled by Myanmar's government, Rohingya Vision TV as it calls itself relies on a network of dozens of anonymous local stringers and sources to feed it information and images about the news there, said Muhammad Noor, the channel's managing director and co-founder.

"We think that we can't wait for international media to come and ask for our stories. We need to have our own media so we can tell our version of the story," the 36-year-old Rohingya, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

The five-year-old operation, which disseminates news about goings-on in Rakhine state, southeastern Bangladesh where 1 million Rohingya refugees are concentrated, and other countries, reaches its audience through its own website and social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Rohingya Vision TV counts 92,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel alone.

Rohingya Vision TV, which boasts that it is "the world's first Rohingya TV channel and network," is one of at least five Rohingya-language news sites operating on YouTube and geared for the Rohingya diaspora, as seen by BenarNews.

On Wednesday, the channel aired its "Rohingya Daily News" program on YouTube, an 11-minute video, which opened with a gleaming opening sequence that cut to an anchor presenting the day's headlines in the Rohingya language. The video said it was "brought to you by the Rohingya Business Club."

The Jan. 31 program led with a report about "Buddhist terrorists" allegedly torching more houses in northern Rakhine, followed by a report about Myanmar and Bangladesh saying they had agreed to include the U.N.'s refugee agency (UNHCR) in their bilateral deal to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The day's news also featured a report about the grand imam of the Baitul Muqadda, otherwise known as the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, distributing relief supplies to refugees during a visit to Cox's Bazar.

Government officials in Myanmar have rejected widespread allegations from refugees and human rights groups that Myanmar security forces committed large-scale atrocities against Rohingya civilians, although the United Nations and United States branded a military crackdown in Rakhine since August 2017 as "ethnic cleansing." The crackdown forced at least 655,000 Rohingya to flee from Rakhine to southeastern Bangladesh.

In this screen grab from a YouTube video, Ajmeer Omar presents the news during Wednesday's Rohingya Vision TV broadcast, Jan. 31, 2018. BenarNews

Four languages, 6 countries

The news operation employs nearly 100 people in six countries and produces content in four languages: Rohingya, English, Burmese and Arabic. Apart from Malaysia, which is home to a large Rohingya expatriate community, the operation is officially headquartered in Saudi Arabia and has offices and studios in Cox's Bazar  home to the refugee camps in Bangladesh  as well as in Pakistan and Cyprus, Muhammad Noor said.

He declined to go into detail about the channel's sources of funding, other than to say it was started in 2012 by a group of Rohingya entrepreneurs amid a wave of inter-ethnic violence in Rakhine that caused another influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh.

When the operation began, "we called on some Rohingya merchants to fund our project, to buy some computers, production equipment, and put the team together," Muhammad Noor said in a phone interview. He said the network was looking to get more financial backing, including from sources outside the Rohingya community.

"For now, we have enough. But we are expanding, and we definitely need more funders to support us," Muhammad Noor said.

In its first year, "RVision," as he referred to it, gathered Rohingya who possessed media skills, such as video editors and cameramen.

The operation started out with ambitions of setting up a radio station catering to Rohingya, but it proved to be too difficult to get the physical infrastructure in place in Rakhine, he said.

"Why we call RVision a network is because we have three news agencies, online TV, satellite TV, and also an online magazine," he told Benar.

"We communicate with many international NGOs to provide them with factual data, so that they can convert [this] into a report, which is part of the advocacy," he added.

More than half of the operation's staff is based in Rakhine but it has no office there, according to Muhammad Noor.

The identities of the network's correspondents in the field there are kept secret to protect them, he said.

"It's not like in Malaysia or any other country. They cannot wear a tag and go around saying, 'you know, I am an RVision reporter. I want to go here and there.' They cannot do that," he said, adding that the reporters do not travel around Rakhine but only report "secretly and quietly" about happenings in their localities.

'Only source of news'

The news broadcast by RVision reaches refugees in Bangladesh through their mobile phones.

"We cannot watch any television here in the camps. So we depend on RVision on the YouTube for developments about Rohingya," Anwar Sadique, who lives at the Lombashiar refugee camp in Ukhia, a sub-district of Cox's Bazar, told BenarNews.

"We can see the news about the Rohingya in Myanmar from RVision. This is a good source of our information. To judge the authenticity of its news, we call our brothers in Arakan (Rakhine)," he added.

Abdur Rahman, a resident of Kutupalong refugee camp, said the news channel was his "only source of news on Burma," referring to Myanmar by its other name.

"We, the people, believe this channel," he told BenarNews.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Myanmar rejects report detailing killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 9 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar rejects report detailing killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, 9 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a94289c3.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-09

The 10 Rohingya men killed in Inn Din village, in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Sept. 2, 2017. Reuters News Agency

Myanmar's government on Friday shrugged off a report detailing the killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that prompted calls from the U.S. State Department for an independent investigation into the claims, saying the foreign media is "hurting our work" restoring stability to the region.

Late on Thursday, Reuters news agency published a special report on the events that led to the killing of 10 Rohingya men, including two teenagers, from Rakhine's Inn Din village who it said were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told Reuters that "as with other, previous reports of mass graves, this report highlights the ongoing and urgent need for Burmese authorities to cooperate with an independent, credible investigation into allegations of atrocities in northern Rakhine."

"Such an investigation would help provide a more comprehensive picture of what happened, clarify the identities of the victims, identify those responsible for human rights abuses and violations, and advance efforts for justice and accountability," she said.

When asked about the report  which cited interviews with Buddhists who confessed to burning Rohingya homes, burying bodies and killing Muslims amid violence sparked by attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents last August  Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye told RFA's Myanmar Service that it undermined government efforts to bring peace to Rakhine state.

"It is hurting our work," the minister said, questioning the validity of the claims in the report, which included photographs of bound victims kneeling before the killing, and of their bodies lying in a trench afterwards.

"Some members of the international media write what they think it is the truth, and I don't want to blame them, as it is their job. We are doing our job as well."

Meanwhile, Win Myat Aye said, the government remains focused on repatriating some 700,000 refugees who have been forced across the border to neighboring Bangladesh since Myanmar's military began a crackdown in Rakhine state following the August attacks carried out by Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

"We are working on receiving and resettling them according to the law," he said, adding that the government is responsible for the refugees "that can prove they were residents of Rakhine state."

The United Nations and rights groups have warned against a quick return of the Rohingya, saying that the minority group will continue to face repression and discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and access to basic services.

The Reuters report marks the first time soldiers and paramilitary police have been named in eyewitness accounts from security personnel in atrocities including killings, torture, rape, property theft, and arson that have been widely documented by both news agencies and human rights organizations, and which the United Nations has said might amount to genocide.

Prior to the report's publication, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay told Reuters "we are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights and we are not giving blanket denials," adding that if "strong and reliable primary evidence" indicated abuses had taken place, authorities would investigate the claims.

There was no immediate comment from the government following the publication of the report.

Press freedom

Myanmar's government has consistently denied allegations of atrocities and, citing the foreign media's "one-sided" reporting, has banned independent news outlets from visiting northern Rakhine state where the violence occurred.

In addition to the ban, Myanmar authorities have been arresting or filing lawsuits against those who work for foreign media outlets to further clamp down on reports about the crackdown and its aftermath.

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are on trial for "obtaining state secrets" while reporting on the Inn Din incident and face up to 14 years in prison. The pair, whose bylines were on Thursday's special report, were arrested on Dec. 12 just after they had dinner with two police officers who gave them documents about the crackdown.

Rights groups and the Myanmar media have accused the police of entrapment and have criticized Myanmar's civilian government under de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for backpedaling on press freedom.

The Rakhine state government this week said it would sue the Associated Press for publishing a report confirming the existence of at least five previously unreported mass graves containing the remains of Rohingya in a village in Buthidaung township.

Both the national and state governments have rejected the report as "false" and claimed that the bodies of 19 "terrorists"  a reference to Muslim militants  had been killed and buried in the area. Rakhine officials have yet to announce under which laws they plan to sue the AP.

Reported by Thinn Thiri for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Myanmar military asks Kachin rebels to remove outposts in Tanaing region

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 12 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar military asks Kachin rebels to remove outposts in Tanaing region, 12 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428a53.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-12

Soldiers from the Kachin Independence Army's 3rd Brigade secure an area on Hka Ya mountain in northern Myanmar's Kachin state in a file photo. AFP

Myanmar's military has asked an ethnic militia to remove outposts, including a battalion headquarters, from the Tanaing township gold and amber mining region of Kachin state in the run-up to national peace talks scheduled for later this month.

Myanmar's northernmost state bordered by China and India has been rocked by a resurgence of conflict since 2011 when a 17-year bilateral cease-fire agreement between the two sides broke down. The clashes have left hundreds dead and more than 100,000 displaced.

The latest round of fighting began early this year when government soldiers launched air strikes in Tanaing, an area controlled by the KIA, which relies on its natural resources as a source of income by levying a tax on mine operators.

The KIA believes that Myanmar forces have recently stepped up their attacks on rebel-held territory in hopes of gaining control before a third round of negotiations during a national peace conference later this month.

Despite the hostilities, Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, representing Myanmar's military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and KIO chairman General N'Ban La held informal talks in southwestern China's Yunnan province, China, on Feb. 1.

Brokered by China's special envoy for Asian Affairs, the discussions focused on what the two sides could do to move toward peace.

"We can't hold political talks unless we stop fighting, and we heard leaders from both sides discuss that," Colonel Naw Bu, spokesman for the KIA and its political wing the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), told RFA's Myanmar Service on Monday.

"They came to an agreement on how to position troops from both sides in the area," he said. "We heard this, although we have not been officially told."

The Myanmar army believes that the KIO is conducting illegal business with natural resources in the area of KIA Battalion 14 where recent clashes have taken place, Naw Bu said.

"That's why it asked the KIA to remove the battalion," he added.

The Myanmar government has accused the Kachin rebel group of illegally using the region's natural resources and taking money from mining businesses that should otherwise go to the state.

But removing the outposts and Battalion 14's headquarters may not occur anytime soon, Naw Bu said.

"If we talk politics, we have to stay in our territory until we have an agreement," he said. "The plan to act during the discussion period must made by the technical team," which is responsible for negotiating with the Myanmar army.

"We don't think any side can remove outposts immediately," he said.

HRW weighs in

On Friday, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Myanmar military to ensure unfettered humanitarian access to civilians in need in Kachin state, five days after 5,000 ethnic Kachins, members of religious organizations, and civil society activists marched in the state capital Myitkyina, demanding an end to the army's offensives and the rescue of people trapped in war zones.

A few thousand miners and their families face food and water shortages because they have been stuck in the Tanaing region and in Sumprabung township during the current round of fighting.

"The embattled civilian population in Kachin state should not be forgotten amid the dire humanitarian situation facing the Rohingya," said Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director, referring to a military crackdown in western Myanmar's Rakhine state that has driven roughly 700,000 members of the Muslim group to safety in Bangladesh since August 2017.

"Both the Burmese army and the KIA should do everything possible to ensure that aid reaches civilians in need," he said.

The KIA is one of several militias with which the Myanmar government is trying to end decades of ethnic separatist civil wars and forge peace in the country through a series of peace negotiations launched in August 2016 by de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The KIO has not signed the government's nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) that eight of the country's more than 20 ethnic armies inked in October 2015.

Reported by Wai Mar Tun for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
China: Xinjiang authorities launch anti-religion campaign through local police stations

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 12 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, China: Xinjiang authorities launch anti-religion campaign through local police stations, 12 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428a6a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-12

Uyghur security personnel patrol near the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar city, Nov. 4, 2017. AP Photo

Authorities in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi), in northwest China's Xinjiang region, have launched an anti-religion propaganda drive through local police stations, whose officers are rolling the campaign out to residents of the mostly ethnic Uyghur-populated prefecture, sources said.

A purported photo of a group of policemen from Kashgar's Maralbeshi (Bachu) county holding a banner with the slogan "We Must Solemnly Reject Religion, Must Not Believe in Religion" recently drew attention on the WeChat social media channel, suggesting the launch of a campaign in the prefecture, which has one of Xinjiang's largest concentrations of Uyghur Muslims.

An officer in Maralbeshi's Yengisheher township police station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recently confirmed to RFA's Uyghur Service that the photo had been taken in his department as part of the campaign, before hanging up the phone.

Officers from two additional township police stations in Maralbeshi  Shi Tong and Awat  also confirmed that they were taking part in the anti-religion drive, before terminating the call.

Sources told RFA that the campaign began around two months ago and is intended to undermine the Islamic faith of local residents.

It was not immediately clear which level of government had initiated the campaign or how it was being carried out in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs complain of pervasive ethnic discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.

While Chinese authorities have claimed that previous crackdowns on religion are meant to weed out a small minority of the region's population whom they deem "extremists," Uyghur activists in exile maintain that they in fact target Islam and the Uyghur people, and the wording of the new campaign suggests a much broader scope.

Further investigation into the "We Must Solemnly Reject Religion, Must Not Believe in Religion" drive found that it is also under way elsewhere in Kashgar, as well as other parts of the Xinjiang region.

A police officer at the Baghawat township police station in Kashgar's Yarkand (Shache) county confirmed to RFA that his department was taking part in the campaign, before refusing to answer further questions and hanging up the phone.

And a supervisor at the Aykol township police station, in the seat of Aksu (Akesu) prefecture, said officers were also participating in the campaign there, but would not discuss the scale of the drive or who its intended targets were, citing rules of confidentiality for the police force.

"Yes, we are all aware of it," said the supervisor, who also asked to remain unnamed.

"Currently this campaign is being carried out in all government sectors, so how is it possible that we would not be aware of it?"

He referred additional questions to the head of the department  a party secretary surnamed Li, who he said was in a meeting and could not take a call at the time.

But an officer at the Qarqu township police station, in Hotan (Hetian) prefecture's Keriye Nahiyisi (Yutian) county, told RFA that the campaign was being propagated to area law enforcement as well as "the general public."

Prior "anti-religious extremism" campaigns have been spread through the government's regional Communist Party cadres and propaganda officers, and the new campaign is the first known example of law enforcement taking part.

And while the authorities have openly restricted party members and cadres from religious activities in the past, the new campaign also marks the first known instance of religious restrictions extending to the police and local residents.

RFA was unable to determine whether those who refuse to follow the campaign will face punishment for continuing to practice their religion.

Police display an anti-religion propaganda banner in Kashgar's Maralbeshi county, February 2018. . WeChat

Heavy crackdown

Since April last year, Uyghurs accused of harboring "extremist" and "politically incorrect" views have been detained in political re-education camps throughout Xinjiang.

Authorities have relied on a list circulated early last year of "75 Signs of Religious Extremism" to detain Uyghurs amid a string of harsh policies attacking their legitimate rights and freedoms enacted since Communist Party secretary Chen Quanguo was appointed to run the region in August 2016.

Among the signs of extremism on the list were "storing or purchasing large quantities of food for home" and "acting abnormal," and "praying in groups in public outside of mosques."

But Communist Party secretaries in villages in Hotan prefecture recently told RFA that they were notified in April 2017 of several new "signs of extremism" security personnel should look for to determine whether a Uyghur is at risk of becoming an Islamic "radical."

The new signs included those who, when at prayer, stand with their legs wide apart and place their hands above their chest, dye their hair red with henna, grow their hair or beards long, wear short trousers, or wear a watch on their right wrist, the sources said.

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.

While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.

Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Cambodian opposition party members face charges for political activities abroad

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 15 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Cambodian opposition party members face charges for political activities abroad, 15 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428a8a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-15

CNRP lawmakers Mu Sochua (L), Sam Rainsy (2nd from L), and Tioulong Saumura (3rd from L) leave the Extraordinary General Assembly in Phnom Penh, Aug. 27, 2014. RFA

A Cambodian court is taking legal action against five top former opposition party lawmakers and officials for continuing to conduct political activities outside the country even though their party has been dissolved by the government.

The Ministry of Interior filed a lawsuit with the court on Thursday against Sam Rainsy, former president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and an elected member of parliament, lawmaker Tioulong Saumura, CNRP deputy presidents Eng Chhai Eang and Mu Sochua, and Kem Monovithya, senior public relations officer and daughter of jailed former CNRP leader Kem Sokha.

Ly Sophanna, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, told local media that judicial officials are proceeding with the case.

He said the five CNRP officials have been involved in activities outside of Cambodia as part of the new Cambodia National Rescue Movement (CNRM) founded by Sam Rainsy, who has lived in exile since 2015 to avoid convictions widely seen as politically motivated.

The movement, which is undertaking an action plan with the objective of ensuring that the general elections scheduled for July are free and fair, keeps alive the defunct CNRP without fear of government reprisal.

The Supreme Court issued a ruling in November, dissolving the CNRP for its part in plotting a "coup" against the government.

The decision banned 118 CNRP lawmakers and senior officials from politics for five years, eliminating Prime Minister Hun Sen's main competition ahead of general elections scheduled for this July. More than 5,000 remaining elected CNRP commune chiefs and district counselors were also removed from their positions.

During a visit to southwestern Cambodia's Takeo province on Thursday, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said the CNRM would be short-lived because it has no local support and was created for the sole purpose of toppling the government of Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985.

Cambodian lawyer Pheng Heng told RFA's Khmer Service that the government has no authority to disband the CNRM.

"The Constitution of Cambodia guarantees freedom of expression to all Cambodians," he said. "All CNRP officials, therefore, enjoy this right. On top of that, their activities outside of Cambodia do not fall within the jurisdiction of Cambodian laws. The genuine advocacy work of the CNRM for justice is legitimate and allowed by the constitution. They cannot be considered outlaws or rebels."

Free and fair?

Meanwhile, civil society groups are concerned that the national elections will not be free and fair because of the political persecution of the opposition party, NGOs, and independent media.

Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC), told RFA on Thursday that his organization will not decide until April whether to participate in national election monitoring.

The two issues bearing on the decision are the minimum standard of free and fair elections and international sanctions on electoral assistance to the NICFEC, he said.

"We . . . need to look into the required legal standards of free and fair elections first before we decide to take part," he said.

The organization, which used to be funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the European Union, faces a budget squeeze because of big international donors' sanctions on Cambodia, he said.

In September 2017, Cambodia's government expelled NDI for allegedly operating without a valid memorandum of understanding and failing to comply with the country's tax laws.

Sam Kuntheamy said he is now waiting to hear from Japan about possible funding for his organization because the Asian country has expressed a commitment to providing technical assistance to Cambodia's electoral body.

Despite Japan's pledge to continue the technical assistance, the government has consistently raised concerns about the upcoming Cambodian vote.

"It is vital to conduct the general election this July in a way that appropriately reflects the will of the people, said Kazuyuki Nakane, Japan's foreign affairs minister, during a meeting with his Cambodian counterpart in Phnom Penh on Jan. 29.

Nakane urged the government to engage in talks with domestic political figures and create an environment where the rights of all politicians and civic groups are respected and their activities are secured.

The Cambodian side assured the Japanese official that the government would "adhere to the multiparty liberal democratic system and implement the national election this July as scheduled in a free, fair and stable manner."

Yoeung Sotheara, former legal adviser for election watchdog Comfrel, said he has no faith in the Cambodian government's words.

He told RFA on Thursday that though there are several political parties in Cambodia, they are too small to compete with the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

On top of that, the absence of the CNRP calls into question the legitimacy of the upcoming national election, he said.

"Having many political parties does not mean that Cambodia has adopted a multiparty principle," Yoeung Sotheara said. "Several political parties exist only as facade. Those parties are nothing but a window dressing. They do not add value to the promotion of democracy value unless they are as strong as the dissolved CNRP."

Commune counselor fears for safety

Meanwhile in the northwestern city of Battambang, Long Nim, an elected CNRP commune counselor for Bavel district, said on Thursday that he fears for his personal safety after receiving a summons from the deputy chief of the police station in Khnach Rormeas commune.

The police want to question him on Friday about participating in humanitarian assistance work on Feb. 11 when he helped some senior citizens in the commune's Roung Ampil village, said Long Nim.

Police officer Ao Thol has informed him that the activity is illegal, he added.

Heng Sayhong, the Battambang coordinator of the domestic rights group Adhoc, said that humanitarian activities are not illegal and that the summons is another attempt by authorities to restrict people's rights and freedom.

Since the Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP, some lawmakers and other officials have fled Cambodia out of fear for their safety, while several members of commune councils have taken refuge in Thailand and other countries. Others who have remained in the country have been subjected to harassment and bullying by authorities.

Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Chinese lawyers pen open letter in protest of professional persecution

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 15 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Chinese lawyers pen open letter in protest of professional persecution, 15 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428aca.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-15

Chinese attorneys sign an open letter calling on the Chinese Communist Party to immediately release all detained human rights lawyers, February 2018. RFA

Dozens of Chinese lawyers have signed an open letter calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to respect their professional rights and release all detained human rights lawyers immediately.

China's embattled legal profession has been targeted with more than 300 detentions, summons, travel bans, and restrictions imposed on rights lawyers and law firm staff since July 2015.

Rights lawyers who accept politically "sensitive" cases, or who are publicly outspoken on behalf of vulnerable groups, have also been prevented from practicing law because their business licenses are being revoked during a newly instituted annual review process.

Lawyers who try to defend clients held on suspicion of crimes ostensibly linked to "state security" concerns are also denied permission to meet with their clients, or replaced by government-appointed lawyers amid threats and pressure on the people who hired them.

"We have learned a deep lesson from the July 2015 crackdown and call on those in power to reflect on value of lawyers to the rule of law, and as a good opportunity to revise social management methods," the letter, signed by several dozen lawyers, said.

"And yet, it continues to detain lawyers, to strike them off and strip them of their licenses," the letter said. "Incidents that violate the professional rights of lawyers, and their right to carry out a profession, continue to occur, and the problem seems to be getting worse and worse recently."

The letter cited recent detentions and revoking of business licenses meted out to human rights lawyers Yu Wensheng, Li Yuhan, Sui Muqing, Zhu Shengwu, and Wang Liqian, among others.

It strongly urged officials in departments of justice across the country to "return to civilization and rationality," as well as calling for the immediate release of all detained attorneys.

It also called for the reinstatement of all revoked lawyers' business licenses and for all sides to work together to progress to a more mature legal system that operates under the rule of law.

Letter signatory Wu Kuiming said the letter has garnered some 60 signatures to date.

"We have had petitions signed by ordinary citizens, but this letter is signed only by lawyers," Wu told RFA. "It was mostly aimed at supporting Yu Wensheng and Sui Muqing, and other lawyers who have been targeted for persecution recently, and especially the handling of our business licenses."

"And also because the environment for human rights lawyers is deteriorating all the time now," he said.

Cultural Revolution redux

Guangxi-based lawyer and fellow signatory Chen Jiahong said he lost his license to practice on Jan. 25 after representing the family of Guangxi village activist Luo Jibiao, who died in police custody.

"I think we have already regressed to the days of the Cultural Revolution [1966-1976]," Chen told RFA. "This is the period of harshest and most widespread persecution of lawyers in Chinese history."

"We poured years of our sweat, blood and tears to earn our business licenses, so we could be of service by protecting the rights and interests of our clients," he said.

"We want to work on the basis of the facts, and according to the principles of the law, but [the government] cares nothing for the facts and less for the law," Chen said. "[It] casually infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of any individual."

"As lawyers with a sense of justice, we need to stand up and speak out about this," he said.

Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Myanmar officials show refugee processing centers to ambassadors, UN agencies

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 15 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Myanmar officials show refugee processing centers to ambassadors, UN agencies, 15 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428aea.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-15

A group of foreign ambassadors and United Nations officials arrive in Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar's Rakhine state, to tour processing centers for returning Rohingya refugees, Feb. 15, 2018. RFA

Ambassadors from more than 10 countries and United National officials visited troubled Maungdaw township in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Thursday to tour the Myanmar government's repatriation processing facilities for returning Rohingya refugees.

The group included ambassadors from Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Israel, Italy, and Sir Lanka; diplomats from Brazil, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and New Zealand; and officials from UNICEF, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, U.N. Human Settlements Programme, U.N. Development Programme, and the U.N. Office for Project Services.

Accompanied by Rakhine state chief-minister Nyi Pu and Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister of social welfare, relief, and resettlement, the group visited two repatriation centers at Taung Pyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya, the Hla Pho Khaung transit camp, and facilities in the Kanyin Chaung border economic zone.

Nyi Pu urged the members of the group to work with the Myanmar government to help resolve Rakhine state's problems so that the region can realize peace and stability.

"I would like to urge you to observe with fairness the on-the-ground situation and to work with us to achieve the best results from what we are working on in Rakhine in the future," he told the group at the airport in Rakhine's capital Sittwe. "I also would like to urge you to share your experiences from this trip with other countries, so that they will know the true situation in Rakhine."

Myanmar has not yet begun processing some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh from three townships in northern Rakhine since August 2017 when the country's military conducted a brutal military crackdown in response to deadly attacks on police outposts by a Muslim militant group.

Though Myanmar signed an agreement with neighboring Bangladesh to begin repatriating refugees who wanted to voluntarily return to Rakhine in late January, the program has been beset by delays, with each side blaming problems on the other.

Both national and state government officials have been arranging tours of the repatriation facilities for foreign diplomats and U.N. officials in a bid to demonstrate their willingness and preparedness to take back the Rohingya, who are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and systematically discriminated against in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

On Feb. 6, Thaung Tun, Myanmar's national security advisor and minister of the recently created Office of the Union Government, led a delegation of diplomats from China, India, and Singapore along with officials from the Bangladeshi embassy in Myanmar on a tour of the two refugee reception centers and transit camp.

UN Security Council briefing

The latest diplomatic tour of the repatriation centers comes two days after the U.N. Security Council held a briefing session on the situation in northern Rakhine, during which some nations called for guarantees for the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya and unhindered humanitarian access to the region.

Hau Do Suan, Myanmar's ambassador and permanent representative to the U.N., said the government has been working on alleviating Rakhine's current humanitarian problems, restoring peace and stability, preparing for the repatriation of displaced persons, and implementing the recommendations of an advisory commission on Rakhine state.

"We have made necessary preparations, and are now ready to receive the first group of returnees," he said. "We will continue to work in close consultation and cooperation with Bangladesh for the voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation of displaced persons in accordance with the bilateral agreement."

Rights groups and the U.N. have warned against a hasty return of the Rohingya refugees, saying that they will continue to face repression and discrimination and be denied access to basic services.

Myanmar authorities have bashed both rights groups and foreign media organizations that have issued detailed reports documenting atrocities committed by soldiers during the crackdown against the Rohingya, including killings, torture, rape, property theft, and arson.

The Myanmar government, which has banned independent news outlets from visiting northern Rakhine state, has attacked foreign media reports on the Rohingya crisis as "one-sided."

The Rakhine state government said last week that it would sue the American news agency the Associated Press for publishing a report in January, confirming the existence of at least five previously unreported mass graves containing the remains of slaughtered Rohingya in a village in Buthidaung township.

Both the national and state governments have called the report "false" and claimed that the graves held the bodies of 19 Muslim militants who had been killed and buried in the area.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Bangladesh gives Myanmar list of Rohingya for repatriation

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 16 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Bangladesh gives Myanmar list of Rohingya for repatriation, 16 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428b0a.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-16

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal (R) welcomes Kyaw Tint Swe of the Myanmar State Counselor's Office, Feb. 16, 2018. AP

Bangladesh's home minister said on Friday that has he handed over a list of more than 8,000 Rohingya for verification by Naypyidaw under a bilateral deal to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees, while meeting with a top Myanmar official in Dhaka.

The ministerial-level talks took place on the second day of a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital by Kyaw Tint Swe, the minister of the Myanmar State Counselor's Office.

"At the meeting, we handed over a list of 8,032 people belonging to 1,673 Rohingya families," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters afterwards. "After verification, they will give us their decision."

"The way they have talked to us, the way they have agreed with us and the way the decisions have been adopted at meetings, give us a sense of trust that possibly they will take them back," he said.

Kyaw Tint Swe did not speak to reporters after the meeting.

Khan said lower-level officials were set to meet in Myanmar next week to discuss procedures to send back to Rakhine state another 6,500 Rohingya refugees who are stranded in a no-man's land between Bandarban, a district in southeastern Bangladesh, and the Myanmar border.

At least 688,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, 2017, when Myanmar security forces launched a brutal "clearance operation" in retaliation for attacks on police and army posts by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents. Tens of thousands of other Rohingya eligible for repatriation fled an earlier outbreak of violence in Rakhine in October 2016.

The meeting in Myanmar of district-level officials, which will focus on Rohingya stranded in the no-man's land, will take place on Feb. 20.

Those Rohingya stuck on the strip of territory between the two countries have complained that Myanmar security forces have been throwing stones at them to force them to enter Bangladesh.

"I have heard that the Myanmar border guard has imposed emergency rule along the no-man's land and they have been using loudspeakers to tell Rohingya to enter Bangladesh," Imon Chowdhury, the officer in-charge of Naikhangchhari police station, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

"The situation is not good. Thousands of people have been stranded here for days," he said.

November agreement

Amid condemnation from the United Nations and international human rights organizations that have accused Myanmar security forces of committing atrocities and "ethnic cleansing" against Rohingya civilians, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal on Nov, 23, 2017, to repatriate at least 700,000 Rohingya. The process was to begin within two months of the agreement.

The neighbors have since formed a high-level Joint Working Group to oversee the repatriation. During the first meeting on Jan. 16, the 30-member group finalized the text of the repatriation agreement.

"Still, 100 to 150 people have been coming to Bangladesh every day. We have raised this issue at today's meeting. They recognized all of our concerns and assured us that they would take necessary measures to take them back," Khan said.

"We repeatedly raised that they would cross the border [back into Bangladesh] again if these people feel uncertainty, continue to remain in fear of persecution, and are debarred from earning a living," Khan told reporters, referring to the Rohingya, a stateless minority group in Myanmar.

On Thursday, ambassadors from more than 10 countries visited Maungdaw township in Rakhine to tour the Myanmar government's repatriation processing facilities for returning Rohingya refugees, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews.

The tour in Maungdaw occurred two days after the U.N. Security Council held a briefing session on the situation in northern Rakhine. Some member-states called for guarantees for the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya, as well as unhindered humanitarian access to the region.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Hong Kong barristers say election officials now conduct 'political screenings' of candidates

Publisher Radio Free Asia Publication Date 16 February 2018 Cite as Radio Free Asia, Hong Kong barristers say election officials now conduct 'political screenings' of candidates, 16 February 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9428b24.html [accessed 17 September 2021] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

2018-02-16

Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow stands in front of the media during a protest outside the headquarters of the Hong Kong government in Hong Kong, Jan. 28, 2018. AFP

Lawyers in Hong Kong have hit out at the barring of election candidates ahead of by-elections for the city's Legislative Council (LegCo) next month, saying it is effectively a form of "political screening" carried out by government officials.

"The Bar is concerned about the recent disqualification of . . . Agnes Chow from taking part in the by-election of the Legislative Council in March 2018," the Hong Kong Bar Association said in a statement on its website.

It said the decision of the election official who rejected Chow's application was made without giving her any opportunity to be heard.

"The Hong Kong Bar Association is also concerned about the disqualification of a candidate to stand for election on the basis of his or her association with a political party or the holding of certain political beliefs," it said.

Chow is a key member of the pro-democracy party Demosisto, which was formed by the leaders of the 2014 Occupy Central movement, and which espouses "self-determination" for the city, which was promised a "high degree of autonomy" following the 1997 handover to Chinese rule.

The bar on Chow is significant, because it sets a precedent for direct influence on the selection of Hong Kong election candidates according to Beijing's wishes, casting serious doubts on promises made by the ruling Chinese Communist Party in a treaty before the handover.

The decision was influenced by Beijing's parliament, the National People's Congress, whose standing committee issued an interpretation that led to the disqualification of six directly elected pro-democracy lawmakers because their oaths of allegiance were judged not to be "solemn and sincere."

The Bar Association said that allowing government election officials to inquire into a candidate's personal and political beliefs was "regrettable."

"This regrettably is equivalent to the introduction of a political screening process for any prospective candidate, and there is no fair, open, certain and clear procedure to regulate this process; nor any timely remedy against an adverse decision," it said.

"It is particularly worrying that the requirement of "upholding the Basic Law" is a vague and imprecise political concept, which has now to be interpreted and administered by a civil servant under a closed door inquiry," the Feb. 14 statement said.

On the CCP's side

The lawyers' protest came after pro-independence activist Andy Chan of the Hong Kong National Party lost a petition to overturn the 2016 LegCo election, from which he was banned from running.

The Court of First Instance ruled earlier this week that an election officer is entitled to ask whether the candidate understands the relevant articles in Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which include upholding the article stating that Hong Kong is part of the People's Republic of China.

"In a choice between the authoritarian Communist Party and freedom, democracy and human rights for Hong Kong people, the court has opted to stand on the side of the Chinese Communist Party authoritarian regime," Chan told reporters after the judgment.

"We emphasize in the petition that the role of the returning officer is only to mechanically handle clerical work and ensure that the forms have been filled in, but the district judge thinks that the role of returning officer is not just an administrative one," he said.

"The returning officers [apparently] have the right to examine the entire nomination; he has given them the right to conduct political screening," Chan said.

He warned that pro-independence candidates were the start of a process that could extend much further across Hong Kong's political spectrum.

"First they bar pro-independence candidates from running, second they bar those who advocate self-determination from running," Chan was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong Free Press. "Then they will bar localists and democrats."

Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Link to original story on RFA website

Copyright notice: Copyright  2006, RFA. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036.
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Houston, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/26/2018 --A 17-year-old girl, Susan Marie Mize, and her 16-year-old accomplice were arrested and charged with aggravated robbery following the alleged robbery and carjacking of a mutual friend on Friday, February 16 in Montgomery County. A second accomplice, a 15-year-old male juvenile, has been identified and has a warrant out for his arrest. Detectives investigating the matter allege that Mize and her two juvenile co-conspirators concocted a carjacking plot in order to rob Mize's friend, identified as Preston Barry.



According to the police report, the disturbance began the night of February 16th when Mize asked Barry if he would like to earn $150 giving her and her friends a ride to Houston. When Barry agreed, the pair headed to The Woodlands' Creekside Park to meet up with her friends. However, when they arrived at Creekside Park, a 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old male with a gun ambushed Barry.



According to reports, the 16-year-old was pretending to get into the backseat as a passenger when the 15-year-old approached the driver's side door and displayed his gun to Barry. Barry was ordered to get into the backseat; the 16-year-old accomplice then pulled a knife on him and tied him up with Mize's shoe laces. Both juvenile suspects then began beating Barry and stole his wallet.



With Mize still appearing as an alleged victim, the two juvenile suspects drove Barry and Mize to an H-E-B store on Spring's Rayford Road where they forced Barry to make a withdrawal from an ATM. The two male suspects then drove Mize to her home; they dropped her off, and investigators say that Mize never called 911 or otherwise reported the carjacking and robbery to the police.



After dropping off Mize, the two juvenile suspects drove Barry to his home in an attempt to get additional money from him. However, when the pair cut Barry free, he ran inside his home and had his parents call 911. Barry's parents spoke with the Harris County Precinct 4's Constable's Office to report the carjacking.



Once Barry was inside his home, the two juvenile male suspects drove off in Barry's car. Police found the car abandoned in Spring's Dennis Johnston Park.



The 16-year-old male was immediately caught and arrested; the 15-year-old escaped, but was later identified and has a warrant out for his arrest.



According to the Sheriff's Office of Montgomery Country, deputies were called to two Harris County residences on the night of February 16 following the alleged robbery. After speaking with Barry and his parents, officers went to Mize's home to discuss the incident with her; she was later arrested and has been charged with felony aggravated robbery.



Investigators determined that Mize had lied about the night's events and had actually set up Barry to be carjacked and robbed. According to Mize, she intended for her accomplices to rob Berry, but the carjacking was not part of her plan.



Ms. Mize is expected to be charged as a juvenile, with the same charges as the two young men who committed the actual robbery because, according to prominent Houston criminal defense lawyer Ed Chernoff, "Texas law does not necessarily differentiate the guilt of parties based on their individual roles in a cooperative crime. According to the Texas Penal Code, one party is as guilty of the acts of another if she aided, assisted, solicited, aided or attempted to aid another in the commission of a crime. Acts of another in furtherance of a conspiracy is imputed to all co-actors if those actions were reasonably foreseeable."



In essence, although she did not take part in the actual robbery, she solicited and aided in the commission of the crime. You can learn more about Texas' laws on juvenile crime here: https://www.houstoncriminallaw.com/juvenile-offenses/.



Initial reports of the carjacking and robbery erroneously suggested that Mize and her father were the targets of the attempted carjacking and robbery.



For further details and updates on this case, see the ABC 13 coverage here: http://abc13.com/teen-girl-accused-of-planning-armed-robbery-of-friend/3099124/



About Ed Chernoff

Ed Chernoff is the founder and lead criminal defense attorney at Chernoff Law in Houston, Tx. Although the firm is based in the greater Houston area, Mr. Chernoff represents client all across the United States.



To learn more about his law practice, and the types of cases he represents, visit https://www.houstoncriminallaw.com/.
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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Martin Neil Radford

BONES discovered in a village near Wombwell last month (Feb) have now been identified.

The bones were found on land off Mitchell Street in Swaithe on February 4 and are believed to have been there for a number of years.

Police have now revealed that the remains are of Martin Neil Radford who was born on October 28, 1957.

Temporary Det Insp Stuart Hall said: Since the discovery of the bones, a team of officers and staff  some in incredibly specialised areas of forensic science  have worked incredibly hard to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

Now we have identified Mr Radford and notified his family, we must now establish the circumstances leading up to his disappearance and subsequent death.

The initial postmortem was incapable of discerning a cause of death. However, initial enquiries have not established any apparent criminality.

Nevertheless, we must make every effort to understand what happened to Mr Radford so we can offer his loved ones some closure.

Our enquiries have thus far revealed that the last time Mr Radford was seen or heard from was at the end of March 2015, when he was 57 years old.

"After this time, there is no further contact recorded or that were currently aware of.

Mr Radford had been living in the Kingstone area of Barnsley up until the end of 2014, but from early 2015 he seems to have led a transient lifestyle and it is this period of time we are seeking to learn more about.

Our new appeal, therefore, is to speak to anyone who knew Mr Radford and may be able to help us account for his movements, in particular after the end of March 2015. Do you know where he was living? Were you a friend or associate?

Anyone who can help the police should call 101 quoting incident number 605 of February 4 2018.

Alternatively, people are asked to access the UK Police Major Incident Public Reporting site at https://mipp.police.uk and select South Yorkshire Police  Operation Reims.
De Beers Technologies South Africa (DebTech SA) has developed a unique density measurement system that provides process plants with fast and accurate data on the material density profiles of particle samples, according to a news report.

The RhoVol densimetric measurement system had a process rate of about 1 000 particles an hour, which was generally sufficient for a representative sample, according to Mining Weekly.

DebTech research and development manager Grant High was quoted as saying that delay in receiving results presented a lost opportunity for metallurgical plants.

The metallurgical industry has, for many years, been looking for [a solution] to measure the density of incoming material in real time, so that the plants settings can be optimised in time to make a difference, he said.

Since the RhoVols development, about eight systems had been deployed in the South African iron-ore industry, while one system is currently operational at a diamond mine in Botswana.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




BAIC Motor Corp. and Daimler AG (DDAIF.PK) plan to build a new factory in China for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

BAIC Motor noted that the companies will co-invest more than 11.9 billion yuan or $1.9 billion to build the facility. But it didn't disclose the location of the production base.

"The new factory will manufacture various Mercedes-Benz products in China including new energy electric vehicles" and improve the overall production capacity of the companies' joint venture, Beijing Benz Automotive Co.," BAIC said.

The announcement comes a day after Li Shufu, the billionaire founder of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., said he acquired a stake worth about 7.3 billion euros or $9 billion in Daimler, marking the biggest investment in a global automobile manufacturer by a Chinese company. The 9.7 percent stake makes Geely the single largest investor in the parent of Mercedes-Benz.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canada-based FTI Foodtech International Inc. Monday said it has signed license and consulting agreement for the development of FLASH and Blockchain.

The company signed the consulting agreement with US-based Christopher Kitze and a licence for FLASH improvements and related software.

FTI has acquired perpetual worldwide licencing rights to all non-public domain, proprietary FLASH improvements, including the remittance applications, FLASHWeb Wallet and FLASH Key Server.

Kitze will assist FTI with future development of blockchain and marketing of the FTI services and assist in acquisition of FLASH coins for a period of 2 years. In exchange for the consulting and technology, Kitze will receive 250,000 FTI shares and 250,000 warrants, exercisable at $0.50 for one share, with a two-year expiry.

FTI noted that Kitze's experience in the blockchain industry will be a great asset in the development and integration of blockchain applications and FLASH with the barter and food industries.

Further, the company said it aims to close the private placement, announced December 29, 2017, in the coming weeks. Also, after conducting its due diligence of iDroid USA Inc., the company has decided to not move forward with the June 23rd, 2017 MOU.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Uzbekistan is drafting legislation to legitimize cryptocurrency transactions by September 1, local media reported.

The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has issued a decree for this purpose and the country's central bank, the ministries of finance, communication and information , and are entrusted with the task, along with several other ministries and departments.

The central Asian country's government also plans to establish a center of excellence in the blockchain technology, which underlies cryptocurrencies such as the Bitcoin. The center is expected to commence operations on June 1 at the Mirzo Ulugbek Innvoation Center.

Earlier, the Uzbek central bank had criticized cryptocurrencies, saying that they are not regulated and are used to fund terrorism and criminal activities.

The Uzbek government is also planning to promote the use of contact-less payment technologies, including Paypal, Alipay, Visa and Mastercard. The President is expected to announce related guidelines by June 1.

Uzbekistan is among the top countries where cryptocurrencies can be mined cheaply.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been asked to hand over information regarding around 13,000 customers to the US Internal Revenue Service or IRS, under court order, within 21 days.

In a letter to the affected customers last Friday, the company said the court ordered it to provide customers' taxpayer ID, personal details including name, birth date, address, and historical transaction records for certain higher-transacting customers during the 2013-2015 period.

The IRS in December 2016 had issued a summons asking for records relating to approximately 500,000 Coinbase customers following suspicion that cryptocurrency account holders had evaded tax.

The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Following Coinbase's fight, which it calls against unwarranted intrusions from the government, the Californian court in November 2017 ruled that the total number would only include around 14,000 high-transaction users.

Now, the court issued an order asking to produce only certain limited categories of information from the accounts of approximately 13,000 customers. The company calls the reduction in numbers a partial, but still significant, victory for Coinbase and its customers.

The company urged its affected customers to seek legal advice from an attorney promptly. The customers can also refer to Coinbase's Taxes FAQ for more information on taxes and digital currency.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canada's largest bank Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD Bank) is banning the use of its credit cards to buy cryptocurrencies, according to an email statement by the bank on Friday. The ban follows a similar move by several banks in the U.S. and the U.K.

Meanwhile, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Canada's second-largest bank by assets, said in an email statement that "it does allow its credit and debit cards to be used for transactions involving cryptocurrency in limited circumstances."

However, RBC warned its customers on the highly volatile nature of the digital currency and also cautioned them on the possibility of a sudden drop in the value of cryptocurrencies which "could expose them to substantially higher debt levels than they are able to repay."

Canada's third-largest bank Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) also is closely monitoring its cryptocurrency transaction policy.

Among Canada's "Big Five," BMO Financial Group (Bank of Montreal) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) are yet to reveal their stance on cryptocurrencies.

In early February, leading banks and financial firms in the US and the UK such as the Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Capital One, Discover, Virgin Money, and the Lloyds Bank had banned their customers from purchasing cryptocurrencies using credit cards. The ban, however, did not apply to debit cards.

JPMorgan Chase cited the volatility and risk involved as the reasons behind the ban. It had earlier allowed customers to buy digital currencies with credit card.

Banks and financial institutions are also worried about their clients running up hefty debt that they might find difficult to repay.

About a fifth of cryptocurrency owners bought the currency using their credit cards, according to a survey conducted for cryptocurrency news service CoinDesk's "Q4 State of Blockchain Report." Out of this, half of them have paid back their credit card dues.

Meanwhile, payment processors VISA and Mastercard have also made it more difficult to buy cryptocurrencies using cards by charging additional fees.

The prices of digital currencies have been volatile, more to the downside, amid negative developments in the crypto market since the beginning of 2018.

Currently, the most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin is trading at $9,686.50, up 1.04 percent at 6.39 am E.T. on the Coindesk price index.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Prices of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies tumbled on news that the US tax authorities have asked a leading trading platform to furnish customer data. More acceptance for cryptocurrencies with a central Asian country planning legislation to legitimize transactions in virtual currencies. A study found that nearly half of the newly issued cryptocurrencies in 2017 have already failed.

Coinbase Asked To Produce Data On 13,000 Customers To IRS

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has been asked to hand over information regarding around 13,000 customers to the US Internal Revenue Service or IRS, under court order, within 21 days. In a letter to the affected customers last Friday, the company said the court ordered it to provide customers' taxpayer ID, personal details including name, birth date, address, and historical transaction records for certain higher-transacting customers during the 2013-2015 period. The IRS in December 2016 had issued a summons asking for records relating to approximately 500,000 Coinbase customers following suspicion that cryptocurrency account holders had evaded tax. Read more...

Uzbekistan Plans To Legitimize Cryptocurrency Transactions

Uzbekistan is drafting legislation to legitimize cryptocurrency transactions by September 1, local media reported. The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has issued a decree for the same purpose and the country's central bank, the ministries of finance, communication and information , and are entrusted with the task, along with several other ministries and departments. The government also plans to establish a center of excellence in the blockchain technology, which underlies cryptocurrencies such as the Bitcoin. The center is expected to commence operations on June 1 at the Mirzo Ulugbek Innvoation Center. Read more...

Nearly Half of 2017 Cryptocurrencies Dead: Study

Nearly half of the cryptocurrencies offered through initial coin offerings in 2017 has already failed, a study by news.Bitcoin.com showed. Of the 902 crowdsales that took place last year, 142 failed at the funding stage and further 276 failed afterwards, either due to money grab or by slowly fading into obscurity, the cryptocurrency news website said citing data from ICO tracker, Tokendata. "This means that 46 percent of last year's ICOs have already failed," news.Bitcoin.com said. Read more...

Austria Plans To Regulate Cryptocurrencies Same Way As Gold, Derivatives

Austria's finance ministry is drafting cryptocurrency regulation based on the trading rules for gold and derivatives, Bloomberg reported. The government wants to prevent money laundering using cryptocurrencies and gold is also a widely used medium for such activities. Hence, the ministry is exploring whether the same trading can be applied for both.

Bank of America Sees Cryptocurrencies As Business Risk

Bank of America described cryptocurrencies as a material risk to its in a regulatory filing. "Emerging technologies, such as cryptocurrencies, could limit our ability to track the movement of funds," the bank said in an SEC filing. The bank also fears that it may lose clients to competitors who offer products that are speculative or risky such as cryptocurrencies. Cost was also a concern for the lender as it said it will have to incur additional expenditure to adapt its systems to new technologies including cryptocurrencies.

Current Prices

As of 6.52 am ET on Monday, Bitcoin was up 0.86 percent at $9,741.91 and Ethereum was higher by 2.57 percent at $861.01 on Coinbase.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Thai bank Bangkok Bank has terminated account transactions of Thailand's second largest privately held cryptocurrency exchange Thai Digital Asset Exchange (TDAX), claiming that its activities are not in accordance with its purpose registered with the Commerce Ministry, according to a Bangkok Post report.

However, TDAX Founder and Chief Executive Poramin Insom said its trading of bitcoin and 10 other cryptocurrencies would not be affected despite the termination of the bank account.

Insom added that investors can conduct transactions with three other banks, namely Kasikornbank (KBank), Siam Commercial Bank and Krungthai Bank.

TDAX said in a statement to users that it is suspending all deposits to Bangkok Bank account, while withdrawal via the bank account is still operating.

The statement said, 'Bangkok Bank (BBL) have contacted us for cooperation to stop using our Bangkok Bank account to operate TDAX. This is due to a Bank of Thailand announcement seeking for cooperation from the Bank regarding Cryptocurrency activities. There is no law in place to support this activity."

Last week, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) had issued a circular that prohibited financial institutions in the country from five key cryptocurrency activities.

The circular signed by Wisit Santiprabop, the central bank's governor, outlined the five key cryptocurrency activities as, "Investing or trading in cryptocurrency, exchanging cryptocurrencies, creating platforms for cryptocurrency trading, allowing clients to use credit cards to buy cryptocurrencies, and from advising customers on cryptocurrency investing or trading."

TDAX also postponed the launch date of TukTukPass ICO Sales to March 5 due to "uncertainty regulation from SEC of Thailand."

Meanwhile, SEC secretary-general Rapee Sucharitakul said "SEC expects to issue the regulatory framework over the next 2-3 weeks to supervise funding raised via ICOs and cryptocurrency."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
New Zealand posed a merchandise trade shortfall of NZ$566 million in January, Statistics New Zealand said on Tuesday - representing 13 percent of exports.

That missed expectations for a flat reading following the NZ$596 million deficit in December.

Exports were up 9.5 percent on year to NZ$4.31 billion, shy of forecasts for NZ$4.58 billion and down from NZ$5.49 billion in the previous month.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese led the rise, up NZ$101 million (8.0 percent) to NZ$1.4 billion.

Milk powder rose NZ$61 million (8.7 percent); the quantity rose 9.7 percent. Dairy fats (including butter) rose NZ$21 million (7.5 percent); the quantity fell 21 percent.

Meat and edible offal rose NZ$100 million (17 percent) to NZ$689 million. This was led by lamb - up NZ$58 million (26 percent), and beef - up NZ$21 million (8.4 percent). Exports of lamb to the EU, and sheep meat (including lamb and mutton) to China, rose.

Logs, wood, and wood articles rose NZ$59 million (25 percent) to NZ$292 million.

Preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch rose NZ$53 million (69 percent). This group includes infant formula.

Crude oil exports fell NZ$65 million to almost zero.

Imports spiked an annual 17 percent to NZ$4.87 billion versus expectations for NZ$4.60 billion and down from NZ$4.89 billion.

The largest changes in import values were:

Mechanical machinery and equipment led the rise - up NZ$133 million (23 percent) to NZ$700 million. The increase was across a range of commodities, including turbo-jets and food processing machinery.

Petroleum and products rose NZ$88 million, led by diesel (up NZ$57 million) and motor spirit (up NZ$24 million). Imports of these products from the Republic of Korea rose NZ$113 million, led by diesel.

Ships, boats, and floating structures rose NZ$78 million.

Vehicles, parts, and accessories (our largest import commodity group) rose NZ$42 million (6.8 percent) to NZ$659 million.

The annual trade deficit was NZ$3.2 billion in January 2018, up from NZ$2.9 billion in December 2017, and down from NZ$3.4 billion in January 2017.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
A five day training on Customer Service for frontline staff last week has left the participants feeling a lot more confident about delivering at their work places.

The training was delivered by Kim Chateris-Wright of Free Spirit Training and Development in New Zealand.

There were 29 participants from various businesses who took part and many gave positive feedback. Alaimalo Vasa, from Samoa Beverage Company said the training was very relevant.

This training was very helpful for my line of work and can be applied easily into the workplace, said Alaimalo.

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to attend this workshop as it has helped build my confidence and capacity.

The training was delivered by the Samoa Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Samoa In-country Training Programme of the Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education of N.U.S.

The Samoa In-Country Training Program Manager, Sooalo Sydney Faasau, congratulated the participants on completing the course.

The Samoa Chamber of Commerce also acknowledges their development partners, NZ MFAT and AUS DFAT, through the Samoa Education Sector Plan budget support to the NUS, as well as the SICTP Manager, Sooalo and his team.
Dear Editor,

A short essay on Samoan customary lands, heritage and freedom of speech.

If customary land in Samoa is leased or mortgaged and the Bank happens to repossess this land because Charlies (fictitious name ) friends default on payments, ask yourself this question what can the Bank do with Charlies land in Tanumalala legally?

The two principal shareholders Mr. Chekhov and Mr. Rubinsky have left Samoa on a one-way ticket to Namchatka Province in Siberia Russia. In their wake they have left behind a dilapidated chemical plant, which was used to manufacture toxins used in nerve gas and cyanide by products. All of Charlies relatives living on the land are showing signs of respiratory problems, skin rash, kidney failure, blindness and psychosis. The cleanup bill is in the millions.

The bank is now in charge and what can it do with Charlies land? The soil is contaminated. Cant build a hotel or casino on this land? Perhaps the bank can re-mortgage it to try and pay off the outstanding loan?

Can it cancel any decision making in future developments of this land by customary owners?

Two Samoan legal experts strongly endorse the current Land Act assuring us that such a scenario is unlikely because as Teleiai Dr. Lalotoa Mulitalo Seumanutafa points out Nothing in the Act allows the alienation of customary land; The Act expressly says alienation of customary land is prohibited and Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff adds his support that there is nothing to worry about.

I respectfully pose this question: what customary land has been legally converted to freehold land and/or sold off, since the enactment of the Lands Title Registration Act 2008? (L.T.R.A.). The answer is none, Lemalu said recently. That is because it is a legal impossibility. And hes got a point.

Well Im sure many a reader will agree and say that the Act is clear but this isnt the real issue .

The implementation and the reality on the ground and how peoples rights are affected because they have little say let alone understanding in how leases of their land are formulated and how exactly these leases impact future generations? This is the real issue at hand.

Not the word alienation if you follow and trust these lawyers assurances blindly then you are looking at this issue through the lens of a rusty drain pipe. Our customary land rights are not fully protected under current legislation and the belief that customary landowners are somehow immune to alienation from their lands is a fallacy.

Why? Well physically customary landowners can occupy their lands but legal constraints through leases will severely diminish their authority, power and usage of these lands. Businesses defaulting on loan payments and banks repossessing land are an example.

How can customary landowners develop land that is placed under lock and key of corporations? If a high chief negotiates a poor deal with a company leasing his land and fails to consult all his extended family or stakeholders and suddenly dies who takes responsibility?

Charlie my fictitious friend is scratching his head and posing the question? Am I the true master of my land? What is the purpose of having customary land if it is locked up in a lease of 99 years or more?

People live on average 70-80 years now in Samoa. Furthermore Samoan families are getting bigger and not smaller so it follows that customary land will be contested by more and more parties in and out of Samoa.

The Attorney General Lemalu Retzlaff confidently assures us that under existing laws future generations will occupy the land and 80 % of Samoan land will be defined as customary land but he fails to say under bond of leases. The customary land owners will be exempt from participating directly in land development as Banks and Multinationals control long term leases designed in their favor which could exceed 99 years and longer!

This cunning and effective method of land acquisition is used by powerful corporations to trick aid dependent nations into gifting what they really dont have much of their land!

Samoan land is being hauled in by corporate fisherman. Yes we are a small nation outcrop in the middle of the Pacific. Our geo-political, economic and financial worth is being set by others and slowly we are being hauled into a net of unbridled greed.

I respectfully ask this question, Is Samoas economy in an irreversible decrepit state and are people suffering severe malnutrition and is there death, on your door step because of war and raining bombs, are people from your district piling into boats to escape the horrors of a failed state, are people so desperate that they will sell themselves into slavery?

If your answer is no then you have answered what I always suspected, our forefathers our Constitutional writers would have envisioned an apoplectic future just like the one described. They would have certainly asked,

If we lease our lands without determining publicly the exact nature of these leases then Samoans will lose all rights and privileges to their lands because they didnt know or understand the simple detail 

They were misled , they were fooled , they were drugged , they were sold on alcohol , they couldnt speak English or Samoan , they were unprepared , they were baffled by legal jargon , they were reading the Savali instead of the Newsline or Samoa Observer .They were disengaged from the very reality of Samoan life, their culture, their land their rights!

All this said and Charlie slowly stands up leaning gingerly on his walking stick I disagree! he yells defiantly. This was his daily ritual for the last ten years. His face weathered and lined with deep wrinkles 

They were told, they were told in parliament, on TV, on radio, on the street, on Facebook, they were told! We had many meetings, how many prayers how many? And he coughs in pain, my people how many times were you told? Pointing his crooked finger at three earth graves marked only with simple scraps of painted ply wood crudely fashioned into crosses. Momma, Daddy and Charlies wife Sala .Tears roll down his cheeks.

Behind Charlie a workmen sitting on a large bulldozer calls out sympathetically Cmon Charlie were coming thru  got kids to feed Charlie  gotta roll sorry Charlie everythings gotta be rolled sorry Charlie.

Karl Marx
The fight by a Sogi family to stop the Government from evicting them from land they claim as their inheritance is continuing.

The Tokuma family of Sogi have taken their fight to the Court.

Yesterday, the matter was called for hearing before Supreme Court Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke.

Representing the descendants of Turaroe Tokuma is lawyer, Pau Tafaogalupe Mulitalo. Tafailagi Peniamina of the Attorney Generals Office represented the Samoa Land Corporation (S.L.C.) and the Ministry of Public Enterprises.

Nanai Liutofagaomataafa Tokuma, the son of the late Turaroe Tokuma, from the Solomon Islands and the late Ulalemamae Leiataua, took the stand yesterday.

Im not sure why my father came to Samoa in the first place but all I know is that he was the driver for Patrick Percival, the head of the Germans at that time, said Nanai, 77.

My father was the driver for this man in the 1920s.

Pau asked Nanai if he remembered what happened to his father in the 1920s.

My father was accused of killing a Chinese businessman at his shop, but at the end it wasnt him, said Nanai. My father told me this because I wasnt born during that time.

He was arrested and detained and then some men came and told the Court at the time that it was them who killed this Chinese businessman.

It was then that Ms. Peniamina objected to the witnesss testimony saying that what Nanai is telling the Court is not relevant.

Your Honor, what the witness is saying is all hearsay, said Ms. Peniamina. He wasnt there during the time of the incident; he was not born at the time, so what hes telling the Court is all hearsay.

However, Mr. Mulitalo argued that this is irrelevant because given the length of time, there is no evidence found in the police records.

Justice Leiataualesa then called both counsels to chambers.

When the matter was called afterwards, Justice Leiataulesa adjourned it to 8 March at 10 am.

Nanai Tokuma, the counsels for the respondent, objected to evidence that youre giving on the basis that it is hearsay evidence, and that there is no reasonable truth that the hearsay evidence that you are giving is reliable, said Justice Leiataualesa.

As it appears, the evidence that you are giving relates to a matter prior to your birth.

Now I want to hear from counsels on the respect of the objection and counsels also need to make submission on the matter so that I can rule appropriately.

And I understand that these matters are important to the respondents case.

So this matter has been adjourned to next week Thursday March 8, 2018 at 10 am to hear counsels objecting to your evidence and then after we will continue with your hearing.

Outside Court, lawyer Pau Mulitalo said the matter has been adjourned because of the issue of admissibility and reliability.

This is how the Court sees the development of today (yesterday), for somebody who was born in the 1940s giving evidence on something that happened in the 1920s.

So the Court wants profound evidence to prove that there was a murder or any criminal records in relation to this incident rather than Tokuma telling the story that was passed on by his parents.

To the Courts opinion that is hearsay. So the Court has given us counsels the chance to put forward our submission on reliability of evidence, for example we have to look and obtain profound evidence from the police.

To Pa'u this is a challenge.

This is a real challenge because of the length of time involved considering the colonial period Samoa was on at that time, so its a real challenge, he said.

Justice Clarke will make a ruling next week Thursday on this issue of reliability and admissibility in relation to the murder and the execution relation to Turaroe Tokuma.

However, parts of the evidence that Nanai Tokuma met the late Prime Minister Mataafa can continue because he was there. So its just the murder part that is the issue today that relates to the issue of hearsay.

The Tokuma family claims that the land they live on now in Sogi was gifted to their predecessor, Turore Tokuma, by the then Commissioner of Crown Estates of Samoa who was also the Public Trustee and a member of the Legislative Council of Samoa, the late Percival Ernest Patrick in the 1920s.

The late Turore Tokuma was a driver and was treated as a member of the household of Mr. Patrick.

The family also claims the gifted land they now occupy was given to their predecessor and his wife and children in recognition of his service, loyalty and compensation for the execution that almost killed Mr. Tokuma for the crime he did not commit.

The Tokuma family is arguing that their continuous occupation of the same land was endorsed by the first Prime Minister of Samoa, Mataafa Fiame Mulinuu.
An eight-year-old boy was found dead near the road next at Tuaefu on Sunday afternoon.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Police Superintendent, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.

I can confirm the death of the child, but I cannot give any details as an investigation is underway.

Asked whether a post-mortem examination will be required in this case, Auapaau declined to respond.

No further comments from the Police, again investigation is underway.

According to Police Officers who do not wish to be named, the young boy was found by his cousin unconscious near an electrical pole.

Preliminary reports indicate the boy was allegedly electrocuted, said the Officer.

The Samoa Observer reached out to the family of the deceased and the grandmother said: In due time we will reach out to the media, maybe tomorrow, but for now we need to sort things out before we give a public comment.
The Lantern Festival, which usually signifies the end of Chinese New Year celebrations, was observed a little late this year by local Chinese at the Samoa Apia Mission.

Chinese New Year for 2018 was upstaged by Tropical Cyclone Gita.

But a Chinese Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Sister Zhu, persevered in gathering some local Chinese and Samoans to mark the occasion.

Sister Zhu told the Samoa Observer that it was great to see local Chinese mingling with other Samoans in their church held event even although language was a barrier.

After I arrived in Samoa, I have learned how close the Samoan and Chinese are starting from 180 years ago, said Sister Zhu. There are around half of the people here who have Chinese ancestry, it is so amazing. Unfortunately many of them cannot speak Chinese.

The Liang family from Canton, China, has been in Samoa for 10 years and this was the first time for them celebrating their New Year with local Samoans, Mr. Liang said.

China is like Samoa, when we celebrate the Chinese New Year, all the family and friends come together from overseas and every city and its like Christmas, theyre happy that they are together.

I love Samoa. Here the Samoan people are good. I love their passion and they are very hard workers. I love the beach, the beer and the volleyball.

The families and members of the Apia Church Mission sang songs and fellowshipped with each other. Even though language was a barrier, both Samoans and Chinese do have one common way of communicating  through their love of food.

With a mixture of some delicious authentic Chinese and Samoan food, the event was declared a success by all.
Were fortunate to be living and working in this remarkably strong economy, a time when jobs are plentiful and employment has reached new highs.

Its easy to forget that as recently as seven years ago, still gripped by the Great Recession, San Diego Countys unemployment rate was nearly 11 percent. Now the rate merrily dances around 3 percent, give or take a tick or two.

But remember the current 3.3 percent is an average. With engineering and IT being at 1 percent or lower, that means youth, minorities and older workers have a much higher rate of unemployment.

What about the folks who, despite our thriving economy, want to work but remain desperately unemployed?

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Fact is, tens of thousands of lower-income San Diegans still have difficulty getting and keeping a job that pays a wage that with one or even two income families is enough to support themselves and their children.

At a recent economic summit, Ray Major, chief economist with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), pointed out that among the top 20 jobs showing the most anticipated growth now through 2024, only three -- general managers, registered nurses, and accountants/auditors  are mid-range in salary, say $40,000 to $80,000 a year and up.

The rest of the categories range from only $20,000 to $30,000 a year, mostly entry-level positions in the tourism and hospitality sectors and light manufacturing. And these are the jobs that will be outsourced or automated as fast as technology will allow.

What to do?

Substantial barriers to finding a job do exist

Lets begin with the compassionate assumption that everyone who wants to work should be able to find a job and earn a paycheck.

Yet, despite our best efforts as a caring culture, substantial barriers to finding a job do exist, most often led by transportation issues  lack of a car and limited public transportation and child care costs.

Other job barriers include age, disabilities, drug and/or alcohol abuse, education, employer biases, divorce, a child with special needs, aging parents, housing issues or homelessness, English proficiency, employment history gaps, physical or mental illness, and  well, so many more.

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Take transportation.

If you dont have a car, youre stuck

Yes, we have an extensive bus and trolley system -- if your home and job happen to be conveniently near a bus route or trolley line. And there are noble causes such as ride-sharing, walking, and biking to work, but they hardly rate as big-picture options.

The simple truth remains: In San Diego, if you dont have a car, youre mostly stuck.

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Another big barrier: child care and elder care.

Fast-mounting costs of child care, as much as $250 a week and $12,000 a year, quickly negate whatever net income earned from a lower-paying job. Same with elder care, which often requires that those in the so-called sandwich generation  caring for aging parents while supporting young children  must stay at home.

These familial commitments not only potentially pose a barrier to getting a job, they also can trigger loss of a job when sudden family needs cause employees to undependable at their workplace.

More men are now faced with age-old dilemma

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Not so long ago, it was largely females who werent able to maintain a job because of child-care responsibilities. With shifting cultural changes, lately more men, especially those in their 40s and 50s, are being faced with the same age-old dilemma.

I wish I had the magic elixir.

But for starters, heres some advice: Dont be afraid, ashamed or embarrassed to seek or ask for help. There is hope and opportunity out there, especially if you chose to pursue the right job for the right reasons, such as:

 Try to maintain a positive attitude about getting a job, no matter what

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 If you need job training and placement counseling, seek it out by whatever means

 If you need the services take part in free drug, alcohol and mental health services

 If you need financial assistance, seek out government programs that are provided for your benefit, especially child care

On a personal note, as Board Chair, Im a big believer in the San Diego Workforce Partnership. Thats the state- and federal-funded agency that puts San Diegans to work through education programs, job training and placement services  regardless of income or background.

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If you or someone you know needs these valuable services, reach out for assistance and workforce.org.

Theyre offered free of charge and without barriers.

Twitter: @PhilManpowerSD
My father was a radiologist in St. Louis, Missouri (Midwestern values kind of guy), and he had a favorite saying, If you dont know what to do, do nothing. In his case, I think he was channeling the Hippocratic Oath  First, do no harm.

From my perspective, the corollary is that there is a particularly American/entrepreneurial syndrome that celebrates the desire to keep balls in the air, to stay in motion, to create constant and continuous action  and the result, more often than not, is a disaster. That error is the result of Newtons first law of motion  a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by outside forces. (And those forces are often irrational and neurotic.)

In other words, both Hippocrates and Newton make a strong case for (at times) doing nothing. But, doing nothing can also be dangerous and counter intuitive. To explore that further, lets check in with Margaret Neale, professor of management at Stanford Business School.

She says that more than 8,000 Americans die each year while waiting for an organ transplant. This does not reflect a lack of empathy, so much as a lack of will. Eighty-five percent of Americans approve of organ donation, yet few actually bother to sign up as donors. Check your driver license right now, and see if it has the little dot that gives permission to use your organs for someone else if you happen to get hit by a truck. Good intentions, followed by inaction.

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The premise is simple. In the case of organ giving, the obvious solution is to make yes the default option, rather than having to affirmatively choose yes. The book Nudge, by Richard Thaler, makes this case persuasively, but Neale has done some more research that calls into question that assumption. She set up a test in which player No. 1 (the choice architect) gets to set the desired option as the default option before presenting that choice to player No. 2 (the choice maker). The assumption is that player No. 2 would statistically opt for the default option by a wide margin. Wrong. But dont feel badly. She surveyed the 1,500 members of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making and they voted 90.1 percent in favor of the default option (the best one) being picked.

It turns out that across all categories, (business executive, medical student or non-professional, the default was only picked about 50 percent of the time. In other words, you can lead a horse to water and show him a bucket and half the time, he will kick you in the head and ignore the water. This is called default neglect.

Neale thinks this is a huge missed opportunity. She puzzles as to why defaults are ignored half the time. Her conclusion is that there are small changes in how we present decisions that can dramatically affect the quality of peoples lives. How we make health choices and 401-K choices and insurance choices are strongly impacted not only by what the default option is, but also how it is presented. By nature, we are lazy, and like the society, you would think we would always pick the default, but we dont. And the reason is marketing.

I find this fascinating. My nature is prickly and I do not want to be manipulated, but I also get tricked frequently (think of the magazine renewal racket  I have paid for The New Yorker through 2024).

Now the solution to the puzzle is complicated. How do we make the default the obvious choice when it is clearly in our own best self-interest? Back to Thaler and all the thinkers who have written extensively about decision making, trying to explain why we continue to do stupid things.

And in the largest sense, how does our country frame decisions for us to make that encourage us to choose what is not only best for us, but also for the country? (Think health care, immigration, military, budget  need I go further). It comes down to presentation and to education. Neale says, Academics have failed to present status quo bias in a way that fully engages policymakers.

Doing nothing can be liberating and provide space and time to consider the world and contemplate your navel, but it can also lead to incredibly adverse consequences. For example, 47 percent of eligible Americans didnt vote in 2016. It seems that doing nothing is actually doing something.

Neil Senturia, a serial entrepreneur who invests in early-stage technology companies, writes weekly about entrepreneurship in San Diego. Please email ideas to Neil at neil@blackbirdv.com.

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Rule No. 549: Do, do, do.

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Lakeside has a new school leader, a Los Angeles native whos familiar with the rural county town.

The Lakeside Union School District Governing Board will officially appoint Andy Johnsen as the districts superintendent at its meeting on March 8. His salary is not yet settled, the district said.

Johnsen replaces David Lorden, who started in 2013 and left the district in 2017. The district serves 5,200 children from kindergarten through eighth grade and is known for its emphasis on language immersion. Students in the district are taught Mandarin and Spanish from the first year of school.

Johnsen has been serving as the districts Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services since 2015. He has been the districts interim superintendent this year and is currently earning $153,000 annually.

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Andy Johnsen (Courtesy photo )

I know the Lakeside community well and have enjoyed collaborative relationships with the amazing parents, students and staff across the district, Johnsen said. Those relationships will help provide stability of leadership as we continue to work together as a district team.

He said his vision for the district includes building on Lakesides long history of innovation, great teaching and a family feel among staff, students and families.

He said he plans to expand science instruction as a vehicle for other areas, including reading and writing.

We will continue to use technology to support student learning and keep our kids connected to the world beyond their classrooms, Johnsen said. It is important that students are supported to grow in their academics, social skills, creativity and character. Our view should always be on the whole child.

Johnsen grew up Los Angeles, attending Pacific Palisades High School, then earned his bachelors degree in Spanish and Speech Communication from Cal State Long Beach. He earned his masters degree in educational administration from Pepperdine and his doctorate in educational leadership at UCLA.

Johnsen, who lives in Rancho Bernardo with his wife, Carrie, and three children, has also served as a dual-immersion elementary school principal, assistant principal and teacher.

Johnsen said when he was principal of a dual-language immersion school in Poway for eight years before coming to Lakeside, he learned about the power of language instruction.

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Not only does learning a language open up new neural pathways in the brain, it opens doors for life that will enrich our students well into adulthood, he said.

He also worked to create and support innovative instructional programs in Los Angeles, both as a principal and a district office administrator, so he said Lakesides history of innovation through the arts, sciences and language instruction are a perfect fit.

He said another one of his priorities will be that the district continue its work providing social and emotional support to students and their families.

The Lakeside board is expected to name Johnsen officially at its meeting on March 8.

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karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
PHOTO: The El Camino Real Questers met recently in the clubhouse at Lake San Marcos to discuss restoration projects to support this year. The group of nearly 20 women has previously raised money to restore two 19th-century oil paintings in the chapel at Mission San Luis Rey as well as three antique fountains in the missions Peyri Courtyard. The chapter has also completed several projects at the Leo Carrillo Ranch and Oceanside Public Library. The chapter, founded about 20 years ago, is part of the nonprofit Questers, an international organization that supports historical preservation and restoration. The club is raising money for restoration projects by selling notecards featuring photos of members antique collections (box of six is $6). Pictured are some of the clubs members. The next meeting is at 12:30 p.m. March 12 at Lake San Marcos Clubhouse. The meetings typically feature an antique collection of one of the members. RSVP at (760) 591-3581.

More community news

CARLSBAD

Talk to explore

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issues with aging

The Carlsbad Senior Center will hold a free Grace and Grit: Insights to the Real Life Challenges of Aging talk for adults ages 50 and older from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at 799 Pine Ave. Attendees will examine issues common among seniors who find themselves struggling with the roles of parent and child. Transitions later in life are often challenges in communication, logistics and caring. Learn common characteristics and techniques for having these important conversations. The talk will be presented by Fritzi Gros-Daillon of Age Safe America. Call (760) 602-4650.

Learn how to tell

your familys story

North San Diego County Genealogical Society will hear professional genealogist Linda Cerna present Tales to Docs to Stories: Building Your Family Story from Family Tales and Documents from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Carlsbad City Council Chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. Cerna has worked on the PBS Genealogy Roadshow program. Social time begins at 9:30 a.m. Call (760) 390-4600 or email ljj2001@cox.net.

Synagogue to hold Purim event Friday

Celebrate Purim with A Night In Esthers Court with Sohaila International and Sohailas Shining Stars at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Congregation Bnai Tikvah, 2510 Gateway Road. The event will feature an abbreviated Megillah reading, Purim Winter Olympics play and songswith Rabbi Ben Leinow and Cantor Larry Kornit. Attendees are welcome to arrive in costume. There will be hamantaschen and other refreshments. Bring canned goods for donation to Interfaith Community Services. Call (858) 472-0303 or (760) 650-2262.

DEL MAR

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Luncheon to feature two guests Wednesday

The Del Mar Seacoast Republican Women Federated will present speakers Eric Golub and Maureen Mo Muir at the next luncheon meeting at noon Wednesday at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club, 1505 Lomas Santa Fe, Solana Beach. Golub is a writer, a broadcaster with 25 years in radio and has been a featured guest on national media. Muir serves as vice president of the San Dieguito Union High School District board. Social time begins at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $25. Make check payable to Lomas Santa Fe Country Club at the sign-in desk. Reserve at least 24 hours prior to event at (760) 753-5386 or visit delmarseacoastrwf.org.

ENCINITAS

Assistance League welcomes newcomers

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The nonprofit Assistance League Rancho San Dieguito will hold a wine-and-cheese social for prospective new members from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday. The volunteer group is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of children and adults affected by trauma, violence and poverty. Their philanthropic programs include providing survivor kits to assault victims and providing new school clothes through Operation School Bell. For information about the event, including location, email marilynALRSD@gmail.com.

ESCONDIDO

Library to host digital bookmobile Tuesday

The Overdrive Digital Bookmobile will be in the Escondido Public Library parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at 239 S. Kalmia St. The public is welcome to browse the librarys digital books and play in the Gadget Gallery, an interactive experience with multiple Overdrive-enabled devices. Visit library.escondido.org.

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OCEANSIDE

Fire department offering CPR classes

The Oceanside Fire Department and city of Oceanside offer hands only CPR classes for individuals ages 12 and older at the following dates and locations:

March 6: Junior Seau Beach Recreation Center, 300 N. The Strand. Register at apm.activecommunities.com/oceansiderec/Activity_Search/4627.

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May 12: Melba Bishop Recreation Center, 5306 N. River Road. Register at apm.activecommunities.com/oceansiderec/Activity_Search/4628.

Sept. 12: Chavez Resource Center, 605 San Diego St. Register at apm.activecommunities.com/oceansiderec/Activity_Search/4629.

Dec. 13: El Corazon Senior Center, 3302 Senior Center Drive. Visit apm.activecommunities.com/oceansiderec/Activity_Search/4630.

Cost is $5 and includes a booklet. This is a non-certificate class. Call (760) 435-5041.

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Annual art, beer event supports scholarships

The Forrester David Cravens Foundation will hold its third annual fundraiser, Infinite Expression, from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Wood Shed by Booze Brothers Brewing Co., 2545 Progress St., Suite D. The showcase features local artists from various mediums including paint, photography and sculpture. Attendees will be able to connect with artists, purchase art, and help judge the Infinite Expression Art Contest featuring artists from Vista High School. The winter gala will also include live art, spoken word and musical performances. Admission to the event includes appetizers and a raffle ticket with prizes from local businesses. Proceeds will help fund the foundations 4DC Creative Scholarship, awarded to two Vista High School student-artists every spring. For ticket information or to reserve, visit FDCFoundation.com.
Hundreds of Malibu High School students and their families participated in a march and a rally on Sunday calling for stricter gun control laws.

The Call to Action March at Zuma Beach was prompted by the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14 that took the lives of 17 students and school personnel and wounded 16 others.

The shootings reignited a national debate on gun laws, particularly over the accessibility of semi-automatic weapons like the kind used in Florida. The 19-year-old suspect, a former student at the school, had legally bought his AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and ammunition magazines.

Many in the crowd Sunday waved signs that said Enough is Enough, No Guns and Never Again. The students marched from the beach to Malibu High School, where several spoke out against gun violence and called on local, state and federal leaders to take action.

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Survivors of the Florida shooting are organizing a March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, and are expecting up to 500,000 people to attend. Similar marches are planned in cities around the country.

carlos.lozano@latimes.com
Officially, Rebecca Zahau died at her own hand.

Investigators who first looked around the Coronado mansion where she reportedly was found hanging  naked, gagged and bound hand and foot  suspected they had a homicide on their hands.

But after a seven-week investigation, Sheriff Bill Gore held a news conference to announce that evidence and autopsy results led to the conclusion that Zahaus death on July 13, 2011, was a suicide.

Zahaus mother and sister have refused to believe that the 32-year-old surgical technician with a strong Christian faith killed herself. This week, trial is to start in San Diego Superior Court in the familys wrongful death lawsuit.

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Their suspicions have fallen on the only other person known to be at the home at the time: Adam Shacknai, brother of Zahaus boyfriend, Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon Jonah Shacknai.

Rebecca Zahau

Adam Shacknai called 911 to report having found Zahau hanging. He said he cut the rope to lay her on the ground before Coronado police and medics got there.

With no criminal charges pending against anyone, Zahaus family initially filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2013 against Adam Shacknai, Jonah Shacknais ex-wife, Dina Shacknai and her sister, Nina Romano. It was alleged that the three had attacked, strangled and hanged Zahau. The sisters were dropped from the suit when clear evidence revealed they were not present at the times crucial to the case.

The suggested motive for the alleged assault was that Zahau was the adult in charge at the mansion when Jonah Shacknais 6-year-old son, Max, took a fatal fall from a second-story stair landing two days earlier, on July 11. His death was ruled an accident.

That same reasoning has been used to try to explain why she would commit suicide, that she was overcome with guilt.

Jury selection is expected to begin Tuesday before Judge Katherine Bacal, with attorneys opening statements possibly later in the week.

Zahaus controversial death quickly caught the eye of national media. Commentators, true-crime writers, forensic experts and conspiracy theorists sharply divided on whether San Diego County authorities got it right.

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Some thought the Shacknai fortune bought off investigators.

Others questioned whether Zahau could have tied her own hands and feet in such intricate rope knots. Others didnt think she would strip herself bare, tie one end of a rope to the feet of a bed, make a noose at the other end and slip it around her neck, stuff a T-shirt into her mouth, then launch herself over a second-floor bedroom balcony.

One of the most inexplicable features in the evidence was a phrase scrawled on the bedroom door in black paint: She saved him can you save her.

At Gores news conference, reporters were told that DNA on the ropes, blood, fingerprints and bare footprints on the dirty balcony all belonged to Zahau. He said no other questionable DNA was found at the scene.

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San Diego attorney C. Keith Greer drafted the lawsuit against Adam Shacknai and has said in interviews that Zahau was killed because of something sexual in nature. Zahaus mother, Pari Zahau; sister, Mary Zahau-Loehner; and deceased father Robert Zahau are plaintiffs in the case.

They allege that Shacknai wrote the cryptic riddle on the bedroom door. Sheriffs investigators did not solicit a handwriting experts opinion.

Shacknai has hired high-powered Chicago attorney Daniel Webb and New York lawyer David Elsberg.

On Friday, Webb issued a statement about the case, calling the lawsuit shameful.

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He said there is no credible evidence that Shacknai played any role in Zahaus death apart from finding her.

We are confident that the trial in this case will conclusively vindicate Adam and finally bring closure to these outrageous allegations, the statement said.

Heavy media presence is expected at the trial, which is expected to last a month.

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PREVIOUS

A wrongful death lawsuit involving Rebecca Zahau, whose nude body was found hanging from a Coronado mansion balcony in 2011, has been amended to focus on her boyfriends brother and eliminates two sisters as accomplices.

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pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Elected officials in San Diego County have embraced a carbon credit scheme to allow new suburban sprawl without running afoul of Californias increasingly strict requirements to fight climate change.

Developers have started lining up to pay for the credits in lieu of reigning in greenhouse emissions from cars and trucks that would result from proposed housing and commercial projects in unincorporated parts of the county.

The Board of Supervisors has been unanimous in its support of the strategy, arguing that efforts to limit human-induced warming should be balanced with the need to address Californias on-going housing crisis.

I have confidence that we can meet the climate goals at the same time that we can give people choice of where they want to live, said Supervisor Ron Roberts. We shouldnt keep coming up with excuses that prohibit people from building housing.

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Environmental groups have blasted the use of the credits, which can apply to projects anywhere in the world. They argue that offsetting tailpipe emissions wouldnt be as necessary if the county contained new development within urbanized areas.

They are putting developer profits ahead of clean air and healthy lungs, said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign. History will not look kindly on this decision.

The county is now bracing to defend its carbon credit program in court as part of a years-long legal battle with the Sierra Club over its Climate Action Plan.

The county approved an overhauled climate blueprint last week after being ordered by the courts to redraft the plan three years ago. The courts directed officials to set clear standards on what emissions levels are acceptable.

The San Diego chapter of the Sierra Club hasnt officially announced whether it will file a new lawsuit, but it has repeatedly challenged the legality of the carbon credit program during the public review of the climate plans environmental analysis.

If the countys vision stands up in court, it could have statewide implications, according to legal experts.

Its a novel strategy, and its likely to be an increasingly popular one if it succeeds here, said Cara Horowitz, co-executive director of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law.

Developers have faced a growing number of lawsuits by environmental groups in recent years challenging the construction of new suburban communities far from transit stations and job centers. These sprawling developments inevitably generate significant amounts of greenhouse gas as residents commute long distances.

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Builders and local governments now see carbon credits as a way to stave off that costly litigation while continuing to build on previously undeveloped land.

Registries that sell such credits have been around for more than a decade in California, allowing businesses and individuals to purchase offsets for everything from paying people to plant forests to distributing solar cook stoves in poor countries.

The California Air Resources Board has recognized several brokers as the most reputable, including the Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry and Verified Carbon Standard.

Following about two decades of litigation, developers of the Newhall Ranch project in Los Angeles County reached a precedent-setting deal with environmentalists in 2017 that, among other concessions, required developers to buy carbon credits from a registry to offset about 46 percent of the projects emissions.

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Since then developers have shown so much interest in carbon credits that the Los Angeles-based Climate Action Reserve recently launched a new product specifically to satisfy the states environmental laws. While traditional offsets are tied to completed projects, these new credits would help jump start ongoing efforts to fight climate change.

There are a lot of companies out there that are considering taking action, said Craig Ebert, president of the reserve. Offsets are fabulous reduction activities but theres a limited slate of actions that are currently approved.

The county has about a dozen development projects awaiting approval by county authorities that could require carbon credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The developers of Newland Sierra north of Escondido, for example, have proposed buying credits to offset about 80 percent of the developments climate pollution. That number is about 70 percent for Lilac Hills Ranch in Valley Center.

Sierra Club has argued that officials will not be able to establish the authenticity of these credits when purchased for projects located outside of the country.

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There are some major problems with using carbon offsets that are not demonstrated to be enforceable, said Josh Chatten-Brown, a lawyer for the nonprofit. Requiring those reductions here in the county would improve local air quality and have other economic benefits.

County officials said that developers will be required to use only the most well-known registries and dismissed the idea that these companies werent reliable.

The county will monitor these offset projects and registries to ensure that carbon offsets are being achieved, said spokeswoman Jessica Northrup. The registries validate that the emissions are reduced and meet all the required standards.

Businesses can buy carbon offsets as part of the states cap-and-trade program. The air board independently verifies the offset projects and limits use to just 8 percent of a regulated companys total emissions.

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The county has required developers to do as much onsite mitigation of greenhouse gases as feasible before turning to the market for credits. However, because sprawling development generates such large numbers of additional car trips, solar panels and building efficiencies only go so far.

If the program continues as planned, it could pave the way for significant new growth throughout the backcountry.

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Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
One of President Donald Trumps main campaign platforms was to build a border wall. Now at the beginning of his second year in office, Congress is locked in a stalemate over funding the wall and providing a pathway to citizenship for so-called dreamers.

Meanwhile, the Border Patrol last week touted a new 30-foot structure replacing a little over two miles of decades-old barriers in Calexico as part of the border wall. Media announced the development as the first installation of Trumps wall.

But is it?

Plans for the project began in 2009, according to Border Patrol agent Justin Castrejon, well before Trump as a candidate began calling for a border wall.

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Congress has not passed any bills specifically funding Trumps border wall.

Money for the Calexico project came in Trumps first year in office with the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, according to a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection. That legislation gives CBP about $260.9 million for procurement, construction, and improvements.

The Calexico project contract will cost about $18 million, Castrejon said.

Agents generally used the term fence to refer to barriers that were in place prior to the Trump administration. With the announcement of this project, that seems to be changing.

We are calling this a border wall, Castrejon said. It is not a new wall. Its a replacement wall.

The new barrier is made of bollards  posts placed close together so that people cant get through but agents can see if anyone is on the other side. The posts are thicker and taller than the 15- to 20-foot bollards erected in the 2000s in other parts of the El Centro Sector.

The new project is replacing old Vietnam War-era landing mats that were put up in the 1990s.

Ken Walsh, professor of construction engineering at San Diego State University, said the difference between a fence and a wall is that fences can be seen through and have posts.

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Walls, he said, are opaque and have a continuous base instead of posts. Height doesnt make a difference in the terminology, he said.

That would mean the new structure going up in Calexico is a fence, and the landing mat barrier that its replacing is actually a wall.

On Thursday, the second day of construction, workers used a large Caterpillar machine to pull down a few pieces of old landing mat.

Mexican authorities patrolled in a shade of trees south of the border to keep anyone from trying to cross through the gap. One paused to record on his phone as workers plucked one of the large metal sheets out of the ground with construction equipment.

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Workers hadnt yet started putting up the new bollards. They lay in a stack nearby.

Pieces of the new structure will go up before more of the old material comes down, Castrejon said, to keep security risks to a minimum.

He said the barrier is not an end all, but a force multiplier.

It will run from the banks of the New River on the west side of downtown Calexico past Gran Plaza Outlets to a stretch of fields lined with crops, solar panels and, in some cases, just dirt.

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The area has been problematic for agents, Castrejon said, both in terms of crossings and assaults on Border Patrol. Agents in El Centro apprehended about 18,500 people illegally crossing the border in fiscal 2017, according to data from CBP.

Known as one of the most polluted rivers in the nation, the New River causes particular trouble, Castrejon said, because smugglers often encourage unauthorized immigrants to use the green, smelly water to swim into the U.S.

Agents are instructed not to go into the water unless theres a life-or-death emergency. They consider someone trying to splash them with the polluted water as an assault.

Agents hope the updated barrier will prevent people from trying to cross through the river. Castrejon was unable to give details about construction plans for the river itself.

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The El Centro Sector of Border Patrol has several types of barriers that vary based on geography and how much action agents see in a particular area.

The western-most part of the sector begins in the mountains, where geography acts as the only deterrent to people crossing into the U.S. without authorization.

Where state Route 98 stretches from Interstate 8 through desert toward the city of Calexico, a low, airy fence lines the border. It doesnt block people from crossing on foot, but it keeps cars from driving through low brush to the highway, where they can disappear into traffic.

Though drive throughs, as agents call them, were a big problem for the area in the past, the sector didnt have any last year, Castrejon said, and he attributed that to the fencing.

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Infrastructure  it helps. It works, he said.

The sector doesnt need to spend resources on more elaborate barriers in that area, he said.

Agents have camera towers to watch for pedestrians in the desert, and they periodically drag old tires to smooth the soil so they can track footprints. Because it can take hours to hike from the border to the highway on foot, Castrejon said, agents have time to catch unauthorized immigrants before they get away.

Closer to Calexico, where the new project is located, agents have less time to catch border crossers before they make it to roads or residential areas. Agents rely on barriers that block pedestrians to help them with their work.

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In the 90s, the landing mats were installed along the two-mile stretch leading west out of Calexico where the new structure is now going up.

After the opaque metal sheets were in place, the Calexico Arts Council commissioned a mural along part of the barrier, a friendship bracelet to affirm a close relationship between the two countries that the landing mats separated. A few of the painted sections will be kept in a local museum after they come down.

In the 2000s, a barrier made of bollards went up both in downtown Calexico and between the landing mats and the vehicle fence in the desert.

San Diego also has sections of barrier made of old landing mats. In places that kept agents busy with frequent crossings, the federal government built a second row of fencing.

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Because much of the land near the border in Calexico is private property, Castrejon said, secondary fencing was not a viable solution to give agents there more support.

The Calexico construction is one of three projects at the center of a lawsuit challenging the Trump administrations use of a waiver to comply with environmental laws to speed up border infrastructure work. The waiver was also used on the wall prototypes on Otay Mesa and a planned fencing replacement project in San Diego.

The judges decision could come any day, raising questions about what would happen if the Calexico project has to stop.

Castrejon said he couldnt comment on pending litigation.

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A fence isnt inferior to a wall, said Walsh, the engineering professor. What matters is how well it serves its purpose of keeping people from crossing into the U.S. without authorization.

By virtue of being taller, whether you call it a fence or call it a wall, it should still be more difficult to cross, Walsh said.

Walsh also pointed to the American Society of Civil Engineers report on the condition of U.S. infrastructure. Last year, the country earned a D+ for the quality of its roads, bridges, fences and walls.

Everything eventually needs to be replaced, Walsh said.

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Regardless of the word used to describe the new barrier, Castrejon is excited about the increased visibility the bollard fence will give to agents working in the area.

This is historic times, Castrejon said.

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Discriminating against someone on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited under federal civil rights law, a federal appeals court ruled Monday as it sided with a gay skydiving instructor who was fired from his job after discussing his sexuality with a client.

The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit offers expanded protections for LGBT people and marks a significant loss for President Donald Trumps Justice Department, which had filed a brief arguing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not cover sexual orientation discrimination.

But the state of the law is still murky, as federal circuits in other parts of the country have issued mixed opinions. The ruling from the 2nd Circuit, based in Manhattan, could be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Justice Department spokesman Devin OMalley said in a statement: The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all individuals, and will continue to enforce the numerous laws Congress has enacted that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. We remain committed to the fundamental principle that the courts cannot expand the law beyond what Congress has provided. The position that the Department advocated in this case has been its long-standing position across Administrations and remains the law of nine different Courts of Appeals.

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The case in the 2nd Circuit stems from a years-old lawsuit brought by Donald Zarda, a skydiving instructor who had worked at a company called Altitude Express.

In the summer of 2010, Zarda told a female client who was getting ready for a jump that he was gay and had an ex-husband to prove it, court documents show. The client alleged Zarda inappropriately touched her and disclosed his sexual orientation to excuse that; Zarda denied the inappropriate touching and said he made the comment to preempt any discomfort she might feel jumping with him.

He was fired, and sued Altitude Express, claiming his termination was a result of his reference to being gay. Zarda died in 2014, although the case is being carried on by his sister and a former partner.

As the case made its way through court, the legal doctrine over sexual discrimination evolved. In 2015, for example, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled for the first time that Title VII should cover sexual orientation discrimination. After that, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit similarly recognized that principle, although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit did not.

The Justice Department last year came down on the side of those who say sexual discrimination was not covered, and asserted in a court filing that the EEOC was not speaking for the United States.

But the 2nd Circuit disagreed. Chief Judge Robert Katzmann, writing for the majority, wrote that sexual orientation discrimination is motivated, at least in part, by sex and is thus a subset of sex discrimination, and therefore covered by Title VII.

To the extent that our prior precedents held otherwise, they are overruled, Katzmann wrote.

Eight judges joined Katzmanns opinion, while three filed dissents.
The line of students and their parents wrapped around Stoneman Douglas High School, several thousand people entering the campus for the first time since a gunman took 17 lives nearly two weeks ago.

They walked solemnly but resolutely Sunday through gates that had been locked to all but law enforcement and school officials since the Valentines Day shooting, set to collect backpacks and other belongings left behind as they fled the massacre. To enter, they passed within feet of the three-story building where the shooting happened. It is now cordoned off by a chain link fence that was covered with banners from other schools showing their solidarity.

Just seeing the building was scary, freshman Francesca Lozano said as she exited the school with her mom. Still, she was happy to see her friends. That made it a lot better.

The 3,200-student school reopens Wednesday and administrators said families would get phone calls about details later. Sunday was a day to ease into the return.

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Two of my best friends arent here anymore, said freshman Sammy Cooper, who picked up the book bag he had dropped as he saw the accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, begin shooting. But Im definitely going to school Wednesday. I will handle it.

Junior Sebastian Pena said the gathering was a chance to see friends and his teachers, and to come together as a family.

The students were greeted by 17 people dressed in white costumes as angels standing beside a makeshift memorial outside the school. Organizer Terry Decarlo said the costumes are sent to every mass shooting and disaster so the survivors know angels are looking over them and protecting them. Many of those dressed as angels at Stoneman Douglas on Sunday were survivors of the 2016 mass shooting at the Orlando nightclub Pulse, where 49 people died.

1 / 68 Peter Wangs mother, Hui, cries as she is helped into a waiting car with her family after the memorial service for her 15-year-old son in Coral Springs, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Taimy Alvarez / Sun-Sentinel) 2 / 68 People arrive for the funeral of Alyssa Alhadeff at the Garden of Aaron at Star of David Memorial Gardens on Feb. 16, 2018, in Parkland, Florida. Alhadeff was one of 17 people killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 3 / 68 Sheryl Acquarola, a 16 year-old junior from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, is overcome with emotion at the Florida House of Representatives after legislators voted not to hear a bill banning assault rifles and large capacity magazines in Tallahassee, Fla., on Feb 20, 2018. (Mark Wallheiser / AP) 4 / 68 Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School get ready to board a bus for a trip to Tallahassee, Fla. on Feb. 20, 2018 to talk with lawmakers about the recent rampage at their school and what needs to be done to make sure it doesnt happen again. (Mike Stocker / Sun-Sentinel) 5 / 68 Mourners leave the funeral of Peter Wang, 15, who was a JROTC cadet, on Feb.20, 2018 in Coral Springs, Florida. Wang was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School along with 16 other people. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 6 / 68 A makeshift memorial in front of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Cristobal Herrera / EPA-EFE) 7 / 68 Organizers Cameron Kasky, left, and Jackie Corin, student survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, address fellow students before boarding buses in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2018, to rally outside the state capitol. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 8 / 68 Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and some chaperones wait to board buses in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2018, for a trip to the state Capitol in Tallahassee. (Cristobal Herrera / EPA-EFE) 9 / 68 Jason Wang, center, holds a picture of his brother Peter, along with his younger brother, Alex, after his brothers funeral in Coral Springs, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2018. (Taimy Alvarez / Sun-Sentinel) 10 / 68 Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, right, responds to a question from Florida Gov. Rick Scott, back, on gun violence during a meeting at Floridas Capitol, Tallahassee. (Scott Keeler / Tampa Bay Times) 11 / 68 Tyra Heman, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, holds a sign on Feb. 20, 2018, that reads, Enough No Guns in front of the school where 17 people were killed on Feb. 14 in Parkland, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 12 / 68 Mourners leave the funeral of Meadow Pollack, a victim of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 16, 2018. Nikolas Cruz, a former student, was charged with several counts of premeditated murder on Thursday. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 13 / 68 A young girl and a woman embrace as they leave a funeral service for Alyssa Alhadeff at the Star of David Funeral Chapel in North Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. Alhadeff was one of the victims of Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. (Brynn Anderson / AP) 14 / 68 Candles that were placed on crosses still glow after last nights vigil for victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, at Pine Trail Park, on Feb. 16, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 15 / 68 A woman weeps as she sits outside the Temple Kol Tikvah before the funeral of Meadow Pollack, a victim of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 16, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 16 / 68 People leave an orientation for students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Sunday in Parkland, Florida, where students will return to classes Wednesday for the first time since the Feb. 14 shooting. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 17 / 68 Alexandra Geisser, 16, embraces a therapy dog named, Mickey, outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as students and family members take part in an orientation Sunday before classes resume Wednesday. There were several therapy dogs on site for students to interact with. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 18 / 68 Maria Creed is overcome with emotion as she crouches in front of one of the memorial crosses at Pine Trails Park in Parkland on Feb. 16, 2018. White crosses memorialize the 17 people killed Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Creeds son, Michael Creed, is a sophomore at the school. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) 19 / 68 Linda Barrio crosses herself as she prays Feb. 16, 2018, at a memorial at Pine Trails Park in Parkland for the 17 people killed Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I dont know how its [school violence] going to end, Barrio said. I just wish there was something we couldve done to stop this. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) 20 / 68 People comfort each other at a public memorial for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 16, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 21 / 68 Candles that were placed on crosses still glow after last nights vigil for victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, at Pine Trail Park, on Feb. 16, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 22 / 68 Two people comfort each other as they sit and mourn at one of seventeen crosses, after a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 23 / 68 Marianna Guttierez, 14, center right, and other students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School gather with others for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of the school shooting on Thursday in Parkland, Florida. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 24 / 68 Students and family members hold candles during a vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 25 / 68 Zachary Haupert, 14, painted RIP Luke, on his hoodie in honor of his friend, Luke Hoyer, who was one of the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 26 / 68 People gather for a candlelight vigil Thursday in honor of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 27 / 68 Mourners gather during a vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 28 / 68 A woman places a poster of shooting victim Meadow Pollack at one of seventeen crosses, after a candlelight vigil for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 29 / 68 Thousands of mourners attend a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 30 / 68 People pray around one of seventeen crosses after a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 31 / 68 People gather for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Some of those who survived the rampage were demanding to know why the adults who run the country had not done more to prevent it. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 32 / 68 One of 17 angel sculptures is shown before a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 33 / 68 People arrive for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland Florida. On Capitol Hill, some Republican and Democratic senators struggled to say what lawmakers would do in response to the shooting. (Matt McClain / The Washington Post) 34 / 68 A video monitor shows school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, left, making an appearance before Judge Kim Theresa Mollica in Broward County Court, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 35 / 68 Mourners hug after placing flowers on a makeshift memorial honoring the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 36 / 68 A mourner kneels in front of a makeshift memorial for the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 37 / 68 Mourners gather at Parkridge Church in Coral Springs for a noon vigil to honor those who where killed in Wednesdays mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Feb. 15, 2018. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) 38 / 68 Mourners hug during a prayer vigil for the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting at Parkridge Church in Coral Springs, Florida on February 15, 2018. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 39 / 68 A women breaks down with emotion during a prayer vigil for famlies of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a mass shooting took place, at the Parkridge Church, on February 15, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 40 / 68 Austin Burden, 17, cries on the shoulder of a friend after a vigil at the Parkland Baptist Church, for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 15, 2018. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 41 / 68 Mourners pray during a prayer vigil for the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting at Parkridge Church in Coral Springs, Florida on February 15, 2018. (Rhona Wise / AFP/Getty Images) 42 / 68 This video image shows shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz on February 15, 2018 at Broward County Jail in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The heavily armed teenager who gunned down students and adults at a Florida high school was charged Thursday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, court documents showed. (Miguel Guttierez / AFP/Getty Images) 43 / 68 This photo posted on the Instagram account of Nikolas Cruz shows weapons lying on a bed. Cruz was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder on Feb. 15, 2018, the day after opening fire with a semi-automatic weapon in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. (Instagram) 44 / 68 This booking photo obtained February 15, 2018 courtesy of the Broward County Sheriffs Office shows shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz. Authorities in Florida could offer no explanation Wednesday night as to why a former student armed with an AR-15 rifle opened fire at a high school earlier that day, killing at least 17 people. (Broward County Sheriffs Office) 45 / 68 Law enforcement officers block off the entrance to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Feb. 15, 2018 in Parkland, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 46 / 68 Kristi Gilroy hugs a young woman at a police checkpoint near the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people yesterday were killed by a gunman on February 15, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 47 / 68 Sheree Spaulding walks with her 15-year-old son, Justin Spauling, who is a 9th grader at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed by a gunman yesterday, on February 15, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 48 / 68 Student Kelsey Friend gets help wiping away her tears after recounting her story about Wednesdays mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed, on February 15, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 49 / 68 Law enforcement personnel arrest an unidentified man (in dark red), following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 14, 2018. A former student opened fire at the Florida high school Wednesday, killing more than a dozen people and sending scores of students fleeing into the streets. (WPLG-TV) 50 / 68 Waiting for word from students, anxious family members gather at Coral Springs Drive and the Sawgrass Expressway, after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 51 / 68 Police officers tend ride in the back of a pick-up truck with a victim outside of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., after a shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 52 / 68 Students react following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a city about 50 miles north of Miami on February 14, 2018. (MICHELE EVE SANDBERG / AFP/Getty Images) 53 / 68 People are brought out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after a shooting at the school on Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 54 / 68 Students are released from a lockdown outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., after reports of an active shooter on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun Sentinel) 55 / 68 Medical personnel tend to a victim following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 56 / 68 People embrace after students were released from a lockdown following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 57 / 68 People gather waiting for word from students near Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., following a shooting at the school on Feb. 14, 2018. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 58 / 68 A law enforcement officer rushes toward Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following a shooting at the school in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 59 / 68 Parents wait for news after a reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Joel Auerbach / AP) 60 / 68 Students react following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Michele Eve Sandberg / AFP/Getty Images) 61 / 68 Students released from a lockdown are overcome with emotion following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel ) 62 / 68 Students released from a lockdown walk away following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (John McCall / South Florida Sun-Sentinel) 63 / 68 Students react following a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Michele Eve Sandberg / AFP/Getty Images) 64 / 68 A student shows a law enforcement officer a photo or video from his phone on Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School sent students rushing into the streets as SWAT team members swarmed in and locked down the building. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 65 / 68 In this frame grab from video provided by WPLG-TV, students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., evacuate the school following a shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. (WPLG-TV via AP) 66 / 68 In this frame grab from video provided by WPLG-TV, students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., evacuate the school following a shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. (WPLG-TV via AP) 67 / 68 Parents wait for news after a reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 68 / 68 Anxious family members watch a rescue vehicle pass by on Feb. 14, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School school sent students rushing into the streets as SWAT team members swarmed in and locked down the building. (Wilfredo Lee / AP)

Earlier Sunday, Florida Gov. Rick Scotts office said he had asked Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen to investigate the law enforcement response to the shooting. The agency confirmed it would begin the probe immediately.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel has come under withering scrutiny after the revelation last week that deputy Scot Peterson, the schools assigned security officer, was nearby when the shooting began but did not go into the building to confront Cruz during the attack. The sheriffs office is also facing a backlash for apparently mishandling some of the 18 tipster calls related to the suspected shooter. The tips were among a series of what authorities now describe as the clearest missed warning signs that Cruz, who had a history of disturbing behavior, posed a serious threat.

Israel defended his leadership Sunday and said investigators were looking into claims that three other deputies were on the scene but failed to enter the school when the chance to save lives still existed. To date, the investigation has pointed to only one deputy being on school grounds while the killer was present, he told CNN.

Israel also labeled as absolutely untrue reports that the deputies waited outside even though children were inside the building needing urgent medical treatment.

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State Rep. Bill Hager, a Republican lawmaker from Boca Raton, has called on Scott to remove Israel from office because of the missed red flags.

Israel vowed not to resign, saying Hagers letter was full of misinformation and shameful, politically motivated.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran stepped up the pressure Sunday, calling on Scott to suspend the sheriff.

In the years leading up to this unspeakable tragedy, Sheriff Israel, his deputies, and staff ignored repeated warning signs about the violent, erratic, threatening and antisocial behavior of Nikolas Jacob Cruz, Corcoran said in a letter signed by more than 70 lawmakers.

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Scott said in a statement Sunday that he understands Corcorans concerns, but added there must be an independent investigation.

Like me, he wants the families to have answers and for there to be full accountability. Thats what the victims and their families deserve, Scott said.

Israel insisted that lapses were being investigated. He told CNN that a deputy who responded to a Nov. 30 call referring to Cruz as a school shooter in the making was being investigated by internal affairs for not filing a report and had been placed on restrictive duty.

There needed to be report. And thats what we are looking into that a report needed to be completed, it needed to be forwarded to either Homeland Security or a violent crimes unit, Israel said.

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The FBI has acknowledged that it failed to investigate the tip about Cruz that the agency received on Jan. 5.

Associated Press writers Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Florida, Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
The Navy officer who was injured by a spinning helicopter blade at Camp Pendelton and later died was identified Sunday as a 32-year-old flight surgeon, officials said.

Lt. James E. Mazzuchelli was struck by a UH-1Y Venom rotor blade about 6:10 p.m. Wednesday at Camp Pendleton. The helicopter was on the ground at the time of the accident.

He was rushed to a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries early Saturday.

Mazzuchelli was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 with Marine Aircraft Group 39, and was stationed at the Marine base.

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The Florida native enlisted in the Navy in June 2010. He deployed to Japan with his squadron in 2016.

Lt. James Mazzuchelli was an incredibly talented physician and sailor, said Col. Matthew Mowery, commanding officer of MAG-39. His contagious enthusiasm, motivation, and love for the Marines and sailors of HMLA-267 and MAG-39 has been evident in the outpouring of grief at his loss and the support being shown to his family and close friends.

The incident is under investigation.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

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lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
San Diego police were investigating threatening messages spray-painted on walls around Rancho Bernardo High School on Monday, including one referencing Florida. As a result, several officers were stationed at the campus and many students opted to skip school for the day.

Police said they were called shortly after 6:30 a.m. and found more than 20 graffiti messages around the campus on Paseo Lucido, said San Diego police Officer Billy Hernandez.

Poway Unified School District spokeswoman Christine Paik said police determined the threats were not credible and were trying to figure out who had left them at the school, which was back in session after a weeklong break.

People posted images of some of the disturbing spray-painted messages on Twitter, some of which included the words the innocent will die, Florida was nothing and RBHS school shooting. Many also included 2/26 12:00, apparently a reference to todays date.

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We have thousands of students returning from a weeklong February break (who) were returning to school today. Some of them arrived to find that, Paik told reporters. That was a severe disruption to the school day, as well as it strikes fear in the hearts of students, parents, teachers, staff. This kind of stuff we have to take seriously in this day and age. With that Florida shooting just a couple weeks ago, this is fresh on everybodys minds.

A gunman opened fire on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people. A 19-year-old has been charged in the school massacre.

Classes at Rancho Bernardo High were being held as normal and parents were sent an email about the graffiti, Poway Unified School District spokesman Harry Katcher said.

Certainly people are on edge, but right now I dont have any word that the school is closed or will be closed, Katcher said.

Crews started to clean up the graffiti, which was painted in common areas on the campus. Police took photographs of the vandalism, Paik said.

This is costly, not just in terms of time but financially as well, she said.

Paik said many students opted to leave campus once they heard about the threats. Although school was in session and the campus did not go into lockdown, she said the graffiti created a major disruption for the school.

I cant stress enough, this type of thing is not Oh, lets get a free day off of school. This is serious with serious consequences and criminal charges, she said.

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An email about the graffiti was sent to Rancho Bernardo area families from Rancho Bernardo High School Principal Dave LeMaster Monday morning.

It read: This morning we discovered threatening messages spray painted throughout our campus. We immediately contacted San Diego Police Department who are on campus investigating. At this point, the (police) do not believe this to be a credible threat. We will continue to have police presence on campus for the remainder of the day and throughout the week.

The principal also said that he knew many students elected to leave campus before school started after seeing the graffiti. He said additional communication would be sent to families later Monday.

Several schools in the region reacted to threats of violence last week, some relayed on social media and some scrawled on walls or uttered by students.

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A 14-year-old freshman was arrested and suspended from Torrey Pines High School in San Diego after he was accused of making verbal and written threats. On Friday, the Sheriffs Department investigated a threatening message found on a bathroom wall at Steam Academy at La Presa in Spring Valley. A similar message was found on a bathroom wall at one of the High Tech High campuses in Point Loma on Tuesday.

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karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com
A 16-year-old boy was arrested last week after allegedly threatening to shoot up Torrey Pines High School  the second teen to be arrested on suspicion of making school threats about the Carmel Valley campus in less than a week.

San Diego police acting Capt. Paul Phillips said school officials told investigators that the teen made the verbal threat on Friday. The boy is a former student at the campus.

Investigators, with assistance from the district, identified the student and found him near his residence. He was taken into custody and officers searched his residence, where no firearms were found.

He was later taken to juvenile hall.

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The arrest came a day after a 14-year-old Torrey Pines freshman was suspended and later taken into custody on suspicion of threatening a school shooting.

Investigators said school officials informed police of the incident on Wednesday night. Phillips said the teen is suspected of making the threat via social media. The school knew who the teen was and shared that information with police.

Officers spoke to the boy at his home on Thursday afternoon. No weapons were found there, and he was ultimately taken to juvenile hall.

At this time, police do not believe the two threats were related.

Local schools have been confronting a wave of violent images or messages, some shared online, some scrawled on school property in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14.

On Monday, more than 20 different threatening graffiti messages were discovered at Rancho Bernardo High School, including one referencing the Florida massacre.

A Poway Unified School District spokesman Harry Katcher said classes were being held as normal and parents were being sent an email from school leaders about the graffiti. Katcher also said police did not find the threats credible.

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Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

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lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A man was killed and two women were seriously injured early Monday morning in a wrong-way, head-on collision on a freeway transition ramp in San Diegos Old Town neighborhood, authorities said.

Police suspect a 35-year-old man in a Volkswagen Jetta got onto westbound Interstate 8 at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard heading eastbound against traffic, California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr said.

Just before 2 a.m., he allegedly attempted to head south on Interstate 5 in the northbound lanes. After successfully negotiating the ramp that connects the northbound I-5 to westbound I-8, the wrong-way driver plowed into the front end of a Toyota Camry, Doerr said.

A Jeep Cherokee driving behind the Camry slowed but was unable to stop and tapped the rear-end of the Camry.

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CHP officers said evidence at the scene suggested the Volkswagon was going the wrong way, but the investigation is ongoing.

The Jettas driver died at the scene while the 22-year-old woman driving the Camry sustained major injuries and was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital, Doerr said.

A 36-year-old female passenger in the Camry also suffered major injuries and was taken to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest.

Nobody in the Jeep was injured, and the 25-year-old man driving that vehicle was not suspected of driving under the influence, Doerr said.

The crash closed the northbound I-5 transition to both directions of westbound I-8 for about three hours, but all lanes were reopened just before 5 a.m.

CHP accident specialists were investigating the deadly collision, and the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office was expected to determine if the wrong-way Jettas driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
California Democrats overwhelmingly decided not to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein this weekend, an embarrassing rebuke of a party icon who has represented California in the Senate for a quarter-century.

Nearly two-thirds of the partys delegates voted against backing her campaign for a fifth full term, a reflection of the dissonance between an increasingly liberal state party and the moderation and pragmatism that have been hallmarks of Feinsteins political career.

The lack of support could simply be a speed bump on Feinsteins path to reelection in November. But many Democrats gathered in San Diego for their annual convention said they were looking for a flamethrower who would more aggressively confront President Trump and viewed Feinstein as a creature of the nations capital who has lost touch with her California roots.

Feinsteins opponent, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, won 54% of the delegates votes Saturday, just shy of the 60% needed to secure the endorsement. Feinstein received 37%.

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I have never seen her ever at a convention until she finally realized, Ive got a challenge on my hands, said Mark Gonzalez, chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. People are frustrated. Shes the most senior member and we value that, but as the most senior member, youve got to give it to Trump. She has the power to challenge him, and she doesnt always do that.

De Leon seized on the discontent as he sought the partys endorsement.

Im running for the United States Senate because the days of Democrats biding our time, biting our tongue and triangulating at the margins are over, De Leon said. And Im running because Californias greatness comes from acts of human audacity, not from congressional seniority.

De Leon, 51, still faces significant obstacles in his bid to topple a powerful, wealthy incumbent. He trails Feinstein by 29 percentage points in the most recent public poll and started the year with $360,000 compared with Feinsteins $10 million. If he had received the endorsement, he would have gained access to party resources and the ability to jointly raise funds with the party, which can receive unlimited contributions.

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Feinsteins longtime political advisor, Bill Carrick, dismissed the significance of the endorsement vote as a beauty contest among party activists who do not represent the broader California electorate. He said that as a senior senator in Washington, Feinstein could not shower party regulars with as much attention as De Leon.

He spent a lot of time working the party [events] over the years, Carrick said. Shes obviously a senator in Washington with a very serious day job.

Both candidates walked the convention halls courting delegates during the three-day weekend gathering as their supporters waved campaign signs and handed out buttons. De Leon handed out tacos and cups of horchata to his supporters, while Feinstein provided scrambled eggs and French toast during a rare appearance at a state party convention.

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Theres a difference between Republicans and Democrats that Ive noticed, Feinstein told the crowd at the breakfast she hosted for delegates. Republicans tend to stick by their man no matter what. Democrats dont always. We fractionate. We divide. This must not happen. This great California house of Democrats must come together because we have a big job to see that this country gets straightened out.

Feinstein, 84, held a conference call for delegates earlier in the week and sent them mailers touting her accomplishments. But the senator from San Francisco is not a frequent presence at state party events, a point raised often over the weekend.

We have not seen her in 25 years, Latino caucus chairman Carlos Alcala said to hoots from the audience after Feinstein chose not to address their meeting.

At a party labor caucus meeting, some in the crowd groaned and shook their heads when Feinstein said she had aligned with their interests on every vote I know of in the U.S. Senate.

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And during her speech to delegates Saturday, music began playing as she ran past the five minutes allotted.

De Leons supporters used the moment to chant Times up! Times up!

The at-times chilly reception is nothing new for Feinstein. When running for governor in 1990, she was booed during her speech before the state party convention for affirming her support for the death penalty  a moment her campaign filmed and turned into a television ad as testament to her independence. Feinstein did not win the party endorsement but did win the primary before losing in the general election.

Feinstein was warmly received by many delegates, including members of the partys womens caucus, who greeted her with a standing ovation.

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I think shes fabulous. I think shes the model for every young girl coming up. Shes got more grit than some of the males that are in Congress right now, said Toni Rigoni, 65, a corporate event planner from San Jose. Dont get me wrong. Im all for change. I love change. I think its important. But she has the know-how, she has the wit, she has the humor, she has the determination. Shes a professional. She knows how Washington runs, and thats what we need.

The party is fractured between its more moderate members and its progressive wing, a divide that came into sharp relief during a bitterly contested chairmans race last year.

De Leon tried to appeal to the newly energized liberal faction by contrasting Feinsteins record  including votes for the Iraq war and warrantless wiretapping by the federal government  with his support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and single-payer healthcare. He also highlighted controversial comments Feinstein made last year calling for patience with Trump and expressing the hope that he could become a good president.

Ilissa Gold, 31, president of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club, said she backed De Leon partly because of his antagonistic approach toward the president.

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We believe that California is on the forefront of the resistance to Donald Trump, and we believe we need a senator who is going to represent that, she said. We very much respect her long service to California. We just believe that were at a different point and time in this country, and its time for a change in our leadership.

Feinsteins supporters argue her long history of supporting progressive policy has been overlooked, including authoring the federal assault weapons ban and her decision to release a transcript of the Senate Judiciary Committees interview of the co-founder of Fusion GPS, a firm that researched Trump during the 2016 campaign over the objections of Republicans.

She is fighting hard and she has been her entire career, since she came to the Senate in 1992, said former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a longtime Feinstein confidante. Shes shown herself to be a stellar leader and an independent leader, and one that is completely in line with most Californians.

Cheryl Conway, 61, a delegate from Cayucos, said she wasnt surprised that Feinstein was snubbed by the party because, as an influential member of the Senate judiciary and intelligence committees, she sometimes has to put the nations interest over the partys.

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Those who want a purity test are always going to be disappointed in a candidate, she said.

A retired staff member for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Conway voted to endorse Feinstein and said she still expects her to win reelection  even without the party nod.

Dianne Feinstein is a big girl. She knows how to do this, she said.

Times staff writer Melanie Mason contributed to this report.

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seema.mehta@latimes.com; phil.willon@latimes.com

For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema and @philwillon on Twitter.
President Donald Trump is finally expected to go to California.

The president, who has rarely crossed the Mississippi River during his first 13 months in office, is scheduled to visit San Diego in mid-March to see prototypes for a potential border wall and learn more about the construction, according to administration officials involved in the planning.

He will also visit Los Angeles to attend a Republican National Committee fundraiser, these people said, one of a number of fundraisers he is expected to headline in the next two months.

The presidents trip to California has been floated several times and later scuttled. Trump prefers to sleep in his own bed at night, and some of his aides have been leery of a trip to the border because of likely protests amid debate over the presidents support for new immigration limits.

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Trump has criticized California officials in recent days, threatening to pull immigration enforcement out of the countrys largest state in retribution for what he deemed a lousy management job. He has also complained about sanctuary cities in California, where local municipalities do not cooperate with federal law enforcement officials.

Trump is not exactly a favorite person in California - he lost the state to Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 4 million votes. But Trump is close to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. And any border wall - his signature campaign promise - would run through California.

Eight border wall prototypes are on display in a dusty lot near the border east of San Diego. The 30-foot-tall barriers use varying configurations of steel, concrete - even spikes - to create ramparts far more formidable than almost anything currently in place along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico. Tests conducted by the Department of Homeland Security have found the prototypes are nearly impossible to climb or break through.

Trump has dropped his insistence that the new structure be a wall, rather than a fence, as U.S. border agents prefer something that allows them to see through into Mexican territory. Trump said last year that an completely opaque structure would leave agents at risk of being struck by sacks of drugs hurled into the United States.

As horrible as it sounds, when they throw the large sacks of drugs over, and if you have people on the other side of the wall, you dont see them - they hit you on the head with 60 pounds of stuff? Its over, Trump told reporters last year. As crazy as that sounds, you need transparency through that wall. But we have some incredible designs.

There has been some speculation Trump could try to use the occasion of a visit to the border wall showcase to stage a reality-TV-style selection of the winning prototype. But analysts say the Department of Homeland Security is likely to select several of the prototypes, because no single model may be perfectly suited to a border that spans mountains, deserts, riverbanks and urban neighborhoods.

The Trump administration is seeking $18 billion for border wall construction over the next 10 years, an amount that would pay for roughly 300 miles of new barriers where none currently exist and allow the government to replace another 400 miles of older legacy fencing.

The state of California has joined several environmental and advocacy groups in lawsuits challenging DHSs plans to fast-track its construction plans. They are seeking to compel the administration to follow standard environmental review procedures, while the government argues it has the authority to bypass them, as a matter of national security.

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The suits are under review by U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, whom Trump characterized during his campaign as a Mexican and therefore biased against him. Curiel, who was born in Indiana to Mexican immigrant parents, is expected to announce a decision in the coming days.

It would be Trumps first visit to the border with Mexico as president, and he has consistently spoken of the area as a dangerous, lawless place. In reality, crime rates in several U.S. border cities, including San Diego, are among the lowest in the country.
Property records filed by El Cajon Councilman Bessmon Ben Kalasho are raising questions about whether he is shielding his personal assets in advance of an upcoming civil fraud trial.

The lawyer suing Kalasho notes that the first-term council member appears to have borrowed $500,000 against his home from a company that is not registered by the California Secretary of State and transferred title of another home to an entity whose trustee may not be a real person.

Kalasho has not responded to questions about the documents or complied with a court order to turn over financial records sought by plaintiffs.

An El Cajon City Council member being sued for fraud and defamation is facing a new allegation that he may be improperly shielding his personal assets in advance of the upcoming trial.

Councilman Bessmon Ben Kalasho filed a pair of documents with the county recorder late last year encumbering his property. The lawyer for plaintiffs in the fraud lawsuit filed papers in court protesting the filings, saying the documents appear suspicious.

Kalasho was sued in June 2017 by an attorney, a taco shop owner and two contestants in a beauty pageant. The contestants allege that the pageant organized by Kalasho did not meet its obligations to contestants, and that Kalasho harassed them. Along with the taco shop owner and attorney, the contestants alleged harassment and defamation on social media involving fake accounts allegedly set up by Kalasho.

Kalasho denied the allegations in a counter-suit, which was dismissed in December. He and his lawyers did not answers questions posed by U-T Watchdog about the property documents.

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My office is still in the process of analyzing the legal and ethical issues raised by the several different claims asserted by each of the four plaintiffs, Kalashos attorney, James Finigan, said by email. I will let you know when I may be able to comment more specifically.

One of the documents questioned by the plaintiffs attorney records a $500,000 loan taken out against the councilmans El Cajon residence. The record, known as a deed of trust and assignment of rents, lists the lender as Israel Moses Sieff LLC (Nevis).

There is no such firm registered with the California Secretary of State. Searches of two national databases of incorporated entities also showed no such company.

According to numerous websites, a boy named Israel Moses Sieff born in Manchester, England, in 1889 rose to become a wealthy British industrialist and Zionist before he died in 1972. His name is connected to several conspiracy websites discussing the illuminati and the New World Order.

The other record transfers the title of another home owned by Kalasho in Santee to an entity called the 9422 Pryor Drive Trust. The trustee is listed as Maximilian Von Ayers, a person whose name does not appear in several large public databases or San Diego County court files.

San Diego attorney Jimmie Parker, the lawyer for plaintiffs suing Kalasho, said in court papers that the deeds apparently were filed for the purpose of obscuring assets from creditors and for the purpose of obscuring assets from plaintiffs.

Parker added, The deeds are suspicious on their face, as no promissory note is recorded, Maximilian Von Ayers is a pseudonym, the property encumbered does not appear able to secure a $500,000 loan and the purported lender is not an entity registered with the Secretary of State.

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When the judge dismissed Kalashos counter-suit, he awarded attorney fees to Parker and ordered Kalasho to hand over financial records and other documents so the plaintiffs could examine the councilmans assets while they seek economic damages.

To date, none of the requested documents have been turned over to the plaintiffs, according to court papers, and no payment has been made.

Kalasho was elected to the City Council in November 2016 and announced earlier this year that he would run for mayor.

A hearing in the civil case is scheduled March 23. The jury trial is scheduled in August.

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Previously

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald


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As visitors made their way into the art exhibition at the National Guard 69th Regiment Armory in New York 105 years ago, they passed through several partitioned rooms of sensible, American pieces before reaching the chamber of horrors in the back left corner. This was the room featuring cubist works of Marcel Duchamp, Albert Gleizes, and Jacques Villon, among others.

In the far corner of the cubist room was Duchamps Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. Inspired by time-lapse photography and new, avant-garde ideas of understanding time and space in art, Nude didnt appear to resemble a nude at all, but rather an explosion. The painting delivered a cultural blow to the sensitivities of American art enthusiasts and became emblematic of the Armory Shows legacy. American Art News lampooned the painting, offering 10 dollars to anyone who could find the lady in its mess of lines and shapes. Perhaps Duchamp had the last laugh when the piece sold for 324 dollars (about 7,800 dollars in todays money).

The 1913 Armory Show  also known as the International Exhibition of Modern Art  is considered the single most influential event in American modern art, completely disrupting the conservative tastes of early twentieth-century America. About 1,200 paintings were involved in the exhibition, two-thirds of which were the experimental stylings of Europes flourishing modernist movement.

The real fun began at the exhibitions next stop, in Chicago, where the amount of attendees was more than double that of New York. I assert that Matisse is an impostor, said an art historian from the University of Chicago, that his pictures are lacking in all elements of true art, and that the cubists are just exactly nothing. Students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago held a protest, burning reproductions of Matisse works on the street in effigy. The Fauvist works of Henri Matisse  particularly his nudes  were appalling to conservatives in their tendency to abstract the human form and replace skin tones with bright colors.

It would now be difficult for an art exhibition to elicit the same amount of shock and controversy. Dr. Jeff Hughes, a professor of art history and criticism at Webster University, says it would be almost impossible to experience anything as new in our current media environment because we dont experience it together. In 1913, there was no television or color photography to bring these forward-thinking European movements to Americans in any significant way.

Its no secret that the cultural conservatism of the U.S. differed greatly from Western Europe at the turn of the century, and this was reflected in the art world. Dr. Hughes attributes this to a built-in notion in the Protestant work ethic that making art is not real work. Part of the legacy of the Armory Show is that it was a large, international exhibition. International shows of this scope were uncommon at the time in Europe, and certainly in America, according to Dr. Hughes.

In 2014, art critic Jed Perl wrote of the show, in The New Republic, that the conservatives lost. The avant-garde won. End of story. Plenty of art movements since 1913 have caused a stir, like the postwar abstract expressionists or the pop art of the 50s and 60s. However, the Armory Show, arguably, launched an arc in American art in which these styles could have an audience.

In the years after the exhibition, the country went to war, women won their right to vote, and Hollywood began churning out motion pictures. Duchamp, Picasso, and Matisse may have been an unwelcome shock, but the Armory Show was only a taste of the cultural changes to come.
After experiencing true integration in the military, the black veteran was in the unusual situation of discovering that society was still rejecting him.

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This article and other features about America in Vietnam can be found in the Posts Special Collectors Edition, The Heroes of Vietnam. This edition can be ordered here.

This article was originally published on May 4, 1968.

When I got on the bus there at Travis Air Force Base, headed downtown for San Francisco, I had my discharge papers in my pocket and I had $1,200 in savings. It felt good. We got to the gate at Travis, and right outside was this big sign flashing Go-Go Girls! We started yelling, Stop the bus, man! Stop the bus! And he did. And we all piled out, duffel bags and all. I mean, you can always catch another bus.

Ronald Harmon was talking in the Blue Moon Bar on White Plains Road in the Bronx. Ten months had passed since he burst through the gates of Travis, and he was dead broke and unemployed. His last employer, B. Altmans, a big New York department store, had laid him off two days before Christmas. His mother was in a hospital with pneumonia, brought on by holding down two jobs in an attempt to keep her family together. It was like getting hit on the head, said Harmon, a slender man in a shirt of red velour. You come home thinking the world is going to open right up for you. And you find out youve still got to work twice as hard as Whitey, just to stay alive.

There will be more than 40,000 of them this year. In growing numbers, the Negro soldier is coming home from the jungles and cities of Vietnam to an unsettling, uncertain future. He is a quite special man, this veteran, capable of greatly enriching the American society to which he returns, or of ripping it to shreds.

Many of them have been exposed for the first time in their lives to total integration, imposed by both Army discipline and the demands of combat. Indeed, they have been immersed in it, for within the tight, closed fraternity of a combat unit, color simply drops away. The only color in the jungle, the veterans say, is green. The cruel divider in combat is not color but courage and skill at arms.

Almost all of the veterans hold a high-school diploma. Most of them have had technical training of one sort or another during their hitches. Many have commanded white soldiers in battle. After a tough firefight, says a Negro paratrooper, I have seen white boys from the South throw their arms around a Negro noncom, hugging him and kissing him.

The militant Black Power groups know about this veteran and his importance. These groups, which denounce the U.S. role in Vietnam as genocide, are calling on the veteran to enlist his combat skills in a worldwide revolution of colored peoples against their white oppressors. On the other hand, Negro moderates like Whitney Young of the National Urban League look hopefully, almost wistfully, to the returning veteran for the new and constructive leadership that the Negro community badly needs.

During a long tour of Vietnam, and on a cross-country trip, over dozens of lengthy interviews, some basic patterns emerged.

The veterans themselves are at this point overwhelmingly concerned about their own personal futures. Their attitudes within the Negro movement will probably turn on whether or not they make it, a phrase that constantly recurs in their conversations. They are poised young men, but filled with bitterly mixed emotions. They can be smoothly buttoned down in a personnel office for a job interview, and then full of brooding if rejected. It is those $60-a-week jobs that grind you down, says Ronald Harmon. I have pushed my share of those clothes carts in the garment district. I want something better now.

For many Negro veterans, California is the place to go. James Price, 26, who fought for a year with the tank battalion of the 25th Division in the jungles of War Zone C, is slight and intense, a talented amateur at photography. When he got his Army discharge, he made his move from Akron to Los Angeles  where he is cleaning toilets on the night shift at the City Hall Annex and going to school all day.

Within the tight, closed fraternity of a combat unit, color simply drops away. The only color in the jungle, the veterans say, is green.

The annex is a big square building at First and Main. By day it is a busy, bustling place; by night it is fluorescent and silent, except for the footsteps and mops of Price and the rest of his clean-up brigade. Between 5 p.m. and 1 a.m., Price cleans 15 places. It is all coded, automated, you see, by these tags on my cart. He leaned a mop taller than himself against a toilet wall. I give them all a good going-over every night, work over the toilet bowls with bleach here, and work over the mirrors there, all according to the tags. I can give you a regular guided tour.

His voice rose up the scale of anger, and he threw a dirty, wet rag into his cleaning cart. Is this any job for a man? Is this any job for a man?

Later, Price explained why he had made his move to Los Angeles. I dont know if you know Akron. It is a small town. You can walk right downtown in 20 minutes. When I got back home from Vietnam, it was like, you know, everybody had forgotten I was alive. They said, Oh, its you. I was down, man, way down, so I came out here bag and baggage and moved in with my dad. Hes got a job driving a truck. Were having some good times here, times we never got a chance to have when I was a kid.

Price was raised by his mother. I used to put my old man down, but I can see now he had his problems. In hard times, it is the man that gets thrown out of work. The woman can always get some sort of a job. It will break a mans heart. Its the system, not the man.

Is Go West a good plan? Well, I will tell you. If youve got a case of the smarts, this place will knock it out of you. I still feel lost. Its so big and its wide. In Akron, I know who you can trust. Out here you cant trust nobody; theyre all of them hustling. Now I am making $420 a month, but it slips away, $20 here and $20 there.

Im going to hang in there with the work and the school. This chick I was out with the other night said, Money, money, money, thats all you think about, and I said, Thats all there is.

The Negro veteran headed for college is a promising, and badly needed, young man. But his problems would defeat all but the most determined. If his high-school training was poor, like Prices, he must often do remedial work even to get in. The GI bill pays only $130 a month for a single man, just enough to cover tuition in most cases. He must usually hold down a full-time job in addition to his demanding academic work. Price is attending refresher courses in English, math, and economics at an adult training center in Los Angeles. He is hoping to enter Trade Technical College this fall to study accounting or data processing if he can pass the entrance exams.

Im losing weight because Im running so hard all the time, says Price. I never have time for a righteous meal. Im always tired. I work from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and I go to school from 9:30 till 3:30. The classes bend me just about out of my mind. You are tired and you doze off for a minute, and youre an hour behind. You miss one week of class and it takes you a month to catch up. It puts you down on yourself.

Although only 11 percent of the troops in Vietnam are Negro, they have taken 14 percent of the combat death toll.

My math teacher is this nice white woman, and I sometimes imagine her trying to run a crap game with 10 side bets going and the odds changing with every roll. That is a math exam I could handle without even thinking, and she would flunk. But youve got to play the white mans game  so many apples and oranges, and interest at 6 percent per annum. But going back to school was one of the few good moves I ever made.

What am I aiming for? Im going to set me behind a big desk and push some buttons somewhere.

Many Negro veterans of Vietnam are finding within the Army itself the sort of status and authority that Price is seeking. Their reenlistment rate is three times that of the whites. Many are becoming an elite guard, the shock troops and centurions of a society they could not breach as civilians. Many are paying for it in blood, volunteering for the most dangerous units and most hazardous jobs. Although only 11 percent of the troops in Vietnam are Negro, they have taken 14 percent of the combat death toll. If you have been called boy all your life, one Negro paratrooper explains, you want to prove that youre a man.

An Air Force veteran, Cpl. Algernon Trimble of Harlem, makes another point. When you hit E-6 [Staff Sergeant], you have really got it made. Where else would a Negro get to boss white boys around? If he is married, where else could he make enough money to keep his family together?

A splendid example of this new professional soldier is Elija Fields, 29, of Quincy, Florida. He is modest in speech and unobtrusively flawless in the cut and press of his uniform as an E-7 [Platoon Sergeant] in the 101st Airborne. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he runs the combat firing range, he is a star. Over his breast pocket, Fields wears the modest blue, red, and white ribbon of the Distinguished Service Cross, the nations highest decoration after the Medal of Honor. On February 8, 1967, Fields crawled into Viet Cong machine-gun fire and, although hit twice himself, pulled a badly wounded man to safety.

Im staying in for the 20 years, and Ill probably do 30, Fields says. The services are still far ahead of the world outside in integration. But the world outside is changing. I believe in Black Power if it means more economic and political power for the Negro. Black Power is like an infantry tactic that can be used well or poorly.

Im staying in because its a good job, and I like it and do it well. Fields lives in a brick three-bedroom duplex on post and drives a 1966 blue Ford Galaxie. The family shops at the PX at bargain prices. Rent is free, and Fields takes home $463 a month. Security for my family is part of it, of course  it is for any Negro. I do hope to be able to send my two children to college. But Im not a killer for hire. I wouldnt be in if I did not believe in this country.

Im Going to Make It  Ive Got To!, May 4, 1968
Malaysia-based international offshore energy facilities and services provider Bumi Armada, with its established strength in the floating production and operations (FPO) segment, has come roaring back through the end of 2017, as its projects reached completion and started producing strong revenue flows.

Stronger contributions from four new FPO projects delivered during the course of the year sent 2017 FPO business revenues soaring more than three times to MYR1.4bn ($358m), the group said in a press release.

In stark contrast, the offshore marine services (OMS) business saw an anaemic 5.0% increase in full-year revenues to barely even MYR1bn. Similar to other players in this market, the OSV segment remained challenged with high supply and low demand for vessels, which resulted in the familiar problem of pressure on charter rates, Bumi Armada lamented. The subsea construction (SC) segment meanwhile saw stronger contributions from additional work scope from the LukOil contract in the Caspian Sea.

Nevertheless these performances helped Bumi Armada to an almost doubling of 2017 revenue to MYR2.4bn and bring it back to the black with a MYR352m gain from a MYR2bn loss previously as it reeled from a series of impairment charges.

As I have highlighted previously, 2017 was a transition year for the group, as we delivered four new FPO projects, and this is reflected by these results, said ed and ceo Leon Harland.

Looking ahead however he warned that the OSV business will remain challenged, as we do not expect any major changes to the demand/supply situation in 2018.

Meanwhile, Harland also pointed out that Bumi Armadas SC unit has planned activity in Turkmenistan and Russia over the year, and the group is actively discussing further work scope for subsequent years.

For 2018, we expect the company to move into a more stable phase, with all the current FPO and OMS activities to remain fairly consistent. We remain focused on building a robust business model and we want to complete our internal rationalisation activities and improve our balance sheet structure, Harland concluded.
Local media quoted Penang Port ceo Sasedharan Vasudevan as saying that capex, which will be internally funded, for the first phase expansion, for berth strengthening and purchase of two quay cranes to enhance the ports operational capacity has been approved.

We are still at the designing and consulting stages with engineers. The expansion includes widening and strengthening the berth spaces at the terminal, he said, adding that the bulk of the capex will be allocated to the container terminal business, which has seen growing demand.

"The expansion will eventually allow bigger vessels docking and increase throughput capacity, he said.

Sasedharan said dredging work will increase channel depth up to 11.5m from the current depth of about 11m, allowing the port operator to expand the vessel size calling its container terminal.

We believe if the growing trend continues, we will hit throughput of 2.2m or 2.3m teu in the next four to five years. However, we have yet to fill up the capacity. We have to start the work now to meet future demand, he added.

Sasedharan said the expansion work will take between 18 months and 20 months to complete and is expected to start by the third quarter of this year.

We have done 1.5m teu in 2017, representing about 6% growth year-on-year. We are currently studying the feasibility studies for the expansion plan, he said.

Penang Port had allocated between MYR30m and MYR40m in 2016 for the purchase of container yard operations equipment.

The port aims to grow throughput by about 5% to 1.6m teu this year, said Sasedharan, adding that the port operator is still upbeat on increasing port automation.

He noted that volume growth last year was driven by Southern Thailand which made up about 38% of volumes, while organic growth from Northern Peninsular Malaysia also contributed to the higher throughput.

Sasedharan said 80% of Penang Ports volumes were bound for the Far East mostly China, Japan and Korea, while the remaining 20% went to the Middle East and other markets.
Sen. Bam: For PH Rise, mahirap makipag-partner sa pasaway

Senator Bam Aquino said that the country must find research partners who will follow our rules, during the hearing of the Committee on Science and Technology on the Philippine Rise.

"Mahirap makipag partner sa pasaway. We should find partners who will follow our rules," said Sen. Bam as he headed the Senate hearing.

Through Sen. Bam's questioning, it was revealed that in previous years, China violated the country's sovereign rights when it conducted hydrographic surveys in the Philippine Rise without required consent of the Philippine government.

During the course of their research, China found five features in the undersea territory, which they recently named through the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Sen. Bam stressed that the government must explore all channels to overturn China's move to name the five undersea features in the Philippine Rise.

The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) stated that the previous violation, alongside the ongoing dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government can call on the IHO to nullify its approval of the Chinese names.

China can also be requested to withdraw their naming rights. If they agree, Sen. Bam said this could be a show of good faith and friendship from the Chinese government.

"Let's be more vigilant with the Philippine Rise. Ipaglaban naman natin ito," Sen. Bam said.

In light of the China installations in the West Philippine Sea, Sen. Bam pointed out that we should be more cautious with foreign research expeditions in the Philippine Rise and ensure that our permits are strictly enforced.
Press Release

February 26, 2018 Dispatch 247

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the DILG report on the 20,322 dead so far in Duterte's drug war 2/26/18 The data released by the DILG as cited in Senator Trillanes's recent privilege speech is troubling. The DILG data mentioned a total of 20,322 killed in the War on Drugs. Of these, 16,335 are classified as deaths under investigation, PNP's cold-hearted euphemism for vigilante killings and targeted assassinations. These gruesome statistics, coming from no less than the government in charge of the drug war, clearly show that Duterte's drug war is meeting his quota of at least 1,000 dead nationwide for every month that his regime is in power. This means that for Duterte's 18 months in office when the data was released, with 20,322 dead cited as an accomplishment of the drug war, an average of 1,129 Filipinos are killed every month, or 37 human beings per day. Multiplied by six years, this means that Duterte would be near his figurative target of 100,000 dead bodies turning Manila Bay red by the year 2022. I say figurative in the sense that back then during the campaign, we were thinking that certainly, he must be exaggerating. With these statistics, it becomes clear that 100,000 dead turning Manila Bay red with blood was not merely a figure of speech for Duterte. It was a campaign promise, the only campaign promise that Duterte is delivering on like clockwork. Apparently, 16 million voted for this, some of the 20,322 dead included in those who voted for Duterte. We now wonder how many more of those 16 million voted for their own murder as the death squads continue to meet Duterte's quota. More importantly, we wonder how many more of those who did not vote for this mass murder are going to end up dead. Not that it matters. Murder is murder, regardless of who the victim is. This is what we have forgotten as a nation. We welcomed death into our homes, and he is not leaving anytime soon. By the time the total body count is finally in, whether 80,000 or 100,000, we must ask if there is still anything left of us as a nation, one with a soul, other than one consisting of 100 million accomplices led by a single mass murderer. In the end, this is what the world will remember us for, unless we put a stop to this madness by bringing the principal and his enablers to justice, whether in our own courts, or the one in The Hague.
Press Release

February 26, 2018 Sponsorship Speech of Senator Loren Legarda

Free Trade Agreement Between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States and the Philippines

26 February 2018 | Senate Session Hall Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, I wish to seek approval of the proposed Senate Resolution No. 647, under Committee Report No. 243, entitled: Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Agreement of the Free Trade Agreement Between the EFTA States and the Philippines. It is my honor to present this important Agreement with the Switzerland Confederation, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Iceland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, more collectively known as the European Free Trade Association or EFTA, as this marks an important milestone in the overall international trade policy of the Philippines. This engagement is also of particular significance given that this is only the second bilateral free trade agreement of the Philippines, the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA) being the first. Compared to other countries, we are behind in actively engaging other trading partners through FTAs, even as the Philippines has much to gain. Before I proceed, allow me to provide a brief background on the rationale for our engagement with EFTA. Entering into an FTA with EFTA is part of the country's strategy to gain a stronger foothold in the European market, which includes (1) applying and maximizing the benefits arising from the preferences provided by the European Union Generalised System of Preferences-Plus (EU GSP+), (2) negotiating a Philippines-EU FTA, and (3) concluding the Philippines-EFTA FTA to have a wider reach in the region. Considering that EFTA requires the same standards as the EU, this will allow PH exporters to Europe to gain from economies of scale through improved market access in both EU and EFTA. Specifically with respect to the EFTA, the Philippines aims to: (1) Secure market access for Philippine agriculture exports, beyond EFTA commitments in its existing FTAs. This will enable the Philippines to significantly improve the country's market share vis-a-vis the other ASEAN Member States in the EFTA market. Noting the similarities between the products that the Philippines and other ASEAN neighboring countries export to EFTA, the Philippines can take the opportunity to position itself as EFTA's primary import source of these products. (2) Attract investments in services and non-services sectors, particularly those which can benefit from additional capital and/or technology transfer (e.g., in the areas of fisheries, seafaring, maritime transport, energy, telecommunications, and financial services to name a few), or spur domestic competition with the view to make the Philippines as EFTA's hub in ASEAN. (3) Obtain market access for trade in services, including opportunities for Filipino professionals and skilled workers while providing enhanced levels of protection as well as service companies in the areas of personal services, air transport, construction and related engineering services, and tourism. Now that the Agreement has been concluded, I share the sentiments of our trading partners in looking forward to the realization of the benefits arising from the FTA. The Philippines was able to secure duty-free market access for all industrial and fisheries tariff lines, as well as significant concessions on agricultural products, particularly those that are currently being exported to EFTA and those with high potential export interest. Conversely, the Philippines provided EFTA zero tariffs on almost all industrial and fishery products, with transitional periods for select tariff lines. In essence, the commitments undertaken for trade in goods will enable Philippine businesses to participate in EFTA's value chains by providing intermediate goods and services. The negotiators also took care to exclude from tariff commitments tariff lines identified as highly sensitive products. The Agreement also entails cooperating in terms of dealing with anti-competitive practices, with the view of ending such practices or its adverse effects on fair trade. EFTA's commitments in the cross-border supply of services and movement of natural persons (MNP) present opportunities to Philippine service suppliers, both skilled workers and professionals, particularly for architects and engineers, which are professions where a large number of Filipinos engage in. On the part of the Philippines, market access commitments were undertaken where additional investments and technical expertise are deemed beneficial to the country, such as renewable energy, IT-BPM, construction, and maritime transport. Both the Philippines and EFTA also shared the commitment to promote and facilitate the inward and outward flow of investments. Personally, I am pleased with the fact that the Agreement promotes international trade while contributing to the objective of sustainable development, all the while ensuring that labor rights and environment protection will not be sacrificed in the name of trade and investments. Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, The PH-EFTA FTA was negotiated only with the promotion of fair economic cooperation in mind--one that will enable a business environment conducive for investments and provide opportunities for producers, consumers, and service suppliers alike. The Philippine government ensured that all relevant stakeholders, exporters, producers, laborers, the academe, and civil society were sufficiently consulted during the course of the negotiations. The Philippine panel entered the negotiating table armed with these inputs from stakeholders, recalibrating negotiating positions when needed to ensure that the Philippines arrived at a balanced outcome for all that will be affected by the FTA. Likewise, all negotiating positions crafted were consistent to and compliant with the Philippines' laws, rules, and regulations. Opening markets through Agreements such as this goes hand-in-hand with all the economic reforms and ease of doing business initiatives of the government to project a clear message that the Philippines is, more than ever, ready and "open for business". As the President himself mandated, more opportunities abound when we explore and maximize our relations with not only our traditional trading partners, but also our non-traditional and high potential trading partners. I urge all of you, esteemed colleagues, to see this Agreement as one that will provide for more opportunities for our fellow Filipinos. Given all the merits, on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Relations, I propose for the Senate's approval of and concurrence in the Philippines-European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement, as thus presented. Thank you, Mr. President.
Press Release

February 26, 2018 Legarda Sponsors Free Trade Agreement with EFTA, 7 Maritime-Related Treaties As Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Loren Legarda today sponsored the Philippines' Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) States, as well as seven maritime-related treaties. Legarda sponsored Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 647, Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Agreement of the Free Trade Agreement Between the EFTA States and the Philippines. EFTA states are the Switzerland Confederation, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Iceland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Legarda explained that as a broad-based agreement, the FTA covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, competition, the protection of intellectual property rights, government procurement, and trade and sustainable development. In the area of trade in goods, EFTA abolishes all customs duties on industrial products as of the entry into force of the Agreement, whereas the Philippines will gradually lower or abolish its duties on the vast majority of such products. "Entering into an FTA with EFTA is part of the country's strategy to gain a stronger foothold in the European market. Considering that EFTA requires the same standards as the EU, this will allow PH exporters to Europe to gain from economies of scale through improved market access in both EU and EFTA," said Legarda. The Senator stressed that the PH-EFTA FTA was negotiated only with the promotion of fair economic cooperation in mind--one that will enable a business environment conducive for investments and provide opportunities for producers, consumers, and service suppliers alike. Likewise, all negotiating positions crafted were consistent to and compliant with the Philippines' laws, rules, and regulations. "Opening markets through Agreements such as this goes hand-in-hand with all the economic reforms and ease of doing business initiatives of the government to project a clear message that the Philippines is, more than ever, ready and 'open for business'," said Legarda. Meanwhile, Legarda also sponsored seven (7) maritime-related treaties, namely: SRN 648, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships, 2001, or the AFS Convention;

SRN 649, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Protocol of 1997 to Amend the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as Modified by the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto, or the MARPOL Protocol;

SRN 650, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Protocol of 1988 Relating to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, or the Load Lines Convention;

SRN 651, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, or Protocol 1978, SOLAS Convention;

SRN 652, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Protocol of 1988 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, or Protocol 1988, SOLAS Convention;

SRN 653, Resolution Concurring in the Acceptance of the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas; and,

SRN 654, Resolution Concurring in the Accession to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, or the Port State Measures Agreement. The Protocol of 1978, SOLAS Convention updated the safety standards of crude carriers and product carriers by requiring the fitting of inert gas systems, which are crucial in preventing ship fires and explosions on tanks filled with oil and flammable gas, as well as radars and steering gear mechanisms to enhance safety of navigation. The Protocol 1988, SOLAS Convention was adopted to introduce the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), an international system which uses improved terrestrial and satellite technology and ship-board radio systems to ensure rapid alerting of shore-based rescue and communications authorities in the event of an emergency. "The Protocols of 1978 and 1988 add further to the long list of safety requirements on ship construction and equipment under SOLAS. It behooves Flag States to ensure that ships under their flag comply with these safety requirements," said Legarda. The Load Lines Convention that was adopted in 1966 prescribes the minimum reserve buoyancy and freeboard of ships to ensure their stability by preventing overloading. The Convention prescribes visible special markings amid ships on each side of the ship in order to determine their loading limits under different types of water conditions. "The Philippines' accession to Load Lines Convention will demonstrate our country's commitment in ensuring the safety of ships and preventing accidents that could lead to massive loss of life and serious damage to the marine environment through oil spills," she said. The MARPOL Protocol and the AFS Convention both address issues on marine environment protection. The MARPOL Protocol includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships--both accidental pollution and that from routine operations. The Convention sets limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship exhausts, which are harmful to human health, and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances; while the AFS Convention calls for the establishment of a mechanism to prohibit the use of harmful organotins in anti-fouling paints used on ships and the potential future use of other harmful substances in anti-fouling systems. Finally, two maritime-related agreements aim to address issues on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. The Port State Measures Agreement or PSMA is the first binding international agreement to specifically target IUU fishing. Its main objective is to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing by preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches. In this way, the agreement reduces the incentive of such vessels to continue to operate while also preventing fishery products derived from IUU fishing from reaching national and international markets. Meanwhile, thee Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources on the high seas by requiring states to exercise their flag state responsibilities over their fishing vessels, which are 24 or more meters in length, fishing on the high seas. Under the Agreement, only ships authorized by the Flag State are permitted to engage in fishing activities on the high seas. But flag states must ensure that their vessels fishing on the high seas do not undermine the effectiveness of international or regional conservation and management measures whether or not they are members of regional fisheries agreements. "As part of a community of nations living in one planet, we need to cooperate with the international community towards the responsible use of marine resources, the safety of vessels plying our seas, and the protection of our high seas. I seek my colleagues' unequivocal support for the Senate's concurrence in the accession to these seven conventions on maritime-related issues," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

February 26, 2018 Bill declaring January 17 as James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day okayed The Senate adopted today a joint resolution declaring every January 17 as James Leonard Tagle Gordon Day, a non-working holiday in Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in recognition of the achievement and contributions of James Leonard Tagle Gordon. Senate Joint Resolution 6 was adopted with 18 affirmative votes, zero negative vote and no abstention. The resolution was introduced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and sponsored by Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara. Gordon is the father of Senator Richard "Dick" Gordon. Like a bill, a joint resolution requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the President. It has the force and effect of a law if approved by the President. According to the resolution, Gordon was born an American on January 17, 1917 but chose to stay in the Philippines as a Filipino citizen when his family chose to return to the United States. He was the son of John Jacob Gordon and Veronica Tagle, a daughter of Filipino patriot Jose Tagle, hero of the Battle of Imus in Cavite during the Philippine revolution. Tagle was appointed Imus mayor by President Emilio Aguinaldo for his pivotal role in the battle against the Spaniards. Gordon was an entrepreneur and businessman when Olongapo was still a reservation under the American control. He was one of the organizers of the Olongapo Civic Action Group that worked on the general improvements of the city, the resolution said. Gordon was one of the founders of the Olongapo Rotary Club, Olongapo Knights of Columbus and the Olongapo Businessmen's Association. He and his wife, Amelia Juico Gordon, and some friends established the Olongapo Boys Town and Girls Home in 1969, an orphanage for abandoned children of Filipino-American parents, the resolution added. The resolution described Gordon as a patriot who led the move to make Olongapo free from the US rule. Despite being half American, Gordon exposed the abuses and harassment suffered by Olongapo residents under the US military rule. In fact, the resolution said, Gordon was "part of the Philippine panel that negotiated and compelled the US authorities to relinquish Olongapo to the Philippine government." Olongapo was turned over to the Philippine government on December 7, 1959, the same day President Carlos P. Garcia signed the executive order making it a municipality of Zambales. Elected mayor of Olongapo in 1963, Gordon lobbied in Congress for the passage of a bill to convert the municipality into a city. In 1966, President Ferdinand Marcos signed Republic Act No. 4645 converting Olongapo into a chartered city, the resolution said. "An untiring fighter of graft and corruption, Gordon fought well-entrenched politicians against widespread corruption. He opposed anomalous transactions of newly appointed officials when they tried to lease out the electrical utility for only P5,000 a month. He fought against rampant illegal logging, cigarettes smuggling and proliferation of land disputes," the resolution said. Gordon was gunned down on the first floor of Olongapo City hall by an escaped inmate of the National Penitentiary on February 20, 1967, the resolution said. "For his invaluable service to uplift the lives of the people of Olongapo through his exemplary leadership providing hope and inspiration to future generations, Mayor James Leonard Tagle Gordon deserved to be commemorated on his birth centenary," the resolution said. (PM)
Turners Automotive Group, New Zealand's largest second-hand vehicle retailer, said there has been minimal impact on its business from cargo ships being turned away from local ports after brown marmorated stink bugs were detected and it is even seeing some short-term benefit.

Scores of stink bugs - considered a major biosecurity threat to grapes, kiwifruit, apples, citrus and stone fruit, corn and many other valuable crops - were detected by the Ministry of Primary Industries in three car carriers in recent weeks. MPI directed all three - carrying around 10,000 to 12,000 new and used vehicles and machinery - to leave New Zealand.

Turners, which operates both the Turners Cars and Buy Right Cars businesses, said its diversified supply chain meant its ability to meet consumer demand has not been impacted. While it has a small number of vehicles on the affected ships, the majority of its supply is in the New Zealand market as people buy and sell second-hand vehicles and it landed imported vehicles off other ships in the last week, it said.

Chief executive Todd Hunter said the company is even benefiting in the short-term as its wholesale auction channel provides an alternative supply option. Customers are also turning to large retailers due to their large supply of stock available, he said.

Last week MPI said all used vehicles - cars and trucks - will be required to undergo inspection and cleaning at an MPI-approved facility in Japan prior to export. Any used machinery or other types of used vehicles from Japan will require certification proving it has undergone cleaning by an appropriate provider, according to MPI.

The initial changes only affect used vehicles but MPI said it is also working with the new vehicle industry and will look to implement changes in that pathway as well.

Hunter said Turners supports MPI's actions: "Getting an effective solution on the supplier side has to be a critical part of the solution. Pleasingly, many of our Japanese suppliers have already started taking preventative actions to ensure stock is fumigated and bug-free before being loaded onto ships."

The stock last traded at $2.90 and has shed 23 percent over the past 12 months.

(BusinessDesk)

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New Zealand increased its trade activity at the start of 2018, with imports and exports both reaching new highs for a January month.

Goods exports jumped 9.5 percent to $4.31 billion compared with January last year, while imports surged 17 percent to $4.88 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $566 million, wider than the $227 million deficit in January last year and the largest for the month since 2007, Statistics New Zealand said.

The latest data is a big swing from December when the country recorded a trade surplus of $596 million, the largest ever for a December month. Economists had been expecting exports and imports to cancel each other out in January for a net trade balance of zero, and the kiwi dollar weakened slightly following the data to 72.97 US cents, from 73.14 cents immediately before the release.

"Both imports and exports reached new highs for January months," Stats NZ international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. "Import growth remains strong while export growth didnt carry on at the same rate as the record-setting December 2017 month."

Imports increased across a range of commodities including turbo-jets, diesel, and ships, the statistics agency said. Imports of mechanical machinery and equipment jumped 23 percent to $700 million, lifting it ahead of the $659 million value of vehicles, parts and accessories, and elevating it to the largest import commodity group for the month. Imports of petroleum and products jumped 19 percent to $560 million.

Meanwhile, the rise in exports was led by milk powder, butter, and cheese, the country's largest commodity export, which increased 8 percent to $1.37 billion.

Dairy exports were driven by increased demand for milk powder from Algeria and Peru, and demand for butter in Iran. The value of dairy exports to China fell $21 million, marking the first decline since November 2016, due to lower exports of milk powder, Stats NZ said.

The value of meat and edible offal exports jumped 17 percent to $689 million, while exports of logs, wood and wood articles surged 26 percent to $292 million. Fruit exports fell 12 percent to $85 million.

The annual trade deficit for the year ended January was $3.22 billion, compared with a $2.88 billion shortfall in December and a $3.37 billion deficit in January last year. Annual goods imports were valued at $57.19 billion, ahead of the $51.9 billion a year earlier, while annual exports increased to $53.97 billion from $48.53 billion.

"We expect some of this weakness will prove temporary, and that the annual trade balance will narrow over the remainder of the year," economists at ASB Bank said in a note.

ASB said weakness in dairy and fruit values reflect normal monthly volatility and were likely to be temporary.

"On top of that, increasing agricultural production should boost export volumes over the remainder of the year," ASB said. "At the same time, import values are likely to remain firm on the back of similarly firm domestic demand."

(BusinessDesk)

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Top Swiss policy-makers are looking at digitisation and block-chain to keep alive the Swiss banking culture. The country's Finance Minister and minister for Economic affairs are the ones supporting a block-chain initiative.

Johann Niklaus Schneider-Ammann a businessman and politician, announced that Switzerland intended to become a "crypto-nation". A week ago, the minister participated in a crypto-conference in Zurich saying crypto-currency gelled well with the banking culture of Switzerland.

He also called block-chain as a technological incarnation of the Swiss state concept. According to him, block-chain is driven by combination of freedom, security, independence and decentralisation. Swiss banks have been known to keep secret, the money of the uber-rich. But in recent times, tax scandals, rise of tax havens such as Panama, and increasing pressure from tax authorities have eroded the Swiss legacy.

According to unverified reports, Switzerland's assets under management were in the range of $6.8 trillion. But in 2007, industry insiders said this number was as high as $10 trillion.

The state government has also launched a block-chain task force. According to insiders, this task force will regulate blockchain startups and ICOs. Ueli Maurer, the Swiss' Finance Minister and Schneider-Amman, the Economic Affairs minister, will be heading the task-force.

"Blockchain is becoming more important as a technology for many industries, not just crypto finance. What is needed is liberal regulation, which opens opportunities for Switzerland's position while at the same time reducing risks," said Maurer during an interaction.

If Switzerland is not supporting block-chain enthusiasts via business opportunities, officials are busy offering other programs to show a friendly approach. The Swiss Federal Council proposed a regulatory sandbox in 2017. The Sandbox allows startups to experiment with various ICO and block-chain related projects.

Besides ministerial involvements, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has also intervened in establishing itself as a global hub for virtual currencies. The Crypto-valley in Zug, Zurich is an example of its intent. An unverified report finds that five Swiss-based ICOs raised nearly $600 million in funding. Bulk of that was from Zug.

The FINMA has launched a guideline for categorising ICOs. One of the guidelines says ICOs are securities. By categorizing ICOs, the government may be looking at collecting tax revenues.



An image of a financial hub from the town of the picturesque Zug.

There is also a possibility of tax evasion on token investments. The US IRS (Internal Revenue Services) is investigating the angle of US assets hidden in Switzerland in the form of cryptocurrencies.

FINMA has majorly suggested the following as guidelines for ICOs: ICOs will be categorized according to functionality.

Payment tokens: Pure crypto-currency are offered without additional facilities or projects.

Pure crypto-currency are offered without additional facilities or projects. Usage tokens: to serve as a tool to access a particular product or service.

to serve as a tool to access a particular product or service. Attachment tokens: These behave as a stock, offering dividends and interest pay-outs.

Mark Branson, the FINMA's Director was quoted as saying, "Block-chain technology offers innovation potential for the financial markets and beyond. [Such] Projects, which work in a manner like those requiring authorization, must not bypass the proven regulatory framework. Our balanced approach to dealing with ICO projects and requests, allows reputable innovators to navigate the regulatory landscape and launch their projects in a way that respects existing laws, protecting both investors and the integrity of the financial center."

ICOs and mining entities in Zug, Zurich are offered tax exemptions. Other exemptions include cheaper access to electricity consumption. The cold weather in Switzerland is already an advantage for bitcoin mining communities.

Besides these, there is also rumour that the government is planning to launch the e-Franc. Romero Lacher, the Head for The Swiss Stock exchange, said that a centralised crypto-currency controlled by the central bank could be good for the economy. The Swiss National Bank has so far maintained that it was against a crypto-franc for the country.

A growing market-base in countries such as Japan, US, UK, and South Korea, forced respective regulators to re-assess their crypto-views. But baring Venezuela, no country has been quite as open on block-chain and bitcoins as much as Switzerland. Bitmain, a Chinese exchange and mining platform that allows popular crypto- mining and trading avenue launched operations recently in Zug. According to unverified news reports, Bitmain's operating profits could have been in the range of $3-4 billion in 2017. For the record, chipmaker Nvidia made lesser revenues than Bitmain.

With China shutting down access to popular mining avenues, the opening up of Swiss indeed is a blessing for the crypto industry. But could it possibly be the secret sequel for the Swiss Banking Industry?
In an interview to Khaleej Times, Sanjay said that she was in the hotel room here when it happened.

The actress, 54, died on Saturday night at around 11 p.m. after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Sridevi's brother-in-law and actor Sanjay Kapoor has said the whole family was in shock with the sudden demise of the veteran actress. He also said that she had no history of heart ailment.

"We are completely shocked. She had no history of a heart attack," he said.

Sanjay landed in Dubai on Sunday morning.

Sridevi was in Dubai to attend the marriage function of actress Sonam Kapoor's cousin Mohit Marwah, along with husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi. She exuded elegance in her appearances -- photos and videos that were now being shared on social media as her "last".

Her elder daughter Jahnvi, who is due to make her Bollywood debut, was in Mumbai.

Her body is expected to be flown to Mumbai via a special chartered flight on Sunday evening for the last rites but the timings were not confirmed yet, according to official sources.

Sridevi, who stepped into showbiz at an age of four, is known for performances in "Mr. India", "Nagina", "Sadma", "ChalBaaz", "Chandni", "Khuda Gawah", among many others in different Indian languages.

The Padma Shri recipient made a comeback to Bollywood in 2012 with "English Vinglish" after a long break of 15 years. She was last seen in "Mom" in 2017.

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Sridevi, the familiar face from my childhood

Majestic journey of Sridevi in Tamil

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Tollywood: Sridevi's Top 5 films
According to reports, Sridevi's funeral is delayed as mortal remains are yet to be handed over to her family members. The Consulate General of India in Dubai stated that her body will arrive in Mumbai, India only in the evening.

The actress was in Dubai along with her husband Boney Kapoor and her younger daughter Khushi to attend a family wedding, reported ANI.

Earlier, it was reported that Sridevis mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai on Monday morning and the cremation will be held later in the day in Mumbai.

According to media reports, Mohit Marwah, Akshay Marwah, Rhea Kapoors boyfriend, Karan Boolani are at the Pawan Hans crematorium to discuss the funeral formalities.

It is also being said that before taking the body to Pawan Hans crematorium, it will be brought to Bhagyalaxmi, Boney Kapoors office.

In a moving gesture, Indian industrial magnate Anil Ambani has sent an aircraft to Dubai to bring back Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor's body to India later on Sunday, sources said. The 13-seater private jet, (Embraer-135BJ) belonging to Reliance Transport & Travel Ltd, left Mumbai for Dubai around 1:30 PM on Sunday, reported IANS.

Earlier, the Gulf-based Khaleej Times reported that Sridevi's autopsy had been completed and the family was now awaiting laboratory reports conducted by the General Department of Forensic Evidence.

Here's what happened:

Sridevi's husband, Boney Kapoor, and daughter, Khushi Kapoor attended the wedding and flew back to India on February 21. Sridevi decided to spend some more time in Dubai.

After a couple of days, Boney Kapoor flew back to Dubai from India to surprise her. He went to her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel at around 5.30pm on Saturday.

They talked for a while before they decided to go out for dinner. Sridevi went to the washroom to freshen up and took a long time. Wondering what was causing the delay, Boney knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He forced the door open and was shocked to find her lying unconscious in the bathtub.

He tried to revive her and called a friend for help. They then informed the police at 9 pm.

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Sridevi  Her magic lives on!

The Sridevi South India lost

Sridevi, the familiar face from my childhood

Majestic journey of Sridevi in Tamil

Ram Gopal Varma: Kshana Kshanam was my love letter to Sridevi

Actress Sridevi passes away

Tollywood: Sridevi's Top 5 films
For more than twenty years, she had lit up screens in Madras Presidency, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, starting as a child artiste, and credited as Baby Sridevi.

Long before Sridevi passed away, in the prime of her comeback career and months before her daughters film debut, she was lost to a large group of her fans and filmmakers.

What was it that drove her to the North? Was it the lack of recognition for her acting skills, for being consistently overlooked at award ceremonies even as her male counterparts swept the silver? Was it the exploitation of her face and body? Was it the glamour and money that beckoned in Bollywood?

There was an odd vulnerability about the Sridevi who grew up before the cameras in the Tamil and Telugu industries, a vulnerability that those whose introduction to her came through Hindi cinema will never know.

Baby Sridevi was sought after for her expressive face, her natural ability to stay in character without exaggeration, and impeccable dialogue delivery. She would go on to become a caricature of all her talents in Bollywood, which would also make her a superstar. But to see the Sridevi whom cameras loved before she learned to love them, one only has to watch the MGR film Nam Naadu (1969), or Agathiyar (1972), or any of the Malayalam and Telugu mythological films in which she acted during the Sixties and early Seventies.

Then came her breakthrough role, through K Balachander, the sort of role most actresses wait for their entire careers  Moondru Mudichu (1976), in which she plays the love-interest-turned-stepmother of Rajnikanth. Rajnikanth is the villain, effectively killing her lover  played by Kamal Haasan  so he can have her for himself; through a series of turns, she ends up in his house, contemplating marriage to a widower. So complex is her character that she chooses to marry the widower after learning he is the father of her lovers killer. In one of the films most memorable scenes, a frustrated Rajnikanth  enraged when she calls herself his mother  grabs her and begins to tear off her clothes.

No mother gets angry when her child tears her clothes, she says, calmly, rendering his attack impotent.

When she had the chance, Sridevi could pull off character transformations with finesse  in Moondram Pirai (1982), where she had to go from child-woman to snooty beauty; in 16 Vayathinile (1977), where she had to go from snooty beauty to devoted lover; much later, in Devaraagam (1996), which takes her character through an incredible arc.

But there was a far more interesting transformation in Sridevi herself, one that could be used to sell her films  she was no longer a child; she was long-legged and voluptuous. Bharathiraja made her lean down from swings and trees; he made her stand under waterfalls and wade through rivers. Other directors followed his lead. Rare was the film in which her sarees didnt slip off her shoulder, where there was no gratuitous scene of her character dressing or undressing; her clothes got shorter and tighter. Even in her most demure roles, she would be cast in dream sequences where the camera could ogle her curves.

In most of the songs in the film Shankarlal (1981), she is squeezed into a little bodices and chemises which accentuate her cleavage every time she moves. In the song 'Ilamayenum Poongkaatru' from Pagalil Oru Iravu (1979), she wears a micromini which is further torn until her legs are entirely exposed. In a simulated sex scene, her co-actor caresses her quite explicitly between shots of bees pollinating flowers.

If Tamil cinema began to love her body more than it loved her face, Telugu cinema had cut to the chase without even shooting the rest  men who were twice, perhaps thrice, her age thrust out their arthritic knees as she gyrated and grinded against them.

With no mentors in any of the industries which wanted her, she had to make the most of what she got.

She did, and how. Once Bollywood came calling, she never looked back. She was simultaneously sultry, bubbly, and funny. She would often caricature the South Indian, as was Bollywoods wont; she would roll around on hay and sand and grass in chiffon sarees; she would do Chaplinesque routines and Helenesque dances; she would be elevated and roasted in turns by the media. Along with the exponentially increased money and fame came attention, rarely kind.

Gossip columnists delighted in calling her a home-wrecker. Tabloids sniggered that she had become the Bengali Bourani and was eating off Mithun Chakrabortys unwashed plate. A decade later, they would chortle at her having become the sanskari bahu, serving laddoos to guests at brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoors wedding.

Film writer Bhawana Somaiya said in an interview that Bollywood media, which had famously dubbed Sridevi Thunder Thighs, would also call her Ask Mummy because that was her stock response to intrusive questions. She was always accompanied by her mother or sister, sometimes both, at film shoots, and its not hard to figure out why.

The actress Lakshmi once told a Tamil television channel how she was witness to a perverse incident involving an 11-year-old Sridevi. The shooting of a film in which they were both acting had been stalled for a couple of years. Sridevi was playing a boy in the film. The director insisted she only wear a cloth around her waist; a 9-year-old Sridevi had been flat-chested and unembarrassed about the costume. Two years later, her body had changed, and she hesitated. Her mother intervened, and insisted that shooting could only resume if Sridevi were given a skin-coloured blouse. She eventually finished the role with the blouse, and strategically-placed jewellery to camouflage its cuts.

Her mother must have been a formidable woman to take on a director in the Seventies. Tamil cinema has often used prepubescent girls to play boys or younger children. Jagathalaprathapan (1944) is famous for a snake dance performed by a 10-year-old Kumari Kamala, wearing only a dhoti. As late as 2002 and as respected a director as Mani Ratnam had Keerthana, then 11 and playing an 8-year-old, run around wearing only panties, in Kannathil Muthamittaal.

Perhaps Sridevis mother had had fewer battles to fight in Bombay. Or perhaps the bounty was higher. Sridevi has often been compared to Hemamalini, Rekha, Vyjayanthimala and Waheeda Rahman, Southern belles who conquered Hindi cinema. Of these women, only Vyjayanthimala had had a career in Tamil cinema before she entered Bollywood and it was neither as long nor as successful as Sridevis.

The South not only lost Sridevi the actress, but Sridevi the stunner. She was loved for her large eyes, but also for the sparkle she brought, a beauty that was not conventional. In Bollywood, she had to fit a mould, and her appearance changed. The snub nose became aquiline, the large black eyes turned hazel, the chubby cheeks went sallow, the pleasant plumpness disappeared into a sylph.

She lost her mother soon after her marriage to Boney Kapoor, and settled into domestic life, announcing her retirement from cinema. She made a forgettable foray into television in 2004, with the short-lived comic series Malini Iyer, an almost tragic parody of Kokila from Meendum Kokila. Though she did make a comeback to cinema with English Vinglish (2012), those who knew Sridevi as the girl from Moondru Mudichu and 16 Vayathinile could see she was a shadow of her former self. Years of cosmetic modification seemed to have taken their toll, and she was quite unable to pull off the facial contortions that had won the silverscreen.

Perhaps the true tragedy of Sridevi is that we never found out what she was capable of as an actress because she became a doll. Her looks overwhelmed her talent, and when the glamour had finally begun to fade, when there was scope for her to do character roles, she left the stage for good.

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"One family either directly or indirectly ruled the country for 48 years... for about 17 years our first prime minister ruled, and after that, his daughter held the reigns for 14 years and following that her son was at the helm for five years," he said.

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the "one family" dynastic rule of Congress for 48 years and said it should be compared with the achievements of the "development-oriented" NDA in the last four years.

Modi, who was addressing a BJP organised a public meeting in Puducherry, referred to the regimes of Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi without naming them.

His comments come weeks after Congress President Rahul Gandhi had dared Modi to spell out achievements of the NDA government instead of criticising his party.

"You will have to tell the country during the elections what you did in the last five years. It is going to be five years and you have not even opened your account," Gandhi had said making Modi the focal point of his attack in a series of roadside and public meetings in poll-bound Karnataka.

In his address in Puducherry, Modi also said "between 2004 and 2014, the same family ran the government with remote control," in an apparent reference to the Manmohan Singh-led UPA regime.

"From Puducherry, I would like to give a message for the intellectuals of this country," he said.

Intellectuals can debate the difference between what was gained and lost during the Congress regimes and what the BJP-led NDA has achieved in 48 months, he said.

"We are talking about people's development, ease of living for the common man," he said.

Though nations that got independence in 1947 like India have grown, the country still lagged behind and it warranted a serious thought on the lacunae vis-a-vis the functioning of the government and political culture that were holding back the nation, Modi said.

In an obvious reference to his oft-repeated slogan "Congress mukt Bharat", Modi asserted the Congress would be left with only the V Narayanasamy government in Puducherry in the country, saying the BJP would win the coming assembly elections in Karnataka and North East.

He did not refer to the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab.

"I want to congratulate the chief minister of Puducherry in advance because the Congress is going to exhibit him as a specimen after June," he quipped predicting the defeat of the Congress in other states.

"Elections are going to be held in North East where the Congress has a government and it will go. After that, polls are to be held in Karnataka and there too the Congress will go, so the Narayanasamy government will be the only one to be left," the prime minister said.

The jibe drew laughter from the large crowd that had gathered to listen to Modi, who became the first prime minister to address a public meeting in this former French colony in 33 years.

Rajiv Gandhi was the last prime minister to address a rally in Puducherry in 1984.

Targeting the Congress government in Puducherry, Modi said the union territory had poor infrastructure and was a victim of "Congress culture".

He claimed Puducherry had poor infrastructure and sectors such as transport and cooperation were in a shambles and charged the successive regimes with doing injustice for the people.

"The Congress has failed on all fronts in Puducherry," he said recalling the glorious history of the former French colony which was closely associated with the freedom movement sheltering the likes of Sri Aurobindo, and national poet Subramania Bharathi.

He also came down on the Puducherry government for not holding civic polls for years together while the "party had been making tall claims from Delhi that it is the champion of democracy and rights of the people."

By delaying the civic polls the Congress government "is only gagging the voice of the people," he said.

Outlining the initiatives of his government like the 'Mudhra Yojana' and 'Jan Dhan Yojana', he said such schemes empowered the people across the country.

Modi said the Prime Minister's Mudra Scheme had been implemented expeditiously with around 3.25 lakh youth having been benefitted during the last three years.

Mudra scheme is of help to the youth who could get loans without any collateral security, he said urging the youths to make use of it and launch projects in Puducherry.

Udan Scheme providing regional air connectivity would be of help for Puducherry to promote tourism and generate employment, he said.

Citing the Ayushman Bharath Scheme, he said it will benefit the poor families to get free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh rupees per year.

The government was strengthening the ports and ushering in an era of port-led development, through the Sagarmala project.

Financial assistance was being given for long-liner trawlers for fishermen under the Blue Revolution Scheme, he said.

Modi also listed financial assistance given to various schemes such as smart city for the union territory.
He also asked Modi as to why he was not taking any action regarding the alleged sudden increase in turnover of a company owned by Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah.

: Continuing to target the prime minister in his campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked why Narendra Modi, who had described himself as the country's "chowkidar", was "silent" on the Punjab National Bank fraud.

"Modi ji comes to Karnataka and speaks about corruption. He had told the country not to make him Prime Minister but make him the chowkidar (watchman) of the country," he said at party rallies in Vijapura and Bagalkote districts in north Karnataka.

Gandhi said, "On one side there is his party's (former) chief minister (B S Yeddyurappa) who had gone to jail and on the other side are the other four former ministers of the BJP government who had gone to jail; sitting in between them, Modi speaks about corruption."

"Shah's son converts Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months and the chowkidar of the country doesn't get it enquired and doesn't even utter a word," he alleged.

The BJP chief has rejected allegations of corruption against his son Jay Shah, who has filed a criminal defamation suit against a news portal which claimed his business fortunes had zoomed after the BJP came to power in 2014.

Gandhi is on the second leg of his three-day tour of northern parts of Karnataka.

This is his second visit to the state in less than a fortnight.

Karnataka is slated to go to the polls in a few months.

At all rallies, Modi has remained the focal point of speeches by Gandhi, who, on the other hand, is projecting Siddaramaiah as party's face to take on Modi in the state, on whom BJP is banking heavily to boost its electoral fortunes.

Hitting out at Modi on demonetisation, the Congress president said, "Modiji told the country to stand in line (queues at banks) for the fight against corruption.You would have not seen a single rich person or someone wearing suit-boot in the line."

He alleged that all the "thieves" in India had converted their black money into white with the help of Modi.

Attacking the Prime Minister on the Punjab National Bank fraud issue involving jewellery designer Nirav Modi, Gandhi questioned his silence.

"Nirav Modi has indulged in the theft of Rs 22,000 crore, he runs away from the country, but the chowkidar of this country does not even utter a word," he said.

Breaking his silence over the Rs 11,400-crore fraud at India's second-biggest PSU bank, Modi on Friday had warned of strict action against those involved in financial irregularities and said loot of public money would not be tolerated.

"Nudidante Nade" (practise what you preach),Gandhi told Modi, invoking 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara from Karnataka.

Basaveshwara is revered by the dominant Lingayat-Veerashiva community,who are predominantly present in northern parts of the state and form a major support base for the BJP, which is projecting Lingayat strongman Yeddyurappa as its chief ministerial candidate.

Gandhi also accused the prime minister of "failing" to ulfil the election promise of providing two crore jobs to youths in the country every year.

He said despite schemes such as Make in India, Start-up India and Stand-up India, "whatever you buy, from watches to shirts to shoes, every thing is Made in China".

Gandhi said the biggest reason for the progress that India has made during the last 70 years was democracy.

"People of the country, Congress party, Ambedkar together gave this country this Constitution," he said.

Noting that democracy came into practise in Britain and America about hundred or two hundred years ago, he added, "but Karnataka taught the world about democracy 900 years ago."

"When BJP people talk about changing the Constitution, when they try to invade democracy, they have to remember that they are working against Basavanna, his teachings and principles," Gandhi said.

Anubhava Mantapa, located at Basavakalyan in Bidar district, was founded by Basaveshwara as a religious parliament where spiritual issues could be debated leading to a caste less society and bring about equality.

"When any BJP worker assaults any adivasi or Dalit or anyone from the minority community, he is working against Basavanna, Akkamahadevi and Rani Chennamma," Gandhi said.

Saint Akkamahadevi was a 12th century Kannada poet, saint and mystic of the Veerashaiva Bhakti Movement.

Chennamma was the queen of Kittur, best known for leading an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824.
According to media reports, Mohit Marwah, Akshay Marwah, Rhea Kapoors boyfriend, Karan Boolani are at the Pawan Hans crematorium to discuss the funeral formalities, which is likely to be held there in the morning.

: Veteran actor Sridevis mortal remains will arrive in India from Dubai on Monday morning and the cremation will be held later in the day in Mumbai.

It is also being said that before taking the body to Pawan Hans crematorium, it will be brought to Bhagyalaxmi, Boney Kapoors office.

Sridevi, 54, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah.

Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi, Khushi and the entire Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family is deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor," a statement, issued on Sunday evening by Yash Raj Films (YRF) on behalf of the family, said. "They thank the entire media for their prayers, support and sensitivity during their time of grief. Late Sridevi Kapoors body will arrive in India tomorrow, it said.

The mortal remains are expected to be brought by a chartered flight.

The Gulf-based Khaleej Times had reported that Sridevi's autopsy had been completed and the family was now awaiting laboratory reports conducted by the General Department of Forensic Evidence.

Sridevi, a Padma Shri awardee, made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with Solva Sawan. But it was only after five years with Himmatwala, co-starring Jeetendra, that she attained commercial success.

Before her entry into Bollywood, the actor had been a known face in South Indian films. She made her debut as a child artist in in Tamil film Thunaivan in 1969. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.

Sridevi's beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after actors in the Hindi film industry.

While films such as Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Mr India (1987) and Chandni (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings in Sadma (1983), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Gumrah (1993) earned her critical acclaim.

She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production Judaai, co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. It was director Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish in 2012 that marked Sridevi's comeback.

Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.

Last year, she was seen in revenge-drama, Mom, opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. She also shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, Zero, which releases in December.

Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.

Minutes after the news of her death broke, many Bollywood actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh took to Twitter to offer their condolences.

Personalities such as Lata Mangeshkar, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and South superstars Rajanikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni and Baahubali director SS Rajamouli also offered their condolences on the death of the legendary actor.

Director-producer Karan Johar recalled having a fan moment when he first met the superstar on the sets of his father's film Gumrah.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Congress president Rahul Gandhi also condoled her death.

"Shocked to hear of passing of movie star Sridevi. She has left millions of fans heartbroken. Her performances in films such as Moondram Pirai, Lamhe and English Vinglish remain an inspiration for other actors. My condolences to her family and close associates #PresidentKovind," a tweet from the official Twitter handle of the President said.

Naidu tweeted, "Felt very sad over the sudden demise of popular actress Sridevi. She was an extremely versatile and talented film star, who had acted in Telugu, Hindi and other South Indian languages."

Modi said he was saddened by Sridevi's untimely demise.

"She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace," the PMO tweeted.

Irani, in an emotional letter published by News18, remembered the actor as her "favourite star who defined joy in my childhood".

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival, tweeted, "Shocked to hear of the passing of Indias legendary Sridevi. Honoured to have been in her presence in 2012 when she visited Toronto for English Vinglish. She made countless millions fall in love with her characters."

Also read:

Sridevi  Her magic lives on!

The Sridevi South India lost

Sridevi, the familiar face from my childhood

Majestic journey of Sridevi in Tamil

Ram Gopal Varma: Kshana Kshanam was my love letter to Sridevi

Actress Sridevi passes away

Tollywood: Sridevi's Top 5 films
Michael B. Jordan has received praise for his performance as Erik Killmonger in "Black Panther," but the character's radical politics are being debated by many critics. Killmonger is being revered as a sympathetic and relatable villain, like Magneto or Loki, but there are plenty of supporters who argue radicalism shouldn't be considered villainy or demonized. Others argue Killmonger's politics are aligned with violence and that's never the answer for combating oppression. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

DISCLAIMER: THERE ARE 'BLACK PANTHER' SPOILERS AHEAD. WE TRIED TO KEEP THEM TO A MINIMUM.

The Atlantic's Adam Serwer writes that "Black Panther" is a love letter to both Africans and African Americans. Hence, the film is actually for the black diaspora because it encompasses black people individually, globally and collectively. But he also writes about how Wakanda created Killmonger, a once-abandoned African-American child who argues Wakanda turned its back on oppressed black people around the globe, as the nation secretly thrived. He writes:

But Killmonger has some points. Where was Wakanda when many of their African brothers and sisters were being captured and sold into slavery through the Atlantic slave trade? Where was Wakanda when other African countries were left improvised, stricken with war or being colonized? Where was Wakanda during America's Jim Crow and Civil Rights Movement era?



With the trajectory of systemic racism, oppression and pain that black people in America and around the world have had to endure Shadow And Act's Brooke Obie writes Killmonger isn't wrong for his approach. It's pretty understandable.

Progressive Army's Benjamin Dixon writes "Black Panther" craps on revolutionaries and radical politics. A black American male is a villain for wanting to free his people. Dixon points out that the original comic book character was created by white men and the character's goal was to take over the world, not black liberation.



While many didn't agree with Killmonger's choice to kill in the name of black liberation, many criticized the film for making a black revolutionary the villain to begin with.

Dixon writes:

The Root's Jason Johnson writes that, yes, Killmonger wants the oppressed to be free, but his approach isn't actually revolutionary. Killmonger set out to kill those in power. Michael B. Jordan's character says he's learned from his enemies and oppressors, and but opts for a similar approach to his actions.



He could've been a revolutionary who got Wakanda on his side without bloodshed. Heck, T'Challa eventually agrees with him on opening up Wakanda's resources to those in needs as well as the nation helping their people around the globe who are marginalized. But T'Challa does not agree with Wakanda taking aggressive military action or conquering the world in order to benefit the lives of black people.

Johnson writes:

But let's be real here--Killmonger was all about black liberation at the expense of black women. Plus, he killed his own people who he claimed to be all about. Bossip listed the many ways Killmonger was problematic.

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.
Smart use of social media by NYPD officers led to the arrest of the alleged "Tip-Jar Bandit," whose crime spree extended from the South Shore of Staten Island to Manhattan, according to a post on NYPD News highlighting the investigation.

Dana Williamson allegedly was caught red-handed when she swiped a tip-jar from the counter at Kung Fu Tea on Greenwich Street on Feb. 6 in Manhattan, according to the NYPD.

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She was apprehended after officers in the 1st Precinct in Lower Manhattan received a report of a person stealing a tip jar at the tea shop on Greenwich Street. Police Officers Tyrone Cassara and Jonathan Metelus used their department-issued smartphones to swiftly establish her identity by checking with members of the 123rd Precinct. Use of smart phones and collaboration between members of the 1st and 123rd precincts helped close out the crime pattern, according to NYPD News.

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Early in the investigation, police reviewed surveillance video after the M&M Deli and Bagels at 849 Annadale Rd. in Annadale reported a theft on Jan. 13. The NYPD said that "the 123rd Precinct publicized a wanted poster, making extensive use of social media to disseminate the flier across the command. In the wake of this publicity effort, several other Staten Island businesses also reported thefts of tip jars."

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A woman can be seen on this video removing a tip jar at Country Donuts at 3235 Richmond Ave. in the Greenridge Shopping Plaza in January. The counter where the tip jar is located is unattended while employees assist customers at a different register, based on the surveillance images.

A woman glances at the employees, then grabs napkins, a brochure of some sort and, finally, the tip jar. She uses clothing to hide her ill-gotten gains before she leaves the store, according to the surveillance video.

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In this "Tip-Jar Bandit" video, a glasses-wearing woman with black hair can be seen standing at the counter of the new Hawaii Poke Bowl on Richmond Avenue at around 1 p.m, an employee at the restaurant said.

She clumsily places her scarf over the clear jar filled with money, and pulls it off the counter.

The employee, who did not give his name, said no one working at the time noticed her swipe the tip jar, and could not say how much money was in the jar at the time.

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In the alleged Kung Fu Tea caper, Williamson allegedly went into the Tribeca store, ordered a drink and paid with all coins, a store worker previously told the Advance.

Another employee then recognized Williamson from her alleged heist at Poketeria on East 36th Street because he also works at that eatery, the worker previously said.

"He just kept an eye on her when he was making the drink because he knew who she was," said the worker around the time of the incident. "Then he looked over his shoulder and saw her tuck it under her scarf."

When the woman, labeled the "Tip-Jar Bandit" by the NYPD on Twitter, was heading out of the store, he blocked the entrance and called the cops, according to the worker at the time.

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The purported tip-jar bandit has been charged in three incidents on Staten Island, including the Starbucks on Richmond Avenue in New Springville on Jan. 10, authorities said.

Williamson also was charged with tip-jar thefts from the M&M Deli and Bagels in Annadale on Jan. 13 and the Hawaii Poke Bowl restaurant in Graniteville on Jan. 16, according to authorities.

She has been charged with two incident in the Manhattan.

The alleged "tip-jar bandit" has underlying drug issues and she would benefit from rehabilitation treatment, her lawyer has said.
Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- "Law & Order: SVU" fans out there, take note: The popular police procedural and legal drama television series, part of NBC's enduring "Law & Order" franchise, is filming in Livingston today and tomorrow.

It looks exciting, from where I sat, in the driver's seat of my car, as I snapped photos up until the point I got nervous that I wasn't allowed to do so when I got looks from the crew.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

From the bright pink sign adorning the light poles from Richmond Terrace to Henderson Avenue surrounding the luscious grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center, located at 1000 Richmond Terrace, it seems filming will take place today and tomorrow, so neighborhood people, be forewarned.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

"Law & Order SVU" airs on NBC and, in non-stop syndication, on various cable networks.

The original "Law & Order" series premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24, 2010.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

Although I've never watched it myself (too intense for my constitution), "Law & Order: SVU" is the favorite of my oldest daughter and my best friend, as well as many other acquaintances, so I'm sure it's quite good.

The fact that it's won countless industry awards, like Emmys and Golden Globes, speaks to its awesomeness.

Created by Emmy-Award winning Dick Wolf, it's in its 19th season, which is older than my oldest daughter. So yeah, it's got longevity and is in fact the longest-running primetime drama on the good ol' tele.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

So what's it all about? "Law & Order: SVU" chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. Yikes.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

As acting commander of the SVU, Lt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is the star of the show. However, there was no sight of her during my drive-by around Snug Harbor. She is beautiful though, am I right? And so talented.

In the show, she is a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all. She is tough and well-respected but is also comapassionate, as a product of rape and her future as mother to a young child, both of which influence the way she relates to the victims and perpetrators of each case.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

So, while I was waiting for the production assistant dude, to wave me through, this started happening: Actors (I hope) walked by my car dressed in military fatigues. Very exciting!

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

According to the "Law & Order: SVU" website, Hargitay has garnered eight Emmy nominations for Lead Actress in a Drama Series and won in 2006.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

Hargitay also received two Golden Globe nominations for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, winning the award in 2005, and six SAG nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

Maybe this is her car? My imagination was running wild!

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Hargitay has won four Gracie Allen Awards for Outstanding Female Lead in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2017. In 2013, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

"Law & Order: SVU" has had many big name guest stars on the show, including: Ann-Margaret, Cynthia Nixon, Robin Williams, and Carol Burnett.

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Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com

Take a look at the slideshow of images I hastily shot, scared that those uniformed soldiers were in fact not actors and my iPhone would be confiscated. Maybe I'll start watching the show and try to catch a glimpse of beautiful Snug Harbor.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York State Department of Health is warning people in the New York City area that an Australian tourist who visited several attractions and venues from Feb. 16 to 21 was confirmed to have measles.

The tourist, who visited several hotels in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, may have potentially exposed measles to others.

The risk of developing measles in very low, especially for people who have been immunized.

Here is the tourist's travel route, according to the state Department of Health:

La Quinta Inn, 31 W. 71st St., New York, N.Y., between Feb. 16 and the morning of Feb. 19, 2018.

Oasis Bible Tours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave., New York, N.Y., the morning of February 16, and the evening of Feb. 17, 2018.

Watchtower Educational Center, 100 Watchtower Drive, Patterson, N.Y., between 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2018.

Best Western Hotel, 1324 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y., from Feb. 19 until 12:00 p.m. on February 20, 2018.

Comfort Inn & Suites Goshen - Middletown, 20 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY, from 4:30 p.m. on February 20 until 10:30 a.m. on February 21, 2018.

Excel Urgent Care, 1 Hatfield Lane, Goshen, N.Y., between 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on February 21, 2018.

Orange Regional Medical Center, Emergency Department, 707 E. Main Street, Middletown, N.Y., between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2018.

These times reflect the period the infected individual was in the areas and a two-hour period after the individual left the area, because the virus remains alive in air and on surfaces for up to two hours.

Individuals lacking immunity or who aren't sure if they were vaccinated, should contact their health care provider if they develop measles symptoms.

Symptoms include a fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis or runny nose. Symptoms usually appear in 10 to 12 days after exposure.

To prevent the spread of illness, the department is advising individuals who may have been exposed and who have symptoms consistent with measles to contact their health care provider, a local clinic or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.



Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people. People first develop a fever, then have a cough, runny nose and watery eyes -- followed by appearance of the rash.

BEST PREVENTION

The single best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated. Individuals should receive two doses of MMR vaccine to be protected. If a person is unsure if they are immune they should contact their healthcare provider.

Typically, the first dose should be given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose should be given at four to six years of age (age of school entry), although individuals may also be vaccinated later in life. In New York State, measles immunization is required of children enrolled in schools, daycare, and pre-kindergarten. Since August 1990, college students have also been required to demonstrate immunity against measles.



The state Department of Health will issue a health advisory to health care providers in the metropolitan New York City region to notify them of the potential exposure. Health care providers should report all suspected cases of measles to their local health department.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The body of a 29-year-old Staten Island man was found in Puerto Rico, according to media reports.

Sean Collins, 29, reportedly was found dead inside a Nissan Versa on Feb. 20, according to the Puerto Rican news website ElVocero.com.

Public records indicate that Collins lived in Sunnyside. He was a linesman for Northline Utilities on Staten Island and a member of IBEW Local 3, according to social media posts.

Collins had spent time in Puerto Rico to help restore power after Hurricane Maria, but returned back home in January, according to reports.

He traveled to Puerto Rico for the President's Day weekend to visit friends and stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel on Isla Verde, according to ElVocero.com.

On that Monday, Feb. 19, he was booked to return to New York on a United Airlines flight that he never boarded, ElVocero.com said.

He was reported missing by a friend on Feb. 21, the day after his body was found, according to El Vocero.

While it is not clear how he died, authorities don't believe foul play was involved, according to a report by NBCNewYork.com.

According to El Vocero, because there are no signs of violence, it may take weeks for authorities to determine the cause of death.

Social media posts indicated that Collins rented the Nissan Versa.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With guitars in hand, high school friends Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley walked on stage at the St. George Theatre Saturday evening and let the audience know what they were in for when they launched into their 1974 hit, "Tin Man."

The band, "America," began to delve into their vast catalogue of hits and threw in a few covers for good measure.



After nearly an 1 1/2 hours playing all their popular hits, including the 1975 hit single, "Sister Golden Hair," America exited stage left.

The St. George Theatre exploded with the thunderous sound of applause as the audience gave the band a standing ovation. And, not to disappoint, they returned to the stage and closed out the show with their signature song, "A Horse with No Name."



ABOUT THE BAND



Founding members, Beckley, Bunnell and former band mate Dan Peek, met in high school in London in the late 1960s. They were sons of U.S. Air Force personnel stationed in London. They began playing live as a band in 1970 and released their self title album "America" in 1971 which, in it's second release, included "A Horse with No Name." Peek left the band in 1977 to pursue a Christian music career while Beckley and Bunnell kept the name and have been touring ever since.



Forty-eight-years later America is still touring, and, according to the band members, they play 100 concerts a year. And they say they have no intention of stopping -- as long as people keep coming to their concerts.
France to block Chinese group taking control of Toulouse airport: source



Paris, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



The French government will not sell a 10 percent stake in the Toulouse airport in southern France to a Chinese consortium, a deal that would have given it majority control of the fast-growing transport hub, a government source said Monday.

Casil Europe, a holding company created by China's state-owned Shandong Hi-Speed Group and the Hong Kong-based Friedmann Pacific Asset Management, bought 49.99 percent of the airport in 2015.

The French government had an option for selling Casil an additional 10.01 percent stake from April, as part of a wave of sales of state-owned assets.

But in December a group of local officials asked Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to refrain from selling the stake, accusing Casil of using the airport's cash reserves to maximise dividend payments instead of investing in its operations.

"We will not cede the 10.01 percent," a government source told AFP, confirming a report by BFM television. "For now we're not going to move."

Local governments and the Toulouse Chamber of Commerce, which together own a minority 40 percent stake in the airport, argued that even though Casil had indeed embarked on a modernisation plan, the airport needed to have a "public majority for the long term."

President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to raise 10 billion euros ($12.3 billion) by selling state assets and stake-holdings to fund a programme to promote innovation.

The government has not tipped its hand on which companies and stakes might be for sale, but analysts say they could include holdings in energy giants EDF and Engie as well as an additional stake in Aeroports de Paris (ADP), which runs the Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports.

The Toulouse airport had a record 14.6 percent increase in traffic last year to 9.2 million passengers, making it the fifth-largest in France.

That was driven mainly by the growth of low-cost European airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair, with international flights now making up half of its traffic.

Casil Europe has said it wants to boost traffic to 18 million passengers by 2046, in large part by developing connections to Chinese destinations.
White House says Xi's term limits 'up to China'



Washington, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



The White House on Monday said a decision that could see Chinese leader Xi Jinping rule for life was an internal matter for the authorities in Beijing.

"I believe that's a decision for China to make," said press secretary Sarah Sanders, after the country's Communist Party called for the removal of presidential term limits.

"The president has talked about term limits in a number of capacities and something that he supports here in the United States, but that's a decision that's up to China."
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With several systemically vital assigned tasks nearing completion and the SZV 3.0. strategic plan in full execution phase, the Director of SZV Glen Carty sees that his priority task as turnaround specialist is nearing completion. In consultation with Minister Lee, Carty will step down as Director on December 31st, 2018. Carty was appointed by the Governor by National decree on August 1st, 2016, after successfully completing the required Category A screening of the National Security of Sint Maarten.





Glens contributions to the Country and SZV have been tremendous and greatly appreciated. Both Glen and I agreed that with the hospital entering another phase of its development and the progress made on SZVs strategic plan, it makes sense to begin the recruitment process for a new General Director. I have asked that Glen stay on until the end of the year to allow for a proper and transparent transition.  Emil Lee, Minister VSA





Minister of Public Health, Emil Lee will discuss the recruitment procedures for the new Director of SZV with the Supervisory Board of SZV and support the recruitment process to be carried out by the Supervisory Board. It is the intention that the new Director will work alongside Carty for the final months of the year to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of activities once formally appointed by January 1st, 2019.





The Minister of Public Health, Emil Lee has requested Carty to remain Director until December 31st to focus on expediting the SZV 3.0. strategic plan and for SZV to assist in ensuring that the objectives set for the second phase of the new general hospital are met without further delay.





Carty as Director of SZV, initiated the Tripartite collaboration for the new general hospital and has been one of the key stakeholders involved in the development of the business plan of the new general hospital. One of the major identified costs of SZV is the management of medical referrals abroad. This cost now exceeds over 40 million guilders per year. With the financing of the new general hospital now complete, the project will go over to execution phase and Carty can now mainly focus on the further implementation of SZV 3.0.





Minister Lee has been monitoring the progress of the execution of Social & Health Insurances (SZV) 3.0 strategic plan which is aimed at improving the quality of service and operational management of the organization. To gain an independent review of the operations at SZV, Minister Emil Lee contracted SOAB to conduct a performance audit for the years 2011-2016 which included reviews of compliance, internal control methods, measuring mechanisms, investment policies, management of operational costs etc.





The report indicates that there is still much room for improvement to be done by SZV, however the findings are that the implementation of the 5-year SZV 3.0. strategic plan is showing positive developments. Minister Emil Lee states that Cartys Director Performance Contract for 2018 will focus on areas of attention as outlined in the strategic plan and the SOAB report. Namely, improve automation of processes, cost reduction in operations, compliance adherence and customer care offering.





In the first ever performance agreement issued to a director of the SZV, under Minister Emil Lee in 2016, several improvement points were outlined for SZV to work on. The results of several actions are starting to show; increase in customer contact options, access of information for insured, contracted international health care providers, implementation of control mechanisms through the internal audit department, improved working relations between the Ministry of VSA, SMMC and other stakeholders, staff training and development, online employer services, digital declarations for health care providers and more.





The continued execution of SZVs 3.0. strategic plan is very important as it will have an impact on health care reform for the country. One of the challenges of Government institutions on Sint Maarten is data collection and the management of information exchange. This is no different at SZV. The Automation focus of SZV





aims to address this with the introduction of E-SZV which will expand to E-Health. In essence the automation and synchronization of critical processes and data of SZV, local health care providers and the insured. The result being improved service, ability to monitor efficiency and combat possible fraud.




Page Content

Ministry VSA will be hosting a National Employment Registration Drive during the course of this week. The goal of the drive is to determine how many workers have lost their job or are working less hours as a direct result of the devastating impact of hurricane Irma on the local labor market. The Ministry intends to use the data collected to develop programs and projects to further assist the unemployed and underemployed persons within the community.





Dutch Nationals, Permanent Residence holders, and Temporary Residence holders who need full or part time work are invited to participate in the upcoming registration drive in order to be eligible to participate in the upcoming projects and programs to be executed in collaboration with International Organizations. One such program is to be organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The objective of the program is to hire 500 unskilled and skilled workers at varying wages, depending on expertise.





VSA will also be executing the Personal Incentives for Economic Recovery Program (PIER) within short to provide temporary employment, training and education to unemployed or underemployed individuals by participating in various social and relief projects within their respective communities.





The Ministry, during the drive, will inquiry about general information from job seekers regarding their overall employment and social situation as a direct result of losing their employment or working fewer hours. The Ministry will not use or share the information outside the scope of the National Ordinance Personal Data Protection, as such all results of the survey will be stored in a password protected digital file.





The registration drive will take place at the Department of Labor Affairs & Social Services, New Government Building from Monday February 26, 2018 through Friday March 2nd, 2018 from 2pm until 5pm.





The Department of Labor Affairs encourages all jobseekers to take this opportunity to register, it is of the utmost importance. Attendees should ensure that they have a valid form of identification in order to register. If unable to visit the Department, online registration is also possible at jobopportunity.sx and sintmaartengov.org





It is the intension of the Ministry to host a second phase of the job info drive. During the second phase jobseekers will be able to register at the community center in their respective neighborhood.





The National Employment Registration Drive is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor and United National Development Programme (UNDP).





For additional information please contact the Department of Labor Affairs & Social Services at 542-0640, 542-0349 or 520-5279 or at our email address labor-affairs@sintmaartegov.org.
Page Content

Due to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Irma, the country is still in the recovery phase.





Hundreds of vehicles suffered damage. The Government is well aware that many in the community are facing serious hardships and choices have to be made such as fixing ones home, awaiting settlements from insurance companies, awaiting parts/or awaiting repairs for their vehicles; taking the aforementioned into consideration, with motor vehicle fees due in February, a decision has been taken to extend the compliance payment date for license plate and vehicle inspection fees by an additional four months.





The aforementioned is a form of relief to the community which is still suffering from the effects of the hurricanes. Minister Cornelius de Weever had this issue as one of his priorities after being sworn in as minister in January. At that time, he sought advice and has moved forward in having this become a reality.





Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever says the extension is until June 30, 2018 for the plates and inspection. For those who would like to keep their existing plates, the deadline for payment is March 31, 2018.





All motorists will still need to pay the full year amount for the license plate. Those who had no vehicle from January 1st, will still qualify for payment of a pro-rated amount.





Motorists are encouraged to pay their fees as soon as possible even though the compliance date will be extended.





The Minister of Justice has already informed the Police Department about the grace period.





Motorists are encouraged to repair their vehicles in order for them to meet the regular safety and security requirements according to the laws of the land.





The meeting regarding the aforementioned agreement took place on Thursday, February 22 under the agenda point, to look into the possibility of extending the deadline for license plates and inspection of vehicles.




PHILIPSBURG:--- With the financing agreements for the new general hospital signed on Friday, February 23rd, it is important for the general public to understand how health care will be improved. Although the new hospital is critical for the country, the agreement by all parties to work towards JCI or Joint Commission International Accreditation is also an important milestone accomplishment.

Acquiring the financing for the new hospital was one of the many phases outlined in the business plan that was developed by the Tripartite members; Ministry of VSA, SMMC and SZV. The business plan, is just that, a plan that looks at the entire hospital operation and financials and outlines the most critical areas for improvements and the required methods of action. There are many improvements that will be available by having a new and suitable facility. Therefore, before the facility is finalized; policies, protocols, and improvement to overall service delivery have been a critical part of the discussions.

The list below is not a wish-list, but an action list. Items outlined that will be delivered throughout the various stages of development over the coming years, alongside the construction of the facility.  Emil Lee, Minister VSA

Together with various stakeholders, including the Inspectorate of Health, SMMC will be addressing the most important patient concerns; availability of quality medical care and customer service. Below are some of the key actions and new services that the new hospital will offer:

 Acquiring JCI accreditation: a commitment to an internationally recognized standard of patient safety. Establishing quality and care policies and procedures to meet international standards among which include hygiene compliance and feedback mechanisms for patient safety improvement

 A minimum of 70 new vacancies for medical and support staff: additional staff to increase quality care and service

 Continuing Education sessions for current SMMC staff and specialists: upgrading quality of care and expanding skillsets

 New specialisms at-home: urology, neurology, orthopedics, hematology, ophthalmology and pulmonology. Reduced need for medical referrals abroad

 On-site medivac heliport: increased efficiency for emergency cases

 Increase in capacity management: from 66 to 110 beds in clusters of one and two beds per room. Maximum of 2 beds per room

 Four state of the art operating theaters including one with (limited) heart intervention lab

 A dedicated dialysis center

 Telemedicine for diagnosis and treatment by specialists abroad

 Rotating specialists

 Improved parking facilities
PHILIPSBURG:--- Eligible voters will be heading to the polls on Monday, February 26th, 2018 to cast their votes to elect the 15 Members of Parliament.

The anticipation as to which political party will take over power will come to an end Monday night into early Tuesday morning.

Contesting the election are six political parties, namely: United Democrats (UD), St. Maarten Development Movement (SDM), National Alliance (NA), Peoples Progressive Alliance(PPA), United St. Maarten Party (USP), and the St. Maarten Christian Party (SMCP).

SMN News will be bringing you the live updates as it begins on Monday morning from the house of parliament.

At around 11 pm readers of this news site could watch the life announcement that will be made by the main voting bureau, as well as the interviews given by those that postulated themselves for this years parliamentary election. Early Tuesday morning a detailed article on the February 26th Parliamentary Election will be posted. Photos of the days proceedings will also be available on the SMN News Facebook page.

Click here to view Parliamentary Election Hourly Turnout Results.
Qualcomm open to further takeover talks if Broadcom boosts price



Washington, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Qualcomm said Monday it was open to further talks with computer chipmaking rival Broadcom if the Singapore-based firm is willing to raise the price of its hostile bid.

The California-based mobile chip giant released a letter to Broadcom saying that a meeting earlier this month had addressed some of Qualcomm's concerns but that the two sides remained in disagreement on price.

Last week, Broadcom reduced its offer to $79 a share, which would still be the largest-ever deal in the tech sector if completed at an estimated value of nearly $117 billion.

Broadcom said it cut its bid because Qualcomm had effectively agreed to "transfer" value by raising its takeover offer for Dutch-based tech firm NXP.

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the two companies should meet to consider a higher price.

"Having now addressed the regulatory and certainty issues in principle, we propose arranging a meeting -- as soon as mutually convenient for both parties -- focused on price, should Broadcom be willing to engage on the topic," Jacobs said in the letter to Broadcom chief executive Hock Tan.

Jacobs said Qualcomm was willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would allow Broadcom to view confidential business information from its US rival, suggesting this would enable Broadcom to get a better picture of Qualcomm's true value.

"We appreciate that we have differences in our views on value and that ours is based upon significantly more information than the public data you now have at your disposal," Jacobs said.

Any tie-up of the two giants could reshape the fast-evolving sector of chips for smartphones and connected devices. But it would have to pass regulatory muster in several countries.

Qualcomm has cited "regulatory risk" as a factor in rebuffing the Broadcom bid but has also said the offer "undervalues" Qualcomm in view of its prospects in mobile technology.

The US firm could face pressure at its annual shareholder meeting March 6, where Broadcom is calling for new board members who would be amenable to a tie-up.

Broadcom's original offer for Qualcomm came days after Tan visited the White House last November and told President Donald Trump the company would be moving back to the United States.
'Noah's Ark' seed vault chalks up a million crop varieties



Longyearbyen, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Norway's 'doomsday' seed bank, which seeks to protect the world's crops from natural disasters, on Monday said it had gathered more than a million varieties as it marked its 10-year anniversary.

Dubbed the "Noah's Ark" of food crops, the Global Seed Vault is located deep inside a mountain on Svalbard, a remote Arctic island in a Norwegian archipelago and has the capacity to store up to 4.5 billion seeds.

Launched in 2008, the Svalbard vault was on Monday marking its 10th anniversary by taking shipments of more than 76,000 seed samples, with depositors from all over the world delivering crops such as black-eyed peas, the Bambara groundnut and the Estonian onion potato.

Although housed in Norway, the seeds belong to the donor states and institutions and they can withdraw them at their convenience.

The delivery raises to 1,059,646 the overall number of unique crop varieties deposited in the so-called "doomsday vault" since it opened on February 26, 2008 with the aim of providing a "fail-safe seed storage facility, built to stand the test of time and the challenge of natural or man-made disasters."

"I am extremely happy to announce that more than one million seeds will pass through this door to be secured forever," said Norway's Agriculture Minister Jon Georg Dale.

The vault currently has 967,216 varities as some Syrian grains were withdrawn with the aim of re-introducing local strains after the fighting in Aleppo ended.

There are 1,700 gene banks around the world that safeguard collections of food crops and many of these are exposed to natural disasters and wars, according to the independent Global Crop Diversity Trust.

Located 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from the North Pole, the Svalbard archipelago, which is twice the size of Belgium, counts 2,300 inhabitants and is considered the ideal place for the vault due to its remoteness, far from civil strife.
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Iran blames Yemen war on British, US arms exports



Tehran, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Iran on Monday rejected Western claims that it was arming Huthi rebels in Yemen, saying the conflict was instead the result of British and US arm supplies to Saudi Arabia.

"The Islamic republic of Iran wants an end to the aggression in Yemen by Saudi Arabia," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in comments carried by Iran's Al-Alam news site.

"What is happening in Yemen is the result of the export of British and American weapons to Saudi Arabia and such behaviour is unacceptable," he added.

A Saudi-led coalition has been bombing Yemen almost daily since 2015 as it attempts to dislodge Huthi rebels who seized control of the capital, in a conflict that has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations.

A UN report last month said Tehran had breached an arms embargo by failing to stop weapons reaching the Huthis.

It said a missile fired into Saudi Arabia last year by the Huthis was made in Iran, though it was unable to definitively identify the supplier.

A UN resolution drafted by Britain called for "additional measures" against Iran over the report.

"This resolution, if adopted, would provide support to the aggressor," said Ghasemi, referring to Saudi Arabia.

"Such resolutions do not help the situation in Yemen and are an effort by the British government to use international mechanisms to create a supportive climate for the aggressor."

Russia, which is allied with Iran in the Syria war, maintains that the UN report's findings are not conclusive enough to justify action against Iran.

It presented a rival resolution on Saturday, extending sanctions on Yemen but without any reference to possible action targeting Tehran.
Iraq extends air blockade of Kurdistan by three months



Arbil, Iraq, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Iraq has extended by three months a ban on international flights to the autonomous Kurdish region, a senior official at Arbil airport in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan said on Monday.

The federal government in Baghdad first imposed the air blockade in September after Iraqi Kurdistan voted overwhelmingly for independence in a non-binding referendum rejected as illegal by the central government.

It was extended in December for two months and was to run until February 28 but the authorities decided to renew it for three months, the official said.

"We have been informed by the civil aviation authority in Baghdad that the ban on international flights to and from Arbil and Sulaimaniyah airports has been extended until the end of May," he said.

"Only internal flights are authorised."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office confirmed the ban was extended.

"No date had been set to lift the ban," Saad al-Hadithi told AFP.

"It will depend on the transfer of the airport's administration to the federal government and when that will be done the ban will be lifted," he added.

According to Hadithi, "progress" has been made during negotiations involving Kurdish and federal government officials on several issues, including customs, passports and visas.

"But the issue of the control of security at the airports has not been solved yet, although there is a will to reach a solution to this problem," he added.

Before the controversial September vote on independence, the authorities in Kurdistan were in charge of all these issues but after the poll that angered Baghdad, the federal government demanded to take control.

Since the flight ban went into force, all Kurdistan-bound international flights have been rerouted to Baghdad, which has also imposed entry visas to foreigners wishing to visit the Kurdish region.

The flight ban was part of a battery of penalties inflicted on the Kurds as Baghdad sought to nullify the poll, with federal forces also seizing disputed oil-rich regions.
Uganda blames Somalia for deadly Mogadishu shoot-out



Kampala, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



The Ugandan army said Monday its troops shot dead three Somali soldiers in Mogadishu after a military convoy carrying Uganda's commander came under friendly fire over the weekend.

Friday's incident involving the convoy of Brigadier Paul Lokech, who heads the Ugandan contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), happened when Somali soldiers established road blocks to lock down the capital after two bomb blasts that killed dozens of people.

Uganda's military spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire said Somali troops fired at the convoy and its soldiers retaliated in self-defence.

"There is absolutely no reason why the AMISOM forces in their designated sector of responsibility should have been blocked and fired at en route back to the base after providing critical support and with some victims of the attack being quickly evacuated for urgent medical attention," he said.

"As the incident is being investigated, let it be clear that AMISOM rules of engagement provide for self-defence and anyone who fires at these forces becomes a target," he added.

AMISOM on Saturday had said some of its troops "transporting injured civilians... were involved in an incident" at a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) checkpoint near Kilometre-4, the city's main junction.

"The incident is under investigation by both the federal government of Somalia and AMISOM," it said in a statement.

This is not the first incident of deadly friendly fire between AU and Somali security forces in Mogadishu.

Friday's first bombing was at an entrance to the hilltop presidential palace complex while a second explosion hit a hotel close to the NISA headquarters, the presumed target.

The bombings were claimed by the al-Qaeda linked Shabaab militants who are fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, which is defended by 22,000 AMISOM troops, including 6,000 Ugandans.
Putin orders daily 'humanitarian pause' in Eastern Ghouta



Moscow, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a daily "humanitarian pause" to air strikes on the rebel-held Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta from Tuesday, Moscow's defence minister said Monday.

"On the instructions of the Russian president, with the goal of avoiding civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta, from February 27 -- tomorrow -- from 9.00 to 14.00 there will be a humanitarian pause," minister Sergei Shoigu said at a ministry meeting, according to a statement sent to AFP.

He said there should be similar pauses in the southern Al-Tanf border region and Rukban, near the Jordanian border, "so that civilians can return to their homes unhindered and begin to rebuild their civilian lives".

Russia has denied air strikes on the enclave have killed civilians and insisted groups attacked by regime and allied forces are associated with terrorists.

More than 520 civilians are thought to have died in a week of heavy bombardment in Eastern Ghouta, just outside Damascus, by Syria's regime.

The US, rights groups and Syrian media have said Russian planes carried out the strikes, including on hospitals.

The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously demanded a 30-day truce in Syria.

Russia is a key ally of Assad, and fought a campaign for over two years in Syria in his support, helping to turn around the multi-front war.
Uganda, Somalia trade blame over deadly Mogadishu shoot-out



Kampala, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



The Ugandan army said Monday its troops had shot dead three Somali soldiers in Mogadishu, accusing them of opening fire on a military convoy carrying Uganda's peacekeeping commander.

Uganda's army said Somali troops opened fire on the convoy of Brigadier Paul Lokech, who heads the Ugandan contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), during a lockdown on the capital after two bomb blasts on Friday killed dozens of people.

Ugandan military spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire said his country's soldiers had retaliated in self-defence.

"There is absolutely no reason why the AMISOM forces in their designated sector of responsibility should have been blocked and fired at en route back to the base after providing critical support and with some victims of the attack being quickly evacuated for urgent medical attention," he said.

"As the incident is being investigated, let it be clear that AMISOM rules of engagement provide for self-defence and anyone who fires at these forces becomes a target," he added.

However Somali security official, Mohamed Ali, blamed the AMISOM convoy for the bloodshed.

"There were about nine AMISOM military trucks involved in the incident, they were stopped by the officers at the checkpoint who were following instructions to stop all trucks due to lockdown but the AMISOM convoy commander ordered his juniors to forcefully pass by the checkpoint and opened fire on the soldiers," he told AFP.

AMISOM on Saturday had said some of its troops "transporting injured civilians... were involved in an incident" at a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) checkpoint near Kilometre-4, the city's main junction.

"The incident is under investigation by both the federal government of Somalia and AMISOM," it said in a statement.

Friday's first bombing was at an entrance to the hilltop presidential palace complex while a second explosion hit a hotel close to the NISA headquarters, the presumed target.

The bombings were claimed by the al-Qaeda linked Shabaab militants who are fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, which is defended by 22,000 AMISOM troops, including 6,000 Ugandans.
UN diplomats seek to avoid Russian veto over Iran missiles to Yemen



United Nations, United States, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Key powers at the UN Security Council were negotiating on Monday to try to reach a compromise on a draft resolution criticizing Iran for failing to block supplies of missiles to Yemen's Huthi rebels, diplomats said.

Britain has presented a text that would extend sanctions on Yemen and lay the groundwork for possible sanctions against Iran after a UN report found Iran had violated the arms embargo on Yemen.

Russia has made clear it opposes the text, raising the prospect of a likely veto.

Britain, France and the United States were holding talks with Russia and China on the measure in a bid to reach a compromise, a Security Council diplomat said.

A vote initially scheduled for 10 am (1500 GMT) was delayed.

Russia on Saturday circulated a rival draft resolution that would extend the sanctions regime on Yemen until February 2019, but makes no mention of Iran.

The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation of the 2015 arms embargo after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

Russia however maintains that the report's findings are not conclusive enough to justify action against Iran.

While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier.

Nine votes and no vetoes from the five council members - Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States - are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a conflict that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Syria's Eastern Ghouta: more than a week under attack



Beirut, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Syria's army unleashed a new round of daily air strikes on Damascus's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region on February 18, killing more than 550 civilians since then.

Its deadly campaign to root out Islamist rebels controlling the area, already hit hard by a five-year government siege, has provoked an international outcry and demands for a truce.

Here is a timeline:



- Rockets, intense raids -



On February 18, government forces fire more than 260 rockets and the air force carries out intense raids on several areas in Eastern Ghouta.

The following day, regime forces again pound the region, killing 127 civilians in the highest death toll over a single day in the rebel enclave since 2013.

"The humanitarian situation of civilians in East Ghouta is spiralling out of control," says the UN's regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis.



- 'Hell on Earth' -



On February 20, Russian air strikes target Eastern Ghouta for the first time in three months, reportedly hitting the key regional Arbin hospital and putting it out of service.

Six other hospitals are also hit in the bombardments over a 48-hour period, putting three out of service, according to the United Nations.

Hundreds of injured flock to makeshift hospitals where the beds run short and patients are treated on the floor.

On February 21, raids target several areas and planes drop barrel bombs -- crude, improvised munitions that cause indiscriminate damage.

Several residential buildings are destroyed, according to an AFP correspondent.

The Kremlin denies involvement in the air strikes as "groundless accusations".

UN chief Antonio Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying the region's 400,000 residents "live in hell on Earth".



- 'Another Aleppo' -



On February 22, the chaos deepens as the Syrian regime rains rockets and bombs on the enclave, killing at least 19 people.

After weeks of talks at the United Nations on a truce, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzi says there is no progress.

Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families, like the one that saw the government retake full control of Aleppo in December 2016.

"Yes, Eastern Ghouta will become another Aleppo," says Syria's representative to the UN, Bashar al-Jaafari.

Doctors Without Borders says 13 of the facilities it supports in Eastern Ghouta were damaged or destroyed in three days.



- Ceasefire agreed -



On February 23, the Islamist rebel groups controlling Eastern Ghouta -- Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman -- reject any Aleppo-style evacuation plan.

US President Donald Trump slams the actions of the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian backers.

"What those three countries have done to those people is a disgrace," he says.

On February 24, the UN Security Council unanimously backs a 30-day ceasefire to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The resolution is backed by Russia.

But there are new air strikes the following day and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reports that Syrian forces had engaged in heavy fighting with rebels, with many dead.

There are claims of the use of "chemical weapons, probably a chlorine gas attack", a doctor says, with a child dying and at least 13 other people suffering breathing difficulties.

Russia dismisses this as "bogus".



- Russia orders daily pause -



On February 26, the regime carries out fresh bombings, in spite of the UN-agreed truce, killing 22 civilians.

Frustrated, the UN and European Union demand the immediate implementation of the ceasefire.

Moscow later announces that President Vladimir Putin has ordered a daily five-hour "humanitarian pause" from February 27 and the opening of protected corridors to allow people to leave.
Russia calls daily truce in battered Syria enclave



Douma, Syria, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Russia called a daily "humanitarian pause" in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, bowing to pressure to halt the carnage in the rebel-held enclave where bombardments eased late Monday after hours of deadly raids.

A UN Security Council resolution for a 30-day truce had remained a dead letter since it was passed on Saturday, and Moscow, the Damascus regime's main backer, ended up setting its own terms to stem one of the worst episodes of bloodletting in Syria's seven-year-old conflict.

The United Nations, France and Germany had made pressing appeals for Russian President Vladimir Putin to demand its Damascus ally enforce a ceasefire, including in Eastern Ghouta where more than 500 civilians were killed last week.

Putin agreed to a five-hour daily window that would allow residents of the battered enclave east of the capital to emerge from their underground shelters.

"On the instructions of the Russian president, with the goal of avoiding civilian casualties in Eastern Ghouta, from February 27 -- tomorrow -- from 9:00 to 14:00 there will be a humanitarian pause," said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

According to a statement sent to AFP, he said there should be similar pauses in the southern Al-Tanf border region and Rukban, near the Jordanian border.

Shoigu said "humanitarian corridors" would be opened to allow civilians to leave.

The public would be informed with leaflets and text messages, and buses and ambulances would be waiting at a crossing to evacuate the sick and wounded, Moscow said.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "five hours is better than no hours, but we would like to see an end to all hostilities extended by 30 days, as stipulated by the Security Council".

"We will do our best... to deploy our trucks and humanitarian workers in this area," he added.

Russia's defence ministry warned the situation in Eastern Ghouta was "continuing to escalate".

The intensity of the bombardment on Eastern Ghouta had eased somewhat in the past 48 hours but deadly strikes and shelling never stopped.

On Monday, at least 22 civilians, including seven children, were killed in new raids and artillery fire by the regime, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

Nine were members of the same family killed when their home collapsed on them in Douma, the main town in the enclave.

"The shelling of Ghouta stopped at 4:00 pm, before resuming in the early evening in a limited way," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

"But artillery fire continued against the Al-Marj area" where clashes were ongoing between pro-regime forces and Jaish al-Islam rebels, he added.



- Trapped in rubble -



An AFP correspondent in Douma said the bombardment had been very heavy overnight and impeded rescuers in their work.

The regime intensified its air campaign against Eastern Ghouta, which has been outside government control since 2012, at the beginning of the month.

On February 18, the Syrian government further turned up the heat on the territory controlled by Islamists and jihadists.

More than 550 civilians, almost a quarter of them children, have since been killed and extensive destruction wrought on the enclave's towns.

The hospitals and clinics that were not destroyed by strikes have struggled to treat the more than 2,000 people wounded over the same period.

The United Nations said 76 percent of private housing in Eastern Ghouta has been damaged.

Residents trapped in the wreckage of their own homes have bled to death as rescuers were targeted even as they tried to save lives.

Much of the nearly 400,000-strong population of Eastern Ghouta has moved underground, with families pitching tents in basements and venturing out only to assess damage to their property and buy food.

On Sunday, a child died and 13 others suffered breathing difficulties and showed symptoms consistent with a chlorine attack after a regime air raid struck the town of Al-Shifuniyah, the Observatory and a medic said.

Russia dismissed reports of a chemical attack as "bogus stories".

The regime has reinforced its deployment around the enclave in the past month, raising fears of a ground offensive that aid groups have warned could cause even greater suffering.



- Other flashpoints -



With the Islamic State group's once sprawling "caliphate" now wiped off the map, the regime has looked bent on completing its reconquest and Eastern Ghouta is a key target.

The jihadists only control an estimated three percent of Syria territory, small pockets which various anti-IS forces continue to flush out.

Another flashpoint in Syria has been the northern region of Afrin, where Kurdish forces have come under attack from neighbouring Turkey since January 20.

Turkey has warned it did not consider that the UN ceasefire resolution, which is not limited to Eastern Ghouta but whose wording excludes operations against terror groups, should affect its offensive on Afrin.

Macron on Monday called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who considers the Syrian Kurdish militia to be "terrorist", to stress the truce should apply there too.
Russia vetoes Western bid at UN to pressure Iran over Yemen



United Nations, United States, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Russia vetoed Monday a UN draft resolution presented by Britain and strongly backed by the United States that would have pressured Iran over its failure to block supplies of missiles to Yemen's Huthi rebels.

Britain had sought to include in the measure renewing sanctions on Yemen an expression of "particular concern" from the Security Council over a UN report that found Iran had violated the 2015 arms embargo on Yemen.

The report by a UN panel of experts in January concluded that Iran was in violation after determining that missiles fired by the Huthis at Saudi Arabia last year were made in Iran.

The text, which was backed by France, other European countries and Kuwait, won 11 favorable votes at the 15-member Security Council but was blocked by Russia's veto.

China and Kazakhstan abstained, while Bolivia also voted against the measure.

Nine votes and no vetoes from the five permanent council members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- are required to adopt resolutions at the Security Council.

After hours of negotiations in a bid to reach a compromise, Russia made clear it had strong reservations about the findings of the UN report and would not support a draft resolution that mentioned them.

"We cannot concur with uncorroborated conclusions and evidence which requires verification and discussions within the sanctions committee," Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

While the report found that Tehran had violated the embargo by failing to block the shipments, the experts said they were unable to identify the supplier.

Nebenzia warned that taking aim at Iran could have had "dangerous destabilizing ramifications" in the Middle East by exacerbating tensions between Shiites and Sunnis.

After the veto, the council unanimously adopted a Russian-drafted measure that extended for one year the sanctions regime against Yemen, but that text made no mention of Iran.



- US accuses Russia -



Iran has repeatedly denied arming the Huthis in Yemen, despite claims by the United States and Saudi Arabia that the evidence of an arms connection is irrefutable.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley released a statement accusing Russia of shielding Iran and warned the United States would consider other ways to take action against Tehran.

"Today, Russia protected the terrorist-sponsoring regime in Iran," said Haley, who was traveling to Honduras.

"If Russia is going to use its veto to block action against Iran's dangerous and destabilizing conduct, then the United States and our partners will need to take actions against Iran that the Russians cannot block."

Haley has taken a hawkish stance on Iran, accusing Tehran of sowing instability in the Middle East and failing to live up to its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Russia, which has traditionally friendly relations with Iran, is providing military support along with Tehran to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Iran's mission to the United Nations charged that the United States and Britain had pushed an "unwarranted draft resolution" to advance an anti-Iran political agenda.

Iran "categorically rejects allegations regarding arms transfer to Yemen," said a statement from the mission that described the draft resolution as an attempt to "distract" the world's attention from the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government has been fighting the Huthis since 2015 in a war that has led to what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

An alarming 17 million people in Yemen -- 60 percent of the total population -- are in need of food aid, of whom seven million are on the brink of famine because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.
CDU General Secretary Kramp-Karrenbauer 'The Stability of Our Political System Is at Stake'

With Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer having been appointed to general secretary of the conservative Christian Democrats, many see her as Angela Merkel's possible successor. DER SPIEGEL spoke with her about what the CDU must do to remain relevant and the things that make her different from the chancellor.




This is a new Japanese trailer for Tomb Raider.





Directed by Roar Uthaug, Tomb Raider s tars Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Dominic West, and Hannah John-Kamen. It will be released on March 16, 2018. The official plot synopsis and trailer below.
Algiers, Feb 26, 2018 (SPS) -The Algeria-Western Sahara brotherhood and friendship committee was installed Sunday at the Peoples National Assembly (Lower House) under the chairmanship of the Assembly Deputy Chairman Djamel Bouras and in the presence of Ambassador of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) to Algeria Bouchraya Hamoudi Bayoune, recently appointed as Minister of Teaching and Education.

Chaired by MP Saida Bounab, the installation ceremony was attended by MPs, members of the committee and members of the Algerian Committee on Support to the Sahrawi people, including its Chairman Said Layachi.

The committee, made up of friendship groups, aims to defend the just Sahrawi cause in international events and provide material and moral support to the Sahrawi people until the liberation of all their occupied territories, said Bouras in a speech.

For his part, the Sahrawi ambassador hailed the Lower Houses permanent support to the Sahrawi cause and peoples right to self-determination, and welcomed Algerias constant stance in favour of peoples right to freedom and independence.

He also hailed Parliaments participation in the events organized by SADR in the Sahrawi refugee camps.

The Sahrawi diplomat also welcomed the fact that the Algeria-SADR brotherhood and friendship parliamentary committee was the first committee to be installed among the 104 friendship parliamentary committees to be installed by the Lower Houses Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and the National Community Abroad.

Speaking during the installation ceremony, she underlined the key role MPs should play in the Sahrawi cause by means of parliamentary diplomacy in international forums.

The Algerian Parliaments position is clear: respecting and working for the implementation of the United Nations (UN) relevant resolutions, notably the right to self-determination, stressed the Committee chairwomen.

Moreover, she called to cease the plundering and exploitation of the Sahrawi peoples resources, endow the MINURSO with a human rights monitoring mechanism in the Sahrawi occupied territories and free all Sahrawi prisoners in Moroccan jails.

The installation of the Algeria-SADR brotherhood and friendship parliamentary committee coincides with the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of SADR, she said. (SPS)

062/SPS/APS
The award is presented annually for outstanding contribution to the sheep industry in the North of England and could not have come at a more fitting time for Alan, after he recently stood down from the role of Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association Chairman after 18 years.

Alan was nominated via the association after almost two decades of service, a position he undertook alongside running his family farm and representing the sheep hill farming industry at every opportunity, something which has long been a passion for Alan.

Graham Wilkinson, Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association member, says:

Alan has had an integral involvement in many discussion panels on various topics and is so well regarded and highly thought of by hill sheep farmers throughout the UK. He found time to be involved on the advisory panel when setting up a hill farm at Newton Rigg College and also took an advisory role in the setting up of the National Scrapie Plan.
Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
"Clerks" filmmaker Kevin Smith is recovering after a heart attack he described as a "widow-maker."

The 47-year-old writer-director revealed on Twitter early Monday that he suffered a "massive heart attack" after speaking to fans at a show at the Alex Theater in Glendale, California.

"The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka 'the Widow-Maker')," Smith tweeted along with a photo of himself in a hospital bed. "If I hadn't canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would've died tonight. But for now, I'm still above ground!"

Smith is best known for playing Silent Bob opposite Jason Mewes as Jay in a series of films he wrote and directed, including "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back." He also hosts a podcast, appears on the AMC reality show "Comic Book Men," and has directed episodes of "The Flash" and "Supergirl."

After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka the Widow-Maker). If I hadnt canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I wouldve died tonight. But for now, Im still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018

"Kevin we don't know each other too good but I have loved you since Clerks and I'm praying my ass off for you cause I believe in the healing power of prayer. Can you please pray with me people!?" actor Chris Pratt wrote on Twitter. "Praying for you. I will continue to. You inspired me with Clerks when I was a senior HS."

"Holy s---," "The Talking Dead" host Chris Hardwick tweeted. "@ThatKevinSmith seems to be okay but he almost wasn't. Kev is a wonderful force of good and humor in this world and I'm proud to be his friend. We are lucky we didn't lose him so PLEASE send him HUGS!!!"
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- When Michael Walker found out his grandmother had kidney failure and needed to go on dialysis two years ago, he immediately offered her one of his kidneys.

He was too young at the time so he couldn't donate his organ, "but he was so willing to do it," said his grandmother, Marjorie Wooten, of Syracuse. "He said anything for you, Nana."

Wooten said she will remember her grandson's giving spirit and how he was able to help others by donating his tissue and eyes after he was killed in a hit-and-run DWI crash Friday morning in the town of Onondaga.

Walker, 18; his girlfriend, Baylie Rose, 19; and their friend, Samra Osmanovic, 20; were killed when their car was crushed by a sport utility vehicle at about 3:40 a.m. Friday.

Anthony Saccone, 30, of Camillus, was charged with DWI and with leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He was released from jail after posting bail Friday night.

Walker had just ended his 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. shift at FedEx. Since he didn't have a car, Rose and Osmanovic picked him up.

As they headed back to Onondaga Community College, where Walker and Osmanovic went to school, police say a drunk driver T-boned their car at Onondaga Boulevard and Onondaga Road.

Witnesses told police they saw the SUV driver run from the crash. Police officers and police dogs tracked down Saccone.

Walker's family said they are upset that Saccone is out on bail and that stiffer penalties should be enforced. Authorities have said more charges are likely.

"We will never stop missing Michael," Walker's aunt Sonya Worley said. "This is not fair..."

The other victims

Baylie Rose: CNY mom remembers daughter killed in Onondaga crash as 'sassy, confident, full of life'

Samra Osmanovic:

Family members consoled Walker's mother, Jean Scott, an emergency room nurse at Upstate University Hospital who was at home when police knocked on her door with the news of her son's death Friday.

"I want my baby back," she cried over and over, according to Scott's mother and Walker's grandmother Wooten. "I want my baby back.

Walker was his mother's only child, and one of nine children on his father's side, his family said. He lived in Mattydale for 12 years and attended North Syracuse Central Schools, where he met Rose and Osmanovic.

Walker and his mother moved to the city of Syracuse during his junior year of high school. He graduated from Corcoran High School last June and was studying business at OCC.

"He was a good kid; he never got in trouble," his grandmother Wooten said. "He buckled down and did what he needed to graduate and now he's going to OCC and he got a job ... This should never have happened."

Dozens of family and friends gathered at the apartment complex where Wooten lives in Syracuse this weekend to remember Walker. They ate, laughed and cried as they shared memories.

"Michael was more our little brother than our cousin," said cousin Monique Works, 23, of Syracuse. "Michael always had a big smile and kind words, and he joked a lot."

Cousin Jalessa Rogers, 26, described Walker as her best friend.

"He was my mentor, my ear, my motivation, my hope and my truth when I needed him," she said.

Rogers said she lived with Walker and his mother on and off for the last eight years, and she could always count on Walker to make her laugh when she was feeling down.

"If he came into the room and you were sad, he'd tell you a joke," his aunt Bernadette Cole said. "If he had to, he would sing to you, rap to you, anything to make you feel better."

Cousin Tyrone Worley, 24, of Syracuse, described Walker as a talented rapper and songwriter.

"He had crazy potential," Worley said.

Walker went by the nickname, Rated M, and loved to share his music.

His oldest sister, Portia Walker, said they had made plans for Michael to visit her in New York City this summer. He was going to meet his nephews and share his music there, she said.

His family raised more than $6,000 in one day this weekend to help pay for Walker's funeral expenses. His wake is set for Wednesday evening and his funeral will be Thursday, his family said. A Facebook page also was set up to remember him, they said.
Syracuse:

It's official, Irish season has begun. Today marked the 55th Annual Coleman's Green Beer Delivery Day. Hundreds celebrated on Tipperary Hill as the parade started at the green-on-top traffic light at Tipp Hill Memorial Park and moved down Tompkins Street. Irish step dancers and bagpipers were the highlights of the parade, topped off with the traditional truck delivery of the famous green beer.

Mayor Ben Walsh was honored as this year's Green Beer Grand Marshal. Special guests this year were Blaithin Loughran as Miss Green Beer and Dan LaDuke as the Green Beer Pint.
U.S. Rep. John Katko and challenger Dana Balter have picked up endorsements from minor parties whose ballot lines could make a difference in a close election in November.

Katko, R-Camillus, said Monday he received the backing of the Independence Party, the state's third-largest political party by enrollment. It's the third consecutive election in which the party has endorsed Katko.

The Independence Party line helped former Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-Onondaga, edge incumbent Rep. Dan Maffei, D-Syracuse, by 648 votes in the 2010 election for the 24th Congressional District seat.

The Independence Party endorsed Maffei in the 2008 race, but ultimately did not designate him for its ballot line.

Balter, who won the Democratic Party designation on Saturday, has also picked up an endorsement from the Working Families Party. The party has endorsed other Democratic congressional candidates across Upstate New York.

As of Nov. 1, the Working Families Party had 1,884 active voters enrolled in the 24th District. The Independence Party had 22,088 active voters in the district.

Katko has also run on the Conservative Party line in each of his previous two campaigns. The district has 8,432 active voters enrolled in the Conservative Party of New York.

All told, the 24th District has 426,042 active voters, with Democrats (145,984) holding a slight edge over Republicans (139,957). The district has 105,627 voters who are not enrolled in a political party.

The 24th Congressional District covers all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties and the western half of Oswego County, including the cities of Fulton and Oswego.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court is rejecting the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to get the justices to intervene in the controversy over protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants.

The justices on Monday refused to take up the administration's appeal of a lower court order that requires the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. What made the appeal unusual is that the administration sought to bypass the federal appeals court in San Francisco and go directly to the Supreme Court.

In a brief unsigned comment, the justices said they assume "the court of appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case."

A judge in New York also has ruled in favor of immigrants challenging the end of DACA, and that case is expected to proceed to the federal appeals court in New York.

President Donald Trump had set March 5 as the end date for the DACA program. The court order says applications must be accepted indefinitely. DACA has provided protection from deportation and work permits for about 800,000 young people, many who were brought to the U.S. illegally.

It's unclear how the court's action Monday will affect efforts in Congress to come up with a legislative fix. The Senate recently failed to pass an immigration bill.

The Supreme Court rarely hears a case before a lower appeals court has considered it. The fight over whether President Richard Nixon had to turn over the Watergate tapes is one such example.
A Louisiana student has been investigated by police after saying a math symbol looks like a gun.

KSEE reports the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office searched the home of a student at Oberlin High School after some classmates interpreted his comments as a possible terrorist threat last week. No weapon or evidence of any threat to was found.

Allen Parish School District Superintendent Michael Doucet told KATC that it was a false rumor that started with a poorly judged joke between two students solving a square root problem in math class.

The math symbol for finding the square root is pictured.

"The students were working together, and a student made a math symbol of a square root sign, which kind of looks like a pistol. And he was helping a weaker student, and the student says, 'Well, that looks like a pistol!' And he just made a comment [like] 'let's just get to work before I shoot you with a pistol," Doucet said.

According to Doucet, the comment then spread throughout the school like gossip, and grew into a rumor that the student was planning to carry out a mass shooting like at a Florida school earlier this month. Police said that it could be interpreted as a threat when taken out of context.

"The student used extremely poor judgment in making the comment," the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook. "But in light of the actual circumstances, there was clearly no evidence to support criminal charges."

"He committed no crime. He was the victim of the ole morphing of information [phenomenon]," Allen Parish Sheriff Doug Hebert added in a KATC interview.

The Allen Parish School Board will determine if any disciplinary action is required.

Many school and law enforcement officials are on high alert after Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire with an AR-15 assault-style rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last week. Seventeen students and teachers were killed.
A naked man on an ATV has been arrested after leading police on a chase for more than an hour in Missouri.

The Kansas City Star reports authorities were investigating a report of a"suspicious party... a naked male" on a yellow all-terrain vehicle in northern Kansas City Sunday afternoon. He eluded police in a field by speeding along Northeast Shoal Creek Parkway and on Missouri 152, even driving the wrong way on the Interstate 435 highway.

One witness told KMBC-TV that she thought she was "dreaming" when she saw the nude man while driving with two boys in her car.

Another witness, Jess Fishell, filmed part of the incident, showing the unidentified male speeding south in the median shoulder of I-435 northbound.

"He's as naked as a jaybird!" Fishell can be heard yelling in the clip, seen by more than 2 million people on Facebook.

Fishell told Fox 4 KC he was surprised to see the man appear so calm while driving the ATV at highway speeds without clothes in 50-degree weather.

Police finally stopped the suspect at 3:45 p.m., nearly 90 minutes after the initial call at 2:20 p.m. He was captured safely after exiting the interstate highway at the Cerner Corp. Riverport Campus, formerly the site of Sam's Town Casino.

No injuries were reported.

"He could've killed himself very easily," Fishell said. "I hope he gets whatever help he needs."

It's unclear what charges the man is facing, but police say he was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs during the chase.

"Thankfully, we don't see that every day," Captain Will Akin of the Clay County Sheriff's Office told ABC30 News afterwards. "It might be comical but think about all of the lives that were put in jeopardy because of this decision."
President Donald Trump says he wants the death penalty for drug dealers, according to a new report.

Multiple sources tell Axios that Trump frequently mentions other countries' drug enforcement policies, including Singapore's mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking convictions, "a lot."

"He says, 'When I ask the prime minister of Singapore do they have a drug problem [the prime minister replies,] 'No. Death penalty,'" one insider said.

"He often jokes about killing drug dealers," a senior administration official also told Axios. "He'll say, 'You know the Chinese and Filipinos don't have a drug problem. They just kill them.'"

According to the news publication, Trump said he would "love to have a law" that makes drug dealers fear for their lives. Axios sources said the president admits escalating punishment to executions would be unlikely to pass, but may support legislation requiring a five-year minimum sentence for selling as little as two grams of fentanyl -- the current penalty is for 20 times as much fentanyl.

"The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I'm saying officially right now it is an emergency. It's a national emergency. We're going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis," Trump declared in August.

During the State of the Union last month, Trump said that the U.S. must get "much tougher on drug dealers and pushers" to end the opioid epidemic.

The Hill reports synthetic opioids, more potent than heroin, have been on the rise in the U.S. and led an increase in fatal overdoses. However, it remains to be seen how much funding the Trump administration has pushed toward the effort.

Skaneateles native Taylor Weyeneth, 24, was recently revealed to be the No. 2 person in charge of the White House drug policy office that oversees the opioid battle. He's been criticized as an example of staffing problems under Trump, but Weyeneth told syracuse.com that he has been unfairly singled out for holding a post that was always meant to be temporary.

"My work ethic has never been questioned and I will continue fighting for what is right and working to end this opioid and overdose epidemic our country faces," Weyeneth said last month.

Newsweek reports White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who currently leads the White House drug policy office, told Axios that Trump's capital punishment idea is focused on high-volume dealers whose drugs are responsible for thousands of deaths.

"There is an appetite among many law enforcement, health professionals and grieving families that we must toughen up our criminal and sentencing statutes to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are so lethal in such small doses," Conway said.

"The president makes a distinction between those that are languishing in prison for low-level drug offenses and the kingpins hauling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into communities, that are responsible for many casualties in a single weekend."
STC musical to be featured at Iowa Thespian Festival

Into the woods, its time, and so I must begin my journey. Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. And so, the STC Music ...
The virtual assistant race has three big names: Google, Amazon, and Apple. In the mobile department, Google reigns. In the smart speaker landscape, Amazon tops. In both, Apple is trying to catch up  can it, though? Especially now, with Google having made its service even smarter?

Google's intelligent virtual assistant is receiving a bunch of crucial language-focused updates this year. By the end of 2018, Google claims it'll be able to understand and speak a whopping 30 languages, which covers 95 percent of Android users around the globe.

Google Assistant Gets Multilingual Features

More amazing is the fact that Google promises Assistant to soon understand languages seamlessly. Say that a user talks to it in English. It will then respond to the command in the language of their choosing. But if for some reason they begin speaking another language, Assistant will adjust  it'll understand the new language spoken and even respond using it. For multilingual people, this is a fantastic feature. For those who aren't, it's just cool, representing a future where there's less communication barriers between people and their technology.

That's a world Google actually wants to see, as proven by its commitment to translate language on the fly with its Pixel-branded answer to Apple's AirPods, which, while reviewers say is severely underwhelming, has a lot of promising features underneath. The Pixel Buds aren't perfect, yes, but it still highlights Google's attempt to innovate communication, even if that attempt doesn't land smoothly at times.

Google Assistant To Have 30 Languages By The End Of 2018

At its current state, Google Assistant supports eight languages, including English, German, Japanese, and others. That means throughout the year, Google will add 22 more. But 30 isn't the stopping point, according to Assistant product lead Nick Fox, but that number is enough for Google to be able to say that Assistant has "really gone global."

The ability to seamlessly use multiple languages and have Assistant still understand what the user is saying is a huge improvement, needless to say. At its current state, users have to tinker with the settings to be able to speak in a different language, meaning that they were stuck with using just one at a time.

The question is whether a time will come when Assistant can pick out different languages in the same sentence, like, say, when a person peppers their sentences with a few French phrases. It's also worth mentioning that the multilingual schtick will only include English, French, and German initially, but more will come.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nokia parent company HMD Global unveiled a number of devices on Sunday before the Mobile World Congress 2018, including the attractive Nokia 7 Plus as its upper midrange offering.

The Nokia 7 Plus is quite different than the Nokia 7 launched back in October 2017, sporting a larger screen, a pure Android experience, and more appealing specs.

Android One Nokia 7 Plus

First of all, the Nokia 7 Plus is an Android One smartphone, so it will deliver a vanilla Android experience. This means that it will not have any skins or other customizations on top of the stock Android OS, which should appeal more to Android purists.

Nokia 7 Plus Dual Rear Cameras

The Nokia 7 Plus boasts a dual rear camera setup with Carl Zeiss optics, promising great photos even in low-light environments. The smartphone also comes with the "bothie" feature found on the Nokia 8, allowing users to take photos with both the front and the rear cameras at the same time.

Looking Nokia's lineup of Android smartphones, the Nokia 7 Plus fits above the Nokia 7 in terms of specs and features, but below the Nokia 8.

The dual rear camera setup consists of a 12-megapixel primary camera with wide-angle lens and f/1.75 aperture and a 13-megapixel camera with f/2.6 aperture and 2x optical zoom. To complete the setup, Nokia also put in Zeiss optics and a dual-tone LED flash.

On the front, the Nokia 7 Plus comes with a 16-megapixel camera with fixed focus, Zeiss optics, and f/2.0 aperture.

Nokia 7 Plus Specs

The Nokia 7 Plus features a 6-inch IPS display with a QHD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio, a peak brightness rating of 500 nits, and Gorilla Glass protection for extra scratch resistance.

Under the hood, the smartphone packs the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, paired with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The Nokia 7 Plus further comes with 64 GB of native storage space, with microSD support for up to 256 GB of extra storage.

In terms of connectivity, the Nokia 7 Plus supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/ A-GPS, and USB Type-C. Unlike other recent smartphones, the Nokia 7 Plus also features a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Other features include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3,800 mAh battery with fast charging technology.

Nokia 7 Plus Price And Release

The Nokia 7 Plus will hit the market in April and will carry a price tag of 399, which would translate to roughly $490. The smartphone will be available in two color options: White/ Copper and Black/ Copper.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ES Broadcast Hire has announced the opening of a new office in Brussels, bringing the live production equipment hire outfits offices in the UK and Europe to five. The office opens with immediate effect.



The decision to open the Belgian branch follows on the heels of the opening of a Spanish office in Madrid in June 2017. ES Broadcast Hire also has locations in London (Watford), Manchester and Munich.



Current European Sales Director Charles Alexis will assume the role of Managing Director of the Belgium office, combining this with his role leading the companys Munich operation. Meanwhile, Vicky Bonte will also be joining the new office, as hire coordinator.



The new office, which will be located in the Nossegem suburb of the Belgian capital, will offer ES Broadcast Hires full catalogue of HD and 4K broadcast equipment and will service the Benelux market, as well as northern France and northern Germany.



Warren Taggart, Managing Director of ES Broadcast Hire, said: The opening of a Belgium office is the next step in our plan to offer the premier 4K broadcast rental service in Europe. The size and quality of our 4K fleet is already second-to-none in Europe, if not the world. On the back of the major technology investments the company has made, ensuring we have a network of local offices run by industry experts is a key element of our ongoing strategy for growth. Establishing this service in Belgium helps us to meet the needs of customers in the Benelux countries and beyond, giving them much easier access to cutting-edge 4K technology.



The addition of a fifth UK and European hire office is follows a number of equipment purchases. Additions to the companys inventory include 100 Sony HDC-4300 4K camera channels, 11 Fujinon UA27 and 22 Fujinon UA107 4K box lenses, 10 Canon UJ90 4K box lenses and 20 each of Canon CJ12 and CJ20 4K ENG lenses, as well as Grass Valley LDX 86N 4K camera channels and Sony HDC-4800 super slow motion 4K camera channels.



Meanwhile, Begona Alvaro Varela is to join ES Broadcast Hires office in Madrid, as hire coordinator. She will support branch manager Marta del Moral in growing the companys service offering in Spain and Portugal. And Louise Snell has joined the UK hire desk, having previously worked in marketing and administration for ES Broadcasts sales division.



Pic: Charles Alexis, ES Broadcast Hire Managing Director, Belgium, and Warren Taggart, ES Broadcast Hire Managing Director, outside the companys latest office in Nossegem, Brussels, Belgium.

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Djibouti ruling party claims landslide parliamentary win



Djibouti, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



President Ismael Omar Guelleh's ruling party claimed a resounding victory in Friday's parliamentary elections in Djibouti, taking nearly 90 percent of seats after the opposition largely boycotted the poll.

Mohamed Abdallah Mahyoub, a senior member of Guelleh's UMP party and campaign spokesman, told AFP late Sunday the party had won 58 out of 65 parliamentary seats, an increase of three since the last vote in 2013.

There was no immediate figure for turnout among the tiny Horn of Africa nation's 194,000 registered voters.

Guelleh has ruled Djibouti since 1999 and was last re-elected in 2016 with 87 percent of the vote.

The UMP's victory has helped by the badly-divided opposition with two parties -- MRD and RADDE and a faction of a third party, ARD -- refusing to put forward any candidates, saying the elections would neither be fair nor transparent while others accused the election commission of bias.

The UMP claimed every seat outside of the capital and all but seven seats in Djibouti city with the remainder going to the UDJ party.

The law stipulates that 25 percent of seats must go to women, an increase from just 10 percent in the outgoing parliament. According to Mahyoub, this threshold was nearly met as 15 women won parliamentary seats, 14 of them from the UMP.
Polish Holocaust rescuers urge dialogue with Israel amid row



Warsaw, Feb 26 (AFP) Feb 26, 2018



Some of the last surviving Poles who saved Jews during the Holocaust called for dialogue and reconciliation between Poland and Israel on Monday, amid an unprecedented row over a law making it illegal to attribute Nazi crimes to the Polish state.

The call was made in an open letter signed by 50 Poles honoured as "Righteous Among the Nations" by Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial for risking their own lives to save Jews.

"We Righteous... call on the governments of Israel and Poland to return to dialogue and reconciliation," said the letter.

"We reject discord between Jews and Poles" who are "linked by a 1,000-year history of coexistence", it said, adding that "hundreds of Poles lost their lives for their gestures of solidarity" with Jews under the Nazi occupation.

The Holocaust legislation, which takes effect on March 1, penalises statements attributing Nazi German crimes to the Polish state with fines or a jail terms of up to three years.

Poland's right-wing government has faced international criticism over the law, which was meant to protect Poland from false accusations of complicity in the Holocaust.

Israel sees it as a bid to deny the participation of individual Poles in killing Jews or handing them over to the Nazis.

It is also concerned the legislation could open the door to prosecuting Holocaust survivors for their testimony, something that Poland denies.



- 'We were afraid of them too' -



"As in every nation, in ours, there were also despicable people who acted of their own accord, not in the name of the Polish state. They were Poles and we were afraid of them too," the letter said.

Yad Vashem has recognised more than 26,500 people who saved Jews from the Holocaust, including more than 6,700 Poles.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki triggered fury in Israel and the international Jewish community by saying that there were also "Jewish perpetrators" of the Holocaust, referring to Jews who served in police units in ghettos set up by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the remark "unacceptable" and tantamount to denying the Holocaust.

Morawiecki's spokeswoman later insisted his remarks "were by no means intended to deny the Holocaust, or charge the Jewish victims of the Holocaust with responsibility for what was a Nazi German perpetrated genocide".

EU President Donald Tusk warned Poland on Friday against "anti-semitic excesses" and other behaviour that risked ruining Warsaw's global standing.

Tusk, a former Polish premier, said he had told Morawiecki on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels that negative opinions about Warsaw were turning into a "tsunami".

Poland was attacked and occupied by Nazi Germany in World War II, losing six million of its citizens, including three million Jews.
Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965) is best known for "A Raisin in the Sun" (1959), the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway.
East Baton Rouge Council on Aging Executive Director Tasha Clark-Amar asked Monday that a new judge be assigned to oversee her defamation case against a family that accused her of wrongdoing.

Clark-Amar stood to gain around $120,000 through a will that a former Council on Aging client, Helen Plummer, drafted in 2016. When Plummer died last year, her family said they had never heard of Clark-Amar and that the Council on Aging executive director wrongly influenced Plummer into naming her executor and trustee of her estate, a job that would have included automatic monthly payments for 20 years.

Attorney Dorothy Jackson, who wrote the will, was recently fired from Southern University Law Center for her role in the episode. She plans to appeal that decision.

Last April, Clark-Amar fired back at Plummer's family with a defamation lawsuit, saying the family's statements caused her mental and emotional distress, medical and pharmaceutical expenses, inconvenience, fear, the loss of ability to participate in normal activities and more.

State Judge Don Johnson took over the defamation case last June after it was originally assigned to Clark-Amar's mother, 19th Judicial District Court Judge Janice Clark. Clark recused herself more than a month after the case was assigned to her, and every judge in the 19th JDC soon joined her except for Johnson.

Little action has happened in the defamation case since then.

But Clark-Amar's attorney, Charlotte McDaniel McGehee, filed a motion Monday morning that asks for Johnson to step aside and a special judge to be named to the case. McGehee cited a criminal case involving the son of former Baton Rouge state Judge Kay Bates. In that matter, the Louisiana Supreme Court in 2013 ordered that all the 19th JDC judges be recused from hearing a case involving a colleague's child and later appointed a retired judge to preside.

McGehee downplayed any issues with Johnson during an interview Monday, and simply said Clark-Amar deserves the same order the Supreme Court granted during that earlier case.

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She cited the many other legal matters involved in the Plummer dispute  including the succession of her estate and a lawsuit Plummer's daughter filed against the Council on Aging and others  as her explanation Monday for why they asked for a new judge. And in the documents McGehee filed, she and Clark-Amar accuse Plummers family of going on a defaming rampage making disparaging comments in every news outlet that would print their defaming statements.

Southern University fires Dorothy Jackson after investigation related to Council on Aging controversy Southern University fired former professor and Elder Law Clinic Director Dorothy Jackson on Friday following multiple investigations and heari

McGehee and Clark-Amar included numerous articles in The Advocate about the dispute with their filings.

It's unclear why it has taken Clark-Amar eight months to request a new judge in the defamation lawsuit. Johnson is also presiding over Plummer's succession case.

When Clark-Amar's mother left a key document unsigned in the succession, Johnson told the attorneys in early November in open court to file a judicial complaint against her or that he would do it himself. Clark later recused herself.

When previously asked why he was the only 19th JDC judge who did not recuse himself from Clark-Amar's defamation lawsuit, Johnson said he could only point The Advocate to the Louisiana Code of Judicial Ethics and its explanations of when a judge needs to take himself or herself off a case.

Southern University ordered to pay $13K in fees to The Advocate, WBRZ for public records suit Southern University owes The Advocate and WBRZ-TV more than $13,000 in attorney's fees and court costs over a public records lawsuit the news 

Plummer's grandson, Dan Freeman, said Monday that waiting so long before asking Johnson to remove himself seemed like a stall tactic. He said he hopes Johnson throws out the defamation lawsuit.

Now, all of a sudden, you want Don Johnson off? Freeman said in an interview. Somethings very peculiar and very fishy with that whole situation.

Johnson briefly addressed the motion to appoint a new judge during open court Monday. He said he would consider it, and that he would make a decision by the end of the week.
Send your questions to Ask The Advocate, 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809; or fax to Ask The Advocate, (225) 388-0371; or email asktheadvocate@theadvocate.com.
A look at Ochsner Health System and others shows how health care is shifting away from traditional inpatient facilities in a Wall Street Journal article that says the days of the hospital as we know it may be numbered.

President and Chief Executive Warner Thomas says 80 percent of Ochsner's capital expenditures are going to outpatient clinics, and I dont see us building new hospitals.

The WSJ article (subscription required) details the trend of health care providers investing in outpatient clinics, same-day surgery centers, free-standing emergency rooms and micro hospitals, which offer as few as eight beds for overnight stays. They are setting up programs that monitor people 24/7 in their own homes. And they are turning to digital technology to treat and keep tabs on patients remotely from a high-tech hub, the article says.

Ochsner, Louisianas largest nonprofit academic health system with 30 owned, managed or affiliated hospitals, stood out in the WSJ article as examples of taking existing hospitals and turning them into specialized facilities and building outpatient facilities and specialty inpatient facilities, which have been previously reported.

After buying the River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace three years ago, Ochsner joined with a provider of psychiatric and addiction treatment to convert the hospital to an inpatient psychiatric facility to provide services for mental-health disorders, the WSJ article notes. Emergency care once provided at River Parishes is now offered at a new medical complex, including 24/7 emergency services with 13 beds and on-site lab and radiology.

In the Baton Rouge area, in addition to a recently opened outpatient cancer center, Ochsner is developing a medical office building with more primary-care and diagnostic and specialty clinics. Attached to the building will be a 10-bed inpatient hospital and surgical center, offering procedures such as knee replacements requiring stays of 24 hours or less.

While the WSJ article uses Ochsner and other health systems across the country as examples, the trends it cites are evident in other recent announcements reported locally, including a closer look at Ochsner's Baton Rouge plans, proposed micro hospitals and remote health care:

OCHSNER BR PLAN

 Ochsner Health System will invest more than $100 million to expand its Baton Rouge-area facilities, including building the new medical office building, a 10-bed micro-hospital and surgical center near the Mall of Louisiana.

As part of the expenditures, the health system already has invested roughly $13 million in the newly opened Ochsner Baton Rouge Cancer Center on its O'Neal Lane campus.

The planned five-story medical office building and attached 30,000-square-foot micro-hospital and surgical center in The Grove development near the Mall of Louisiana in the Bluebonnet-Siegen area will serve as Ochsner's western anchor, with room for future expansions. The new facilities will replace Ochsner's Summa Avenue clinic.

+10 Ochsner announces major Baton Rouge expansion: New office building, micro-hospital, more Ochsner Health System will invest more than $100 million to expand its Baton Rouge-area facilities, including building a new medical office bu

Its two anchors are surrounded by 13 health centers and clinics in East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Hammond, Central, Zachary, Prairieville and Denham Springs. The health system expects to expand some clinics and add three to five new facilities over the same number of years.

MICRO HOSPITALS

 Baton Rouge General plans to build a $30 million, 10-bed neighborhood hospital in Prairieville and a $40 million, 65,000-square-foot expansion of the critical care tower at its Bluebonnet campus in Baton Rouge.

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The Bluebonnet hospital will add four floors, a helipad, new operating room space, decontamination facilities and amenities for families and visitors staying overnight.

BRG Ascension will have 60,000 square feet of space and include a lab and a 14-bed emergency room, physician practices and office space to serve the thousands of Ascension Parish residents who make the drive each year to the health system's Baton Rouge facilities. Baton Rouge General expects to open the neighborhood hospital in 2019 between La. 73 and Interstate 10 north of La. 621.

 Prairieville is getting another micro hospital with 10 beds, a 24-hour emergency department and imaging and lab services at the intersection of La. 42 and Airline Highway.

Prairieville Family Hospital is set to open in mid-spring, said Dr. John McLean, a Shreveport physician and one of the owners of Austin, Texas-based Family Health Systems. The 10,000-square-foot facility will be Family Health's fourth.

Prairieville getting second micro hospital, with 24-hour emergency room Prairieville is getting a second micro hospital, which will have 10 beds, a 24-hour emergency department and imaging and lab services at the i

Its opening is targeted ahead of Baton Rouge General's planned 2019 startup for much larger 60,000-square-foot BRG Ascension neighborhood hospital on La. 73 in the Dutchtown/Prairieville area.

TELEMEDICINE

Telemedicine technology already is being used in different ways by several of the state's big-name health care providers, including Ochsner Health System and LCMC Health, which manages University Medical Center and Children's Hospital, both in New Orleans.

More than half of U.S. hospitals are turning to telemedicine to provide clinical services in a range of settings, in some cases enabling patients to consult a physician directly from home with a few taps on their smartphone.

Industry supporters argue that, if used correctly, telemedicine can improve access to health care services, especially in rural areas, and can save patients the time and expense of traveling to a doctor, particularly for some routine visits, while reducing congestion in doctors' offices and lessening a patient's exposure to illnesses. Additionally, they say, it can improve outcomes and lower costs.

Still, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is reportedly keeping a close watch on whether adequate equipment is being used to diagnose, monitor or treat patients outside a medical facility and on the potential use of third-party doctors unfamiliar with patients.

Rise in 'virtual' doctor visits sparks need for more clarity in Louisiana law, experts say More than half of U.S. hospitals are turning to telemedicine to provide clinical services in a range of settings, in some cases enabling patie

Read the full Wall Street Journal report here (subscription required).
SORRENTO  Since it took over operations of the Ascension Parish animal shelter in late 2015, the nonprofit and no-kill CARA's House has seen the rate of animals adopted rise dramatically through a mixture of local adoptions and help from other shelters.

"That's by far the biggest thing we're proud of," said Reagan Daniel, president of the board for CARA's (Companion Animal Rescue of Ascension) House animal shelter.

About half of that good news for the animals comes when people walk in the front door of the shelter on Airline Highway in Sorrento to adopt a cat or dog.

The other half comes when the animals end up in shelters elsewhere in Louisiana or in other states, when either the local staff drive the animals elsewhere or when staff from other shelters drive to Sorrento to pick up the strays, when space is available in their facilities.

This farming out of the strays came into play after the flood of 2016, when CARA's House employees, as well as employees with the New Orleans-based Humane Society of Louisiana, transported animals in cargo vans from Sorrento to out-of-state shelters and rescue groups, where the cats and dogs can be adopted.

"Our dogs go anywhere from Missouri all the way to Maine, and our cats go all the way from Ohio to New York," Daniel said.

The combination of the local adoptions, the help from regional shelters and the transports up north, she said, means that, since CARA's partnership with the parish began, animals no longer are put down simply because there's no room for them at the shelter. Currently, only terminally ill or aggressive animals are euthanized there.

"If we didn't have rescue 'pulls' (of animals) and transports, our live releases would be much lower," Daniel said. "We would literally run out of room."

As of last week, CARA's House had taken in 316 cats and dogs in the first two months of 2018. More than half of those animals  166  found chances to be adopted from shelters and rescue groups elsewhere in the region or country.

On the Feb. 19 transport, CARA's House employees left at 10 p.m. to drive a cargo van carrying 16 dogs through the night, arriving at 8 a.m. at the St. Louis-based Humane Society of Missouri.

It's easier to make the trip at night, when the dogs will sleep between regular stops for breaks, Daniel said.

Earlier this month, 21 other dogs traveled via cargo van from the Sorrento shelter to the same Missouri humane society.

"We love being able to help animals find new, wonderful homes," said Jeane Jae, spokesperson for the Humane Society of Missouri.

"We really started these relationships after Hurricane Katrina, in Mississippi and Louisiana, in helping shelters find homes" for their animals, Jae said. "It's worked out well."

CARA's House is planning a transport of cats in early March.

The Sorrento shelter made its connections to northern animal shelters and rescue groups, with the help of the Humane Society of Louisiana, after the flood of 2016.

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The humane society puts the transports into place "in any kind of disaster. It clears out the shelters, so there's room for pets that have been displaced," said Jeff Dorson, executive director of the society.

It's something the Humane Society of Louisiana has been doing since Katrina and now is "pretty much ongoing," Dorson said.

"We transported 1,500 animals last year," he said.

It's no accident that animals are traveling from here to states in the North, Dorson and Daniel said.

"The farther north you get, there are mandatory spay-and-neuter laws," Daniel said. "They do not have the overpopulation (of cats and dogs) that you have in the South."

"Southern shelters need to transport out because they don't have enough adoptions locally," Dorson said.

"It's not ideal, but it saves lives," he said of the transport system.

"All of our partners are no-kill," he said.

Donations help CARA's House cover the costs of the transports, Daniel said. Cats and dogs must have been vaccinated and have a certificate of good health from a veterinarian, she said.

Last fall, the Ascension Parish Council approved an increase of $150,000 this year for the animal shelter's budget, bringing its total budget to $350,000, the same as for the parish's animal control program, which is operated separately.

The council has encouraged CARA's House to develop a plan so the parish government can determine how much it would take to provide permanent, long-term funding for the shelter.

Such a plan, said CARA's House officials, will include putting together an effort to push for a dedicated tax for the shelter.

Shelter officials have proposed hiring a veterinarian to cut down on contracted vet costs for the animals, as well as starting a program to trap animals, spay and neuter them, and release them back to where they were living.

"We would love for there to not be unwanted cats and dogs," Daniel said. "Spay and neuter is the solution."
LSU has joined other higher education institutions in assuring prospective students they are unlikely to be penalized for participating in peaceful protests in regards to the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

A message sent out Monday via the LSU twitter account says, "LSU makes admission decisions based on academic, leadership, and service records. Unless all of these are severely affected, it is unlikely a walk-out will alter admission to the university."

A note to all #LSU applicants and admitted students:

LSU makes admission decisions based on academic, leadership, and service records. Unless all of these are severely affected, it is unlikely a walk-out will alter admission to the university.  LSU (@lsu) February 26, 2018

The message is directed at all LSU applicants and admitted students.

In wake of the early February shooting that took 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and sparked protests around the U.S. by people of all ages, multiple school systems around the nation have threatened suspension to any student who participates.

Tulane University is among a number of colleges who previously promised not to penalize students. See story and list of universities here.
Rep. Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles, moves from the testimony table after favorable vote to move his HB23 as amended to the House floor for consideration, as Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans, right, gets ready to move to the table for discussion and a similar vote on his HB16, one of several bills Leger had up before the House Ways and Means Committee, Sunday Feb. 25, 2018 at the State Capitol.
The state House burst through a logjam that has kept most important pieces of legislation holed up in committee this special session, during a rare, but critical, Sunday gathering that stretched into the evening.

+2 Louisiana's philosophical divide: Should we cut more taxes or invest more money to meet residents' needs? For two years now, conservative Republicans and Democrats led by Gov. John Bel Edwards have been clashing at the State Capitol over how to fin

The House Ways & Means committee agreed to send legislation that is seen as vital to shoring up the state budget before temporary tax measures expire this summer to the full House for consideration, voting 10-7 to advance a measure that seeks to rein in a tax break for middle- and upper-income people who itemize deductions when they file their taxes each year and 12-6 to advance a sales tax proposal that would allow the state to continue collecting taxes on some items exempted before changes in 2016 and temporarily extend 0.25 percent of a sales tax hike that is set to expire June 30. Several smaller tax measures also were advanced out of committee.

The push to move tax legislation to the House floor came after lawmakers took Friday and Saturday off after a rocky start to the special session that began Monday.

Many of the legislators who agreed to advance bills on Sunday, acknowledged that they viewed it as the first step in a longer process. If legislation passes the full House, it then heads to the Senate for vetting.

"My interest is to make sure we have instruments moving to the floor," said Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond.

It remains to be seen how it will fare in the upper chamber.

New Orleans Democratic Sen. J.P. Morrell said Sunday night that he views the tax measures, as they passed in the House committee, as untenable. He chairs the Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs Committee, which will consider the legislation should it clear the full House later this week. An amendment added to the sales tax bill would limit it to three years.

As you might recall having a temporary anything is how we got into this situation in the first place, Morrell said. Were kind of done with that. I am not in support of temporary solutions to on-going problems."

Louisiana House Republicans push for new spending cap to rein in state government growth As lawmakers look to close a nearly billion-dollar budget gap during the ongoing special session, House Republicans are pushing to restrict wh

He argued that the patching over the budget gap, with the hope that the state's financial situation will improve, isn't fiscally sound.

This is akin to somebody taking out a payday loan to pay their mortgage and telling the bank: Dont worry I play the lottery every weekend and pretty soon Im going to win, Morrell said.

The tax bills are tied to several GOP priority measures that don't have any immediate impact on the state budget, including the creation of a budget transparency website and a new spending cap.

Credit rating agencies have already told the state that they are looking for more permanent efforts to stabilize the budget, Morrell and others noted Sunday.

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This reaffirms for them that were not serious about permanently fixing out problems, Morrell said.

The sales tax legislation, House Bill 23, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles, would generate about $300 million in revenue annually. It's unclear how much the income tax proposal, House Bill 8, sponsored by Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans, would bring in as it was scaled back before the committee approved it.

When work began Sunday, the State Capitol mood remained tense.

Lobbyists and legislators approached the Ways & Means committee room like fans excitedly heading into a standing-room-only Tiger Stadium for a big game. The tax bills have become a barometer for whether the 17-day special session will be seen as a failure or success.

Democrats have opposed a sales tax-only approach to shoring up the state's finances, while Republicans have largely opposed income tax changes.

Stalled: Medicaid bills, seen as Louisiana GOP priorities of special session, falter in committee The Louisiana House appeared to teeter on the edge of meltdown as the fourth day of the special session began with a rejection of a series of 

The other major issue of the session  a series of Medicaid-related measures  also saw movement on Sunday.

The House Health & Welfare Committee agreed to a scaled-back version of legislation that will instruct the state Department of Health to develop work requirements for the Medicaid health care program for the poor. The legislation was amended to include a line that it would not have the effect of forcing people to lose their insurance.

Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration supported the work requirement proposal that is being sent to the full House for consideration.

"This is a holistic bill; it's a non-punitive bill that we have worked with (sponsor Rep. Frank Hoffman) on," said Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee.

The Legislature is entering the second week of the special session. Up until Sunday, there had been little movement on measures that would fill a nearly billion-dollar budget gap. The special session must end March 7.
As the line to vote stretches outside the Louisiana State Archives building, Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, left, talks about the first day of early voting at the Louisiana State Archives building Tuesday Oct. 25, 2016, and that voters will receive an "I Voted" Blue Dog sticker after casting their ballot.
On Jan. 19, Matthew Wenzler, a 27-year-old Ohio man, was arrested in the early morning hours for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. During his arrest, Wenzler allegedly spit at police officers repeatedly until he was eventually spitting blood.

After officers learned that Wenzler has hepatitis C (HCV), he was charged with four counts of harassment with a bodily substance, and could face up to 12 years of incarceration. His bail was set at $75,000. Although news of his arrest quickly faded from the local news, it may mark a watershed moment in a growing trend of HCV criminalization across the country.

"There are certainly statutes around the country that criminalize hepatitis," said Trevor Hoppe, assistant professor of sociology at University at Albany, State University of New York. "They are not as numerous as HIV-specific criminalization laws, and they're not enforced as widely, but they do exist." Moreover, HCV criminalization may be on the rise, repeating the wave of HIV criminalization laws that sprang up in the wake of the AIDS crisis.

During the 1990s, Ohio and many other states passed laws that specifically criminalize certain behaviors by people living with HIV and essentially classify their bodily fluid as a deadly weapon. Today, however, Ohio's criminal law also references people with HCV and other infectious diseases, the effect of which "is to allow prosecutors to punish people living with hepatitis in a broad range of contexts," said Hoppe.

Related: Hepatitis C Is Threatening Our Youth

Wenzler was charged under a statute that criminalizes any "attempt to cause [another] person to come into contact with blood, semen, urine, feces, or another bodily substance when they are HCV-positive and aware of their status," said Hoppe. Until recently, this statute was called "harassment by inmate," but in this case, it is being applied more broadly, said Hoppe.

Only a few cases of HCV infection among health care workers from a blood splash to the eye have been reported, and overall, the risk of transmitting HCV through direct blood contact to the eyes, nose, or mouth "is believed to be very low," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Hepatitis C is transmitted predominantly through blood-to-blood routes," said Donald M. Jensen, M.D., a professor of medicine at Rush Medical College. "It probably takes a relatively large inoculum of virus to transmit. ... Even with accidental needlesticks among health care workers, the likelihood they will develop hepatitis C is 1.8% to 2%."

On the other hand, "The risk of transmission of hepatitis C by [spitting] is almost non existent," he said. "For me, that doesn't make a lot of sense to make that a felony."

Several broader trends may be fueling HCV criminalization. Over the past five years, the opioid epidemic has contributed to a three-fold increase in the number of new infections, with several high-profile outbreaks across the country catching media attention.

At the same time, while activists' efforts to roll back felony charges specifically related to HIV have succeeded in states such as California and Colorado, other states have taken a different approach to HIV criminalization reform.

"Other states are trying to get rid of the HIV-specific nature of laws by [including] a larger laundry list of communicable disease and [sexually transmitted infections]," said Allison J. Nichol, legal and policy counsel at The Sero Project. States that have adopted the second approach include Tennessee and Iowa, according to Hoppe, which only recently expanded their criminal laws to include hepatitis C.

For Hoppe, the circumstances of Wenzler's arrest are a worrying echo of the early days of HIV criminalization. At that time, "people living with HIV were being prosecuted after spitting at or biting police officers," Hoppe said. "Across the country, there were 'assault [with] a deadly weapon' charges, [and] they were almost universally cases involving police officers."

Over time, "the application of the law can change," Hoppe said. Today, he said, HIV criminalization laws are still on the books, but they're being used differently. Instead of being focused on police officers, many current HIV criminalization cases revolve around a lack of disclosure among sexual partners.

While HIV and HCV are comorbid infections, "they're two totally different diseases," said Jensen.

Most notably, starting in 2013, a new generation of medications was approved that can cure HCV in most people. In addition, when people are exposed to HCV and contract the virus, some will be able to clear the virus on their own without the need of curative therapy, said Jensen. But the cost of the drugs to cure the disease has caused private and public insurers to enact policies that restrict treatment to once per lifetime, people not using alcohol or other drugs, and people with late-stage liver disease. Many activists have been fighting to change these rules around the country with the goal of expanding access to the curative drugs to anyone with an HCV diagnosis.

"The outcome of hepatitis C is clearly much better today than it was five or six years ago," Jensen said.

According to Hoppe, some of the new criminal charges that specifically target acts by people with hepatitis C, such as spitting and biting, were put in place after the new era of cures had already been approved.

"I find it especially curious that a disease that is now curable is being actively criminalized," he said. "It's not clear how this is going to progress," Hoppe added, but "this could be the beginning of a new area of criminalization specific to hepatitis."

[CORRECTION 3/5: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Wenzler's charge as "felonious assault." We have corrected the text to reflect that he was charged with "harassment with a bodily substance."]
The 6th annual RBSNY will take place on March 26  27, 2018 at the Marriott, Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA. Responsible business professionals from North Americas leading brands come together to discuss the impending paradigm shift and transformational change to business, industry, and society. The Responsible Business Summit is USAs premier sustainability and Communications conference. They bring together the leading B2B and B2C companies to share their latest ideas and strategies. The 2018 sustainability conference will bring together the leading minds in responsible business to debate the key issues and opportunities in responsible and sustainable business. RBSNY is the only place in North America addressing the need to create genuine change to business, transform industries to last and create a long-term, positive impact on the environment and society.



The event calls participants to transform business and create long-term impact for industry and society. Increasingly businesses are working together to deliver the ambitious partnerships that will help deliver the SDGs and more.

The Responsible Business Summit New York is USAs must-attend event for CEOs and business professionals looking to shape the future of sustainable and responsible business. There will be more than 400 senior corporate attendees and 70+ CEO & senior-level speakers. There will also be more than 15 hours of dedicated networking time.





Key learnings include:



Partnerships that deliver large-scale change across your industry: Transform your industry and its supply chain through successful partnerships with NGOs, competitors, associations and investors

Wholesale change in practice: Hear best practice examples of pilot projects which have proved the concept and received buy-in for wholesale change

Transform Business to meet the Global Goals: Identify how your business can be the catalyst in driving transformational change to meet the Global Goals

Communications to boost trust and lead business transformation: Promote transparency with investors, build trust with your customers and define your success through impactful data

Use technology and AI to drive sustainable innovation at scale: Understand how technology, AI and machine learning can impact business systems and operations to create more meaningful change

2018s top issues



Transformational Change Keynote: Hear from executives who have driven transformational change in their business operations with President, rsted North America and Chief Innovation Officer, Sierra Club

What progressive business leadership looks like with Vice Chairman, Keurig Green Mountain and Chairman, President and CEO, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co

Supply Chain Keynote: Driving large-scale change through collaboration in your value chains with Mars, Oxfam America, OECD and Shift

The transformational impact of Artificial Intelligence on business and society with Dell, the American Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Shopify and Datamaran

Financing the economy of the future: What are companies and investors doing to create a sustainable economy with BlackRock, DSM and CECP

Empowering diversity and inclusion for future leadership with HP, TD Bank, UN Women and Forbes

Climate Change and Business Keynote: Time to take the lead with LanzaTech, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Duke Energy and the UN Global Compact

Revolutionizing your supply chain through partnerships with Verizon, WWF and NRG Energy

In-depth breakout workshops: Join our 2-hour workshops tackling the clean cities of the future, the new TCFD recommendations, partnership models, circular economy, SDG integration and Science Based Targets



What sets Ethical Corporation flagship summits apart?

Were doing things differently and we really want to move businesses towards the genuine impact you are looking for. The #RBSNY agenda will help you uncover the potential for sustainability to deliver profit, build trust, and shape strategy with empirical justification through our independently researched agenda. Theres no corporate fluff in our agenda, just practical, deep-dive examples to show how businesses can transition to a more responsible and sustainable business strategy

1Multiple tracks / Multiple disciplines: In 2018, we are doing things differently. We will create dedicated tracks and sessions that address how organizations are driving the responsible business agenda. We will bring together experts from sustainability, communications, procurement and innovation departments as well as investors, NGOs, Governmental bodies and academics to share how theyre addressing the key issues and opportunities that lie ahead.

2400+ of the most innovative, exciting brands in attendance: #RBSNY will give you the most senior networking opportunity possible. We lead our conferences with the latest ideas and case studies out there, and take pride in our in-depth research to pinpoint the brands that are doing the most impactful work to share their learnings.

3Practical learnings: Were not afraid to talk about what doesnt work as much as what does! Our sessions are practical with live polling and interactive questions. We guarantee youll walk away with new ideas and contacts to help improve your strategy for 2017 and beyond.

4 NEW FOR 2018: In-depth roundtable and breakout workshops: 2 hours individual workshops tackling some of the critical issues. All workshops will be held in breakout rooms under Chatham-House rules ensuring issues are tackled and solutions are discussed in an open and honest environment.

Click here to see the full speakers list

Click here to see the full agenda

Click here to register.
Instead of revealing a new flagship G series model for the first half of this year, LG Electronics unveiled Sunday an upgraded version of last years V30 smartphone with camera functions based on artificial intelligence.



Named V30S ThinQ, the latest LG smartphone is the first mobile device to adopt the firms AI platform ThinQ, which was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the company said on the eve of the opening of the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona.

Built on the foundation of the LG V30 platform, the LG V30S ThinQ features Vision AI that introduces three new intelligent camera functions.



AI CAM analyzes subjects in the frame and recommends the optimal shooting mode among eight categories: portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise, and sunset. Each mode enhances the characteristics of the subject by taking into account factors such as the viewing angle, color, reflections, lighting and the saturation level.

Read also: LG Electronics chief orders revision of G7 smartphone from scratch: Source

The companys proprietary QLens is equipped with image recognition capabilities of the AI technology to scan QR codes in order to improve users online shopping experience.



For instance, if a user captures an item of interest with the QLens, he or she can get information as to where to buy the product online at the lowest price. The QLens also searches for matching or similar images of food, fashion and celebrities or detailed information of landmarks such as buildings and statues.



Bright Mode is a new AI function that further improves the devices low-light photography. It uses algorithms to brighten images by a factor of two for better photos without the noise when taking photos in a dark environment.



LG also enhanced the smartphones Google Assistant-based voice command support, adding 32 exclusive AI voice commands to allow for direct activation of the most popular functions without having to go through multiple menu options. QVoice can be used to perform the most frequent tasks, such as opening the camera, making a call, sending a text message and checking the weather, without even opening the smartphone.

LGs existing G6 and LG V30 devices will receive key AI features of the V30S ThinQ in future updates, the company said. Additional LG smartphones will also be considered for future AI upgrades, depending on hardware and other factors for the best user experience.



Many companies talk about AI but were already delivering on our promise by integrating intelligent technology in the LG V30S ThinQ to features most commonly used by our customers for a whole new level of convenience never before available in a smartphone of this caliber, said Hwang Jeong-hwan, president and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Co.



And we will continue to introduce new AI capabilities to enhance usability and to demonstrate to our customers that we are committed to delivering a great user experience that continues long after the purchase of an LG phone.



The V30S ThinQ phones will come in two colors -- New Moroccan Blue and New Platinum Grey -- and will hit the market starting on March 9 in Korea. It will be launched in the US and Europe later.



For more information, attendees of MWC 2018 can check out the new smartphones at LGs booth in Hall 3 of Fira Gran Via from Monday through Thursday.
The landmine charity backed by Princess Diana was on Sunday dragged into the sector-wide sex scandal after apologizing for not properly investigating claims its staff paid prostitutes.

British-based Mines Advisory Group (Mag) admitted it had ignored allegations about the "habitual use" of prostitutes by aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"In relation to generic allegations of habitual use of prostitutes by Mag staff in DRC it would seem these were not sufficiently followed up at the time as they should have been and we are very sorry about this," it said in a statement late Saturday.

A whistleblower at the charity said they had regularly witnessed members of staff with prostitutes and had told managers in the capital Kinshasa three times between 2011 and 2013.

Read also: Minnie Driver quits Oxfam role over charity sex scandal

Diana was the public champion of landmine charities and worked with Mag shortly before her death in a Paris car crash in 1997.

The claims come as part of a wider sex scandal in the charity sector, triggered by allegations that Oxfam staff exploited Haitians after a devastating 2010 earthquake.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday more than 20 staffers have left the organisation since 2015 after "paying for sexual services."

Meanwhile, UNICEF's deputy director Justin Forsyth also resigned following complaints of inappropriate behavior towards female staff in his previous post as head of British charity Save The Children.
"Business at the front, party at the back" was the mantra for the crowd of Australians sporting a mullet haircut at an inaugural festival celebrating the vintage style on Saturday.

More than 150 people showcasing the hairstyle popular in the 1970s and 80s flocked to a small town north of Sydney for the event, swishing their locks and parading their chops to cheering fans.

The mullet has remained a staple hairstyle in Kurri Kurri, some 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Sydney, according to Laura Johnson, a local publican who organized the festival.

"There's a school of thought from our locals at our table of knowledge here at the Chelly (Chelmsford) Hotel that they have had the mullets for the longest," she told AFP at Kurri Kurri Saturday.

"We've got folks here that have been sporting their mullet haircut for over 60 years."

For Lloyd Martin, a flamboyant mullet-contest participant passionate about the style, the cut is timeless and also intrinsically Australian.

"It's... one of the most Australian cultural haircuts you can have. You've got to grow a mullet at least once in your lifetime. It's not a hairstyle, it's a lifestyle," he told AFP.

Read also: Six tips before a trip to the barbershop

The winner of the junior division, 12-year-old Alex Keavy, said he was not fazed by the style's old-fashioned reputation.

"It's out of its time but I still like it and all my friends keep telling me that they want one but I don't think a lot of people can wear it properly," he told AFP.

"I just love it because I like its style and I like long hair."

Laurie Manurele, who drove 12 hours from the neighboring state of Victoria to take part in the contest, has tended his mullet for 46 years.

He told AFP he was impressed at the competition he faced.

"The quality of mullets here today is absolutely unbelievable," he said.

"It's amazing what's out there and Australia is the capital of the world for mullets."
China's Huawei launched a new laptop and tablet on Sunday as it seeks to cement its place among the worlds three biggest electronic device manufacturers.

The laptop, the Matebook X Pro, and the tablet, the MediaPad M5, were presented on the eve of the opening of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- the scene of previous major Huawei launches.

But this year the company will instead present its new flagship smartphone -- the P20 -- on March 27 in Paris, in what is seen as a bid not to be eclipsed by Samsung's launch of its new top end phone later Sunday.

Read also: Wonder Woman appointed chief experience officer by Huawei

"By launching the new P20 smartphones only a month later in Paris, Huawei will be able to fine tune its marketing message based on how the new Samsung S9 devices are perceived by consumers," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

Both the new Huawei laptop and tablet feature long lasting batteries and quicker charge times and are available in grey and silver.

The laptop's power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which Huawei says will start and securely log into Windows in under eight seconds.

Huawei also unveiled what it said is the world's first commercial chipset that meets the standards of the super-fast 5G wireless networks which are poised to start being rolled out.

The company said the chipset can hit download speeds of 2.3 gigabits per second, significantly faster than speeds reached in current 4G networks.

Huawei remained the world's third biggest seller of smartphones in 2017, behind Samsung and Apple.

It boasted a 10.4 percent market share, up from 9.5 percent, according to research firm IDC.

Samsung had a 21.6 percent share while Apple held 14.7 percent.
A colossal kecak dance performed by 5,555 dancers consisting of high school and vocational school students from across Badung regency, Bali, has reportedly broken a world record, according to an official from the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI).

"MURI gives high praise to this performance. It is worthy of not only a national record, but also a world record," MURI manager Triyono told Antara during the assessment at the event's location in Berawa Beach tourism area in Tibubeneng, Badung, on Sunday night.

Triyono said the colossal kecak dance could be considered a new world record as the kecak dance was Bali's signature art performance and a form of local culture that no other country had.

Read also: Bali named world's best destination by TripAdvisor

Meanwhile, Badung Tourism Agency head I Made Badra said the activity was held as part of the Berawa Beach Art Festival 2018. "This event is helping the regency administration achieve its target of attracting 7 million tourists this year," he added.

For the record-breaking performance, 5,555 dancers donned checkered kain kemben, also known as saput poleng, tied with a red scarf. The performance was staged at the Loloan Yeh Poh at Berawa Beach. As the sun started to set, the dancers began their movements accompanied by harmonious singing, entertaining thousands of spectators.

Siva, a high school student from Denpasar, said she came to Berawa Beach to witness the record-breaking attempt as her friend was one of the dancers.

"This is the first time I've watched this many people perform a kecak dance; it's a very thrilling experience." she said. (kes)
Heavy rainfall has uncovered 75 ancient artifacts at the Borsippa archaeological site in the Iraqi province of Babylon, the authorities announced on Sunday.

Terracotta pottery, coins and metal objects dating back to the Parthian era were among the items found, said Hussein Fleih of the provincial antiquities authority.

"These pieces will now be examined to determine their exact dating," he told AFP.

Read also: Scientists discover the secret to ancient Roman Gate to Hell

The discovery of the items due to rain is not uncommon in Iraq, but there have been several deep archaeological digs at the site next to a Muslim sanctuary dedicated to Abraham.

"Last year, 1,000 pieces were unearthed this way and this proves that antiquities can be on the surface and not deep underground," said Fleih.
South Korean company Samsung finally revealed its long-awaited flagship products, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, on Sunday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The smartphones boast several new features, including super slow-motion (960 fps on 1080p) to increase dramatic effects on videos, an aperture of f/1.5 to capture objects in dim lighting and animoji to enhance user experience when communicating virtually.

Price-wise, kompas.com reported that the devices would be available starting Rp 11,499,000 (US$842) for Galaxy S9 (4GB RAM, 64GB); Rp 12,999,000 for Galaxy S9 Plus (6GB RAM, 64GB) and Rp 14,499,000 for Galaxy S9 Plus (6GB RAM, 256GB).

Read also: Apple overtakes Samsung in shrinking smartphone market: survey

The prices are higher than their predecessors, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, which are sold at Rp 10.5 million and Rp 12 million, respectively.

"New products, new technology. For Indonesians, the target market for the S series is actually not about the price, but the value of the device," Samsung Indonesia corporate marketing director Jo Semidang told kompas.com in Barcelona on Sunday.

In addition to the 12 megapixels main camera with an aperture feature that can be operated mechanically, the Galaxy S9 also comes with a 5.8-inch AMOLED display, Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845 processor and a 3,000 mAh battery. Meanwhile, the Plus version boasts a 6.2-inch AMOLED display, similar processor and a 3,500 mAh battery. (kes)
My fathers first love had been a woman who carried the ocean inside her. He had told us many tales of how she sang to the sea and held hands with the moon when the entire world was asleep.

The last time he had seen her was at his high school graduation ceremony when she had stood at the podium, bearing the honor of being the schools valedictorian. And while my father spent the next few months after finishing high school dreaming about sharing kisses under the moon, she had gone on to pursue her dreams, tirelessly traveling from one country to another. Her restless heart had wanted more than what her hometown could offer.

Did you love her more than you loved Mother? Did she love you back?

She loved the ocean more than anything else, my father replied. Shed left my heart on the shore and told the tide to carry it away.

I thought of the two of them standing by the edge of the water, staring out at the horizon stretched out before them, the glimmering water beckoning them to wade in. I thought of the way her long hair would tickle his face, of the way she would fall asleep to the sound of his heart beating, just a few feet away from the crumbling sandcastles they had built on the beach, and the pile of shells my father kept in a broken bucket.

They had chased the ice cream van and skinned their knees on the pavement, their lemon popsicles dripping down their hands as they talked about the people they wished to become, of the places they wished to go.

So, where did she go? Zoe looked up at him, wide-eyed. Did you ever see her again?

Sometimes I think the ocean carried her away, he said.

Hed kiss us good night and flick off the light switch, leaving us wide awake in the dark to wonder about our fathers first love.

[*]

No matter how many cans of Red Bull or coffee you try to gulp down in one night, staying up until half past one and looking through year books and trying to trace some nameless woman through the internet is never a good idea  especially if you have plans to go out. After canceling on brunch, Wendy and I settled for dinner at seven oclock at our favorite diner.

So Im assuming your father has absolutely no idea at all about this brilliant plan of yours to reunite him with his supposedly nameless high school sweetheart? Wendy squinted at me in the golden glow of the coffee shop.

Dont be daft. She must have had a name, I rolled my eyes and swatted her hand as she reached for the last fry.

Wendy raised an eyebrow, amused.

Our fathers had introduced us to each other at a soiree held by one of their mutual friends, and although my father had made a fuss about the excessive amount of eyeliner Id been wearing, which he thought was remarkably unattractive, Wendy had managed to ingratiate her way into my fathers heart.

By the end of the night, we managed to escape the intoxicating heat radiating off of peoples voices, their words bouncing off us as they talked about which of their children would most likely inherit the companies they were currently running, or potential rivals, whose names would be highlighted with a bright yellow pen to remind them of the possibility of a ruined legacy.

She had stolen glances at me as the conversation began to spiral into shape, and I understood what my father had meant by dreaming of kissing someone underneath the wing of the moon.

Perhaps it was the small doses of soju we were consuming out of tiny shot glasses, or just the party that had gotten to my head  but as our conversation progressed, it began to uncover layer after layer of our guarded souls as we both struggled to suppress our hopes to catch a glimpse of something that neither of us had experienced before.

Sunday dinner was the only thing Id been looking forward to after a strenuous week of school, and Bessies burgers and two tall glasses of root beer were the perfect solution to our ceaseless complaints, which, most of the time, were about the excessive amount of homework from school.

While Wendy filled me in on the possibility of several new students joining her class, I told her about my plan to find the woman who had broken and healed my fathers heart at the same time.

Dont you think its a little odd?

Why are you so determined to find her?

I shrugged, suddenly feeling deflated. I dont know, I retorted flatly.

Your father must have loved her, Wendy said wistfully. Maybe she would have loved him back.

What if she did?

Is there any point in knowing if she did? she raised an eyebrow. Would it change anything?

Despite the fact that we bickered constantly, there were a lot of things that we had in common. We were both motherless, and we were quite petulant as children. We had found comfort in the darkness that we had kept hidden beneath the polished facade we held up like shields; and inside that sense of comfort, something else began to blossom.

Did I tell you what I found? she said, rummaging in her pocket.

What did you find?

I eyed the plate of fries that the waitress had delivered to our table. Go on, then, she nodded.

Abruptly, I stood up. I should get going.

You have somewhere you need to be?

My fathers office. I stopped to brush the crumbs off my skirt. Wait, you never told me what you were going to say.

No, it doesnt matter anymore. She paused. Do you want me to walk you there?

Its alright, Ill just call an Uber to pick me up.

Are you sure?

Ill be fine, I said.

Sighing reluctantly, she nodded. Although I felt a little odd to be leaving early, she stayed behind to watch me walk down the street before eventually disappearing from my peripheral vision.

As expected, my fathers office was in complete disarray, his books were stacked messily in the corners, along with a pile of newspapers dating back to November 2011. A bunch of photo albums were spread out across the floor, lined up in a chronological order  photos scattered randomly at my feet. Cans of instant coffee were lined up by the trash bin, their varying colors glinting at me in the dim light. He must have been in the toilet, because I could hear the tap running.

I bent over to inspect the framed photograph on his desk. The four of us, dressed in matching yellow ponchos, huddling underneath a massive umbrella, smiling half-heartedly at the camera as the rain dripped onto our backs.

When was this? I thought to myself. Obviously before our mother got sick.

Feeling something crunching underneath my boot, I picked up one of the photos. It was a photo of a young man and woman with their arms around each other, dressed in matching graduation togas, the same kind of smiles plastered across their faces. The camera flash illuminated their faces and their happiness had leapt off the glossy photograph to greet me.

That was my high school sweetheart. My first love.

My father stood in the doorway, a sad smile on his face.

This was your first love.

Yes, she was.

Where did she go? What happened to her? You never told me the end of the story.

You dont remember?

What is there to remember?

I didnt come to your sisters piano recital and she gave me a hard time for it.

Seeing her was a mistake?

My father paused before shaking his head. It was, but it might as well have been the best mistake I made.

Snippets of memories began to flood in: the smell of powder and perfume wafting in the air. My sister stood as still as a statue, watching carefully as my mother painted her lips scarlet and tied the ribbon on the back of her satin dress. It was the same color of the moon, and at the end of the night, it had been stained by tears of disappointment.

She told me to turn around and forget about that night. My father sighed. It was one of the best nights of my life and it would have been one of the best nights of her life too.

Was it too late?

Much too late.

Did she... have a family?

He paused. Her only daughter... was Wendy.

[*]

Our love had folded in on itself after my fathers confession, the way a gingerbread house doused in milk would crumble and eventually dissolve. Her hands were warm, just like the souffle we had for dessert, meanwhile my hands no longer craved the touch of hers. This time, we had held each other at arms length, careful to leave gaps in between our shoulders and while the soles of our feet scoured the city and everything in it, our hands stayed safe in our pockets.

Sitting cross legged on the sand, the two of us let the wind ruffle our hair as we spoke, a hint of tenderness dripping off our voices. The same tenderness which her mother had possessed, the same tenderness which wasnt there before. There was no hostility in her eyes, just a tinge of unhappiness that might or might not have been directed at me.

We had made small talk about the weather, and then about her part-time job. There seemed to be millions of things to talk about, yet every single subject felt like foreign territory, unexplored and strange to our wandering minds, although the two of us had been capable of discussing the formation of the universe.

We appeared as though we were two distant planets, anticipating destruction and whatever would come after it. We were waiting for the end of the world, for annihilation. For everything that we had not seen coming.

Is this it? she drew a sharp breath. Is this how it ends?

This is how it ends, I whispered, my words disappearing in the dark as I tried hard not to cry.

I should be the one crying, she told me. There was a pause. Did you find her?

I didnt.

Was it worth the risk?

It was.

So you found her.

You were right, I suppose. He did love your mother.

Wendy turned away from me to wipe away her tears. I wish I could have saved her.

Me too.

Of course, I had run out of apologies by this time, and all I had to offer was a hug, and choked sobs. She melted into the shadows after a while, leaving me to mourn on my own.

A part of me wondered whether the choices I had made in the past few days would be the exact same choices I would live to regret.

She was old enough to know how it ends, but not old enough to know what the aftermath feels like; and she was old enough to know what pain is supposed to taste like.

***

Latifa Sekarini is an Indonesian writer. Her stories have appeared in The Jakarta Post.

-----------------------------------------------------

We are looking for contemporary fiction between 1,500 and 2,000 words by established and new authors. Stories must be original and previously unpublished in English. The email for submitting stories is: shortstory@thejakartapost.com
Book enthusiasts have probably already marked their calendar for the return of the non-stop Big Bad Wolf (BBW) book sale at the Indonesian Convention Exhibition (ICE) in BSD, South Tangerang, Banten, from March 29 - April 9.

Set to offer 60 to 80 percent book discounts, below are some of the things to expect from this year's annual book sale.

5.5 million books

BBW brand manager Ivan Ooi told tempo.co the event would offer up to 5.5 million books with more variety and publishers compared with last year.

"We'll also increase the number of publishers that sell Indonesian-language books, as well as a larger amount and greater variety of Mandarin-language books," said Ivan on Monday.

More Indonesian-language books

Although popular for selling imported books, the BBW is planning to add more Indonesian-language books this year.

"This move is part of our effort to promote local publishers who have been tirelessly committed and have contributed to the people of Indonesia," Ivan said, adding that the actual number of Indonesian books was currently still being discussed.

Read also: Big Bad Wolf returns to Jakarta in March

More children's books

Ivan said that around 60 percent of the 5.5 million books sold at the upcoming fair would be children's books.

"Children's books have always been our main focus as we consider that it is better to grow reading interest as early as possible when their mind is still full of imagination and happiness," he said.

Better queues

Due to the huge enthusiasm, visitors to previous BBW events had to endure long queues. For this year, Ivan said it would try to make visitors more comfortable when shopping at the fair.

Other cities?

While declining to reveal whether the event will be held in other cities in Indonesia, Ivan said book lovers should follow new updates on BBW's Facebook page. "[Such news] will be a surprise for our fans in Indonesia," he added.

First held in Indonesia in 2015, the BBW has been previously held in Surabaya, East Java, in the past two years in addition to ICE BSD City. (kes)
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 18:30 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c762e13 1 City citilink,smoking,Halim-Perdanakusuma-Airport Free

A recent case in which a passenger was removed from a Citilink flight for smoking has raised questions about Halim Perdanakusuma Airport's security standards, as cigarette lighters are listed among hazardous items banned from aircraft, an expert has said.

"Lighters contain a chemical material that is categorized as a dangerous commodity. It should have been detected through an x-ray security check," Arista Indonesia Aviation Center (AIAC) CEO Arista Atmadjati said on Monday.

The passenger, identified as Iwan Limau, was removed from the Denpasar-bound flight on Sunday for smoking while boarding the aircraft as it was refueling at the airport in East Jakarta, the budget carrier said in a statement.

He reportedly started smoking after passing through a boarding gate and went on smoking while climbing the aircraft passenger steps in proximity to the engine as the aircraft was refueling.

Aviation security personnel took immediate action and ordered the passenger, who had already sat in his assigned seat, to leave the plane, which was about to disembark.

"It's fatal negligence. Aviation security personnel as well as flight attendants and ground-handling personnel should have been able to prevent it," Arista said.

Citilink vice president of corporate communication Benny Siga Butarbutar said the passenger's behavior was a threat to the safety and security of the flight.

In the airline industry, we need to ensure that no safety rule is violated, ensuring that flight operations can run safely, smoothly and comfortably, he said in the statement.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 20:45 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c76d54e 1 City First-Travel,umrah,Scam Free

Victims of an umrah (minor haj) scam allegedly committed by travel agency First Travel have been promised compensation through money earned from the sales of the company's assets, the Depok District Court heard in West Java on Monday.

During the second hearing of the trial, which was led by presiding judge Subandi, defense lawyer Puji Wijayanto said his clients had agreed to sell their assets and use the funds to return the money to the victims, who had fully paid for the minor haj but had yet to travel to Saudi Arabia.

The assets mentioned were 10 cars, four offices and three houses, kompas.id reported.

"We will check the assets first because some of them belong to other parties," general prosecutor Herry Jerman told the court.

Last week, the three defendants -- Anniesa Hasibuan, the owner and director of First Travel, Andika Surachman, her husband and the president director of the agency, and Anniesa's sister, Siti Nuraidah Hasibuan -- were charged with fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.

There are an alleged 63,310 victims in the case and total losses of over Rp 905 billion (US$63.37 million).

"I don't think the total assets will be sufficient to cover the total losses of the victims," Luthfi Yazid, a lawyer representing the victims in the case, said after the hearing.

The courtroom was packed with the victims, who shouted, "Thief! Thief! Give us back our money!" to the defendants as they entered the room. (fac)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26 2018

Residents were shocked on Sunday to find the body of a chicken noodle seller inside his shop on Jl. Al-Baidho II in Cipayung, East Jakarta.



Rosidi, 39, was found lying on the floor covered by a piece of fabric in the room he rented for his food stall.



The residents, who were friends of the seller, began to worry when Rosidi failed to open his shop on Saturday without leaving any message.



Yani, 40, a soup seller, said Rosidi had still opened his stall and had eaten at her place on Friday.



I dont know what exactly happened. We didnt see Rosidi [until Sunday], so we broke the door of his shop and found him already dead, Yani said, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.



Rosidi, who was originally from Kebumen in Central Java, just had a baby girl with his wife. He had been selling chicken noodles, locally known as bakmi, at the shop...
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26 2018

Actress Chelsea Islan says she has a dream of one day becoming a minister so she can contribute more to the public.

The 22-year old actress said she aspired to become a minister of education, as quoted by kompas.com.

I am very passionate about developing sufficient access to education all over Indonesia. I just returned from Papua, where I saw the lack in education facilities, Chelsea said during the We The Youth event at the Usmar Ismail Film Center in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Saturday.

Other than education, Chelsea said she was also interested in becoming a foreign affairs minister. In fact, she has wanted to become a diplomat since she was a child.

I really want to be able to develop international relationships with other countries, she said.

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Linkedin Shatha Yaish (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem  Mon, February 26, 2018 07:27 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c742da6 2 World Israel,Jerusalem,church Free

Christian leaders took the rare step on Sunday of closing Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built where tradition holds Jesus was buried, in protest at Israeli tax measures and a proposed property law.

It was not clear how long the closure of the church, announced by Christian officials at a news conference from around noon (1000 GMT), would last. Church officials said only that it would be until further notice.

The church is considered the holiest site in Christianity, built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, and is a major pilgrimage site.

"As a measure of protest, we decided to take this unprecedented step of closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Catholic leaders said in a statement read out in front of the church's large wooden doors.

They said recent Israeli measures seemed to be "an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem".

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority condemned the move as a "new aggression against the city of Jerusalem" that could see Israel exert control over land belonging to churches.

The decision to close the church was extremely rare.

In 1990, Christian sites including the Holy Sepulchre were closed for a day to protest the installation of Jewish settlers near the church, located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

Christian sites were shut for two days in 1999 to protest the planned construction of a mosque near Nazareth's Church of the Annunciation, where tradition holds the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary she was to become the mother of Jesus.

Christian leaders have been angered over attempts by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem to enforce tax collection on church property they consider commercial, saying exemptions only apply to places of worship or religious teaching.

Separately, Christian leaders say legislation being considered by Israel's government would allow church property to be expropriated.

"This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during a dark period in Europe," the statement said.

An Israeli ministerial committee on Sunday delayed action on the bill for a week.

- 'Very disappointing' -

Confused tourists stood in front of the church's closed doors in Jerusalem's Old City after the announcement, as tour guides sought to explain why they could not visit.

One man knelt and prayed as workers began putting metal barriers around the entrance.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said in a statement that the city was due 650 million shekels ($186 million, 152 million euros) in uncollected taxes on church properties, which he called "illegal and irrational".

Barkat stressed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches were exempt from the taxes and would remain so, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches.

Christian leaders say the measure jeopardises their ability to conduct their work, which includes not only religious but also social services to those in need.

According to Israeli media, the foreign ministry has been critical of the Jerusalem mayor's decision on church taxation. Officials have said the move was harmful to a decades-long status quo.

A separate bill seeks to allay the fears of Israelis who live in homes on lands previously held by the Greek Orthodox Church and which were sold to private developers, according to Rachel Azaria of the centrist Kulanu party, who is proposing the legislation.

Recent land sales by the Greek Orthodox Church -- a major landowner in Jerusalem -- to unknown buyers have drawn fire from both Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinians fear the sales will favour Israeli settlement construction in east Jerusalem, while Israelis are concerned over private developers' intentions for the land.

The bill would allow certain lands sold by the Greek Orthodox Church to be handed over to the state, which would then compensate those who bought it from the church.

A Russian tourist in her 20s who only gave her name as Elona said "it is very disappointing" that she could not visit the church on Sunday.

"It is one of the main religious attractions, and to us it was very important to visit it because it is our first time (here)," she said.

She said she does not feel "her mission is accomplished" as she was only visiting for a few days.

The cave where Christians believe Jesus was buried is located within the church, while the traditional site of his crucifixion is a short walk away, also inside the church.

The tomb is encased in an elaborate shrine, whose recent restoration was unveiled in March 2017 after months of delicate work.

A 19th-century shrine surrounds the tomb with an onion-shaped dome above.

The Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church.
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 18:50 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c76613c 1 Business IMF,visit,Christine-Madeleine-Odette-Lagarde Free

International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde on Monday called on Indonesia to empower more women to increase their number in the labor force.

Lagarde was taken to Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, which is Southeast Asias biggest textile market, by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

She was impressed by the number of woman working in the market and said she would be happy to see more participate in the labor force on her return for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in October in Bali.

"I hope that during my next visit to Indonesia in October, there will be even more women in the labor force," Lagarde added.

The National Planning Agency said in 2015, only 49 percent of the women productive population (the labor force participation rate for females) was a part of the labor force. That meant only 49 percent of females in the productive age of between 15 and 64 entered the labor market.

The number was lower compared to the total labor participation rate that reached 66 percent.

Under the Indonesian 2045 vision, the government is targeting the labor force participation rate for females to increase to 73 percent, while the total labor force participation is targeted higher than 80 percent.

"Our female participation is good but not good enough for developed countries standards. We have to increase it again," National Development Planning Minister Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said. (bbn)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Baghdad, Iraq  Mon, February 26, 2018 08:34 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c7430b9 2 World Iraq,Turkey,Women Free

An Iraqi criminal court on Sunday sentenced to death 15 Turkish women after finding them guilty of belonging to the Islamic State group, a judicial official said.

Another Turkish woman accused of joining the jihadist group was given a life sentence, the official said, adding they had all acknowledged the charges against them.

Four of the women, all of whom were dressed in black, were accompanied by young children, he said.

Aged between 20 and 50, the women said they had entered Iraq illegally to join their husbands who were heading to fight for the self-proclaimed "caliphate" straddling vast areas of Iraq and Syria, the official added.

One of them told the judge she had taken part in fighting against Iraqi forces alongside the jihadists, he said.

Supreme Judicial Council spokesman Abdel Sattar Bayraqdar told AFP the women had a month to appeal.

Last week, another group of foreign widows of IS fighters told a court hearing attended by an AFP journalist that they had been fooled or threatened by their husbands to head to Iraq.

Iraq, which has detained at least 560 women, as well as 600 children, identified as jihadist or relatives of suspected IS fighters, is wasting no time in putting them on trial.

In January, a court sentenced a German woman to death on charges of providing logistical support to IS, and a Turkish woman was earlier this month also handed the death penalty.

Human Rights Watch denounced the rulings as "unfair".

Earlier this week, a Baghdad court sentenced a French woman, Melina Boughedir, to seven months in jail for entering Iraq illegally but ordered her release on time already served.

Baghdad declared military victory over IS in December, after having expelled the jihadists from all urban centres they had held in northern and western Iraq since 2014.

Experts estimate that 20,000 people are being held in jail in Iraq for alleged membership of IS. There is no official figure.

Separately, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said in early February they had detained some 4,000 suspected IS members, including foreigners.

Iraq's anti-terrorism law empowers courts to convict people who are believed to have helped IS even if they are not accused of carrying out attacks.

It also allows for the death penalty to be issued against anyone -- including non-combatants -- found guilty of belonging to IS.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Ramallah, Palestinian Territories  Mon, February 26, 2018 17:49 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c75f9b7 2 World Palestine,occupation,Israel Free

Israel's army has arrested nine Palestinians from the West Bank home village of jailed teenager Ahed Tamimi, including a relative shot in the head in December, the military and witnesses said Monday.

The overnight arrests were in Nabi Saleh in the occupied West Bank and included four minors, witnesses said.

Among them was 15-year-old Mohammed Tamimi, a cousin of Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested in December after a viral video showed her hit and kick two Israeli soldiers, an uncle, Atta Tamimi, said.

Mohammed was shot in the head with a rubber bullet the day of Ahed's arrest, leaving him with permanent damage to his skull, relatives say.

The IDF arrested 10 Palestinians in an overnight raid on Nabi Saleh. One of them was Ahed Tamimi's cousin, Mohammed, whose skull was shattered by a rubber bullet back in December, and is awaiting surgery. Now he's in Israeli custody. A light unto the nations indeed. pic.twitter.com/PD26uu1Kxw  Edo Konrad (@edokonrad) February 26, 2018

An army spokeswoman said the arrests were due to the "increase in violent riots and acts of terrorism" in the village.

Nabi Saleh, in the northern West Bank, has long been a major site of opposition to Israel's occupation of the territory.

In the viral video, Ahed and her cousin Nour Tamimi push and slap the heavily army soldiers, who do not respond to what appears to be an attempt to provoke rather than seriously harm them.

The scuffle took place amid clashes and protests against US President Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Ahed Tamimi has been charged with 12 counts including assault and could face a lengthy jail term if convicted.

She has been ordered held in custody until the completion of her trial at an Israeli military court. Her mother, also arrested after the video went viral, is being held until her trial is completed as well.
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 15:06 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c755a27 1 Business Jokowi,IMF,Christine-Madeleine-Odette-Lagarde,visit,jakarta Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo welcomed International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde on Monday at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta before taking her on a tour of several places in the city.

Jokowi and Lagarde arrived at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta at 11.10 a.m. to observe the implementation of the Healthy Indonesia Card (KIS) at the hospital.

"At the palace, Madame Lagarde asked us about the social security system. So we took her here," The President said at the hospital.

He revealed that the government had distributed KIS to 92.4 million people, while membership in the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) had reached 193.1 million people. "The social security system in Indonesia is one of the biggest in the world," Jokowi said.

Meanwhile, Lagarde said she was impressed by the huge number of people covered by the Indonesian social security system and the quick patient handling at the hospital.

"I come from France where we have a social security system that was established a long time ago. Covering 90 million with social security is fantastic, bravo to you Mr. President and everybody working here," she said.

From the hospital, Jokowi and his guest travelled to Tanah Abang Market, Southeast Asia's biggest textile center and arrived at 12.10 p.m. "I invited Madame Lagarde here to show her Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia," said Jokowi, adding that Lagarde bought a baju koko, a long-sleeved collarless shirt often wore by Indonesian Muslim men, for her husband. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 12:16 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c749f3d 1 City ahok,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,case-review,North-Jakarta-District-Court Free

More than nine months after being convicted of blasphemy, former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama has officially challenged his conviction through a case review petition to the Supreme Court.

The preliminary hearing of the petition, which lasted only 10 minutes, was held at the North Jakarta District Court on Monday. The Supreme Court justices will later decide whether or not to grant Ahoks case review petition.

The hearing at the North Jakarta District Court was presided over by Judge Mulyadi, who had previously presided over his trial at the district level.

Speaking to reporters after Monday's hearing, Ahok's lawyer and sister, Fifi Letya Indra, said she believed the North Jakarta District Court had made a mistake in declaring Ahok guilty of blasphemy.

She said the guilty verdict against Buni Yani, a communications lecturer found guilty of tampering with video footage of a speech given by Ahok that was used as evidence to lodge the blasphemy allegations against the former Jakarta governor, was the basis for the case review request.

"The legal argument for our petition is that the judges [at the district level] made a mistake in their verdict [on Ahok], particularly in relation to Buni Yani's verdict." she said, adding that the defense team also had other legal arguments to support their petition.

"We have six to seven points to make."

Participants of 212 reunion rally gather to pray and conduct religious activities in the Monas Park on Saturday, Dec. 2. They come Monas to commemorate the large-scale rally held last year seeking the imprisonment of former Jakarta Governor Basuki (Antara/Zarqoni Maksum)

Ahok was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison on May 9 following a series of rallies by conservative groups who believe he had commited blasphemy againt the Quran when he said some people were deceived by other people using Al-Maidah 51, a Quranic verse some clerics say prohibits Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader.

He was charged with blasphemy under Article 156a of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment. According to the 2017 Election Law, a person charged with a felony punishable by five years imprisonment is barred from running as president or vice president.

The Bandung District Court, meanwhile, sentenced Buni Yani to 18 months in prison for breaching the nation's Cyber Law, on Nov. 14, 2017.

Ahok did not appeal his conviction at the appellate courts, while Buni Yani did. Ahoks verdict is now final and binding and thus eligible for a review.

The prosecutors told reporters after the hearing that the defense team had not brought new evidence to back up their latest legal move.

Ahoks case and Buni Yanis case were not related, prosecutor Sapta Subrata said. Ahok was guilty of blasphemy, while Buni Yani was guilty of tampering with a video that was not his.

He added that prosecution of Ahoks case did not affect Buni Yanis case and vice versa. The evidence in Buni Yanis case is part of a speech cited by Buni Yani, it was not used as evidence in Ahoks trial.

The district courts verdict on Ahok was correct, he said.

Judge Mulyadi, however, said that the prosecutors had two to three days to give their response before he sent the case review petition to the Supreme Court justices.



"We do not have the authority to grant a case review petition. It's the Supreme Court's authority. We just examine the administrative requirements," the judge said.

Security personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police were seen guarding the North Jakarta District Court on Jl. Gajah Mada in Central Jakarta from Monday morning.

Supporters of Ahok came to the court wearing red clothes while those opposed to the former governor came dressed in white clothes. (vel/ahw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 18:25 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c761f60 1 Politics jusuf-kalla,vice-president,election Free

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said he appreciates those who have suggested that he be paired with President Joko Jokowi Widodo again for the 2019 presidential election, but made clear that the idea should be in line with the Constitution.

"I appreciate the people who propose my name [as a candidate for vice president in 2019], but we must consider the regulation," he said, referring to Article 7 of the 1945 Constitution which bans a president and vice president from seeking a third term.

Kalla, who served as vice president with Indonesia's sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from 2004 to 2009, said he understood the reason behind the limitation.

"We don't want what happened during the New Order to be repeated," he said as quoted by Kompas.com.

The Vice President, however, added that he was aware of the conflicting interpretations of Article 7 and that he would therefore leave the issue to legal experts.

Parties supporting Jokowis re-election bid are now looking for the right person to be paired with him. Several names have been mentioned as potential candidates, including Kalla.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) officials seem to be divided over the issue, with one party official, Hasto Kristiyanto, saying it was impossible to nominate Kalla again and another official, Puan Maharani, saying that the party was still studying Kallas eligibility.

Other than the PDI-P, Jokowi is also backed by the Golkar Party, the Hanura Party, the NasDem Party and the United Development Party (PPP). (srs/ahw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 20:17 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c76bd35 4 Business financial-information-access-taxation-purposes,regulation,SriMulyaniIndrawati Free

Analysts are pointing to Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 19/2018, which was recently issued by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, as technical guidance to support global transparency in taxation.

Economist Bawono Kristiaji said the regulation supported the implementation of the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) agreement, which was signed by 100 countries, including Indonesia.

This regulation was issued to highlight the importance of financial institutions in supporting the movement on taxation transparency by requiring the institutions to register to the director general of taxation, Bawono said in Jakarta on Sunday.

It was the second revision to ministerial regulation No. 70/2017 on technical guidance on financial information access for taxation.

Meanwhile, Tax Center fiscal researcher Danny Darissalam said it was a secondary regulation that was needed to guarantee the effectiveness of Indonesia's involvement in the AEOI.

The exchange of information refers to the common reporting standard, which is regulated under the international agreement, Danny said as reported by Antara.

There are 20 revised items in regulation No. 19/2018. One notable change is the requirement that individual taxpayers must report their bank accounts, including inheritance wealth that had not been distributed to heirs. (bbn)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Abuja, Nigeria  Mon, February 26, 2018 06:21 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c7404c5 2 World boko-haram,Nigeria,abduction Free

The Nigerian government on Sunday confirmed that 110 girls were missing after a Boko Haram school attack in the northeast, following days of silence on the children's fate.

"The Federal Government has confirmed that 110 students of the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, are so far unaccounted for, after insurgents believed to be from a faction of Boko Haram invaded their school on Monday", the information ministry said in a statement.

The statement came after authorities were unable to account for 110 of the school's 906 students, the ministry said.

The kidnapping has raised questions about the military's repeated claims that the Islamist militants are on the verge of defeat, after nearly nine years of bitter fighting.

It has also revived memories of the 2014 mass abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok that shook the world.

On Monday night, terrified pupils fled the boarding school night when heavily armed fighters in military fatigues and turbans stormed the town, shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest").

The authorities initially denied that any student had been kidnapped.

On Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari apologised to the girls' families, saying: "This is a national disaster. We are sorry that this could have happened."

- Targeting education -

Former military ruler Buhari was elected in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, after the jihadists grew in strength under his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan was lambasted for his tardy response to the Chibok abduction, which saw 276 girls from the town in Borno state taken in the dead of night.

In his first expanded comments on Dapchi, Buhari said: "This is a national disaster. We are sorry that this could have happened."

A teacher at the school, Amsani Alilawan, said there were soldiers in Dapchi until last month but they were then redeployed.

"One month back, they carry (take away) all soldiers, they transferred them to another side, they leave us without security," he said.

Enraged relatives of the missing girls this week tried to surround the convoy of the state mayor of Yobe, only to be pushed back by the security forces.

The kidnapping is the worst jihadist assault to have hit Nigeria since Buhari came to power.

Schools, particularly those with a secular curriculum, have been targeted by Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates from Hausa as "Western education is forbidden".

Boko Haram's quest to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead and made more than 2.6 million others homeless since 2009.

The jihadists have increasingly turned to kidnapping for ransom as a way to finance their operations and win back key commanders in prisoner swaps with the Nigerian government.
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26 2018

The national shipping industry has underlined its readiness to comply with new rules mandating the use of local ships to export Indonesias top commodities, crude palm oil (CPO) and coal, starting on April 26.

Laid out in Trade Ministry Regulation No. 82/2017, the arrangement is expected to enhance the market position of Indonesias shipping companies as well as insurers.

However, the Trade Ministry is considering a delay in applying the rule amid doubts from exporters over the capability of domestic shipping firms.

Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA) chairwoman Carmelita Hartoto said the number and quality of local vessels had improved significantly since the government introduced the cabotage principle, which requires all vessels operating within Indonesian waters to be domestically owned, in 2005.

Although the existing fleet still could n...
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Linkedin Theresia Sufa (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java  Mon, February 26, 2018 10:25 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c745e11 1 City IPB,bogor,incident,Bogor-Agricultural-University,river-incident,river,river-conservation Free

Two students from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) drowned in Ciapus River near Jl. Lengkeng, Dramaga, Bogor, West Java, on Sunday. The incident occurred while they were cleaning up the riverbank.

The two victims are Dandi Firdaus, a second semester student from the civil engineering and environmental studies program, and Fadli Zikri, a sixth semester student from the computer science department.

IPB communication bureau head Yatri Kusumastuti said the incident occurred while the two students were participating in an activity held by IPBs Al Hurriyah Campus Dakwah (missionary endeavour) Institution (LDK). The participating students ended their activity by jointly cleaning up the Ciapus riverbank.

Fadli reportedly jumped into Ciapus River after his belongings fell into the river but did not resurface. Dandi then jumped into the river in an attempt to save his friend. He also did not resurface.

The LDK participants reported the incident to IPB campus security unit personnel, who then contacted the Dramaga Police. Supported by local residents, police officers searched for the two students. Both were found dead at 2:20 p.m. on Sunday in a location not far from where they reportedly disappeared. The bodies of the two students were later taken to Karya Bakti Pratiwi Hospital in Dramaga, Bogor.

Their bodies will be returned to their families on Monday. Dandi comes from South Sumatra while Fadli is from Pariaman in West Sumatra, said Yatri. (ebf)

Fatal accident: Dramaga Police personnel search for two Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) students reported missing in Ciapus River on Feb. 25. (Courtesy of the Dramaga Police/File)
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Linkedin Devina Heriyanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, February 26, 2018 17:46 1299 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c75c6e6 1 Politics 2019-presidential-election,#2019PresidentialElection,Indonesian-politics,political-party,Jokowi,#Jokowi Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo is once again running for, well, president. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) officially endorsed the former Surakarta mayor and long-time PDI-P member during its national meeting in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday.

The endorsement is huge for Jokowi, who has already secured the support of four major parties: the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Hanura Party and the NasDem Party. With the support of five political parties that control more than 50 percent of seats at the House of Representatives, analysts have said it could be smooth sailing for Jokowi in 2019.

The only remaining question is: Who will be Jokowis running mate?

Jokowi told reporters shortly after the PDI-P endorsement that he would discuss the issue with other political parties that had declared their support even before the PDI-P. The incumbent candidate will have to name his running mate before Aug. 13, when he is required to register with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

It remains unclear who will fill the position of vice-presidential running mate, but several names have been mentioned by analysts and members of pro-Jokowi parties as possible candidates. Here are six of them:

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, accompanied by his wife, Mufidah Jusuf Kalla, tries on shoes at a shoe store in Cibaduyut Market in Bandung, West Java. (tribunnews.com/File)

Jusuf Kalla

Jusuf Kalla, a longtime player in Indonesian politics, is a former chairman of Golkar. Kalla has held the VP position twice, during former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos first term and now with Jokowi. He also served as a House of Representatives and Peoples Consultative Assembly member and as minister twice, as the trade and industry minister (1999-2000) and the coordinating minister for peoples welfare (2001-2004). Currently, he is the chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross and the Mosque Council.

Kalla oversees a significant business empire, making him one of the most successful businessmen from eastern Indonesia. In 2014, Kalla's wealth was valued at over Rp 465 billion.

Why Jokowi would choose him: Kalla is the best choice if Jokowi wants to play it safe. Golkar is the second-largest political party after the PDI-P, and Kallas record and experience justify the choice. Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) political analyst Arya Fernandes said that securing Kalla as VP would mean preventing his mentee, current Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, from running either as a presidential candidate or Prabowo Subiantos VP.

Possible downside: The Constitution bans a president or vice president from serving more than two terms. But some Golkar and PDI-P politicians have said the provision could be interpreted differently, as Kalla did not serve the two terms consecutively. Many would consider him too old for the job, as he will be turning 76 years old this May  the same age as Soeharto when he was ousted from the office in May 1998.

Furthermore, a statement from Kalla indicates that he might not run again. He said on Monday that the philosophy of limiting the terms of a president and vice president should be respected.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri (right) congratulates newly appointed National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Gen. Budi Gunawan (left) after an inauguration ceremony at the State Palace on Sept. 9, 2016. (Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Budi Gunawan

Budi Gunawan is a retired four-star police general who has chaired the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) since September 2016. He is considered to be close to PDI-P patron Megawati, for whom he served as a presidential adjutant.

Why Jokowi would choose him: He is a close ally of Megawati. The PDI-P, the nations largest party, has said it has given its leader, Megawati, the discretion to decide Jokowis running mate. Jokowi needs Megawatis approval of his choice of running mate to keep the partys support, though he has had enough support to contest the election without the party.

Possible downside: Budi Gunawans track record is not necessarily flawless. In January, 2015, Jokowi had nominated Budi Gunawan as the National Police chief with approval from the House of Representatives. But the President was not able to inaugurate him because the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him a graft suspect. Budi filed a pretrial motion to challenge the KPKs decision and won the case. The court annulled his suspect status, practically exonerating him from all charges before the trial began.

Welfie: President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo smiles as he watches former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her daughter, Puan Maharani, who is also coordinating human development and culture minister, take a welfie with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the State Palace in this March 2, 2017, file photo. (Courtesy of the Presidential Palace/Agus Soeparto)

Puan Maharani

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani is above all known as the daughter of Megawati and the late Taufiq Kiemas, who served as the speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly until his death in 2013. She was a lawmaker and head of the PDIPs faction before she was appointed minister.

Why Jokowi would choose her: She is Megawatis daughter and, therefore, a political heir to former president Sukarno, one of the nations founding fathers. Puan had eyed the VP position in 2014. If she is chosen as VP, she would be the second female VP in the countrys history after Megawati in 1999-2001.

Possible downside: Some people may consider Puan as incompetent, and that she only enjoyed her political positions based on her blood and not merit. The PDI-P will certainly dismiss such a notion. Even though Megawati has two other children, Puan is the one being groomed as the heir to the political party.

Former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. (ret.) Moeldoko. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Moeldoko

Following his recent appointment as presidential chief of staff, the possibility of Moeldoko being a VP candidate has risen. A retired four-star military general, Moeldoko served as an army chief for a brief period before being appointed military chief from 2013 to 2015. Moeldokos military career includes his involvement in the Seroja Operation (Indonesian invasion of East Timor).

Why Jokowi would choose him: He is a military man. According to a survey released by Pollster Indo Barometer last December, Jokowi is better off with a military partner to counterbalance the strongman image of his rival, former military general Prabowo. His name was also raised as a possible running mate for Jokowi in 2014, but he told The Post he would rather continue his job as then military chief.

Possible downside: As a military chief, Moeldoko made several pushes to increase the role of the military  a concerning move for a country with a history of military rule.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor M. Zainul Majdi (left), Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (second left), Democratic Party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) and former first lady Ani Yudhoyono (second right) pose together in Bumi Gora Park in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, in this May 7, 2017, file photo. (Antara/Ahmad Subaidi)

Tuan Guru Bajang or Muhammad Zainul Majdi

Tuan Guru Bajang (TGB) is a Muslim scholar and the two-time governor of West Nusa Tenggara. As a scholar, he often preaches in other Indonesian provinces, building more national rapport. Under his leadership, West Nusa Tenggara has gained several awards in tourism. He is currently the chairman of the Indonesian branch of the Al-Azhar Alumni International Organization.

Why Jokowi would choose him: In the current political climate, TGBs image as a respected Muslim scholar could help boost Jokowis electability among more conservative Muslim voters. While Jokowi himself is a Muslim, he is often seen as anti-Islam and at one point was rumored to be a Christian. Analyst Muhammad Qodari from Indo Barometer said, Jokowi must choose a running mate that can reach out to majority groups. TGB is also popular in West Nusa Tenggara, which helps Jokowis development program in eastern Indonesia.

Possible downside: Although TGB is not a controversial figure, he is relatively unknown to the national public compared to other candidates.

Then gubernatorial candidate Agus Yudhoyono (second left) answers a question during an election debate in Jakarta on Jan.13, 2017. (JP/Seto Wardhana.)

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono

Agus is the eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Before retiring to pursue the Jakarta governor ticket, Agus military career was dominated by several foreign postings and academic leaves. After falling short in the first round of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, Agus stayed busy, attending Democratic Party events across Indonesia and establishing the Yudhoyono Institute.

Why Jokowi would choose him: A Jokowi-Agus pairing would thaw the often conflicting interests between the PDI-P and the Democrats, which came fourth in the 2014 legislative election with 10.19 percent of the vote.

Agus is young and social-media savvy, making him an easy sell for Indonesias burgeoning young lower and middle class.

Possible downside: His strength is also his weakness. Agus is seen as too young and inexperienced for such a strategic post. Choosing a VP candidate from the Democrats, a party outside the ruling coalition, could also affect Jokowis relations with other political parties that have supported him. (ahw)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, February 27 2018

Indonesia wants Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to share their technology and knowledge with local businesspeople in the agribusiness sector to enhance the latters competitiveness.

Recently, 10 SMEs from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, such as packaging machinery producer ARM Sangyo, trader NS Trading and financier Nishi-Nippon City Bank, visited Indonesia and took part in a business matching organized by the Industry Ministry.

At least 26 Indonesian firms, including seafood producer PT Kelola Mina Laut, chocolate maker PT Pipiltin Cocoa, tea producer PT Pagilaran, coffee grinder PT Kopiku Indonesia and cassava processor PT Cassava Industri Estat 79, also attended the event.

The Industry Ministrys agro-industry director general, Panggah Susanto, said that although the agribusiness sector was promising, local SMEs still struggled to utilize technology...
A plane operated by Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia X made an emergency landing at Naha airport early Monday due to engine trouble, but no one was injured, the transport ministry said.

The Kuala Lumpur-bound flight, with 379 passengers and crew members aboard, landed at the airport in Okinawa Prefecture around 3 a.m. after departing from Tokyo's Haneda airport.

Read also: AirAsia to move international flight operations to Soekarno-Hatta Terminal 3

According to the ministry's office at the airport, the airliner's right engine developed problems around 2:15 a.m. It landed after its captain declared an emergency and shut down the engine.

After the plane landed, it took more than six hours for all the passengers to leave the aircraft, an airport source said. The reason was not immediately known.
A passenger was removed from a Citilink flight on Sunday for smoking while boarding the aircraft as it was refueling, the budget carrier stated.

Citilink vice president of corporate communication Benny Siga Butarbutar said in a press release on Monday that a passenger was spotted smoking while walking to the aircraft.

"The incident occurred when we received a report on a passenger who was still smoking while heading to the last Citilink flight QG156 on the Halim-Denpasar route, departing at 9:35 p.m., Benny stated as quoted by kompas.com. No information on the passenger was provided.

Read also: AirAsia X plane makes emergency landing

Merokok Saat Hendak Masuk Pesawat, Penumpang Citilink Diturunkan!



Iwan Limau penumpang pesawat Citilink dengan nomor penerbangan QG 165 tujuan Jakarta-Denpasar terpaksa diturunkan karena kedapatan merokok saat hendak naik ke pesawat. pic.twitter.com/eVTw6atZpo  Fahmi (@catperku) February 26, 2018

The Citilink crew were alarmed upon seeing the passenger, who continued smoking while climbing the aircraft passenger stair in close proximity to the engine as the aircraft was refueling.

Upon hearing the report, aviation security personnel took immediate action, Benny said.

"The passenger had entered the aircraft and sat in their assigned seat, when aviation security personnel and a Citilink representative arrived and asked the passenger to disembark," said Benny. The passenger refused and started arguing with the security officer.

Benny said that the passenger's behavior was a threat to the safety and security of the flight.

In the airline industry, we need to ensure that no safety rule is violated, ensuring that flight operations can run safely, smoothly and comfortably, he said. (jes/kes)
"My wife has already booked our dinner for two at the pool grill for Friday Feb 16 at 7.30pm," reads an e-mail by a guest to a hotel in Singapore. "Our only other request is to have the attached photo of Jeff Goldblum next to our bed."

The hotel in question - Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel in Orchard Road - delivered. It put up a collage of the 65-year-old Jurassic Park actor on the pillow for the guest, identified only by the name Elliott.

There was also a photo of a smiling Goldblum in the hallway, another of him beaming above the TV, and one of him smoldering in the bathroom.

Read also: #MeToo controversy dominates Berlin filmfest opening

Elliott, who stayed at the hotel for a few nights this month, posted photos of the encounter on photo-sharing site Imgur and Internet forum Reddit.

A collage of Jeff Goldblum photos welcomed the guest upon his arrival at the hotel. (Imgur/Cornwallis1)

The five-star hotel, which has been in business for 23 years, told The Straits Times on Monday (Feb 26) that the guest was "surprised and delighted by the hotel's gesture".

Mr Daniel Burstein, the hotel's director of operations, said that the hotel receives special and unique requests from time to time and so "was not surprised by the request".

"Our guests come from all over the world, and we will always do our best to accede to their requests, and to create brilliant and memorable experiences for our guests," he said.

"We will try our best not to say no. If it's something we can't find or are unable to do, we will find an alternative."

Some of these requests include one by a guest who asked for a three-piece band, another who asked for the room to be decorated with stuffed toys, and a third to have a room decorated with imported seasonal flowers.

"We will, however, draw the line if the requests are illegal or are politically or racially insensitive. However, to date we have not received such requests," said Mr Burstein.

While the hotel declined to reveal where the guest was from, it mainly serves customers from the United States, Europe and Australia.

It is not unheard of for guests in other countries to ask for photos of celebrities to be placed in their rooms.

In 2016, a guest at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California, asked for framed photos of Goldblum to be displayed in his room.

A guest at Hotel Indigo: San Antonio-Riverwalk in Texas made a similar request, asking for a photo of Nicolas Cage in her room. (Imgur/Freepsychicreading)

In 2015, a guest at the Hotel Indigo: San Antonio-Riverwalk in Texas asked for a photo of Nicolas Cage in the film Con Air. After it was delivered, she followed up with a series of requests for more photos of Cage.
Posted Sunday, February 25, 2018 11:00 pm

Litchfield made its case to fellow taxing bodies about why they believe TIF District 1 should be extended 12 years during an informational meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Litchfield Community Center.

TIF districts "address private investment in areas where private investment is not occurring," Mike Weber of PGAV Planners in St. Louis said during a presentation by him and Adam Stroud that preceded questions. During the 23-year term of a TIF, all increases in property taxes are used for specific uses aimed at further developments within the district.

TIF District 1 in Litchfield, established on June 2, 1988, includes downtown, the Route 16 commercial corridor and Route 66 Crossing. Notable projects in Route 66 Crossing include the Hampton Inn, Fast Stop Travel Center, Litchfield Crossing, Ruby Tuesday, Burger King, Arby's, Huddle House, Los Rancheros, KFC, Nancy's Pizza, Petromart/Jack in the Box, Holiday Inn Express, and a medical building.

Outside Route 66 Crossing, projects TIF District 1 projects have included Brown Shoe Lofts, Litchfield National Bank Route 66 Center, and the downtown streetscape program. Weber pointed out that in total, $7.8 million in TIF funding has generated another $57.8 million in private investment.

TIF District 1 is set to expire in four years, on Dec. 31, 2022, and according to Litchfield Mayor Steve Dougherty, that's not enough time to further develop Route 66 Crossing.

Specifically, Lot 61 in the west side development was originally intended for an outlet mall. Because that never occurred, it needs subdivided. Extending the district 12 years would accommodate the infrastructure improvementsroads, water and sewerrequired.

The city doesn't perceive the need for the entire $1 million a year generated by the TIF during the proposed extension, however. City Administrator Tonya Flannery told representatives from other taxing bodies present at the meeting that an anticipated 30 percent "surplus" would be annually returned to taxing bodies over the life of the proposed 12-year extension.

Extending a district, Weber explained, requires an act by the Illinois General Assembly, and that won't happen without "100 percent support from all the taxing bodies."

In addition to the City of Litchfield, those present at the meeting were Litchfield School District, Litchfield Public Library District, Litchfield Park District, North Litchfield Township, Lincoln Land Community College and the Litchfield Airport Authority. Flannery said she would like resolutions or letters of support from each by no later than their March meeting.
Posted Sunday, February 25, 2018 11:00 pm

Promoted as an event that will "bring Saturday Night Live comedy from New York to Montgomery County," the Montgomery CEO class still has a limited number of tickets to "A Night in New York," set for Saturday, March 3, at the Hillsboro KC Hall.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. There will be door prizes, free appetizers, and New York-style concessions. For tickets, call 217-851-5306 or visit www.montgomeryceo.com.

Montgomery CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) is a program offered to high school seniors who are interested in starting their own businesses. Entrepreneurial education seeks to prepare young people to be responsible, enterprising individuals who contribute to economic development and sustainable communities. Students are immersed in real-life learning experiences with the opportunity to take risks, manage the results and learn from the outcome.

During the course of the class, each student must not only start his or her own business, but also the class cooperates for a business; "A Night in New York" is that business for the CEO class of 2018.

The show will feature local talent from throughout Montgomery County.
In the Academy Awards history, only one Best Actress in a Leading Role nominee has been of Asian origins: Anglo-Indian Merle Oberon, in 1935. In the Male category, Ben Kingsley also remains the sole Asian contender with two nominations, including one win for Gandhi in 1982.

the nominations This year,include no Asians in any of the acting categories for leading or supporting - a downgrade from last year, when Indian actor Dev Patel was nominated for his supporting role in Lion (2016). Many were hoping Vietnamese- American actress Hong Chau would score a nomination in the supporting category for her acclaimed role in Downsizing (2017). In fact, of all the main categories (Best Picture, the four acting categories, Best Director, Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay), Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani is the only Asian nominee for his original screenplay of The Big Sick (2017), co-written with his wife Emily Gordon.

Of course, this shortage of nominations is merely symptom of a larger problem within Hollywood: the lack of Asian representation in films. A USC study finds that in the 100 top films of 2014, only 5.3% of speaking roles were given to Asian actors (73.1% were white, 4.9% were Latino, 12.5% were Black). Moreover, between 2007 and 2014 (excl. 2011), only 2.4% of the 700 top films had Asian directors.

Ghost in the Shell The lack of Asians in film is worsened by a Hollywood habit of giving roles originally made for Asians to white actors, due to studios fearing an Asian lead will reduce box-office performances. To name a few, The Great Wall (2017),(2017), Death Note (2017) and, this year, Annihilation (2018) have all been accused of whitewashing their leading Asian characters.

After it was announced Tilda Swinton would play the role of the Ancient One in Doctor Strange (2016), a Tibetan man in the comics, Japanese-American actor George Takei said: Hollywood has been casting white actors in Asian roles for decades now, and we cant keep pretending there isnt something deeper at work here.

The films whitewashing also prompted the launch of social-media campaign #StarringJohnCho. It showed the South Korean-American actor photoshopped as the lead character in an array of blockbuster films such as The Martian (2015) and The Avengers (2012), making clear the desire for more Asian leads in films. It was followed promptly by #StarringConstanceWu.

Asian representation in television is looking somewhat less bleak, with popular series such as Master of None (which explores the issue in depth in its episode Indians on TV), Quantico, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Elementary, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Fresh off the Boat all having Asian leads. The latter especially is a refreshing take on the American sitcom, focusing on an East-Asian American family- the first one of its kind since 1994s All-American Girl.

Still, progress is needed. Last year, the popular comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live produced a Star Trek parody sketch. To play the Japanese Lieutenant Sulu, originally portrayed by Takei, the series had to resort to using veteran production designer Akira Yoshimura, something they had already done three times since 1976. In fact, in SNLs 43 year-long history and 150 cast members, only Rob Schneider and Fred Armisen have had any Asian heritage: they are, respectively, a quarter Filipino and a quarter Japanese. As for women, there has only been Nasim Pedrad, who is Iranian-American.

an interview with Uproxx, instead of ignoring it). Being half-Vietnamese myself, I was thrilled to see the adult animated series BoJack Horseman have a smart, non-cliche Vietnamese-American woman as one of its lead- something I had never seen before. My thrill was followed by disappointment when I learned Diane Nguyen was voice by a white actress (to his credit, the series creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg addressed the issue in depth in, instead of ignoring it).



In the Simpsons, the Indian character of Apu - also voiced by a white actor - was recently the subject of documentary film The Problem with Apu, by comedian Hari Kondabolu. In it, Kondabolu argues that Apu contributes to the spread of racist stereotypes of South Asians through caricatural behaviour and microaggressions.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 with Pom Klementieff; Rogue One with Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, and Jiang Wen). Last year, Vietnamese actress As China and other Asian markets are becoming increasingly significant for Hollywood, many blockbuster films have made it a habit to feature Asian actors in supporting roles to increase diversity (Suicide Squad with Karen Fukuhara; thewith Pom Klementieff; Rogue One with Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed, and Jiang Wen). Last year, Vietnamese actress Kelly Marie Tran was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair with the rest of her Star Wars: The Last Jedi co-stars. This made her the first Asian woman to appear on the magazines cover in its 104-year history.

Moreover, there are some Asian-centric films coming soon, including a live-action adaptation of Disneys renowned Mulan in 2019 (with Liu Yifei playing the titular role). This August sees the release of Crazy Rich Asians, based on the best-selling novel of the same name. The comedy will feature an entirely East-Asian cast, including Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, and Ken Jeong.

As the #MeToo movement and #OscarsSoWhite campaign have shone light on Hollywoods deeply ingrained sexism and diversity problems , I am hoping Asian talent will feature more prominently in the film and TV industry. Both Black Panther and Get Out, films with a predominantly black casts, have been critical and commercial successes, attesting audiences welcoming, and even longing for more diversity on screen. A lack of Asians in films means a lack of Asian and Asian-American stories being told. It encourages stigmatization as opposed to inclusivity, which in turn enables the perpetuation of racist stereotypes.

This year, the Academy Awards are celebrating their 90th show. Hopefully, with the cessation of whitewashing and an increase in opportunities, we will likewise be able to celebrate more Asian nominees and winners in the near future.

The 90th Academy Awards will take place on March 4th.
Bill Gavin is fund manager of the university pension scheme which is currently the subject of the UCU strikes. Reforms proposed by USS have triggered the largest University and College Union strike action in history, The scheme is run by professional managers as well as well as Vice-Chancellors and other university leaders. One hundred and thirteen of its staff members earn over 100,000 a year. The pay rise will see chief executive Galvin earn 566,000 this year, according to a spokeswoman from the USS. The pension fund reportedly has a notional deficit of 6.1 billion, while its running costs exceed 125m a year including the salaries of two staff members who receive more than 1m a year in pay.By comparison, the average Vice-Chancellor at a university earns 280,877 after pension contributions, Prime Minister Theresa May earns around 150,000 per year, and the majority of lecturers earn between 33,943 and 55,998 a year. Pension reforms aimed at resolving the national deficit, which will see the pension scheme switch to defined contributions rather than a defined benefits scheme, will result in lecturers losing 10,000 a year in retirement, or 200,000 over their lifetime. Doubts have been raised about the necessity of the reforms. Emeritus Professor of Economics at Warwick University Dennis Leech has said that if the scheme remains "open indefinitely with a strong covenant" , it would be 8.3 billion in surplus. General Secretary of the UCU, Sally Hunt said: "Staff forced out on strike today will no doubt look at the salaries enjoyed by some of those in charge of the scheme and wonder what exactly they are doing to justify the salary and safeguard the pensions."
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 85F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Did You Know Our Quarterback Used to be a Golfer?


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Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in

Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Salary Grade: FSN7 Ugshs 46,440,981 p.a. inclusive of allowances

Vacancy Announcement Number: 11-18

Open to: Current Employees

of the Mission  All Agencies and/or U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members

(USEFMs), Eligible Family Members (EFMs), or

Members of Household (MOH)  All Agencies

About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic

relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Deborah R. Malac

currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of

several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy

and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

United States Agency for International

Development (USAID)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Peace Corps

Job Summary: The Voucher

Examiner will be responsible for the complete voucher examining process (except

certification) of a considerable variety of average to moderately complex

administrative type of vouchers, invoices and claims. Prepares non-cash Vouchers and requests

payments in U.S., local and third currency for goods, services and other

expense transactions while ensuring that payment is proper and according to

Regulations. Contacts vendors/ payees if additional information and

clarification is needed. The employee is

responsible for the voucher throughout the entire process, up to certification

by the Certifying Officer. Orders Checks

and EFT payments in U.S., local and third currency through RFMS/M (disbursing

system). Will also be required to handle Value Added Tax (VAT) refund claims

processing, reporting, control, and voucher processing. The incumbent must possess specialized

knowledge of host country VAT regulations and procedures in order to advise

employees and post management on VAT issues.









Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

NOTE: All applicants must address each selection

criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting

each item.

The applicants for the US Embassy Voucher

Examiner career opportunity should hold a University degree in finance and

accounting, audit, commerce, business administration, or statistics

A minimum of two years of progressively

responsible experience in accounting, auditing, cashiering, book keeping,

and voucher examining is required.

Demonstrated ability to establish

priorities, organize a large and varied workload in an efficient and

timely fashion, and develop procedures for the successful implementation

of work assignments. Must possess considerable skills in articulating

complex issues orally and in writing, (e.g., to explain disallowance of

claims or deductions) through comprehending and properly applying technical

regulations and requirements to the voucher examining process. Must be

skilled in using the computer (MS Office) to process transactions in a

financial disbursement system. Must possess considerable skill (tact and

diplomacy) in interacting with host government officials as it relates to

following up on VAT submissions and refunds

Knowledge of generally accepted accounting

principles and concepts, financial management and reporting as well as

office operations is mandatory. Working knowledge of the DSSR, FTR, FAM/H.

Language: Level IV English

ability (fluent written, spoken and reading) is required.

How to Apply:



interested candidates who wish to join the United States Embassy in Kampala are

encouraged to Apply Online by following the instructions below; All suitably qualified andinterested candidates who wish to join the United States Embassy in Kampala areencouraged to Apply Online by following the instructions below;



under the careers page for US Embassy Kampala using the link, Applicants shall be required to registerunder the careers page for US Embassy Kampala using the link, Click

Here



registration and proceed to apply. You will receive confirmation ofregistration and proceed to apply.



receive an auto response via your email. On completion of this process you willreceive an auto response via your email.

NB:

claiming a U.S. Veterans preference must submit written documentation

confirming eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of Form DD-214, Letter from the

Veterans Administration, or certification documenting eligibility under the

VOW Act with an expected discharge no later than 120 days after the

certification is submitted) by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If

the written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR

office by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veterans

preference will not be considered in the application process. Specific criteria

for receiving a U.S. Veterans preference may be found in HR/OEs Family Member

Employment Policy (FMEP). Applicantsclaiming a U.S. Veterans preference must submit written documentationconfirming eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of Form DD-214, Letter from theVeterans Administration, or certification documenting eligibility under theVOW Act with an expected discharge no later than 120 days after thecertification is submitted) by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Ifthe written documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HRoffice by the closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veteranspreference will not be considered in the application process. Specific criteriafor receiving a U.S. Veterans preference may be found in HR/OEs Family MemberEmployment Policy (FMEP).

Deadline: 5th March 2018



provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to

all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age,

disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.

The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in

all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. The US Mission in Kampalaprovides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment toall people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age,disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity inall personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
Veteran actor Sridevi's mortal remains will be flown back to India from Dubai on Monday, her family said in a statement.

Sridevi's body could not be repatriated on Sunday as the final investigation reports from Dubai Police were not ready last evening.

Reliance Communications (RCom) chairman Anil Ambani has reportedly offered to fly her remains back home in his private jet.

Sridevi, 54, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai's Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

The actress and family were in town after attending the wedding of her nephew and actor Mohit Marwah which took place in Ras Al Khaimah.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, Indian Consulate representatives were coordinating with Dubai Police and other authorities concerned. However, the procedures to sent her body to India could not be completed on Sunday before office hours in local departments here.

The Kapoor family in a statement issued last night said her body will arrive in India today.
According to the postmortem report, actor Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, reports claimed on Monday. The first report was carried by Gulf News, which cited sources for the information. Later, news agency ANI tweeted what was reportedly a copy of the postmortem report. The same reports claimed that traces of alcohol were found in the body of the actor and that she fell into the bathtub.

Around late evening, Dubai police tweeted from their official account: "Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, Dubai Police today stated that the death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartments bathtub following loss of consciousness."

#News:



Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, #DubaiPolice today stated that the death of Indian actress #Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartments bathtub following loss of consciousness.



1/2 pic.twitter.com/xqKQu3WzAd  Dubai Police  (@DubaiPoliceHQ) February 26, 2018

Sridevi passed away on Saturday night in Dubai, reportedly due to cardiac arrest.

The actor was in UAE along with her husband Boney Kapoor and her younger daughter Khushi to attend a family wedding.

Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, Sridevi was known for her iconic roles in Hindi movies like Chandni, Lamhe, Mr India, Chaalbaaz, Nagina, Sadma, and many more.

The Padma Shri awardee actress had also made a mark with her stellar performances in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films.

In 2012, Sridevi returned to films after a 15-year-long hiatus with Gauri Shinde's movie English Vinglish.

The actress was last seen in Bollywood movie Mom in 2017.

Her daughter Janhvi is set to make her Bollywood debut this year with Karan Johar's directorial Dhadak.
New revelations had emerged over the untimely passing of Sridevi, with the postmortem report claiming that the actorhad accidentally drowned to death. The document, as reported by Gulf News, had claimed that there were traces of alcohol in her body.

However, Samajwadi Party politician Amar Singh, close to the family, has said that Sridevi never consumed hard liquor. He told ANI, "Sridevi ji did not drink hard liquor, she used to have wine sometimes like me& like many others in public life. I have talked to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Al Nahyan, he assured me that all formalities and reports are complete. Her mortal remains should reach India by midnight."

#Sridevi ji did not drink hard liquor,she used to have wine sometimes like me& like many others in public life.I have talked to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Al Nahyan, he assured me that all formalities and reports are complete. Her mortal remains should reach India by midnight: Amar Singh pic.twitter.com/dprcBgGGjX  ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2018

The actor was in UAE along with her husband Boney Kapoor and her younger daughter Khushi to attend a family wedding. The Padma Shri awardee actress had also made a mark with her stellar performances in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films.

In 2012, Sridevi returned to films after a 15-year-long hiatus with Gauri Shinde's movie English Vinglish.

The actress was last seen in Bollywood movie Mom in 2017.



Her daughter Janhvi is set to make her Bollywood debut this year with Karan Johar's directorial Dhadak.
St Josephs Hospice in Tamil Nadus Chengalpet district which moved corpse, veggies and two elders in one ambulance will be shut down immediately. The home is being shut down following the Revenue District Officers report saying that both the home and the cemetery were being run without a licence.

The elders at the destitute home will soon be transferred to yet another home. According to the order put out by the RDO, The primary reason for the shutting down is that the hospice does not have a licence. It has been operating its cemetery too without a license.

Talking to THE WEEK, RDO, Noor Mohammad said, all the inmates in the home will be shifted to another government home tonight itself. Later, they will be sent to their own place of choice if they want to move out. We will get their addresses and enquire how they were brought in. The violations are being investigated by the police and a detailed report will soon come out after it, he clarified.

A few days before, the St Josephs hospice at Palaswaram village, 70 kms down Chennai, came under scanner, after a vehicle which looked like an ambulance was apprehended by a stranger, when he heard an elderly woman from inside the vehicle crying for help. After reports of the old woman being transported along with corpse and veggies, enquiries on cracking down the illegalities in the home began. The Revenue Divisional Officer had, after the media reports on the destitute home, stated that a detailed report about the home will be compiled based on inputs from the Health Department and the police.
The very first day of the Budget Session of the Maharashtra state legislature turned out to be stormy as opposition benches were unable to hear the speech by Maharashtra Governor C. Vidysagar Rao. The opposition claimed that they were made to listen to the Gujarati translation of the speech, instead of Marathi, which is the official language of the state.

The budget session of the state legislature begins with an address by the governor. All the legislators had assembled in the legislature to listen to the governor's speech.

A few minutes after Rao began his speech in English, the opposition became aggressive as it couldn't hear the Marathi translation of the speech. Leader of opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde claimed that he was hearing the Gujarati translation instead of Marathi.

Education Minister Vinod Tawde was the first one to react as he rushed to the section where translators sit and translate the speech. When he found out that the person responsible for Marathi translation was not present there, Tawde himself began doing the needful and started translating the speech for the benefit of legislators. An already aggressive opposition had started raising slogans by that time. Congress and NCP legislators even staged a walkout.

The absence of a Marathi translator on the day of the governor's address has caused much embarrassment to the Devendra Fadnavis government. Fadnavis apologised on the floor of the legislature and assured the house that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the faux pas.
The upcoming budget of Maharashtra will indicate whether the ruling BJP wants to hold the state Assembly polls along with the Lok Sabha elections, a senior Congress leader has said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been pressing for holding simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies to help save time and the country's resources.

Several opposition parties are against the idea, saying holding the polls simultaneously was not realistic in the present situation.

Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, on Monday, said the Congress would closely monitor the state budget, to be presented next week, to ascertain the BJP's intentions about simultaneous polls.

"This (Maharashtra) budget will indicate the intentions of the BJP on whether the general and the Assembly polls will be held jointly or separately. We are closely watching what's going to be in the budget," he told reporters.

Another Congress leader said if the state budget offers a lot of sops and concessions, it would naturally mean that the BJP is keen on contesting the elections to the Maharashtra Assembly along with the Lok Sabha polls.

A leader of the opposition NCP said, technically, the Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls can be advanced or postponed by six months.

"The BJP is trying to use it to hold the Maharashtra elections along with the general polls to gain maximum out of it," he claimed.

If voters have a soft corner for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, a similar sentiment can be helpful in the Assembly polls as well, if both are held together, he noted.

The BJP may be pointing at the expenses and waste of time in holding separate elections, but in reality, it is a political decision, the NCP leader added.

The country's general elections are due in the first half of 2019, while the term of the present Maharashtra Assembly will end in the second half of next year.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha and 288 Assembly seats.
If anything happens to me, please tell my story. This was...
It usually takes the third generation of a displaced community to start asking about its roots, says Amardeep Singh (50). In my case, however, the tug came into the second generation itself, he said. Singh's father was a Sikh who had to leave his lands in Muzaffarabad (now PoK) and move to Gorakhpur after partition. His father's misty-eyed memories of home affected Singh majorly, and by the time he was 18, he was avidly lapping up everything about the history of Kashmir, Punjab, Afghanistan, and yes, of the Sikhs.

A Sikh himself, Singh marvels at the mighty empire of Ranjit Singh, the last empire that the British claimed in India. It spread from the borders of Afghanistan right up to Punjab in India, he said, But, 80 per cent of that mighty empire is in present-day Pakistan. A rich legacy and heritage that is fading away, and to which a majority of the Sikhs have absolutely no connection.

These emotions made Singh take two amazing trips into the interiors of Pakistan (itself a wonder, given the strict visa regimes) and return with a trove of pictures and stories, which he has made into two huge books. The first one, Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan, was released in 2016 by former Pakistani high commissioner to India, Abdul Basit. The sequel, The Quest Continues, was released recently.

Singh's lens capture both the fading legacy as well as an unvanquished, vibrant one, which evolves, but retains its ancient essence. There is a lament in the pictures which catalogue gurdwaras that were converted to schools, or taken over as residence by poor migrants from East Pakistan.

There's wonderment as his pictures zoom into the cenotaph of the Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa at Jamrud Fort, now under the Pakistan army. Nalwa was a mighty warrior who helped extend the Sikh empire right up to the Khyber Pass. Nalwa's valour has immense resonance in Sikh homes, but there's barely a tangible link left for them post partition.

The picture of the court-martialled gates of Shabqadar Fort brings legend to life. Maharaja Sher Singh had, in 1840, sentenced the gates to 100 years imprisonment for having been unable to defend an attack of Afghan mercenaries. The gates were punished because the king felt his general, who should have got the rap, was too valuable to be punished. The gates remained chained well over a century after their sentence was served.

The visit to Thoha Khalsa was painful. It's a place which brings alive all the savagery of partition. There's a well in a field there, known now as the place into which nearly 75 women jumped and died to escape a worse fate. Meeting the sons of one of those women who chose to live instead, and convert to the faith of the man she married, was emotional for both the author and the descendant.

Singh says that while his lens is the Sikh legacy, he has actually captured the Punjab legacy, which was a syncretic and secular one. Today's Sikhs go for pilgrim to certain shrines in Pakistan, but so much of their cultural and military history exists beyond the border. It is fading from our consciousness. My attempt was to chronicle it before it changes further.''

Singh also noticed that beyond the political rhetoric, there's a friendliness and warm hospitality across the border, and a deep sense of a shared past.

The Quest Continues: Lost

heritage, the Sikh Legacy in Pakistan

By Amardeep Singh

Published by: Himalayan Books

Pages: 491; Price: Rs 6,000
(PHPTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

As left-wing protestors gathered to rally against the governments planned deportation of illegal African migrants, hundreds of residents from South Tel-Aviv and activists from the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu staged a counter demonstration in support of the deportation.

The counter demonstration was held in the memory of Esther Galili, a 70-year-old resident of South Tel-Aviv and Holocaust survivor who was beaten to death by an illegal migrant exactly eight years earlier on February 24, 2010.

Activists held signs reading Residents of South Tel-Aviv also Deserve Human Rights and Illegal Migrants  not Refugees, and labelled the effort to keep the migrants in Israel a deceitful campaign orchestrated by the anti-Israel New Israel Fund and carried out by far-Left Israeli NGOs.

Sheffi Paz, leader of The South Tel Aviv Liberation Front, said that the protest in support of the illegal migrants was a show of hatred for the residents of South Tel-Aviv.

On the day marking the murder of Esther Galili, radical left-wing groups are holding a protest under the guise of helping the residents of South Tel-Aviv, said Paz. But they are not for South Tel-Aviv. They dont even know South Tel-Aviv.

For us residents of South Tel-Aviv, continued Paz, our sense of security has been robbed, our community has been lost, and our personal freedoms have been taken. Now they are trying to steal our identity and take the one thing we have left.

Alon Schvartzer, Director of Policy for Im Tirtzu that has been assisting the residents of South Tel-Aviv in their efforts, said: Today we see once again who is working on behalf of the residents of South Tel-Aviv and who is working against them.

The time has come for the New Israel Fund and their radical-Left allies to stop harassing Israeli society and the residents of South Tel-Aviv. We are calling desicion makers to stand up for a Jewish and democratic Israel and to not cave into this deceitful campaign.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem/Photo credit: Tom Nisani)
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will follow in the footsteps of Porsche and banish sales of diesel models.

According to a report in the Financial Times, FCA - which also owns Jeep, Maserati and Alfa Romeo - will ditch the under-fire fuel type from 2022 following a dramatic drop in demand and the introduction of new stricter emissions standards.

The plan, due to be announced on June 1, will see diesel culled from the entire passenger-car line-up, and comes soon after Porsche confirmed it had taken steps to axe diesel from its existing model range with immediate effect last week.

No more diesel: FCA, which owns Fiat, Jeep, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Maserati and more, will stop selling diesel-powered models from 2022, according to a report in the Financial Times

While Porsche's decision to cull diesel was considered a nail in the coffin for the fuel type, many fear that this latest move will be a hammer blow that signals the industry's en-masse shift away from oil burners.

So far, only Toyota - which has in recent years drifted away from diesel to promote its early adoption of hybrid technology - has made a concerted effort to reduce its diesel operations.

And while Porsche is considered a major player, a decision by FCA, a mainstream car maker, is likely to have a more significant impact.

The FT said the call has been made because of a 'collapse in demand and spiralling costs' associated with getting diesel cars to meet tougher emissions standards introduced following the VW Dieselgate scandal.

That's not to say FCA suffered a decline in sales last year, though.

In fact, the Italian-American manufacturer sold nearly 1,045,000 vehicles in Europe in 2016 - a 5.2 per cent year-on-year increase, ahead of the industry average of 3.3 per cent - and was the only mainstream car maker to increase diesel registrations.

This was in part down to an increase in demand in Fiat's home nation of Italy, where no anti-diesel action has yet been taken by the government.

Fiat was the only mainstream car maker to increase new diesel registrations across Europe last year, though mainly due to high demand in Italy where no government action has been taken against the fuel type

The direct injection turbo Multijet engine range will be a thing of the past from 2022 due to difficulties getting diesel engines to meet tougher emissions standards

Porsche confirmed it had removed all diesel models - including the Macan S Diesel pictured, from sales with immediate effect due to a drop in demand but also suggested it was struggling to tune existing engines for the more stringent emissions standards

That said, sales in the UK - where surcharges will impact new diesel cars - did suffer in the previous 12 months, dropping to 62,000 units from 85,000 in 2016 when taking into account the five brands available in Britain: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep and Maserati.

FCA would also have taken note of the dramatic move away from diesel that was registered in the UK and neighbouring countries, with sales falling by eight per cent across the whole of Europe.

It means that just 44 per cent of cars sold on the continent were diesel, according to Jato Dynamics, as markets responded to government crackdowns in attempts to lower their air pollution levels.

These measures include tougher emissions standards, which car makers are struggling to get diesel-powered models to adhere too.

Industry estimates quoted by the Financial Times said the cost of developing oil burning engines to meet new European rules will be 20 per cent higher than in the past.

With costs rising and buyers unlikely to respond well to increased prices to cover the outlay, the most efficient decision looks to be a blanket shift away from the fuel type and increased efforts to boost electric vehicle development.

The FT said FCA had failed to comment on the move.
Profits at insurer Hiscox slumped by 91 per cent during 2017, as the industry faced a 'historic year for natural catastrophes'.

The specialist insurer saw pre-tax profits slump by 323.7 million to 30.8 million in the year ending December 2017.

The company said profits were dented because it had reserved 160 million for claims, which cost the wider industry 100 billion. In 2016 profits amounted to 354.5 million.

Natural disasters like those in Mexico and the Caribbean contributed to Hiscox's drop in profits

Chief executive Bronek Masojada commenting on the figures said: 'Our long-held strategy of balance has served us well this year.

'The strong growth and profits in retail countered the volatility felt in our big-ticket businesses which were impacted by an historic year for natural catastrophes.'

The chief executive added: 'We have made significant investments in infrastructure and brand both of which will continue.

'Market pricing has improved and as a consequence we have growth ambitions for every part of our business.'

The FTSE 250 group said gross written premiums in the UK and Ireland business enjoyed double-digit growth, rising 12 per cent to 556.3 million.

It came as the European arm of the business secured record profits as all countries boosted the underwriting performance of the business.

Chairman Robert Childs said: 'The 140 billion dollars of catastrophe losses across the sector led to capital destruction and reserve deficits, and as a result the market is turning.

'This is not an immediate process; it comes about through each difficult conversation, each new quotation and each renewal.

'We have been waiting for this, and the good teams we have built and innovative products we have developed mean we are well-placed to serve the needs of more customers.'

Shares in the group were down by 4.73 per cent in morning trading on the London Stock Exchange.

The retail business is the current growth engine of the group at 20.5 per cent per year, generating profits of 109.9 million for the insurer.

Analysts praised the fact that Hiscox had increased its dividend by 5.5 per cent, which Eamonn Flanagan at Shore Capital said was 'testimony to the strength of Hiscox's capital base which remains resilient'.

Earnings per share dropped to 9.3p from 119.8p.
Moving home is stressful, particularly at the moment when the housing market is so busy and there is a lot of competition for the best removals firms. It helps if you are as organised as possible and plan your move well in advance, reveals boss of removals firm Aussie Man & Van. He explained: 'Hopefully, you will have booked a reputable removals firm to handle your move, which is a member of the British Association of Removers. This should give you some peace of mind, and reduce those stress levels, as you will know you have a firm that is going to turn up on the day - it's not always a given in this crazy market - and do a good job.'
Consumer goods titan Unilever will lose vital access to finance if it pulls out of London

Consumer goods titan Unilever will lose vital access to finance if it pulls out of London, major investors have warned.

Bosses at the Anglo-Dutch business  which produces everything from Dove deodorant to Marmite  are in talks over scrapping their City HQ and focusing on Rotterdam.

The firms board was severely rattled by a hostile 115billion bid from US rival Kraft Heinz last year.

It fought off the predator, but investors fear that management is running scared and wants to take refuge in Holland, where company law makes aggressive foreign takeovers much harder.

One major investor said: If they are going to unify, they should be unified to London.

'The rationale is more about takeover protection and the ability to do big merger and acquisition deals.
MBABANE  Lights, action and emotions! The second sessions of locally produced drama The Change, evoked intense emotions while educating last Friday at the Swaziland Theatre Club in Mbabane. It was hosted by the Association of Swaziland Theatre Groups (ASTG), Swaziland Theatre Club and Arterial Network Swaziland.



The scene of the 50-minute drama which stared at 7.45pm, portrayed the normal life of a Swazi polygamous homestead where the financially enriched men takes women for granted. Mahlobo, the head of the family with two wives, LaSimelane and LaTsabedze, physically and emotionally abuses his wives while bringing lovers into his home. Not only has Mahlobo, who is also a Member of Parliament, brought the burden of having multiple sexual partners into his home but he ritually killed his first born son to be rich and get re-elected.



These scenes moved the over 40 people who attended the moving drama, as it related to the matters that people deal with everyday.

Also, the play advocated for the approval of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Bill, which has been making headlines in the country. The Change also strongly protested against ritual killings.

The dramatic script for the play was written by Maswati Dludlu and directed by Thembinkosi Mthethwa, both well-known in the theatre circles, and have international exposure in the industry. The main cast included talented local actors/actresses, Samkelo Dlamini, Lokuhle Dlamini, Debbie Simelane, Sabatha Masuku and Lwazi Kunene.



Other partners who saw this project through are the UN agencies Civil Society sector. ASTG Secretary General Thembinkosi Mthethwa said he was humbled that people were attending the sessions which took place for three days, starting last Thursday, Friday and finally closing Saturday.



We have two main aims, the first being to revive theatre in the country, as it had slowly faded and was clearly on the path of a slow death. We are producing plays and we will be hosting shows monthly until people get acquainted with theatre plays again and support this initiative, said Mthethwa.



He added that their other aim was to educate while entertaining. It is for that reason that they are tackling sensitive issues that they see Swazi people deal with on an everyday basis.

 I know many people can relate to the stories we portray. The scripts are based on issues that the average Swazi family goes through but hardly talks about. Abuse is real and we need to start teaching people the difference between practising tradition and abusing others using tradition as a shield, he said.








RICHARDS BAY, SOUTH AFRICA  There was silence in the tent as Archbishop Bhekibandla Vilakati read the Riot Act to his church members.



This took place during the Red Gown Sect members (Bongubozibovu) cleansing ceremony which was held at Richards Bay, South Africa, over the weekend. The ceremony started with a vigil on Saturday and ended with the cleansing of the church members in the Indian Ocean yesterday morning.



During the vigil, the archbishop read a Bible verse from Exodus 23:20 where it says; See I am sending an angel ahead of you to guide you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion since my name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and I will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusities, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down.



He said angels had turned their backs on the church because the members were no longer doing things by the Holy Book. He said there were many immoral things that had been done by church members and they did them using the name of the angels.

Senone kakhulu nitsi nitfunywe yingelosi (you have committed a lot of sins using the name of the angels and now they have turned their backs on the church.

He said to his surprise, most of the people who had done this did not even know what an angel was. He said according to the Holy Bible, angels were suppose to lead people to prosperity, success and win battles in life, not to be used in committing sins.

It is simple; do what the Holy Bible says and you will be successful in everything you do.



He said Gods name was within the angels names and that was why the Holy Bible says you should not put an angel behind you but let it lead you.

The archbishop said it had been noted that people in the church were bringing things they practise in their homes into the house of the Lord and by so doing, they confused and tempted the other church members into doing things which were against the Bible.



Now it seems like most of you are Jerichos by your church gowns, not in practice because of the things you do. You have irritated the angels from the church.

Leave your things at home, do not bring them into the church because this is the house of the Lord, he said.



Drunkards



The archbishop then hit the nail on the head by telling the church members that most people now perceived the Jericho Church as a home for tinyanga (traditional healers) and drunkards among other things that did not belong in the house of the Lord.

This is not a home for traditional healers but a Christian fellowship, he said. On that note, the archbishop emphasised that angels had left the church because of the church members who used, their names (angels) to do wrong things.
PIGGS PEAK  A concern has been raised on the large number of pupils who abandon school for initiation as traditional healers (Kwetfwasa).



In fact, it appears that kwetfwasa is now the in thing as young people are said to be dropping out of school to take up their calling.

Kwetfwasa is a period of initiation one undergoes before becoming a herbalist, traditional healer or soothsayer (umbholofidi).



Children, including those in primary school, are said to be dropping out to enrol in South African kwetfwasa (initiation) schools. Even though the figures could not be immediately confirmed, it was estimated from random sources that close to 10 pupils from schools around the northern Hhohho dumped their classes for kwetfwasa.



Though kwetfwasa can be done in Swaziland, it is said that most of the pupils cross to South Africa (SA).

South African traditional healers, often referred to as tangoma are preferred according to some relatives as they are viewed as powerful, particularly around the Mpumalanga area. Some of the relatives also said people living along the borderline preferred to cross to SA because it was nearer and they lived there for almost a year.



Concerned relatives who spoke on condition of anonymity narrated how this was often kept a secret to avoid their children being completely removed from schools.

We had to lie and tell head teachers that the child is sick so that should he want to continue with school after the initiation period, he can be allowed to do so without giving much details, said relatives who asked to remain anonymous.

Relatives are divided over the sudden increase in the number of pupils who are embracing kwetfwasa.



While some of the relatives said this could be attributed to what children were watching in soap operas such as Generations: The Legacy, others claim this was a genuine calling.

All along, in African culture, tangoma start when one is still very young, they said. However, others insist that the soap operas were making kwetfwasa look trendy.

Actress Letoya Makhene is one popular actress who is also a traditional healer in real life.



The kwetfwasa schools in SA, which are managed by traditional healers, charge a minimum of E15 000 to enrol, according to some of the local traditional healers who were reached for comment. The E15 000 excludes funds paid to for the outfits associated with traditional healers. It can take up to a year for one to eventually graduate from initiation schools.
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[February 26, 2018] Accenture Appoints Ahmed Etman as Managing Director, Security for Canada

TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2018 /CNW/ - Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has appointed Ahmed Etman as managing director for its security practice in Canada, effective immediately. In this role, Etman will be responsible for expanding Accenture's cybersecurity services to protect its clients' entire value chains, and help clients prepare, protect, detect, respond and recover along all points of the security lifecycle. "We are pleased that Ahmed Etman has joined our leadership team to help our clients build resilience from the inside out, so they can operate and grow confidently in a rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape," said Bill Morris, senior managing director and Canada president of Accenture. "At Accenture, we have the global presence, commitment to innovation, unmatched industry know-how, and the business strategy acumen to solve security challenges for our clients  combined with the expertise to operate wat we implement for our clients, at speed and at global scale."



A senior executive and a cybersecurity thought leader with more than 20 years of experience, Etman will lead initiatives to help drive Accenture's leadership and engagement within the Canadian security ecosystem. He will work with clients and security ecosystem partners at the executive level to deliver services that result in business-driven, risk focused security strategies, operating models and compliance plans that are aligned with their unique business needs. "In today's marketplace, cybersecurity is critical to any business, and I am excited for the opportunity to help our clients create and run leading edge security strategies aligned specifically to their industry and unique business goals, together with Accenture Security's team of about 5000 professionals," said Etman. "Now, more than ever, organizations must be proactive in addressing cyber risks, and I look forward to helping our clients tackle these challenges putting in place strategies and technologies that result in effective security capabilities."

Accenture Security has 330 clients in approximately 67 countries, with more than 350 pending and issued patents, managing more than 100 million digital identities. Prior to joining Accenture, Etman led the Networking and Security business for Cisco in Emerging Markets before relocating to Canada in late 2012 to lead Cisco's Security business. Prior to Cisco, he held various leadership positions at Internet Security Systems Middle East and Africa. Etman received an MBA from both Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business and from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He speaks three languagesEnglish, French and Arabicand is a proven leader who empowers cross functional teams in large organizations. About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functionsunderpinned by the world's largest delivery networkAccenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 435,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. SOURCE Accenture

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[February 26, 2018] The Future of Cybersecurity is Female: Applications Open for Summer Program for New York-Area High School Girls

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is now accepting applications for the Computer Science for Cyber Security (CS4CS) summer program, a free, three-week intensive introduction to computer science and cybersecurity for high school girls. A new major sponsorship by The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the premier post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry, will enable 48 students to attend classes on the Downtown Brooklyn campus of NYU Tandon, tackling topics including digital forensics, steganography, "white-hat" hacking, and cryptography. CS4CS aims to help young women gain STEM skills and confidence, and to build the pipeline of young women entering cybersecurity a high-paying field growing at ten times the rate of the overall job market, and one in which women are dramatically underrepresented. The United States and many other countries have a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, a situation that has been recognized as a major threat to national security. DTCC, this year's CS4CS sponsor, has supported STEM education efforts at NYU Tandon for several years, and the firm's cyber experts have served as guest lecturers during past CS4CS programs. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with DTCC and are grateful for their support of CS4CS 2018," said Ben Esner, director of NYU Tandon's Center for K12 STEM Education. "We share a strong dedication to building the next gneration of cybersecurity experts, and we know that giving young women early opportunities to experience the excitement of STEM learning in a university setting can change the course of their lives and future careers."



"Our experience since launching these summer programs for young women in 2012 gives us hope that women can be the key to unlocking the cybersecurity puzzle confronting society," said Computer Science and Engineering Professor Phyllis Frankl, who leads the CS4CS program development and curriculum. "The talent and enthusiasm displayed by these high school students is a cause for optimism. In a few short weeks, they not only master new computer science skills but they develop a passion for the wide-ranging skills required of the protectors of our modern world." "DTCC believes it is critical to give young adults the right platform to learn and to innovate. We are delighted to once again sponsor NYU Tandon's CS4CS program to bring STEM-based cybersecurity education to high school girls," stated Stephen Scharf, chief security officer at DTCC. "Cybersecurity is a growing threat across all critical sectors, and it is incumbent upon all of us to help to prepare our next generation of cyber security leaders by investing today in our youth and our communities."

CS4CS is one component of STEMNow, a lineup of more than a dozen summer workshops and classes designed to engage New York City middle and high school students  and their teachers  in hands-on STEM learning. Founded in 2013, STEMNow has reached thousands of students and hundreds of teachers, many of whom hail from underserved communities with little local access to STEM programs and facilities. Women, who represent just 25 percent of the STEM workforce, comprise almost 60 percent of STEMNow participants. CS4CS applicants should be rising 9th-12th grade girls living within commuting distance of NYU Tandon. No cybersecurity or computer science experience is necessary. Applications are due April 9, 2018. About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, the country's largest private research university, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu. About DTCC

With 45 years of experience, DTCC is the premier post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry. From operating facilities, data centers and offices in 16 countries, DTCC, through its subsidiaries, automates, centralizes and standardizes the processing of financial transactions, mitigating risk, increasing transparency and driving efficiency for thousands of broker/dealers, custodian banks and asset managers. Industry owned and governed, the firm simplifies the complexities of clearing, settlement, asset servicing, data management and information services across asset classes, bringing increased security and soundness to financial markets. In 2016, DTCC's subsidiaries processed securities transactions valued at more than U.S. $1.5 quadrillion. Its depository provides custody and asset servicing for securities issues from over 130 countries and territories valued at U.S. $49.2 trillion. DTCC's Global Trade Repository maintains approximately 40 million open OTC positions per week and processes over one billion messages per month. www.facebook.com/nyutandon

@NYUTandon

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-future-of-cybersecurity-is-female-applications-open-for-summer-program-for-new-york-area-high-school-girls-300603448.html SOURCE NYU Tandon School of Engineering

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[February 26, 2018] Singapore leaders in innovation to join GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong this March

HONG KONG, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Singapore innovators will represent the city's global strengths in innovation and technology on an international stage at the GREAT Festival of Innovation, taking place in Hong Kong in March. The Festival, which forms part of the UK government's GREAT Britain campaign, will be a platform to connect cutting-edge businesses and brilliant thinkers from around the world who will drive trade partnerships of the future, while highlighting the UK's position as a global centre for innovation. The first round of confirmed speakers from Singapore joining the GREAT Festival of Innovation 2018 include: Steve Leonard , Founding CEO of SGInnovate, the Singaporean government tech start-up accelerator

, Founding CEO of SGInnovate, the Singaporean government tech start-up accelerator Sanjay Aurora , Managing Director of Asia Pacific of Darktrace, responsible for leading the expansion of the company and its award-winning Enterprise Immune System technology for cyber security in the Asia Pacific region

, Managing Director of of Darktrace, responsible for leading the expansion of the company and its award-winning Enterprise Immune System technology for cyber security in the region Junny Lee , Founder of The Work Project, award-winning Singapore and Hong Kong based co-working spaces centred around the concept of design thinking to drive productivity and work happiness

, Founder of The Work Project, award-winning and based co-working spaces centred around the concept of design thinking to drive productivity and work happiness Martin Haines , Managing Director, Asia , First Derivatives  provider of products and consulting services to some of the world's largest finance, technology and energy institutions  will discuss the impact of AI on businesses of today and tomorrow

, Managing Director, , First Derivatives  provider of products and consulting services to some of the world's largest finance, technology and energy institutions  will discuss the impact of AI on businesses of today and tomorrow James Cameron , Managing Director, Head of Project and Export Finance, Asia Pacific at HSBC, will be sharing the stage with a panel of experts to discuss China's Belt & Road initiative and the power of the people and digital innovation behind it Speaking ahead of the Festival, Steve Leonard, Founding CEO of SGInnovate says: "I am thrilled to represent Singapore at the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong. This event is a great platform to share views on how technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain will increasingly impact societies and economies. At SGInnovate, my team and I work with scientist-founders who are building companies in these and other deep-tech areas. We enjoy a close working relationship with many founders and investors in Britain, and the GREAT Festival of Innovation will bring us closer together," said Steve Leonard, Founding CEO, SGInnovate. Singapore and the UK have a mutually beneficial relationship, with strong links long maintained between the countries: In 2016/17, Singapore was the UK's 20 th largest trading partner (representing 1% of total UK trade), its 16 th largest export market (1.3% of UK exports), and its 25th largest import market (0.8% of UK imports)

At a regional level, Singapore is the UK's 5th largest export market in Asia Pacific (total goods and services), receiving more UK exports than India and South Korea and accounting for over half of the UK's exports to Southeast Asia

is the UK's 5th largest export market in (total goods and services), receiving more UK exports than and and accounting for over half of the UK's exports to UK- Singapore bilateral investment is worth almost GBP30bn , while inward investment from Singapore was worth over GBP4bn in 2016, the third highest globally after Luxembourg and the US

bilateral investment is worth almost , while inward investment from was worth over in 2016, the third highest globally after and the US Many major UK MNCs have bases in Singapore , with the top 20 firms hiring around 25,000 people. There are over 50 British retail brands in Singapore , who are also the UK's third largest global market for whisky



Zoe Fitzsimmons , Director Trade & Investment Singapore, Department for International Trade says: "Singapore and the UK have a deep and broad relationship, with strong cultural ties, mutually beneficial partnerships and a shared vision for the future. Taking part at an historic moment for UK and Asian economies, the GREAT Festival of Innovation highlights that the UK is open for business and committed to Asian trade partners. We are delighted to be also welcoming innovators and thought leaders from Singapore to the Festival, highlighting the importance of the UK's relationship with the city state. The GREAT Festival of Innovation will serve as a platform for creating new life-long partnerships while strengthening relationships between British and Asian business leaders and investors that will drive a future of free trade and prosperity."

Attending the Festival will be a strong delegation of business leaders and decision makers from Singapore looking to create new business partnerships with their Asia and UK counterparts. Alongside engaging sessions, panels and workshops, there will be a showcase of some of the UK's leading technology. Travelling to Asia for the first time is UK-designed and developed autonomous robot dog MiRo, the creation of designer-in-residence to the University of Sheffield engineering faculty, Sebastian Conran CEO of London/Bristol based Consequential Robotics. A companion robot with six senses capable of emotional engagement, MiRo has been developed in conjunction with Sheffield Robotics to enhance quality of later life. Also showcasing will be McLaren Design Studio who will present their VR technology that allows customers to design their own driving experience and interiors. The first round of announced speakers joining the GREAT Festival of Innovation - UK-based speakers Dr Liam Fox , UK International Trade Secretary

, UK International Trade Secretary Andrew Wong , Chef & owner of A Wong

, Chef & owner of A Wong Brent Hoberman , Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Founders Factory and Co-founder of Lastminute.com

, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Founders Factory and Co-founder of Lastminute.com Charles Bowman , Lord Mayor of London

, Lord Mayor of Chester King , Founder and CEO of British eSports Association

, Founder and CEO of British eSports Association Dylan Jones , Editor in Chief, British GQ, Conde Nast Publications

, Editor in Chief, British GQ, Conde Nast Publications Heba Bevan , CEO and Founder, UtterBerry

, CEO and Founder, UtterBerry Jack Oclee-Brown, Head of Acoustics of KEF Audio

John Kampfner , CEO, Creative Federation

, CEO, Creative Federation Julian David , CEO, TechUK

, CEO, TechUK Kevin Burrowes , Head of Clients and Markets, Pwc

, Head of Clients and Markets, Pwc Lee Hadlington , Associate Professor in Cyberpyschology, De Montfort University

, Associate Professor in Cyberpyschology, De Montfort University Mark Nodder, Chairman and CEO of Wrights Group, Wrightbus

Paul Priestman , Chairman of PriestmanGoode

, Chairman of PriestmanGoode Paul Thompson , Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art

, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art Richard Deverell , Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

, Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Robert Hannigan , Former GCHQ director

, Former GCHQ director Sam Bompas , Co-founder Bompas & Parr

, Co-founder Bompas & Parr Susanna Lau , Founder, Style Bubble

, Founder, Style Bubble Tom Aikens , Chef

, Chef Tristram Hunt, Director of V&A and leading UK historian and journalist

Ian Stuart , Head of Europe , Commercial Banking, HSBC

, Head of , Commercial Banking, HSBC Isaac McHale , Chef

, Chef Dame Wendy Hall , Professor of Computer Science in Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton and Director of the Web Science Institute Asia-based and international speakers Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet -ngor, GBM, GBS, JP, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

-ngor, GBM, GBS, JP, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of Ambarish Mitra , Founder & CEO of Blippar

, Founder & CEO of Blippar Alex Kong , CEO and Founder of TNG Wallet

, CEO and Founder of TNG Wallet Andre Fu , Founder of Andre Fu Living

, Founder of Clara Ho , Head of Information Security Risk, Asia Pacific , HSBC

, Head of Information Security Risk, , HSBC Eiji Uda, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for Tokyo 2020

2020 Elaine Yan Ling Ng , Artist and Founder of The Fabrick Lab

, Artist and Founder of The Fabrick Lab Duncan Pescod , CEO of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

, CEO of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Gabriel Wong , China Corporate Finance Leader, and One Belt One Road Leader, PwC

, China Corporate Finance Leader, and One Belt One Road Leader, PwC James Cameron , Head of Infrastructure and Real Estate Group, Asia Pacific , HSBC

, Head of Infrastructure and Real Estate Group, , HSBC Raymund Chao , Asia Pacific and Greater China Chairman, PwC China

, and Greater China Chairman, PwC China Martin Haines , Managing Director, Asia , First Derivatives

, Managing Director, , First Derivatives Sanjay Aurora , Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Darktrace

, Managing Director, of Darktrace Shinya Kukita , Chief Engineer, Global Business Unit at NEC

, Chief Engineer, Global Business Unit at NEC Steve Leonard , Founding CEO of SGInnovate

, Founding CEO of SGInnovate Simon Bee , Managing Director, Global Design, Benoy

, Managing Director, Global Design, Benoy Tea Uglow , Creative Director of Google's Creative Lab in Sydney

, Creative Director of Google's Creative Lab in Wai-Shin Chan , Global Head, Climate Change Centre of Excellence, HSBC For more information please visit great.gov.uk/innovation or follow the hashtag #GREATinnovation. About GREAT Festival of Innovation 2018 The GREAT Festival of Innovation, to be held at Asia Society Hong Kong Centre from 21 to 24 March 2018, is the third of its kind after the success of the GREAT Festivals of Creativity in Istanbul (2014) and Shanghai (2015). Its vision is to share innovation and create life-long partnerships that will drive the future of free trade and prosperity between the UK, Hong Kong and the region. The Festival will explore the latest in cutting-edge innovation and the future of how we work, live, play and learn through a series of talks, panels and interactive workshops over four days. Bringing together some of the world's brightest minds, business leaders and policy makers, the Festival will provide a unique platform for powerful future partnerships. The GREAT Campaign Bringing the best of Britain to the world The GREAT Britain campaign showcases the best of what the whole nation has to offer to inspire the world and encourage people to visit, do business, invest and study in the UK. It is the Government's most ambitious international promotional campaign, uniting the efforts of the public and private sector to generate jobs and growth for Britain. The campaign has already secured confirmed economic returns of 3.1bn for the UK. The UK has a huge amount to offer, with world-class universities, ground breaking research, high tech start-ups and entrepreneurial business people. Global leaders in the creative industries like music, fashion, design and film, the UK can offer visitors unforgettable experiences, breath-taking landscapes and iconic attractions. The GREAT Britain campaign captures the best of all that is familiar about the UK, but also what is new and surprising about the country. Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180105/2026066-1LOGO

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180226/2065157-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180226/2065157-1-b

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180226/2065157-1-c

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180226/2065157-1-d

SOURCE GREAT Festival of Innovation

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[February 26, 2018] Third Lawsuit for Salmonella from Chicken Salad Filed in Iowa against Fareway and Triple T Specialty Meats by Pritzker Hageman Law Firm

Pritzker Hageman law firm has filed its third lawsuit in the Salmonella outbreak that linked to Fareway chicken salad by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The lawsuit was filed against Fareway Stores, Inc. and the company that made the chicken salad, Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc. The suit was filed on February 22, 2018, in Iowa District Court, Johnson County (case number LACV079697). Lawyers Ryan Osterholm and Lindsay Lien Rinholen filed the awsuit on behalf of D.W., who was sickened just two months after a liver transplant.



On February 3, 2018, D.W. purchased "Fareway Chicken Salad" from the deli counter of the Fareway grocery store located at 615 Westwood Drive, North Liberty, Iowa, according to documents filed with the court. By February 8, D.W. began feeling ill with nausea, fatigue, a loss of appetite, stomach pain, a fever and diarrhea, all symptoms of Salmonella, a dangerous pathogen that can cause severe illness. On February 14, D.W. was admitted to the hospital, where she tested positive for Salmonella food poisoning (salmonellosis). Because of her recent liver transplant, doctors were gravely concerned for the viability of her transplanted liver and her life, according to the lawsuit. D.W. remained hospitalized in the ICU until February 20. The lawsuit alleges that doctors will have to closely monitor her condition to best ensure she does not lose her transplanted liver.

The Iowa Department of Public Health informed D.W. that her case was confirmed as part of the Salmonella outbreak linked to Fareway chicken salad made by Triple T, according to the lawsuit. Attorney Ryan Osterholm, one of our lead Salmonella lawyers, stated, "We will continue to investigate how so many people in Iowa contracted Salmonella and how it happened." On February 20, 2018, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals identified Defendant Triple T as the manufacturer of the contaminated chicken salad sold under the Fareway label. On February 21, 2018, Triple T recalled over 20,000 pounds of "CHICKEN SALAD, PACKED FOR FAREWAY WHOLESALE COMPANY" produced between January 2 and February 7, 2018. The recall was issued due to possible Salmonella Typhimurium contamination. The recalled items were shipped exclusively to Fareway grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Pritzker Hageman, P.A., is a national food safety law firm that represents people in lawsuits against restaurants throughout the United States. Firm attorneys Ryan Osterholm and Lindsay Lien Rinholen can be contacted at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or via the firm's website, www.pritzkerlaw.com. The law firm's offices are located at 45 South 7th Street, Suite 2950, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005185/en/

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[February 25, 2018] 30 innovative and technology-focused high-growth start-ups named to the 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program

-- EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program identifies its 2018 class from cutting-edge fields including augmented reality, AI, robotics and VR -- The program aims to help local start-ups to scale their businesses globally -- 2018 program will commence in Amsterdam from 21-24 April LONDON, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EY has selected 30 promising entrepreneurs from across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEIA to take part in its 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program. The 2018 class of entrepreneurs represent dynamic businesses that focus on innovative and disruptive fields like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, virtual reality (VR), customer interface, analytics, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT). Over the course of the year, EY will support the selected start-ups with strategic guidance, advice and planning to help them to scale and grow their businesses globally. The program will commence in Amsterdam from 21-24 April, 2018. Tapping into EY's long-standing and extensive network of global entrepreneurs, the EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program will draw upon this knowledge to help the start-ups bolster their business plans in response to improving economic conditions across global markets. In Amsterdam, the start-ups will also attend Innovation Realized 2018, an EY two-day business conference from 23-24 April attended by global thought leaders, corporate executives and other disruptive entrepreneurs. There, the start-ups will collaborate with leading businesses in attendance on how to rapidly scale their companies to operate, grow and compete in a global business environment increasingly defined by industry convergence. Annette Kimmitt, EY Global Growth Markets Leader, says: "The EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program identifies leading start-ups who show an ability to present new business models and entry ways into markets. This year's class is already solving big challenges, disrupting their markets and have cutting-edge technologies. We want to prepare these transformative entrepreneurs to expand from their local markets to a position of navigating and leading the world by pursuing their global growth objectives." This year's EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs class was chosen based upon their potential to grow across borders, solve big challenges, develop cutting-edge solutions and innovation, drive strategic direction and demonstrate leadership. Over the course of 2018, the selected entrepreneurs will be part of a comprehensive program that includes: The opportunity to network and form ongoing relationships with EY Growth Coaches, global entrepreneurs, industry leaders and EY professionals.

Access to a dedicated EY service executive to focus on the business issue most critical to the growth acceleration of participants together with an EY Growth Navigator  session to help assess capabilities and deliver growth plans.

session to help assess capabilities and deliver growth plans. Access to the global EY entrepreneurial ecosystem. Bryan Pearce, EY Global Leader  Entrepreneurship, says: "Today's business environment requires innovation to keep pace with the rapid changes caused by changing regulatory standards and geopolitical uncertainty. This year's class of EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs are not only pushing the boundaries of innovation but they are also the next generation of global business leaders. We are excited by this year's class and look forward to providing these emerging businesses with the leading practices to help accelerate their growth." Notes to editors About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help bild 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 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. This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About the EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program

The EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs program helps fast-growth start-ups from around the world to scale their business through one-to-one guidance, networking and insight sharing. Split into three Areas: the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEIA, the program is designed to help accelerate entrepreneurs through the next steps of their growth journey to become the global market leaders of tomorrow. A full list of the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEIA 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs include: The 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs from the Americas are: Thomas Brady , Co-Founder & CTO, SkySpecs, Inc., United States

Optimizing the operations and maintenance of large energy infrastructure with autonomous robotics

Optimizing the operations and maintenance of large energy infrastructure with autonomous robotics Omar Haroun , Co-Founder & COO, Text IQ, United States

Using AI technology to analyze big data to support high-profile litigations and government investigations

Using AI technology to analyze big data to support high-profile litigations and government investigations Ron Jacobson , CEO, Rockerbox, Inc., United States

Enabling clients to analyze customer intelligence through the use of recency-based browsing analytics

Enabling clients to analyze customer intelligence through the use of recency-based browsing analytics Diego Oppenheimer , CEO, Algorithmia, Inc., United States

Specializing in building products and services by deploying machine learning and AI

Specializing in building products and services by deploying machine learning and AI Maci Peterson , CEO, On Second Thought, Inc., United States

A messaging app that lets users take back text messages before they get to the other person's phone

A messaging app that lets users take back text messages before they get to the other person's phone Antonio Carlos Soares da Costa Jr. , Co-Founder & CEO, Mais Simples Informatica Ltda., Brazil

Enabling businesses to be more productive through a project management SaaS platform

Enabling businesses to be more productive through a project management SaaS platform Zac Sheffer , CEO and Co-Founder, Elsen, Inc., United States

Using AI technology to help financial services organizations enhance and transform investment strategies

Using AI technology to help financial services organizations enhance and transform investment strategies Lea Tarnowski , Co-Founder, President and COO, Averon US, Inc., United States

Security authentication platform for mobile devices integrated into wireless carriers

Security authentication platform for mobile devices integrated into wireless carriers Kedma Tolentino , CEO, 4Dmais Comercio e Servicos de Tecnologia da Informacao Ltda, Brazil

Developing products and services based on augmented, virtual and mixed reality and gamification

Developing products and services based on augmented, virtual and mixed reality and gamification David Ratner , CEO, Realm, United States

Provider of a mobile database that runs directly inside phones, tablets or wearables The 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs from Asia-Pacific are: Olivier Berthier , CEO, Moneythor, Singapore

Helping financial institutions deliver more intelligent and personalised digital banking to their customers

Helping financial institutions deliver more intelligent and personalised digital banking to their customers Michael Kruger , Founder & CEO, Boundlss, Australia

Helping clients and insurers improve health and wellbeing through AI, data and wearable technologies

Helping clients and insurers improve health and wellbeing through AI, data and wearable technologies Wei Huang , Founder & CEO, Unisound, Greater China

An IoT AI services specialist that owns proprietary and cutting-edge speech recognition apps

An IoT AI services specialist that owns proprietary and cutting-edge speech recognition apps Trent Clews-de Castella , Co-Founder & CEO, PHORIA Pty. Ltd., Australia

Specializing in 3D, 360 video, holographic, interactive, augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies

Specializing in 3D, 360 video, holographic, interactive, augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies Kenny Chien , Founder & CEO, Emotibot, Greater China

Making human emotional intelligence understood by digital assistants, chatbots and virtual agents

Making human emotional intelligence understood by digital assistants, chatbots and virtual agents Dennis Khoo , Founder & CEO, Xerafy Ltd., Greater China

Providing industrial radio-frequency ID tag solutions and automated management system of surgical instruments

Providing industrial radio-frequency ID tag solutions and automated management system of surgical instruments Keenan Kwok , Co-Founder & Chairman, GetLinks Inc., Greater China

Specializing in helping technology companies find and hire top talent in Asia

Specializing in helping technology companies find and hire top talent in Justin McArdle , CEO, Frame Mixed Reality Labs, Australia

Developing virtual reality products and services within the mixed reality landscape

Developing virtual reality products and services within the mixed reality landscape Navin Suri , CEO, Percipient Partners, Pte. Ltd, Singapore

Helping businesses virtualize and access any data, from any location or device, and deliver it in real-time to any application

Helping businesses virtualize and access any data, from any location or device, and deliver it in real-time to any application Patrick Ngan , Co-Founder & Group President, QF Pay International Limited, Greater China

Providing mobile and digital payment and value-added services to merchants across Asia and elsewhere

Providing mobile and digital payment and value-added services to merchants across and elsewhere Neeraj Sundarajoo (Raj), Founder & COO, Zeemart, Singapore

Empowering businesses in the F&B industry to make smarter purchasing decisions The 2018 EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs from EMEIA are: Idriss Al Rifai , Founder & CEO, Fetchr, United Arab Emirates

An innovative tech-driven courier service transforming the traditional way of sending and receiving packages

An innovative tech-driven courier service transforming the traditional way of sending and receiving packages Pavel Chmelar , Co-Founder, GREYCORTEX, Czech Republic

Using AI, machine learning and data mining methods to help make organizations' IT operations more secure and reliable

Using AI, machine learning and data mining methods to help make organizations' IT operations more secure and reliable Bohdan Hnatkovskyy, Co-Founder and CEO, Brainify B.V., The Netherlands

Transforming property development companies to manage their projects with analytics and digital platforms

Transforming property development companies to manage their projects with analytics and digital platforms Jaroslaw Krolewski , CEO, Synerise, Poland

Understanding customer behavior with AI, semantic web, predictive analysis, machine learning and automation

Understanding customer behavior with AI, semantic web, predictive analysis, machine learning and automation Mercedes Iborra , Co-Founder & COO, VisualNACert, Spain

Providing farm management software and geospatial mapping to control and manage crop yields and stocks

Providing farm management software and geospatial mapping to control and manage crop yields and stocks Anton Potikha, Founder & CEO, ARbrowser, Ukraine

Enabling mobile platforms to use augmented reality templates for retail marketing

Enabling mobile platforms to use augmented reality templates for retail marketing Matthew Smith , CEO, SteelEye, United Kingdom

Using cloud-based solutions to provide financial markets firms with a consolidated answer to regulatory requirements for trade and communications data

Using cloud-based solutions to provide financial markets firms with a consolidated answer to regulatory requirements for trade and communications data Sjur Usken , CEO, Smart Plants AS, Norway

Utilizing IoT and other smart technologies to reduce expenses and increase efficiency for industrial clients

Utilizing IoT and other smart technologies to reduce expenses and increase efficiency for industrial clients Gareth Williams , Founder & Managing Director, YellowDog, United Kingdom

Securely harnessing underutilized computer power, enabling organizations to deliver quickly and cost effectively, by leveraging this on demand Peter Kelley

EY Global Media Relations

+1 424 376 722

peter.kelley1@ey.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/381362/EY_Logo.jpg

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[February 25, 2018] nubia to Announce Three Design Breakthroughs at MWC

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- nubia, the innovative smartphone brand which boldly defined 'bezel-less' with its 90.36% full-screen ratio, edgeless Z17S, is ready to wow the smartphone industry all over again at the 2018 Mobile World Congress, with 3 new products that are sure to bolster the Chinese tech giants' reputation for outstanding smartphone design. Firstly, nubia is excited to reveal a technological breakthrough at their innovation lab. With a diamond-cut, light-infused, nano-carbon graphite design, this top-secret project is ready to go public. Secondly, the brand new Z17miniS will make its much-awaited debut. It packs top-notch specs, including front & back dual-lens cameras + AI-powered NeoVision7.0, new camera features such as AI Portrait 2.0, light-painting, macro-camera and clone-camera. Its design features four-sided curved glass with glare glass magical optical reaction. It's a mini marvel, not to be missed. Lastly, nubia will showcase a range of new models which solve the full-screen/short battery-life design conundrum. The new full-screen, long battery-life N/V Series have arrived, which come equipped with Qualcomm processors and a whole lot of RAM, so mobile gamersbetter get their fingers ready.



More surprises await at MWC, where nubia will feature deluxe smartphone accessories and loT products & solutions. There's sure to be rumblings of when nubia's own 5G prototypes will make their appearances in 2018, as official nubia 5G models are set to launch in 2019. Last year, nubia expanded its presence in the US, India, Germany, Spain, Indonesia and Thailand while embarking on fruitful partnerships with Amazon, Mediamax and Phone House. nubia also had a string of successful product releases including the Z, M and N Series - all of which means nubia's booth at MWC '18 is not to be missed.

About nubia Founded in 2012, nubia brings premium, innovative smartphones to users looking to get an edge with their mobile device. Inspiring the world to "Be Yourself," nubia continues to elevate lifestyles with better handheld tech. Headquartered in China, nubia has operations globally, including North America, Europe, and Southeast-Asia. The brand is well known for its innovative smartphone features and professional mobile photography functions. More nubia info can be found on the official website: www.nubia.com/en. Follow @nubiasmartphone on Twitter, @nubiasmartphone on Instagram or www.facebook.com/ nubiasmartphone for the latest news. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180224/2064897-1 SOURCE nubia

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[February 26, 2018] WISeKey released WISeCoin Digital Identity Cryptocurrency, supplemented with highly secured solutions specifically designed for Mobile Operators, at the GSM Mobile World Congress 2018

WISeKey released WISeCoin Digital Identity Cryptocurrency, supplemented with highly secured solutions specifically designed for Mobile Operators, at the GSM Mobile World Congress 2018 Download WISeCoin Wallet from: www.wisecoin.com

WISekey has signed several MOUs with leading telecommunications and payments companies using the WISeCoin Digital Identity Cryptocurrency to secure Mobile Cryptocurrencies Payments Geneva, Barcelona, February 26, 2018 - WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey", SIX: WIHN), a leading cybersecurity, blockchain and IoT company announced that it has signed several MOUs with leading telecommunications and payments companies for its WISeCoin Digital Identity Cryptocurrency to secure Mobile Cryptocurrency Payments.



In 2016, at the Mobile World Congress , WISeKey announced a partnership with MasterCard to enable contactless payments on mobile devices and wearables (https://www.wisekey.com/press/mastercard-and-wisekey-to-bring-payments-to-luxury-brand-watches-and-wearables/) by integrating MasterCard's payments technology with WISeKey's Cryptographic Root of Trust for IoT and NFCTrusted technology solutions. This functionality now includes the ability to use cryptocurrencies and in particular WISeCoin, and is part of a transactional system that uses WISeKey Blockchain-as-a-Service ("BaaS") technology offerings. To empower a seamless cryptocurrency enabled mobile payments, WISeCoin is supplemented with highly secured solutions such as biometrics-driven hardware wallets, integrated exchange platforms, MicroChips Blockchain enabled semiconductors, and NFC-based contactless payment solutions. WISeKey's objective with WISeCoin is to become an emerging powerhouse in the global cryptocurrency market by supporting mobile operators to build services on the WISeCoin Blockchain Platform.



WISekey introduced WISeCoin earlier this year in Davos (https://www.icoexaminer.com/ico-news/blockchain-bankers-politicians-davos/). For a period of 6-months, WISeCoin will be tested in selected countries that are currently using the WISeKey Blockchain technology, and then it will be gradually offered to the market. Mobile operators already deploying Personal Identifiable Inforation (PII) based Digital Identities will be provided with WISeCoins to assist them in securing mobile crypto payments transactions. The WISeCoin cryptocurrency is very different than other cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, as it is centralized, trusted with NFC identification, in full compliance with KYC regulations, safe and in accordance regulatory framework for each country.







WISeKey was one of the leading companies to receive the prestigious Blockchain Award of Excellence by the Global Blockchain Business Council on January 23, 2018, in Davos for its Blockchain WISeCoin developments. Other leading companies presented with this award were: Abra, Bitpesa, Canaan, Chong Sing Holdings Fintech Group Limited, Coindesk, Digital Asset Holdings, MIT, Necker Blockchain Summit, OKEx, The Bitfury Group, The Museum of Fintech and Xapo. Additionally, WISeKey's Blockchain Digital Identity technology was selected by BBC as one of the Five African tech trends to look out for in 2018 (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41899173).



The WISeCoin technology has triggered innovations and introduced a new era in finance. Today, cryptocurrencies have become a global phenomenon, so much so that even central banks are trying to create their own cryptocurrency systems. To this end, WISeKey is helping cities and nations around the world create their own cryptocurrency with WISeCoin, its cutting edge Blockchain identification platform with its revolutionary design and state-of-the-art cryptographic security system. When fully developed in Q3 2018 the WISeCoin Platform is poised to disrupt legacy systems for transacting value and revamping some of the participant countries economic infrastructures.





WISeKey has combined WISeCoin with CertifyID (https://account.wisekey.com) integrating Digital Identity with Blockchain technology for Mobile Operators. CertifyID acts as a Digital Identity dual factor authentication based technology that sits on top of a Blockchain. The CertifyID Blockchain is constantly growing as new blocks are added to it with a new set of recordings. Each CertifyID node gets a copy of the CertifyID Blockchain and gets downloaded automatically upon joining the CertifyID network. The system is completely decentralized and can be operated on a national or local level by using a distributed identity ledger run by trusted parties and spread across the Blockchain. About WISeKey:

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems with a patented process. WISeKey's Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com. To receive WISeKey's latest news, subscribe to our Newsletter or visit the WISeKey Investors Corner.

Press and investor contacts: WISeKey International Holding Ltd

Company Contact: Carlos Moreira

Chairman & CEO

Tel: +41 22 594 3000

info@wisekey.com WISeKey Investor Relations (US)

Contact: Lena Cati

The Equity Group Inc.

Tel: +1 212 836-9611

lcati@equityny.com Disclaimer:

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.

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[February 26, 2018] Rohde & Schwarz and ASTRI jointly demonstrated latest 3GPP Release 15 NR signal analyser solutions at Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona

HONG KONG, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rohde & Schwarz and Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) showcased a 3GPP release 15 standard compliant New Radio (NR) Centralised Radio Access Network (C-RAN) solution with the latest R&S FSW26 signal and spectrum analyser from Rohde & Schwarz at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The demonstration revealed ASTRI's latest NR C-RAN Base Station (BS) and User Equipment (UE) emulator consisting of Intel x86-based C-RAN Baseband Unit (BBU) and Sunnada Network Radio Remote Unit (RRU). 3GPP release 15 NR standard compliant signals from BS to UE are analysed by the R&S FSW26. The R&S FSW26 together with its analyser software R&S FSW-K144 can successfully demodulate the 3GPP release 15 NR compliant signals, i.e. Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), Primary Synchronisation Signal (PSS) and Secondary Synchronisation Signal (SSS). ASTRI's C-RAN solution supports Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV), running on virtual machines on real time operating system. The demonstration shows different numerologies of 5G traffics including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable and low-latency (URLLC) traffics and analysed by the R&S FSW26. The demonstration took place at the booth of Fujian Sunnada Network Technology Co. Ltd. (Hall 5 Stand 5G70) in MWC 2018 being held at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain from 26 February to 1 March 2018. About ASTRI Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. Please visit www.astri.org, for further information about ASTRI. About Rohde & Schwarz The Rohde & Schwarz technology group develops, produces and markets innovative test and measurement, information and communications technology products for professional users. Rohde & Schwarz focuses on test and measurement, broadcast and media, cybersecurity, secure communications and monitoring and network testing, areas that address many different industry and government-sector market segments. Founded more than 80 years ago, the independent company has an extensive sales and service network in more than 70 countries. On 30 June 2017, Rohde & Schwarz had approximately 10,500 employees. The group achieved a net revenue of approximately EUR 1.9 billion in the 2016/2017 fiscal year (July to June). The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and also has regional hubs in Asia and the USA. R&S  is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG. Media enquiries







ASTRI: Mr Raymond Woo Tel: (852) 3406 2536 Email: raymondwoo@astri.org Rohde & Schwarz: Ms Virginia Chan Tel: (852) 2264 3788 Email: virginia.chan@rhode-schwarz.com

SOURCE Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)

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[February 26, 2018] iconectiv Joins SAP HANA Partner Ecosystem, Expanding Global Customer Base for Its Advanced Telecom Solutions

iconectiv (News - Alert) , an authoritative partner of the global communications industry connecting more than two billion people every day, today announced a partnership with SAP (News - Alert) (NYSE: SAP), the multinational enterprise application software provider, to bring its cloud-based telecom services enabling enhanced network management and asset monetization to the SAP HANA partner ecosystem. SAP HANA is a database and application development platform designed for organizations with extensive IT infrastructures leveraging large volumes of data to accelerate business processes, deliver more business intelligence, and simplify IT environments. Through its partner program, SAP seeks to add flexible, industry-specific expertise to its platform that enables its customers to develop the best possible solution to meet their needs. In this latest addition to the iconectiv TruPartner Program, the company will provide service providers and related telecom firms using the SAP HANA platform with solutions that enhance database management, maximize network efficiencies, decrease operational costs, and reduce risk by providing highly accurate and actionable network and numbering data and analysis. iconectiv's solutions also help SAP HANA customers manage network and IT infrastructure assets from an economic as well as technical perspective. "SAP brings a global brand presence, finance and enterprise resource planning (ERP) expertise, and an established telecom sales network to greatly expand our customer base as well as simplify the integration of our services through the SAP HANA platform," said Alex Berry, Executive Vice President of its Information Solutions Business Unit, iconectiv. "With the ongoing struggle for service providers to maintain data and operational integrity during this era of digital transformation, we see a tremendous opportunity to expand our services to new regions and new customers. This relationship is a key milestone in the iconectiv TruPartner Program." iconectiv has added several companies to its Partner Program recently, including Infutor, CSG Partners and West, who are using iconectiv's trusted data to ensure the integrity of mobile numbers in their customer messaging solutions. iconectiv has also announced a strategic collaboration with iBasis, a leading international voice carrier and provider of data services and solutions for mobile operators, to reduce international telecom fraud.



"Partners like iconectiv are very important as they complement and extend our portfolio as SAP thrives to accompany communications service providers in their digital transformation journey," said Stephan Gatien (News - Alert) , General Manager, Telecoms Industry Business, SAP. "iconectiv's recognized telecom expertise and authoritative data perfectly augments our industry relevant partner ecosystem resulting in superior business value for our joint customers." Separate from the SAP HANA platform, iconectiv's Right Party Verification (RPV) solution launches on the SAP App Center later this year. Right Party Verification for Messaging enables real-time identification of mobile numbers that have been recycled so marketers can avoid sending messages to those numbers.

iconectiv executives will be available at Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) 2018 in Barcelona, Spain from Feb. 26 through March 1 in the iconectiv meeting room Hall 2, Stand 201MR or the SAP meeting room Hall 3, Stand 3N31 to discuss this latest partnership. The company will be demonstrating its Common Language platform which provides unprecedented visibility of network assets and an actionable dashboard across complex enterprises. [Suggested Tweet] @iconectiv announces partnership with @SAP, joining its global SAP HANA partner ecosystem About SAP As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device - SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 378,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. About iconectiv At iconectiv, we envision a world without boundaries, where the ability to access and exchange information is simple, secure and seamless. As the authoritative partner of the communications industry for more than 30 years, our market-leading solutions enable the interconnection of networks, devices, and applications for more than two billion people every day. Working closely with private, government and non-governmental organizations, iconectiv has intimate knowledge of the intricacies and complexities of creating, operating and securing the telecommunications infrastructure for service providers, governments and enterprises. iconectiv provides network and operations management, numbering, registry, messaging and fraud and identity solutions to more than 1,200 customers globally. A US-based company, Telcordia (News - Alert) Technologies, does business as iconectiv. For more information, visit www.iconectiv.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005529/en/

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[February 26, 2018] Deutsche Telekom and SAP Expand Partnership to the Internet of Things for Real-Time Logistics

BARCELONA, Spain and WALLDORF, Germany and BONN, Germany, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Deutsche Telekom are expanding their partnership to include Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for real-time logistics. This announcement was made at Mobile World Congress, the world's leading conference for the telecom industry taking place in Barcelona from February 26 through March 1. Enterprises of all sizes are seeking to benefit from the proliferation of sensors and smart equipment by embracing the IoT for improved customer intimacy, new business models, reduced waste and higher efficiency. SAP and Deutsche Telekom are joining forces to deliver a comprehensive, cost-effective solution that provides connectivity, business application software, device tracking and monitoring and support services. "In the complexity of the digital age, customers increasingly seek for comprehensive support to address their business needs  at the device, connectivity, platform and software level," said Anette Bronder, Director of Telekom Security and T-Systems' Digital Division. "To offer our customers the best, easiest-to-use and most secure solution for every specific need, we constantly expand our IoT partner ecosystem and are excited to extend our collaboration with SAP to the fields of IoT and smart logistics." As a part of this agreement, Deutsche Telekom will create a portfolio of comprehensive offerings that will include hardware, connectivity, security, monitoring and operational service at one transparent price. Data collected and managed by Deutsche Telekom will be made available to IoT and supply chain management at SAP, including integration to the enterprise digital core with SAP S/4 HANA. Under the agreement, both companies plan to create and certify the interfaces between Deutsche Telekom IoT Platforms and SAP Cloud Platform  their respective workhorses for IoT-enabled scenarios. "The offerings provided by Deutsche Telekom are truly complementary to the SAP Leonardo IoT portfolio  SAP's enterprise-grade offering for digital innovation," said Dr. Tanja Rueckert, president of IoT & Digital Supply Chain, SAP. "We are building on the respective strengths of the two companies to provide our customers with end-to-end solutions that drive enterprise value from 'things to outcomes.'" The first of these offerings, including technology from Deutsche Telekom's partner Roambee Corp., is intended to serve customers with mobile assets or the ned to track or monitor the condition of moving objects in real time. Silicon Valleybased Roambee, in which Deutsche Telekom holds an equity stake, was one of the first IoT smart logistics and asset management companies to deliver on-demand real-time visibility, tracking and condition monitoring for goods and assets in transit and in the field. Based on Roambee's hardware, monitoring and support services, Deutsche Telekom and Roambee have jointly created an end-to-end solution addressing vehicle tracking, track-and-trace or intralogistics scenarios. With Deutsche Telekom acting as a data custodian, the real-time data is collected securely via the mobile networks of Deutsche Telekom and its network partners. Data can be forwarded to the customer's SAP Leonardo IoTbased solutions running on SAP Cloud Platform to bring the data to life, enabling superior insight and the better management of business processes.



Both companies are showcasing their combined offering during Mobile World Congress at Deutsche Telekom's booth, situated in Hall 3 at Stand 3M31. For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP Leonardo IoT capabilities on Twitter at @SAPLeonardo and follow SAP at @sapnews.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device  SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 378,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com. Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.  2018 SAP SE. All rights reserved.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx#trademark for additional trademark information and notices. For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727) For more information, press only:

Jim Dever, SAP, +1 (610) 661-2161, james.dever@sap.com, ET

Kathrin Eiermann, SAP, +49 6227 767029, simone.kathrin.eiermann@sap.com, CET

SAP News Center press room; press@sap.com About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom at a glance Deutsche Telekom AG, Corporate Communications, +49 228 181 - 49494, media@telekom.de, CET Further information for the media is at:

www.telekom.com/media

www.telekom.com/photos

www.twitter.com/telekom_group

www.instagram.com/deutschetelekom View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deutsche-telekom-and-sap-expand-partnership-to-the-internet-of-things-for-real-time-logistics-300603817.html SOURCE SAP SE

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[February 26, 2018] Keysight and ASTRI demonstrates test and measurement solutions for validating 3GPP Release 15 NR compliant 5G base-station reference designs at MWC18

HONG KONG, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) has announced today that together with Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI, it demonstrated a 3GPP Release 15 5G NR base station reference design using Keysight's performance signal analyser (PXA) and its 5G NR ready 89601B VSA software for modulation analysis at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona. The demonstration took place at the booth of Fujian Sunnada Network Technology Co., Ltd and showcased a 3GPP release 15 5G New Radio (NR) full standard compliance base-station transmitter measurement and decoding of a base-station reference design developed by ASTRI. Keysight recently launched the industry's first commercially available 5G NR software solutions covering the full product design cycle with simulation, signal creation and analysis, with uplink and downlink directions, enabling both transmitter and receiver simulation and test. The VSA with its in-depth analysis and troubleshooting tools, enables developers to see through the complexity in their 5G NR designs. The 5G NR modulation analysis capability enables users to demodulate the initial access channel and signals (SS/PBCH block) and 5G Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) using the 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), which is the highest modulation order used by 5G NR. The demodulated results showed a constellation diagram and error summary with exceptional EVM performance as well as frequency and timing errors. The software uses colour coding based on physical channel type and marker coupling across different measurements to highlight aspects of the complex NR signal structure, revealing specific signal and channel effects and impairments, enabling engineers to gain insights faster. Used in conjunction with Keysight high performance X-Series and modular signal analysers with wide bandwidth and wide frequency coverage, designers are able to make 5G NR measurements in both sub-6GHz and mmWave frequencies with excellent perforance.



ASTRI has partnered with Keysight on 5G research and development for the past three years. "Keysight's strong local and worldwide support combined with its industry-leading capabilities in terms of demodulation and vector signal analysis of today's most complex signals have made it a reliable partner, helping us solve 5G NR design and test challenges", said Dr Justin Chuang, VP, Next Generation Network of ASTRI. Powered by the Keysight analyser, ASTRI's 5G base-station reference design conforms to the 3GPP standard; it is based on x86 general purpose programmable platform and supports Network Function Virtualisation (NFV). The design supports different numerologies of 5G traffic such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable and low-latency (URLLC) and can be accurately analysed by the Keysight equipment.

Keysight and ASTRI are performing the joint demonstrations at Sunnada booth (Hall 5, Stand 5G70) at the MWC which is being held at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain, from 26 February to 1 March 2018. About ASTRI Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org. ASTRI Media enquiries: Mr. Raymond Woo

Tel: (852) 3406 2536

Email: raymondwoo@astri.org About Keysight in 5G The development of 5G depends on up-to-date tools that let designers easily explore new signals, scenarios and topologies. Keysight's 5G solutions are ready to enable deeper insights as development evolves with the standard. In design and test, Keysight is helping industry leaders innovate across new and existing technologies as they transform ideas into reality. Additional information about Keysight's 5G design, test and measurement solutions is available at www.keysight.com/find/5G. About Keysight Technologies Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers, and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight's solutions optimise networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost with offerings from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimization in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. Keysight generated revenues of USD3.2B in fiscal year 2017. In April 2017, Keysight acquired Ixia, a leader in network test, visibility, and security. More information is available at www.keysight.com. Keysight Media enquiries: Geri Lynne LaCombe, Americas

+1 303 662 4748

geri_lacombe@keysight.com Magda Antone, Europe

+34 (93) 3434612

press.emea@keysight.com Connie Wong, Asia

+852 3197-7818

connie-ky_wong@keysight.com SOURCE Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI)

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[February 26, 2018] Bavarian Nordic Announces Collaboration to Evaluate CV301 in Combination with durvalumab in Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers

Third evaluation of CV301 in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor

Multicenter investigator-sponsored trial to be led by Georgetown University COPENHAGEN, Denmark, February 26, 2018 - Bavarian Nordic A/S (OMX: BAVA, OTC: BVNRY) today announced a new collaboration that will investigate CV301, the Company's targeted immunotherapy candidate, and durvalumab (IMFINZITM), AstraZeneca's PD-L1 inhibitor, in combination with maintenance chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal or pancreatic cancers. Under the collaboration with Georgetown University, both Bavarian Nordic and AstraZeneca will contribute clinical trial material and provide financial support for a planned Phase 1/2 clinical study. The trial, which is being sponsored by Georgetown University, will be led by Dr. Michael Pishvaian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. The Phase 1/2 trial will begin with a lead-in study to determine the safety and tolerability of the combination, as well as the recommended Phase 2 dose of durvalumab in combination with CV301 and chemotherapy. The Phase 2 portion of the study will consist of two parallel trials, enrolling up to 26 patients for each disease setting. The primary endpoint for both arms of the study will be progression-free survival (PFS) with multiple secondary endpoints, including objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and disease control rate (DCR). "Colorectal and pancreatic cancers are among the most difficult-to-treat malignancies to date. While therapeutic options for these patients remain limited, combining a targeted cancer vaccine with a checkpoint inhibitor could result in a novel approach to fighting these diseases, as well as improved patient outcomes," said Dr. Michael Pishvaian, Georgetown University. "With this trial, we are hopeful to continue demonstrating CV301's potential in multiple cancers and combinations, particularly in a treatment setting in which checkpoint inhibition alone has yet to show significant benefit. We are very grateful to both the investigators and AstraZeneca for their support, and look forward to learning more as the data becomes available," said Paul Chaplin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bavarian Nordic. In addition to durvalumab, CV301 is being investigated in combination with other immunecheckpoint inhibitors such as KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) from Merck in non-small cell lung cancer and TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab) from Roche in bladder cancer.



Additional information on the study is available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03376659. About CV301

CV301 is an immunotherapy candidate which is being developed under a CRADA with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). CV301 targets two tumor-associated antigens, CEA and MUC1, which are over-expressed in multiple solid tumors, including lung, bladder, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. CV301 is a poxvirus-based prime/boost vaccine that incorporates a modified version of vaccinia (MVA-BN, a proprietary technology of Bavarian Nordic) as a priming dose, followed by multiple fowlpox boosts, and encodes the TRICOM costimulatory molecules.

Preclinical data shows the ability of CV301 to upregulate PD-L1 by mounting an immune response against a tumor target. The upregulation of PD-L1 is a marker indicating the tumor is under attack from T-cells, presenting an opportunity for a greater response in patients who might otherwise not benefit from treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor alone. About Bavarian Nordic

Bavarian Nordic is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative and safe therapies against cancer and infectious diseases. Using our live virus vaccine platform technology, MVA-BN, we have created a diverse portfolio of proprietary and partnered product candidates intended to improve the health and quality of life for children and adults. We supply our IMVAMUNE non-replicating smallpox vaccine to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile and other government stockpiles. The vaccine is approved in the European Union (under the trade name IMVANEX) and in Canada. Registration studies are currently underway in the U.S. In addition to our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. government on the development of IMVAMUNE and other medical countermeasures, our infectious disease pipeline comprises a proprietary RSV program as well as vaccine candidates for Ebola, HPV, HBV and HIV, which are developed through a strategic partnership with Janssen. Additionally, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, we have developed a portfolio of active cancer immunotherapies, designed to alter the disease course by eliciting a robust and broad anti-cancer immune response while maintaining a favorable risk-benefit profile. Through multiple industry collaborations, we seek to explore the potential synergies of combining our immunotherapies with other immune-modulating agents, e.g. checkpoint inhibitors. For more information visit www.bavarian-nordic.com or follow us on Twitter @bavariannordic. Forward-looking statements

This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Contacts

Rolf Sass Srensen

Vice President Investor Relations (EU)

Tel: +45 61 77 47 43 Seth Lewis

Vice President Investor Relations (US)

Tel: +1 978 341 5271 Company Announcement no. 04 / 2018 Attachments: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c185dece-1431-4d33-b2d3-bd9ae137a3a5

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[February 26, 2018] Jugnoo Launches an On-demand 3D Printing Store 'Printo'

NEW DELHI, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As technology advances, 3D printing is becoming more practical, efficient, faster and cost-effective for multiple industries. This revolutionary manufacturing process has gone from a cutting-edge novelty to a booming industry for new startups. With this transforming advancement, Jugnoo, an on-demand hyperlocal startup, launches Printo, a 3D printing online store. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640388/Jugnoo_Logo.jpg )

Jugnoo partners with GEM Platform, a Korean company, as their exclusive Indian re-sellers of 3D printers that make 3-dimensional objects using PLA and ABS filaments. Gemini, one of their printer models, stands out in the cluster due to its impeccable app and web-based ease of integration. With Printo, one can get a customised product/prototype through Jugnoo app. The order will be delivered by Jugnoo in the shortest time possible. In addition to this, Jugnoo will be onboarding various merchants on the platform across number of cities. Jugnoo is now set to cater to various sectors such as Education, Medical, Architecture Automotive, Electronics etc., disrupting the market with Printo. With 3D technology and PC compatibility, it helps in product customization, least wastage, and faster production easing the process of converting a picture into a physical object with its quick designing and printing feature.



"We also plan on expanding our services by educating kids on 3D printing technology, hardware & software, designing, linking and other basic details. We are empowering tomorrow's creators by integrating technology in their disciplines. For instance, inculcating 3D printing into the existing curriculum of Robotics could also be a good platform in shaping kids future," adds Samar Singla, Founder and CEO. While the high school kids get to learn about the technical details of hardware and software of 3D printers, the younger ones get to create a customised model. Jugnoo will also have experts/professionals onboard who would train students and provide the necessary training as this would open up more opportunities for higher education.

Jugnoo would make sure that the particulars about the ideal technology reach the right people, at the right time, at the right place, thereby empowering design systems and encouraging innovation. About Jugnoo: Founded in 2014, Jugnoo is an on-demand hyper-local transport and logistics app that thrives on its expansive network of auto-rickshaws. Headquartered in Chandigarh, Jugnoo was launched to bring structure to a highly unorganized sector of auto-rickshaws - a predominant mode of public transportation in Tier-II and Tier-III cities of India. Over the past three years, Jugnoo has evolved in terms of its business operations, technological advancements, and diversifying service offerings via different business verticals. Jugnoo has ventured into different verticals of on-demand and hyper-local space in B2B & B2C domains. Currently, it has two major verticals - Rides and Deliveries. With its market presence in more than 35 cities in India and a user base of 4.3 million registered users, Jugnoo is a go-to platform for all the hyperlocal needs of its customers.

Media Contact:

Manpreet Kaur

manpreet.kaur@jugnoo.in

+91-9988032378

Executive- Public Relations

Jugnoo





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[February 26, 2018] Panasonic to Launch Face Recognition Server Software Using Deep Learning Technology

Panasonic (News - Alert) Corporation announced that it will release face recognition server software using deep learning technology in July 2018 outside Japan and in August 2018 in Japan. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005603/en/ Panasonic's face recognition server software WV-ASF950 (Graphic: Business Wire) [Video] Face Recognition Server Software Using Deep Learning Technology

https://youtu.be/q8c-04uCk0Q Featuring a core engine that boasts the world's highest face recognition performance(*1), this high-precision face recognition software can identify faces that are difficult to recognize with conventional technologies, including faces at an angle of up to 45 degrees to the left or right or 30 degrees up or down, and those partially hidden by sunglasses. In addition, the new software features the "iA (intelligent Auto) mode"(*2) that automatically adjusts settings for the camera to shoot optimal images best suited for face recognition. When it is used with Panasonic's i-PRO EXTREME series network cameras installed with the "Best Shot License Key" that comes bundled with the software, only the "Best Shots" will be sent to the server for face recognition. The combination of Panasonic core devices and the face recognition software maximizes the performance of the software's core engine to achieve high-precision recognition. The company plans to add a function to recognize partially covered faces with a surgical mask, which is difficult with conventional systems, by the end of this year. Furthermore, using this software with cameras equipped with the iA function enables image analysis to be performed on the camera instead of the server to send only the best images to the server. This will result in reducing server and network loads, which leads to overall system cost reductions. In the case of 10 or more network cameras are connected to the system, the costs can be reduced by about 40 to 50% compared to conventional systems that do not use the Best Shot function. Panasonic will continue to improve its security-related products and provide various solutions to meet increasingly diversifying and evolving customer needs, such as face recognition solutions for integrated management with a monitoring system. By providing these solutions, the company is aiming to become a "total integrator" capable of contributing to customers' frontline operations. Panasonic's Deep Learning Face Recognition Software has the following features: 1. High precision:

- The world's highest face recognition engine as evaluated by NIST (IJB-A face challenge)

- iA function and Best Shot images maximize face recognition engine performance and provide high recognition precision 2. System cost reduction: Send only the "Best Shot" images to reduce server load and network load 3. System expandability:

- Register up to 30,000 faces (Available as an option)

- Integrated management with i-PRO monitoring system: Enables integrated management of a face recognition system and monitoring system with the same GUI Notes:

*1 In April 2017, the product achieved the highest level of face recognition performance in the world in a comparison test (IJB-A Face Verification Challenge Performance Report/IJB -A Face Identification Challenge Performance Report) of NIST (National Institute of Standards and Tehnology) of the United States, one of the most authoritative institutes in the world.





[Development Background]

With the rapid popularization of IoT and AI, initiatives for connecting various types of information to make life more convenient are taking place in every industrial sector. A new technology called "deep learning" is being utilized in order to achieve this. Panasonic has adopted this deep learning technology in its face recognition products for the security industry. This has led to the successful development and commercialization of the face recognition technology that overcomes the difficulties of conventional technologies, such as recognizing faces when they are tilted, changed by aging, or partially hidden with sunglasses. Panasonic will offer this product as a personal recognition solution for video security in various situations, such as the monitoring of public facilities and entry management. [Product Features] 1. High precision:

Top-tier face recognition engine evaluated by NIST (IJB-A face challenge) - The deep learning technology used in the new software was jointly developed with the National University of Singapore and improves face recognition performance by up to 500%(*3) compared to conventional systems. *3 Rejection rate reduced to 20% when the wrong person acceptance rate is set to 0.01 with the IJB-A face image dataset. - A unique algorithm that combines deep learning, a machine learning method, with a similarity calculation method that suppresses errors, enables recognition in situations that were difficult with conventional face recognition technology, such as when the face is angled (up to 45 degrees to the left or right or 30 degrees up or down), partially hidden with sunglasses or a surgical mask(*4), or changed by aging. *4 Scheduled for launch by the end of 2018 iA function and Best Shot images maximize face recognition engine performance and provide high recognition precision - The iA function enables cameras to automatically detect the scene and automatically optimize the settings accordingly to improve the detectability of the video images. The camera automatically detects moving objects, movement speed, faces, and light intensity (day/night/headlights) found in video that are usually hard to see due to subject movement and backlight, and optimizes the settings in real-time and capture more optimal video of the subject. - The Best Shot License Key included with this software can be installed on Panasonic i-PRO EXTREME series network cameras (sold separately) to automatically select the images suitable for face recognition from the multiple face images captured when a person passes in front of the camera, and send only those selected images to the server. This enables high-quality images suitable for face recognition to be sent without putting a load on the server. 2. System cost reduction:

Send only the Best Shot images to reduce server load and network load - With conventional face recognition systems, all captured images are sent to the server, and the server performs face detection and face recognition, which concentrates the load of data processing on the server. Systems also tend to be large-scale because of the large bandwidth required to send all the images and the high capacity hard drive space required to save those images. - Using Panasonic's system that combines this product with cameras that include the iA function allows faces to be detected by the camera and only the Best Shot images that contain faces to be sent to the server, which dramatically decreases network load and eliminates the need for large bandwidth. Performing facial recognition on the server using the Best Shot images reduces server load and hard drive capacity requirements as well as permitting up to 20*5 network cameras to be connected to a single server. - With this Panasonic system, it is no longer necessary to send the data-intensive high resolution images to a server, unlike conventional systems. This delivers high-precision face recognition while dramatically decreasing network traffic, transmission costs, and network construction costs. - When using Panasonic's system with 10 or more network cameras connected, costs can be reduced by about 40 to 50% compared to conventional systems that do not use the Best Shot function. *5 The number of cameras that can be connected depends on the number of people passing by the camera and the retention period for face images. 3. System expandability:

Register up to 30,000 faces (Option sold separately)

Simple batch registration of a maximum of 10,000 faces is possible with the standard Face Recognition Server Software (WV-ASF950). The optional Face Registration Expansion Kit (WV-ASFE951W) enables registration of up to 30,000 faces at large-scale facilities. Integrated management with i-PRO monitoring system

Face detection, face recognition, and tracking with recorded video can be performed in the same GUI by performing integrated management with the WV-ASM300 or WV-ASE231W client software for Panasonic i-PRO monitoring systems. This eliminates the need for the dedicated operation and management required for conventional face recognition systems and enables work to be centralized. Specifications -Face Recognition Server Software

Product Number

WV-ASF950

WV-ASF950W

Overview

Number of faces: Up to 10,000 faces can be registered. This number can be expanded to a maximum of 30,000 faces by using the Face Registration Expansion Kit.

Number of cameras: Up to four cameras can be connected.

This number can be expanded to a maximum of 20 cameras by using the Existing Camera Expansion Kit WV-ASFE901 (x 1) and WV-ASFE904 (x 4). -Face Registration Expansion Kit

Product Number

WV-ASFE951W

Overview

Expands the number of faces that can be registered from the standard number of 10,000 to 20,000 (with one license) or 30,000 (with two licenses). Source (News - Alert) : http://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2018/02/en180220-3/en180220-3.html Related Links [Video] Face Recognition Server Software Using Deep Learning Technology

https://channel.panasonic.com/contents/22945/ Security cameras & CCTV / surveillance systems

https://security.panasonic.com/ [Press Release] Panasonic's Facial Recognition Gate Selected by Ministry of Justice (Dec 15, 2017)

http://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2017/12/en171215-2/en171215-2.html [Video] Panasonic's Facial Recognition Gate @ Tokyo International Airport

https://youtu.be/Z5vxhhM0JGQ View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005603/en/

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[February 26, 2018] HAWK Security Services Announces the Opening of its Newest Office in Plano, Texas

HAWK Security Services ("HAWK"), a member of the My Alarm Center family of brands, today announced the opening of its newest office in Plano, Texas. The Plano branch joins the company's existing Texas branches in Fort Worth, Tyler, Houston and San Antonio. HAWK will celebrate the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 1st, 2018 at 10:00AM. Members of the Plano Chamber of Commerce and representatives from the Plano Mayor's Office will be on hand to participate in the celebration which will include food, refreshments, and giveaways. HAWK provides its customers throughout Texas with home and small commercial security and automation solutions all backed by 24/7 professional monitoring. Known for its highly rated customer service, HAWK is also a six time winner of the Dallas Morning News' annual "Top 100 Places to Work". Expansion of HAWK into Plano will allow HAWK to expands its reach beyond Dallas--Fort Worth and into Collin, Hunt and Denton Counties. HAWK's Vice President, Mike Shirley, commented "We are very excited to open our new office in Plano and for our continued expansion throughout the state. HAWK is a long standing provider of security services in Texas and this marks the next step in our commitment to providing our customers a best in class experience. With our continued growth, weare delivering on our mission to make our communities, our homes and our customers safer and more secure."



Shirley continued, "The opening of our newest office provides career opportunities for our existing employees looking to advance and grow within the organization. In addition, we are hiring local experienced sales professionals to join our team who are passionate about customers and committed to success." In addition to HAWK in Texas, the My Alarm Center family of brands includes ACS (News - Alert) Security in California, Alarm Monitoring Services of Atlanta in Georgia and operations in Pennsylvania and Washington.

HAWK Security, Plano Branch

1915 North Central Expressway

Suite 400

Plano, Texas 75075 About My Alarm Center My Alarm Center provides technologically advanced residential and small commercial security services and home automation technologies to households and businesses across the United States. Its core mission is to provide superior alarm monitoring services to keep customers out of harm's way. Whether there is an encounter with fire, carbon monoxide, or an unauthorized intrusion, My Alarm Center will be there every step of the way to keep families safe and sound, and to ensure that its customers' belongings remain intact. Regional brands include Hawk Security Services in Texas, ACS Security in Los Angeles, and Alarm Monitoring Service Of Atlanta(AMSA). My Alarm Center has achieved 16 consecutive years of growth, was ranked the 11th largest security provider in the 2016 SDM100 rankings and is listed as the 7th largest residential security provider in the United States by SDM Magazine. For more information, visit www.myalarmcenter.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005396/en/

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[February 26, 2018] eyeSight Technologies and SEAT Join Forces to Increase Driver Safety

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eyeSight Technologies, a leader in embedded computer vision and deep learning solutions, today announces its joined forces with SEAT  a leading car manufacturer in Spain specializing in design, innovation, engineering and performance. The two companies have come together to provide the most advanced sensing technology for the in-car environment that will detect distraction and drowsiness and take action through the cars safety systems. SEAT will be showcasing eyeSights driver monitoring solution in the Leon Cristobal Concept Car at the 2018 Mobile World Congress Show in Barcelona.

With the driver as the main focal point and an effort to decrease distracted and drowsy driving, eyeSights solution uses an IR sensor, together with edge computing to detect the drivers attention to the road and to monitor when the driver is distracted, shows signs of drowsiness or simply the direction of sight. The intelligent solution is enabled by a new level of learning and fine-tuned computer vision to ensure that once drowsiness or distraction is detected, eyeSights solution will inform in real-time the car systems to provide an alert to wake the driver if he or she is drowsy or take proactive action through the safety systems, such as the activation of a wake-up sequence. We are excited to work with SEAT to help provide consumers the most natural and safe driving experience, said Gideon Shmuel, CEO of eyeSight Technologies. Our experience in this field and vision for intelligent control of the in-car environment will enhance the driver experience and help prevent distracted driving. With the market transition o semi-autonomous cars, its vital that automotive solutions provide the highest quality of driver awareness technology.



SEAT is committed to improving urban mobility with solutions that are innovative and smart. With an emphasis on safe driving, the Leon Cristobal is the safest car in the history of the brand, as it is equipped with 15 advanced safety assistant systems whose functions contribute to reducing the main causes of road collisions. SEATs collaboration with eyeSight Technologies underscores our commitment to driver safety, said Stefan Ilijevic, Head of Innovation and Patent Department of SEAT. Distraction and drowsiness are factors that cause more than 30 percent of all traffic collisions, but with the help of eyeSights advanced driver monitoring technology, our goal is to help significantly reduce these distractions and to make driving a safer endeavor.

SEAT plans to demo eyeSights driver monitoring solutions at MWC starting on Feb. 26 at Hall 3 booth 20. eyeSight will also be featuring its automotive solutions, at this years show on Feb. 26 at booth 5D61, Hall 5 in the Israeli Pavilion. For more information on eyeSight Technologies, visit www.eyesight-tech.com and for more information on SEAT, visit www.seat.com. About eyeSight Technologies:

eyeSight is the leading provider of embedded computer vision and deep learning solutions, bringing user awareness and gesture recognition technologies to a variety of devices and industries. The companys technology improves daily life interactions with the car, the home, and other consumer electronics with simplified user interactions that are intelligent and personalized. eyeSights cloud-free sensing technology was designed for a wide range of applications, from active interactions with gesture recognition and finger tracking, to passive user detection and face analysis, delivering customized experiences based on user features and actions. For more information, visit www.eyesight-tech.com. About SEAT:

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 80% of its vehicles, and is present in over 80 countries through a network of 1,700 dealerships. In 2017, SEAT achieved worldwide sales of nearly 470,000 vehicles. The SEAT Group employs close to 14,700 professionals at its three production centres  Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza, Leon and Arona. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia. The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focused on developing innovation for Spains largest industrial investor in R&D. SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the companys global digitalization process to promote the mobility of the future. Media Contact:

Janie Elderdice

Uproar PR for eyeSight Technologies

jelderdice@uproarpr.com

321-236-0102 ext. 233

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[February 26, 2018] San Diego Regional Chamber Appoints AbacusNext CEO to Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbacusNext, the largest Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) provider for the legal and accounting professions, announced its CEO, Alessandra Lezama, has accepted an appointment to the Board of Directors for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Lezama was selected and appointed by the Boards new Chair, Sam Attisha, Senior Vice President and Region Manager of Cox California.

Im deeply honored to be asked to serve on the Board of Directors and contribute to the Chambers vital work in supporting our thriving business community, said Lezama. Im grateful for the opportunity to promote the issues Im passionate about, and I look forward to working with Sam and my fellow Board members to continue the Chambers leadership in forging a more vibrant and prosperous San Diego. As a member of the Board of Directors, Lezama will help shape the SDRCCs policy positions and support its work to encourage job creation and business growth throughout the region, as well as advocate for the issues close to her heartencouraging women in business and tech leadership and supporting youth mentoring programs to nurture tomorrows civic and business leaders. Alessandra is a long-time member and supporter of the Chamber, and were fortunate to have her leadership and experience on our Bard of Directors, said Attisha. Her perspective and advocacy will be an asset to the Board as we work together to ensure San Diego continues to be an environment where business can flourish.



About the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

The San Diego Regional Chamber is the hub for connections and collaboration among the regional business community, and uses that clout to advocate for public policies and candidates that support economic growth and the creation of jobs for all businesses. As the largest local Chamber on the West Coast, representing approximately 2,500 businesses and an estimated 300,000 jobs, the San Diego Regional Chamber is fighting to make San Diego the most business-friendly region in California. For more information, please visit SDChamber.org or call 619-544-1300. About AbacusNext

As the largest Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) provider for the professional services sector, AbacusNext helps legal and accounting professionals achieve ultimate success and peace of mind through the delivery of a complete suite of compliance-ready technology solutions designed to support a secure and cloud-enabled practice at a cost they can afford. Our portfolio of turnkey solutions includes hardware, software and infrastructure on a pay as you go model; Practice Management, Client Resource Management (CRM), Payment Processing, Email, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) and Managed IT.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, and backed by private investment with Providence Equity, AbacusNext delivers products and services to over 500,000 businesses worldwide. To sign up or learn more visit AbacusNext.com. About Providence Equity

Providence is a premier global asset management firm with $45 billion in assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 150 companies and is the leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, and has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. For more information, please visit www.provequity.com. Contact: AbacusNext 858-529-0018 press@abacusnext.com

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[February 26, 2018] Fuel Education Expands Reading Literacy Platform for Schools and Districts

The online literacy platform from Fuel Education (FuelEd), Big Universe, just got much bigger. The platform has added more than 2,000 new titles in both non-fiction and fiction since October 2017. It now offers more than 13,000 high-quality, leveled eBooks to help schools boost their balanced literacy program for students in grades K-12 to improve reading skills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005761/en/ The expansion also comes amid news that the United States is falling behind in international rankings based on an assessment of fourth grade students' reading skills. According to a recent news report, the United States' world ranking fell from fifth to 13th over a five year period. "Research shows third grade is a pivotal point for acquiring reading skills, and non-fiction titles for elementary schools are always in high demand," said Sean P. Ryan, General Manager of Fuel Education. "We have added thousands of new, high-interest titles to our Big Universe library to help our school and district partners meet both of these needs as they work with students to improve early grade reading proficiency." Big Universe provides schools with an affordable, comprehensive literacy solution featuring a readymade library of thousands of leveled Books from well-known publishers. The platform supports balanced literacy programs with integrated tools such as embedded assessments, a student recommendation engine, analytics to demonstrate reading growth, and engaging reading practice opportunities. Of the eBooks in Big Universe's expanded library, most are designed for the third-grade reading level.



The expansion of Big Universe's portfolio includes popular publishers such as The Child's World, The Creative Company, and Jump Library. Big Universe's expanded portfolio includes high-quality eBooks such as: How To Read Scratch Computer Code, from The Child's World

This book introduces the basic elements of Scratch computer code, such as scripts and blocks. With support from the book, readers will learn how to create their own games and projects such as labeled diagrams, a quiz and answer key, a phonetic glossary as well as sources for further research and more. It can also be used as a resource for those participating in an Hour of Code event. Taste The Clouds, from The Creative Company

Focused on younger readers, this book asks questions and uses illustrations that challenge readers to use their imagination to think about their senses and the world around them in new ways. For instance, it asks whether they can hear colors, see music, or touch a rainbow. Super Chameleons, from Jump Library

This title from the Nature's Superheroes series introduces young readers to important biological concepts with full color photography, as well as extension activities via age-appropriate safe-search websites. Each title in the series also includes reading tips to help teachers and parents engage with their young readers. Today Big Universe is used in more than 900 schools where it is available to more than 700,000 students and 50,000 teachers to augment classroom activities.

According to a study conducted by independent research firm SEG Measurement, fourth grade students who used Big Universe over a six month period showed greater improvement in reading skills than comparable students who did not use the platform. Click here to read about how the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina uses Big Universe. About Fuel Education Fuel Education partners with school districts to fuel personalized learning and transform the education experience inside and outside the classroom. The company provides innovative solutions for pre-K through 12th grade that empower districts to implement successful online and blended learning programs. Its open, easy-to-use Personalized Learning Platform, PEAK, enables teachers to customize courses using their own content, FuelEd courses and titles, third-party content, and open educational resources. Fuel Education serves more than 2,000 school districts, offering one of the industry's largest catalogs of K-12 digital curriculum, certified instruction, professional development, and educational services. To learn more, visit fueleducation.com and Twitter. 2018 Fuel Education LLC. All rights reserved. Fuel Education, FuelEd, and Big Universe are trademarks of Fuel Education LLC or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005761/en/

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[February 26, 2018] Samsung Demonstrating TrustCall Native Secure Calling and Messaging for Samsung at Mobile World Congress

KoolSpan, the leading provider of encrypted secure voice and messaging solutions for smartphones, has partnered with Samsung (News - Alert) to provide TrustCall Native for Samsung; the only solution providing native dialer integration on Samsung devices. Samsung is demonstrating TrustCall Native for Samsung at MWC in their booth. Attacks on mobile communications have increased globally as criminals, hackers and governments intercept calls and messages by exploiting vulnerabilities in mobile internetworking protocols. US Government organizations including U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and cybersecurity experts recommend end-to-end encryptin for all calls and messages.



The challenge organizations face is the tradeoff between security and ease of use; with people usually choosing convenience over security. For security adoption to be successful, it must be convenient, easy to use, transparent to end users, and automatic. People should not have to decide to call securely; it should happen automatically. "We're excited to partner with KoolSpan (News - Alert) , which enables us to implement secure communications on Samsung smartphones," said Mike Kazmierczak, Samsung B2B Business Development Manager, Mobile B2B Team, EMEA. "TrustCall Native, one of KoolSpan's flagship products, is the best example of the universal understanding that security is only as good as it is easy to use."

In response to market demand from business users, KoolSpan has developed native integration on Samsung devices, whereby secure communications happen automatically. TrustCall integrates with Samsung native functionalityi for phone, messaging and contacts, providing security by default. Whenever people call or text using their TrustCall Native enabled Samsung phones, end-to-end encryption is applied automatically. "We're excited to partner with Samsung to provide secure communications natively on Samsung phones," said Chief Product Officer of KoolSpan, Julie Holdren. "For the first time, business users can leverage Samsung smartphones, taking advantage of the Samsung features, while automatically securing their calls and messages. Secure communications are integrated with the phones, seamlessly and transparently to end users." About KoolSpan KoolSpan is the leading provider of robust, cross-platform, end-to-end communication security on smartphones. KoolSpan offers multiple encryption solutions supporting Android and iPhone (News - Alert) . KoolSpan's security and privacy solutions address the growing threat of loss or theft of intellectual property, vital information and proprietary assets. Customers include government organizations and enterprises in over 60 countries worldwide. KoolSpan is FIPS 140-2 validated and has 33 issued patents with dozens more pending. KoolSpan is a privately held and based in Bethesda, Md. For more information, visit www.koolspan.com, follow KoolSpan on Twitter (News - Alert) @KoolSpan. i To deploy TrustCall Native Secure Communications for Samsung, customer must have a Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program (SEAP) account and subscription to KNOX Configure. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005232/en/

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[February 26, 2018] Commercial Observer Expands Coverage To Los Angeles

NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Commercial Observer announces today it has expanded its coverage to include the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The New York-based publication will bring the same exclusive, in-depth reporting of all aspects of the commercial real estate industry to Los Angeles including leasing, finance, investment sales and design and construction news. Coverage of the L.A. market will feature a mix of transactional news, professional profiles, industry insights and bylined articles written by local commercial real estate professionals. "By expanding its coverage nationally to Los Angeles, Commercial Observer is following the needs of its readers and clients," said James Karklins, president of Commercial Observer. "Commercial Observer produces best-in-class reporting of the commercial real estate industry, providing a platform that allows companies the opportunity to speak directly to their target audiences--including lenders, owners, brokers and other professional services firms servicing the industry--wherever they are." In addition to its breaking news coverage online, Commercial Observer has launched a weekly Los Angeles e-newsletter, Los Angeles Weekly Pulse, that will deliver regional an national commercial real estate market news directly to more than 10,000 industry professionals across the region.



Commercial Observer will also launch signature editorial features focused on greater Los Angeles, including its in-depth Power Player profiles, Sit Down interviews with the top names in the industry, its famed Power List, and will expand its events platform, which produces approximately 20 events each year focusing on the latest leasing, finance and construction trends. Alison Stateman will serve as Commercial Observer's Los Angeles-based reporter; the company plans to hire additional resources in the region over the coming months. Story tips and exclusives may be sent to astateman@commercialobserver.com.

"Any truly national player in real estate must pay attention to Los Angeles. What's going on there, who the important people are, what the trends are, and who's doing what," added Max Gross, Editor In Chief of Commercial Observer. "And every real estate professional we've spoken to in L.A. has expressed an incredible hunger for news. We plan on being a critical resource in that market." To subscribe to Commercial Observer's Los Angeles Weekly Pulse newsletter, click here. Commercial Observer is a leading commercial real estate media company. Its content, events, and platforms connect and inform industry participants of the key trends and leaders defining the global real estate landscape. Contact:

Greg McGunagle

Commercial Observer

212.407.9345

gmcgunagle@commercialobserver.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/commercial-observer-expands-coverage-to-los-angeles-300604062.html SOURCE Commercial Observer

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Ethernity Displays Carrier Ethernet Aggregation Switch Router on COTS Servers with Multiple FPGA SmartNICs Architecture at MWC2018

Stand 2K63, Hall 2, MWC2018 - Ethernity Networks (AIM: ENET.L), a leading supplier of data processing technology on programmable logic for high-end carrier grade data processing offload, today demonstrated a scalable Carrier Ethernet aggregation Switch Router platform on a COTS server that utilizes OVS DPDK as a fabric between multiple ENET FPGA SmartNICs hosting multiple 10GE ports.

This unique implementation of the ENET Flow Processor (News - Alert) offers cost-efficient Carrier Ethernet functionality in virtualised networks while maintaining the COTS nature of NFV environments. This overcomes the significant challenge that communications service providers (CSPs) face in achieving carrier-grade performance upon virtualisation of their network infrastructures. Ethernity's (News - Alert) solution provides SLA support, OAM, routing, multi-protocol interworking, and security that cannot be deployed efficiently with software-only implementations, while elimnating vendor lock-in.







Once Carrier Ethernet is integrated into the server with the ENET FPGA SmartNIC, the ENET Flow Processor can be used for VNF offloading, including vFW, vRouter, vBRAS, and vEPC, providing further gains in CPU efficiency and lower latency.

"Virtualisation of a network loses its value if the price of virtualisation is the loss of carrier-grade services," said David Levi, CEO of Ethernity Networks. "At Ethernity, we resolve performance, security, and power consumption issues to provide the best of both telecom worlds - virtualised and traditional - with guaranteed quality of experience."

About Ethernity Networks

Ethernity Networks (AIM: ENET.L) is a leading provider and developer of data processing technology for high-end Carrier Ethernet applications across the telecom, mobile, security and data centre markets. The Company's core technology, which is populated on programmable logic, enables data offloading deployment at the pace of software development, improves performance and reduces power consumption and latency, therefore facilitating the deployment of virtualization of networking functionality.

For more information visit http://www.ethernitynet.com/events/ethernity-networks-mwc-2018/

Ethernity Networks 13A HaMelacha St., Lod Industrial Park, Israel 7152025

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226005912/en/
[February 26, 2018] FogHorn to Showcase Edge Machine Learning and Device Management with Intel and Wind River at Embedded World 2018

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FogHorn Systems TM , a leading developer of edge intelligence software for industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced its participation in the upcoming Embedded World 2018 Conference in Nuremberg, Germany, February 27- March 1. At the conference, FogHorn will showcase its scalable solution for predictive maintenance, created in partnership with Intel, using machine learning and advanced complex event processing. Additionally, FogHorn will showcase its integration with the Wind River product portfolio, including Wind River Helix Device Cloud, Wind River Titanium Control, and Wind River Linux with its breakthrough edge analytics and machine learning platform, Lightning.

FogHorns Lightning product portfolio brings a groundbreaking dimension to industrial IoT (IIoT) by embedding edge intelligence directly into small-footprint IIoT devices. By collaborating with Intel and Wind River, FogHorns customers now have the power of the worlds most compact, advanced and feature-rich edge intelligencesolution, delivering unprecedented low latency for onsite data processing, real-time analytics, machine learning and AI capabilities. Additionally, customers now have management capabilities of thousands to hundreds of thousands of endpoints across their product lifecycle.



As commercial and industrial organizations deploy large volumes of IoT devices as close to data sources as possible, applying advanced analytics and machine learning and efficiently managing them at large scale will be critical to the success of the initiatives, said Kevin Duffy, VP of Business Development at FogHorn. Our collaboration with Intel and Wind River uniquely brings edge analytics and machine learning to any edge computing device, using any operating system, in a highly scalable, manageable way. What: Embedded World offers the embedded community the opportunity to obtain information about new products and innovations, enter into an exchange and to maintain and develop valuable contacts.

When: Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 2018

Where: Hall 1, Intel Booth 338, and Hall 4, Wind River Booth 361, Exhibition Centre, Nuremburg, Germany

FogHorn Systems demos on display at Embedded World: Hall 1 Booth 338 : In booth 338, attendees will get a live demo of the FogHorn platform performing predictive maintenance, along with other use cases for manufacturing and other industries.

: In booth 338, attendees will get a live demo of the FogHorn platform performing predictive maintenance, along with other use cases for manufacturing and other industries. Hall 4 Booth 361: In booth 361, FogHorn and Wind River will showcase the combined capabilities of the integration of their two products, Lightning and Device Cloud. For further details about FogHorn at Embedded World 2018, please visit https://www.foghorn.io/embedded-world-2018/. About FogHorn Systems

FogHorn is a leading developer of edge intelligence software for industrial and commercial IoT application solutions. FogHorns software platform brings the power of advanced analytics and machine learning to the on-premises edge environment enabling a new class of applications for advanced monitoring and diagnostics, machine performance optimization, proactive maintenance and operational intelligence use cases. FogHorns technology is ideally suited for OEMs, systems integrators and end customers in manufacturing, power and water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, transportation, healthcare, retail, as well as smart grid, smart city, smart building and connected vehicle applications. FogHorn and Lightning are trademarks of FogHorn Systems. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Media Contact

Kyra Tillmans

foghorn@10fold.com

+1 925-271-8214

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[February 26, 2018] Optomec Partners with HUSUN Technologies to Expand Metal Additive Manufacturing Market in China

Optomec, a leading global supplier of production grade additive manufacturing systems, today announced that the company has signed a partnership agreement with HUSUN Technologies to resell Optomec LENS Systems for 3D Printed Metals in China. For the past seven years HUSUN Technologies has focused on promoting advanced industrial 3D Printing solutions in China and has established a diverse customer base in Automotive, Aerospace, Academic and other industries. "Optomec is an internationally famous company in the field of metal additive manufacturing, and we are pleased to partner with them in their global development strategy," said Ms. Qiao, General Manager of HUSUN Technologies. "We see a large market opportunity for metal additive manufacturing technology in the region and are expanding our sales and sales service teams to promote and support LENS technology to various application fields in China." "We are very happy to partner with HUSUN to expand sales of LENS metal additive manufacturing systems in China," said Pascal Pierra, Optomec Director of Asia Pacific Sales, based in Singapore. "The HUSUN team has an excellent track record delivering advanced industrial manufacturing solutions including equipment, application technology, and post-sales support. They're already off to a great start with sales of two LENS systems." Optomec LENS systems for 3D printed metals use the energy from a high-power laser to build up structures one layer at a time directly from powder metal feedstock. The LENS process can completely build new metal parts or add material to existing metal components, enabling more additive applications such as repair, surface coatings, and hybrid manufacturing. Optomec LENS systems are the leading Directed Energy Deposition (DED) solution on the market today, with over 100 installations in 15 countries. The new LENS Machine Tool Series offers affordable, high quality metal 3D printing with 10 times faster printing speed than Powder Bed Fusion systems at roughly 1/3 the price. Click here for more information.



About HUSUN HUSUN Technology Group, founded in 2011, is a high-tech company that focuses on promoting advanced industrial 3D printing equipment and solutions. HUSUN branches are located at Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong. HUSUN Technology Group has excellent business, technology and after-sales service teams. The customers are in diverse fields, including Aerospace, New Materials, Tooling, Automotive, Academic and other fields. For more information click here.

About Optomec Optomec is a privately-held, rapidly growing supplier of Additive Manufacturing systems. Optomec's patented Aerosol Jet Systems for 3D printed electronics and LENS Systems for 3D metal components are used by industry to reduce product cost and improve performance. Together, these unique printing solutions work with the broadest spectrum of functional materials, ranging from electronic inks to structural metals and even biological matter. Optomec has more than 300 marquee customers around the world, targeting production applications in the Electronics, Energy, Life Sciences and Aerospace industries. For more information about Optomec, visit www.optomec.com. LENS (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) is a registered trademark of Sandia National Laboratories.

Aerosol Jet and Optomec are registered trademarks of Optomec Inc. Twitter (News - Alert) - https://twitter.com/optomecinc

Facebook (News - Alert) - www.facebook.com/optomec

LinkedIn (News - Alert) - https://www.linkedin.com/company/optomec View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226006172/en/

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[February 26, 2018] LimeBike introduces e-bikes and e-scooters, marks first two successful months in Europe

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, LimeBike - the leading smart mobility solution provider is officially announcing the launch of electric scooters, Lime-S, along with the largest deployment of shared electric-assist bikes, Lime-E in Europe. LimeBike is the first company to have a market-ready multi-modal smart fleet. The whole fleet is available in Barcelona for demonstration and testing throughout the event. The introduction of Lime-E and Lime-S is part of the strategy to transform the company from a bike-sharing to a smart mobility provider that offers multiple personal transportation solutions for smart cities. The company recently raised an additional $70 million as part of its Series B financing round, bringing the total amount of funding to $132 million and providing solid financial backing for further enhancement and roll out of LimeBike's smart fleet. "Our goal is to lead the future of smart mobility. Our multi-modal smart fleet provides immediate access to an affordable, convenient and healthy means of transportation. We are here to help cities, businesses and universities to solve their first and last mile transportation challenges," says Caen Contee, founding member and VP Marketing, Partnerships, & International Expansion at LimeBike. Strong results in the first two moths of operations in Europe



Since December 2017, LimeBike is available in Frankfurt and Zurich - the two pilot cities on its European expansion course. Despite launching in the midst of winter, LimeBike has already accumulated more than 10,000 rides in the first two months of operation. "We are encouraged by the warm welcome LimeBike has received in Europe. This is a great start for us as we are entering the peak seasons for bike riding in spring and summer. It is also a springboard for our further investment into Europe which we are planning to announce soon," Contee commented.

LimeBike aims to become an integral part of the European city landscape by cooperating with local communities, colleges and businesses, as well as prioritizing the high quality of its bikes. The majority of active users in Frankfurt and Zurich have come back to use LimeBike again after the first ride. Many use it to cover the first and/or the last mile of their daily commute, indicating that the average Swiss user opts for the bike twice daily, while the German rider is doing one trip a day. With its first market launch in June 2017, LimeBike is the leading smart bikeshare provider in the U.S., available in 46 markets with 35,000 bikes and growing. It is the first US-based company in the smart bikeshare space to enter the European market. About LimeBike

LimeBike is revolutionizing mobility in cities and campuses by empowering residents with a greener, more efficient, and affordable transportation option that also improves urban sustainability. By partnering with local key stakeholders and systematically deploying a fleet of smart-bikes that are enabled with GPS, wireless technology, and self-activating locks, LimeBike will dramatically improve urban mobility by making the first and last mile faster, cheaper, and healthier for riders. Since launching in June 2017, the company has logged over 1.5 million trips, expanded internationally to Europe, and deployed electric scooters, electric-assist bikes, and multiple models of their standard pedal bike. Funded by Silicon Valley's leading VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, LimeBike is based in San Mateo, CA. Learn more at limebike.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/limebike-introduces-e-bikes-and-e-scooters-marks-first-two-successful-months-in-europe-300603239.html SOURCE LimeBike

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[February 26, 2018] Europlasma Commits Alongside Arcelor Mittal to Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the Steel Industry

BORDEAUX, France, February 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Europlasma announces its participation in the "IGAR" (Reducing Gas Injection) project, led by world steel leader Arcelor Mittal. This project aims to validate at a pre-industrial scale, then to deploy at industrial scale, a plasma solution allowing steel production to meet the challenges of energy transition by reducing its carbon footprint. Through the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), the French government has granted this project a financial contribution under the "Investissements d'Avenir" Program. An innovative solution This plasma solution will have a dual purpose: Drastically reduce CO2 emissions by reusing carbon from process gases (reducing CO2 production by 90 to 180 kg per ton of steel);

by reusing carbon from process gases (reducing CO2 production by 90 to 180 kg per ton of steel); Reduce fossil fuel energy consumption of the steel furnace by reforming and recovering process gases. The proposed system consists in injecting the gases from blast furnaces (rich in CO2, and containing CH4) into a plasma reactor (Turboplasma type) allowing, after cracking and reforming of the molecules, to generate clean and directly recoverable synthesis gas. This clean syngas (CO + H2), with a high energy value, similar to that produced by CHO Power, can then be reinjected into the blast furnace, thus reducing fossil fuel consumption. After a phase of studies and successful tests performed since2015, and upon the definitive signing of the Consortium agreement with all stakeholders on IGAR project, the pre-industrialization of the process will be initiated.



Important ecological and economic stakes Given the current European steel production, the deployment of this plasma solution would prevent the release into the atmosphere of 10 to 20 million tons of CO2 per year, comparable to the volume of CO2 emissions generated by car traffic in the greater Paris region.

By seeking to reduce its carbon footprint and its fossil fuel consumption, Arcelor Mittal is actively contributing to the energy transition and ensures economic sustainability of its operations, particularly in Europe. Arcelor Mittal's confidence in Europlasma demonstrates once again the industry's interest in plasma technology, and constitutes a tangible recognition of the group's innovation efforts on carbon footprint reduction. Europlasma is assessing the extension of this plasma solution to other CO2-emitting industries, such as coal power plants. About EUROPLASMA At the heart of environmental issues, Europlasma designs and develops innovative plasma solutions for renewable energy production and hazardous waste recovery, as well as tailored-made applications for companies wishing to reduce their environmental footprint. Europlasma is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (FR0000044810-ALEUP / LEI 969500WYVNHBV1ABQ250). For more information: www.europlasma.com Important notice The information or statements contained in this press release have to be considered as management's estimates made on the date of their publication. Such information is submitted to risks and uncertainties hardly predictable and generally outside of the Group's scope of action. These risks enclose the risks listed in the Reference Book available on the company's website www.europlasma.com. The group's future performance may therefore slightly vary from the forward-looking information revealed. The Group takes no responsibility for the achievement of these forward looking statements. Shareholders contact:

Anne BORDERES - Communication Manager

Tel: + 33 (0)5 56 49 70 00 - contactbourse@europlasma.com Media contact:

Luc PERINET MARQUET - LPM STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 50 40 35 - lperinet@lpm-corporate.com This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

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[February 26, 2018] Advantmed Appoints Scott Howell, M.D., Chief Medical Officer: Combines Clinical, Financial, IT Analytics and Network Performance Expertise and Experience

Advantmed, LLC, an integrated risk-adjustment optimization and quality improvement company, announces the appointment of Scott Howell, M.D., MPH & TM, CPE, as chief medical officer. A prominent physician leader with 25+ years of experience spanning clinical, health plan, provider organizations and public health settings, Dr. Howell brings expertise in risk adjustment, quality performance, network analytics, predictive modeling, clinical consulting and acquisition "Advantmed is pleased to expand its senior management team with such a seasoned professional as Dr. Scott Howell, and we value the extraordinary knowledge that he brings to our organization," says Akash Patel, CEO, Advantmed. "His diversified experience and deep insights into the combined areas of medicine and finance will be significant assets for Advantmed and the clients we serve." Prior to joining Advantmed, Dr. Howell served as an executive medical director at Heritage Provider Network. He was the national senior medical director and chief medical officer for Network and Population Health at Optum Insight, and held responsibility for risk adjustment, quality performance, network analytics, predictive modeling, clinical onsulting and acquisition due diligence. Previously, he was the regional chief medical officer for the Northeast Region of Americhoice, Inc., focusing on the Medicaid and Dual SNPs populations.



During his career, Dr. Howell was medical director for Managed Care at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the first HIV C-SNP in the nation, along with responsibility for international consulting in Russia, Ukraine, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti. He was the lead scientific advisor to Management Sciences for Health, the prime contractor for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Haiti. Board certified in Family Practice, Preventative Medicine and Public Health and Addiction Medicine, he earned a Masters in Economics from the University of Miami. He also holds a Masters in Public Health and Tropical Medicine (MPH & TM) from Tulane University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from California State University Fresno. Dr. Howell is certified by the American College of Physician Executives as a Certified Physician Executive (CPE).

Dedicated to public service, he has served the military for 25 years and his current reserve assignment is with the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) at the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoDIG). In this role, he concentrates on the Wounded Warrior Program, BioAssurity, and Ebola Outbreak Assessment. A prolific author, he has published peer-reviewed articles in financial and medical journals. About Advantmed, LLC Advantmed, LLC is a healthcare solutions company dedicated to partnering with health plans, provider groups and risk-bearing entities to optimize risk adjustment and quality improvement programs. Our integrated and technology-enabled solutions improve health plan financial results and offer insights on health plan members. For more information on Advantmed's solutions visit www.advantmed.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226006183/en/

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[February 26, 2018] buildPl8 Manufacturing Launches Cloud Based 3d Printing Factory

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today buildPl8 Manufacturing, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey released its flagship cloud software, InventoryBot. The system promises to transform how businesses create and manufacture parts and products, with their "Factory Mesh" of 3d printers. "InventoryBot has been a year in the making and has tools that provide users with everything from 'direct print' to the management of complex multi-part product construction. It is THE solution for small manufacturers looking to outsource parts creation," said Gerry Libertelli, buildPl8 Founder, and CEO. InventoryBot is available now at http://www.buildpl8.com and is free to join and price models. Users of the system can create a real "On Demand" manufacturing supply chain node with integrated drop shipping. The company says they envision InventoryBot will become a component of a manufacturer's larger supply chain. "I can not ait to see what the creative genius of the US entrepreneur unleashes with 3d printing. With InventoryBot, we hope to be a big part of that transformation. We want to be the tool US business turns to when China can't get it done," challenged Libertelli from his newly christened Princeton Junction, NJ factory site.



"InventoryBot, and services like it, portend the start of a new kind of manufacturing revolution. It is now possible to conceive, design, prototype AND MANUFACTURE all within a closed loop. This will enable more innovation and more consumer choice," said Ben Reytblat, CEO of 3dMonstr. "We are very excited to be working with buildPl8 on this exciting venture. Our large format, high-speed printers are at the center of the InventoryBot solution and we are so excited that buildPl8 has trusted us." About buildPl8 - buildPl8 is a "3d Printer Factory" designed to bring "on-demand" manufacturing to everyone. Located in Boonton NJ, with facilities in Princeton Junction, NJ, the company focuses on the mass production of thermoplastic parts and products across a variety of material types and formats. The company's flagship product, InventoryBot provides access to the buildPl8 factory of 3d printers with tools that allow customers to do everything from "direct print" to manage complex multi-part product production.

For press information email info@buildpl8.com Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4AtMipZmg View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/buildpl8-manufacturing-launches-cloud-based-3d-printing-factory-300604189.html SOURCE buildPl8 Manufacturing

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[February 26, 2018] EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS AND VALNEVA INITIATE PHASE 1 CLINICAL STUDY TO EVALUATE VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST ZIKA VIRUS

EMERGENT BIOSOLUTIONS AND VALNEVA INITIATE PHASE 1 CLINICAL STUDY TO EVALUATE VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST ZIKA VIRUS GAITHERSBURG, Md. and LYON, France, February 26, 2018 - Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) and Valneva SE (VLA) today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial in the U.S. to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of VLA1601, their vaccine candidate against Zika virus. The Phase 1 clinical trial is a randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled, single center study. This study, in approximately 65 healthy adults, will investigate two dose levels of VLA1601 when administered using two different vaccination schedules. Initial data from the trial are expected to be available in late 2018 or early 2019. Adam Havey, Executive Vice President business operations at Emergent BioSolutions, said, "Emergent's commitment to our mission - to protect and enhance life - fuels our pursuit for preparedness solutions against Zika virus, the consequences of which remain a public health challenge that requires attention. Our collaboration with Valneva on this Phase 1 study intends to make meaningful contributions to global research in this field." Thomas Lingelbach, President & CEO of Valneva, added, "We are delighted that our collaboration with Emergent has resulted in the clinical progression of a very promising vaccine candidate. This vaccine candidate has already demonstrated an excellent preclinical profile a comparable to Valneva's licensed Japanese Encephalitis vaccine." Under the terms of the agreement signed in July 2017, the parties will share all costs until the availability of Phase 1 data in the U.S. Valneva will be responsible for the program's execution until completion of the Phase 1 trial through a joint governance structure. Upon availability of Phase 1 data, Emergent will have the option to continue the development and commercialization of a Zika vaccine under its worldwide exclusive license agreement with Valneva for a milestone payment of 5 million. The agreement provides Valneva potential additional milestone payments of up to 44 million related to product development, approval, commercialization, and product sales, future royalties on annual net sales, and the right, prior to a Phase 3 clinical trial, to negotiate with Emergent exclusive commercialization rights in Europe. The companies are expected to enter into a technology transfer agreement at a later time to enable transfer of Valneva's technology to Emergent's Bayview manufacturing facility in Baltimore, Maryland. About Zika Virus The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that was first discovered in 1947. The first human cases were detected in 1952. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and, in 2015, in the Americas. According to the World Health Organization, there is scientific consensus that ZIKV is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Since 2013, 31 countries and territories have reported cases of microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations associated with ZIKV infection. About VLA1601 VLA1601 is a highly purified inactivated vaccine candidate against the Zika virus, developed using the same manufacturing platform as Valneva's IXIARO (JESPECT) Japanese Encephalitis ("JE") vaccine. Certain health authorities and key opinion leaders have expressed a preference for the purified inactivated vaccine approach over other vaccine technologies (such as live-attenuated approaches) since the initial target population for a Zika vaccine is expeted to be women of child-bearing age, including those who may be pregnant. There is a theoretical risk that live-attenuated or replication competent viral vaccines given to pregnant women may be capable of crossing the placenta and infecting the fetus. For this reason, live vaccines are not recommended during pregnancy. In pre-clinical development, VLA1601 demonstrated excellent purity and had an overall biological, chemical and physical profile comparable to the commercially produced JE vaccine, which means that a similar safety and immunogenicity profile could be expected. Valneva has an established manufacturing process in its dedicated clinical JE vaccine facility.



About Emergent BioSolutions Emergent BioSolutions Inc. is a global life sciences company seeking to protect and enhance life by focusing on providing specialty products for civilian and military populations that address accidental, intentional, and naturally occurring public health threats. Through our work, we envision protecting and enhancing 50 million lives with our products by 2025. Additional information about the company may be found at emergentbiosolutions.com. Follow us on Twitter @emergentbiosolu and Instagram @life_at_emergent.

About Valneva SE Valneva is a fully integrated, commercial stage biotech company focused on developing innovative life-saving vaccines. Valneva's portfolio includes two commercial vaccines for travelers: IXIARO/JESPECT indicated for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis and DUKORAL indicated for the prevention of cholera and, in some countries, prevention of diarrhea caused by ETEC. The Company has proprietary vaccines in development including a unique vaccine against Lyme disease. Valneva has operations in Austria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the US with over 450 employees. More information is available at www.valneva.com. Emergent Investor and Media Contacts: Investor Contact:

Robert G. Burrows

Vice President, Investor Relations

240-631-3280

BurrowsR@ebsi.com Media Contact:

Lynn Kieffer

Vice President, Corporate Communications

240-631-3391

KiefferL@ebsi.com



Valneva Investor and Media Contact



Laetitia Bachelot Fontaine



Global Head of Investor Relations &



Corporate Communications



T +33 (0)2 2807 1419



M +33 (0)6 4516 7099



investors@valneva.com



Emergent Safe Harbor Statement This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events. We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate. Investors should realize that if underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could differ materially from our expectations. Investors are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events or circumstances. There are a number of important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including the success of the planned development program; the timing of and ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for the product candidate; and our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, when evaluating our forward-looking statements. Valneva Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Valneva, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical trials for product candidates, the ability to manufacture, market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for product candidates, the ability to protect intellectual property and operate the business without infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, estimates for future performance and estimates regarding anticipated operating losses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing. In addition, even if the actual results or development of Valneva are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments of Valneva may not be indicative of the future. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "could," "should," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "aims," "targets," or similar words. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the current expectations of Valneva as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In particular, the expectations of Valneva could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, unexpected clinical trial results, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, competition in general, currency fluctuations, the impact of the global and European credit crisis, and the ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements made in this press release will in fact be realized. Valneva is providing the information in these materials as of the date of this press release, and disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. ## Attachments: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/183b75af-cdb8-4d37-853a-1e06578214a4

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[February 26, 2018] CES Asia 2018 Innovation Awards Call for Judges and Entries Now Open

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) today announced its call for judges and product entries for CES Asia 2018's Innovation Awards. Tech experts can submit applications to join the judging panel through March 23, 2018. Products can be submitted for consideration through April 20, 2018. The CES (News - Alert) Asia Innovation Awards program honors new to market products across 20 product categories, including AI, drones, health tech, virtual reality, wearables and more. Products selected will be displayed in the Innovation Awards Showcase at CES Asia and prominently featured on the official CES Asia website. The CES Asia Innovation Awards program is open to CES Asia exhibitors only. Additional program rules and entry qualifications can be found on the CES Asia Innovation Awards webpage. Recognizing outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology, the CES Asia Innovation Awards program also seeks qualified judges to serve on an elite panel of reviewers. Global technology industry experts, analysts, designers, engineers and members of the media are encouraged to apply. Judges will evaluate each product category on five criteria: engineering qualities, aesthetic qualities, function and user value, unique features and level of innovation. ualified judges must have an appreciation for outstanding product design and engineering in addition to at least five years of tech industry experience.



For additional inquiries about the CES Asia Innovation Awards program entry and judging, please contact CESAsiaInnovationAwards@CTA.tech. Owned and produced by CES and co-produced by Shanghai Intex, CES Asia 2018 will run from June 13-15, in Shanghai, China. The premier event for the consumer technology industry in China, CES Asia showcases major brands and innovative companies across several vertical markets in the Asian marketplace.

For the latest show news, information, photos, b-roll and more, visit CESAsia.com. Note to Editors: High-definition video b-roll from CES Asia 2017 is available for easy download on CESAsia.com. Journalists traveling from outside of China will require a J-1 or J-2 visa. For questions about exhibiting at CES Asia, contact Brian Moon at bmoon@CTA.tech or +1 703-907-4351. About CES Asia: Owned and produced by CES and co-produced by Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd (Shanghai Intex), CES Asia is the premier event for the consumer technology industry, showcasing the full breadth and depth of the innovation value-chain in the Asian marketplace. Key global businesses come to this new event to grow and reinforce their brand by showcasing the latest products and technologies to consumer tech industry executives, foreign buyers, international media and a limited number of consumers from China. Attendees have exclusive access to some of the largest brands from China and around the world, while celebrating the innovation that defines the consumer technology sector. About Consumer Technology Association and CES: Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is the trade association representing the $351 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. About Shanghai Intex: Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd was originally the exhibition organizing business of Shanghai Intex, a pioneering exhibition organizer established in 1995. Shanghai Intex is jointly overseen by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shanghai and PNO Exhibition Investment (Dubai) Limited. Starting in 1998, Shanghai Intex has organized over 100 trade shows and conferences with a sum total exhibition space in excess of 2 million sqm. Shanghai Intex is comprised of professional teams with a wealth of experience in organizing major international events, covering the creative industry, healthcare, lifestyle, advanced manufacturing and consumer electronics. UPCOMING EVENTS CES on the Hill

April 16, Washington, DC

April 16, Washington, DC Digital Patriots Dinner

April 17, Washington, DC

April 17, Washington, DC CES Asia 2018 - Register

June 13-15, Shanghai, China

June 13-15, Shanghai, China CEO Summit

June 24-27, Barcelona, Spain

June 24-27, Barcelona, Spain CES 2019

January 8-11, 2019 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180226006522/en/

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Can you imagine a 512GB memory stick? Intel's Apache Pass DIMMs make that a reality in Lenovo's new ThinkSystem SD650 servers, which are the first servers to support the new devices. These new DIMMs will feature 3D XPoint memory addressed as normal system memory in a RAM slot, but they aren't on the market yet. The new DIMMs require specialized accommodations, but Lenovo said the SD650 will support them when the Cascade Lake Xeons, which will be drop-in compatible with the server, come to market next year.

RAM is one of the most important components in a system, be it a desktop PC or a server, but the relationship between capacity and cost has long been a serious drawback. For instance, the densest memory sticks come with hefty price premiums. The largest single DDR4 stick you can buy is 128GB and carries an eye-watering $4,000 price tag. You can reach the same level of capacity for much less money if you spread it across multiple DIMMs, so that type of density isn't attractive from a cost standpoint.

Intel's 3D XPoint DIMMs are designed to radically change that. Lenovo's SD650 server supports up to four of the forthcoming 512GB 3D XPoint DIMMs per server node, meaning you can slot in up to 2TB of memory into just four slots. These DIMMs will function as a memory-mapped device, meaning the operating system will address it as memory. That will boost system memory capacity dramatically. Intel has long said that 3D XPoint DIMMs will be less expensive than standard system memory, which the company says will help the new memory bust through both capacity and cost barriers.

We got our first glimpse of an Optane DIMM package back at Storage Visions in early 2016. However, the devices didn't come to market within the expected time frame. That fueled speculation that endurance was an issue for 3D XPoint in heavy-use memory applications.

But we've also heard that power and thermal requirements were also a challenge. The ThinkSystem SD650 features a warm-water cooling system, meaning it uses water up to 45C instead of chilled liquid. That provides the utmost density by allowing more hot components in a smaller footprint. The system can recover up to 90% of the waste heat generated inside the chassis.

Image 1 of 2 Image 2 of 2

The design allows Lenovo to pack in two full servers and a total of four (up to) 205W Skylake Xeon processors into a single 1U tray. Lenovo's SD650 walkthrough video specifically mentions that the cooling system is also designed to "maximize cooling on higher TDP processors as well as 3D XPoint and other higher-power memory for future designs."

The server documentation also specifically lists four 3D XPoint-compatible slots in each two-socket server node. We reached out to Lenovo's Scott Tease (Executive Director, HPC and AI, Lenovo Data Center Group) about the specialized slots:

"The 3D DIMM[...] has a higher power profile and is slightly wider so most servers would not be able to accept them in a standard DDR4 slot without specific changes to the board to accommodate it."

The four 3D XPoint slots are also DDR4-capable, so they adhere to JEDEC spec, and you could use regular memory in them as well. But it is an important distinction that the 3D XPoint DIMMs will not function in standard memory slots in most servers. That means that accommodating the DIMMs will likely require specialized motherboard designs.

Lenovo SD650

Lenovo designed the SD650 specifically to maximize density through effective thermal management, so like the rest of the system, the DIMMs are water cooled. The system uses gap pads, which are thermal pads that make contact with the DIMMs, draped over a waterblock (seen above). We've seen similar techniques in other watercooled servers, but we aren't sure if water cooling will be a strict requirement for 3D XPoint DIMMs. You can also see the four thick black inserts among the DIMMs. Those fillers coincide with the 3D XPoint DIMM slots, which are sandwiched between pads.

Vinod Kamath, Ph.D., Thermal Architect at Lenovo, also weighed in to answer our questions about power consumption:

The 3D Xpoint memory can consume about 3X the power of a standard 8/16GB DDR4 DIMM. The actual value could range from 15-18W depending on the workload.Cooling for this memory required special focus and optimization of the cooling loop to ensure the next generation device is capable of being supported in the server with the warm water cooling technology. The memory cooling loop extracts heat from all heat transfer surfaces of the 3D XPoint memory efficiently with the shortest conduction path to the critical device from the water flow channel.

Power consumption is a huge consideration in the data center, and gaining 32x the memory capacity in exchange for a 3x increase in power consumption is a dramatic improvement. Intel's first prototype also featured an FPGA to manage the underlying media. Squeezing in the FPGA's power draw and 512GB of 3D XPoint into a 15W-18W envelope is impressive.

We also learned that the Apache Pass DIMMs, much like NVDIMMs, require a DRAM "chaperone," meaning the 3D XPoint DIMMs have to be accompanied by at least one standard DDR4 stick in the same memory channel. The block diagram shows the four Apache Pass DIMMs (also known as AEP) riding along with standard DDR4 DIMMs on the same channel.

As expected, the motherboard also features the Lewisburg chipset with the C624 PCH. Lenovo infused the platform with a bevy of advanced features, such as support for Xeon "F" models that support 100Gb/s Omni-Path with interposers that plug directly into the processor. Lenovo also offers standard PCIe x16 networking solutions with both air- and water-cooled options.

Lenovo's video states that the water cooling system has some additional headroom to tackle processors with a higher TDP "should Intel come out with those." In the server documentation, we found that the system supports up to a 240W TDP. We've seen several indicators that Intel may have processors coming with much higher TDPs, so that functionality may prove useful.

Thoughts

The emergence of a platform that supports Apache Pass is a big step forward, but questions abound as Intel's new 3D XPoint DIMMs make their way to market. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich recently said that 3D XPoint DIMMs wouldn't have a material impact on revenue this year. Considering that Lenovo said that Cascade Lake Xeons aren't coming to its servers until next year, that likely signals the DIMMs will ship this year only for qualification purposes with early partners. Intel does ship server silicon early to cloud service providers, but it appears widespread Cascade Lake availability will not come until early next year.

Many analysts are predicting near-term revenues for NVDIMMs, which typically consist of NAND-backed DRAM, in the billions of dollars. Intel's Apache Pass DIMMs have the potential to plunder that market, as a single device with inherent data persistence and an exponential amount of capacity is a far more sophisticated solution. The 3D XPoint DIMMs will be much slower than DDR4-based NVDIMMs, but they don't require batteries and will piggyback on the same software and programming models that enable the NVDIMM ecosystem. That should help speed adoption.

Endurance and price will be the key considerations that could make or break Apache Pass. There is some speculation that Apache Pass' relatively late arrival is because Intel needed the more endurant second-generation of 3D XPoint to meet its desired endurance threshold, but we don't expect Intel to confirm that chatter.

In either case, the DIMMs will have a finite lifespan, so they'll likely be assigned endurance ratings, much like SSDs. We also suspect that several different techniques will emerge to mitigate the lower endurance, such as using the DDR4 pool as a fast front-end cache for the Apache pass DIMMs. We're also told it can be used as block storage.

Lenovo's ThinkSystem SD650 is designed to provide the utmost in performance density, but it's also a forward-looking platform loaded with the latest in server technology, and it has provisions for the future, too. We expect that other servers that support Intel's Apache Pass will follow Lenovo's ThinkSystem SD650, so we should learn more in the coming months.








KMBC: Authorities arrested the man near the grounds of the old Sam's Town Casino, currently the Cerner Corporation Riverfront Campus off of I-435 and 210 Highway around 3:30 p.m. Thats around 10 miles away from where he was originally spotted.

Quick glimpse of video what was put on blast throughout the metro as authorities attempted, in vain, to try and get the public to take this public safety danger seriously . . .Thankfully, given Internets low-rez there's not much to look at other thanDeveloping . . .
While scores of companies have severed ties with the National Rifle Association since a high school massacre in Florida, Kansas City insurance company Lockton Cos. is staying quiet about whether it will stick with an NRA-branded insurance policy.
Lawsuit: Bank cares for foreclosed homes based on racial makeup of neighborhoods KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A federal lawsuit claims a bank and property management companies are making decisions along racial lines that negatively impact neighborhoods across Kansas City. A watchdog group called the National Fair Housing Alliance filed a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, Ocwen Financial and Altisource for discrimination.

What could be a landmark complaint takes on a big bank on the maintenance of their discarded property. Read more:
McCaskill co-sponsors bill to improve reporting process for sexual assault A bill in the U.S. Senate is aimed at cutting through the red tape in defining and reporting sexual violence. Co-sponsored by Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, the measure would improve data collection at federal agencies. There are 23 different terms to describe sexual violence, and McCaskill, a former prosecutor, says the differences in definitions can slow prosecutions.

An important cause that will also play well to the current gender identity politics which power her campaign . . . Take a look:
THE STANFORDS TRIPLE SHOOTING ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM TOY TRAIN STREETCAR REVEALS RISING KANSAS CITY VIOLENCE THREATENING THE TOP DOWNTOWN TRANSIT ATTRACTION!!!

- Let's not forget that a last Spring a "passenger incident" was really just a cutting that was unreported and left several riders terrified and lamenting the blood cleanup needed on the streetcar.





- The Spring weather has consistently hosted horrific crashes on slick streets.





- In the aftermath of the early morning Stanfords triple shooting, reports hint that armed interlopers and hobos from around the area present a clear & present danger to every establishment ON AND AROUND the line no matter the time of day.

An uptick in violence along and around the streetcar line has KCMO leaders concerned despite dangerous illusions of downtown safety among tourists and visitors lured by the toy train.To wit . . .A few more examples . . .Moreover, this potential public safety crisis becomes even more important at a time when City Hall is refusing to provide police with more dispatchers.And so, like the rest of Kansas City violence now threatens biz and residents around the streetcar despite the effort to keep the proximity to Kansas City's toy train line an open secret.Developing . . .
Super Dave Seyz Elected Officials Are Innocent Until Proven Guilty Despite MSM Coverage

America is in the midst of a political turmoil and everybody appears to be hungry or angry to impeach somebody. Democrats are fighting Republicans and those two are busy fighting everybody else. Then to top it off we have a Kansas City Kansas politician and a Missouri state governor both facing some sort of criminal charges while still in office.Anybody charged with a crime in the United States is allotted a chance to be heard before a court of law in a trial with a jury to determine whether the parties are guilty or innocent. Nowhere that I know of is a law written that demands a person forfeit their job or position simply based upon they have been charged with a crime. This is where the saying "innocent until proven guilty" should be the focus of not only the media but every other organization. The media is not a court of law and the media should not be acting as a court of law by using their influence to persuade the people of this country to believe what they are saying as being the gospel truth. But many times the gospel truth doesnt come out in a trial either. A grand jury indictment is often used by prosecutors to get people charged with a crime that they might have difficulty in doing otherwise. Grand jury trials are not always impartial they are not always held in an impartial way. It is a closed to the public and unless the defendant is a witness they are not allowed to give any testimony. So in some ways a grand jury can be rather one-sided but allows a prosecutor to throw some stuff out there and see if nine people think there is enough reason to make an indictment. But it is by no means a proven charge of guilt. I have been reading statements all over the place by people stating the party is guilty because the grand jury made a recommendation of an indictment. That is pure crap thats totally incorrect and just further proof that people continuously let the media think for them.Just what is going on in Kansas City Kansas, Wyandotte County Commissioner Ann Brandau-Murguias case is still being held tight as far as information being released. All we know right now is the charges which usually result from some sort of domestic altercation. Weve all seen the booking picture of Ann Brandau-Murguias with what appears to be an injury to her nose. One thing Ive noticed is that there has not been a huge calling for her to resign or any legal actions being initiated to remove her from office. In fact this whole case is earning very low key coverage in the media, in my opinion, compared to some others. Is it because she is a woman or is it because it has to do with Wyandotte County and nobody cares what goes on over there? Either way, to me, it is an important case because we cannot have our elected officials allegedly getting into fisticuffs or possibly involved in liaisons that are detrimental to the operation of the government of which they are elected while in office. As I have said, in my opinion, this will be the more interesting of the two cases affecting the Kansas City area.Then we come to the case of Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. The man admits to having an affair before he was in office. Now while having an affair isnt in itself a criminal proceeding it does lead one to question a persons moral character. Now if this persons moral character was so important to question why wasnt it not questioned or this affair brought to light before Eric Greitens was elected to office? In fact, in this case the lady is not even the person pointing the finger. The story was started by another male in her life. Is this something that became known and there is a political reasoning for pushing this into the limelight making it into something it really wasnt? Im sure theres a reason for pushing it like this. Eric Greitens lost big time in the St. Louis area for sure and St. Louis County is the same county that put on this so-called grand jury looking for an indictment. Makes you wonder how impartial that Grand Jury was . . .?These are the kind of things that will come forth in a trial. The governor is entitled to a fair trial even if it happens while hes in office. He has lawyers to handle the legal action and the voters do have the right to see a fair trial take place here where the facts are brought out and where the facts become record in a public court for all to see. All of these people yelling for impeachment, yelling for Eric Greitens to be thrown out of office are the first people who would be screaming bloody murder if the same were to be done to them if they were charged in a criminal action. The governor is afforded a fair trial, has a right to a fair trial and should not be judged as guilty or removed from his position or posts until he has had his day in court and is found innocent or guilty. If a change of venue is needed in this case then it should be allowed because this is a very important case one that will affect more people than most people realize. The truth has to come out and be made public before the state of Missouri can even begin to move on.If the state of Missouri is so concerned with cleaning up its political houses they have time and time again proven that isnt the case. There have been several incidents in the past few years that should have led to the removal of certain people from their political positions. As in many times if not most times a slap on the wrist was the only sanction given. You cant attempt to discredit or remove a person from being in office for something they did before being in office while allowing those who do similar or worse actions to remain in office. They say justice is supposed to be blind but in Missouri as in most states or in this country for the most part it isnt.##########
RIGHT NOW KANSAS CITY TAX FIGHTERS OFFER FURTHER EXPLANATION OF THE WATER RATE SPIKE AMID RISING RESIDENT COSTS!!!

Citizens For Responsible Government: Water Rate Increases coming effective May 1, 2018, More Taxes in April...

In addition to these water rate increases, if you live in Kansas City, Your property taxes are going up to pay for the $800,000,000 GO Bond. Next the City will ask you to vote for an renewal of the 1% sales tax for infrastructure in April.

Wasnt the $800,000,000 GO Bond for infrastructure? This 1% tax was temporary and to be voted on every five years if it was to be extended. We have voted to extend it giving the City $700,000,000 over the last 10 years for infrastructure improvements? Where did that go? Now weve given them the GO Bond ($800,000,000) and they are back asking for another extension on the 1% sales tax ONLY THIS TIME THEY WANT IT FOR 20 YEARS, NOT 5 .

Over the weekend our blog community providedconfronting Kansas City.Accordingly . . .Take a look:If you are concerned about the water price increase to be be effectiveyou need to go thecontains a monthly "general meter rate increase" from $14.10 per month to $510.00 per month for each meter. You will be charged this increase if you have a meter even if you dont use any water.Next there will be a monthly "ordinary commodity usage charge" from a minimum of $4.70 per 100 cubic feet up to a maximum of $5.22 per 100 cubic feet of water usage. In addition, if your meter has to be manually read, there will be a $19.00 charge for each reading.The increases for users outside the city limits will be higher.Remember if the streetcar expansion proceeds, all the utility will have to be relocated and that cost will be spread among all taxpayers, not just those living within the TDD. You can expect increases in gas and electric bills as well as your water bill.If you live in the streetcar TDD district get ready for higher property taxes, increased sales taxes on whatever you buy in the TDD and some homeowners will get assessments on their property, which is just another tax.If youre fed up, let your councilperson hear your voice. Email and call your council representative.#########You decide . . .
In February 2017, UN Environment launched the Clean Seas campaign with the aim of engaging governments, the public, and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic litter

The need to protect the marine environment of the South Aegean against pollution, given the catalytic role that this entails for the sustainable development of the largest tourist Region of Greece, inspired the initiative of Regional Governor, George Hadjimarkou, to participate actively in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as part of the Clean Seas Campaign.

The South Aegean is the largest island region of Europe. It is our obligation to realize that protecting the marine environment is vital for us. It is the source of life for our region, noted Regional Governor George Hatzimarkos, who met with Erik Solheim, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

As one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations, the South Aegean islands bear a massive environmental impact. Tapping into the UNs environmental expertise and adopting its actions is a great opportunity for us to work towards ensuring the sustainability of our islands in the future as well as their further development. We wish to make the most of this chance for the benefit of our residents and visitors, he added.

In February 2017, UN Environment launched the Clean Seas campaign with the aim of engaging governments, the public, and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic litter. The campaign seeks to address the root causes of marine plastic litter through a three-phased strategy over five years (2017-2021). The campaigns key assets are its global reach; its unified voice, which can bring national movements under a single umbrella; and its collection of engaging materials, which are available in multiple languages.

The Clean Seas campaign aims to ban single-use plastics and microbeads within five years. It will do this by working with Governments to support action, with the private sector to change their business practices, and with citizens to call for action on this issue.

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
Tour operator flights to Lesvos can return to pre-migrant crisis levels, according to travel agencies, members of the Tourist Board of Molyvos, that transport guests with charter flights from Europe to the Greek island.

The destination is expected to reach 55,000 arrivals from Europe this year compared to 43,756 last year, but it is still far from the record 75,613 arrivals in 2015.

In this spirit of recovering, the Molyvos Tourism Organization's has launched THE OTHER AEGEAN, an initiative to highlight the unknown aspects of beautiful Lesvos island and to create an online platform with useful information for every visitor noting the following:

"In this time of change, the standards of the tourism industry are evolving rapidly on an international level. Stakeholders in the tourism industry are constantly seeking new alternatives to accommodate visitors interests. The very identity of a traveller has evolved from being a simple tourist into becoming an explorer of history, art and nature. The Tourism association of molyvos has undertaken precisely this responsibility: to improve the existing tourism structures of molyvos and of its surrounding region and to highlight the environmental and cultural resources of its unique surroundings. By doing so, we aim to offer our visitors monumental holidays and furthermore reset the economic potential of Molyvos.

Lesvos is for travelers who want to experience and participate rather than to merely passively enjoy the typical, canned, artificial sameness of a tourist destination. Molyvos and its surroundings is a place where visitors can rest and relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area and experience the calm associated with the sun setting over the Aegean; a place to hike, climb, or bike through the lush pine forests and acres upon acres of olive groves; swim, sail and fish or scuba dive in the blue waters of the aegean; unwind their minds, de-stress and get in touch with their inner self and the spirituality and energy of the island; attend folk festivals celebrating the islands heritage and visit museums and monuments and learn about the islands long history and deep culture dating back over three thousand years; visit ouzo distilleries, harvest olives with the locals, and savor the aroma of Greek coffee brewed over cinders in a kafeneio (traditional coffee house) listening to stories of the islands past and present woven by village elders.

Year after year, our many friends travel from around the world to experience again the authenticity and explosion of sensations Lesvos, and the Greece you only think you know, have to offer. We hope to see you among them."

The Tourism Association of Molyvos has also planned a communications strategy which aims to recapture tourism growth on the island of Lesvos. Taking into account local and regional dynamics, as they have evolved during and following the 2015 refugee crisis, Lesvos: After all, its still the Aegean, the Molyvos/Lesvos II project, proposes a communications strategy to reposition the region and, more generally, Lesvos in targeted tourist source-markets.

Prior work on branding, positioning and vertical markets is the basis of the communications strategy, which details the message map and the associated channels of communication, aimed at increasing tourism by raising awareness and influencing perceptions among likely travelers. Sponsored by Dan and Helen Lindsay, who were also the major sponsors of the work done in 2012, the Molyvos/Lesvos II project manifests experiential learning at its best in American College of Thessaloniki - ACT's graduate programs. As part of an advanced marketing course in the MBA program, the project was completed by an ACT MBA select team, Maria Giokarini and Ioanna-Maria Nella, led by Marketing professor Mr. Mousiades and coordinated by Dr. Sevasti Kessapidou, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Acknowledging the schools significant contribution in the concerted effort to impact tourism growth in the region, Nikos Molvalis, President of Tourism Association of Molyvos, extended an award to ACT.

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
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), one of the worlds largest financial institutions based in the UAE capital, is set to distribute 70 per cent cash dividends worth Dh7.6 billion ($2.1 billion) to its shareholders for 2017, up 11 per cent compared to the previous year.



Announcing this at the annual general assembly meeting held at FABs head office in Abu Dhabi, Group CEO Abdulhamid Saeed said: "2017 was a solid first year for the bank, with its resilient performance reflecting the strategic rationale of the merger, as well as the trust and confidence our shareholders have in us."



"In line with our commitment to maximise shareholder value and deliver top returns, we are very pleased to announce the distribution of 70 per cent cash dividends, totalling Dh7.6 billion. Up by 11 per cent compared to 2016, this is the highest dividend amount distributed by the legacy banks historically," remarked Saeed.



The dividends equal to Dh 0.70 per share will be only given to registered, entitled shareholders for the financial year ended December 31, 2017, he stated.



"Owners of FAB shares registered on March 7, 2018 (i.e. buyers on March 5, 2018) are entitled to cash dividends," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Following the successful completion of Souq Al Buhairs redevelopment, Amlak Social Insurance Organization Development Company, the real estate arm of the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO), has announced plans to redevelop more local markets across the kingdom,



The Amlak move comes in line with the companys strategy to serve the community and raise the standard of living.



Amlak is set to transform a total of 70 shops across three existing local community markets (Souq Abu Dhar, Souq Ibn Al Waleed and Souq Al Madina), the properties selected for redevelopment based on their popularity and strategic, vibrant locations that are easily accessible given their positioning in high-density areas of Isa town, Southern Governorate, said the company in a statement.



The redeveloped markets will raise the standard of retail offering for the local community by introducing modern, multi-purpose facilities with diversified retail shops aimed to cater to the daily needs of the neighbourhood and surrounding communities, it added.



Chairman Abdulrahman Yusuf bin Yusuf Fakhro said: "The vision behind the project is to enrich the Kingdoms communities by strengthening business activities through the development of versatile markets to cater to surrounding residents, starting off with Souq Al Buhair."



"The project is in line with Amlaks strategy to serve the community and raise the standard of neighborhood offerings, as well as its commitment to contribute to the Kingdoms economic growth," he noted.



CEO Mohamed Abdulelah Alkooheji said: The aim is to transform and redevelop the older, existing local markets in order to provide the community with revitalized markets enjoying unique designs that attract pedestrian footfall and ensure that visitors can easily access the shops, which is an important factor that is lacking in the current design."



"We are currently in preparation to initiate the demolition of the existing markets in order to commence construction work by the end of the second quarter of this year, with the aim of being operational by 2019," stated Alkooheji.



"Amlaks strategy stems on achieving tangible benefits through a diversified portfolio in order to increase revenue and create sustainable wealth. The aim is to bridge real estate and market needs by investing in profitable development projects," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Mazraati Academy, the first academy in Egypt and the Middle East offering specialised training courses in animal, poultry and fish production, was inaugurated by Dr Mona Mehrez, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Animal Resources, Fisheries and Poultry.



Her participation reaffirms the support of Egyptian government for this initiative, which aims to bolster animal and poultry production in Egypt, said a statement.



The opening ceremony, which was held at the Greek Campus of the American University in Cairo, Egypt, was attended by 2,000 invitees.



During the Mazraati Academy launch ceremony, Wadi Group, one of Egypt's largest agribusiness groups, announced its sponsorship of the academy.



Tony Freiji Wadi, President and CEO, Wadi Group, said: The company has extensive regional and international experience in poultry production and related industries and services.



We seek to encourage initiatives and programmes that contribute to preparing new technical cadres to work in animal and poultry production, as well as aquaculture. Mazraati Academy is one of the most important initiatives that we proudly support, he said.



It is the first of its kind in the region to offer specialised training courses in these respective fields. We consider human resources the most important factor in modernising and developing food supply chains in Egypt and the academy shares our vision for the development of technical cadres strongly required in these disciplines, he added.



We are honoured to cooperate with Wadi Group, which has more than half a century of experience in poultry production and related industries and services, said Eng Mamdouh Al Amry, Mazraati chairman.



Wadi Groups support will enable us to spread our message among Egyptian youth who are interested in livestock and poultry production in the local market. Participation in free-of-charge courses is available for all. Each course takes from 1-2 hours divided into 5-10 minute segments each. There are no set criteria for selecting trainees, as all courses are, he said.



The lectures will cover animal production, marketing, poultry, feeds, manufacturing and others, and will be attended by large number of specialists in these fields in the Egyptian market, he added.



Wadi Group and other industry experts contribute to providing technical knowledge and scientific disciplines required for the Mazraati Academy. The academy aims to qualify technical cadres for the job market through a number of training courses specialised in animal and poultry production, vaccination, veterinary care, feeds, breeding, fish farms and others.



Following completion of the online courses, participants are required to pass exams in order to receive an attendance certificate.



The academy provides workshops and site visits to factories, poultry and fish farms, to give students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience on the topics they studied theoretically.



At a later stage, Mazraati Academy will prepare a database of qualified graduates so that specialised companies can recruit them for job vacancies, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Technology giant Honeywell said it has signed a MoU with Equate Petrochemical Company, a global producer of petrochemicals, to help further develop innovative technologies to support operations at Equate's industrial complexes.



Equate is currently the owner and single-operator of several fully integrated world-class petrochemical complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe. It is Kuwait's first international petrochemical joint venture and the world's second-largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG).



"As a global software-industrial company, Honeywell has supplied the petrochemical industry with leading technologies and services for decades," remarked George Bou Mitri, the president of Honeywell Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.



"After half a century in Kuwait, Honeywell's commitment to deliver solutions that enhance the productivity of our customers is as strong as ever. We are proud to work with Equate to build local petrochemical capability that supports the New Kuwait 2035 strategy to become a global hub for the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry," noted Mitri.



As part of the MoU, Equate will test newly released Honeywell technologies, including the latest additions to the Honeywell Connected Plant portfolio, as well as assess Equate's requirements and new ideas at Honeywell facilities.



The companies will join efforts to analyze Equate's needs and create added value through increased productivity and reduced downtime, setting a new standard for the petrochemical industry in the region.



On the partnership, Tareq Jafar Al Kandari, VP of Technical Services at Equate, said: "We are firm believers that success requires input from all our key stakeholders, including our technology suppliers, such as Honeywell."



"Being part of the global petrochemical industry with operations in three continents and contributing to various economies, Equate is strongly committed to absolute reliability and sustainability in all operations and activities. Our relationship with Honeywell is based on innovation and trust, which are key factors to ensure overall progress," stated Al Kandari.



Honeywell said it has had a major presence in Kuwait for more than 53 years and is the leading automation provider in the country that has about 9 per cent of the world's oil reserves and is among the world's top ten oil exporters.-TradeArabia News Service
Leading British telecom company Vodafone has announced plans to sell its 51 per cent stake in the joint venture that controls Vodafone Qatar to the Qatar Foundation for QR1.35 billion ($370 million), capping an almost decade-long string of losses amounting to more than $1 billion.

The company said its brand would remain in Qatar as part of a partner market agreement signed with an initial term of five years. The transaction values Vodafone Qatar at an enterprise value of $1.78 billion.

Upon completion of the sale, which is expected by June, Vodafone Group will receive $343 million followed by the remaining $27.04 million a year after the transaction, it said.

Vodafone said this Qatar deal will help reduce the amortisation cost annually from QR403 million to QR100 million. The board believes this will make the company profitable for the foreseeable future, it stated.

Announcing this at the company's board meeting, the company said it is implementing a reduction in the share capital of the company from QR8.454 billion to QR4.227 billion by means of reducing the nominal value of the shares of the company from QR10 per share to QR5 per share in accordance with the articles of association of the company.

Vodafone Qatar plans to restructure its balance sheet to eliminate the QR4.27 billion ($1.18 billion) in accumulated losses, which it said was attributable to the "amortisation costs" of its licence to operate in Qatar.

It reached an agreement with the government to extend its telecommunications licence by 40 years to 2068.

To drive the company forward and with the above in mind, Rashid Al Naimi has been elected the managing director with immediate effect. As the CEO of Qatar Foundation Endowment, Rashid Fahad Al Naimi will be responsible for Qatar Foundations investment portfolios.

He is also the residing chairman of Meeza and Mazaya Qatar, and a board member of Vodafone Qatar.

Ian Gray, Vodafone Qatars current CEO and Board Director has decided to retire and will step down following the companys annual general assembly on March 19. He will be replaced by Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, currently Vodafone Qatars chief operating officer.-TradeArabia News Service
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) has warned UAE citizens travelling to Ethiopia to be vigilant.



The ministry has asked travellers to avoid visiting Oromia, Amhara, and Harari regions in light of the current situation in the country.



It has also urged Emiratis to exercise caution and avoid any assemblies or demonstrations, calling on them to communicate with the UAE Embassy in Addis Ababa in case of emergency. - TradeArabia News Service
SEC Suspends Trading in Three Issuers Claiming Involvement in Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently announced it suspended trading in three companies amid questions surrounding similar statements they made about the acquisition of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology-related assets.

The SECs trading suspension orders state that recent press releases issued by Cherubim Interests Inc. (CHIT), PDX Partners Inc. (PDXP), and Victura Construction Group Inc. (VICT) claimed that CHIT, PDXP, and VICT acquired AAA-rated assets from a subsidiary of a private equity investor in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology among other things. According to the SEC order regarding CHIT, it also announced the execution of a financing commitment to launch an initial coin offering.

According to the SECs orders, there are questions regarding the nature of the companies business operations and the value of their assets, including in press releases issued beginning in early January 2018. Additionally, the Commission suspended trading in the securities of CHIT because of its delinquency in filing annual and quarterly reports.

In August 2017, the SEC warned investors to be on alert for companies that may publicly announce ICO or coin/token related events to affect the price of the companys common stock.

This is a reminder that investors should give heightened scrutiny to penny stock companies that have switched their focus to the latest business trend, such as cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, or initial coin offerings, said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the Los Angeles Regional Office.

Under the federal securities laws, the SEC can suspend trading in a stock for 10 days and generally prohibit a broker-dealer from soliciting investors to buy or sell the stock again until certain reporting requirements are met.

The SEC appreciates the assistance of OTC Markets Group Inc. and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The SECs Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has produced a Spotlight on Initial Coin Offerings and Digital Assets to provide investors with more information.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
FX OUTLOOK: 2018 Will Be the Year of the Yen

Twenty eighteen is going to be the Year of the Yen.

So says BNP Paribas Asset Managements deputy head of currencies, Momtchil Pojarliev, who recently shared his recent trading note with Traders Magazine on the yen.

2018 will, in our view, be the year of the Japanese yen, Pojarliev began. The Japanese yen will appreciate due to a potential adjustment in the policy by the Bank of Japan and higher financial market volatility.

Also, he added that the Japanese yen is one of the cheapest currencies in the world

In his note, Pojarliev begins by stating that 2017 was a disappointing year for currency investors. The consensus view for a stronger US dollar following the US elections did not materialize. The US dollar peaked at the beginning of the year at 1.04 against the euro and at 118 against the Japanese Yen, and finished the year as the worst performing currency. The euro was the best performing currency, outperforming both the US dollar and the Japanese yen by more than 10%. Stronger economic growth in the Eurozone has been singled out as the most important driver for the euro outperformance in 2017. Emerging market currencies did even better, with the Polish zloty and the Czech koruna outperforming the US dollar by more than 20%. Even the Turkish lira, despite all the political turmoil, outperformed the greenback.

In terms of expectations, investors are starting 2018 with the opposite US dollar view compared to last year, he told Traders Magazine. This time the consensus is for a weakening US dollar. The arguments are that US asset valuations are at record highs so capital flows will leave the US and go into other countries (and boost foreign currencies), that US twin deficits are widening driven by the fiscal stimulus, and finally that the US is reengaging with a weak dollar policy similarly to 1994-1995.

Is this consensus view going to suffer in the same way as it did in 2017 (i.e. US dollar will be stronger, or are the majority of the commentators going to be right this time)? In particular, the EUR/USD exchange rate remains in focus, with 1.30 being a popular target.

In our view, focusing on EUR/USD is similar to Kylo Ren fighting Luke Skywalker in the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In the eighth main installment of the Star War franchise, Luke appears to confront the First Order to enable surviving Resistance members to escape, Pojarliev said. Kylo orders the First Orders forces to fire on Luke but to no effect. He then engages Luke in a lightsaber duel and strikes the Jedi only to realize that he has been fighting Lukes Force projection. Kylo wasted precious time, which enabled the surviving resistance members to escape. Investors might be wasting precious time focusing entirely on EUR/USD.

The reason is that even the most bullish projections are only calling for euro at 1.30 by the end of the year. Given that euro was at 1.25 just recently and that the one year forward rate was at 1.28, this implies an appreciation of less than 2%.

So, what should be investors be focusing on in 2018?

Pojarliev said its his view that the Japanese yen can easily be the top performer among the G-10 currencies and can do better than both the euro and the US dollar.

First, for the past two years Japans economy has been expending above its potential growth rate. Wage growth remains lackluster and the Bank of Japan remains dovish for now, but this means that the next policy shift can only be hawkish. Second, the Japanese yen is one of the cheapest currencies in the world, he said.

Third, the return of financial market uncertainty is supportive for the Japanese yen, which traditionally rises in periods of equity stress. After the last five years of falling volatility, rising stock markets and falling global bond yields, the recent market turmoil might persist for longer than expected.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
Confluence and ICE Data Services to Help Firms Meet SEC Modernization Reporting Requirements

Confluence, a provider of investment data management automation for regulatory, financial and investor reporting, announced an agreement with ICE Data Services, which is part of Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), to help asset managers meet their compliance obligations with respect to SEC Modernization and other regulatory reporting requirements.

With the implementation of SEC Modernization, the increased frequency and depth of reporting required by Form N-PORT and Form N-CEN present asset management professionals with unprecedented challenges to their back-office operations. This relationship between ICE Data Services and Confluence will provide asset managers with the required content, data management and reporting capabilities to help meet their compliance needs, with Confluence providing the RegTech data management and reporting solution and ICE providing financial market data and analytics expertise.

ICE Data Services will help Confluence clients cover the analytics requirements of these regulations, including the calculation of market risk sensitivities at the portfolio- and position-level, as well as properly classifying funds investments according to prescribed liquidity categories. Combined with other analytics, including reference data, ICE Data Services provides necessary components designed to facilitate compliance with the SECs monthly reporting requirements of Form N-PORT and annual filing with Form N-CEN.

The advent of SEC Modernization has radically altered the playing field for asset management back offices, said Todd Moyer, Chief Operating Officer at Confluence. Fund managers are faced with an ongoing challenge to obtain the data they need to comply with new requirements. While Confluence has become the go-to provider for the industry, our model depends upon partnerships with the best market data and analytics providers, exemplified by ICE Data Services.

About Confluence

Uniquely positioned as the single vendor that solves the broad array of complex data-driven challenges for the global investment management industry, Confluence provides a data-centric platform of solutions which share value across products  from data integration and governance to calculation, output and reporting.

The platform features regulatory reporting, investor communications, and performance and analytics solutions and supports a wide array of fund types  including mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, institutional portfolios and UCITS funds.

Eight of the top 10 global service providers license Confluence products and eight of the top 10 global asset managers have business processes automated through Confluence.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Confluence serves the international fund industry with locations in Brussels, Dublin, Ho Chi Minh City, London, Luxembourg and San Francisco.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : BOOK A COMFORTABLE AIRPORT LIMO SERVICE FROM WE LIMOS Industry: Transport

WE LIMOS is a locally owned and operated transportation company happily serving airport transportation needs of clients in Monmouth County. The ground transport service from We Limos offers all the latest model luxury limo vehicles including black car limos driven by best polite chauffeurs ensuring high level comfort and customer satisfaction.



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They are reliable as they keenly focus to the customer satisfaction, customer travel safety, punctual to the schedule and have professional chauffeurs to feel you comfortable on the travel. Renting or hiring Airport Car Service Monmouth County is easy with WE LIMOS.



A few lines from We Limos, We offer and promise to serve you a trusted and luxurious Airport Car Service for both personal and airport transportation to the clients in Monmouth County and the surrounding areas. Once you choose our limo service you can experience the comfort, safety and efficiency of our latest model meticulously maintained high end Luxury vehicles, driven by professionally trained chauffeurs. We offer the best personalizedAirport limo service that suit the taste of you and your group in Monmouth County;You dont rally need to bother about the luggage, parking or navigation on the travel; You can make sure to enjoy the most amazing and pleasant travel experience by exploring some of the best place in Monmouth County during your journey.



About the company

We Limos is a reputed and well established Airport limo transport service provider in Monmouth county focusing on personalized ground transport service to customer of every kind. It offers various vehicles ranging from town cars to exotic stretch limousines. Monmouth County luxury limousine rental service by We Limos deliver ground transportation requests like corporate events, anniversary, vacation trips, parties, wedding, birthdays, and a host of other special occasions along with the safety of clients. With a 24X7 Airport car service support they have high customer satisfaction by maintaining sense of reliability, punctuality; Check to hire a Limo or car at (732) 829-4429. ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Wal Jankojc Company: WE Limos LLC. Phone: (732) 497-4477 Email: welimosmkt@gmail.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS


Search News Archive : Fast Travel News Promotion Via Search, Social Media + Email Follow Us On : SWISS-BELHOTEL INTERNATIONAL APPOINTS GENERAL MANAGER FOR GRAND SWISS-BELRESORT SEEF IN BAHRAIN Industry: Appointments

The Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef is a 5-star luxury resort featuring 193 rooms and suites equipped with the finest facilities and is expected to open by June 2018



(TRAVPR.COM) UAE - February 26th, 2018 - Swiss-Belhotel International (SBI) has appointed Mr. Bert Plas as the General Manager for Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef in Bahrain. The Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef is a 5-star luxury resort featuring 193 rooms and suites equipped with the finest facilities and is expected to open by June 2018.



Working with leading international brands, Mr. Plas has over 25 years of outstanding hotel management experience across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America and the Caribbean region.



Making the announcement, Mr. Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India for Swiss-Belhotel International, said, We are delighted to welcome Mr. Plas to our team and are confident his superb experience will prove to be invaluable at a time when we are rapidly expanding our footprint in Bahrain where we have enjoyed great success with our acclaimed property Swiss-Belhotel Seef. The new developments in the country are in line with our multi-brand growth strategy and reinforce our commitment to Bahrain where we continue to see a strong demand for quality hotels.



Mr. Plas entered the hospitality industry upon completion of his education from the prestigious Hesser Hotel Management School in Zurich, Switzerland and Hotel Management School in Zwolle, Netherlands. During the course of his distinguished career, he had the opportunity to work in many senior roles including the position of General Manager with a number of successful hotels such as Crown Plaza Hotel in Trinidad Tobago and Le Meridien Hotel, British Guyana. In 2009, Mr. Plas joined the Sofitel Hotels & Resorts where he stayed for over eight years serving various properties as the General Manager. Prior to joining The Grand Swiss-Belresort Seef, Mr. Plas was the General Manager of Sofitel Jeddah Corniche in KSA since September 2015.



About Swiss-Belhotel International

Swiss-Belhotel International currently manages a portfolio of more than 145* hotels, resorts and projects located in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Georgia, Tanzania and Turkey. Awarded Indonesia's Leading Global Hotel Chain for six consecutive years, Swiss-Belhotel International is one of the world's fastest-growing international hotel and hospitality management groups. The Group provides comprehensive and highly professional development and management services in all aspects of hotel, resort and serviced residences. Offices are located in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia, China, Europe, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. www.swiss-behotel.com

*Numbers may fluctuate ### Please contact the person or company listed above for information regarding the content of this press release. TravPR.com are not the issuers of this press release and are not responsible for the accuracy of the content. Share Release :



CONTACT INFORMATION Name: Evops Company: Evops Phone: 971 4 566 7355 Email: marketing@evops-pr.com Web: PRESS RELEASE TAGS
editorial@tribune.com

Amritsar, February 26

As many as 491 patients were examined at a free medical camp organised by the Ayurvedic and Homeopathic wing of the Health Department at Bhittewad village here today.

District Ayurvedic Officer Dr Atamjit Singh Basra said patients were given free medicines. Ayurvedic medicines are equally efficient as that of allopathic ones. People showed keen interest at the camp, he said.

Various ayurveda experts from the department, including Dr Kuldeep Singh Pannu, Dr Sandeep Shridhar, Dr Poonam Gupta and others rendered services during the camp. TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Bathinda: The Kotfatta police have arrested three persons and seized 50 gm of heroin from an Indica car at Jassi Paowali village. A case has been registered against the accused under the NDPS Act. The accused have been identified as Gurjit Singh, a resident of Bajakhana, Satnam Singh, a resident of Bhokra, and Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Jogi Nagar. The police have also registered a case against Nigerian drug smuggler who used to provide them drugs in New Delhi. The police claimed that the Nigerian would also be arrested soon.

One arrested with drugs

Bathinda: The Nandgarh police have arrested a person at Jangirana village and recovered habit-forming drugs from his possession. The accused have been identified as Buta Singh, a resident of Jangirana village. The police have recovered 40 tablets of Alprex and 100 other drug tablets. The police have registered a case under Section 2, 61 and 65 of the NDPS Act against the accused at the Nandgarh police station.

Play on cancer awareness

Bathinda: A cancer awareness camp was organised at Gehri Bhagi village by Sukhwindra Memorial Charitable Trust on Monday. As many as 200 people from surrounding villages attended the camp where a play, Anmol Zindagi highlighted several aspects of cancer, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Artistes, through their performances, exhorted the audience on the importance of knowing the early symptoms of cancer so that treatment could be started on time. The director of the play, Mahinder Pal Singh, said, People of the villages often fall prey to occultists when confronted with any disease and by the time they reach the doctor, it is often quite late. The play primarily focuses on the aspects of visiting the doctor at right time. TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Bathinda, February 26

Ahead of the measles-rubella vaccination drive, a training workshop was organised for auxiliary nurse midwives, ASHA and aanganwari workers at the health centre in Janta Nagar here today.

During the workshop, these health workers were sensitised to different aspects of measles and rubella. They were exhorted to make the masses aware of the vaccination drives significance.

The workshop was organised ahead of a mass vaccination drive, which will begin in April. During the drive, around 4.5 lakh children in the age-group between 9 months and 15 years will be administered vaccination in the district.

District Immunization Officer (DIO) Kundan Kumar Pal said, A team of ANMs; ASHA and aanganwari workers; and representatives from schools will be assigned the task of ensuring that every child requiring MR vaccination receives it.

He added that lack of awareness among people about the serious complications of measles and different superstitions attached to the disease act against its complete elimination.  TNS
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 25

The Mohali police arrested four persons along with over Rs 1 crore in old currency at a naka in Sohana here.

The accused have been identified as Prabhjot Singh from Jhuner (Sangrur), Ram Singh from Koop Kalan (Sangrur), Gagandeep Multani from Malerkotla (Sangrur) and Ramit Kumar from Patiala.

Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said the accused were travelling in an i10 car (PB 13AS 8109) and were intercepted at the naka. The old currency notes had been kept in a haversack. The notes belonged to Ram Singh, who, along with a person from Uttar Pradesh, had invested in a property at some place in UP. His acquaintance from UP had provided him the old currency to get it exchanged, said the SSP.

Of the total notes, 8,700 were of Rs 1,000 denomination and 3,200 notes of Rs 500 denomination, said the police.

The police have registered a case under Sections 420 and 188 of the IPC and Section 5 of the Cessation of Liabilities Act, 2017, at Sohana village.

The police have intimated officials of the Income Tax and Enforcement departments in this regard.
vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25

The neck of a five-year-old girl, a resident of Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area, Phase I, was allegedly slit by her 35-year-old neighbour, leading to her death, while she was playing near her house this afternoon. The accused was nabbed by the victims father and other colony residents, who thrashed him, leaving him injured.

The victim has been identified as Ujala (5), daughter of Manu Singh, a resident of Labour Colony.

The victims father said his daughter left the house to play in the neighbourhood when the accused, identified as 35-year-old Kamlesh, caught her near his house and attacked her with a knife.

A woman staying in the neighbourhood saw the accused throwing the victim to the ground and keeping one of his knees on her neck. He then took out a knife and slit her neck, said a police official.

The woman raised the alarm and tried to stop the accused. However, he pushed her. The victims father was informed, who rushed outside the house and caught the accused.

Colony residents gathered at the spot and thrashed the accused.

The minor girl, who was profusely bleeding, was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital Sector 32, where doctors declared her brought dead.

The police were informed about the incident after which the accused was arrested. Since the accused was also injured, he was admitted to the hospital, said a police official.

Police officers visited the hospital after getting information about the incident.

The victim is survived by her parents and two brothers. The accused is a native of Bihar and was staying at the colony with his wife and two sons. Sources said his family was at present at their native village.

A case of murder has been registered against the accused at the Industrial Area police station.
editorial@tribune.com

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 26

The reported suicide by the 24-year-old junior resident has left the medical fraternity in a state of shock. The deceased, Dr Krishna Prasath, who was pursuing MD in radiodiagnosis from the PGI, was a topper.

Hailing from a humble family in Rameswaram, he is survived by his parents and an elder sister. His father Rama Swamy is a priest at the Rameswaram temple while his mother is a housewife. Doctors said they had not informed Prasaths father about his death. We have told him that Prasath is critically ill and asked him to visit Chandigarh, said a doctor.

Prasath had scored top ranks in entrance exams conducted by the PGI, AIIMS and JIPMER, Puducherry, However, he preferred the PGI over all other prestigious institutes. Nearly a fortnight ago, he cracked the third counselling session and managed to enrol in the radiology department. He was an introvert. We never thought Prasath would take the extreme step, said one of the doctors standing outside the mortuary.

Requesting anonymity, a doctor said Prasath had never visited North India, especially Punjab. He had joined the institute on January 22 and was finding it hard to assimilate with a different culture surrounding the place.

He had reportedly spoken to his family and expressed his intention to return. He had taken medicines to deal with stress.

Two other junior residents from Tamil Nadu, who are staying on the same floor where Prasath committed suicide, were in shock. They said they had met Prasath recently and he appeared to be normal. He had expressed his desire to return, but we never thought that he would end up committing suicide, said the doctors.

Hailed from a humble family

Hailing from a humble family in Rameswaram, Dr Krishna Prasath is survived by his parents and an elder sister. His father Rama Swamy is a priest at the Rameswaram temple while his mother is a housewife. Doctors said they had not informed Prasaths father about his death. We have told him that Prasath is critically ill and asked him to visit Chandigarh, said a doctor.

Was it stress?

Initially, like any other junior doctor, Dr Krishna Prasath was also posted in the PGI emergency. Recently, he was deputed in the ultrasound department. Senior doctors had advised him to cope with stress.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Johannesburg, February 26

South African special police unit Hawks have arrested an Indian-origin woman and her partner, both allegedly linked to ISIS, on charges of abducting a British couple.

Fatima Patel and Safydeen Aslam Del Vecchio also face charges of robbery and theft after they went on a spending spree using the couples' credit cards, building up a stash of jewellery, camping equipment and electronic devices which were found at a remote location where an ISIS flag was being flown.

The Hawks declined to provide any further information due to the sensitive nature of the case as the search continues for the couple whose vehicle was found abandoned more than 300 kms away from where they were last seen on February 9.

But the weekly Sunday Times, quoting a charge sheet after their court appearance, reported that Patel and Del Vecchio also stand accused of contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act by hoisting an ISIS flag at a modest homestead in a rural area.

Del Vecchio also faces another terrorism-related charge for allegedly participating in "extremist web forums that support ISIS and offering to supply phone numbers and sim cards that are not traceable."

Yousha Tayob, the lawyer representing Patel and Del Vecchio, confirmed that the pair had appeared in the court and were remanded in custody at Westville Prison in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The incident had prompted the British government to issue a travel advisory about possible terrorist attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, but local Muslim organisations have dismissed this as an "overreaction".

Ebrahim Deen of the Afro-Middle East Centre told the weekly that South African Muslims posed no threat to travellers and that the incident was more related to crime than an ISIS attack.

"Muslims are largely integrated in (South African) society, are not disillusioned and they face little discrimination like in Europe and elsewhere," he said.

Martin Ewi of the Institute for Security Studies said South Africa was regarded as a "logistics base" for terror cells in transit, and is not traditionally a target for attacks, although the arrests of Patel and Del Vecchio confirmed the presence of an active terror cell in South Africa.

"We in the counter terror fraternity suspected that they were working as members of an active cell, and the kidnapping will confirm the presence of an active IS cell," Ewi said. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 26

A day after the Army claimed it had punished Pakistan for its misadventures in Uri, Commander of Srinagar-based strategic 15 Corps Lt Gen AK Bhatt today said the forces did not want to open up the entire front along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

The statement from the top commander in Kashmir comes days after artillery shells were used for the first time in Uri after the 2003 ceasefire pact to punish Pakistan for its misadventures and for aiding and abetting infiltration. The heavy shelling triggered panic among the border residents in Uri and over 100 families vacated their houses.

The ceasefire violations which have been started by Pakistan have been appropriately responded by us. It is more of a local affair for a specific reason where due to their action we have reacted at specific places. We do not intend to open the entire front. We will retaliate only if Pakistan does aggressive action or pushes infiltrators across, General Bhatt told reporters on the sidelines of the passing-out parade at Rangreth on the outskirts of Srinagar.

General Bhatt admitted heavy artillery was used in Uri sector. From across Banihal (LoC south of Pir Panjal in the Jammu region), every type of weapon is used. In this area (Uri), heavy artillery was used once and that too for a brief period. The local situation determines which type of artillery has to be used. The manner in which the enemy fires on us, we retaliate in the same manner, he said.

The Corps Commander said there were no announcements made by the Pakistani army, asking villagers on this side to vacate. They advised few of their villages to vacate for safety reasons and my input is that those villages have also not vacated completely. We are very conscious of the safety of the people on our border, he said. The General said one of the reasons for the firing along the LoC was that Pakistan wanted to push militants to this side.
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New Delhi, February 25

The BJP is hopeful of a working majority in the Rajya Sabha following the biennial polls to 58 seats from 16 states on March 23, as the ruling NDAs numbers are expected to go up significantly at the cost of Opposition parties.

The saffron party will make handsome gains from Uttar Pradesh, where its massive majority in the Assembly will fetch it at least eight out of 10 seats going to the polls against only one seat it has as of now.

Party leaders said it will also bag all three Rajasthan seats against the one it has and the party and its ally Shiv Sena will also bag four of the six seats in Maharashtra against the two they have.

Though NDA numbers are expected to fall from states like Bihar, where it holds all six seats going to the polls and is sure of winning only three, and Gujarat, where it is unlikely to retain more than two of the four seats, its overall gains will be significant.

BJP leaders said if the total NDA members following the polls are added to tallies of friendly parties like AIADMK, TRS, BJD and YSR, then they will have a majority in the 245-member House. Though not part of treasury benches, these regional parties have often refrained from joining strident Opposition parties like the Congress, TMC, the Left and Samajwadi Party in blocking the governments agenda.

We believe we will have a working majority in the Rajya Sabha following these polls, a senior BJP leader said. Though the saffron party is yet to decide on its nominees, sources said some of its national office-bearers may make their maiden entry.

Among its eight general secretaries, the most powerful set of office-bearers, none except Bhupender Yadav is an MP. Sources said the party may pick some of them and also consider new faces from the ranks of spokespersons. General secretaries like Anil Jain, Arun Singh, Kailash Vijayvargiya, P Muralidhar Rao and Ram Madhav are being seen among the contenders.

The BJP has already surpassed the Congress to become the largest party in the RS with 58 seats against the latters 54, and the gap is set to widen.  PTI
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Visakhapatnam, February 26

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the non-fulfilment of commitments made to the state by the Centre was causing unrest among people.

He stated this during the ongoing CII Partnership Summit here.

Naidu, who focussed on signing a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) during the first two days of the Summit to attract investment to the state, opened up on the last day to vent out his feelings on the key issue amid straining of ties with the Centre.

Sharing the dais with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at a session, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president targeted his ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

What they committed, they are not giving, causing unrest among people, said Naidu, whose party is a partner in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

The TDP had stalled proceedings during the budget session to protest the raw deal meted out to the state in the Union Budget 2018-19.

Naidu said injustice was done to Andhra Pradesh while dividing it to carve out Telangana state in 2014.

He recalled the problems he had to face in making a beginning from the scratch. He said he was working hard to develop the state as an innovation valley and using technology to solve peoples problems.

The Chief Minister said people had more expectations from him.

Naidu had long been demanding with the Centre to fulfil all commitments made in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. He is seeking liberal financial assistance and handholding by the Centre.

Over the last few weeks, Naidu hinted that his patience was growing thin.

Naidu made the remarks when the moderator sought his views and that of Ravi Shankar on the importance of patience.

Ravi Shankar said while he was not for division of Andhra Pradesh, he now feels that had this not happened, Naidu would have been confined to Hyderabad.

He said it was heartening find the young state coming up well and competing with the world. He said the state endowed with abundant natural and human resources had vibrant atmosphere.  IANS
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Puducherry, February 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at the one family dynastic rule of the Congress for 48 years and said it should be compared with achievements of the development-oriented NDA in the last four years.

One family, either directly or indirectly, ruled the country for 48 years... for about 17 years our first PM ruled, and after that his daughter held the reins for 14 years and following that her son was at the helm for five years, he said. Between 2004 and 2014, the same family ran the government with remote control, he said. His comments come weeks after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi dared him to spell out achievements of the NDA government instead of criticising his party.

Modi said intellectuals can debate the difference between what was gained and lost during the Congress regimes and what the BJP-led NDA has achieved in 48 months. We are talking about peoples development, ease of living for the common man.

In a reference to his oft-repeated slogan Congress-mukt Bharat, Modi said, Elections are going to be held in the North-East where the Congress has a government and it will go. After that, polls are to be held in Karnataka and there too the Congress will go, so the Narayanasamy government will be the only one to be left. He didnt refer to the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab.

The jibe drew laughter from the crowd that had gathered to listen to Modi, who became the first PM to address a public meeting in this former French colony in 33 years.  PTI
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Panaji, February 26

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is "absolutely fine and stable", a state minister said on Monday, a day after he was admitted to a Goa hospital following complaints of uneasiness.

Parrikar, 62, was taken to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) last evening on a wheelchair.

He was discharged from Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on February 22, a week after he was admitted there and treated for a pancreatic ailment.

"The chief minister remains admitted in hospital but he is absolutely fine and stable," state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

He was suffering from mild dehydration at the time he was taken to GMCH.

Expert doctors are attending to Parrikar, who is in ward number 121 of the GMCH, located near here, sources at the hospital said.

The chief minister had presented the budget in the Goa assembly on February 22 after returning from Mumbai. PTI
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Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 26

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modis West Asia and Middle East outreach, Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein will be on a state visit to India.

The king who arrives on Tuesday evening will be accorded a ceremonial welcome and hosted for banquet dinner at Rashtrapati Bhawan and will hold formal talks with PM Modi on Thursday.

The king who first visited India in 2006 has met Modi along sidelines of UNGA summit in 2015 and also received the prime minister at his residence during his recent historic visit to Palestine via Amman.

Pointing to the significance of the high-level bilateral exchanges between the two sides, a senior official underlined, Jordan has been an oasis of stability and harmony in a region of conflict.

On Wednesday, he will visit IIT Delhi and address a business meeting later organised jointly by the industry bodies.

In a first, the king who is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque  the third holiest site in Islam located in Old City of Jerusalem  will deliver a special address in a programme organised by the India Islamic Centre.

The nearly hour long speech will be titled Islamic heritage  promoting understanding and moderation.

According to a source the topic has been chosen personally by the king who also launched the Aqaba process in 2015 that includes conversations with world leaders to discuss global efforts to fight terrorism and extremist ideologies.

Interestingly de-radicalisation is now a focus area for heads of many Muslim majority countries, including the Malaysian Prime Minister who has launched global movement of moderates (GMM) now backed by ASEAN countries.

Sources mentioned the king who is also the 41st generation descendant of Prophet Muhammad will highlight Indias strategy in dealing with ISIS and Al-Qaeda radicalisation threats in his speech.

A translated version of The Thinking Persons Guide to Islam authored by Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad and first cousin of the king, will be also be released on the occasion.

India meanwhile hopes to step up its hardly present defence ties with Jordan during the visit, including exploring possibility of a defence framework to find synergies in areas of capacity building and equipment buying or selling.

A blueprint will also be drawn up for the second round of the bilateral security dialogue initiated in 2016, including likelihood of having liaison officers on both sides.

In formal delegation talks on Thursday, MoUs in areas of health, culture, mutual assistance in custom, visa waivers, manpower, mass communication and media are expected to be signed.

Also agreements are likely between heritage sites of Petra in south western Jordan and Agra, and towards setting up of centre for excellence in Amman.

The Palestinian situation and regional stability issues will figure too in talks.
editorial@tribune.com

Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25

He was arguably the first turbaned Sikh to serve in the US Army  as a drill sergeant during World War I. When asked how he got inducted despite a beard, Bhagat Singh Thind (1892-1967) had quipped: I suppose they figured I could kill just as many Germans with it as I could without it.

He was honourably discharged after the war ended in late 1918. But it was another battle that defined his life, one that he fought for over a decade. On February 19, 1923, he was denied American citizenship by the US Supreme Court. The ruling, which determined that Thind, a high-caste Hindu of full Indian blood, was not a white person, led to the revocation of his naturalisation as an American citizen and shut the immigration door on other South Asians too. His Aryan origin contention cut no ice with the judiciary, which accorded precedence to Caucasian lineage.

The 95th anniversary of the landmark verdict in the The United States vs Bhagat Singh Thind case was commemorated earlier this week by the South Asian Bar Association, Washington DC (SABA-DC), which organised a panel discussion in the US capital. The speakers included Sim J Singh, National Advocacy Manager, Sikh Coalition; Lakshmi Sridaran, Director of National Policy and Advocacy, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT); and Kritika Agarwal, Associate Editor, Publications, American Historical Association. The panellists underlined the cases impact on the South Asian Americans struggle for their rights.

A native of Taragarh Talawa village in Amritsar district, Thind graduated from the holy citys Khalsa College. At the age of 20, he arrived in the US in 1913 for higher studies (a year later, his brother Jagat Singh set sail for Canada on the Komagata Maru, but had to return to India after being refused entry). He worked in the lumber mills of the Pacific Northwest and got a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of California at Berkeley. He was granted American citizenship in the state of Washington, only to have it quickly cancelled by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. Thind then applied for citizenship in Oregon in 1919 and received it the following year. The immigration authorities appealed against it and the case went to the Supreme Court, says Philip Deslippe, a doctoral student in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The apex court ruled unanimously against him. The decision is usually understood as a matter of racial prejudice, he adds. Thinds association with the pro-Independence Ghadar movement was apparently among the factors that influenced the judgment. After protracted litigation, he finally emerged victorious, becoming a US national once and for all in 1936. A decade later, the Luce-Celler Act reversed the 1923 order, opening a historic window for Indian immigrants.

Refusing to rest on his laurels, Thind made a name for himself as a teacher of spirituality and a wellness guru, holding lecture tours across America and propagating Sant Mat (path of saints). Fondly called Doctorji by his students, he perceived Sikhism as the future religion of mankind.

In 1963, Thind returned to India for the first time after leaving its shores half a century ago. He and his wife Vivian met then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, even as he delivered lectures on metaphysics in several universities.

He passed away on September 15, 1967, in Los Angeles at the age of 74. His son, David Bhagat Thind, is the architect of bhagatsinghthind.com, a website dedicated to the never-say-die Sikh-American. The diaspora cant afford to forget his inspiring example, especially in these times where white supremacism is rearing its head again.
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dubai, February 26

Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said on Monday, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

Although Dubai medical authorities said in their medical report that it was a case of accidental drawning (drowning) misspelling the worda tweet from the official account of Dubai governments media channel later merely put the cause of death as drowning.

Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, @DubaiPoliceHQ (Dubai Police Headquarter) today stated that the death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartments bathtub following loss of consciousness. Dubai Police has transferred the case to Dubai Public Prosecution, which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases, informed the Dubai government media channel on Twitter.

Her death was being put down to cardiac arrest until Sunday.

However, when her body would be brought back to India remains uncertain, with Indian diplomats currently engaged in completing paperwork.

Indian Ambassador to UAE Navdeep Suri said: We are trying our best to see if mortal remains can be flown back tonight. But not all things are under our control. Medical and Police procedures are still underway.

He said that subject to clearances, the body would be handed over to Indian authorities, and would be send for embalming before being sent to India on her journey home.

Officials of the consulate have been on this since yesterday and have been in constant touch with the most senior officials of the Dubai Police so as to expedite the process. An official of the Indian consulate has been at the police station since morning and with the family. There is also an Arabic-speaking official with the family so that there is no interpretation issues involved. We are doing whatever we can from our side to ensure this happens as smoothly as possible, Suri said.

It is not clear what caused Sridevi, 54, to lose consciousness, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds. Her death, which was first reported at around 3 am on Sunday in India, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how she could have suffered cardiac arrest at such a young age.

The latest report of accidental drowning only deepens the mystery surrounding her death. Her family has not commented beyond their initial statement on Sunday to announce the death, and has requested the media to not contact them as they deal with the tragedy.

Sridevi is survived by her husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor and two daughters.

The Dubai-based Gulf News said in a report that the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added. However, this could not be independently confirmed.

Gulf News also attached a copy of the UAE government's forensic report on its Twitter handle. The report, citing accidental drowning as the cause of death, has a stamp of the "Ministry of Health UAE" and the director of preventive medicine, Dubai, Dr Sami Wadie.

The report mentions the actor's full name, "Sreedevi Boney Kapoor Ayyappan", her passport number, date of the incident (February 24, 2018) and cause of death.

"The investigation is still going on to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident as the forensic report only says that she drowned, Gulf News quoted an official as saying.

Her body has been sent for embalming, the newspaper said. It is not clear when the body will be brought back to India.

Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding, and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi, but he had returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times.

He was reportedly in the room when Sridevi went to the bathroom to get ready for a dinner, according to Khaleej Times. It said Kapoor discovered her unconscious in the bathtub filled with water. She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to UAE, Navdeep Suri said: We are trying our best to see if mortal remain can be flown back tonight. But not all things under our control. Medical and police procedures still underway. Once that is over the body will be handed back to Indian authorities. Post that, embalming will take place if the embalming departments are not closed by then subject to what time body is handed over.

Paperwork for immigration and airport clearance for the flight on stand-by is happening simultaneously, he added.

Officials of the consulate have been on this since yesterday and have been in constant touch with the seniormost officials of the Dubai Police so as to expedite the process, Suri said, adding an official of the Indian consulate has been at the police station since morning and with the family. "There is also an Arabic speaking official with the family so that there is no interpretation issues involved. We are doing whatever we can from our side to ensure this happens as smoothly as possible," he added.

In Mumbai on Monday, many Bollywood celebrities visited the home of actor Anil Kapoor, the brother of Boney Kapoor. Sridevi's two daughters, Khushi and upcoming actor Jahnvi are staying at the house.

Among those who visited to condole Sridevi's death were Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Saroj Khan, Rekha, Rani Mukherji, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra and Anupam Kher.

Police officials at Anil Kapoor's house said as many as 150 people from Karnataka came to pay homage to Sridevi, while another group from Telangana gathered outside the actor's Lokhandwala residence. Fans from Rajasthan and other parts of India had also arrived.

Before making it big in Bollywood in late 1970s, she was already an established star in South India with many hits in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies.

At Kapoor's house, police have increased security and cordoned off the area to keep fans at a distance. With PTI
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New Delhi, February 25

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against Simbhaoli Sugars Limited, its chairman Gurmit Singh Mann, deputy managing director Gurpal Singh and others in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud of Rs 97.85 crore.

Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar mills in the country. The companys chief executive officer, GSC Rao, CFO Sanjay Tapriya, executive director Gursimran Kaur Mann and five non-executive directors have also been booked.

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Gurpal Singh is the son-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The CBI today carried out searches at eight premises and registered office of the company in Delhi, Hapur and Noida, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

The probe focuses on two loans  Rs 97.85 crore, which was declared fraud in 2015, and another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore, which was used to repay the previous loan.

The second loan was declared NPA on November 29, 2016, nearly 20 days after scrapping of Rs 1,000 and old Rs 500 notes was announced, according to the CBI FIR.

The bank was allegedly cheated of Rs 97.85 crore, but the loss incurred by it is Rs 109.08 crore, the FIR read. The lender, Oriental Bank of Commerce, complained to the CBI on November 17, 2017, but the agency registered a case on February 22.

According to the FIR, OBC sanctioned Rs 148.60 crore in 2011 for financing 5,762 sugarcane farmers for supplying produce to the company from January 25, 2012 to March 13.

The money was dishonestly diverted by the company for its own needs, Dayal said.

The account turned NPA on March 31, 2015, and was declared alleged fraud by the bank to the RBI on May 13, 2015 for Rs 97.85 crore.

OBC alleged that in addition to the existing NPA, the bank, under multiple banking arrangements, sanctioned another corporate loan of Rs 110 crore on January 28, 2015, to pay the outstanding loan of Rs 97.85 crore.

The bank adjusted the total liability of Rs 112.94 crore by way of deposit of the new loan. This, too, turned NPA on November 29, 2016.  PTI
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Peshawar, February 26

The Hindu community in Pakistan's Khyber Pakthunkhwa is protesting against the planned oath-taking ceremony of a member of the provincial assembly accused of murdering a Sikh lawmaker.

Baldev Kumar, who is in jail in the murder case of Sikh lawmaker Sardar Soran Singh, was to be produced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly today.

Speaker Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) Assembly Asad Qaisar today withdrew the Assembly Secretariat letter dated February 23 regarding production order of Kumar in the assembly today. Now he will take oath tomorrow.

Coordinator KP chief minister on Minorities Ravi Kumar described the oath-taking of Kumar as a sad day for the minorities of the province.

Haroon Sarab Diyal, the leader of Hindu community in the province, said the Hindus would protest if he was administered oath.

Singh, a lawmaker from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was shot dead in April 2016 in Buner district of the province. Singh was elected to the provincial assembly on a minority seat.

His son Ajay yesterday appealed the provincial government not to bring the killer of his father in the provincial assembly for obtaining his vote for PTI Senate candidate in the upcoming Senate elections due for March 3.

Kumar, the second in the list of Tehreek-e-Insaf party's candidates for a reserved seat for minorities, has been facing a trial in the case.  PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 26

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has flayed "attempts to politicise" the Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) case with "unsubstantiated" charges against his son-in-law, who is a minority shareholder with a mere 12.5% share in Simbhaoli Sugars, and was being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy.

In a statement issued here, the Chief Minister said as per information available with him, the alleged fraud, which was at the centre of the case, had been the subject matter of court proceedings before the DRT in a recovery suit filed by the bank, which was settled between the company and OBC, and was recorded by DRT, Lucknow, by way of a consent order dated March 16, 2015.

Further, the Chief Minister said he had been told that Gurpal Singh, who was a law-abiding citizen, had even refused to sign any documents to give any personal guarantee against the loan in question, forcing OBC to amend the loan document on February 12, 2015, thus waiving off the requirement of Gurpal Singhs signature on any guarantee documents.

Political parties, including the BJP, were targeting Gurpal Singh only because of the Simbhaoli directors personal relationship with him, said Captain Amarinder, lambasting them for making "baseless allegations without bothering to verify the facts, only to secure political mileage".

The fact was that Gurpal had actually been litigating against Simbhaoli Sugars, for his rights as Director and shareholder, before the National Company Law Tribunal, as he had been kept out of all major decisions and the working of the company, which was reportedly a matter of court record, said the Chief Minister, citing information received.

In the circumstances, and given these facts, the political attack on his son-in-law was ludicrous, Amarinder said, adding that even a cursory check of the case background would have revealed that Gurpal had no role in the entire affair.

It was evident that the issue was being deliberately sought to be politicised, with the farming community also being unnecessarily dragged into the whole affair, said Captain Amarinder.
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Washington, February 26

Scientists are developing 'happy space suits' that can monitor symptoms of depression in astronauts, and provide real time feedback to improve the atmosphere of the spacecraft as well as boost the occupants' mood.

Depression is a major problem in space, as astronauts can be adversely affected by factors like insufficient exercise, excessive exposure to light and lack of sleep, according to researchers from Florida Polytechnic University in the US.

The technology, called Smart Sensory Skin (S3), will detect emotional and physical deficiencies in astronauts through wireless sensors that will then send an immediate response to improve the "atmosphere", and adjust the astronauts' environment to fit their individual needs.

The adjustments include changes in temperature, light exposure, light colour, and oxygen levels.

"It's vital for astronauts to be mentally healthy during missions and right now there's no active, real-time solution to help them when they feel stressed or anxious," said Arman Sargolzaei, professor of at FPU.

"This technology would provide them with immediate relief to their state of mind," Sargolzaei added.

The eventual product will incorporate the wireless sensors into astronaut clothing, so that physicians on Earth can also monitor the person's pulse rate, blood pressure and joint angles.

Similar technology already exists, but it is cumbersome, often uncomfortable, and data collection is passive.

This means the data must be reviewed by a physician and the user can only make appropriate actions after his or her recommendation.

The S3 will be a step forward by making it an active technology, also lighter and more ergonomic, increasing mission effectiveness by reducing distractions.  PTI.
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Dhaka, February 26

A court in Bangladesh today extended the bail of imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia until March 13 in a graft case, a day after the High Court deferred the judgement on a separate bail plea in a corruption case, media reports said.

The 72-year-old three-time former prime minister was jailed for five years on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

The Dhaka Special Judge's Court-5 set March 13 as the date for the next hearing of arguments in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case and extended the bail of Zia, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief, until then, bdnews24 reported.

"The court has set March 13 and March 14 for the next two days of arguments. Zia's bail has been extended until March 13," her lawyer Nuruzzaman Tapan was quoted as saying in the report.

Yesterday, the High Court deferred the judgement on her bail petition, saying it would decide after receiving necessary papers from the lower court which sentenced her to five years in jail this month.

The Zia Charitable Trust graft case, filed in August 2011, accuses four persons including Zia of abusing power to raise funds for the trust from unknown sources.

The three others are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary of then prime minister Zia between 2001 and 2006; Ziaul Islam Munna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to Harris; and Monirul Islam Khan, APS of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia, who has been a rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.

The charges against Zia had led to her boycotting polls in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.

Currently, 34 cases are pending against Zia in various courts across the country, including the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases, the report said.

The BNP has claimed that the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief out of the national elections, set for December. PTI
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Beijing, February 26

Chinas plan for President Xi Jinping to remain in office indefinitely has sparked social media opposition, drawing comparisons to North Koreas ruling dynasty and charges of creating a dictator by a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist.

The social media reaction late on Sunday quickly saw China swing into a concerted propaganda push by Monday, blocking some articles and publishing pieces praising the party.

The ruling Communist Party on Sunday proposed to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office, meaning Xi, who also heads the party and the military, might never have to retire.

The proposal, which will be passed by delegates loyal to the party at next months annual meeting of Chinas largely rubber stamp parliament, is part of a package of amendments to the countrys Constitution.

It will also add Xis political thought to the Constitution, already added to the party constitution last year, and set a legal framework for a super anti-corruption superbody, as well as more broadly strengthen the partys tight grip on power.

But it seems the party will have its work cut out trying to convince some in China, where Xi is actually very popular thanks in part to his war on graft, that the move will not end up giving Xi too much power.

Argh, were going to become North Korea, wrote one Weibo user, where the Kim dynasty has ruled since the late 1940s. Kim Il Sung founded North Korea in 1948 and his family has ruled it ever since.

Were following the example of our neighbour, wrote another user.

The comments were removed late on Sunday after Weibo, Chinas answer to Twitter, began blocking the search term two term limit.

Widely read state-run newspaper the Global Times said in an editorial the change did not mean the president will stay in office for ever, though it did not offer much explanation.

Since reform and opening up, China, led by the Communist Party, has successfully resolved and will continue to effectively resolve the issue of party and national leadership replacement in a law-abiding and orderly manner, it said, referring to landmark economic reforms that began four decades ago.

The partys official Peoples Daily reprinted a long article by Xinhua news agency saying most people supported the constitutional amendments, quoting a variety of people proffering support.

The broad part of officials and the masses say that they hoped this constitutional reform is passed, it wrote.

The WeChat account of the Peoples Daily, after initially posting a flurry of positive comments under its article, then disabled the comments section completely late on Sunday. It was back again by Monday, complete with remarks lauding the party.

The overseas edition of the same papers WeChat account removed entirely an article focusing on the term limits, replacing it with the lengthy Xinhua report summing up all the amendment proposals.

In one confusing moment for many Chinese, Xinhua initially only reported the news in English.

Jokes have also circulated on social media. One shows a picture of a condom in its wrapper under the words doing it twice is not enough.

Others shared pictures of Winnie the Pooh, an internet meme that plays on Xis supposed likeness to the rotund cartoon bear, an image censors have repeatedly tried to remove.

Parts of the stock market took heart from the news. Chinese speculators pounced on stocks with emperor in their name on Monday.

The decision has also unsettled some in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, where authorities have been trying to rein in a pro-democracy movement.

This move, which would allow for a single individual to amass and accumulate political power, means that China would again have a dictator as her head of state - Xi Jinping, said Joshua Wong, one of the movements leaders.

The law may exist in China in form, but this just proves that the Chinese law exists to serve the individual and the partys purposes.

China is likely though to see any such criticism as a plot against the party.

Every time China deliberates on reforms and key decisions, effect on public opinion is worth pondering, the Global Times wrote. Misinformation and external forces meddling will affect public opinion in China. Reuters
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Washington, February 26

Will your vote be safe this year from foreign adversaries working to undermine US democracy? Some of the nations governors arent so sure.

State leaders of both parties worried aloud on Sunday about the security of Americas election systems against possible cyberattacks ahead of this falls midterm elections, aware that Russian agents targeted more than 20 states little more a year ago, and the Trump administration has taken a mostly hands-off approach to the continued interference.

US intelligence leaders report Russian hackers are already working to undermine this Novembers elections, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and in statehouses across the nation.

In my lifetime, Ive never seen anything like this. Its scary, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said.

The biggest concern is when you have a president and an administration that denies the problem and doesnt acknowledge the existence of the problem, its hard to believe that theyre going to be offering any real solutions or funding to make our system more secure. Election security has been overshadowed by a near-constant string of chaos and controversy out of the White House over the last year. As most of the nations governors gathered in Washington for a weekend conference, issues like gun violence, Trumps leadership and the economy dominated most hallway conversations.

Yet non-partisan experts and both Democratic and Republican elected officials suggest there is no issue more critical to American democracy than the integrity of the nations elections, which are facing unprecedented cyberattacks.

The Trump administration has so far done little to help secure the mishmash of 10,000 local voting jurisdictions across the nation that mostly run on obsolete and imperfectly secured technology.

Russian agents targeted election systems in 21 statesim ahead of the 2016 general election, the Department of Homeland Security says, and separately launched a social media blitz aimed at inflaming social tensions and sowing confusion.

The search for a solution has been shaped by partisan politics.

While Democratic governors lashed out at the Trump administration for ignoring the threat, some Republicans, such as Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin insisted the media are overstating the problem. Several other Republicans, however, were openly concerned about outside interference but declined to criticize the Trump administrations inaction.

Theres obviously nothing more important than protecting the mechanism of democracy, and theyve shown that they can at least meddle if not directly influence, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who leads the Republican Governors Association, said of Russian hackers.  AP
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Washington, February 26

Ivanka Trump says she believes her fathers denials of sexual misconduct, arguing that questions to her on the topic are pretty inappropriate.

Trump serves as a senior adviser in President Donald Trumps administration and just led the US delegation at the closing ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She made the comments in an interview with NBC that aired Monday.

Asked about the allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the president, Ivanka Trump said: I think its a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when hes affirmatively stated theres no truth to it.

I believe my father, I know my father, she said. I think I have that right as a daughter, to believe my father. The president has denied accusations of misconduct.

His daughter has promoted herself as an advocate of women and families within the administration a role that has come with unique challenges and calculations, given the allegations against her father and some of his public comments about women.

She played a diplomatic role on her visit to the Olympics, visiting the Blue House in Seoul before heading to Pyeongchang.

In her remarks, Ivanka Trump said she was in South Korea to celebrate the Olympics and to reaffirm the US commitment to a maximum pressure campaign to ensure that the Korean Peninsula is denuclearised.  AP
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Dhaka, February 25

Bangladeshs High Court today deferred the judgment on imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zias bail petition, saying it would decide after receiving necessary papers from the lower court which has sentenced her.

The 72-year-old three-time former prime minister was given a five-year jail term by Dhakas Special Court on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of USD 250,000 in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The (two-judge) Bench said it would issue the order on the bail petition after receiving the case documents from the trial court which is expected to reach the High Court in the next two weeks, a high court official told reporters.

The February 8 verdict virtually shook the countrys political scenario ahead of the general elections while the BNP, the main opposition party outside Parliament, alleged that it was politically motivated to debar Zia from contesting elections, an allegation denied by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government.

The High Court had earlier this week accepted for hearing her bail petition along with prayers, challenging her conviction and ordered authorities concerned to forward the case records in 15 days.

Political analysts feared that the BNP was now exposed to a political wilderness after Zias conviction. PTI
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Washington, February 25

Mexico and the US have shelved tentative plans for a visit to Washington by President Enrique Pena Nieto as tensions persist over a proposed border wall, US media has reported.

Pena Nieto had already cancelled a visit in January last year because of US President Donald Trumps insistence that Mexico pay for the wall, which he wants as part of his efforts to curb immigration.

The White House had said in mid-February that the two presidents were working on arranging a meeting. But The Washington Post, which first reported cancellation of the provisional meeting, said both countries agreed to call it off after a testy telephone call ended in an impasse over the border barrier. The phone call took place last Tuesday.

Citing US and Mexican officials, the Post said Trump would not agree to publicly affirm Mexicos position that it would not fund construction of a border wall that the Mexican people widely consider offensive. Pena Nietos visit had been considered for February or March, the Post said.

Building the border wall was a primary pledge of the 2016 presidential campaign by Trump. The leaders did meet once, on the sidelines of the G20 summit of major economies in Hamburg, Germany, last July. AFP
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Seoul, February 25

Senior officials from Pyongyang visiting South Korea on Sunday said North Korea was open to talks with the US, hours after it accused Washington of trying to stir up conflict on the peninsula with new sanctions.

In Pyeongchang for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, the visiting delegation also said developments in relations between the two Koreas and between North Korea and the US should go hand in hand, the Souths presidency said in a statement.

The delegation met South Korean President Moon Jae-in at an undisclosed location in the Olympic city.

Earlier, a statement released by North Korean state media accused the US of provoking confrontation on the Korean peninsula with Fridays sanctions announcement.

Sundays closing ceremony was attended by Moon, the North Korean delegation and United States President Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump among other dignitaries.

The Olympics have given a boost to engagement between the two Koreas after more than a year of sharply rising tension over the Norths missile tests and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of UN sanctions.

But the closing days of the Olympic Games were overshadowed by the US announcement that it was imposing its largest package of sanctions aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programmes.

Thanks to our supreme leaderships noble love for the nation and strong determination for peace, long-awaited inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation have been realised and the Olympics took place successfully by the inter-Korean collaboration, the Norths KCNA state news agency said, citing North Koreas ministry of foreign affairs.

On the eve of closing of the Olympics, the US is running amok to bring another dark cloud of confrontation and war over the Korean peninsula by announcing enormous sanctions against the DPRK, it said, using the initials of the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Earlier, about 100 conservative South Korean lawmakers and activists staged a sit-in near the border with North Korea, facing off against about 2,500 South Korean police personnel to protest the arrival of a northern delegation led by Kim Yong Chol, an official accused of being behind a deadly 2010 attack on a South Korean warship.

The delegation took a different route, prompting the opposition Korea Liberty Party to accuse President Moon Jae-ins administration of abuse of power and an act of treason by re-routing the motorcade to shield it from the protest.

Moon met Kim in Pyeongchang, where the Olympics are being held, before the closing ceremony, the South Korean government said in a statement.  Reuters
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Beirut, February 26

Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said on Monday.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday in and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said the air strikes were carried out by the US-led coalition.

Twenty-five civilians, including seven children, were killed in the village of Al-Shaafah and in surrounding desert areas in coalition strikes all through Sunday, he said.

This village is in the last pocket controlled by IS in the east of Syria, he said of Al-Shaafah, which lies on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Air strikes against jihadists forces holding out in remote areas of Deir Ezzor province have killed dozens of civilians in recent weeks, many of them relatives of the fighters.

Coalition-backed Kurdish-led forces have been trying to flush out IS from the east bank of the Euphrates, while Russian-backed regime and allied forces are stationed west of the river.

Abdel Rahman could not say how many IS combatants were taken out by the latest wave of air strikes.

IS now holds less than three percent of Syrian territory, he said.

The self-styled caliphate IS proclaimed over swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014 effectively died when anti-jihadist forces retook its de facto capital Raqa and other strongholds such as Albu Kamal late last year.

However the US-led coalition has continued to carry out strikes against small pockets of IS fighters hunkering down in and around small villages in Deir Ezzor province.

Small groups of IS-affiliated fighters are also still active in other parts of Syria.  AFP
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Vatican City, February 25

Pope Francis on Sunday said Syria was being martyred by continued attacks killing civilians in the eastern Ghouta district, calling for an immediate end to violence and access to humanitarian aid.

All this is inhuman, Francis told tens of thousands of people in St Peters Square for his weekly blessing. He spoke hours after the United Nations adopted a resolution demanding a 30-day truce across Syria to allow aid access and medical evacuation.

In these days my thoughts have often been taken up by the beloved and martyred Syria, he said, noting there had been thousands of civilian victims of violence that had not spared even hospitals. You cant fight evil with another evil, he said, asking his listeners to join together in a moment of silent prayer.

Francis called for an immediate end to the violence so food and medicine can get in and the sick and wounded can leave.

UNSC adopts Syria ceasefire resolution

The 10 elected non-permanent members (E10) of the UN Security Council pushed the five permanent members (P5) to reach a compromise and got an unanimous vote on a resolution ordering a ceasefire without delay in Syria to allow humanitarian aid to reach areas under siege.

After two days of delays and several postponements, Russia and the three western permanent members including Britain, France and the United States agreed on Saturday, on the final version negotiated by Kuwait and Sweden with the backing of the P10.

Kuwaits Permanent Representative Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, who is the Council President for the month, said We want to show you the solidarity of the E10, Al-Otaibi declared: We are all united, we want the resolution to be adopted.

Besides the nation-wide ceasefire, the resolution calls for the lifting of all sieges, facilitation of medical evacuations, and permitting convoys of the UN and its partners carrying humanitarian supplies free access.

However, the resolution made one notable exception to the ceasefire: It allowed continued action against the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, A1-Nusra Front and other terrorist organisations.

Meanwhile, Syrian regime carried out new air strikes today on the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, according to the Britain-based Observatory. AFP
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Bangkok, February 26

Thai police on Monday arrested a group of 10 Russians who were running a sex training class for their compatriots in the seaside town of Pattaya, and have charged them with working in Thailand without permission.

Police said those arrested included Russian national Alex Lesley, a self-proclaimed sex guru who made headlines last year following reports that he planned to run in Russias presidential election next month.

Lesley, whose real name is Alexander Kirillov, according to Thai police, is not registered as a presidential candidate with the Russian Central Election Commission, however.

The group will be charged with working in Thailand without permission but not for conducting the course, police said.

One of them will also be charged with overstaying his visa and three for entering Thailand illegally without passports, police said, adding that the group ran the course for more than 40 Russian men and women at a hotel in Pattaya.

They had to pay more than 20,000 baht for the course, Pattaya police chief Apichai Krobpet told Reuters.

We charged all 10 instructors with overstaying, he added.

They came to teach sex education to their fellow countrymen  but the course itself is not illegal.

Police said representatives of Russias embassy in Bangkok had arrived in Pattaya to assist the men.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the mens lawyers. The Russian embassy in the Thai capital did not respond to telephone calls to seek comment.

Pattaya, famed for its nightlife, including strip clubs, some run by Russians, draws many Russian tourists, with many Russian-language signboards in the town centre.

On his official website, Lesley, who has more than 36,000 Instagram followers, recently posted a video of people on a beach he tagged as Monkey Beach on Koh Larn, an island off Pattaya.

Some of the men in the video wear white t-shirts bearing the phrase, Sex Animator. Lesleys official website advertises a sexual techniques course to run from Feb. 17 in Thailand. Reuters
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Seven years ago, Ivan Zelenskiy was feeling tired and stressed. He thought it was connected to his hard work leading a team of engineers for the power plant in Kremenchuk, Ukraine. But during a health test at work, he received the shocking diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia.

At home, he searched on the internet and discovered it was blood cancer. He and his family felt overwhelmed, unsure of what it would mean for his future. Its rare for men under 45 to contract this type of cancer. It gets worse quickly if left untreated.

Ivan was fortunate to be able to afford the comprehensive tests necessary to get an official diagnosis and thus prescribed treatment. Eighty percent of chronic myeloid leukemia patients go into remission after treatment.

But Ivan was shocked to learn the daily drug regimen of Imatinib, a biological therapy medicine, cost US$1,000 per month  more than twice his monthly salary.

In Ukraine at the time, the government only supplied medication for a portion of the total number of patients. Medicines were often procured regionally, so access depended on local budgets and efficient procurement.

At the time that Ivan was diagnosed, two out of three patients were not receiving their medication, which meant they were slowly dying.

Ivan started to look into how to afford his treatment, which led him to researching patients rights in Ukraine.





Ivan waits for his doctor and his prescription.

I found out the state buys medication for patients like me, but its not enough for all of us."



In his region Poltava, only 11 out of 40 patients needing Imatinib were covered.

To increase his chances of getting coverage, he relocated to the larger city of Dnipro, which had better qualified doctors and a larger local budget. By writing letters and meeting with the health department and high regional officials, he successfully lobbied for funding to cover more patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, including himself.



With this first victory under his belt, Ivan decided he would not stop his crusade  not until all patients in the country were covered

Ivan attended a leukemia conference in Germany and connected with a global network of patient organizations working in the area of chronic myeloid leukemia. Learning what tools and methods could be used to protect patients rights, he wrote letters to the president and prime minister of Ukraine and got them co-signed by a number of European patient organizations. Thanks to this influence, additional funding was allocated for treatment.

Since 2011, Ivan has been advocating for patients' rights.

He started an organization in 2015, Kraplya Krovi (Drop of Blood), to work with national and local authorities to make sure patients have access to the medications they need. In meeting other similar organizations and activists, he found the issue of accessible, affordable medicine was not just isolated to leukemia medications. It affected those facing many other illnesses, including tuberculosis and cystic fibrosis.

Patients realized agreements between the health ministry and the pharmaceutical companies were not transparent. It was difficult for patients to understand who buys medicine or at what price, and even how the number of patients was calculated, Ivan said.

State procurement was fully controlled by local distributors, which increased the likelihood of kickbacks being given to doctors and chairmen of tender committees. Corruption increased drug prices up to four times higher, which drastically reduced the states ability to buy enough medicine for everyone.

Ivan meets with members of Drop of Blood patient organization to plan advocacy activities.



In 2015, Ivans NGO and others, under the umbrella organisation Patients of Ukraine, turned to public demonstrations to demand better procurement. Around the same time, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine requested international organizations, including UNDP, to respond to the crisis and take over the procurement.

In doing so, the ministry received strong support from the patient community, which trusted the transparency that international organizations could bring.

Now in its third year, the new procurement chain has proven more efficient. For myeloid leukemia medicines, it saved 11 million UAH (US$410,000), which allowed coverage for 100 percent of the eligible patients requiring Imatinib.

UNDP procures drugs for 26 different programmes. The process has saved up to 45 percent of the allocated budget, allowing for coverage of more patients and diseases. More than 70 percent of medications are now bought directly from manufacturers and long term deals have been arranged to further reduce costs.

With the goal of putting transparent procurement back into the hands of the government, UNDP now is helping set up a government agency to take over the task.

After seven years of treatment, Ivan is now in full remission thanks to the drug regimen. He feels good about what he has accomplished, but his fight is far from over. He and his organization aim to make all leukemia medicines available for patients in Ukraine as well as to teach patients how to advocate for their rights.

Ivan Zelenskiy talks with his doctor about his chronic myeloid leukemia treatment.




Syrian refugees are seated for one of the Kaleidoscope workshops in Aberdeen.  Alana Nabulsi

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND - Two Syrian women are arguing into a microphone. I dont want to see anyone, Fatima shouts at Reem. You invited him! You sort it out! Beside them, Nancy, an elegant Scottish lady of a certain age, says quietly: Very good! I think thats it!

The women grin with relief. Mohammed, the Syrian director, and Sean, the local producer from Aberdeens SHMU community radio, give the thumbs up.

This row, although not real, was inspired by real events. Fatima and Reem* are part of a group of Syrian refugees in Aberdeen who spent two weeks making a radio drama based on their lives.

In a local recording studio in a local community centre, the project comes to a climax. As the Syrians -- men in black leather jackets, women in Hijabs and sparkly cardigans -- mutter over their scripts, local Aberdeen girls in Fuchsia tights pick their way past to dancing class.

Welcome to Kaleidoscope, a therapeutic audio-drama and awareness project for Syrian refugees, part-funded by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and AMAL, and hosted by Aberdeen City Council. Kaleidoscope is just one of the therapy and advocacy projects run by the Trojan Women Project, a group that has, since 2013, been managing similar projects in Jordan and Europe.

Kaleidoscope began with an Arabic production of Euripides Trojan Women, with an all-female cast of Syrian refugees, through which the women reworked their stories of exile and loss into the text. That play toured the UK in 2016 with the Young Vic theatre company as Queens of Syria.

The World to Hear, a film about the Queens of Syria tour  directed by Charlotte Ginsborg and Anatole Sloan  is being shown at the 2018 Glasgow Film Festival Friday.

Since 2013, the Trojan Women Project has run numerous projects, including the first Arabic adaption of the musical Oliver! with a cast of Syrian refugee children. In 2014, they created a radio drama set in Jordans Zaatari refugee camp -- based loosely on the long running BBC radio soap opera the Archers -- which was broadcast on BBC Arabic and BBC Radio 4.

We want people in Britain to understand why we are here.

Trojan Women is also currently running a music project, If Music be the Food of Love, in Jordan with Syrian and local children, backed by the World Food Programme.

Kaleidoscope is the groups on-going drama project, culminating in a series of radio pieces. It has run workshops in Glasgow and Heidelberg as well as Aberdeen. The Aberdeen episodes will be broadcast in Arabic, by SHMU, a local community radio station, as well as Arabic radio stations. After this, the refugees will work on the English language version of the scripts to record later this year. This will be broadcast on SHMU; BBC Radio Scotland is making a documentary about the project.

Its very important to have the script in English, says Khaled, one of the eight refugee men in this stage of the project. We want people in Britain to understand why we are here. He and his brother fled to Lebanon from Homs after seeing their parents killed by a barrel bomb. They were resettled to the UK.

This part of the project started a year ago. Thirty Syrians and five Aberdonians came together in a Methodist Church to be taught how to write episodic radio drama. The initial workshops were led by Liz Rigbey, former editor of the Archers. Mohammed Abou Laban and Liwaa Yazjii, an experienced Syrian husband and wife team, are part of the writing and directing team. Kaleidoscope plans similar workshops in Glasgow and then abroad.

A group of Syrian women learning their lines at the Kaleidoscope workshop, Aberdeen.  Alana Nabulsi

The Syrians, all of whom had arrived in Scotland as part of the UKs resettlement scheme, divided into four groups; three of men, one for the women, each under a writer-trainer. For three days, they shared their stories with the group, then improvised scripts from their experiences. Each group then acted out their stories for the class. The stories were about family members stuck in Syria; children trying to reunite with parents; the isolation of life in Scotland, solved by one group of young men buying bicycles; and refugees trying to send medicine to siblings with rare genetic medical conditions in Lebanon.

The project aims to help Syrians work their way through the trauma and isolation of exile, and spread understanding and awareness of the refugee crisis, through drama. Of 30 Syrians involved, 10 volunteered for a fortnights drama and recording workshop. Led by Mohammed, they created two, 20-minute pilot episodes, based on the strongest storylines.

Fatimas story was a main plotline: she and her young husband tried to get his brother out of Syria. Just 18, the brother was to be drafted into the army, but could not legally be brought to the UK. They tried to raise funds to have the brother smuggled out, but he was killed before leaving. Fatimas marriage collapsed under the strain. Her husband, grief-stricken, turned to drink but remains nearby. She was left alone in Aberdeen, with two small children. Fatima was then taken up by the single mums in her apartment block. I dont understand anything they say, she says. I keep finding Ive agreed to things without meaning to -- like going swimming!

Now we have a whole new family

Another storyline was inspired by a trip the Council was planning for the refugees to the Ballater Highland Games, much to the Syrians excitement. We want to thank the Queen for having us in the UK, says one. They were also keen to enter the competitions. I can lift 50 kg with my teeth! Khaled adds.

At the end of each workshop, a questionnaire is distributed. I only came for the food and because I had nothing else to do, says one. But I found sharing my story very helpful and have made lots of new friends.

Creating a new community is one of the results of the project. Syrians typically lean on large, extended-family networks. Now we have a whole new family, another refugee adds after the Aberdeen workshop.

The Syrians won several of the races at the Highland Games, although, sadly, the Queen wasnt there to be thanked.

*Names changed to protect individuals
Da han blev tilbudt at kbe en populr fiskebutik i det nordligste Norge, troede Asif, det var en joke. Jeg anede ingenting om fisk, griner han. Nu ejer jeg Fiskebua, og alle mine venner synes det sjovt, at en flygtning fra Afghanistan er blevet fiskeekspert. Hans vej til succes har ikke vret let, men iflge Asif er Norge er godt sted for flygtninge, der er villige til at lre sproget og arbejde hardt.

Fr han flygtede fra krigen i Afghanistan, havde Asif aldrig set havet. Hans rejse over land var lang, gennem Iran og Tyrkiet, inden han krydsede havet for frste gang i en bad fra Tyrkiet til Grkenland.

Da han ankom til Norge i 2004, boede Asif i et asylcenter i fem ar, hvor han lrte norsk og ventede pa behandlingen af sin asylansgning. Han fortller, at det var en vanskelig tid, for han var ivrig efter at komme ud og begynde at arbejde, klare sig selv og fa sin kone til Norge.

I 2007 flyttede Asif til Mo i Rana, en lille by i det nordligste Norge, lige syd for Polarcirklen, hvor han endelig blev tildelt asyl. Hans frste job var hos den lokale kbmand.

Da jeg begyndte at arbejde, sagde min arbejdsgiver, at han ikke kunne tilbyde mig mere end deltidsarbejde  men kort efter gav han mig mange flere timer, og det var jeg rigtig glad for. Jeg ville gerne arbejde meget, sa jeg kunne spare nok penge op  jeg nskede at kbe et hus og hjlpe min kone fra Afghanistan her til Norge, husker Asif.

Jeg var ikke bange for at arbejde mange timer i streg, og kunderne kunne lide mig.

Merete Torsteinsen, leder af Mo i Ranas uddannelsescenter for voksne, har arbejdet med flygtninge i arevis. Regionen kmper med at finde folk, der nsker at bo og arbejde der, sa kommunen lavede en undersgelse for at afdkke, hvad der skulle til, for at flygtninge ville blive i byen.

Undersgelsen viste tre vigtige ting, som folk fler, at de har brug for for at kunne sla sig ned. Det var  ikke srligt overraskende  mulighed for at arbejde, mulighed for at kbe et hjem og adgang til gode brnehaver og skoler til brnene, siger Merete.

Det er sa nemt at glemme, at disse mennesker er ligesom os, men jeg tror, du kunne lave den samme undersgelse med nsten enhver familie i verden og fa de samme svar.

Efter at have arbejdet i den lokale kbmand i seks ar havde Asif lrt kunderne og de lokale i Mo i Rana godt at kende, og han flte sig endelig glad. I 2011 havde han kbt et hus i byen og formaet at bringe sin kone Freshta i sikkerhed fra Afghanistan via familiesammenfring.

En dag blev Asif kontaktet af Rolf Skjrvold, ejeren af Fiskebua, en bermt fiskebutik i nrheden. Han spurgte, om Asif ville vre interesseret i at overtage hans fiskeforretning. Rolf og hans medejer Inger-Lise Kristiansen havde besluttet, at de langsomt ville begynde at trkke sig tilbage og blive pensionerede efter at have arbejdet sa hardt i mange ar i butikken.

Frst troede jeg, han lavede sjov  jeg anede intet om fisk, griner Asif. Men sa forklarede han, at han ansa mig for at vre et godt match for butikken, sa min kone og jeg besluttede, at vi ville give det et forsg og kbe butikken sammen.

Flere interesserede kbere havde allerede henvendt sig til Rolf og Inger-Lise med tilbud om at kbe fiskebutikken, men ingen af dem havde syntes helt rigtige i deres jne. Indtil de stdte pa Asif.

Det er hardt arbejde at eje en fiskebutik, og det krver en srlig form for dedikation. Og det har Asif. Han er hurtig til at lre, en venlig person og meget god til kundeservice. At arbejde sammen med ham har virkelig vret en fornjelse, siger Inger-Lise Kristiansen.

Fiskebua er i dag en blomstrende forretning. Med Asif og Freshta bag disken, og med sttte fra de tidligere ejere, der har lrt dem alt, de ved om fisk og om at forvalte en forretning i Norge, er salget steget og de lokale kunder er mere tilfredse end nogensinde.

Solbjorg Ulriksen har boet i Mo i Rana hele livet og har vret fast kunde hos Fiskebua i arevis. Nar vi skal kbe fisk, sa kommer vi her, siger hun. Asif er altid venlig over for os, og han er meget vidende om fisk. Det at han er fra Afghanistan, gr det bare endnu mere specielt, for han har lrt sa meget.

Siden han ankom til Norge som flygtning fra det krigshrgede Afghanistan for 14 ar siden, er Asif blevet en succesfuld virksomhedsejer og fiskeekspert  og han er et respekteret og meget vrdsat medlem af lokalsamfundet i Mo i Rana. Han er ogsa en stor inspiration for andre flygtninge, der haber pa at kunne skabe sig en fremtid i Norge.

Norge er et land, der er meget venligt over for flygtninge, siger Asif. Jeg har tre rad til dem, der er ivrige efter at klare sig her: At lre sproget sa hurtigt som muligt og ikke vre bange for at bruge det, at arbejde hardt, nar man far et job, og at opbygge et netvrk af gode norske venner. Det er vigtige ngler til at fa succes, siger han.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 26 (UNI) Odisha government has imposed a ban on the production, sale of chickens and chicken products in Paradip area of jagatsinghpur district for three months after the blood samples of a chicken sent to High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory Bhopal found to be H5N1 positive.

State animal resources and husbandry department secretary Vishal Gagan told newspersons here that in total 314 blood samples were sent to Bhopal out of which twothe blood of a chicken and a duck were found positive.

He said, culling of chickens in the area has already started to ensure that the disease does not spread to newer areas.
Spencer Wells will speak at UTSA on March 1.

(Feb. 26, 2018) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Faculty Center will present esteemed geneticist, anthropologist, author and entrepreneur Spencer Wells on Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Student Union Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02) on the Main Campus. The event is free and open to the community.

>>Watch a livestream of the talk.

Wells' talk, entitled "Sparking Curiosity: Genetics, Big Data & Our Human Story" will examine how our DNA informs the way our ancestors populated the planet and how research can change industry and perceptions.

A Q&A with Wells will follow the talk. Audience members may submit their questions via Twitter using the hashtag #utsageno.

During his decade-long tenure as an Explorer-In-Residence with the National Geographic Society, Wells initiated and directed the Genographic Project, a multi-year genetic anthropology study that aims to map historical human migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples. This massive worldwide research initiative and citizen science project effectively launched the consumer genomics industry as we know it today.

Wells graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas at Austin, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and conducted postdoctoral work at Stanford and Oxford. He has appeared in numerous documentary films and is the author of three books, The Journey of Man, Deep Ancestry and Pandoras Seed.

His work has taken him to more than 100 countries, where he has collaborated with everyone from heads of government and Fortune 500 corporations, to tribal chieftains eking out a precarious living in places as remote as Chad, Tajikistan and Papua New Guinea.

He lives in Austin,where he is founder and CEO of consumer genomics startup Insitome, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas and owner of the iconic blues club Antones.

UTSA's Faculty Center fosters the professional development of the universitys researchers and professors. The Center is a partnership between the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support, UTSA Office of the Vice President for Research and UTSA Libraries.
Nominations for UW Women in STEM Own It! Awards Accepted

Nominations are now being accepted for the third annual Own It! Awards for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the University of Wyoming. The deadline is Friday, March 23.

Winners who have made contributions to the STEM fields will be honored during the Own It! Awards ceremony Wednesday, April 4, in the Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility.

Researchers are nominated for their outstanding scientific and scholarly achievements. Many will receive awards in categories for undergraduate and graduate students, STEM professionals, pre-tenured and tenured faculty members, and community members.

Awards nomination criteria are developed by Wyoming EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) and partners. Nominations are for women who exemplify the following:

-- A woman student, STEM professional, faculty or community member who has made significant contributions to her field of research.

-- A woman who demonstrates service, leadership and mentoring among her peer group.

-- A woman who inspires teaching and learning among her community.

-- And, a woman who is deserving of celebration.

We will honor the work of women in STEM from across campus as well as within the community of Laramie, says Emily Vercoe, Wyoming EPSCoR education, outreach and diversity coordinator. This recognition helps to increase the visibility of an often-overlooked group in STEM, which can be fundamental in encouraging young women to participate in science.

To view the nomination rubric for this years event, click here.

For more information, call Wyoming EPSCoR at (307) 766-3545, visit www.uwyo.edu/epscor/events/own-it-2018.html, or email Vercoe at evercoe@uwyo.edu.
UW-Casper Changes End-of-Year Celebration

The University of Wyoming at Casper will host a Celebration of Excellence this spring, featuring graduating seniors as guests of honor.

This is a change from the traditional commencement ceremony to a more intimate celebration of student accomplishments.

The event will take place Thursday, May 10, at 4 p.m. at the Nicolaysen Art Museum.

We aim to include scholarship and award recipients in the celebration, while featuring our graduates, says UW-Casper Dean Jeff Edgens.

The graduation recognition will begin with a student and faculty keynote speaker. Then, a faculty member from each graduates program will call the student to the stage, noting his or her achievements.

Our graduates will receive their diplomas and a memento from UW administration on the stage, and we will have professional photographers there to capture it all, Edgens says.
Billions of US dollars have been invested in Vietnam in the first two months of the year

A week ago, Japanese newswire Nikkei reported that the Japanese government and more than 20 large Japanese firms  including Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Tokyo Metro  are planning to join a gigantic project worth over $37 billion to build a smart city project in northern Hanoi.

The 310-hectarea project, with property developer BRG being the Vietnamese partner, is expected to be completed in 2023. It is also expected that in October 2018, construction of about 7,000 buildings and commercial works will begin. This may be completed in late 2019.

Early this month, private firm Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel JSC, part of leading steel maker Hoa Phat Group, teamed up with Italys Danieli, one of the worlds largest suppliers of metallurgical equipment, on a giant stainless steel production project. The project will have a designed capacity of 600,000 tonnes per annum, which could be increased to one million tonnes per annum.

Located at the Hoa Phat Dung Quat iron and steel production complex in Dung Quat Economic Zone in the central province of Quang Ngai, the project will be completed by 2020 and will seek to help the country reduce its reliance on imported stainless steel products. Stainless steel importation came to 560,000 tonnes in 2017, up 10 per cent against the previous year.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 8, Cho Hyun Joon, chairman of leading South Korean textile and chemical firm Hyosung, said that the group commits to strengthening co-operation with Vietnam, not only in processing spandex and yarn for automotive tyres, but also in chemicals and heavy industries.

The group is showing a keen interest in Vietnams power projects, particularly the supply of various kinds of transformers that are in dire need in the Vietnamese market.

Last year, Hyosung poured a total of $1.3 billion into a polypropylene manufacturing plant and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) underground storage facility in Cai Mep Industrial Zone in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

In 2007, Hyosung invested $1.5 billion in a plant at Nhon Trach 5 Industrial Zone to produce textiles and core industrial raw materials.

Early this year, Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi Motors unveiled a plan to build its second automotive manufacturing facility in Vietnam, valued at $250 million in total investment capital. The plant is slated to be completed in 2020 with an annual production capacity ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 car units, serving both domestic and export markets.

According to a recent Dong Nai Department of Planning and Investment report, the southern province solicited $62.2 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in the first month of the year, a 50 per cent jump on-year. The sum came from four newly-committed projects valued at a total of $22.7 million in combined investment value, and three existing projects which sought $39.5 million in combined supplemental capital.

This year, Dong Nai aims to attract $1 billion in FDI capital, focusing on priority fields such as high-tech, supporting industries, and environmentally-friendly projects.

Representatives from a slew of foreign-invested enterprises based in the southern province of Binh Duong also revealed intentions to continue investment expansion this year.

Ricardo Vasques, Southeast Asia director of major US brewer AB Inbev, said in a recent meeting with Binh Duong leaders that the company will increase investment this year to boost production at its factory based in My Phuoc 2 Industrial Park (IP), and will launch a new beer brand, Hoegaarden.

AB Inbev currently runs two breweries based in My Phuoc 2 and VSIP 2 IPs, which produce the Budweiser beer brand serving the domestic and the export market.
A gigantic smart city project in Hanoi may have to wait for specific criteria, Photo: Le Toan

Tran Quoc Thai, vice head of the Ministry of Constructions (MoC) Urban Development Agency, told VIR that the implementation of a 4 trillion yen ($37.3 billion) synchronous smart city in Hanois Dong Anh district may not be easy because of a lack of specific criteria, and would need thorough studies.

The Japanese government and more than 20 large Japanese firms, including Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and Tokyo Metro, are reportedly planning to jointly construct this smart city.

Mitsubishi will provide unmanned buses and power charging stations, Panasonic and telecom developer KDDI will supply smart equipment which helps save energy, and Daikin will install smart air conditioning systems.

The 310 hectare project will be designed by Nikken Sekkei Group and is expected to be completed in 2023.

It is also expected that in October 2018, construction of about 7,000 buildings and commercial works will begin. This may be completed in late 2019.

If completed, the colossal project will be Japans largest project in Vietnam, as well as the first synchronous smart city project in Vietnam, Thai said. However, we have yet to receive sufficient information and investment proposals for this project, and we also dont know what will be done within it, while related ministries are devising rough criteria for this type of project.

We only know that the investors are working with Hanoi authorities. However, I would say that this type of project will need very careful consideration because it is quite new to Vietnam, the official continued. Of course, in order to be implemented, the investors must seek approval from MoC and other related ministries.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, the government has set a target of creating five smart cities by 2020, and is designing

criteria for such cities, making it more convenient for foreign investors to invest in building them.

Many provinces and cities are compiling their own schemes for developing smart urban areas, focusing on a number of sectors including health care, environment, e-government, traffic, and security, said a ministry representative at a recent Vietnam-France smart city seminar in Hanoi. Many big local and foreign firms have engaged in these schemes, especially European firms who have decades of experience in operating smart cities.

In late 2017, 20 Slovak firms operating in high technologies came to Vietnam in search of opportunities. They plan to work with the government, ministries, and many local partners to introduce their smart urban technologies.

Asseco Central Europe, one of the biggest software developers in Central and Eastern Europe, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hanoi Peoples Committee on a project supplying smart software sets, which will help the city improve its planning in land, governance, and lighting.

Aside from Hanoi, we are also seeking other partners in Vietnam, including ministries, enterprises, and organisations, said Asseco representative Andrej Zmecek. We can provide all types of smart software for all sectors of the economy.

Another tech firm, the information and aviation specialist Virtual Reality Media (VRM), said that it is working with Vietnamese partners on plans to distribute its software and industrial modelling solutions in Vietnam. These products are focused on

simulation systems for vehicles, aeroplanes, and helicopters, as well as automated transport systems.

Vietnams urbanisation is booming, with growing demand for these solutions. We really want to meet with those who are interested in our solutions, said Eduard Cristea, a representative from VRM.
The rate of workers returning on time after the holidays is higher than ever in Ho Chi Minh City Photo: Le Toan

On February 21, most firms in the citys industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs) resumed normal operations. Compared to previous years, they were faced with less difficulty in recruiting new workers and trying to bring current ones back to work post-holiday.

Over 1,000 workers returned to work at Truong Thanh Garment and Textile in Linh Trung IP 1 in Thu Duc district. Truong Thi Tham, the firms deputy director, stated that 95 per cent of workers are now back, compared with a figure of 70 per cent this time last year.

As the company has been receiving large amounts of orders, we have taken measures to ensure that workers leaving for their hometowns for the holidays are going to come back. The company has arranged buses to take them home as well as saved part of their Tet bonuses for after they have returned to work, she said.

In Linh Trung IPs 1 and 2, only 20 companies registered to resume operation on February 21; the majority are to do so five days later, so their staff can be back on time.

According to Nguyen Van Hung, HR manager of a seafood processing company in District 7s Tan Thuan EPZ, the number of workers returning on time has increased sharply this year.

90 per cent of our 650 workers have come back after the festive period, up 30 per cent against the previous year, he said, attributing the high rate to the firms supportive policies as well as workers awareness of workplace discipline.

Tran Cong Khanh, head of the Labour Department under the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Management Authority, said that the returning rate in the city were at 70 per cent as of February 21. Most companies in IPs have given lucky money to their staff as a means of encouragement on their first day back at work.

According to a survey carried out by VIR, the returning rate has indeed increased significantly in Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces. The Duc Hoa and Xuyen A IPs in the southern province of Long An have seen 80 per cent of workers back after Tet, constituting the highest such rate in recent years.

Similarly, the situation has been much improved in both Binh Duong and Dong Nai. In the latters Amata IP, over 30 companies have now resumed their operations, with 90 percent of staff having returned.

According to Tran Thi Anh Dao, director of the Dong Nai Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information Centre, the rate of worker shortage in the province after the holidays remains low at 3-5 per cent, compared to 10 per cent the previous year. This rate stands at 8-10 per cent for labour-intensive businesses.

Dao noted that there has been a tendency in recent years for workers to secure and stick with stable jobs. At the same time, in order to retain staff, companies have introduced more incentives and supporting policies regarding wages and bonuses.
Damaged cars and buildings are seen in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Damascus, Syria February 25, 2018. Source: REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh

UN chief Antonio Guterres praised the adoption of a Security Council resolution on Saturday calling for the truce but underscored, "Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented.

"That is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained," he told the opening of the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Addressing the rights council after Guterres, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said that Syria - and other conflict zones - had "become some of the most prolific slaughterhouses of humans in recent times".

On the proposed Syria truce, Zeid warned that "we have every reason to remain cautious".

The resolution "must be viewed against a backdrop of seven years of failure to stop the violence, seven years of unremitting and frightful mass killing".

Fresh bombardment by the Syrian regime killed at least 10 civilians in Eastern Ghouta on Monday, including nine members of a same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said.

Air strikes destroyed a building in Douma, the main town in the Eastern Ghouta area east of Damascus, and buried alive an entire family, according to the Observatory.

More than 500 civilians have been killed in regime and Russian bombardment on the enclave, which is controlled by Islamist and extremist fighters, since Feb 18, the Observatory further said.

Zeid has repeatedly and forcefully chastised the Security Council throughout the Syrian conflict for failing to refer the case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

He has blamed the council's inability to act on Syria on the veto power held by several permanent members.

On Monday, Zeid blasted veto-wielding members for the council's intransigence on Syria and other conflicts, saying they bore "responsibility for the continuation of so much pain".

"It is time, for the love of mercy, that China, Russia and the United States ... end the pernicious use of the veto," he told the rights council.
Did you visit New York City this month? Health officials would like a word
Sheriff, facing questions about school-shooting response, says he has given 'amazing leadership'
Eleanor Langhoff, age 95, of Villard, formerly of St. Paul, died Monday, September 6, 2021. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM, Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at First Lutheran Church in Alexandria. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 AM Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are with the A
Government Responds to Dastis' Comments

Government have this morning issued a statement in which it confirms that the Sovereignty of Gibraltar is not a matter for discussion.

"Gibraltar and the United Kingdom continue to work closely together as we prepare to leave the European Union. The longstanding position of Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is that it remains ready to engage in technical discussions with all interested parties, including Spain, in this regard. The sovereignty of Gibraltar is not a matter for discussion.



The joint management of the air terminal, on a purely commercial basis, between Gibraltar and Spanish business interests was provided for in the agreement signed at Cordoba in 2006 between the then Governments of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and Spain.



This did not happen because Spain has not yet given effect to this and other relevant parts of the agreement."



The relevant clause in the 2006 Cordoba Agreement on Gibraltar Airport reads as follows:



All passenger and flight services including all facilities and functions relating to airside and aircraft services, passengers check-in, baggage handling and passenger and baggage security will be provided in and by the terminal. Subject to EU directives, the Government of Gibraltar will grant a contractual concession to operate the terminal and provide these services on a commercial basis to a joint venture company owned by Gibraltar and Spanish commercial interests.
Homeland Standoff Season 7 Episode 3 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next Photo: Antony Platt/SHOWTIME

The third episode of Homeland season seven is designed to show the precariousness of Carrie Mathisons life, while also amplifying the tension between Brett OKeefe and the rest of the world. Despite a few head-scratching choices by White House chief of staff David Wellington, its ultimately a solid hour because of the great work of the cast, particularly Claire Danes, as Carrie is forced into a fragile, emotional place for almost its entire length.

It opens with Carrie rocking, looking nervous, breathing heavily. Its the morning after she assaulted the troll who was holding her computer ransom and she still has blood on her forehead. Shes in her doctors office, realizing that, as she says, Impulse control is becoming a problem. She agrees that perhaps the lithium has stopped being effective in treating her bipolar disorder. Think about what she did in last weeks episode: her quickness to post the pic from Davids house, deciding to download a file from 4Chan, taking off her shirt, almost killing her troll. As she says, shes not as risk averse as she should be. Danes is very good in this scene, showing the fragility of Carries situation.

Meanwhile, Saul Berenson and a cadre of FBI agents head to the remote house where Brett OKeefe has been secretly broadcasting. Theyre greeted by a man with a big dog thats apparently trained to eat government agents. Saul demands to see Brett and refuses to leave. Not much later, the talk-show host comes out with four armed men. Tensions are high. Saul insists that they just talk through the options in plain sight. While David pressures President Keane to drop the charges, it feels like something bad is bound to happen. But when? And how?

Carrie comes home during all of this and has a heart-to-heart with her sister. She knows she needs help, and her doctor has given her a new prescription to break her out of her manic cycle. After a few days of sleep, they can figure out what to do next. She insists that Franny never be allowed to see her in a psych ward. Does this feel like ominous foreshadowing to anyone else? Again, its nice to see Danes dig into the emotion of a character she knows so well.

While Carrie is sleeping and Saul is negotiating, Keane goes to an important meeting with her military advisors. They want to hit a convoy of weapons going from Iran to Syria, and they keep encouraging the POTUS to authorize it, but she campaigned on the promise of a military drawdown. Shes incredibly defensive throughout the meeting, accusing her advisors of trying to use her national vulnerability against her. Theres a nice edit here to OKeefe trying to figure out his next move as well; they couldnt be more politically different, but these are two people trying to figure out how to use their power.

Carrie tries to go into her medical haze, but gets shaken out of it by a loud knock on the door. Its Dante Allen, one of her few remaining connections in a position of power. Although he told her to go to hell in last weeks episode, hes back on her side. He decided to look into the photo of the woman Carrie spotted in Davids kitchen, and hes found something out: She works for the International Democracy Foundation, and she got a parking ticket near the prison that was going to process General McClendon the next day. The theory, is seems, is that she went there to coordinate his murder. Lets just process that for a second, though. Would David Wellington use someone like this to coordinate a hit ordered by the president of the United States? Someone whos careless enough to get a parking ticket?

Anyway, Carrie takes an upper to offset her downer and shes off on an adventure with Dante. They stake out the womans house and when Dante goes to follow her, Carrie breaks in through an open window. She takes some pictures of the ticket and personal photos, and she downloads the hard drive. But it all goes very wrong shortly thereafter when shes picked up on the street by local cops. She knows that if shes processed, it could put her custody of Franny in jeopardy, so she refuses to even give her name to the arresting officers. Uh oh.

While Carrie is making risky decisions, Brett OKeefe seems to be doing a lot of the same. Saul tells him that hes the most urgent national-security issue right now. Brett blathers on about his First Amendment rights and the anger of the country while Saul accuses him of poisoning the conversation. Ignoring a bit of nasty transphobia by Brett, they both have some salient points. Saul reminds him that hes in the best negotiating position. Whats it going to take to get everyone out of this standoff safely? Saul informs the POTUS that Brett wants amnesty for everyone who has aided him, and that he wants a televised trial. But somethings wrong: Brett tells his girlfriend not to go anywhere. Something is definitely about to happen.

As weve seen the last few episodes, Bretts girlfriend wants this nightmare to end. She runs to the FBI and tells them that more armed men are coming to the house. Suddenly, trucks pull up and the armed OKeefe supporters grab Saul, threatening to kidnap him. The FBI pull their guns and it looks like it could all go very wrong, but cooler heads prevail. For now.

While Carrie gets released due to Dantes political power  he even gets any evidence of her detainment stricken from the record  tension rises across the country. David is convinced that the way to distract people from the OKeefe story is to do what the military advisers want so badly: bomb the convoy. It will control the news cycle. Keane refuses, but David goes over her head, calling in the attack anyway. Its terrifying to think that a chief of staff could go over a presidents head and order a military strike, and you have to wonder how David will talk his way out of this one.

As armored vehicles approach Bretts compound, we see Carrie and Dante developing a deeper relationship. She tells him about the issues with Franny last year and cries. (Anyone else think Showtime and Danes will submit this episode for Emmy consideration?) Carrie sits with Dante on a curb as soothing music plays on the score. Its a moment of peace and quiet for Carrie Mathison. She could definitely use a few more.

Other Notes

 Are the new faces making you forget the fan favorites from seasons past? Is Dante the new Quinn? Is Brett the new Dar?

 The opening credits continue to fascinate me, especially the imagery of armed policemen, rallies, and the American flag in this chaotic year. Plus the line, The White House is in crisis mode.

 Im starting to think this will be a purely American-set season, given were a quarter of the way through and only have seen hints of Middle Eastern action. Will you be satisfied if thats the case?

 Homeland has a history of shaking it up at this point each season, so a major revelation or even a death is probably on the horizon. Any guesses about what might happen next week?
In Black Panther, Michael B. Jordans villainous Killmonger said he was going to burn it all down. Lucky for us, HBOs Fahrenheit 451 lets him make good on that promise: I want to burn, he seethes. As Guy Montag, MBJ plays a dystopian fireman charged with burning all books. When Guys neighbor Clarisse McClellan (the ill-fated Dark Universes Sofia Boutella) opens his mind to the idea that books might actually be valuable, he starts questioning everything about his reality. Michael Shannon plays Beatty, the gung-ho fire chief who is suspicious of Guys new ideas. The Ray Bradbury adaptation is directed by Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes). See it this May.
Seacrest. Photo: Dan MacMedan/WireImage

New details about the sexual-assault allegations against Ryan Seacrest have emerged. E! ended its investigation into the claims by a former wardrobe stylist at the network earlier this month citing lack of evidence, but Variety has obtained a damning letter from the accusers attorney that was sent to E!s parent company NBCUniversal last November. In it, the accuser, Suzie Hardy, outlines years of sexual abuse and harassment committed by Seacrest starting in 2007, including alleged incidents where he grinded his erect penis against her while clad only in his underwear, groped her vagina twice on set, requested she nap with him, and once slapped her so hard on her butt that it bruised. She claims Seacrest gave her unwanted hugs in his underwear more than ten times, and allegedly asked after the first groping incident if she would sue him. Not if I stay employed, she responded, according to the letter. Hardy claims she reported his behavior to HR at E! in 2013 and was subsequently let go.

Her letter urged E! to come up with a plan to address the treatment of all women at the networks and to take responsibility for the wrongful treatment or risk more formal action from Hardy. Seacrest then made Hardys claims public in a November statement that preemptively denied them and announced his cooperation with the investigation. Hardy now claims E!s investigation was biased and that four witnesses were not interviewed. It was obvious the investigator was whitewashing it for Seacrests side, she tells Variety. E! has responded in a statement to Variety calling Hardys suggestion that the investigation was flawed completely baseless. Seacrests attorney also tells Variety that Hardy asked Seacrest to pay her $15 million or she would go public with her claims, which an attorney for Hardy has denied. Hardy claims her last contact with Seacrest was two months after she was let go from E! when he called her to reassure her about future employment with him, but then never followed up on the offer.

Update February 27: Seacrest denied the allegations in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. The television host explained that the investigation into the accusations was performed by a third party and involved dozens of interviews with him, the accuser, and witnesses. He wrote, Ultimately, my name was cleared. I eagerly participated in the investigation in order to demonstrate my innocence because I know my truth, and I believe in due process. He added:

This person who has accused me of horrible things offered, on multiple occasions, to withdraw her claims if I paid her millions of dollars. I refused. I have worked extremely hard to achieve my success and I dont take my opportunities for granted. I dont want to accuse anyone of not telling the truth but in this case, I have no choice but to again deny the claims against me, remind people that I was recused of any wrongdoing, and put the matter to rest.

The lengthy statement can be read in full here.
Steve Harvey. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Steve Harvey, the Reynolds Woodcock of our time, was the only person letting out a sigh of relief one year ago today, when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway wrongly declared La La Land Best Picture. In The Hollywood Reporters oral history of the snafu, many of the major players  host Jimmy Kimmel, La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, publicist Mara Buxbaum, A24 head of publicity Nicolette Aizenberg, and more  recounted the night La La Land was mistakenly handed Moonlights Best Picture Oscar. And then theres Steve Harvey, who makes a brief appearance to say, basically, thank God people could stop talking about his 2015 Miss Universe flub, where he gave the wrong contestant the crown.

I was watching live and I probably knew what had happened before anybody else  cause I saw the panic-stricken look on the producers face. When [Horowitz] walked out there and snatched that card out of Warrens hand, thats when I knew redemption was mine, Harvey told THR. I was finally off the hook. Yeah, OK, I had to live that down: Oh, how could he, Thats a bonehead, Nobodys ever done that in the history of Miss Universe. But the Oscars is the biggest night in Hollywood, and when they did it, I lit a cigar and drank a glass of scotch and celebrated. I was free! Thank you, God!
The Chi The Whistle Season 1 Episode 7 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next Photo: Parrish Lewis/SHOWTIME

The Whistle is an episode about employment, and what a job reveals about a persons character and the world at large. In the eyes of the enigmatic Quentin  who relays to Emmett the story of his father, a porter for the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Company who was struck by a train and murdered on the job  those revelations are practically an origin story. It was his fathers dedicated service to the railway company that allowed his family a bit of upward mobility: Upon his death, the mans family was given $500 in remuneration and his porter whistle. The tale is an encapsulation of what Quentin sees as the thankless, futile nature of corporate employment and class aspirations, and it is a nice peek into the mind of a character who has not revealed much of himself so far. Quentin had fallen into the role of bitter, straw-hat toting old-timer, a symbol of the old guard of kingpins who hold staunch ideas about honor and decency in their varied fields. This is a bit weve seen in many stories before The Chi, and his calls to a long-expired street code of conduct of course rang hollow: He did, after all, kill an entire room of Reg and Trices accomplices in last weeks episode.

Exhausted of options and struggling to pay for his sons day care, Emmett falls into being Quentins accomplice. Their first stop is turning in the guns stolen from Trices men. But when Quentin turns in literal boxes filled with semiautomatic weapons, the on-duty officers barely grill him. Wouldnt the cops have at least questioned him? The repartee between Emmett and Quentin falls into a pleasant rhythm in these scenes, with the older man looking out for the younger one. And like it or not, their partnership looks set to continue in future episodes: Emmetts mother loses her job for stealing medical supplies to patch up Ronnies gunshot wound, so at least for now, Emmetts income will be the only one in the household.

As we know, Quentin was able to rob and murder Trices men because Reg was off his post, fooling around with a girl. Its a decision Reg pays dearly for, with Trice showing up to his apartment to drink his fruit juice and pummel him. When Trice threatens him in his kitchen, Reg displays an emotion beyond contempt for the first time; he finally seems more than a stock character, more than the violent, mindless dealer weve seen again and again. As the beating goes on, the camera stays focused on Regs disfigured, bloody face for what feels like an unnecessary amount of time. The scene is a little bit nauseating, a reminder that The Chi is a show claiming to humanize a demographic that it constantly abuses.

At the gun turn-in, Tracy stumbles onto a meeting for grieving mothers, held inside of a community center. One of them expresses her anger that Tracys son, a star athlete and A student, was granted news coverage and a commemorative mural while her son was not. The scene is a painful reminder of the community of families, lots of them women, who constantly deal with the aftermath of gun violence. Much like last weeks depiction of Jada masturbating in the tub, it is a rare chance to see The Chis female characters spend time with themselves. But its far from enough. Its simply too hard to gleam an idea of the inner workings of their lives when they just arent granted the space.

Later, Ronnie accosts Tracy, who insults him, per usual. She has not said a kind word to him in at least four episodes. This time, she tells him that Jason had no desire to be in his life. The Whistle intends this to be a testament to her bitchiness, but it really makes Ronnie seem as if he has no respect for the boundaries and wishes of a woman grieving her son. Again, we would have a better sense of her feelings if we spent more time with her.

Meanwhile, Brandon quits his job because he doesnt want to snitch on a fellow employee. This is a decision that makes no sense: Previously, Brandons employment at the West Loop eatery was an indicator of the chasm between himself and his family. He was a do-gooder, employed in an industry which they didnt really understand. His job as a chef was used to indicate both his ambitions and his familys confusion about that desire. The idea that hed quit his job because he didnt want to snitch is so juvenile and implausible that Im guessing one of his bosses will reach out and offer his position back to him soon. (Also, Im sure the employee still lost his job.) For now, Brandon heads back to Jerrika, who is still hesitant to allow him in her house.

Week after week, one of the pitfalls of The Chis bloated cast is that there simply is no room for all of them. The previous episode neglected the younger boys, so when theyre reintroduced in The Whistle, its a task to kickstart their respective story lines. Aside from the issue of time, it just feels like too much has happened  especially to Kevin and Jake  to jump back into regular childhood activities like a skate party. The show is attempting a realistic, verisimilitudinous approach to the boys lives, demonstrating how some children are forced to deal with adult traumas during their adolescence. Jake carries a gun now, with a scowl and a necklace just like his older brother. Kevin shot a man three weeks ago. And yet, Kevin is still a little boy with a crush on a girl he wants to skate with. Its a jarring return to a false normalcy.
Deputies have arrested a Franklin County man after a standoff in the Halltown community near Vina. Sheriff Shannon Oliver told WAAY 31 News Roger Nelson, Jr. surrendered about 2 oclock Sunday afternoon.

The call for help came in about 10 Sunday morning.

Deputies responded to the domestic disturbance at a mobile home on Dees Road.

Sheriff Oliver says Nelson, 31, was holding his girlfriend against her will. After about 45 minutes, Nelson released the woman. She did not have any visible injuries, according to the Sheriff.

Oliver tells us Nelson then went through the floor of the mobile home and holed up underneath.

Deputies were able to coax Nelson out and take him into custody.

Nelson was charged with Domestic violence suffocation, Unlawful imprisonment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude law enforcement.
Star Port Adelaide forward Robbie Gray could miss the start of the AFL season through suspension after unleashing a dangerous bump on West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern in

Eagles speedster Lewis Jetta kicked a 55m goal in the dying minutes to lift West Coast to a two-point win, 8.8 (56) to 8.6 (54).

Gray collected McGovern with a glancing blow to the head late in the first quarter after electing to bump instead of going for the ball.

McGovern had his head over the ball at the time, and lay dazed on the ground for a short time after before being helped off the ground.

He failed to take part in the remainder of the match.
Washington DC: Americas tortured debate on gun control has no easy answer for Brian Sandoval, the Nevada state governor who saw the horrific scene in Las Vegas after a shooter killed 58 people and wounded 500 at a music festival just six months ago.

"What happened in Vegas was devastating," says Sandoval. "As somebody who was there the next day, who spoke to victims' families, who was on the site  well, it has made a massive impression on me and changed me."

Sandoval is the chairman of the peak group of governors who welcomed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Australian premiers to Washington DC on the weekend. While the Australian mission was all about business, it came at a time when the gun control debate was everywhere.

Nevada governor Brian Sandoval. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Two blocks away from the National Governors Association meeting, school student Makenzie Hymes was holding a placard outside the White House with a message for politicians: "Be like Australia."
I just want to take an opportunity to renew a request I made a couple of weeks ago.

Our long-running live blog has a loyal and switched-on audience. And we want your feedback on how we are doing it at the moment.

These are the sorts of questions I'm thinking about:

How important to you is detail and analysis to provide context behind the day's developments?

Are there any formatting or style improvements that you think could be made?

How important to you is it that our posts are published as quickly as possible? Would you like them to be more rapid or would you like a bit more time to be taken in order to provide more information?

Do you want more photos?

Any other thoughts and suggestions along those lines are very welcome as well.

We are rolling out the upgraded websites at the moment as well so I am keen on any feedback from you on the changes to the blog that are flowing from that.

And if you're utterly impressed and satisfied with every facet of what we are doing, do feel free to say that as well!

Please send your comments through to me at fergus.hunter@fairfaxmedia.com.au with "blog feedback" as the subject line.
Washington: Donald Trump gave Malcolm Turnbull an impressive welcome to the White House last Friday, but we are starting to see what the US President wants in return.

First, he wants Australia by his side as he bulks up military capacity in the western Pacific. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, is eager to ramp up the number of US Marines in Darwin in order to send a message about American power to friends and foes around the region. This will go ahead because it steps up the pace on an agreement between Julia Gillard and Barack Obama from 2011.

Second, he wants Australian support for tougher action against North Korea. The new US sanctions against the rogue state are a serious challenge to Kim Jong-un because they suggest the US is willing to intercept shipments of oil, perhaps turning the measures into a blockade. That requires ships. Turnbull has offered verbal support for the sanctions but must choose whether to offer more.

Third, Trump would love to see Australia mount a freedom-of-navigation operation through the South China Sea to send a message to Americas strategic competitor about its island bases in contested waters. Turnbull will not say whether this will happen, a big difference from Britains public statement of intent to send one of its ships through the sea. Should he adopt the British approach?
The proportion of Australian 15-year-olds who are reaching international baseline levels in maths, reading and science has fallen significantly over a decade, and federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham says parents need to start doing more to stem the country's declining performance.

Only 79 per cent of year 10 students reached the international baseline level for maths in 2015, compared with 87 per cent of students in 2006, according to a new report released on Sunday by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).

About 82 per cent of students reached the benchmark in reading in 2015, down from 86 per cent in 2006. Baseline proficiency in science also fell, with 82 per cent of students reaching the benchmark in 2015, compared with 87 per cent in 2006.

"If there are an increasing number of students not meeting those benchmarks in any subjects, we'll find they're likely to struggle in life, find it hard to get a job and, statistically, they are more likely to get in trouble with the law," Grattan Institute's school education program director Pete Goss said.
The hunt is on for a vandal believed to have cut the torso off the iconic C.Y. O'Connor statue off the coast of Coogee.

The City of Cockburn called for help solving the suspected crime on Monday afternoon, after they received reports about damage done to the statue.

The damage done to the statue. Credit:Hannah Barry

"The City is investigating how Tony Jones' famous bronze sculpture of celebrated 1800s engineer C Y O'Connor at North Coogee Beach came to be damaged over the weekend," the city said in a social media post.

"We have received numerous reports of the damage which has left the 19-year-old statue cut-off at the torso with the rider's hips and the horse still in place, 30 metres offshore."
Bangkok: Australia and East Timor will sign a landmark agreement aimed at opening the way to share revenue from the $50 billion Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in the Timor Sea at the United Nations next week.

But intense negotiations have so far failed to settle how the field could be exploited by a Woodside Energy-led consortium.

Recommendations by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, which has overseen negotiations between the neighbouring countries, on how the dispute should be settled are expected to be released in mid-April.

East Timors former prime minister and president Xanana Gusmao, who has led his country's negotiations, has insisted the gas to be piped to East Timor. Credit:AP

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio is set to witness the signing of a new Maritime Boundaries agreement in New York on March 6.
WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya met with high level officials of the World Bank in Washington DC, United States, on Friday 23 February 2018 to discuss the World Banks Doing Business Index and the trade facilitation agenda, including the use of technology. In meetings with Ms. Caroline Freund, Director, Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice, Mr. Jose Guilherme Reis, Practice Manager, Global Trade and Ms. Rita Ramalho, Manager, Doing Business Unit and her experts, wide ranging discussions took place across a broad spectrum of Doing Business and performance measurement topics.

As regards Doing Business in particular, the discussions addressed the quality and sources of data; the methodology, including how best to convey information on process changes; the measurement of the use of means of transport (land, sea and air); the treatment of commodities (agricultural and industrial); and the impact of intra-Member trade by Customs Unions.

It was agreed to continue cooperating on and further discussing these matters and other areas. The WCO Secretariat and the World Bank's Doing Business Unit will inform WCO Members, at a suitable opportunity, about the Doing Business process with a view to Customs taking a more active role in the process to ensure that sufficient account is taken of Customs point of view.

Secretary General Mikuriya will invite Members to express their concerns about Doing Business and will provide WCO contact points through whom issues may be raised and comments provided.

While the ranking of countries draws adverse comment, Doing Business provides strong arguments that may be used by Member Customs administrations to lobby for enhanced legal scope and greater resources. In addition, Members can look beyond the actual ranking and study the impact of their modernization programmes on the underlying score, given that such programmes often result in enhanced performance that is not necessarily reflected in the comparative ranking.

Both parties agreed to hold further dialogue with a view to ensuring better and more accurate measurement of Customs activities.
Phillies win wild one on passed ball in 9th; top Cubs 6-5
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Jonathan Hyde has had a remarkable career in film, stage and TV, including in films such as Richie Rich, Titanic, Jumangi and The King's Speech. He's worked extensively at the NT, the Almeida and the RSC where he starred opposite actors such as Ian McKellen, Frances Barber, Romola Garai and Sylvester McCoy. Since 2014, he has starred in Guillermo Del Toro's FX TV series The Strain, which he had a break from last year to return to the stage in the UK in Julius Caesar. He's now back in Sheffield, this time to star in Robert Hastie's revival production of Frost Nixon.

The impression of Frost/Nixon is that it's just two guys sitting chairs. But actually it's a ten hander. There are scenes in all sorts of places: cars, an aeroplane, hotel rooms: it's anything but static. It's filmed too, with a huge cube above us that projects images of what's being filmed on three sides.

When you compare him with what we have today, Nixon was a paradigm of political acumen and skill. What we're faced with now is lumpen idiocy or rank foolishness. The Watergate scandal did blow the lid off an awful lot of presidential misbehaviour. From that side of things he was frightening in so many ways but on the other hand he had a tremendous vision of opening a lot of doors that had been slammed shut.

I want to get close to a pencil portrait of Nixon without actually having to clamp my head to make it look like a pear. I've made one or two decisions around eyebrows but I've decided I don't want to replicate every last detail of the man and how he sounded.

After downing about a gallon of wine at university, I once managed to give an almost flawless performance in a Euripides play. I have no memory of the performance whatsoever, but someone said afterwards I seemed to be in control of myself and didn't fall over, so from then on I thought I might train to be an actor.

I came to England from Australia to train because I had been conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War. Australia and the US were allies and Australia had a one-in-eight conscription system, so men who turned 21 were selected to go and fight. My marble was picked, but I had read up on the war and was so opposed to it, I thought it was an aberration that we were involved. I was discharged, because back then I had a personality problem, and then Europe beckoned.

When you're inside, covered with glitter and wearing make-up, the weather doesn't really feature. So when I worked in Glasgow with the Citizens Theatre early in my career it wasn't a shock being there after Australia. I loved the Citz, it was really quite shambolic, but they had a wonderful team. Everyone was a star at Glasgow Citz.

Frost/Nixon runs at Crucible Sheffield until 17 March.
By Jina Belcher Ground zero for federal efforts to boost communities reeling from the downturn[Read More]
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Donald Trump campaigning for president in 2016. His campaign is at the center of the House investigation into Russian interference in last year's U.S. presidential race.
As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more
Top Republicans on Capitol Hill have made a concerted decision in their Russia inquiries: They are staying away from digging into the finances of President Donald Trump and his family.

Six Republican leaders of key committees told CNN they see little reason to pursue those lines of inquiry or made no commitments to do so -- even as Democrats say determining whether there was a financial link between Trump, his family, his business and Russians is essential to understanding whether there was any collusion in the 2016 elections.

Republicans have resisted calls to issue subpoenas for bank records, seeking Trump's tax returns or sending letters to witnesses to determine whether there were any Trump financial links to Russian actors -- calling the push nothing more than a Democratic fishing expedition.

While the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee has acknowledged that his panel lacks the resources of special counsel Robert Mueller to dig deeply into financial matters, several Democrats on committees with financial experts on their staff have sought such records. In the House Intelligence Committee, for instance, Democrats have asked for subpoenas to Deutsche Bank, the institution that has been a major lender to the Trump Organization as well as Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser.

"I think the allegations on money laundering are credible enough that we ought to, in the exercise of due diligence, see if this was one of the other vectors of the Russian active measures campaign," California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, said earlier this month. "To me, that is far more potentially compromising than any salacious video would be."

Republicans have rebuffed them, arguing that falls outside the scope of the committee's probe.

"I don't see the link at this stage," Rep. Mike Conaway, the Texas Republican leading the House Russia investigation, told CNN. "Deutsche Bank is a German bank -- I don't see the nexus."

Asked about exploring Russian-Trump business transactions, Conaway was not moved. "I bet every big bank has a Russian customer somewhere," he said.

The partisan dispute over the Trump finances is a clear sign that Democrats plan to pursue these questions if they retake either chamber of Congress in this year's midterms. And it underscores how Republicans on the Hill have, for the most part, stayed away from vigorous oversight of the Trump administration -- something that is common when either party controls both Congress and the White House.

'Isn't that what Bob Mueller is doing?'

Some Democrats have concluded that Mueller's probe is their best hope for getting to the bottom of the Russian collusion question, though Trump himself has warned Mueller from crossing a red line into his family's finances.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy, who is also a top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has yet to issue a subpoena as chairman since he took the oversight gavel last June. The South Carolina Republican also brushed off calls by Democrats to pursue the money trail as part of the Russia investigation.

"Isn't that what Bob Mueller is doing?" Gowdy told CNN when asked about the matter.

On the House Financial Services Committee, the panel's ranking Democrat, Maxine Waters of California, for nearly a year has called on the committee's chairman, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, to issue subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and help pressure the Treasury Department to cough up documents from its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) over any of Trump's past financial dealings.

Hensarling has resisted, citing investigations in other House committees, saying doing another one in his panel would be "redundant." And Deutsche Bank has ignored Waters' letters asking for a range of Trump-related information, suggesting it would not disclose confidential information, particularly without a subpoena.

Hensarling spokeswoman Sarah Flaim pointed to the inquiries that are ongoing in the House and Senate intelligence panels and by Mueller.

"Those investigations should be allowed to go forward," Flaim said. Hensarling's committee, she said, "will certainly review whatever information the investigations produce."

Foreign transactions

In addition to the calls for subpoenaing Deutsche Bank, Democrats point to the comments from Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson, who told the House Intelligence Committee last year that it should probe Trump's real estate deals in Florida and New Jersey, as well as Kushner's real estate dealings in New Jersey.

Democrats have also raised an interest in foreign transactions in places that include the Cayman Islands and Cyprus, particularly surrounding former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. In April 2017, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois traveled to Cyprus to investigate how Russians used money laundering, a trip that came following an Associated Press report that Treasury officials obtained information regarding financial payments Manafort may have received through Cypriot banks.

Mueller's latest charges against Manafort and his former deputy Rick Gates on Thursday accused them of laundering $30 million and fraudulently securing more than $20 million in loans through real estate holdings. Some of the allegations occurred while Manafort and Gates worked on the Trump campaign, according to the indictment, although none of the activities were tied to their work on the campaign.

But those areas have gone largely unpursued on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Ron Wyden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee and senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has for months been frustrated with the lack of access to Treasury FinCEN documents. The Oregon Democrat recently fired off a letter for more Treasury documents, this time to obtain records about a lucrative 2008 real estate deal between Trump and a Russian billionaire that raised questions among Democrats about potential money laundering and suspect business dealings.

But Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has declined to join Wyden in these efforts. And he has rejected Wyden's requested to review Trump's tax returns in a private session.

"We're not going to do that," Hatch said in the Capitol. "He doesn't want to give up his tax returns, and I believe he's right."

'A policy dispute'

In an interview, Wyden said the Senate Intelligence Committee, under the chairmanship of Sen. Richard Burr, has shown little willingness to pursue these lines of inquiry as well.

"This is a policy dispute," said Wyden, who also sits on the Intelligence Committee. "The chairman does not believe that this is really the focus of the committee's work. I, on the other hand, say counterintelligence is right at the heart of our obligations. Counterintelligence 101 is following the money, because following money is how you compromise people."

Burr, a North Carolina Republican, pushed back at Wyden's assertions that the committee wasn't "following the money," but he declined to provide any details.

"Nothing has precluded him from digging further than what we've dug," Burr said of Wyden. "We've had access to whatever financial records we asked for."

Asked if that meant the panel has asked for Trump financial records, Burr said: "I'm not going to get into everything we've asked for. The investigation has explored all the areas we thought were pertinent."

Last year, Burr and the committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, did obtain some FinCEN documents amid threats to hold up a Treasury nominee. In an interview last month, Warner suggested that their panel didn't have the resources compared to the special counsel to dig through financial matters, saying Mueller has "tools we don't have" on financial issues.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has also investigated Russia's role in the 2016 elections -- and any ties with Trump associates. But the GOP chairman of the committee, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, made clear that investigating finances would not be part of the inquiry.

"That's not part of what we're doing," Grassley said.
ROME, NY- The weather was positively beautiful for Positively Romes 4th annual Moonlight Trail Night Saturday.

Hundreds of people took advantage of the more than 400 lanterns that lit the trail at Delta Lake State Park.

There was also plenty of food and hot chocolate to keep you warm, and if you didnt feel like walking you could catch a quick horse and buggy ride.

Chris Lambe of Positively Rome says people will usually snow shoe or cross country ski on the trail, but not this year.

"Most years it's a little bit snowier, but this year we had to roll with the punches. It's hard to argue with a 70 degree day in February, but here we are, we got a beautiful night for this and everybody is having a great time."

Each year Positively Rome donates the money raised from the event to different caused in the city.

This year the money raised will go to the Zagster Bike Share program in Rome.
ONEIDA  Holy Cross Academy in Oneida hosted a unique guest Monday morning with an incredible story.

Magda Brown is a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor who lives in Chicago. One Holy Cross student, Claire Breckenridge, lead a fundraiser and accrued $1,500 to fly Brown from the windy city to Oneida.

"I was looking up Holocaust survivors living in the United States, and her name just popped up," Breckenridge said. "She could be angry, she could hate, but she doesn't, she just loves everybody and wants peace."

"She had heard some people say that they felt the Holocaust wasn't real, it didn't really happen," Marnie Martin, Breckenridge's aunt said. "That bothered her because she knew that it had, so she wanted to bring a concrete story here."

The principal of the school says the students effort to bring Brown to Holy Cross shows how dedicated she is to understanding history.

I just think its wonderful for someone to take charge like that and for others to join with her, and [its] something that will obviously affect our students for the rest of their lives, said Teri Maciag, principal of Holy Cross Academy.

Brown spoke about her time as a 17-year-old Hungarian teenager, who was sent to Auschwitz with her family. She never saw the majority of her family again after arriving at the camp.

Brown was able to escape the Nazis during a death march.

"We were given flip-flops, except they had wooden soles, it was the most difficult thing to try to walk in," Brown said.

Brown crawled the distance of three city blocks with a group of prisoners, hiding in a barn for days.

"It's remarkable how much you want to live," Brown said. "While I can stand on my two feet, I feel responsible to tell."

"She walked through that journey, and she's telling us that we can walk our journeys too," Kat Wojsiat, a 10th grade student said. "You know, she's here speaking in our chapel and she probably thought that she wasn't going to do anything one day."

"Her family, to never see them again, that's like really hard and I couldn't imagine losing my family," Caroline Denney, an 11th grade student said.

While Brown inspired the students with her story, she didn't leave the school unmoved by the child who championed her visit.

"I'm very proud of her," Brown said. "This is what I'm looking for, a future with smart people of good thinking, doing the right thing."
UTICA, NY  Dominicans around the world are celebrating 174 years of independence.

And that includes Dominicans right here in Utica.

Local Latinos gathered at the Mohawk Valley Latino Association on Sunday for the 5th Annual Dominican Independence Heritage Celebration.

The day included a reading of the history of the Dominican Republic, the singing of the American and Dominican national anthems, as well as plenty of traditional Dominican food and music.

Comite Dominicano de Uticas Raquel Tavarez says its very important for their young people to know their history.

Its very important. We need to keep our roots, and we need to show them where they came from so they will know who they are. They will be proud, the same way we are.

On Tuesday the celebration continues with a flag ceremony at Utica city hall at noon.
UPDATE: Frankfort police say the missing teen, 14-year-old Giovanni Pacciarelli, has been found.

Pacciarelli was reported missing after he ran away from his foster family on Friday. On Monday afternoon, Frankfort police confirmed that Utica police found him on James Street in Utica.

Utica police were able to track Pacciarelli by his cell phone. He was then transferred to Frankfort police, who then turned him over to the foster agency.

________________________

FRANKFORT- Local and State law enforcement are searching for a runaway boy named Giovanni Pacciarelli, 14, of Frankfort. The young teenager ran away from his foster family on Friday.

On Sunday, WKTV spoke with Pacciarellis foster family. They said their foster child left the house Friday morning, riding a black Mongoose bicycle. The fourteen year old boy is a liver transplant patient who just underwent surgery a few months ago in New York City.

Pacciarellis foster mother is worried about his medicine count. She told WKTV he left the house with only enough medicine to last him five days. According to the family if he doesnt take his medicine he could become violently ill or potentially die.

The family also tells us he could be in Utica, since he has family ties there.

The Frankfort Town Police has confirmed they are in search of the runaway boy. They have issued a statewide missing person report to every agency in New York State.

If you have any information on Giovanni Pacciarellis whereabouts you are urged to contact the Frankfort Town Police Department at (315)-894-3594.
POLAND  New York State Police were at Poland Central School Monday morning, but it was not related to any perceived threat.

In the wake of a high school shooting in Florida that left 17 people dead, state police were meeting with Poland Central School District officials to discuss safety.

On Sunday, Superintendent Laura Dutton sent out a letter to parents, guardians, staff and the school community regarding additional safety precautions that are being enacted, and additional resources for parents and guardians.

Dutton says that she and Principal Greg Cuthbertson have reviewed the districts School Safety Plan, and state police will have a presence on campus this week as they did before students went on mid-winter break.

District officials have met with our BOCES Safety Office Coordinator; we have requested a review of campus signage and district arrival and dismissal procedures, Dutton said in the letter. We expect to participate in a regional safety meeting for Herkimer school leaders and law enforcement this week. On Monday, the student advisory council will meet with Poland administrators to share ideas for improving campus safety, security, and culture.

The district has added a page called Student Safety to its website under the Community section, and some of the resources and information that can be found there include, Talking to Children About Violence, When Information in the Media Is Scary, and Internet Safety. The website says that additional resources will be added periodically for the community to use.

As high school students throughout the country are participating in walk-outs to advocate for stricter gun laws and action to prevent mass shootings, Duttons letter states, We ask parents of secondary students to remind their children that learning is our purpose, that our Code of Conduct is always in place, and some media details and topics may not be appropriate for school.

To view the full letter, click here.
ROME  The Rome Police Department is asking for the publics help locating a suspect for this weeks Warrant of the Week.

Dean Armstrong, 41, is wanted on a warrant from Rome City Court for second-degree criminal contempt, violating a court order and menacing with a weapon.

Police believe Armstrong still lives in the city of Rome, and hes frequently in the area of West Embargo Street. Hes described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds.

Any information about Armstrongs whereabouts can be sent to Rome police anonymously on the departments website. You can also call 911 or call Rome police at 315-339-7780.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)  Indiana code defines different punishments for a person who communicates a threat verses a threat to commit a forcible felony.

"If it's intimidation saying 'I'm going to get you get you for that statement you made' then it's a Class A misdemeanor," said State Rep. Sheila Klinker. "So there is a charge. When it's a forcible situation, then it's a level 6 felony which can be 2 years in prison."

If a person is under 18 years old, Rep. Klinker said there is usually there is a probation period and the person is treated but in many cases, not sent to jail.

In the 8 school days since the Florida shooting there has been at least 14 threats and 21 arrests made across the state.

"You might see a strong amendment added to a bill that's going through now that will take the threats, violence, and the threats of young people buying guns more seriously," said Klinker.

As far as what bill that is, she isn't sure just yet but she says it could be coming to one dealing with bullying or intimidation.

"If something does not get added this year, I guarantee something will be added next year," said Klinker.




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Tepco sets sights on global expansion

26 February 2018

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Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) aims to become an innovative global energy and technology company, according to its president, Tomoaki Kobayakawa. He stressed the company will continue providing strong support for the restoration of Fukushima.

Tepco is Japan's largest power company, supplying energy to the greater Kanto area, including the country's two biggest cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. As well as the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, Tepco also owns the Fukushima Daini and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plants.

Speaking at a press conference held on 16 February at the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, Kobayakawa said Tepco faces challenges posed by the deregulation of Japan's energy markets, the country's declining population, and the need to continue clean-up work in Fukushima Prefecture.

Tepco will continue its transformation from a local utility into an innovative global energy and technology company, partnering with other leaders around the world, Kobayakawa said.

Tepco aims to increase its revenue by JPY500 billion (USD4.7 billion) per year, generating a total of JPY450 billion in profit over the next decade.

Kobayakawa said this would be achieved through streamlining businesses and cost reduction, reorganisation and integration of nuclear power and distribution, as well as forming alliances with partners. Tepco will create businesses in new areas, which will create a value chain from fuel upstream to thermal generation and bundling the sale of electricity and natural gas.

Kobayakawa said Tepco's parent company - Tepco Holdings - will create a management committee during the coming fiscal year to formulate a detailed plan for achieving its aim.

"Our main mission is guaranteeing the delivery of a stable supply of low-cost electricity to customers," he said. "Within that mission, nuclear power is not everything. Thermal power, the procurement of renewable energy, and hydropower all play a part."

"Renewables are an essential component of our future," Kobayakawa said. "We believe we can scale up our renewables business to create a new source of revenue comparable to JERA."

JERA is a 50/50 joint venture formed between Tepco and Chubu Electric Power Company in April 2015. The main business areas of JERA are: upstream fuel investments; fuel procurement; fuel transportation; fuel trading; replacement and construction of domestic thermal power plants; overseas power generation and energy infrastructure.

However, Kobayakawa stressed the focus on the future will not come at the expense of Tepco's obligations to its past. Noting the steady improvement of the situation both inside the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and in the surrounding area, Kobayakawa affirmed the corporate mission to rebuild communities and restore the trust of the residents, including efforts to support the sale of products from Fukushima Prefecture.

In May 2012, the Japanese government approved amendments to Tepco's ten-year special business plan which effectively puts it under state control. Under the amendments, the government provided Tepco with JPY1 trillion in state funds in return for a 51% stake in the company.

In 2014, Tepco was reorganised into two main sections: a power generation business and a separate division dedicated to decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi site.

A further reorganisation followed in April 2016, with Tepco being structured under Tepco Holdings. Its fuel and thermal generation operations were placed in a subsidiary called Tepco Fuel and Power Incorporated; its power transmission and distribution business became Tepco Power Grid Incorporated; and its electricity retail operations became Tepco Energy Partner Incorporated. Its nuclear-related operations remained within the holding company.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Investigators who were looking for a missing woman were shocked to find her head in the suitcase of a tourist, according to police in Japan.

Osaka police said that they have arrested 26-year-old Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar from New York after being accused of kidnapping a woman and cutting off her head.

Bayraktar is facing numerous charges, including murder.

He denied the allegations.

According to the police investigation, Bayraktar came to Japan for sightseeing.

He did not need a visa as he planned on staying in the country for less than 90 days.

After the family of the 27-year-old woman reported her missing, police launched a massive search.

Police obtained surveillance video, showing that the woman went out on a date with Bayraktar.

The video showed the two going into his apartment and she never left.

Police suspect that the American tourist killed the woman and then cut off her head.

He then placed her head in his suitcase.

Police do not know why Bayraktar placed the womans head in his suitcase.

The victims friends told police that woman boasted about going out on a date with an American man before she disappeared.
It will be cold tomorrow morning  but will there be snow?

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 26th, 2018

Update 10:20pm: Met Office has downgraded us down to 60% chance of light snow 7am-11am , rather than the 90% chance of heavy snow.

Headline update from the 90% prediction of heavy snow, to something more firm, that it will be another really cold start!

Original information below from earlier this evening

The Met Office are as of 8:30pm predicting a 90% chance of heavy snow between 8am-10am tomorrow morning.

The full yellow warning reads: Further snow showers are expected through Tuesday, with the potential for a more organised area of snow to push southwest across parts of England and Wales. There is the potential for 5-10 cm of snow in places though nearby locations may see only small accumulations of 0-2 cm. The warning area has been adjusted to take into account latest indications. Strong winds may lead to drifting of lying snow (and severe wind chill) especially over hills, with lightning perhaps an additional hazard near North Sea coasts.

Using often accurate forecasters, it appears we will be due a dusting of snow early tomorrow, of course higher ground getting the larger amounts:

Wrexham Council have said: Like all other local authorities We dont grit or plough every road but we do make sure that our main roads are cleared as soon as possible. This can sometimes be difficult particularly if snow continues to fall.

You can see the Councils gritting routes here.

The Council added: Snow and ice can also cause disruptions to your bin service as driving a huge vehicle on narrow roads can be dangerous to both the crew and also the public. Occasionally bin collections will be stopped in a particular area for this reason. When we can we send the gritter out before the bin wagon to make sure we can continue for as long as possible.

Cllr Joan Lowe, Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: There are many people in our communities who struggle during the colder months, and we shouldnt underestimate just how much of a difference a small thing can make to someones life.

There are so many easy ways to help  help with the shopping, taking a hot meal or just calling in for a chat. We are asking that residents take just a couple of minutes to check on neighbours, friends and relatives.

This morning we asked Wrexham Council if the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol/Plan had been activated, and if there was any detail on what that meant in practical terms. Much like when we asked last time there was cold weather, we have not had a reply.

The aim of the plan is to minimise the risk to damage to health or death as a result of overnight exposure to cold, and in theory means Welsh Government funding means emergency accommodation can be provided to homeless vulnerable people.

We are unofficially told it has been activated, and help for those homeless in Wrexham this evening is underway formally.

As above, Wrexham is due to dodge the worst of the snow around the UK however with London and the south east of England being hit it could be portrayed as the end of the world

As always forecasts change, and are often wrong, but we will be doing our best to keep the area informed whatever happens
Rossett to Gresford A483 resurfacing to take place  weather permitting

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 26th, 2018

Resurfacing works on the A483 southbound carriageway junctions 7 to 6 are taking place overnight over the next few days  if the weather allows it.

Junction 7 is Rossett, and Junction 6 is Gresford and drivers on that route will be aware of the poor quality, verging on dangerous, quality of some of the road surface.

Previously patched areas have deteriorated over the last few periods of bad weather with potholes now visible on the carriageway where recent Go Safe data show speeds of over 100mph have been recorded.

The works will mean the southbound carriageway will be closed between 8pm and 6am.

There may be speed limits in place along this stretch of road during the day times and a diversion will be in place via the B5102/B5445 in Marford.

The works are being undertaken by the North Wales Trunk Road Agency and the Welsh Government  although this closure has been communicated to us via Wrexham Council, as both the North Wales Trunk Road Agency and the Welsh Government appear to be silent over the works!
The Socialist Equality Party (Australia) is holding a public meeting in Melbourne to mobilise workers and young people of all backgrounds against an ongoing government-media provocation over alleged African gangs. The meeting will be held this Saturday 2.30 p.m., March 3, at the Meat Market Conference Centre, 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne.

On January 1, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull denounced African gang crime, alleging that it was responsible for growing lawlessness in the state of Victoria. The government has promoted a lurid media campaign, led by the Murdoch press, which has sought to elevate a few instances of petty crime into a virtual national security threat. The Labor Party is fully complicit. The federal opposition leadership has criticised Turnbull only for not giving more money to the Australian Federal Police, while the state Labor government has stoutly defended its law and order credentials, including a multi-billion dollar expansion of the police force by 20 percent.

The Socialist Equality Party meeting will outline the class issues underlying this campaign.

Around the world, crisis-stricken capitalist governments are systematically targeting working class immigrant communities. In the US, President Trumps denunciations of Mexicans, Muslims, and Africans are a central part of his right-wing agenda. Immigrants in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, are being scapegoated for an escalating social crisis for which the ruling classes have no solution. Staggering social inequalitybetween a super-wealthy few and the working class majority that confront mounting financial hardshiphas created a political powder keg. The aim of racist and anti-immigrant campaigns is to sow divisions within the working class.

The African gangs campaign also serves as a deliberate diversion from the governments preparations for war. The Australian ruling elite is marching in lockstep with Washingtons aggressive confrontation of North Korea and China. As prior to the previous two world wars, the promotion of nationalism is the ideological mechanism for smothering working class opposition to militarism and lining it up behind the war agenda of the capitalist class.

Capitalism is a failed social and economic system. The public meeting on Saturday will outline a socialist and internationalist perspective necessary to combat the official promotion of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, and to fight for the social rights of the entire working class. We urge workers and young people to attend.

Meeting details:

Saturday 2.30 p.m., March 3

Meat Market Conference Centre

5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne

Melway Reference: 2B A9

For those taking public transport to the meeting from the western suburbs, one option is to take the 402 bus, departing from outside Footscray Railway Station at 1.50 p.m. or 2.10 p.m., and then get off on Wreckyn Street, North Melbourne.
Last Friday, February 16, Brazilian president Michel Temer (MDB) decreed a federal intervention in the law enforcement system of Rio de Janeiro, expected to last until the end of this year. Tapped to lead the intervention is Army General Walter Souza Braga Netto, who has been given absolute powers over the states civil (investigations) and military (patrolling) police forces and prison system, empowered to overrule any decisions by elected officials, including the governor and mayors, and even to change law enforcement agencies internal regulations.

Gen. Braga Netto is the commander of the Eastern military division in Brazil, which includes Rio, and was responsible for the military operations in Rio de Janeiro during the Summer Olympics in 2016. With the military intervention, Rio de Janeiros law enforcement secretary, Roberto Sa, resigned on the same day. It is the first time since the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution that such an ostensibly legal federal intervention has been triggered and the first time since the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship in 1985 that an Army General has assumed a civil position.

The immediate pretext for the military intervention was a combination of armed conflicts between the drug trafficking factions and the police and the wave of robberies and assaults on tourists and residents of the city of Rio de Janeiro during the world-famous Carnival, a period in which the city receives more than 1 million tourists and street parties are estimated to attract 6 million.

Moreover, Folha de Sao Paulo estimated on February 17 that violent crime in Rio was back at the level that existed before the high-profile military and police operations that followed the victory of the citys bid to host the 2016 games back in 2008. This is largely due to the deepening of the economic crisis in Brazil and in Rio de Janeiro in particular, the first state to both decree financial collapse in 2016 and to adhere to a federal recovery plan in 2017. The number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants increased from 29 in 2012 to 40 in 2017.

The number of conflicts between drug traffic gangs and the police and between each other has also increased since the deepening of the economic crisis in the state. In January of this year, the Cidade de Deus and Rocinha favelas [shanty towns] had 41 and 32 armed conflicts between the police and the drug traffic, respectively, closing schools, blocking streets and leading to deaths of drug soldiers, as well as local residents struck by stray bullets.

The fact is, however, that Carnival violence was 35 percent lower than was reported in 2016. Nonetheless, partly in an attempt to change the subject from some of the most politicized parades since the 1980s, the corporate media, particularly Rede Globo, the largest media group in Brazil, sought to whip up public fear over the violence in Rio de Janeiro, which they covered extensively.

While Rios Carnival contest vice-champions, Paraiso do Tuiuti, made harsh criticism of Temers government, comparing the reforms to the legalization of slave labor, and featuring as one of its main parade components an actor dressed as Dracula wearing Brazils presidential sash, depicting Temer as a neoliberal vampire, Globo worked to create an atmosphere of hysteria that was used to justify the military intervention, without any concern for the mortal threat to democratic rights it represents.

Gang violence in Rio is being used as a pretext for an increasing presence of the military in Brazilian political life, in anticipation of a massive reemergence of class struggle. Operations are effectively following the strategy laid out by far-right Army Gen. Hemilton Mourao in a September address to far-right supporters last September, according to which the presence of the military should increase through successive approximations. The address was marked by the chilling warning that if the judiciary does not remove individuals involved in corruption from public life, we will have to impose it, an explicit reference to the charges of corruption against Temer rejected by the national congress last year.

Gen. Mouraos words prepared the way for an article in Brazils oldest daily, Estado de Sao Paulo, by reserve Gen. Luiz Eduardo Rocha Paiva last October, in which he openly defended a military intervention, even without legal basis, in case the deepening of the moral, social, economic and political crises result in the breakdown of the federal powers.

The intervention is, accordingly, only the latest step in a protracted process. Last May, 1,000 troops from the Workers Party-created Gendarmerie (Forca Nacional de Seguranca) and the Federal Highway Corps were sent to the state as part of a new national security plan, in which Rio de Janeiro designated as its laboratory.

Then in July of last year, the federal government issued a Guaranty of Law and Order decree, which allowed Rio de Janeiro to be policed by 8,500 Army and Navy troops deployed along with armored cars and tanks.

Last September, 1,000 Army and Navy troops and 10 tanks blocked the main accesses to Rocinha, laying siege to the favela as the state police went in looking for drug trafficking leaders. Army troops were seen with their faces covered by skull-painted masks along the with the Armys Police Corps, the trademark repressive force of the countrys last military dictatorship (1964-1985).

The next step taken by Temers government was revealed on Monday, February 19, by defense minister Raul Jungmann, who said that the military operations in Rio de Janeiro will require the issuance of collective search and seizure warrantsa pseudo-legal cover for arbitrary mass detentions and house-to-house searches. This measure, along with a law issued last October that gives exclusive power to military courts to judge crimes committed by members of the military against civilians during emergency operations, amount to a carte blanche for wholesale military repression.

The corporate media, for its part, is asking for more: a day after the intervention was unveiled, Merval Pereira, one of Globos most prominent pundits, approvingly quoted comparisons made by army officials between the situation in Rio and that which the Brazilian Army faced in Haiti, where it led a United Nation Peace Mission for 13 years, committing or covering up widespread, colonial-style abuse against the local population.

Workers must have clear understanding that, under the pretext of fighting gang violence, nothing less than a path to dictatorship is being opened up. House Speaker Rodrigo Maia has withdrawn the governments most important project, the arch-reactionary Pension Reform from consideration for a vote by the federal legislature because it is understood that a constitutional amendment cannot be voted on under conditions of a suspension of civil rights. It is inevitable to ask: with the intervention set to last at least until December, what about an even more important vote, the October general elections? Are they going to be canceled as well?

As with the Russian interference in the United States, the terror threat in France, and immigrant violence in Germanyand the MeToo hysteria more broadlyunsubstantiated allegations regarding gang influence will be increasingly used to condition public opinion to the drive toward dictatorship.

Since September 2016 during the mayoral elections, the Electoral Courts then-president and Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes has made gang influence a central issue in the 2018 elections. On January 11, BBCs Brazilian edition ran an interview with former Drug Control Secretary Walter Maierovitch, highlighting his claim that PCC [Brazils largest gang], finances churches and may influence elections, quoting similar claims by Temers Intelligence chief, the far-right General Sergio Westphalen Etchegoyen. Once more such declarations beg the question: what would stop mass warrantless searches from massively targeting political opposition?

Against such a backdrop, the attitude of the Workers Party (PT) and its pseudo-left satellites is nothing less than politically criminal. The intervention and the subsequent cancellation of the Pension Reform vote in the Lower House of Congress presented the opportunity to demobilize whatever passed for preparation by the union apparatus for a supposed day of struggle set for February 19.

Accordingly, the first reaction of the PTs mouthpiece CartaCapital was to highlight technical issuessuch as arguments that The army is not prepared to deal with urban crimeand and to counsel caution by the government with pieces like the one titled, Intervention causes discomfort among police ranks, says former commander-general.

The pseudo-left, for its part, treats the intervention as inefficient and populist, in the lowest bourgeois political terms, even to the right of the bourgeois pundits.

In a typical pro-repression statement on January 17, the PSOL (Socialism and Liberty Party, a parliamentary split-off from the PT in which both Pabloite and Morenoite tendencies are active) blamed the federal government, which fails in its constitutional duty to patrol the borders, and called for more integration between security agencies, investment in technical police (partnering with universities) and, the fulfillment by the federal government of its obligations in curbing the international drugs and arms traffic.
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, hundreds of residential blocks around the UK were found to be clad in the same flammable material that caused a devastating inferno which resulted in the loss of at least 71 lives.

Around the country 262 blocks have the same combustible cladding, including 161 social housing blocks and 26 student halls of residence. It is not known exactly how many residential blocks owned in the private sector have such cladding, as the government has not compelled owners to provide samples.

One of the private residential towers found to have the same combustible cladding is the Citiscape complex in Croydon, south London. The owners of the block, Proxima GR Properties, are trying to force leaseholders to pay at least 2 million for replacing the cladding.

In addition, since the building was deemed a fire hazard, fire marshals have been assigned for the last 35 weeks at a cost of more than 130,000. Proxima GR Properties plans to pass all these costs onto leaseholderstotalling 31,300 per apartment.

Proxima GR Properties is owned by the Tchenguiz family trust. Property magnate Vincent Tchenguiz is a trust beneficiary, the owner of 300,000 freeholds in the UK, including 10 Hilton hotels. In 2009, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated the wealth of Vincent and his brother, Robert Tchenguiz, to be 850 million.

Citiscape is managed by FirstPort, a property management firm with 185,000 homes in 3,700 developments.

FirstPort took the case to a property tribunal, held this month. A judgement is due on March 16. Around 10 residents attended the hearing with some presenting written submissions. One told the tribunal that his 95-year-old father had to be taken to hospital after being told he would have to pay a share of the repair works.

Anuj outside the Citiscape apartment block

The World Socialist Web Site spoke to two Citiscape leaseholders, Anuj and MJ. Both are senior engineers and have helped establish a residents association.

I moved in here in November 2016, so for me it was a big, big blow, because in less than a year I heard the news about the cladding, Anuj explained.

I am the only person from my family, all my family live in India. When the Grenfell fire happened, the news spread very fast, everywhere, all around the world. I started getting calls from my family in India, everyone started asking, where are you, what happened, where are you living in London?

You can see the extent of people affected by incidents that governments are ignoring, or that builders are completely ignoring as their responsibility. My family lives more than 7,000 kilometres away from here So how many people are being affected worldwide?

MJ discussed the impact of the revelations since Grenfell on those living in housing blocks covered in the same cladding: When we saw the news, it was just terrible. When Grenfell Tower was still burning up, you put yourself in the shoes of people living in there.

When you start learning about the reason why the fire spread so fast, its such an unfair situation. You are supposed to be living in a place that was safe. These people, from what I have read, raised quite a few concerns about the safety of the building.

It shows many of the issues residents are having with managing agents. It sometimes feels that they are just in it for the money, and they say all the right words and they always operate in strict legal terms. But when you see for what you are paying, the reality is they are only in it for the money.

We know that the [Citiscape] building was finished around 2002-2003. But we dont know who the contractor was that put the cladding up. We only know the builders were Barratt Homes, Anuj said.

The tribunal decides, based on the lease contract, if passing the costs of the claim onto the leaseholders is reasonable, and the amount they want to charge us is reasonable as well.

We are not the owners of the flats. The owner of the flat is the landlord, MJ noted. We have to pay him ground rent and ask his consent if we want to rent out, change layout, etc, and you have to pay a fee.

Anuj explained that service charges are already high for the average resident: The service charge, without the cladding [repair fee], without the fire marshals [fee], is 2,400 annually for a one bed apartment. The chairman of the residents association has a three-bedroom flat and his service charge a month is nearly 500.

MJ reviewed the financial hit that residents will take with the expected cost of covering repairs and continuing safety measures. The bill well be presented with will definitely be larger than the estimate we have now. The fire marshals will need to be here, at least based on what FirstPort says, probably until September or October. That will be at the very least at 240,000 a year, so just for that its around 2,000 or 3,000 per flat.

On top of that it is only an initial estimation. It hasnt gone to tender. Then theres the scarcity of cladding panels, because many, many blocks throughout the country have to change the cladding, so prices are going up. Were afraid that the final quote may be 3 or 4 million.

The other issue is that FirstPort have said that they will not start replacing the panels until they have all the money. So lets say that if six or seven flats are not able to pay the 30,000 or 40,000, then well still be living in an unsafe place.

Anuj and MJ also explained that the refusal of the owners to carry out the essential repairs to the block is having a detrimental effect on the buildings overall maintenance.

What is happening is that whatever funds they have to fix the lift or the main entrance or other work, they have diverted towards paying for the fire marshals, Anuj noted. Other issues are being neglected. You cannot have a building where the front door lock is not working, the lift is not working, and the other issues that can be resolved with the reserve funding they have. So unless and until we pay them, we are having problems with the building.

To justify their case, FirstPort told the tribunal that they were unable to get bank lending to cover the cost of repairs, claiming that their bank said it would instead lend to individual leaseholders.

Thats nonsensethey have the professional indemnity as insurance and they can use it, Anuj explained. They are a service management company and it is a condition that they have insured themselves for this situation. It is nonsense also when they say they have no resources. All of that is rubbish.

Anuj and MJ pointed out that a nearby privately-owned tower block, Centrillion Point, is also partially clad in flammable material. However, more than eight months after the fire, the government has yet to release figures on how many privately-owned buildings are affected nationwide and unsafe. Anuj said he had made Freedom of Information requests trying to find out.

Why is no one talking about private buildings, colleges, schools, hotels. Why are they not talking about that, Anuj demanded.

Anuj and MJ have set up a petition to parliament demanding that central government rule formally that freeholders are responsible for costs of ensuring the safety of our buildings and provide economic support to guarantee prompt implementation of whatever measures are needed.

The petition can be signed here.
In response to public outrage over the school shooting tragedy in Parkland, Florida, federal and state authorities, along with the media, are calling for increased police powers, particularly in the nations schools. On February 14, Nikolas Cruz, 19, entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and proceeded to kill 17 people and injure 14 others with a semi-automatic assault rifle.

Protests by students broke out at many high schools and middle schools across the country last week in response to the latest in a string of school shootings in the US. According to the group Everytown for Gun Safety, so far this year there has been on average one school shooting every 63 hours, more than double the rate for the previous three years.

Students are seeking a political road to address one of the most malignant expressions of the social breakdown in America. Stoneham Douglas pupils have been particularly outspoken in their anger over the inability of the authorities to protect students. They traveled to the state capital Tallahassee last week to lobby lawmakers and have made numerous television appearances.

Parents, students and teachers are asking why the shooter, despite numerous tips to the FBI and local police and run-ins with school officials, was allowed to obtain weapons and carry out the horrific attack. The calls of grief-stricken parents and classmates of the victims for a ban on assault rifles and checks on the ability of the mentally unstable to obtain weapons are entirely understandable.

However, these calls are being exploited by the Trump administration, Florida Governor Rick Scott and politicians of both-big business parties to demand an increased police presence on school grounds. Left in the hands of the parties of the ruling class, gun control, if enacted, will serve as a cover for increased militarization of the schools and society at large.

What is not being addressed in the official debate are the social issues that lie at the root of repeated eruptions of mass violence in America.

President Trumps proposal, thrown out last week at a White House listening session, that teachers be armed has been met by widespread opposition from educators and students. Speaking later in the week at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump repeated his call for the elimination of the federal gun-free zone law, which makes it a crime for anyone who does not have authorization to carry guns into schools or other public buildings.

Governor Scott, a Republican endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), released a plan on Friday that also called for beefing up the police presence in schools. It would mandate the presence of one police officer in every one of the states public schools, and one additional officer at large schools for every 1,000 students.

Much has been made of the apparent inaction of Broward County Sheriffs Deputy Scot Peterson, who was stationed outside the Parkland high school as a school resource officer. Video shows him remaining outside the school as the shooter was firing inside. His actions are under investigation by the Broward County Sheriffs Office and he has retired.

Police from the neighboring city of Coral Springs have reported to the media that when they responded to the shooting, they saw, in addition to Peterson, three other Broward deputies waiting behind cars outside of the school. These assertions are also being investigated.

Jake Tapper, the host of CNNs Sunday interview program State of the Union, grilled Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel on his offices response to the shooting. Tapper challenged Israel on the inaction of Deputy Peterson and possibly others, as well as the sheriffs offices failure to follow up on repeated police calls made to the Cruz residence concerning Nikolas Cruzs behavior.

Tapper also criticized the PROMISE program put in place by the Broward County School Board, saying it encouraged warnings, consultations with parents and programs on conflict resolution, instead of arresting students for crimes.

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and 73 state Republican lawmakers have called on Governor Scott to suspend Israel. Israel, a Democrat, has rebuffed calls for his resignation.

Details continue to emerge of the multiple warning signs pointing to the potential for Cruz to carry out a deadly shooting. The Broward County Sheriffs Office received a call in November warning that Cruz was collecting guns and knives and could be a school shooter in the making. The previous year, another tip to the sheriffs office warned that Cruz planned to shoot up the school.

Acting FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said this week that the agency made mistakes in its handling of a January warning about Cruz. The FBI failed to investigate a tip from an individual who was concerned that Cruz wanted to kill people, owned guns and could carry out a school shooting. This person told the FBI that she worried Cruz was going to explode.

Months earlier, the FBI was alerted to a YouTube comment in which someone using the screen name nikolas cruz wrote, Im going to be a professional school shooter. The agency said it was unable to verify at the time the identity of the poster.

The Broward County Sheriffs Office reported Thursday that it had received 23 calls relating to Cruz or his family dating back to 2008, when he was only nine years old. In a 911 call to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, a woman said that her son and another young man, reportedly Cruz, got into a fight and she was afraid hes coming back and he has a lot of weapons.

The Florida Department of Children and Families opened a file on Cruz in 2016 after being alerted to his Snapchat posts showing him cutting his arms and saying he wanted to buy a gun, according to a state report obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Agency investigators who visited Cruz at his home ultimately identified him as a vulnerable adult due to mental illness, including depression, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which he was receiving medication.

Despite this, state investigators closed Cruzs case two months after opening it, determining that the final level of risk is low, as Cruz resides with his mother, attends school and receives counseling. Ms. Cruz died this past November, apparently from the flu, leaving the young Cruz devastated.

One of the reasons Cruz may have flown under the radar was that his case is not particularly unusual. Teenagers in cities and towns across the US are part of a generation that was born into a world in which mass shootings are the norm. They have known nothing but constant war, the glorification of the military, police brutality and worsening economic inequality.
From start to finish, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls three-day visit to Washington, which ended on Saturday, was dominated by the Trump administrations preparations for war against North Korea and, ultimately, China.

Behind all the smiles, platitudes and mutual back-slapping between President Donald Trump and Turnbull, the prime minister was clearly under intense pressure to intensify Australias participation in US military operations, and to align the country economically more closely to the US.

Turnbulls trip, and his obsequious praises for Trump, came just a month after the unveiling of a new US National Defense Strategy, that signals direct military confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia and China. The document accuses China of seeking Indo-Pacific regional hegemony in the near-term and displacement of the United States to achieve global pre-eminence in the future.

This looming conflict has enormous implications for the Australian corporate and financial elite, which depends heavily on China, by far its largest export market, but relies overwhelmingly on the US for military and geo-strategic support, as well as on American corporate finance and investment.

The pressure on Turnbull was all the greater because his precarious Liberal-National Coalition government, torn by factional rifts, shows signs of unraveling. On the very eve of his arrival, it was further destabilized by the forced removal of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

Turnbull set the tone by beginning his trip at the Arlington national war cemetery. Accompanied by the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, he paid tribute to Americas war dead, declaring they had paid the supreme sacrifice for American and Australian freedom. Turnbull insisted that this was a reminder of the 100 years of military mateship, dating back to a World War I battle in France, between the two countries. This partnership would continue, he assured his audience, for another 100 years.

On day one, Turnbull also received briefings from US security and economic chiefs, including National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, underscoring the intimate intelligence, military and economic ties enjoyed by Canberra and Washington.

At a joint media conference on the second day, both Trump and Turnbull described the US Australia alliance as closer than ever. Its been incredible and its only getting better, Trump intoned. Turnbull added that the US was Australias most important strategic and economic partner and the alliance is as close as it possibly could be and yet keeps getting closer.

Trump used the media conference to menace North Korea with crippling economic sanctions and a military onslaught. Turnbull not only welcomed Trumps threats. He committed his government to deploy naval ships to enforce the sanctions by intercepting vessels allegedly carrying North Korean cargo, thus placing Australia on the front line of any conflict. He also pledged to do everything we can to tighten the vice of those sanctions.

Trump declared publicly that he wanted Australia to join the US in conducting provocative freedom of navigation operations, aimed at challenging Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. We would love to have Australia involved and I think Australia wants us to stay involved, he declared. Trumps call followed an announcement by the May government that Britain would undertake such an exercise.

While Turnbull declined, for now, to speculate on such operations, against which Beijing has sharply warned, todays Australian confirmed that military plans for similar exercises are being considered. The Turnbull government faces a difficult decision, the newspapers editorial emphasised.

Trump also identified China as a threat to US capitalism. He pointed out that, while he had developed a great relationship with China, theyve been killing us on trade for the last long period of timekilling us, absolutely killing the United States on trade.

In their closed-door talks, Turnbull and Trump struck several agreements directly related to the US-China conflict. Both leaders referenced a lot of deals made during their meeting, with Trump saying Australia had agreed to purchase additional military equipment. Australian purchases of US weaponry already total $10 billion every four years.

This commitment has not passed unnoticed in China. In its otherwise muted report on Turnbulls trip, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua noted a White House statement citing Australia as being among the top 10 purchasers of US-sourced defence equipment.

Another agreement sealed between the two countries was to foster infrastructure investment between them and across the Indo-Pacific region. Its specific purpose is an attempt to counter Chinas ambitious One Belt One Road plan to develop transport and infrastructure projects throughout the region, which would link China directly to the major European powers. According to the Australian Financial Review, the infrastructure initiative would also involve Japan and India, as quadrilateral security partners with Australia and the US against China.

A further pact, according to a White House press release, was made to collaborate in strategic mineral projects, particularly related to rare earths, which are critical for technology and military purposes. Over the past year, US media reports have complained of Chinas alleged dominance in rare earth elements.

Trump and Turnbull also discussed further unspecified cooperation in the US-led interventions in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, where the danger of war with Iran and Russia is growing.

On day three, addressing a US state governors convention, Turnbull directly linked calls for closer economic ties to military calculations. Suggesting that Washington should reconsider Trumps decision to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) economic bloc, he noted that the new US Ambassador to Australia, Admiral Harry Harris had said the TPP was as valuable as another aircraft carrier group.

Turnbull hailed Harriss appointment as a message that the US national defence strategy signals a reinvestment in American hard power and the alliance system which amplifies its reach.

Harris, a notorious anti-China hawk, who recently called publicly for war preparations against China, is being sent to Australia to quash any dissent within ruling circles over the prospect of war with their largest customer, and to insist on the suppression of anti-war opposition among workers and youth.

Turnbull linked the TPP to the infrastructure pact, saying: What is lacking is the legal framework whereby or wherein that capital can be safely invested. The TPP was essential to setting the rules of the road in trade and investment, he remarked.

Trump, however, stood by his dumping of the TPP, in line with his America First platformthe pursuit of US capitalisms unilateral interests, including against erstwhile allies. Despite intensive lobbying by Turnbull, Trump also refused to give him any guarantee that Australian corporations would be exempted from punishing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, which are under consideration by the White House. These responses contain thinly veiled threats of economic consequences if the Australian ruling class were to waver in its unconditional military alliance with the US.

In a desperate effort to woo US powerbrokers, Turnbull brought with him the largest-ever delegation of Australian business and political leaders, including 22 CEOs and five state or territory leaders. Among them were Commonwealth Bank chief Ian Narev, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes, Visy chief Anthony Pratt, Rio Tinto boss Jean- Sebastian Jacques, Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney, Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford and Fortescue mining founder Andrew Forrest.

Turnbulls address to the National Governors Association declared that peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific depended on the sheet-anchor of American commitment and strategic power. He pledged: American commitment has come at a costpaid in blood and treasureand we understand that the American people expect others to pull their weight. As we do, and always have.

The Australian prime ministers visit amounted to an unconditional vow of support for US war plans, with incalculable consequences for the Australian population. And he rounded off his trip by inviting Trump to Australia. Despite the US presidents effusive acceptance of the offer, however, his implied threats of retaliation remain, in the event of any deviation by Turnbull or any future Australian government.
Arang Keshavarzian, associate professor of Middle Eastern Studies at New York University (NYU), was denied the security clearance and work visa needed to teach at NYUs campus in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), last semester. Along with Keshavarzian, Mohamad Bazzi and a third, unnamed professor were denied entry.

Keshavarzian and Bazzi are both US citizens born overseas with Shia Muslim backgrounds, and had to report this information to UAE authorities to be authorized to work at NYUs Abu Dhabi campus (NYUAD).

For years, the United States has forged an anti-Iranian alliance with reactionary Sunni Persian Gulf oil monarchies, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Trump administration has intensified this strategy.

The UAEs alliance with Saudi Arabia and the US government is exemplified by the Saudi-led, US-backed war in Yemen, which has led to a humanitarian catastrophe, including famine and a cholera epidemic in the impoverished country. One of the stated aims of the war is combating Iranian influence in the region. The UAE has contributed troops and air support to this near-genocidal war that has left millions on the brink of starvation.

Bazzi has criticized the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and Keshavarzian has written on the politics of Shia-led Iran. It is almost certain that their scholarly and journalistic publications, their family religious backgrounds or some combination was behind the refusal of UAE authorities to allow them to teach in the country.

When the World Socialist Web Site first reported on the visa denials, several NYU departments, along with the Middle East Studies Association and the NYU chapter of American Association of University Professors, had issued statements condemning the attack on academic freedom and/or encouraging a faculty boycott of NYUAD.

Since then, the following departments have issued similar statements: Cinema Studies; History; Media, Culture, and Communication; Performance Studies; and Social and Cultural Analysis. The WSWS also interviewed Professor Bazzi in January.

Additionally, NYU President Andrew Hamilton sent an all-faculty email February 9 admitting that NYU was deficient in our communications to the individuals involved. He also agreed to limited communication reforms suggested by the Faculty Committee.

The belated and cowardly email, which did not even suggest that Bazzi and Keshavarzian experienced religious, national or political discrimination, committed NYU to nothing beyond notifying faculty promptly when they are denied visas.

In a statement to NYU Local, Bazzi said, Im disappointed that Hamilton and the Faculty Committee avoided addressing two of the core issues behind these visa denials: the threat to academic freedom and the Abu Dhabi governments pattern of religious (and national-based) discrimination.

The WSWSs Josh Varlin recently interviewed Professor Keshavarzian on the visa denials.

JV: What was the visa application process like, and how did you find out you were denied a security clearance to get a visa to teach in the UAE?

AK: In April of last year I was sent some forms from someone who functions as NYU Abu Dhabis liaison to facilitate the security clearance process and ultimately getting a residence visa. One document was a UAE governmental form and the other was an NYU Abu Dhabi human resources form. They had the normal battery of questions about personal information and history such as place of birth and parents names, but both forms had a question about your religion and your sect.

At that point I reached out to a senior member of the NYU Abu Dhabi administration and asked if I could not answer those questions and I was told that I should fill them out.

They initially told me that it would take six weeks to two months. I submitted the documents in April, by late June or July I hadnt heard anything so I sent out an email. There wasnt much of a response until August, and at that point I emailed again asking if they had any additional information. At that point I did receive an email from the main liaison between NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU and he informed me that he would like to talk to me on the telephone and we had a brief conversation in which he told me for the first time that my security clearance was rejected, and then NYU decided to appeal the rejection and this was rejected too. They hadnt informed me about the initial rejection, and they hadnt asked me if I actually wanted to appeal the rejection. NYUAD went ahead and did it without my approval, but the appeal was also rejected. I was told that at this point all paths were closed and he was informing me that it didnt seem likely that Id be able to go to NYU Abu Dhabi.

JV: The UAE, working with Saudi Arabia, is quite opposed to Iran, even justifying its intervention in Yemen on the basis of supposedly countering Iranian influence in the region. Youre a US citizen, but you were born in Iran. Do you think that played a role in the visa denials?

AK: It could have. The UAE wont inform us why the security clearance was rejected. As you point out, given the regional political context at this moment and the strained relations between the UAE and Iranto say the leastbeing Iranian in any form, even if I am a US citizen, is probably treated as a red flag. Having said that, there are many Iranians who live and work in the UAEthe majority of them in Dubai. I do not know of any Iranians who teach or work at NYUAD.

JV: Do you think the fact that youve written on Iran and Iranian society in your capacity as an academic played a role in the visa denials?

AK: I hope not, because that would be a pretty straightforward case of violating fundamental academic freedoms. But its clear to me that some people at NYUto my face and behind my backhave contemplated or thought that the reason I didnt receive my security clearance or that Professor Bazzi didnt was because of the kind of work, writing, teaching that we do that focuses on Middle East politics. If Emirati officials had investigated my writings and if that was the grounds for not allowing me to teach at NYU Abu Dhabi thats deeply troubling.

JV: Could you speak on the international religious or sectarian context of the visa denials?

AK: What was striking to me, especially after the fact, was that even the NYU Abu Dhabi human resources form has these questions about religion and sect. Ive asked a few times in these past few months why they ask these questions, Ive never received an answer. Ive pointed out that if NYU Abu Dhabi is collecting all this data and information about the faculty and students going to NYU Abu Dhabithey know how many Christians, Muslims, Jews, Shias, Sunnis are therethey could actually look and then see if those who have been rejected over these past seven-eight years are disproportionately Shia Muslims or another religious group. I find it disconcerting that theyre collecting this information on the one hand and then doubly so that they deny that its happening on religious grounds without evaluating their assertion.

The other issue thats troubling is that in the process of filling out the security clearance forms the senior NYU Abu Dhabi official with whom I was in contact asked me if my name divulges my religious identity, which clearly indicates that he was thinking in those terms and was wondering if through my name my religious identity would be signaled. So this notion that weve been hearing the past few months from NYU President Andrew Hamilton and others that its absolutely not the case that religion and sect is relevant in this case rings hollow to me. NYU officials are clearly concerned with peoples religious background.

JV: Could you also speak on the geopolitical context of the visa denials?

AK: Its clear for anyone who follows the news from the region that, as you just pointed out, this very close relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has deepened in the last five or six years, especially after the Arab uprisings in 2011, which threatened to disrupt authoritarianism in the region. Obviously they have a sense of threat from Iran has added to this, and in the last few years, the UAE and Saudi Arabia together have taken a very strong and belligerent stance vis-a-vis regional shifts and struggles. You see it most notably in the case of Yemen, but we also see it in various other areas.

Whats equally troubling is that, within the UAE, as well as in Saudi Arabia, we see a pretty staunch crackdown on any dissident voices, whether its activists in the UAE who are mobilized around human rights, labor issues and so on.

JV: Much of the media coverage of the visa denials has been focused on the religious aspect, with both you and Professor Bazzi being of Shia Muslim background. Do you think the possible political factors have been understated in the discussion?

AK: Yes, to some extent. To me theyre not mutually exclusive. I think this is a bit of a false binary, clearly both of these issues could have been related in the minds of the immigration offices.

It points to the basic fact that, for many decades, even going back before the creation of the United Arab Emirates, mobility into and out of the UAE has been used as a form of control, whether its been deporting people out of the country, removing peoples citizenship and expelling them, or highly regulating the movement of people into the countryfor political or social reasons. Movement and mobility is a key political instrument of the UAE government.

This is nothing new, weve known this when the campus was created, everyone knew thisor should have known when they began this enterprise of creating a Global Network University. I dont think pleading ignorance is an option for decision makers at NYU.

JV: Even at the beginning of the Abu Dubai project, many people raised questions of academic freedom, as well as labor abuses in the building of the campus, which was built with a large grant from the UAE government, and you have Khaldoon Khalifa Al-Mubarak on the NYU Board of Trustees. Do you think that these issues are connected, in terms of the labor issue, the academic freedom issue, as well as the way the campus was proposed and eventually built?

AK: I think that these are all interrelated, in that we are talking about an absolute monarchy thats illiberal in many senses, and it uses movement and mobility as a form of control.

Id argue the reason that the US is heavily involved in these monarchies and has been for many decades is not despite them being illiberal but because they are illiberal. NYU got a huge plot of land on an island for free and without any consultation with the citizens of the UAE, it received funding, and it had this campus built incredibly quickly and cheaply, because of a highly exploitative labor regime.

In these past few months I have heard of many other cases at NYU, happening to non-tenured faculty, to non-US citizens, to graduate students, all people who are so vulnerable that they cant speak out. So the reason that Mohamad Bazzi and I felt that we should speak out about this is because we are US citizens and we have tenure; it provides us a degree of protection where we can actually share our story with the broader campus. These sorts of things have been happening for several years, but people have been less secure in publicizing them, or even talking and trying to take their cases to NYUs administration.

JV: What has the response of the NYU administration been?

AK: This, for me, has been fundamentally whats disappointing: the NYU administrations responseand lack thereof. Its been five to six months, and to this day Andy Hamilton has never picked up the phone or emailed me or Mohamad Bazzi. He writes that he supports our scholarship and so on, but hes had five to six months to just reach out and talk to us about what we experienced and learn about the consequences for us, our research, and our families. And if he feels sorry he could say something, but hes never once reached out directly.

There are actual implications for me when it comes to having my security clearance rejected. At this moment, its not clear if Im on some sort of UAE blacklistwhich by definition would mean not just a UAE blacklist, but a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) blacklist; and if I am, what that would mean for my ability to fly to or even through Dubai, Kuwait, these sorts of places. I have not tested this at this point, but it has real implications for me and for my research. Im working on a project on the politics and history of the Gulf, so at this point, its not clear if Im able to go to the UAE or any of the other GCC countries. I have family members who live in the GCC. So there are real concrete implications for me that the university has not even tried to learn or acknowledge, let alone address them.

JV: In our view, attacks on academic freedom are bound up with broader attacks on democratic rights, including the Trump administrations attacks on immigrants as well as measures by Facebook and Google to censor opposition, such as Facebook deleting the accounts of Palestinian activists at the request of the Israeli government. Do you see the visa denials as connected to other issues of democratic rights?

AK: I absolutely agree that these issuesthe movement of ideas, the movement of peoplefundamentally touch on the ability of people to govern themselves, think for themselves and gain access to informationand ultimately to organize. This issue is a microcosm of these larger regulations that you have pointed to.

Since you raised the issue of rights of Palestinian activists, another challenge for the Global Network University is NYU Tel Aviv. We know that the Israeli government has announced that it has a list of 20 organizations that are viewed as supporters of BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] and deemed them as threats, and we know we have many studentsundergraduates, graduates and even facultywho are members of these organizations and contribute to these organizations. I would be surprised if, in the next four to five years, we dont have cases where a student or faculty from NYU trying to travel to teach at NYU Tel Aviv does not run into problems gaining entry.

JV: What do you think about the recent protests in Iran? The World Socialist Web Site has analyzed these protests as part of a broader process of working-class resistance internationally.

AK: These protests are significant because many of the people who took to the streets, who protestedmany of the towns that saw the fiercest clashes between protesters and the security forceswere in smaller towns that are usually off the radar and not heard from. But these people and their demands are part of a large and growing set of movementsand Ill put that in plural, movementsof different segments of Irans society, including the working classes, that have, over the past 15 years, continuously tried to challenge various aspects of what we would call this neoliberal turn in the economy that is accompanied with a hollowed-out state. Whether its people in the industrial working class whove challenged their employers not paying them or being shifted into temporary contract workers, whether its teachers and nurses, more professional groups who have organized and mobilized around various workplace issues, these movements have often morphed into demanding the creation of independent, autonomous associations and unions. It is fundamentally about people seeking to represent themselves and using that to hold their rulers accountable.

How far this will go? Its too soon to tell, but the sorts of demands that theyre making are fundamental, they would fundamentally transform power in Iran. These are not simple matters for the political elite to paper over.

JV: Do you have anything else you would like to share with our readers?

AK: The very phenomenon of the Global Network University is part of the transformation of higher education into a profit-making enterprise. And that transformation has a whole series of contradictions. On the one hand it wants to hold onto some kind of these norms of transparency, exchange, freedom of expression, but its driven by an interest in the bottom-line, and there are fundamental tensions there. In some cases, the challenges that NYU is facing and these sites are facing are a byproduct of the tensions and paradoxes that are baked into this attempt to take American universities and internationalize them with an eye toward moving capital and labor around in certain ways that benefit certain groups rather than others.
On Saturday, the US House Intelligence Committee released a redacted version of a memo written by the committees ranking Democrat, Representative Adam Schiff of California. It purported to rebut the memo released three weeks ago by the Republican chairman, Devin Nunes, accusing the Federal Bureau of Investigation of carrying out an illegal and politically motivated surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

The Nunes memo was part of a bitter political conflict between two equally reactionary factions within the American ruling class and statea conflict that has only underscored the descent of the entire US political system into criminality and antidemocratic conspiracies against the broad mass of the people.

The Republican memo, released over strident opposition from the Democratic Party and the US intelligence agencies, whose authority the Democrats unquestioningly uphold, exposed the fact that the Obama administration Justice Department violated legal procedures in obtaining a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in October 2016 to wiretap Page.

In its warrant application to the secret court, the FBI used information alleging Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and collusion by the campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump that was solicited by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, without informing the court that the source for the information, former British spy Christopher Steele, had been paid by Trumps election opponents.

This revelation was highly damaging to the fabricated narrative of Russian meddling in the election in support of Trump. This unsubstantiated claim has become the axis of the Democratic Partys efforts to whip up anti-Russian hysteria in preparation for war with Moscow, and to oppose Trump not from the standpoint of his warmongering, his tax windfall for the rich or his attacks on democratic rights and social programs, but rather for his insufficiently aggressive posture toward the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Nunes memo, notwithstanding the partisan motives of its authors and the absurdity of the attempt by Trump to posture as a defender of due process and democratic rights, exposed the partisan and politically motivated basis of the entire anti-Russia campaign and the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling and alleged collusion by Trump officials.

It documented the existence of a conspiracy between the Obama administration, the Clinton campaign and the FBI, using the Star Chamber auspices of the FISA court, to manipulate the election in support of Clinton, the favored candidate of Wall Street and the dominant factions of the military and intelligence establishment.

The Schiff memo released Saturday is in every respect a right-wing document. It graphically illustrates the fact that the Democratic Party has shifted so far to the right that it has become the most subservient defender of the Pentagon, the CIA, the NSA, the FBI and the entire repressive apparatus of the American capitalist state.

The New York Times, which has served as the chief mouthpiece for the Democratic Party-led anti-Russia campaign, published an unvarnished piece of propaganda in the guise of news as its front-page lead article on Sunday. Carrying the secondary headline A Forceful Defense of an FBI Under Attack From the GOP, the article declared:

For weeks, instead of focusing its full energy on investigating an attack on the American democratic system, the [House Intelligence] committee has been pulled into a furious effort by Mr. Trump and his allies to sow doubts about the integrity of the special counsel inquiry and the agencies conducting it. The Democratic memo amounted to a forceful rebuttal to the presidents portrayal of the Russian inquiry as a witch hunt being perpetrated by politically biased leaders of the FBI and the Justice Department.

Along the same lines, the Schiff memo begins with a condemnation of the Republican majority on the House Intelligence Committee for criticizing the FBI, the Justice Department, the Special Counsel and the FISA court. It calls the Nunes memo a transparent effort to undermine these agencies and refers to the FISA court as a vital tool.

These are agencies that throughout their history have engaged in mass surveillance, conspiracy, frame-up and assassination directed against the working class and socialist opponents of the capitalist system. The FISA court, supposedly a pillar of American democracy, rejected a total of 12 out of 34,000 surveillance warrant requests between 1970 and 2013.

The Democratic memo does not, in fact, refute the basic charge in the Nunes memo that the Obama Justice Department failed to inform the court in its warrant application that the information in the anti-Trump Steele dossier was paid for by the Democrats. Instead, it engages in sophistry and evasion centering on the claim that the Steele information was only a part of the FBI submission and the agency had been tracking Carter Page as a suspected Russian agent for a number of years.

Page, a right-wing Republican, headquartered his business operations in Moscow for a period and has had many contacts with Russian business and political figures. The basic premise of the FBI allegations against him, reported uncritically in the Schiff memo, is that any contact with Russians is tantamount to treasonous collusion with a foreign enemy.

Thus the memo imparts a sinister significance to the fact that, according to the Steele dossier, in July of 2016 Page met separately in Moscow with Igor Sechin, the head of the state-owned oil company Rosneft, and Igor Divyekin, described as a senior Kremlin official. Divyekin allegedly offered to supply Page with compromising information on Hillary Clinton, but the document does not stipulate that Page actually received any such information.

The memo cites as additional incriminating evidence the fact that while in Moscow, Page gave a commencement address.

Given the fact that Page is a US citizen who has not been charged with any crime, Schiffs statements regarding him in an official government document can be described only as a witch hunt. The Democratic memo cites FBI reports that Russian intelligence agents attempted to recruit Page, but says nothing about him accepting their offers. Nevertheless, it employs language designed to convey the notion that he is a Russian spy. This includes references to Pages history with Russian intelligence and Pages suspicious activities in 2016, including in Moscow.

The memo asserts that the wiretap of Page allowed the FBI to collect valuable intelligence, as though this alleged fact renders any legal violations in obtaining the warrant irrelevant. It goes on to argue that the decision of the FISA court to renew the warrant on Page three times is proof that the FBI collected important investigating information and leads by conducting court-approved surveillance.

Schiffs memo is notably silent on one of the most damning allegations from the Nunes document: That acting FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told the House Intelligence Committee in December of last year that no surveillance warrant would have been sought from the FISC without the Steele dossier information.
Nazif Mujic, winner of a Silver Bear award for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival in 2013, has died aged just 48. According to the first accounts of his death, Mujic died in extreme poverty in the hamlet of Svatovac in Bosnia. Mujic starred in the film An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker by Danis Tanovic at the Berlin Film Festival.

Mujic plays himself in the film, which recounts his real-life struggles as a scrap-iron collector whose wife suffers a miscarriage. The family seeks to obtain medical help, but are turned away from Bosnian hospitals because they are Roma. Tanovics film shone a spotlight on the extent of the persecution and discrimination of Roma in Bosnia after the break-up of Yugoslavia and the reintroduction of capitalism.

Following his success at the Berlin festivalIron Picker won two Silver Bears, for Mujic as best actor and for the film itselfand after failing to find proper work after returning to Bosnia, Mujic lodged a claim in 2014 to reside in Germany with his family. Explaining his claim at the time, Mujic declared: I dont want to be rich. I just want an ordinary job, a chance to feed my family. Expressing his disenchantment with Bosnia, he said, Bosnia betrayed meI will not go back. I would rather hang myself.

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

Around 75,000 Roma live in Bosnia, but according to the local NGO Atlantic Initiative just five percent have official employment.

In 2016, Human Rights Watch stated that Roma remain the most vulnerable group in Bosnia, facing widespread discrimination in employment, education, and political representation.

Germany rejected Mujics application for asylum, declaring cynically that, for humanitarian reasons, the government would not deport Mujic and his family until after the Bosnian winter. Back in Bosnia, Mujic was forced to resume his former work of gathering scrap metal for a few euros a day.

Unable to pay for his familys basic needs, Mujic sold his Silver Bear to a local tavern owner for 4,000 ($US4,930). First I sold an old car, then some personal items, and then it was the Bears turn, Mujic said at the time. He said the decision to sell the trophy was very difficult but my children had eaten almost nothing for three days.

According to the actors brother, Suljo Mujic, Mujic had been suffering from ill health in recent months and was very worried because of his financial situation. In January of this year, he tried to find a way to enter Germany again, but came back, the brother said.

Using some of the money he made from the sale of the trophy, Mujic purchased a bus ticket to Berlin, but was forced to return to Bosnia after being informed he was liable for a fine that he could not afford to pay, dating back to the time he and his family had applied for asylum in Germany.

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

It is clear that the inhumane asylum policy of the German government and the Berlin Senate, formerly a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and since December 2016 a so-called red-red-Green coalition (SPD-Left Party-Greens), contributed to Mujics early death.

In a typical case, in mid-January 2016, the Berlin police deported eight-year-old Denica, who suffers from a heart condition, and her father back to Bosnia. The boys mother and Denicas brother, who also has a heart condition, had received temporary permission to stay because of the severity of his condition, but then decided to travel back to Bosnia voluntarily.

In 2017, 2,028 refugees were deported from Berlin, of which more than 80 percent were sent back to Balkan countries, including 254 to Bosnia.

At the end of December, the Senate Department for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs assessed that there was a total of 11,754 migrants who had been denied asylum and were legible for deportation.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Sunday with a North Korean delegation that traveled across the Demilitarized Zone to attend the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The three-day visit takes place as the Trump administration in Washington continues to threaten the impoverished North with complete destruction.

The Norths eight-member delegation is led by Kim Yong-chol, a high-ranking military official and chief for inter-Korean affairs. It includes Choe Kang-il, deputy director-general for North American affairs, responsible for negotiating nuclear issues and diplomacy with the United States.

During Sundays meeting, the two sides reportedly discussed the prospects for North Korean-US talks. Moons spokesman Kim Eui-gyeom told the media: President Moon pointed out that US-North Korea dialogue must be held at an early date, even for an improvement in the South-North Korea relationship, and the fundamental resolution of Korean Peninsula issues.

The response from the visiting Pyongyang officials was positive, according to the spokesman, who said: The North Korean delegation also agreed that North Korea-US relations must develop along with the South-North Korea relationship while noting (the North) has enough intention to hold North Korea-US dialogue.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders quickly issued a noncommittal response, saying: We will see if Pyongyangs message today, that it is willing to hold talks, represents the first steps along the path to denuclearization. The Trump administration has insisted that North Korea show signs that it is committed to giving up its nuclear arsenal before negotiations can start. Last Friday, the US imposed a new round of sanctions and Trump again threatened North Korea with war if it did not denuclearise.

Sundays meeting was the second between Moon and high-level figures in the Pyongyang regime in recent weeks. The president earlier met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns sister, Kim Yo-jong who passed on a letter from her brother calling for an inter-Korean summit. However, Moon ruled out an early meeting, saying on February 17 that people expecting talks soon might be a little too anxious.

Moon has also emphasized that the South Korea-US relationship remains as strong and robust as ever, reflecting fears in US and South Korean ruling circles that Pyongyang is trying to drive a wedge between the allies. Moon stressed that Trump supports him 100 percent.

For all the talk of peace during the recent Olympic Games, the Moon administration remains firmly tied to the US alliance. It is trying to balance between its commitments to US imperialism and hopes of exploiting economic relations with China and low-paid labor in the North, all while trying to defuse growing social tensions domestically.

However, Washington has pressed Seoul not to hold talks with Pyongyang. Following in the footsteps of Vice President Mike Pence, Trumps daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump attended the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics where she pointedly did not talk to North Korean officials. The official purpose of her four-day trip was to reaffirm the maximum pressure campaign to ensure that the Korean Peninsula is denuclearized.

Trumps administration, like those of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, has regularly scuttled any attempts at diplomacy with Pyongyang. On Friday, Trump announced the heaviest sanctions ever imposed on a country before. He warned that if North Korea did not bend to Washingtons will, the next phase of US aggression would be very, very unfortunate for the world. Pyongyang denounced the sanctions as an act of war.

Despite its bluster at times against the United States, Pyongyangs main aim is to push for a peace treaty with the US to formally end the Korean War, hoping that would allow access to international markets for its young, emerging capitalist class. In the past, North Korea has offered up its workers as a source of ultra-cheap labor, most notably at the Kaesong Industrial Complex on the border with the South.

Far from preparing to talk, the Trump administration is gearing up for a conflict that would not only destroy North Korea but could draw other major powers such as China and Russia into a world war fought with nuclear weapons.

The US rationale for launching a criminal war of aggression on North Koreaa conflict that would likely kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in just the opening daysis the unsubstantiated claim that Pyongyang is only months away from obtaining long-range ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Even if true, North Koreas limited nuclear arsenal pales into insignificance compared to the thousands of US nuclear weapons and sophisticated delivery systems at Trumps disposal to inflict fire and fury on North Korea.

The US military build-up and threats against North Korea is part of a far broader strategy aimed against China, which Washington regards as its chief obstacle to global hegemony. Trump is continuing the pivot to Asia policy, begun under the Obama administration, aimed at undermining Chinese diplomatic and economic influence in the region, and ultimately preparing for war with Beijing.

In April, massive Foal Eagle/Key Resolve war exercises between the US and South Korea are scheduled to take place. They will undoubtedly raise tensions with the North once again. Hundreds of thousands of troops will participate, likely including those tasked with assassinating key North Korean leaders. South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo will join his US counterpart James Mattis to announce plans for the war games before the end of next month.
Australias Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has intervened directly into the long-running dispute at Glencores Oaky North coal mine at Tieri, Queensland. Over 170 workers have been locked out since last July, when they took limited industrial action over a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

The FWO informed the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) last month that it had begun a formal investigation into an ongoing roadside protest by the locked-out workers near the mine site.

The FWO and the Fair Work Commission (FWC) industrial tribunal were established in 2009 as part of the former Labor governments Fair Work Act. The draconian and pro-business industrial legislation was fully endorsed by the trade unions.

These laws virtually ban all strikes and industrial action, except those occurring during enterprise agreement negotiations, and then only after workers conclude a lengthy process, including secret ballots. Majority votes for industrial action must be ratified by FWC to allow what is deemed protected action. Companies, however, can lock out workers at any time during a dispute.

The FWO told the CFMEU it is assessing whether sections of the Fair Work Act have been, or continue to be, contravened by the union and the locked out workers.

The legislation bans adverse action, coercion, undue influence or pressure, coercion relating to industrial activities. In other words, workers cannot take any action against company strike-breaking, including, in the case of Oaky North dispute, replacing locked-out workers with contract labour.

The FWO has ordered the CFMEU to provide all documents relating to the protest, along with video and audio recordings of shouting and chanting, spray painting the road, holding up signs, videotaping workers, displaying images of Scabby the Rat or RIP, blowing whistles and gesturing at workers and security staff. Scabby the Rat is a plastic blow-up figure that was displayed at the roadside protest.

The CFMEU has also been instructed to hand over all correspondence, including emails, texts and other messaging applications, between union officials, delegates and workers related to the dispute.

It must also surrender minutes of union meetings, diary entries and the GPS records from vehicles used by CFMEU officials involved in the picket, as well as all details relating to the provision of food, electricity, tents, portable toilets, signs and T-shirts worn by the protestors.

This unprecedented intervention will be used by the CFMEU as part of its efforts to pressure the workers into accepting the sort of regressive company-union enterprise agreements imposed at other Glencore mines.

From the outset, the CFMEU, which has 19,000 members in the Australian coal industry, utilised Fair Works anti-strike provisions, which outlaw all solidarity industrial action by other workers, to isolate the Oaky North miners. The union has ensured that production continues unhindered at Glencores other coal mining operations.

During the long-running negotiations with Glencore, the CFMEU has brokered several retrograde agreements but, in the face of rank-and-file resistance, has been unable to push them through.

Last month Oaky North workers voted downby 164 to 11another in principle agreement negotiated by the company and the union at the FWC. It was the third time that workers rejected offers that erode conditions relating to severance and retrenchment, dispute procedures, casual hire, workplace representation and rosters.

The FWOs investigation is a fishing expedition, primarily aimed at intimidating the locked-out workers. The agency will no doubt attempt to claim that the protesting workers are breaching the Fair Work laws and could be subjected to individual fines as high as $10,800 for each breach.

Glencore management this week issued disciplinary notices against 10 locked-out workers, alleging they engaged in misbehaviour while protesting. The accusation could lead to their dismissal.

Early this month, the company applied to the FWC to have the current enterprise agreement terminated. This application would mean that even if the lockout were lifted, workers would be employed under an industry award, on inferior pay and conditions.

In response, the CFMEU last week applied to the FWC to suspend all protected action at Oaky North and impose a cooling off period while the commission considers Glencores application.

If the union is successful, the lockout could be lifted. This does not mean, however, that Glencore would drop its application or misbehaviour allegations against the protesting workers. The cooling off period, moreover, bans all industrial action during this time. The company and union could then string out negotiations, with production continuing unhampered.

The CFMEU has sold out numerous disputes in the mining industry, facilitating highly regressive work agreements. Most recently at Griffin Coal in Queensland, the union imposed a deal that slashed pay rates by 25 percent and ripped up many conditions. These betrayals have set new exploitative benchmarks that companies will use throughout the sector and in other industries.

The Oaky North miners have taken a courageous stand against the corporate drive to dismantle all past gains. They cannot be left to fight the combined forces of the company, the CFMEU, the capitalist courts and political establishment alone.

Miners and other workers must defy the unions and organise action to break the isolation of the Oaky Creek workers as an important step toward initiating a unified campaign across the entire working class against the employers offensive.

Such a struggle necessarily means breaking out of the grip of the unions and Labor, which act at all times to defend the capitalist profit system, and developing new organisations of struggle, including rank-and-file committees under the democratic control of workers.

Above all, what is required is a socialist perspective and the fight for a workers government that would dismantle all laws restricting workers rights and place all key industries, including the mining, oil and gas corporations, under public ownership and workers control.
The Trump administration has asserted the power to expand the US war in Syria and effectively annex and occupy significant portions of the country without even the pretense of international authorization, congressional sanction or public debate.

The New York Times reported the position, laid out in letters to Senator Tim Kaine from the Pentagon and the State Department, in a news article buried in its inside pages on Friday under the headline Administration Says Syria Forces Dont Need New Approval. The letters underscore the dimensions of the assault on the Constitution by the White House, which is asserting inherent executive power to wage war not only in Syria, but by implication all over the world.

Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, has advanced a pro forma and hypocritical call for passage of a new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to provide a legal fig leaf for war in Syria directed at bringing down the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The current US military escalation in Syria is the realization of a principal demand of the Democratic Party. It was at the center of the foreign policy agenda of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaignKaine was Clintons vice-presidential running mateand would have been one of Clintons first acts as president. Just this past week, the Times published an editorial demanding an escalation of the war, complaining that Syria, Russia and Iran have exploited the battlefield successes against ISISas the leaders of the United States and other world powers largely stand by, unwilling or unable to do anything to stop it.

According to the Pentagon letter, ongoing operations in Syria still fall within the framework of the supposed campaign to defeat ISIS, even though all cities and towns controlled by ISIS have been retaken. The Trump administration, as with the Obama administration before it, advances the absurd claim that the war against ISIS is justified by the 2001 AUMF against Al Qaeda, adopted more than 16 years ago, providing congressional sanction for the invasion of Afghanistan.

The campaign to defeat ISIS is transitioning to a new phase in Iraq and Syria, the letter asserts. The US military is optimizing and adapting our military presence to maintain counterterrorism pressure on the enemy, while facilitating stabilization and political reconciliation efforts needed to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

These assertions are so sweepingand subject to such arbitrary and subjective interpretationas to justify an indefinite US military occupation of Syria.

The Pentagon and State Department letters concede that neither Syrian government forces nor their allies such as Hezbollah and Iran can be considered associated forces of ISIS or Al Qaeda, as required under the 2001 war resolution. Instead, US attacks on Syrian government forces and their allies are characterized as acts of self-defense by American military forces, even though the US is in Syria in the first place in violation of its sovereignty and without the consent of its government.

Even more ominous is the legal justification advanced for the missile strike Trump ordered against a Syrian airbase last April, after a US-led media campaign claiming that the Syrian government had used nerve gas on a town in Idlib province held by anti-Assad forces. According to the Pentagon letter, the President authorized that strike pursuant to his power under Article II of the Constitution as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to use this sort of military force overseas to defend important US national interests.

This language is entirely open-ended and makes a mockery of the US constitutional structure, under which the power to declare war is reserved to Congress, while the president serves as commander-in-chief to direct the military operations authorized by the legislature. This constitutional separation of powers has fallen into disuse over a protracted period, as American democracy has drastically eroded. It is more than 75 years since the last congressional declaration of war, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

However, even during the last quarter century of nearly continuous US warfare, it was felt necessary, for the purposes of manipulating public opinion, to obtain congressional sanction for a major US military commitment. Congressional debates and votes, not on a formal declaration of war, but to authorize the president to use military force, preceded the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Significantly, it was two Democratic administrations that engaged in full-scale war without even a pretense of congressional approval. President Bill Clinton ordered the US-NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 but failed to win the support of a Republican-controlled Congress. President Barack Obama launched the US-NATO bombing of Libya in 2011 without even attempting to secure a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Both Democrats claimed inherent presidential powers.

Now, behind the cover of lying phrases about human rights and cynical denunciations of the butcher Assad (identical to earlier denunciations of the butchers Milosevic, Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi), the United States is carrying out what amounts to the annexation of a strategically significant section of Syria. This is only a preliminary step, to be followed by the transformation of the entire country into a de facto colony of the United States.

These actions of the United States vindicate Lenins statement, written in 1916, that imperialism is characterized by the striving to annex  every kind of country (Imperialism and the Split in Socialism, Collected Works, Moscow, 1977, Volume 23, p. 107).

Moreover, as Lenin warned, the process of colonial enslavement of weaker countries by the imperialist powers is inexorably linked to the obliteration of democratic forms of rule at home. Political reaction all along the line is a characteristic feature of imperialism, he wrote. Corruption, bribery on a huge scale and all kinds of fraud (ibid, p. 106).

That a major military occupation can be launched without any public debate and with no opposition within the political establishment reveals the terminal rot of American democracy. Decisions are made unilaterally by the military and intelligence agencies with the most far-reaching consequences for the population of the Middle East, the United States and the entire world.

The absence of organized opposition to the military occupation of Syria also exposes the role of the organizations of the pseudo-left, groups claiming to be socialist that are nothing more than apologists and advocates for imperialist butchery. Groups such as the International Socialist Organization operate as appendages of the Democratic Party. They have backed the US military intervention in Syria, only bemoaning the supposed reluctance of Obama and now Trump to carry out all-out war against Damascus.

The Syrian civil war has metastasized into a conflict drawing in regional and global powers, including Russia, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel, in addition to the United States. Earlier this month, under circumstances that remain murky, US warplanes attacked a pro-Syrian government force comprised of Russian mercenaries or soldiers, killing as many as 200 men. If the Putin government has not made a serious protest, it is only because Moscow fears the explosive consequences of a full-scale military conflict between American and Russian forces, with the potential for escalation into a broader war between the worlds two most heavily armed nuclear powers.

The Syrian powder keg is only one of a number of conflicts that can rapidly become the occasion for an explosion of imperialist war, including North Korea, Iran, the South China Sea, Ukraine and the Baltic states, to name only the most obvious. There is an urgent necessity to build an independent movement of the international working class against the war drive of the imperialist powers, above all the United States. This is the task being undertaken by the International Committee of the Fourth International and its sections, through the building of revolutionary parties of the working class in every country.


Quebec Solidairethe pseudo-left party that has three legislators in the Quebec National Assemblyvoted by a majority of more than 80 percent at its congress late last year to join forces with Option Nationale (ON). The latter is a small right-wing nationalist party formed in 2011 at the initiative of former Parti Quebecois (PQ) Members of the National Assembly who deemed the PQ too soft in its advocacy of Quebec independence.

Subsequently confirmed by a 90 percent vote in favour by Option Nationale members, the merger between QS and ON is part of Quebec Solidaires longstanding efforts to bring together the so-called sovereignist [pro-Quebec independence] family. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Quebec Solidaires co-leader and official male spokesperson, was euphoric. We are going to invite Quebeckers to take back Quebec, he declared, and join the great family of independent nations during the first term in office of the unified party.

Quebec Solidaires sovereignist family is neither new nor progressive. It is the same reactionary coalition of professionals, trade union bureaucrats, academics, small business owners, and other middle class elements who have moved in the PQs orbit for decades, while claiming to be left, even socialist. Its goal has always been to divide Quebec workers from their class brothers and sisters in Canada, the US and overseas; and to subordinate them to the faction of the Quebec ruling elite that wants to increase the powers of the Quebec state with the aim of reinforcing their political-ideological control over the working class, creating a more globally competitive Quebec, and asserting their predatory economic and geostrategic interests on the world stage.

Relations between QS and ON have not always been so cordial. Beginning with Jean-Martin Aussant the former investment banker and PQ legislator who founded and led Option Nationale for its first two yearsON leaders long reproached Quebec Solidaire for putting too much emphasis on the social question. According to Nic Payne, another founding member of ON who was chairman of its national council and opposed the merger, Many separatists will continue to see in this party [QS] a sort of left that is sometimes doctrinaire and disconnected.

With its merger with Option Nationale, Quebec Solidaire is tightening its embrace of Quebec nationalism and tilting still further right with the aim of convincing Quebecs ruling elite it is ready to play a larger role in establishment politicsincluding by participating in, or even leading, a capitalist government.

Under conditions where Quebecs two traditional parties of government, the Liberals and the PQ, are popularly discredited after decades of imposing capitalist austerity and criminalizing social opposition, QS is seeking to exploit its undeserved left reputation to gain access to the corridors of power.

With the danger of imperialist war, the accelerating assault on democratic rights, and the immense rise in social inequality provoking a leftward shift of workers and youth all over the world, QS wants to convince the ruling class that its progressive posture makes it an ideal tool to block any revolutionary threat to the profit systemin the manner of Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, or Jean-Luc Melenchon and his France Insoumise.

As a pledge of loyalty to the existing social order, QS is moving to water down, if not outright jettison, its vague promises of social reform and adopt an even more explicitly right-wing formulation of its program for Quebec independence.

Merger on a right-wing program

Even though Option Nationale is by far the smaller of the two parties, both in terms of membership and electoral influence (less than 1 percent of the vote in the last Quebec election as compared to more than 7 percent for Quebec Solidaire), the merger took place largely on ONs terms.

It demanded and obtained from QS a commitment to put more emphasis on Quebec independence and to more explicitly tie separation from Canadas federal state to the needs of big business. Urged to put aside its pseudo-democratic phrases touting independence as a social project of a free people, QS agreed to more forthrightly articulate the views of the faction of Quebecs ruling elite that sees the creation of a capitalist Republique du Quebec as a better guarantor of the interests of Quebec Inc.

Under the pretext of defeating Philippe Couillards Liberals and the right-wing populists of the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) in the provincial election of 2018, QS is already preparing its next movean electoral alliance with the PQ. The PQ is a big-business party that has slashed social spending whenever in power and is now spreading virulent anti-immigrant, and especially anti-Muslim, chauvinism. Alongside its sister party in federal politics, the Bloc Quebecois, the PQ has also supported every imperialist intervention Canada has carried out over the past three decades as a loyal ally of Washington and NATO.

As a prelude to the merger, the leaders of Quebec Solidaire and Option Nationale submitted to their respective memberships an agreement in principle with instructions to take it or leave it. It reads like the legal text of a political takeover, with QS committing to a host of political and organizational concessions to the right-wing nationalists of ON, including:

the adoption of large sections of the program of Option Nationale (The congress to follow the 2018 election will focus on a review of the entire program, in particular... with a view of aligning it with the program of ON)





a commitment to maintain pro-business fiscal and economic policies (The unified party will present... a financial portrait demonstrating the financial viability of an independent Quebec)





the sidelining or abandonment of Quebec Solidaires timid social demands in favor of a message centered on nationalism (Among the sources of oppression to be denounced by the unified party... the Canadian colonial regime will be placed at the same level of importance as neoliberalism)





the strengthening of political ties with the PQ through an umbrella group of sovereignist parties dominated by the PQ (The unified party will continue its participation in the OUI-Quebec [Yes Quebec] coalition)





the promise to recognize Option Nationale as a political club within QS with a privileged status and to promote its explicitly pro-business agenda by reprinting and developing the book entitled Le livre qui fait dire oui.

This last condition refers to a pamphlet produced by Option Nationale, the title of which can be roughly translated as The book that makes one say yes to independence.

The ON pamphlet highlights the real class content of the program of Quebec independence. It develops the perspective historically associated with Jacques Parizeau, who as Quebecs PQ premier called the second referendum on Quebec independence in 1995, and who until his death in 2015 led the hardline separatist faction within the PQ, even while acting as patron of Option Nationale.

In line with the views of Parizeau, who himself hailed from one of Quebecs wealthiest families, Le livre qui fait dire oui argues that an independent Quebec would be better placed to take aggressive measures to promote the interests of Quebec capitalism and without having to accommodate the interests of other factions of Canadian big business. The state, it declares, must defend its strategic interests, that is, the competitive advantages it has over other states in certain industries.

In another significant passage, the ON pamphlet declares, With the savings generated by independence, our room for maneuver will be greater, which will allow us choices. A more interventionist government will be able to invest in our strategic sectors, for example. A more right-wing government will be able to lower our taxes, while a government leaning more to the left will be able to reinvest in health and education.

The last scenario, that of a left government ready to reinvest in health and education, only serves to throw sand in the eyes of workersespecially under conditions of a systemic crisis of world capitalism. The independent Quebec envisaged by Option Nationaleand now explicitly endorsed by Quebec Solidairewould have as its main objective to reorganize the state apparatus so as to better serve the independent interests of the Quebec bourgeoisie in the global commercial and military-strategic struggle for profits, markets and resources. This would go hand in hand with a more pronounced promotion of Quebec nationalism, including through chauvinist language laws, so as to even more systematically promote the lie that Quebec workers have more in common with their Quebecois bosses than with workers in the rest of Canada and internationally.

This would lay the political ground for an intensified ruling class offensive aimed at gutting what remains of the public and social services won by previous generations of workers through bitter social struggle. The subsequent savings would give an interventionist, more right-wing government of an independent Quebec the room for maneuver needed to grant billions in subsidies to the strategic jewels of Quebec industry like Bombardier and Quebecor and further slash the taxes of the richest 1 percent and their hangers-on in the managerial and professional elite.

Towards an alliance with the big business PQ

What has prepared Quebec Solidaire for its recent merger with Option Nationale is its entire evolution since its founding more than 10 years ago by community, feminist, and pseudo-Marxist activists and a smattering of union bureaucrats. They came together to revive the discredited program of Quebec independence and prevent workers and youth from drawing revolutionary socialist conclusions from the emergence of the PQ as the most ruthless enforcer of capitalist austerity. The social composition of QS and the main axes of its developmentparochialism, subservience to the trade union bureaucracy, economic nationalism and an orientation to the PQliterally threw it into the arms of Option Nationale and its explicitly right-wing Quebec nationalism.

The relationship between QS and the PQ is being continuously discussed in mainstream media circles. How much do you see yourself offering an alternative to the PQ? a reporter asked a QS spokesperson in the days leading up to the merger with ON. Our goal is not to provide an alternative to the Parti Quebecois, said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, who was visibly anxious to avoid anything that could look like a criticism of the PQ. Its the Liberals who are in power, it is the CAQ that is leading the polls, he insisted. It is an alternative to these parties that we propose.

At its congress last December Quebec Solidaire all but avoided any mention of the PQ, although the focus of debate at its previous congress, just six months earlier, had been a proposal, strongly supported by the QS leadership for an electoral alliance with the PQ. Ultimately, that proposal was rejected because a majority of delegates feared QS would be badly discredited if it so openly aligned with a big-business party identified by broad sections of the working class with brutal social spending cuts and xenophobic appeals.

The December Congress left the strong impression that the QS leadership is seeking to ban all criticism of the PQ, while throwing a political bridge toward its sister sovereignist party by merging with Option Nationale. (The latter is known to be favorable to an electoral understanding with the PQ, especially if it commits to calling an independence referendum in its first term of government.)

One of the principal architects of the QS-ON merger and a supporter at last Mays QS congress of an electoral alliance with the PQ, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, has despite his young age a long experience in the political subordination of workers and youth to the PQ. As the principal spokesperson for the student association (CLASSE) which led the Quebec student strike in 2012, Nadeau-Dubois helped the union bureaucracy divert this movement behind the PQ, precisely at the moment when it threatened to become the catalyst for a broader working-class challenge to the entire austerity agenda of the ruling class in Quebec and Canada. For its part, QS urged the PQ in June 2012 to form an electoral alliance with it; then on the eve of the September 2012 election promised unconditional support to a minority PQ government for at least one year.

Another highlight of Quebec Solidaires December Congress was when Nadeau-Dubois blamed workers for the rise in the polls of the right-wing populist CAQ by pointing to the desperation of some that does not always lead to good decisions. This is a slander. As a close ally of the union bureaucracy and the PQ, it is Quebec Solidaire that bears a heavy responsibility for the rise of right-wing forces that benefitin Quebec as in Europe and the United Statesfrom the association of Social Democracy, the unions, and other left establishment forces with austerity and war.

Through its shift to a more aggressive nationalism and its support for the xenophobic agenda of the PQ and the entire ruling class, Quebec Solidaire is facilitating the rise of chauvinist sentiments that feed the most right-wing forces. QS long described the reactionary ruling-class debate over excessive accommodation of immigrants and religious minorities and the PQs abortive Charter Of Quebec Values as legitimate. And it kept silent last October when the Liberal majority in the National Assembly passed Bill 62, which targets Muslim women by denying those wearing a religious face-covering access to essential public services such as health care, education or public transit.

As an ally and accomplice of the trade union bureaucracy, QS also bears political responsibility for the suppression of the class struggle, thereby opening the door for far-right forces to exploit mounting social anger. In 2015-16, for example, when more than a half-million Quebec public sector workers mobilized to fight for better working conditions and public services, QS assisted the unions in containing their opposition within a bogus negotiating process predicated on acceptance of the governments lie that there was no money for improving wages and benefits or public services.

As a petty-bourgeois nationalist party of the privileged middle class, QS demonstrated at its December congress, once again, a total lack of interest for any issue beyond Quebecs borders. As geopolitical tensions around the world are reaching explosive levels and Washington threatens to wipe North Korea off the map, QS has nothing to say about preparations by Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government to participate in this criminal enterprise and the close ties it maintains with the Trump administration on all military and security matters.

After supporting the Anybody but Harper trade union campaign for the Liberals in the 2015 federal election, and then welcoming the return to power of the Canadian ruling class traditional party of government, Quebec Solidaire observed a complicit silence on the Liberals plans to increase military spending by 70 percent over the next decade, Canadas increased role in the latest US war in the Middle East and its spearheading of NATOs military mobilization on Russias borders.

Support for bankrupt Catalan nationalism

The world capitalist crisis did intrude on the deliberation of QS congress in the form of the participation of two delegates from the CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy), the so-called left wing of the Catalan separatist movement, whose actions were hailed as a model for QS.

What the CUP and its delegates in fact provided was an object lesson of the class character of left nationalism. Following in the train of the big bourgeois Catalan nationalist parties, the CUP has opposed any attempt to mobilize Spanish and European workers against the dictatorial methods of the Rajoy government and instead made pathetic appeals for intervention by a European Union that strongly supports Madrid in preserving the territorial integrity of capitalist Spain.

Upon arrival in Canada, the CUP delegates appealed, not to Canadian workers to oppose the repression of the Spanish state, but rather to the Quebec Liberal government of Philippe Couillard. I hope we will have the chance, said Anna Gabriel and Eulalia Reguant of the CUP, to meet the Premier of Quebec to discuss the role that Western democracies can play in protecting democracy within Europe itself.

Quebec Solidaire took a similar position. Not only did it refuse to strongly condemn Ottawas support for the brutal repression of the Catalan referendum by the Spanish government. It also painted as fighters for democracy the Liberals who now form the governments in Ottawa and Quebecthe very same federalist forces that have prepared the legal ground for their own anti-democratic measures against any future referendum on Quebec secession with their 2000 Clarity Act and threats to ethnically partition Quebec.

Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Couillard, said QS legislator and female co-leader Manon Masse, must immediately do their duty as democrats by putting pressure on Madrid to abandon the legal proceedings that weigh on Catalan independence leaders.

In their presentation before the Quebec Solidaire congress, CUP delegates defended their partys decision to support a right-wing Catalan nationalist government and vote for its budget in 2017. They neglected to mention that this government has attacked workers by imposing savage austerity measures and breaking strikes by metro (subway) drivers and airport workers.

Its merger with Option Nationale leaves no doubt that Quebec Solidaire is preparing to play a similar role in Quebec and Canada as CUP has done in Catalonia and Spain.
Fighting continued in Syria over the weekend despite the latest United Nations Security Council ceasefire resolution that is supposed to allow for the evacuation of Ghouta, the eastern suburb of the capital, Damascus.

The draft resolution urging a 30-day ceasefire throughout Syria was delayed from Thursday to Saturday due to Russian objections. Russia argued that the United States had forced delays by opposing amendments allowing for a continued military offensive against Islamist forces loyal to Islamic State and pro-Al Qaeda groups.

Washington has relied on these forces to wage war against the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.

Saturdays resolution calls on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to report back to the council in two weeks on whether the terms of the ceasefire have been implemented. However, not only will the Syrian military campaign continue, but so too will fighting throughout the country.

The ceasefires failure will again be attributed to the Assad regime and its main backer, Russia and used to demand a military response by the Western powers. But Syrias terrible fate has been sealed by the escalating proxy war for its territorial division that has emerged from the civil war instigated by the United States.

Syria continued its Ghouta offensive yesterday, taking advantage of the resolutions failure to state when the 30-day ceasefire, across the whole of Syria, was meant to begin. The Chief of Staff of Iranian Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, has said that Iran and Syria are committed to the UN ceasefire resolution, but the truce does not cover eastern Ghouta and that mop-up operations would continue.

Damascus cannot afford to relent on Ghouta and has put the operation under the control of Assads brother Maher and top Colonel Soheil Hassan. Not only does it lie close to the capital, but victory there would clear the path for opposition forces to be routed elsewhere.

Newsweek cited reports that Damascus had a plan to evacuate children under the age of 12, men over the age of 60 and all women via recently established safe passages, while planning to go on fighting ISIS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and their allies.

The ceasefire doesnt apply to Syrias offensive against al-Qaeda-linked groups, as all individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with ISIS or al-Qaeda have been exempted from the truce.

In any event, the Islamist opposition has no intention of leaving Ghouta and likely couldnt even if it wanted to. As Syria expert Haid Haid wrote in the Middle East Monitor, there is no convenient exile for its inhabitants.

The collective hypocrisy over the tragedy of Ghouta cannot conceal the fact that Syria is in the grip of a war that has now claimed 400,000 lives and left the entire country decimated. The brutal struggle for strategic dominance over Syria ensures that the UN resolution will be ignored by all concerned.

Russias Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia warned, We will not countenance any subjective interpretation of the resolution that has just been adopted and insisted that this meant Turkey must end its operation in Afrin, near the Turkish border.

However, Turkey has made clear that it does not accept any such cessation. Referring to the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), linked to the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Turkeys Foreign Ministry said Ankara will remain resolute in fighting against the terrorist organizations that threaten the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria.

Above all, Washington will continue its seven years of military violence and political skulduggery aimed at taking control of Syria that has had such devastating consequences.

Amid the UN Security Council discussions, President Donald Trump felt obliged to claim that the only US goal in Syria was to defeat ISIS. This directly contradicted statements made last month by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that US war aims include combating Iranian influence and bringing down Assad and that its forces will now be stationed permanently.

Tillersons statements followed the unveiling of a new US security doctrine acknowledging that great power rivalries, rather than terrorism, are viewed by Washington as its main national security threat. It also followed a request from the Pentagon for $1.8 billion in arms to wage war in Syria and Iraq20 percent more than the entire arms budget for Middle East operations in 2017.

Tillerson boasted during a February 13 visit to Kuwait, The United States and the coalition forces that are working with us to defeat [IS] today control 30 percent of the Syrian territory and control a large amount of [the] population and control a large amount of Syrias oil fields.

Moves taken in line with the new US posture have accelerated the conflict in Syria and beyond.

The creation of a 30,000-strong border force for Syria including Kurdish YPG militias prompted Turkeys launch of Operation Olive Branch against Afrin on January 20, which also threatened the Aleppo Governate city of Manbij. Ankara feared that the US was announcing its de facto military backing for a future Kurdish state as a base for the re-division of the region in its interests that would threaten the territorial integrity of Turkey.

The US also greenlighted Israeli bombing raids and missile attacks on Syrian military facilities on February 10 that Tel Aviv made clear were targeted at Iranian personnel. Since then, Israel has threatened to launch military strikes on Lebanon, while escalating demands for action by the US against Iran.

Friday also saw the US announce that it will bring forward to May 14, 2018 the planned relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem. This is the most provocative date imaginable, marking the 70th anniversary of Israel declaring independence and what the Palestinians know as the Naqba, or "day of catastrophe."

Washingtons efforts to preserve its global hegemony are now threatening open conflict with Russia in the Middle East and Europe, as well as with China due to US aggression against North Korea.

In bitter exchanges at the UN Security Council, Nebenzia said of the ceasefire resolution, The aim of fighting with terrorists should not become a disguise for solving this or that geopolitical issue of doubtful legitimacy, which is exactly what the United States is currently doing in Syria We insist that the so-called coalition stop its occupational ambitions we see perfectly well that the propaganda scenario surrounding Eastern Ghouta fully corresponds to the campaign launched during the counter-terrorist operation to liberate East Aleppo in late 2016.

Potential sparks for broader regional war and direct military conflict between the US and Russia are numerous.

In Afrin, Assad has dispatched pro-government militias to back the YPG against an imminent ground invasion by Turkish troops. Here the US finds itself in a position where its Kurdish ally is allied in turn with pro-Assad forces aligned with Russia. The spread of fighting to Manbij could directly involve US Special Forces.

On February 7, the US launched a devastating attack involving Apache helicopters, an AC-130 Spectre gunship, F-15 fighter jets and artillery batteries on a Syrian column in eastern Deir Ezzor. The Russian government admitted last week that the casualties from the US barrage had included dozens of Russian nationals.

The US media has claimed that the bombing was a response to planned advance by Russian mercenary forces on headquarters of the US-proxy Syrian Democratic Forces, made up overwhelmingly of the YPG militia. The Russian mercenaries were said to be employed by Wagner PMC, which reportedly has as many as 2,500 men in Syria.

Details of the incident remain unclear, and Moscow has so far downplayed the clash. But over the weekend, Russia deployed Su-57 fifth-generation fighters to Syria for the first time, sending a signal that it may retaliate against future US airstrikes.
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25 years ago: Terrorist bombing of World Trade Center in New York

On February 26, 1993, far-right Islamic terrorists detonated a 1,336-pound bomb in a parking area beneath the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing six deaths and over 1,000 injuries and sicknesses. The terrorists aim was to topple the North Tower into the South Tower, bringing both down.

Among the six dead were three maintenance workers: Robert Kirkpatrick, 61, Stephen Knapp, 47, and Bill Macko, 57; a secretary, Monica Rodriguez Smith, 35, who was seven months pregnant; Wilfredo Mercado, 37, a restaurant worker; and John DiGiovanni, 45, a dental products salesperson.

Following the explosion, the absence of adequate fire and safety devices in the 30-year old buildings, in combination with the knockout of both power supply systems, resulted in thousands of workers having to make their way to safety in total darkness through smoke-filled stairways. Workers, left isolated as high as the 110th floor, complained that they received no instructions, calls to emergency numbers within the building went unanswered, there were no emergency lights in the halls, the ventilation failed, and magnetic doors did not work and had to be broken down after the power failed. Smoke was sucked up within minutes through the skyscraper, which operated as a giant chimney.

Ultimately six men, of Middle Eastern or Pakistani origin, were convicted of charges relating to the bombing: Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal A. Ayyad, Ahmed Ajaj, and Eyad Ismoil. The plot was partially funded by Yousefs uncle, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed. Mohammed and Abouhalima had been among the CIA-funded Mujahadeen who fought against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INSforerunner to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE) had caught Yousef and Ajaj, the two ringleaders, six months before the attack, when the pair attempted to enter the United States with fake passports and false names on the same flight, on September 1, 1992. Ajaj was captured with a bomb-making instruction kit. Nonetheless, Yousef was released on his own recognizance. Ajaj was imprisoned for six months, but from federal jail made frequent communications to Yousef to coordinate the plot.

Another conspirator, Abdul Rahman Yasin, was interviewed immediately after the attack by the FBI, but was released and the next day departed the US for Iraq. One month after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, once again on the World Trade Center, the FBI finally placed Yasin on its most-wanted terrorists list. One year later, the George W. Bush administration rejected an offer from the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to turn him over to US authorities. Yassin vanished in Iraq some time around the US invasion.

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50 years ago: Kerner Commission issues report on US riots

On February 29, 1968, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, headed by Governor Otto Kemer of Illinois, issued a summary of its report. The panel was appointed in July 1967 by President Johnson to study the causes of the urban riots.

The commission rejected Johnsons contention that the wave of uprisings by impoverished inner city workers and youth were the product of a organized plan or conspiracy. It laid the blame for the disorders on grinding poverty, police brutality and white racism. The report warned, Our nation is moving toward two societies, on black, one whiteseparate and unequal.

Several commission members admitted to being shocked by the conditions they found in the inner cities during the course of their seven-month investigation. The commission, however, claimed that the horrific conditions facing black workers and youth could be overcome within the framework of capitalism. It advanced a series of proposals for social reforms that wentbeyond Johnsons Great Society programs.

Among the measures proposed by the commission were:

The immediate creation of 2 million new jobs; 1 million by federal, state and local governments, and 1 million by private industry.

Bringing 6 million new and existing housing units within the reach of low and middle income families over five years and 600,000 low income units in the next year.

Expanding the welfare system to make more persons eligible and to raise the level of benefits.

Noting that incidents of police brutality sparked many of the uprisings, the commission called for the expansion of the role of the black petty bourgeoisie in administering the ghettos. It recommended the hiring of more black police officers and journalists and the expansion of the number of black elected officials.

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75 years ago: American Communist Party defends murders of Polish socialists

On February 27, 1943, the Daily Worker, newspaper of the American Communist Party, came to the defense of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin for his 1941 murder of two prominent Polish socialists. The CPUSA charged that Heinrich Erlich, leader of the Jewish Socialist Bund of Poland, and Victor Alter, president of the Polish National Council of Trade Unions, were Nazi agents who agitated among Red Army soldiers for a separate peace between the USSR and Germany, following Hitlers invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

Alter and Erlich were first taken prisoner when the USSR occupied eastern Poland in September 1939. Their 1941 execution did not come to light until two years later, when the Roosevelt administration passed on the information to the American Jewish Labor Committee, which in turn released the information on February 25, 1943.

The charge that the two Jewish labor leaders were agents of Hitler was obscene. Erlich and Alter had organized workers battalions to fight against the 1939 German invasion of Poland. They were temporarily released to organize Polish prisoners of war into an army with its own officers under the command of the Red Army. They were then rearrested and shot.

The two were murdered not because they were pro-Hitler, but because they were anti-Stalin. Alter and Erlich, while never being revolutionary Marxists, had a history of opposing Stalinism. Under their leadership the Jewish Bund had branded the Moscow Trials as frame-ups and declared its belief in the revolutionary integrity of Trotsky. This was their crime, in Stalins eyes.

Roosevelt hid the news of the murders of Alter and Erlich during the period when the Red Army was in retreat before the Nazi army. But as the Red Army went onto the offensive and its military victories began to generate revolutionary stirrings within the international working class, Roosevelt sought to use Stalins crimes to discredit socialism.

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100 years ago: Bolsheviks sign Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending war on Eastern Front

On March 3, 1918, a representative of the revolutionary Bolshevik government, G.Y. Sokolnikov, signed the Brest-Litovsk treaty on terms dictated by German imperialism, officially ending Russias participation in World War I.

The terms imposed by the Germans included the loss of more than one-quarter of the population, railways and cultivated land of the former Russian empire; half of its industrial plants and equipment; three-quarters of its iron and steel capacity; and 90 percent of its coal production. The treaty meant abandoning Poland, Lithuania, the Ukraine, the Baltic Provinces, Finland and Transcaucasia. The Munich Post exulted, If the German emperor had demanded Moscow as his capital and a summer residence in the Ural Mountains, the Russians would have signed without batting an eyelash.

The Bolshevik regime was obliged to sign the treaty, on Lenins insistence, in order to preserve the revolution itself. The Russian army had collapsed, the population was exhausted and a revolutionary war, as advocated by Bukharin and the Bolshevik Lefts, was out of the question. Lenin commented, We have nothing to fight with.

All factions in the leadership counted on the German Revolution to relieve the beleaguered Russian proletariat, but Lenin was implacably opposed to any revolutionary romanticism. The Russian workers government had to hold out as long as possible, and this required making the most painful concessions.

In order to provide itself with a granary in the Ukraine, as well as to deliver a blow against the revolution, German imperialism occupied Kiev (March 3), Odessa (March 13), Nikolaev (March 17), Kharkov (April 8), and then invaded the Crimea. At the same time, the Germans occupied the Aaland Islands (March 2) and intervened in the Finnish civil war, in support of the White forces who massacred about a quarter of the countrys proletariat.

According to Trotskys My Life, Lenin responded with great emotion to the attacks on the Finnish workers. Nevertheless, he was obliged to conclude, Military action on our part would not be able to save the revolution in Finland, but it would most certainly ruin us. We must help the Finnish workers in every way we can, but we must do it without abandoning peace.

Only the outbreak of the German Revolution in November 1918, eight months after Brest-Litovsk, forced the withdrawal of the German military.

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Last Thursday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the main agency tasked with helping immigrants move towards citizenship, changed its mission statement without any notice or fanfare. The new statement is notable primarily for the fact that it dropped the phrase nation of immigrants to describe the United States, and instead highlights the law enforcement aspects of the agencys functions.

The mission statement now available on the agencys webpage reads: US Citizenship and Immigration services administers the nations lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.

Prior to last Thursday, the statement available on the agencys homepage read: USCIS secures Americas promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system.

Anticipating protests, the White House declared that the change in the mission statement did not originate from the President. This was reiterated by a USCIS official, who told the Washington Examiner in an email: The White House did not direct USCIS to change its mission statement. It was developed and debated within the agency by USCIS Director Cissna during his first senior leadership conference with USCIS staff, and reflects the directors guiding principles for the agency. The new mission statement also has the support of the secretary of Homeland Security.

Frank Cissna was appointed to the post of director by Donald Trump in October 2017. Since taking office, Cissna has overseen changes in the USCISs operations including increased security checks for foreign workers applying for visas, higher threshold for asylum application in order to discourage people from seeking sanctuary in the US, and a more complicated process for Green Card applications.

In a memorandum sent to the USCIS staff, Cissna explained the reason for the new mission statement claiming that it was simple and straightforward, and that it clearly defined agencys role in our countrys lawful immigration system and the commitment we have to the American people.

Cissna focused on the fact that the earlier mission statement had described those accessing the USCISs services as customers to reiterate his claim that it did not quite capture the spirit of the agencys function: The American people, through Congress, have entrusted USCIS with the stewardship of our legal immigration programs that allow foreign nationals to visit, work, live, and seek refuge in the United States. We are also responsible for ensuring that those who naturalize are dedicated to this country, share our values, assimilate into our communities, and understand their responsibility to help preserve our freedom and liberty...Use of the term [customers] leads to the erroneous belief that applicants and petitioners, rather than the American people, are whom we ultimately serve.

The change in the mission statement does not automatically imply a complete overhaul in the way the agency is supposed to work. However, it illustrates the further intensification of the anti-immigrant offensive being waged by the Trump administration.

In a statement to the New York Times, Leon Rodriguez, who headed the agency under Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, a period in which more than a million immigrants were cruelly deported from the United States, said that the new mission statement marked a particularly sad turn of history.

We should not forget that under the discarded mission statement, the integrity and national security functions of U.S.C.I.S. grew  dramatically so  showing that we could be both a welcoming nation and a safe one, Rodriguez said. We should stop to reflect about the many opportunities that America will lose because of the attitudes reflected in this statement, and ask ourselves whether this is really the country we want to be.

The new mission statement does not stop at removing the long-used phrase nation of immigrants, it also removes all mention of citizenshipinstead of immigration and citizenship benefits, USCIS now just provides immigration benefits, and it completely drops the phrase promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship. And its distinction between the American people and those who apply for its services basically obscures the fact that the overwhelming majority of petitioners for immigrants are US citizens petitioning for family members, albeit naturalized citizens.

Historically, the USCIS, known from 1933 until 2003 as the Immigration and Naturalization Services, has been the one arm of the three immigration agencies under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Securitythe other two being Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)that is not supposed to deal with the enforcement aspects of immigration. However, with the increased militarization of the immigration policies and the criminalization of immigrants, the new mission statement of USCIS makes it evident that the agencys function will soon be akin to that of the CBP and ICE.

With Trumps speech last week to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, serving as a guidepost, this is just the beginning.

In a rambling address that is quite extraordinary in its ignorance, bigotry and distortion of reality, Trump presented a world in which the United States was under attack by swarms of criminals, rapists, hit-and-run drivers, human traffickers, all of whom are aliens who have been let into the country because our immigration laws are so bad. In a particularly vile and repellant manner, he compared immigrants to a vicious, poisonous snake that kills a foolish, yet tender woman who provides it shelter.

Trump claimed that the country was over-run by animalswho cut [people] into little pieces and who apparently were protected by laws that favored them, and provided them with safe harbor. The laws are just against uswe are letting people in, and its going to be a lot of trouble. But, his administration was up to the task of protecting like never before: In 2017, our brave ICE officers arrested more than 100,000 criminal aliens who have committed tens and thousands of crimes. And that was just the beginning. Trump ominously promised that his administration is going to take care of the country. Okay? Were going to take care of the country.

Recent reports have revealed that the Trump administration has been ramping up its anti-immigrant drive through the casting of wider dragnets, the systematic separation of undocumented migrant families and the establishment of border checkpoints that violate Fourth amendment rights far from Americas borders. In this context, the promise to take care of the country can only be interpreted as a threat to intensify the persecution of working class immigrants, many of whom are already victims of violence and poverty, and who come to the United States in a desperate search for a better life for themselves and their children.

Additionally, the change in the UCIS mission statement ultimately reflects the bipartisan drive to slash legal immigration. Trump has recently come out in support of a proposal by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley to cut 20 million family-based petitions over the next few decades.
Around 120 detainees at Yarls Wood immigration detention centre in Bedfordshire, England are entering the fourth day of a hunger strike, protesting inhumane conditions at one of Europes largest detention facilities.

The mainly women detainees are demanding an end to indefinite detention, describing systematic torture by the Home Office and the private security firm, Serco.

In a statement posted yesterday evening on Twitter, the detainees announced, After an initial three-day hunger strike where the Home Office refused to acknowledge the hunger strike, it is clear that they are not listening to us. On Monday 26/02/18, we will cease to participate in detention, we will not eat, use their facilities or work for them.

The hunger strikers launched their action with a handwritten statement last Wednesday, condemning the Home Office for offensive practices including violation of habeas corpus.

The majority of detainees are not detained by a judge, they wrote. Instead, detainees were presumed guilty and deprived of liberty by a person (Serco, which runs the facility), whose vocational success is based on how many people they removea situation they described as an obvious conflict [and] morally bankrupt.

Indefinite detention, they wrote, amounted to a form of torture: At any point an officer could turn up and take your room-mate; youre constantly on edge, not knowing what will happen next.

The UK is the only country in the EU European Union with no time limit on detention, they noted.

Under Rule 35, an amendment to the Detention Centre Rules 2001, introduced in September 2016, vulnerable adults, including victims of torture, should not be detained, or only as a last resort. But Rule 35 is consistently flouted. Victims of torture, human trafficking, modern slavery, asylum seekers and sick and disabled people continue to be detained, they wrote.

On Thursday, detainees issued a list of 15 demands, including right of access to a bail hearing within three to five days (a legal right); the ending of indefinite detention and re-detention; no detention of people who came to the UK as children; and an amnesty for those who have lived in the UK for 10 years or longer.

Many of the Yarls Wood detainees have British husbands and children they are prevented from seeing, a situation that infringes their Article 8 rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, the detainees explained, including their right to a private and family life.

Detainees condemned slave labour in detention, whereby they are forced into menial work for 1 per hour and have called for an end to forced removal by flights from Britain: We want an end to charter flights and the snatching of people from their beds in the night and herding them like animals.

On Friday, Labours Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott met with a group of about 30 detainees at Yarls Wood, along with shadow attorney general and former human rights lawyer, Shami Chakrabarti. The group included a Nigerian woman who had lived in the UK for 30 years, has five British children, and has been detained for seven months, according to the Guardian. Another woman had been detained for nine months.

These women were clearly desperate. Indefinite detention, with no release date, is just wrong, Abbott told journalists. Many of them are released to the community after spending time at Yarls Wood, so why do they need to be in detention?

Abbott is reported to have responded emotionally to the plight of detainees, but this was political theatrics.

The Labour Party has played a central role in erecting the current punitive regime against immigrant detainees. Yarls Wood was opened by the Labour government in September 2001, with control handed to private security contractor, Group 4 Falck. It was one of a number of facilities seen as rich pickings by private contractors who swooped in on lucrative contracts offered up by the Labour government of Tony Blair. Group 4 Falck was replaced by Global Services Limited (GSL) in 2004, and by Serco in 2007. G4S, the worlds largest security company, with a declared net annual income of 220 million, presently delivers healthcare services at Yarls Wood.

Abbott and Chakrabarti were silent on the real history of Yarls Wood, where repeated hunger strikes have taken place over the past 17 years, most of these, again, under Labour.

The first hunger strike by 25 Roma detainees occurred just weeks after the facility opened and another, by ethnic Albanian Gjevat Cerkini, began in December 2001. In July 2005, 30 Ugandan women launched a hunger strike protesting cruel treatment by staff and inadequate healthcare, followed by a hunger strike of 100 women just two years later. In February 2010, a hunger strike against indefinite detention saw around 70 women protestors locked in an airless corridor without water or toilet facilities, according to a report at the time by the Guardian.

Beyond Labours complicity in the conditions faced by detainees at Yarls Wood is the broader anti-immigrant chauvinism the party has helped stoke. During the 2015 general election, Labour pledged to control immigration, echoing the campaigns of both the Conservatives and UK Independence Party. The party even issued a red campaign mug, emblazoned with the slogan, Controls on Immigration. Im voting Labour.

The Brexit referendum the following year saw both the Leave and Remain camps promote anti-immigrant measures, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn making an explicit connection between uncontrolled immigration and the lowering of wages, echoing the nationalist campaigns led by the trade unions.

Labours current manifesto (For the Many Not the Few) calls for a fair immigration system, which is based on our economic needs, balancing controls and existing entitlements. It states, We will take decisive actions to end the exploitation of migrant labour undercutting workers pay and conditions.

The manifesto makes no call for the closure of Yarls Wood and other immigrant detention centres where men women and children are incarcerated for the sole crime of having been born in another country.

Yarls Wood is part of a broader system of incarceration of immigrants in the UK. According to the Inspector of Prisons, in the year ending December 2016, 28,908 people entered immigration detention. At any time, more than 3,500 people are in immigration detention in the UK. They are held mainly in one of the nine Immigration Removal Centres, three Short Term Holding Facilities or in prisons. On October 3, 2016, prisons held 442 people detained under immigration powers.

There are currently 60 million refugees worldwidevictims of the endless wars and devastation inflicted by the United States, Britain and other imperialist powers on the peoples of the Middle East and Africa. The anti-immigrant measures promoted by governments throughout Europe and the US are aimed at dividing the working class.

The Socialist Equality Party calls for the immediate closure of all immigration detention centres and upholds the right of all workers and young people to live in the country of their choice, with full citizenship rights and access to welfare, housing, healthcare and education.

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When Ael left home to go to school in Jakarta, his parents warned him to be careful in the big city. "Be a kind person," his mother told him.

He worked hard and found a good job as a teacher in the sprawling Indonesian capital, but seven years later the 23-year-old is fearful for his future as a young gay man in a country which increasingly views homosexuality as a sin and, potentially soon, a crime.

"Many people don't like us ... they don't like us being more visible, so they are preparing laws that can criminalize us," Ael, who asked for his surname to not be used, told CNN.

Within weeks, lawmakers could vote on a new law that looks set to criminalize sex outside of marriage and homosexual sex in Indonesia, as part of wide-reaching changes to the country's criminal code.

"If the penal code is approved, I don't know our future in Indonesia," Ael said.

It is just the latest move in a widespread crackdown on Indonesia's gay and lesbian community since 2015, which has shocked and horrified the country's LGBT population.

Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country, home to hundreds of millions of followers of the Islamic faith, but until recently it was relatively tolerant, if not exactly accepting, of its LGBT population.

But in the last decade a conservative strain of Islam, quietly tolerated by presidents past and present, has gained sway, with conservative Muslim leaders and groups intimidating lawmakers, holding mass rallies in Jakarta and targeting prominent Christian and LGBT minorities.

"(Recently) when LGBT Indonesians open our social media, quickly we find there are lots of people speaking hatefully about us," Ael said.

"As a gay person and a young person in Indonesia this issue has actually become dangerous for us."

The local LGBT community isn't alone in worrying about the developments. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said at a press conference in Jakarta on February 7 he was "greatly concerned" about the proposed revisions of the penal code.

He said the proposed amendments were "discriminatory" and appeared to be planned for "cynical political purposes."

'Indonesian values and culture'

In one of the latest drafts of the bill seen by CNN, committing an "obscene act" with someone of the same gender is punishable by a fine and up to 18 months in jail, if the act is public. It doesn't detail what could constitute an obscene act.

If the acts are "publicized in the form of pornography," the sentence could be up to nine years.

Activists had breathed a sigh of relief in December 2017, when Indonesia's Constitutional Court narrowly voted down a call for the criminalization of LGBT relations brought by a group of conservative Muslims. But the court's decision now appears to have only been a temporary reprieve.

No date has been set for the vote on the new criminal code, but a conservative lawmaker told CNN strict new restrictions against same sex-relations and extramarital sex will be included, no matter what.

"Basically all factions in the Parliament agree on the expansion of extra-marital sex articles and the inclusion of certain deviating acts of LGBT," said Arsul Sani, a politician with the conservative Islamic United Development Party (PPP).

Sani, who has a seat on the influential law and human rights panel that will approve the draft criminal code, said criminalizing sex outside marriage and same-sex relations will bring Indonesia's outdated criminal code in line with the rest of the country's "religious values."

"Those who oppose (the law) base their perspectives on Western cultures and values, whilst we propose this new criminal code upon Indonesian indigenous values and culture," he said.

While many conservative Islamic Indonesian politicians would like same-sex relations to be banned entirely, the existence of large, secular majority parties could lead to the compromise of seeing it only outlawed "in public."

Sani's fellow panel member Ichsan Soelistio, lawmaker with the secular Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), said while it was true there was majority support for the new criminal code, full criminalization of same-sex relations is out of the question.

"We (will) still protect their private lives, including their sex life, as long as they don't do it in a public area," he told CNN.

Soelistio said the law couldn't reach into people's private lives if there was no complaints from the parties involved.

"This will go to a vote maybe around one or two months after our recess, which ends on March 4 ... I believe (the new code) will be good for Indonesia," he said.

Despite its widely held Muslim beliefs, Indonesia's population didn't always openly discriminate against LGBT people.

"Indonesia has a long history of tolerance towards queer communities. It's always been described as one of the most tolerant countries in Southeast Asia to its queer population," Tim Lindsey, director of the Center for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne, told CNN.

But a recent poll by Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting released in January found 87.6% of Indonesians believed LGBT people were a threat to Indonesia, while a 2013 Pew Research poll found 93% of Indonesians thought homosexuality was "morally unacceptable."

However despite many citizens' deeply-held Islamic beliefs, not everyone is in favor of the complete criminalization of homosexuality.

Jakarta resident, Viana, told CNN that while her Muslim faith prohibited homosexuality she didn't want LGBT people to be sent to jail.

"I don't want homosexuality to spread (but) I think it should not be criminalized. Rather people should get better religious education," she said.

More than 70,000 people have signed a petition, started by women's rights activists, calling for lawmakers to throw out the new draft but experts say that secular politicians are unlikely to take up the cause.

'Sissies'

In recent months Indonesian authorities have grown bolder in their attacks on the country's LGBT population.

Before dawn on January 28, police raided beauty salons in conservative Aceh province, dragging 12 transgender women out to the streets. The women were then shaved, taken into custody and forced to act as men.

In a video taken shortly after the raid, North Aceh Police Chief Ahmad Untung Surianata speaks to a crowd that gathered to watch the arrests, describing the group of women as part of a "disease."

"This "disease" is contagious and growing ... It is inhumane if I let the number of sissies increase in this area," he tells the crowd.

Speaking to CNN days after the incident, Surianata insisted it had not been an anti-LGBT operation but instead a drug raid to investigate reports of crystal meth being circulated in the area.

Jakarta-based activist Kate Walton said the violence shocked and horrified Indonesia's already nervous LGBT community.

"One concerning element was that the police chief said he had the right to do this because he had consulted with Islamic leaders beforehand," she said.

"So people are starting to ask -- who is really in charge in Aceh? The government or the religious leaders?"

The rise of powerful Islamic conservatives in Indonesia, mostly unopposed by senior politicians, has emboldened authorities with a low opinion of LGBT people to act against them.

Hundreds of Indonesian men have been arrested by police in raids on gay saunas and private events across Java, ostensibly for breaking pornography laws, while local media reported more than a dozen LGBT apps have been made unavailable inside the country at the government's request.

UN Human Rights head Zeid said he found the recent "extremist views" playing out across Indonesia "deeply worrying," during his visit in February.

"Accompanied as they are by rising levels of incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence in various parts of the country, including Aceh," he said.

"Islamophobia is wrong. Discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs and color is wrong. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other status is wrong," he said.

'We should fight together'

It's no coincidence the brutal crackdown on LGBT Indonesians and the showdown over the criminal code comes just before a series of national elections, set to take place over the next 14 months.

Local elections for governors and mayors across Indonesia's dozens of provinces are due to take place in June 2018, while Indonesian President Joko Widodo faces a battle for re-election in April 2019.

Indonesian politicians are scared to oppose conservative Muslim groups after they were instrumental in the toppling and imprisonment of once-popular Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, in May 2017, Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono said.

"Many Islamist leaders are going to put pressure on every politician (to pass the criminal code) ... Many politicians in a conservative country like Indonesia will think twice before standing up for an LGBT individual," he said.

It isn't unusual for harsh rhetoric against minorities such as LGBT Indonesians to be used prior to an election to gain votes, but unlike in previous political cycles, experts believe the current hostile environment could be here to stay.

There is no confirmed date for when the final vote on the criminal code will come, or what form the final legislation might take. A vote was postponed in mid-February and activists say it could take place in April, when the next plenary session in Indonesia's parliament is scheduled.

Despite the looming possibility of criminalization and even a jail sentence, Ael said he had never for a moment thought about leaving Indonesia, despite the growing hostility towards LGBT people such as himself.

"I've never imagined that situation because we should fight for this issue. Who will work for this issue if all of us young people go out from this country?" he told CNN.

"We are the future of this country so we should fight for this issue. We should fight together."
16 Turkish women were found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on Sunday.

Iraq's Central Criminal Court issued the sentence after "it was proven they belong to ISIS terrorist group," Judge Abdul Sattar al-Beeraqdar, the High Judicial Council's spokesman, said in a statement.

16 Turkish women sentenced to death by Iraqi court The women were found guilty of joining ISIS and of terrorism

"The convicted women had confessed during the investigation they joined ISIS, marrying ISIS members and providing logistical aid to the group," al-Beeraqdar added.

Since the Iraqi military announced in December 2017 that the nation was "fully liberated" of ISIS, the government has faced the dilemma of prosecuting former ISIS members. This includes the hundreds of women from around the world who flocked to the Islamic caliphate -- drawn by the promise of a new life and marriage to strong, devout men.

Several women who surrendered to Iraqi forces alongside defeated ISIS fighters have already been sentenced to death or life in prison, according to Human Rights Watch. The humanitarian organization warns that these women are receiving unfair trials due to their perceived collusion with ISIS.

"In these cases, the women are getting the harshest possible sentences for what appears to be marriage to an ISIS member or a coerced border crossing. The Iraqi courts need to redirect their priorities," Belkis Wille, a senior Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement released last week.

The Iraqi court said the death sentence of the 16 Turkish women can be appealed.
(CNN) -- A Florida state representative is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to remove Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel from his post for his deputies' "incomprehensible inaction" during the high school massacre.

"An investigation into the incomprehensible inaction of these deputies by Sheriff Israel will do nothing to bring back the 17 victims," Bill Hager said in a letter to the governor, referring to the students and teachers confessed shooter, Nikolas Cruz, killed.

"The Sheriff was or should have been aware of the threat Cruz presented to his community and chose to ignore it."

In his letter, Hager cites Florida statute 112.52, which he says gives Scott "removal authority for neglect of duty and incompetence."

His call came after Marjory Stoneman Douglas' armed school resource officer, Deputy Scot Peterson, resigned Thursday after he was suspended amid accusations he did nothing to stop the massacre.

Israel says Peterson never went into building where the shooter was firing at students, instead taking a position outside.

In a letter of response to the governor, Israel said he was proud of the work that many of his deputies and other agencies did the day of the shooting and that he was appalled by Hager's "need to engage in disingenuous political grandstanding, perhaps in the hope he will garner some headlines, at the expense of the truth."

He also said that Hager's letter "was riddled with factual errors, unsupported gossip, and falsehoods."

Deputy suspended

Israel made the decision to suspend Peterson -- who was armed and in uniform at the time of the shooting -- after interviewing the deputy and reviewing footage and witness statements, he said.

"What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of building 12, take up a position," Israel said of the video. "And he never went in."

Israel told reporters Peterson should have "[w]ent in. Addressed the killer. Killed the killer." Instead, the deputy waited outside for about four minutes.

During that time, Israel said, Peterson got on his radio and took a position where he could see the western entry of the building.

Officers from the nearby Coral Springs Police Department who also responded to the shooting say they were surprised to find three other Broward County deputies had also not entered the building when they arrived, sources tell CNN.

Other deputies may have also been outside school

The deputies had their pistols drawn and were behind their vehicles, the sources said. None of them had gone into the school.

With direction from the Broward deputies who were outside, Coral Springs police soon entered the building. Additional Broward County sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene, and two of those deputies and an officer from the nearby Sunrise Police Department joined the Coral Springs police as they went into the building.

It's unclear whether the shooter was still in the building when they arrived.

Sources cautioned that tapes are under review and official accounts could ultimately differ from recollections of officers on the scene.

TM &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
Esmond Allcock has six children, 17 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

But to his dismay, none of them were named for him.

That finally changed last year when his great-granddaughter Jenna Lehne decided to name her second son Esmond, prompting a tender moment when Allcock met his namesake for the first time.

"As he held my son, he kissed his head and said over and over again, 'You don't know what this means to me. You don't know what this means to me,'" Lehne wrote in a post published last week on Love What Matters, a site that celebrates real-life stories of love and compassion.

At 108, Allcock is one of Canada's oldest residents. The widower lives in an assisted-living facility in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan.

"When I got pregnant with my second, he mentioned to my grandmother that he was responsible for 71 descendants and no one had named their son after him," Lehne wrote in her post. "My husband and I had wanted to name our new son after family, and that just sealed the deal."

Lehne and her family live about five hours away in Okotoks, Alberta.

When little Esmond was born on January 11, 2017 -- nearly 107 years after his great-great-grandfather -- Canada's bitter winter weather made a visit difficult. But once the snow started to melt last spring, Lehne decided to travel to Kerrobert to surprise Allcock and introduce him to his namesake.

"He takes such joy in his family and his decedents. He's met all of his great-great-grand-kids and he loves each and every one of them," she told CNN.

It's not clear why it took so long -- 78 years -- for Allcock to get a namesake.

According Lehne, some of her family members carry Esmond as a middle name. His was mentioned in a pool of family names that relatives could choose from in naming their children, she said.

When they arrived in Kerrobert, Allcock didn't recognize them at first. But he quickly became attached to young Esmond. And when he finally recognized them and learned the baby's name, his reaction was truly priceless, Lehne said.

"I wish I could fully explain how much it meant to me," she wrote.

Lehne told CNN she was inspired to write the blog post to showcase her family's joy and to update the rest of her relatives on the happy news.

"Our family tree is more like a family forest," she said. "We're spread out all over the country, but social media makes it easy for us to share family updates and keep in touch."

Now the family will have to wait and see if little Esmond's name gets passed along again someday.
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (AP)  Matt White remembers that day in September 2016 when a mystery began to unravel that would change his life.

It started when White read a news report that Dr. Donald Cline, a retired Indianapolis fertility specialist, faced charges for lying when he denied hed inseminated unwitting patients with his own sperm decades earlier. He searched out Clines address online, recognizing it as the location of his mothers former doctor. Then he Googled the doctors name. When a photo popped up, he was stunned: He looked like Cline.

It was just too similar to be coincidental, he says. White had long known he was a donor baby, but that day, he had an eerie feeling he was staring at the man who was likely his biological father.

Around the same time, Julie Harmon saw a TV news story about Cline. Shed discovered years earlier that her blood type indicated she was not the child of both her parents. She didnt follow up to find out why, but the report about Cline, her mothers fertility doctor, was unnerving.

In the pit of my stomach, she says, I knew something was wrong.

The TV story featured Jacoba Ballard, whose mother had also gone to Cline and whose complaint to the state helped launched an investigation. Harmon contacted Ballard through Facebook, and they traded photos. There were striking similarities.

I looked at pictures of her, and I knew, Harmon says. We even part our hair the same.

These two women and White recently crowded into an Indianapolis courtroom to hear Cline receive a one-year suspended sentence for lying to investigators when he denied wrongdoing; DNA tests determined he is the biological father of Ballard and another woman whose mother was his patient. Cline apologized for the pain my actions have caused but didnt specify how often he used his own sperm in procedures  court documents say he told Ballard about 50 times.

Clines sentencing, though, was not the end of this story. Instead, in an extraordinary epilogue, three one-time strangers  White, Harmon and Ballard  have forged a kinship as brother and sisters, even as they wrestle with the revelation about their identities. Theyve also reached out to 21 other men and women, all in their 30s, whove been identified through DNA tests as half-siblings  evidence, they say, that Cline is likely their father, as well. About a half-dozen of them live in central Indiana.

Many stay in touch through a private Facebook page, and several gathered last fall for a cookout with their spouses, children and three mothers whod been Cline patients. Others have gone on social outings, shared childhood photos, taken note of similarities (most of the men are over 6 feet tall) and, at times, confided in one another private details of their lives.

Its a very surreal experience, White says. Ive shared personal stories that I havent shared with anyone but my wife. You have almost this instant bond with people who are not only part of this horrible situation, but you can relate to them on an intimate level in a way you cant with anyone else.

White says theyve joked about having a ready pool of possible bone marrow and transplant donors. But this DNA discovery has left emotional scars, too. For the three public faces of this unique club, it has been a wrenching experience.

___

Jacoba Ballard was angry when she sat in court in December, describing a three-year ordeal that determined Cline is her biological father.

There has not been one part of my life that has not suffered, she told the judge. I find myself mentally drained by thinking of this constantly. I now have anxiety, panic attacks.  I isolate myself from family and friends.

Ballard, 37, says Cline told her mother he used donor sperm from medical residents. Shed known since she was 10 that she was a donor child, but in 2014, Ballard grew curious about her family history and thought she might be able to track down some brothers and sisters. She took a DNA test from 23andMe.com, a biotech company that uses saliva samples to determine ancestry and identify distant and close relatives, health risks and physical traits.

Clients can choose whether to be identified in a DNA relatives tool that connects them to others. When Ballards results came back, they listed seven half-siblings, all but one identified by name. Ballard and two others got together, assembled a family tree and realized one common thread: Their mothers had gone to Cline for fertility treatments.

Ballard and a half-sister arranged to meet with two of Clines adult children. At first, she says, they denied their father had been a donor, then said hed done so in a small number of cases. About a month later, Ballard and a group of the half-siblings met with Cline himself, and she says he told conflicting stories, finally saying hed donated sperm about 50 times to help unknowing patients who desperately wanted children.

When Ballard filed a complaint with the Indiana attorney generals office, Cline responded in a letter that anyone accusing him of being a donor was guilty of slander and/or libel. At his sentencing, he acknowledged using his sperm. I was foolish in my actions, and I should not have lied, he said.

Ballards DNA match to Cline was 99.9997, court records show.

The case wasnt the first of its kind. In Virginia, Dr. Cecil Jacobson was convicted in 1992 of fraud and perjury for using his sperm to impregnate patients without telling them. Cline was convicted of obstruction of justice for lying to investigators, but a measure pushed by Ballard and others was introduced in the Indiana Senate this year to make it a crime for doctors to treat patients for infertility by using their own sperm or egg without consent. The measure didnt receive a hearing, so its dead for this session; its sponsor has not yet decided if hell reintroduce it.

I feel like our mothers were violated, Ballard says. He has torn all of our lives apart.

If there is any comfort, she says, its in the camaraderie thats developed among several half-siblings. Theyve gotten together for concerts, an occasional softball game for one of their kids and a few Christmas celebrations. White and Harmon attended the high school graduation ceremonies of Ballards two children, and the two women speak every day. They laugh about their similar tastes; they even prefer the same order at McDonalds  no onions.

But Ballard has regrets, too. He cheated himself out of knowing his children. Thats what we are.

As for her half-siblings: We also feel cheated that we didnt get to know each other growing up.

___

Julie Harmon always believed she had a biological bond with her father.

I grew up thinking I had these characteristics of my father  his eyes, his skin tone. Im flat-footed; my dad was, too. But then, 35 years later, for that to be ripped away from you  its really hard. I see a counselor to help with it, but I still cry about it every day.

Harmons mother, Dianna Kiesler, says that based on discussions with Cline, she thought her husband was her donor, and after many years of trying, she was able to conceive with the help of drugs Cline prescribed. After Julies birth, her mother was so thrilled she visited the doctor to show her off.

Then decades later, Harmon took a 23andMe test at Ballards urging. The results that identified her as a half-sibling were devastating.

Ive lost my entire identity, says the 36-year-old nurse. Everything that Ive known up until this point is not there.

Barry Starr, a Stanford University geneticist, says if two people are identified as half-siblings from a DNA test and they dont have the same mother, they will share the same father, assuming they arent grandparent and grandchild, uncle and niece or, in rare cases, first cousins.

Harmon says her father was crushed by the news. He doesnt talk about it to me, she says. He was very worried my kids would think he wasnt their grandpa anymore. Hes very angry.

Her mother, though, says: No matter what happened, our daughter is our daughter. I carried her for nine months. He has helped her for 36 years.  She knows who her real parents are.

Harmon says whenever she receives an online notification that a DNA test has identified another half-sibling, either she, Ballard or White will check Facebook to see if they have mutual friends who can explain the situation. If not, one of the three will try.

Most of these people who are taking these tests have no idea that they have just opened up Pandoras box, she says. They have no idea how their lives have changed.'

Some prefer no further contact, but Harmon has formed deep friendships with others.

I consider all of them my brothers and sisters, she says. I have all these siblings that I can talk to and spend time with and rely on. I couldnt imagine going through this on my own. At least we all have each other, because no one truly understands this unless youve been through it.  Were all in this together.

___

The day after Matt White first saw a photo of Cline, he embarked on his own search for answers.

He contacted Ballard and took a 23andMe test, constantly checking for results. Hed known since he was a teen that he was conceived through a donor and had no interest in finding his biological father. Cline, he says, had told his mother her donor was a medical student  the same explanation hed offered to many fertility patients.

I went from not having a care to wanting to know everything, says the 34-year-old White. He tracked down a medical school graduation photo of Cline and studied photos of Clines son online, noticing similar facial traits  a round face and high forehead.

Hes also detected a strong resemblance to Ballard.

When I first met Jacoba, even to this day, I have a hard time not staring at her, he says. I see so much of my face in her.

The connection, though, goes beyond appearances. White says he clicked instantly with another half-sister who was a 99.998 DNA match to Cline. At their first meeting, White says, they talked for five hours, developing an instant rapport.

White, a biologist, says hes been able to open up with his new half-siblings, even discussing his own infertility problems, something hes spoken about with very few people. White and his wife have two children conceived through in vitro fertilization.

Ive pretty much given up all my lifes secrets, he says.

For a time, White says everywhere hed go in the Indianapolis area, hed be searching for anyone who resembled him, wondering: Are they my brother? Are they my sister?

With DNA tests becoming more popular, White believes their group will grow. As recently as a few weeks ago, he learned of another half-sibling. All were born between 1979 and 1987, and considering thats a long span, he says:

To think weve found all of us in a two-year period? Thats not likely. Theres got to be many more children out there.

___

Sharon Cohen, a Chicago-based national writer, can be reached at scohen@ap.org or http://twitter.com/@scohenAP
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- A large crowd turned out for the second Vigo County cracker barrel session. Citizens like Becky Buse is no stranger to these sessions.

Others like Buse came to discuss with these public officials about a proposed food and beverage tax for Vigo County.

"It would make such a difference especially with Hulman Center coming on and we have such a good clear plan what we would do with the money," said Buse.

Senator Jon Ford who sponsored Senate Bill 35 has been all for this extra income. Though some people raised concerns for the tax Senator Ford has been very happy to see such support from the community.

"This was a local government issue that they brought. They got businesses together. They galvanized our community and its going to help us in the general assembly long term because they haven't seen that from Terre Haute," said Senator Ford.

One thing ford wanted to stress is it wouldn't immediately go into effect if it is passed. The county would have the power to impose the tax when needed.

"Its not an automatic if we get it through the general assembly that its going to be an instant tax. If you look at Bloomington for example, it took them seven years before they really needed to implement it. Its just another tool for the local government," said Senator Ford.

For many they used this crackerbarrel session as a way to not only express their concerns to public officials but also to educate themselves on what could come to be in the future.

"I would urge all people to come to these. Its just a teaching tool that's what it is," said Buse.

Senate Bill 35 which is the Vigo County food and beverage tax has been sent to the house but it may be sometime before we learn the fate of the bill.
INDIANA (WTHI) - Indiana's Governor has declared a state of emergency for parts of the state hit hardest by Mother Nature.

This declaration will allow Emergency Management to mobilize resources and it is a step the state is required to take to request federal assistance.

Right now, 11 counties are included. None in the Wabash Valley. However, more counties may be added in the coming days.

The complete list of counties include:

Carroll

Dearborn

Elkhart

Fulton

Lake

Marshall

Perry

St. Joseph

Starke

Switzerland

White

Benton

Clark

Crawford

Floyd

Jefferson

Spencer

Warrick

In addition to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, other agencies providing services include the Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Department of Corrections, Indiana National Guard and the American Red Cross.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court is rejecting the Trump administrations highly unusual bid to get the justices to intervene in the controversy over protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants.

The justices on Monday refused to take up the administrations appeal of a lower court order that requires the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. What made the appeal unusual is that the administration sought to bypass the federal appeals court in San Francisco and go directly to the Supreme Court.

In a brief unsigned comment, the justices they assume the court of appeals will proceed expeditiously to decide this case.

A judge in New York also has ruled in favor of immigrants challenging the end of DACA, and that case is expected to proceed to the federal appeals court in New York.

President Donald Trump had set March 5 as the end date for the DACA program. The court order says applications must be accepted indefinitely. DACA has provided protection from deportation and work permits for about 800,000 young people, many who were brought to the U.S. illegally.

Its unclear how the courts action Monday will affect efforts in Congress to come up with a legislative fix. The Senate recently failed to pass an immigration bill.

The Supreme Court rarely hears a case before a lower appeals court has considered it. The fight over whether President Richard Nixon had to turn over the Watergate tapes is one such example.
AMORY, Miss. (WTVA) - Three men face felony charges in two separate Amory cases.

On February 21, Amory police responded to a call at an apartment complex in Amory about shots fired.

Officers contacted Gary Jernighan, 29, of Amory. He was arrested without incident and charged with the possession of a weapon by a felon. His bond was set at $3,000.

He's being held in the Monroe County jail for the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for parole violation.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Tupelo water residents may return to normal water usage now.

Earlier Monday, the City of Tupelo asked water customers to conserve water for 24 hours because of a water line problem in Mooreville. The 36-inch line came part in two locations when a big gash opened in a section of Highway 178 over the weekend.

This water line provides water to Tupelo.

Crews were able to repair the damage. Since full pressure was not lost, the city says a boil water notice is not necessary.


JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - University of Mississippi Medical Center and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have reached an agreement to help one another.

allows the two institutions to jointly collaborate on medical innovation programs and clinical research opportunities; and

provides a pathway for UMMC and VUMC to formally collaborate on a broad range of health and wellness initiatives and clinical services;

allows the two institutions to form and to share new clinical programs and services;

"VUMC and UMMC share the common goal of improving the health of the populations we serve through outstanding patient care, biomedical research and teaching," O'Mara said. "As the leading academic medical centers in our respective adjoining states, we also face many of the same or similar opportunities and challenges in today's changing health care landscape.
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is facing increasing scrutiny after several of his deputies reportedly failed to engage with the gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Florida Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday calling on the state leader to suspend Israel for "incompetence and dereliction of duty."

Today I sent the following letter to @FLGovScott Asking that he suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for incompetence and dereliction of duty. I was honored to be joined by 73 Republican colleagues. You can read the letter attached here. pic.twitter.com/exZVwGQ3DR  Richard Corcoran (@richardcorcoran) February 25, 2018

According to CBS News, Sheriff Israel said that armed security officer Scot Peterson had a chance to stop the shooting that left 17 students and faculty members dead and 14 others injured. Peterson failed to enter the building where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire with an AR-15.

Peterson has since resigned, while two others are on restricted duty during a review into their actions during the mass shooting, according to CBS News.

Sheriff Israel told CNN during an appearance on "State of the Union" that he is disgusted, but says he will not step down.

"Of course I won't resign," said Sheriff Israel.

Students are scheduled to return to Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday, two weeks after the mass shooting.

Copyright 2018 WOIO. All rights reserved.
PARKLAND, FL (HawaiiNewsNow) - Over 4,800 miles from the islands, Hawaii's spirit of Aloha was felt at the scene of the nation's latest mass school shooting.

On Sunday afternoon, half of the two and a half-mile-long ti leaf lei  woven by hands of volunteers all around the state  made it to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL.

It was an emotional ceremony filled with native Hawaiian protocol, chants and song.

The lei, which represents Hawaii standing strong with the Parkland community, was draped over a fence alongside other memorials for the victims.

Some 26 schools and hundreds of volunteers from Hawaii contributed to the act of aloha by donating ti leaves and twisting them into lei.

On Monday, the other half of the lei will be presented at a memorial site near the campus.

Organizers of the "Lei of Aloha" project have previously sent similar leis in the wake of other tragedies around the world.

They've sent leis to Paris after a terror bombing, Orlando after a shooting at the Pulse nightclub and Las Vegas following another deadly shooting.

"When will enough be enough? We can no longer just offer up the lei and our aloha, our message must be stronger," organizer Ron Panzo said.

Since the shooting, thousands of students have spoken up nationwide, planning walkouts to protest gun violence in America.

The Lei of Aloha organizers have neared their online fundraising goal, and are expected to return to Hawaii on Wednesday.

The lei reinforces the group's message, "#WeAreOne.

A volunteer with the Hawaii chapter of the American Red Cross is also heading to Florida to help survivors and families cope with the tragedy.

"We deal with a lot of trauma and helping families, not only to work with their loved ones, but to also help process a plan on how to move forward," volunteer Ryan Yamane said.

The Red Cross will continue their efforts in helping those affected this week.

Copyright 2018 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
COLQUITT CO., GA (WALB) - Extra security was on campus Friday at Willie J. Williams Middle School in Colquitt County after a written threat prompted an investigation and eventually the arrest of a student.

This happened Thursday during school hours.

A 7th-grade student was taken into custody and charged after deputies said he wrote a threatening message.

Deputies said they found a note in a book written by a student. That is where the threat sourced from. They said they take every threat seriously, with 8th resource officers they are able to investigate them fully.

Just a little over a week after 17 students were killed in a horrendous mass shooting at a South Florida high school, many people across the US are worried about safety in the schools.

Thursday, according to school officials a threatening note was found in a book referencing "shooting up a school".

Superintendent Doug Howell said the incident was investigated by school administration and the Colquitt County Sheriff's Department. There is a full-time Deputy (SRO) on campus at Williams Middle School.

"Our number one priority is the safety of our students and staff and the security of our campuses," said David Kent, SRO for CCSO.

Several students were questioned about the writing and the 7th grader was identified as the student who had written the statement. Authorities said that the student confessed to the writing in the book.

Howell released a statement in part saying: "There were no weapons involved or found at the school. The student was arrested by the authorities, charges were pressed."

School resource officers in Colquitt County said they took this threat seriously just as they do every other threat at one of their schools.

"We didn't do anything differently, every threat that comes in no matter how small it comes in no matter how big or small it may seem we do our due diligence. Each time we take it very very seriously," said Kent.

The student is not at school, he has been suspended for 10 days and is also facing charges.

Copyright 2018 WALB. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 03:44:38|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian prosecution froze the funds and assets of former presidential candidate and opposition figure Abdel-Moneim Aboul-Fotouh over his involvement in terrorist activities, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement on Sunday.

Aboul-Fotouh, the head of Strong Egypt Party, was arrested on Feb. 14 and was later enlisted by a criminal court, along with 15 other defendants, as terrorist.

His arrest came one day after his return from London where he gave interviews critical of the Egyptian government.

He also joined an opposition call in Egypt to boycott the 2018 presidential election scheduled for late March, where incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to make an easy win due to the lack of strong challengers.

Held in custody pending investigation, the ex-presidential candidate is accused of having links with the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

Aboul-Fotouh also faces charges of cooperating with blacklisted group members in exile to spread false news that would threaten the country's national interests, undermine the state institutions and harm national unity and social peace.

The politician was once a Brotherhood leading member, but he quit the group in 2011, following the ouster of veteran President Hosni Mubarak, and ran as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential polls.
SKOPJE, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia is on the right track towards the opening of accession talks with the European Union (EU), the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference here Sunday.

Juncker, who is accompanied by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, said Macedonia had made impressive progress, but it had to take more steps on its path to the EU.

Meanwhile, he noted that the EU would reach decisions about the countries separately, based on their individual merits.

However, he explained that he hadn't come to Skopje to announce an exact date for the opening of EU negotiations.

"We haven't come here to announce a date, we are here to tell you that you're on the right track, and if you continue taking this path, within months you will give an opportunity to the European Commission to propose opening of talks to the Council of the EU," Juncker told a joint news conference in Skopje with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Further, he called on Macedonian authorities to solve the name issue with Greece while he praised the progress made in the process.

He considered the Macedonian government's decision to rename the Alexander the Great airport as a sign of concession in the negotiating process.

On his part, Zaev said that Macedonia put an emphasis on building new bridges of cooperation and opening dialogue based on mutual respect.

Zaev stressed that for the government, a name with a geographical qualifier was acceptable as a solution that would make a distinction between Macedonia and the region in Greece, which is also called Macedonia.

However, Zaev stressed that Macedonia opted for a solution that would respect the dignity and protect the identity of the two countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 04:59:54|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BARCELONA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE on Sunday presented several mobile devices on the eve of the opening of the 2018 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

Huawei, who apparently will not use this year's MWC to launch any new smartphones, presented the slimline Huawei MateBook Pro X, a high end touch-screen laptop with a 13.9 inch screen, a 3000 x 2000 resolution and a 92 percent screen to body ratio.

The company also presented the MediaPad M5, a new range of tablets with 8.4 and 10.8 inch screens

ZTE meanwhile presented its mid-range Blade V9 smartphone, which has a 5.7 inch Full HD screen and which comes in three different versions with 4GB RAM and memories of between 16GB to 64GB, which can be extended by the use of external memory cards.

The Blade V9 will cost between 269 euros and 299 euros and contains a camera which allows for clearer shots in the dark. It also has a 16 megapixel camera in its rear and a 5 megapixel camera in its face.

ZTE also introduced its ZTE Blade V9 Vita, a smartphone with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.

Finally, Alcatel, whose hardware is made by the Chinese Company TLC, presented its Series 5, Series 3 and Series 1 phones on Saturday, as well as two tablets and a series of routers.

The MWC is expected to attract 108,000 visitors from over 200 countries with 2,300 companies exhibiting in Barcelona.
CHICAGO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of people line for photos with Chinese dancing lions as thousands of visitors attending free program of Chinese New Year Celebration by municipal government in Navy Pier of Chicago this weekend.

Not only traditional Chinese lion dance, four-hour intermittent performance of Chinese drum and music, Kong Fu, Chinese dance and Chi Pao (a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women) fashion show by Chinese Fine Arts Society staged at Grand Ballroom of Navy Pier, one of the most visited attractions in U.S. Midwest.

"The Chinese lions are so cute and my baby just cannot help touching," Julie Scott, mother of a three-year-old baby, told Xinhua. For Julie and many other visitors, having selfies with Chinese lions is a must-do for the event.

Themed "Global Connections: Chinese New Year," the city government sponsored activity offers visitors colorful experience, you can either have a taste of Chinese dim sum, or learn about Chinese medicine, paper cutting. On the two sides of the central stage, there are many stalls selling Chinese handicrafts.

"I love Chinese food, and I always have dinners with my good friends in Chinatown," said Sierra Nicole. She and her boyfriend bought a box of craft chopsticks from the vendors.

Chicago is the first city in the U.S. to launch Chinese New Year celebration in the name of city government, and 2018 will be the fifth year for the City of Chicago to mark Chinese New Year.

Chicago has paid much attention to obtain Chinese investment and attract more Chinese tourists. There is a huge potential to expand the market.

Thanks to all efforts made, total domestic and oversea visitors to Chicago reached 53.91 million in 2016, an increase of 2.5 percent from record 52.59 million in 2015. To be specific, domestic visitation was a record 52.35 million, an increase of 2.7 percent from 2015; overseas visitation is estimated at 1.466 million, according to statistics provided by Choose Chicago.
HOUSTON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Natural gas will continue to replace coal due to its competitive edge in prices, according to energy experts on Sunday.

Frank Felder, director of Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy in Rutgers University's Energy Institute, told Xinhua that natural gas "has been, is and will continue to replace coal. Depending on how aggressive the Texas state renewable policy is, wind, then solar are also doing so."

As the price of natural gas maintains a competitive edge over coal for fueling power plants, three coal-fueled power plants have retired in the Texas so far this year.

However, Felder said the retirement of the three coal-fueled power plants would not lead to shortage of available electricity in the hot summer months.

"This does not mean there cannot be shortages, but unless there is a fundamental problem with the market, one would not expect there to be a problem," Felder said.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 24 million Texas customers -- representing about 90 percent of the state' s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 46,500 miles of transmission lines and 570-plus generation units.

Felder said, "I do not follow ERCOT on a daily basis, but if plants are retiring due to low prices (for sale), it may suggest an overall surplus (of electricity)."

ERCOT has forecast the reserve margin during the 2018 summer peak season to be 9.3 percent with a forecast peak demand of under 73,000 megawatts with capacity of just over 78,000 megawatts. Last year it was 12.3 percent with 82,000 megawatts of capacity.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 06:05:06|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council's ceasefire decision in Syria would not have impact on Turkey's ongoing military operation in Afrin, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Sunday.

"When we look at the UN Security Council resolution, we see that fight against terror organizations is outside its scope. Therefore, it will not affect Turkey's ongoing operation," Bozdag was quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency as saying.

Earlier on Sunday, Turkey Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution in a written statement, noting that Turkey would continue its military operation in Syria's Afrin.

"We welcome the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in response to the worsening humanitarian situation all across Syria, particularly in Eastern Ghouta," read the statement.

Turkey will at the same time "remain resolute in fighting against the terrorist organizations that threaten the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria," it added.

The UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia from Syria's Afrin. Ankara sees YPG as the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist organization listed by Turkey.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 06:05:07|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- There are no early indications that the late Sunday explosion in Leicester City was connected to terrorist activity, reports said.

Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed and police are asking people to avoid the area.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust tweeted that four patients taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary from the scene of the explosion are in a "critical condition."

Six fire engines were at the scene, Leicestershire Police said. Pictures showed flames rising from a building.

Earlier, local police declare a "major incident" after reports of an explosion in the Hinckley Road area of Leicester.

Leicester Police said on Twitter this evening: "There has been a major incident in the Hinckley Road, Leicester. All emergency services are currently dealing with this."

At around 7:03 p.m., Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast in the Hinckley Road.

Dramatic pictures and video shared on social media show flames erupting from a property in the Hinckley Road in Leicester City, which, located in England's East Midlands region, is about 140 kilometers from London.
Australian PrimeMinister Malcolm Turnbull (L) speaks during a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 23, 2018. U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday met with visiting Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull here on closer economic and security relations between the two countries. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wrapped up a four-day visit to the United States on Saturday after failing to woo U.S. President Donald Trump back to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

According to a list offered by the White House after Friday's Trump-Turnbull meeting, the two nations announced a commitment to further cooperation on areas such as energy, infrastructural construction, health security and anti-terrorism.

Despite a wide range of consensus reached in Turnbull's visit, it is believed one of the biggest challenges in his visit to Washington was to persuade the U.S. president to soften his stance on the TPP, a trade pact Trump tore up last year.

The Australian prime minister offered to invest Australian pension money into U.S. infrastructure to make U.S. rejoin the group while Trump was not nudged.

The TPP "was a very bad deal for the United States. It would have cost us tremendous amounts of jobs, would have been bad," Trump said in the joint press conference with Turnbull.

"Mateship" was the word intentionally picked by Trump and Turnbull to term the bilateral relations with a rocky start featuring Trump's abrupt ending of his phone call with Turnbull in Jan. 2017 over their clash on an asylum receiving agreement, and Turnbull's parody imitation of Trump's way of speaking and his link with the Russian government in June.

That word, however, did not make Trump greenlight the U.S. re-entry into the negotiations of the TPP.

"I like bilateral deals much more than multilateral. I like to be able to negotiate with one country, and if it doesn't work out, you terminate ...When you get into multi, you can't do that," Trump added.

"The U.S. no longer is pursuing TPP so that framework is dead as far as America is concerned," said Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West.

West added that the two countries have differences of opinion on immigration policy, climate change, and trade issues. "This is surprising because historically the two nations have been very close and worked well together."

Negative buzz against China has become more frequent than ever recently both in the United States and Australia.

At the joint press conference when two Turnbull-picked Australian journalists asked Trump his opinion of China's rising regional influence, they received unexpected answers.

"We have developed a great relationship with China; probably closer than we've ever had," said the White House host.

For his part, Turnbull said the China-U.S. ties are "the most -- single most important relationship" and "clearly very respectful, very frank, very clear-eyed."

"For our own part, we see China's rise as being overwhelmingly a positive for the region and for the world," the Australian leader also said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 06:35:10|Editor: yan

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by Xinhua writer Gu Zhenqiu

LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A new and colorful door is open to welcome the arrival of 2018, the Year of the Dog on the lunar Chinese calendar, with happy dogs just about to move into their symbolic house, while a next door, which is drab and dull, is already closed after a farewell to 2017, the Year of the Rooster, with chicken paw tracks announcing the recent departure of roosters.

Four red Chinese lanterns are hanging down from the new door, each bearing a Chinese character jointly to express "Happy New Year" greetings.

This is the picture, which illustrates a vivid transition between a new year and an old one in the Chinese culture, was painted by a ethnic Chinese child, winner of the poster drawing contest organized by the Real Chinese Academy, a Chinese-teaching weekend school in southeastern London.

After a strict selection, 13 winners of varying prizes came out of 113 candidates, most of whom are aged from four to seven years old. The award ceremony was held on Sunday to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which began on Feb. 16 according to the lunar Chinese calendar.

Many candidates are from non-Chinese families living in Bromley, a London district which is about one hour driving from the central part of the British capital.

"Children love drawing and painting," Xu Zhi, head teacher of the Real Chinese Academy, told Xinhua. "A painting is a universal language, it is a very effective vehicle to promote Chinese culture in the outside world."

"We launched the poster drawing a few weeks before the Chinese New Year, so the ethnic Chinese children can learn to draw something about the tradition Chinese festival in their paintings while non-Chinese children can have a better understanding of Chinese culture by drawing the posters and participating in the competition."

"For the ethnic Chinese children, this is the way to help them hold on to their cultural root," Xu said, adding that most of her students are all born and raised in Britain.

Han Dong, chief executive officer of the London-based Creative Time Media, told Xinhua that the candidates are very creative in their paintings.

"The posters vary in different styles," Han said. "They show you many things which are very Chinese, culturally."

"For example, the use of bright color and the poster layout give you a feeling that a high-speed Chinese train is travelling across Asia and Europe along the Silk Road," Han said. "Some posters show the children's love of China and Chinese culture."

Learning to write and read Chinese characters is the first step to understand Chinese culture, he said.

"It is very important to learn Chinese because Chinese is the language of the 21st century," Kim Botting, councillor from Orpington Ward in the London borough of Bromley. "I will continue to encourage more and more British children to learn Chinese."

The Real Chinese Academy was founded in 2006 and it has been dedicating to teaching children Chinese and spreading Chinese culture in London.
LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Leicestershire Police said Sunday night that there are currently no indications of terrorist activity and businesses and homes close to the scene of an explosion have been evacuated.

"The incident will be the subject of a joint investigation with the fire service," the local police said on Twitter. "At this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related."

The blast destroyed a convenience store and a home in the downtown are of Leiscester City.

Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road in Leiscester City have been closed and local police asked people to avoid the area.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust tweeted that four patients taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary from the scene of the explosion are in a "critical condition."

Six fire engines were at the scene, Leicestershire Police said. Pictures showed flames rising from a building.

Residents living near a row of shops in the Hinkley Road, about 1.6 kilometers from the city centre, reported their houses shaking with force from a blast.

Leicester City is located in England's East Midlands region and about 140 kilometers from London.

Earlier, local police declare a "major incident" after reports of an explosion in the Hinckley Road area of Leicester.

At around 7:03 p.m., Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast in the Hinckley Road.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 07:15:16|Editor: Liangyu

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's Diego Schwartzman won his second ATP tour title by defeating Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3 in the Rio Open final on Sunday.

Schwartzman hit 15 winners and 15 unforced errors, securing the biggest victory of his career so far in the ATP 500 clay court event at the Jockey Club Brasileiro.

"This title is for my family, my friends and my aunt who is having a hard time," said Schwartzman, who is guaranteed to break into the world's top 20 for the first time this week.

Verdasco broke Schwartzman's serve in the first game before unravelling with a series of unforced errors.

Schwartzman breezed through the first set but encountered resistance early in the second, saving five break points. The 25-year-old broke Verdasco in the next game and didn't look back.

Verdasco, who won the doubles title with compatriot David Marrero on Saturday, refused to blame fatigue despite playing 11 matches in seven days.

"Diego played amazingly during the week. You deserve the title," the 34-year-old said. "It was a special week for me, I really wanted to come to Rio. It was almost a perfect week."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 09:00:33|Editor: Zhou Xin

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CARACAS, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela is holding military defense drills this weekend motivated by a "deeply hostile" environment generated by a "world power to the north of the continent imposing sanctions against it," according to political observer Luis Quintana.

The drills are justified by the fact that the "United States is threatening military intervention, and financing and organizing the Venezuelan opposition against the ruling socialist party (PSUV)," said Quintana, a professor of international geopolitics with the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela.

The United States has "very close allies" in some regional countries that are very like-minded," said Quintana.

He also noted that Washington is also trying to prevent Venezuela from being able to "renegotiate its debt," and "imposes illegal unilateral sanctions on high-level officials."

The observer said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's notion of "civic-military" drills is unique to the country.

The concept entails "the participation of the people, of social and civic organizations, in the strategic and tactical operations proposed by the armed forces," he explained.

Earlier this week, Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lopez told reporters that 1 million people will be taking part in the drills.

"Venezuela is facing a direct and frontal imperial ambush that is historically unprecedented. That is why, once again, all patriots, in perfect civic-military union, will join the exercise," Padrino said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 09:35:40|Editor: Zhou Xin

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by Xinhua writers Jin Jing, Zhang Dailei

LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Manifesto provides "an overarching sweeping" system of analysis and a perspective of how the Western society can change itself and serve the interests of the majority of people, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB) has said.

The fundamentals of the Western Capitalist society have remained the same as a "class divided society" since Karl Marx's days, said Robert Griffiths in an interview with Xinhua ahead of the 170th anniversary of The Communist Manifesto's publication.

"It's the vast majority of people who still have little or no option but to work for a living, and in effect to work under the direction of those who own and control not just large parts of the economy, but therefore control really the whole direction in which the society moves," said Griffiths.

The Communist Manifesto, written by Marx and Friedrich Engels, was published in London in February 1848. The political pamphlet proclaimed that "the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles" and that the inevitable victory of the proletariat, or working class, would put an end to class society forever.

RENEWED INTEREST IN SOCIALIST AND MARXIST IDEAS

The CPB chief said the West has witnessed a renewed interest in socialist and Marxist ideas as capitalism continues to fail to provide solutions to even the most basic problems of many millions of people in Britain, and billions of people around the world.

The global financial crisis and economic recession resulted from the rampant greed of corporations and the neo-Liberalism experiment have helped raise the question of what the Western society can do better to heed wider public concerns, he said.

"There are so many people who believe quite rightly that this cannot be the best that we can do. It must be possible to organize our society and our economy on a basis that would serve the interests of the vast majority, and not just the interests of a small wealthy and privileged and powerful few," said the party chief.

One of the great values of The Communist Manifesto is that it provides an overall analysis of human history, and how and why societies have changed and what the Western world can do to address the problem of great inequality, not just in terms of wealth but in terms of power, he said.

"That means that the Manifesto is still relevant today and what it proposes is still relevant," he said.

The CPB chief said he had been to China four times and the scale of what is being done and what has already been achieved in China is "phenomenal."

CHINA'S "UNEQUALLED" ACHIEVEMENT AND MARXIST IDEOLOGY

He said China's achievement in poverty alleviation is "unequalled in human history."

The party chief said he was impressed by an enormous process of modernization that China is undergoing with growing attention to the environment, to the needs of the poorest people, and to the poorest regions in the inner land.

"It is a change for the better. I don't think anybody, whatever their political views, could dispute that," he said.

What China has achieved does involve capital and the use of markets but essentially the changes are happening within the context of economic planning, large-scale public ownership and Communist Party rule, said Griffiths.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) is motivated by a desire to serve the interests of the mass of the people with a people-centered approach to development, to the environment, to all kinds of questions in China, said Griffiths.

"Of course all of those things are rooted in a Marxist conception of how society can be changed, and how it can be changed in the interests of the vast majority, in the interests of people and humanity as a whole," he said.

What the Chinese Communists are doing is applying the principles of Marxism to Chinese specific conditions and China's specific needs, he said, adding that the profound impact of Marxism in China is absolutely undeniable.

Marxism, though not a majority view in Britain, has always played a role as a system of analysis in the organized working class movement, policies of the Labour Party, in intellectual life and in the trade unions, said Griffiths.

"So Marxism has always been here in Britain. There is nothing alien about Marxism," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 09:55:47|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HAVANA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- On a November day in 1492, Spanish conquistadors Rodrigo de Xerez and Luis de Torres spied several natives in what is now Cuba smoking some dried leaves that gave off a "peculiar aroma."

They soon acquired a taste for "cohiba," the native term for tobacco, sparking a trend that would spread throughout the European continent and lay the foundations for Cuba's thriving cigar-making industry.

A close friend of Christopher Columbus, De Xerez soon returned to Spain aboard the caravel La Nina, taking the habit of smoking with him.

At first the unusual sight of De Xerez lighting up and exhaling swirls of smoke irked his neighbors. They denounced him to the Inquisition, which had him imprisoned for his "pagan and diabolic" habits.

De Xerez was accused of witchcraft, since "only the devil could give a man the power to smoke through his mouth," but by the time he was released from prison seven years later, smoking was widespread.

Today, Cohiba is Cuba's best-selling premium cigar brand, and as such will be featured at the 20th Habanos Festival starting Monday in Cuba's capital.

Although tobacco is grown in several Cuban provinces, it is in westernmost Pinar del Rio where the best leaves are harvested, especially in the area of Vueltabajo.

The region is considered the heart of Cuba's tobacco country, accounting for nearly 70 percent of national production.

Local "vegueros," as tobacco farmers are called, come from families who have been in the business for generations.

The late Alejandro Robaina became the only Cuban "veguero" to have a prestigious cigar named after him, while he was still living.

Robaina, a lifelong tobacco farmer, said the secret to a quality cigar was in "having good land and pampering it."

A cigar roller may tell you the secret also lies in the rolling.

Over the years, Cuban cigars gained quite a fan base that included such personalities as former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and of course, Cuba's legendary revolutionary Fidel Castro.

Cuban cigars acquired a certain mystique that made them all the more prized after Kennedy imposed a trade embargo against Castro's Cuban government that put Cohibas and other brands beyond the reach of American consumers.

Despite the embargo, Cuba's cigar industry continued to thrive, today selling to more than 150 nations, and generating more than 400 million U.S. dollars in revenue in 2017.
MEXICO CITY, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 7th round of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations began in Mexico City on Sunday, with hopes of finalizing more sections.

Negotiators from Canada, the United States and Mexico held a closed door meeting at a hotel in the city's upscale Polanco neighborhood.

Mexico said the first day of talks will see 27 different working groups hold discussions on agriculture, good regulatory practices and rules of origin, among others.

Mexico's Economy Minister and head negotiator Ildefonso Guajardo said this round is to conclude on March 5 and could see up to seven sections or chapters finalized.

"It is a matter of making the necessary decisions, of which there are not too many, to close topics that have not been updated in 22 years," Guajardo told reporters on Friday.

Guajardo's remarks echoed those of Moises Kalach, coordinator of the strategic advisory board to international negotiations at Mexico's Business Coordinating Council (CCE).

Kalach said in mid-February that this round could see six to 10 chapters finalized, including those on telecommunications, e-commerce and energy.

According to the agenda, also on the table are labor issues, pharmaceutical transparency, financial services and intellectual property rights.

Among the issues, the three NAFTA partners have been unable to agree on is rules of origin in the automotive sector, which stipulates what percentage of a vehicle should be regionally manufactured.

The United States has proposed raising it to a minimum of 85 percent within the NAFTA region, and at least 50 percent from the United States. However, Mexico and Canada want the rate to remain at 62.5 percent.
YANGON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government and the Myanmar Rice Federation have donated 300 tons of rice to Sri Lanka's flood victims, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Monday.

The donation is made as humanitarian aid for victims of the flood and landslide in Sri Lanka in May 2017, which killed more than 200 people and left 600,000 homeless.

The shipment of aid from Yangon Port is expected to reach Sri Lankan port in early March.

Myanmar and Sri Lanka have been engaged in economic, social and cultural exchanges and there is business-to-business cooperation besides a government-to-government agreement between the two countries.

Bilateral trade between Myanmar and Sri Lanka reached 36 million U.S. dollars and the volume is on the rise annually.
TOKYO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia X plane made an emergency landing Monday at Okinawa's Naha airport following engine trouble, the transport ministry here said.

According to the ministry, none of the 379 passengers and crew members aboard the flight bound for Kuala Lumpur were injured in the emergency landing.

The transport ministry's local office said that the plane's right engine indicated problems at around 2:15 a.m. local time, forcing the captain to shut the troubled engine down and declare an emergency landing.

The plane touched down at Naha airport at round 3 a.m. local time. The plane had initially departed from Tokyo's Haneda airport, the ministry said.
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Monday expressed its anticipation of the launch of "constructive" talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States as Pyongyang showed willingness to talk with Washington.

Baik Tae-hyun, unification ministry spokesman, told a routine press briefing that South Korea anticipated the start of constructive talks between Pyongyang and Washington through an appropriate opportunity.

The comment came a day after the high-ranking DPRK delegation to the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics said Pyongyang had enough willingness to hold talks with Washington.

The willingness was shown during a closed-door meeting between the DPRK delegation and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in PyeongChang where the closing ceremony was held Sunday night.

The DPRK delegation, led by Kim Yong Chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, came via land route to South Korea Sunday to stay here till Tuesday.

Also included in the delegation were Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and six other support staff.

Regarding schedules for the DPRK delegation during its stay here, the spokesman said he had nothing to tell yet.
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korean prosecutors on Monday raided the home and office of the son-in-law of former President Lee Myung-bak, who had served his five-year term from 2008 to 2013, for alleged bribery charges, multiple local media said.

Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office stormed the home and office of Lee Sang-joo, who is married to Lee's eldest daughter and works as a senior executive for Samsung Electronics.

Lee was suspected of receiving bribes from an unidentified third party on behalf of the former president.

The prosecution's investigation into former President Lee has been underway over corruption allegations involving DAS, a domestic auto parts manufacturer which was alleged to be owned by the former president.

Lee Si-hyung, the son of the former leader and a DAS executive, was summoned and grilled Sunday by prosecutors as part of the prosecution's probe into the corruption allegations.

Prosecutors reportedly planned to summon the former president early next month.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 12:36:26|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HAIKOU, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The emergency response has ended as ferry services on the Qiongzhou Strait in south China's Hainan Province returned to normal Monday, according to local authorities.

Rare heavy fog that started on Feb. 18 had triggered multiple suspensions of ferry services, stranding over 20,000 vehicles lined up to 20 kilometers with nearly 100,000 passengers at peak times, the provincial government said.

As of Sunday night, nearly 140,000 vehicles and 720,000 passengers had been sent for Guangdong Province via the strait since the emergency response was triggered seven days ago.

The city government of Haikou, the provincial capital, dispatched over 58,000 employees from various departments to maintain traffic, distribute food and clean highways in its three ports 24 hours a day.

Hainan, known for its tropical climate and clean air, is a popular destination for Chinese tourists in winter. According to the local government, about 90,000 vehicles containing over 400,000 tourists had arrived on the island during this year's Spring Festival holiday lasting from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 12:41:28|Editor: Yurou

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Bob Stewart, who runs the Stewart Farms Partnership, does winter maintenance on farm machinery at a garage in Yorkville, Illinois, the United States on Feb. 12, 2018. For the Stewart family who has farmed for three generations on this vast stretch of farmland in the northeastern part of Illinois in the United States, farming is an important career rather than just livelihood and trade disputes with China need to be avoided for the prospect of agricultural exports. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

By Xinhua writers Xu Jing, Miao Zhuang and Wang Ping

CHICAGO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- For the Stewart family who has farmed for three generations on this vast stretch of farmland in the northeastern part of Illinois in the United States, farming is an important career rather than just livelihood and trade disputes with China need to be avoided for the prospect of agricultural exports.

The family moved to Yorkville in the 1940s, about 80 kilometers southwest of Chicago, and has be devoted to farming ever since. Today, the Stewart Farms Partnership operates about 9,000 acres of farmland in northern and central Illinois.

Bob and Brad Stewart, the third-generation members of the family, now run the farm, supervised by their father Craig Stewart, who has more than 40 years of farming experience.

On a snowy day in February, Bob and Brad were busy doing winter maintenance on farm machinery in the workshop. Farming has kept the brothers fit and energetic. They took off the side board of a tractor and screwed it back on after attentively examining every piece of the interior layout.

Different from their parents and grandparents, the Stewart brothers has received college education. After graduating with a bachelor's degree and a master's degree both in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois, he had worked for Centrec Consulting for 10 years before coming back to the farm.

Brad received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois, and worked in the area of logistics management in a Wal-Mart distribution center before returning to the farm.

"I guess when you are raised around it, it is something that is always in your blood. When you go out, you work outside of the farm, and that something can always draw you back to it," said Brad.

"When I grew up, I never thought I was going to be a full-time farmer. But after you get away from it, it is something that pulls you back to it. You don't realize that freedom you have growing on a farm until you get away from it and it pulls you back to it," he added.

Challenges farming brings are what the brothers need to face. Today, farming is far from just about manual labor but a combination of technology, science, computing, planning and logistics.

"Farming is one of the most rewarding careers I could think of. It's challenging and rewarding all the same," said Brad.

Bod hopes the next generation of the family will continue to engage in agriculture. "I am proud to be an American farmer," he said.

Though the brothers have limited knowledge of China, since Bob had never been to China and Brad has stayed in Beijing for only four days in 2012, their daily life is closely tied to the Chinese market.

Statistics of Illinois Soybean Association show that Illinois farmers produced a total of 611.9 million bushels of soybeans in 2017, and China, a top location of Illinois soybean exports, received about 1.1 billion bushels, over 63 percent of all Illinois soybean exports.

Illinois is the largest soybean producing state in the United States, and roughly exports 60 percent of its soybean production.

Since 2013 when China became the biggest export destination for Illinois, the state's agricultural exports to China averaged 1.85 billion dollars per year, or an annual market share average of 25 percent of all Illinois agricultural exports.

Recent trade friction between China and the U.S. has caused worry among U.S. farmers. If any trade war happens, "it would hurt us," said Brad.

"They (trade disputes) would increase the price and hurt the demand, so I can make speculations that price will go down. It would impact us, impact our profitability, and soybean prices would drop .... It could be significant," said Bob.

Tom Watkins, former president and chief executive officer of Michigan Economic Council who has studied China for more than 30 years, quoted an African proverb -- "When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers."

"A trade war between our two countries would be unproductive and hurt the Chinese and American people and needs to be avoided at all costs," he told Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 13:11:36|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- With coordinated reform, China can achieve more inclusive and sustainable development, according to the World Bank Group's latest Systematic Country Diagnostic for China.

The report, subtitled "Towards a More Inclusive and Sustainable Development," highlighted China's rapid growth that has resulted in a decline in poverty "unprecedented in its speed and scale".

"Rapid growth was made possible by a wide range of reforms, which transformed a state-dominated, planned, rural, and closed economy to a more market-based, urbanized, and open economy," it said.

This is not the first time the World Bank has praised Chinese reforms. Early this month, Ayhan Kose, director of the World Bank Development Prospect Group, said he was impressed by Chinese leaders' determination.

"Managing the economy begins with recognizing risks and challenges," he said.

As long as China continues to reform itself, he said, the World Bank is confident that the country will remain a major contributor to the global economy.

Over the past five years, China's GDP rose from 54 trillion yuan (8.2 trillion U.S. dollars) to over 80 trillion yuan, contributing more than 30 percent of global economic growth.

China's real income per capita increased 16-fold from 1978 to 2014, while the extreme poverty rate fell from 88.3 percent in 1981 to 1.9 percent in 2013, a shift in status and lifestyle for more than 850 million people.

"China's remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty has significantly contributed to the decline in global poverty," said Hoon S. Soh, World Bank program leader for economic policy for China.

The challenge, the report said, will be to target assistance to the remaining poor while paying attention to those who are vulnerable to falling back into poverty.

The report said reform of the inter-governmental fiscal system and household registration system could reduce income disparities by closing the rural-urban gap and ensuring equal access to education and health services.

Noting that economic rebalancing is under way, the bank said managing the transition in an "orderly" fashion will be critical to achieving the country's development goals.

"Policies to increase productivity-led growth by promoting innovation, market competition and the private sector would support the achievements of these goals," it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 14:21:51|Editor: pengying

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KUNMING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A new air route opened between Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and Mandalay in Myanmar on Sunday.

The round-trip flights by Sichuan Airlines' Airbus A320 aircraft fly every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The flying time lasts about 90 minutes each way.

With over 130 Airbus aircraft, Sichuan Airlines is the largest all-Airbus-fleet carrier in China, and operates over 270 domestic and international routes, according to its website. =
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The high-ranking delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) met Monday with the top national security advisor for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, according to local broadcaster YTN and Yonhap news agency.

Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office of the Blue House, lunched at a hotel here with Kim Yong Chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea from the DPRK side.

Kim came here Sunday leading the DPRK delegation to attend the closing ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympics.

Also attending the closed-door meeting was Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland of the DPRK.

From the South Korean side, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and Lee Do-hoon, special representative for the Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the foreign ministry, participated in the lunch meeting.

Lee represents South Korea at the long-stalled six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, which involved South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Russia and Japan. The six-way dialogue has been halted since late 2008.

The lunch meeting was a follow-up step to the closed-door meeting Sunday in PyeongChang, east of Seoul, between President Moon and the high-ranking DPRK delegation.

The DPRK delegation told Moon that Pyongyang had enough willingness to hold talks with Washington.

Moon has held to a position that dialogue between the DPRK and the United States should be held to fundamentally resolve the Korean Peninsula issues.
LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and four others injured in an explosion at a building in the central English city of Leicester on Sunday evening, police said on Monday.

"There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and four people remain in hospital, one with serious injuries," Leicestershire police said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 15:47:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Zhang Mengxi,Yang Shilong

NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- It's rare to see a single lawsuit spotlight David vs.Goliath, potential discrimination, and financial crisis altogether, on top of being five years in time and 10 million U.S. dollars in cost.

But Thomas Sung's Chinatown Abacus bank vs New York Manhattan District Attorney is exactly like that.

With the documentary of the lawsuit -- Abacus: Small Enough to Jail -- nominated for Oscar, Sung's story got more attention across the globe.

Sung, 83-year-old, laughed warmly at the first question as being interviewed by Xinhua by phone: "Chinese or English? Whichever suits you."

TO BRING THEM TO COURT IS ONE THING, TO CHAIN THEM UP IN HANDCUFFS IS ANOTHER

Sung came to the United States at 16 and earned degrees in economics and law before going into real-estate investment. He was an immigration lawyer before he funded Abacus Federal Reserve Bank in 1984 in Manhattan's Chinatown.

The Abacus' goal is to serve the Chinese immigrant community, who had no place to get a loan to buy houses, start up small businesses, and build a family.

Sung's story has so much resemblance to the 1946 classics film "It's a Wonderful Life" and the beloved character George Bailey.

Just like Bailey's Building and Loan in Bedford Falls, Abacus has always been a small bank. Growing over the years to six branches, it is nothing compared to those on the Wall Street.

So not many outside the Chinese community knew about Abacus, until it became the only U.S. bank ever indicted for mortgage fraud in the 2008 financial crisis, and 13 of its employees were handcuffed, chained up, and escorted through a hallway in the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in a staged perp-walk before the national news media in May 2012.

Sung still felt angry as he recalled that episode.

"To bring them to court is one thing; to chain them up in handcuffs is another," he told Xinhua.

Many journalists and lawyers observed that nothing like that had happened before, not to any other minorities like African Americans. "I was very much offended," Sung said, "This is discrimination."

Looking back, Sung said the Manhattan District Attorney's (DA) office probably wanted to convict Abacus for fraud, as a way to threaten the big banks and fine them more.

Sung said that in banking, reputation is very important; no bank wants to get involved in civil or criminal cases like fraud.

In Chinese idioms, it's called to kill a chicken to terrify the monkeys; in other words, it's small enough to jail, too big to fail, Sung added.

YOU CANNOT SINGLE OUT CHINESE AND SAY THEY ARE BAD

Abacus became the only U.S. financial institution to be indicted in the wake of the financial crisis.

The DA's choice of Abacus itself was odd, as many observers pointed out. With 300 million dollars in assets, Abacus made only plain-vanilla housing loans requiring down payments of at least 20 percent.

It never offered subprime residential mortgages. Nor did the bank dabble in mortgage derivatives -- the complex financial instruments that blew up in the housing crisis and caused so many banks to require bailouts.

However, the DA office probably shouldn't have picked on Abacus to set an example -- if Sung were right about its plan.

Abacus and the Sung family are not an easy target at all. At the age of 83, Sung still explains the complicated legal process clearly, speaking with clarity and confidence that only a lawyer has.

Both Jill Sung and Vera Sung, daughters of Sung who serve as the CEO and director of Abacus respectively, had graduated from law schools. It was Vera Sung who caught one employee in the middle of fabricating loan application.

Sung said the lawsuit against Abacus had more implications. "It threatened the community as a whole. It attacked the Chinese way of conducting business."

Living a culture based on cash transactions, immigrants in Chinatown usually lack credit history. But running successful businesses like full-house restaurants, they regularly earn enough money in cash for Abacus to give them loans.

In fact, Sung said, not just the Chinese, all immigrants lean heavily on cash. "You can't single out Chinese and say they are bad."

For many, the lawsuit has become a quest to seek a voice for the minority, not just for the innocent. For Sung, although he understood from the beginning the government had much more resources than civilians, he never thought of giving up. "I'm willing to sacrifice and fight. It is a mission always in mind."

I BELIEVE IN THE U.S. SYSTEM BUT IT NEEDS TRUE REFORM

Every year, Sung and his wife spend winter in the southernmost state of Florida in the continental United States. But in 2015, they didn't go. It was about time for the lawsuit to wrap up.

Back then, no one had 100 percent of confidence that the Sung family could win. After all, there were more than 200 items of indictments, and Abacus had to be "Not Guilty" for every one of them.

On June 4, 2015, after several rounds of discussions and delays, the jury finally decided Abacus is not guilty. When Sung read the daily paper the next day, as shown in the documentary film, he almost cried.

Despite the verdict, the case exacted Sung and his family a heavy cost.

"We lost a lot of business opportunities because of this investigation and trial," Sung said, "And defending this case cost us about 10 million dollars."

Some Americans tend to criticize other countries' legal systems, "but look at the United States," Sung said, "The DA system, for example, needs real changes, It didn't have third-party supervision."

After the release of the documentary, many Chinese Americans who used to be treated unfairly called up Sung to express their gratitude, according to Sung. The case is included in America's law school curriculums too.

"I believe in the U.S. system, but it needs true reform," Sung said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 15:47:12|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Liu Yandong here on Monday met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, urging efforts to boost ties consistent with the original aspiration to establish bilateral diplomatic relations.

China and South Korea should take the opportunity of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of their strategic cooperative partnership to earnestly implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state.
Members of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement protest along the streets of Abuja, capital of Nigeria, Jan. 8, 2017. The protesters on Sunday marked 1,000 days since the abduction of the Chibok School Girls by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's Borno State on April 14, 2014. (Xinhua/Olatunji Obasa)

ABUJA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Sunday said that 110 schoolgirls are unaccounted for following an attack by terror group Boko Haram on an all-girl college in the northeastern state of Yobe.

The figure was confirmed by Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed after a meeting with parents, security agencies and local government representatives, who gathered in the Yobe State capital Damaturu to discuss last Monday's incident at the Government Girls Technical College, in the state's Dapchi area.

"Out of the total register of 906 students in the school that day, 110 students are unaccounted," Mohammed said.

The official said no stone will be left unturned as the government is determined to rescue every missing student.

In a statement on Friday, Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari described the incident as a "national disaster," saying "the entire country stands as one with the girls' families."

The tragedy of the missing girls has brought back memories of a similar occurrence four years ago in Africa's most populous country when more than 200 schoolgirls, also from an all-girl college, were abducted by Boko Haram in the northeastern town of Chibok.

The outlawed Boko Haram group has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria. They have killed some 20,000 people and displaced millions of others.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (Front) speaks during a ceremony to rename the country's army and air force headquarters, in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Dec. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)

HARARE, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is just a few days shy of marking his first 100 days in office, over the weekend outlined some of his new administration's achievements and promised more reforms to improve the economy.

Mnangagwa, who took over from former president Robert Mugabe on Nov. 24, following military intervention, said in an audio message posted on social media that the task ahead needed concerted effort from everyone.

It would take time before the fruits of reforms could be harvested, he said.

Mnangagwa said the government passed a bold and responsible budget that cuts unnecessary expenditure, including luxuries previously enjoyed by high-ranking public officials.

The new administration has scaled down the indigenization law to make it only applicable to investments in diamond and platinum mining, as it seeks to attract more foreign direct investment, he said.

Prior to his taking over from Mugabe, the law required indigenous Zimbabweans to have majority ownership across most sectors of the economy, a situation foreign investors frowned upon.

"On corruption, the phrase zero tolerance approach has been backed up by action," he said. "We instituted a three-month amnesty to get back stolen funds, mandated all cabinet ministers to declare assets, created dedicated anti-corruption courts in all provinces and clamped down on police roadblocks."

"Internationally, we have been working hard to build our international relations and bring in investment and so far we have secured 3 billion U.S. dollars worth of investment commitments from some of the biggest companies in the world."

Mnangagwa added that the government had directed all public health institutions to scrap treatment fees for vulnerable groups, including children under the age of five, pregnant women and senior citizens above 65 years.

He said the government had also facilitated greater use of mobile money to combat the cash crisis and cut excise duty on petrol, which resulted in the reduction of fuel prices.

"We must of course be realistic and recognize that it takes more than 100 days to recover an economy," he said. "Real change takes time."

"I know there are those among you who are frustrated at the pace of change and I understand that, but let me assure you that though we have had some major achievements, this is just the beginning.

"After 100 days of action we are on the right path and will keep working to increase that pace of reform," Mnangagwa said.

Zimbabwe is due to hold presidential and general elections later this year, but no specific date has been set.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 16:22:19|Editor: Xiang Bo

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SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Liu Yandong met here on Monday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, reiterating China's call for a peaceful solution of the Korean Peninsula issue through talks.

Liu expressed hope that the South Korean side will build up confidence, overcome disturbance and facilitate the improvement of inter-Korean relations so as to secure progress in peace talks.
LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and four others injured in an explosion at a building in the central British city of Leicester on Sunday evening, police said Monday.

"There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and four people remain in hospital, one with serious injuries," Leicestershire police said in a statement.

Police said the toll may rise further as a number of people were still unaccounted for.

Firefighters worked around the clock to put out the blaze ignited by the powerful blast.

Leicestershire police said Sunday night that there are currently no indications of terrorist activity linked to the explosion.

"The incident will be the subject of a joint investigation with the fire service," local police said on Twitter, "At this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related."

The blast destroyed a convenience store and a home in the downtown. Residents living nearby reported their houses shaking with force from the blast.

Leicester City is located in England's East Midlands region and about 140 kilometers from London.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 16:27:21|Editor: Xiang Bo

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NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- To ring in the Year of the Dog, the Fourth Annual Chinese New Year Spectacular concert was held at Carnegie Hall here Saturday, featuring a young Chinese pianist's special solo performance using a piano to imitate a variety of traditional Chinese musical instruments.

The concert was opened by Tian Jiaxin, a rising Chinese pianist born into a musical family in Beijing. Having earned praise for her solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall back in 2013, Tian returned to the musical hall for the fifth time.

This time she included two pieces of traditional Chinese music in her performance, i.e. Liuyang River -- a very famous Chinese song in praise of Chairman Mao Zedong's great contribution to China -- and the Music at Sunset, better known as Spring Blossoms on the Moonlit River, a classical piece rooted in Chinese poetic culture.

"I tried to use the piano to imitate a variety of traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as Pipa, Guqin, drum, and traditional Chinese bamboo flute," Tian told Xinhua after the show, "I hope the sound will give the audience really amazing imagination."

Tian displayed such innovative performing skills after she presented renowned classical pieces of Mozart and Beethoven in the first half of the concert.

"I try to present one or two Chinese pieces whenever I perform, because I really hope the audience from all over the world can listen to my performance and thus know more about the Chinese culture and our history," said Tian, adding that she is ready to bring more different Chinese stories in upcoming concerts in her own way.

Other performers at the concert included British pianist Simon Mulligan, Chinese opera tenor Dr. William Weimin Cai, American violinist Deni Bonet and former Mayor of New York City, David Dinkins.

As his second time addressing at the Chinese New Year Spectacular, Dinkins said the evening was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the variety of cultures on the occasion of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The annual Spectacular has been co-produced by Premier Event Management Inc. and Harvard Wealth Strategy & Management, two U.S. organizations sharing the common goal of bridging the cultural gap between China and the United States.

"This is the strongest assemblage of talent we have ever had in the history of the Spectacular series. We're honored to be able to create this tradition, showcasing diverse talent to our multi-cultural audience," said Lily Li, one of the co-producers.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 16:57:31|Editor: Yurou

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RAMALLAH, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian sources said Monday that Israeli occupation forces arrested 10 members of the Tamimi family from Nabi Saleh village during overnight raids throughout the West Bank.

The village has been witnessing intensive night raids by Israeli army, said the village head, since the detention of the Palestinian resistance icon, 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi on Dec. 17, after a video of her slapping an Israeli soldiers who stormed her home went viral on the internet.

There are altogether 20 Palestinians arrested during the raids, including minors and an injured boy.

Among those arrested was 15-year-old Mohammad Tamimi, who was critically injured due to an Israeli gun shot in the face last December. He was still under treatment and scheduled for surgery in March.

Ahed Tamimi was arrested four days after the confrontation, and Israeli forces stormed her home again. Her mother and cousin were also arrested the next day.

Currently, Ahed Tamimi and her mother Nariman Tamimi, 42, were still in custody and undergoing military court trials.

The next hearing for Tamimi is expected in March.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 16:57:33|Editor: Lifang

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DAMASCUS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Airstrikes of the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition against an area in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour have killed 25 civilians, a monitor group reported on Monday.

The airstrikes targeted the last Islamic State (IS) pocket on the eastern bank of Euphrates River on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The London-based watchdog group said half of those killed were children.

Meanwhile, Syria's state news agency SANA said 29 people were killed and tens of others wounded by the U.S.-led airstrikes on the towns of Shufeh and Zahrat Aloni in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour.

Last week, SANA said 15 civilians were killed by U.S.-led airstrikes on Deir al-Zour.

The U.S.-led coalition has been backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their push to dislodge IS from the eastern bank of the Euphrates, where major oil and gas fields are located.

In the process, dozens of civilians have been killed by the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in northern and eastern Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 17:12:35|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of the U.S. government, senior Chinese official Liu He will visit the United States from Feb. 27 to March 3, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Monday.

Lu Kang told a daily news briefing that the two sides will exchange views on China-U.S. relations and bilateral cooperation on economy and trade during Liu's visit.

Liu is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 17:52:42|Editor: Yamei

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A high-ranking delegation led by Kim Yong Chol(C), vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, arrives at the inter-Korean transit office in Paju, South Korea, on Feb. 25, 2018. The high-ranking delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived in South Korea Sunday to attend the closing ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympics. (Xinhua/Newsis)

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kim Yong Chol, chief delegate of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) who came here Sunday to attend the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, said Monday that doors are open for a dialogue with the United States, according to Yonhap news agency and Newsis news agency.

Kim made the remark during a closed-door meeting with Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, saying Pyongyang repeatedly showed its willingness to hold talks with Washington.

Kim, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and leading the high-ranking DPRK delegation to the Olympic closing ceremony, had a lunch meeting with Chung for two hours from 12:30 p.m. local time, according to the Blue House of South Korea.

The lunch meeting was a follow-up step to the closed-door meeting Sunday in Pyeongchang, east of Seoul, between President Moon and the high-ranking DPRK delegation.

Moon told the DPRK delegation that talks between Pyongyang and Washington should be rapidly held to improve inter-Korean relations and fundamentally resolve the Korean Peninsula issues.

In response, the DPRK delegation said Pyongyang had enough willingness to hold talks with Washington.

During the Monday meeting, both sides agreed to cooperate, after the Olympic period, in making a balanced advance to build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, and enhancing inter-Korean ties in a sustainable manner, the Blue House said in a press release.

Attending the Monday luncheon, which was allegedly held at an unidentified hotel in the capital Seoul, was Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, from the DPRK side.

Attendees from the South Korean side were Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and Nam Gwan-pyo, a deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, as well as Lee Do-hoon, a special representative for the Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the foreign ministry.

Lee represents South Korea at the long-stalled six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, which involved South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Russia and Japan. The six-way dialogue has been halted since late 2008.

The DPRK delegation was scheduled to stay in South Korea till Tuesday.
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's conglomerate Naza Corporation Holdings on Monday inked a deal with French car maker Groupe PSA to establish a shared manufacturing hub in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Both parties signed a share sale agreement and a joint venture agreement to establish shared operation of Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM) plant in Gurun, Kedah, which will be the first manufacturing hub in ASEAN for Groupe PSA.

Under the agreements, Groupe PSA and Naza will jointly produce Groupe PSA branded cars such as Peugeot, Citroen and DS Automobiles for Malaysia and other ASEAN markets.

Groupe PSA's investment in the NAM plant will also see the implementation of its Efficient Modular Platform (EMP2) dedicated to C (medium cars) and D segments (large cars).

Although Groupe PSA's China and South-East Asia chief executive officer Carlos Tavares declined to reveal PSA's investment details, Naza's chief operating officer Samson Anand George said that Groupe PSA will own up to 56 percent stake at the plant.

The plant is expected to produce Groupe PSA's cars by the end of this year and export to the region next year, Carlos Tavares said.

"The creation of the ASEAN hub is a significant leap forward for Groupe PSA which will lead to the development of a profitable business in the region as part of our Push to Pass strategic plan," he added.

The NAM plant, which has been operational since 2004, has a workforce of close to 450 people and boasts a 50,000-vehicle production capacity.

When attending the signing ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he expects Malaysia to benefit from the deal as it will lead to 70 extra local vendors over the next five years, and would create an additional 1,200 jobs in Kedah.

The NAM plant is forecast to produce 18,000 units of cars in 2019, and another 21,000 units in 2020, generating revenues of 724 million ringgit (185 million U.S. dollars) and 967 million ringgit (248 million U.S. dollars) respectively, according to Najib.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 18:07:47|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The government will explore ways to create new jobs to ensure employment of various groups, a senior official said Monday.

More than 15 million people will enter the urban labor market this year, including 8.2 million college graduates, Zhang Yizhen, deputy minister of human resources and social security, told a press conference.

Despite the large influx there will also be structural imbalances, she said.

Zhang said the working-age population will remain above 800 million until 2035, compared with more than 900 million in 2017.

Ensuring employment is a priority and the government will explore ways to ensure high quality and full employment of various groups, she said.

By the end of 2017, China's unemployment rate in urban areas stood at 3.9 percent, the lowest since 2002.

From 2013 to 2017, more than 13 million jobs were created each year in urban areas, despite the negative effect of economic restructuring and slowing growth.

In 2017, 13.5 million new jobs were created in urban areas, overshooting the official target of 11 million.
LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and four others injured in an explosion at a store in the central British city of Leicester on Sunday evening, police said Monday.

"There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and four people remain in hospital, one with serious injuries," Leicestershire police said in a statement.

Police said the toll may rise further as a number of people were still unaccounted for.

The blast took place around 1900 GMT in a residential street near the city center, destroying a convenience store, which, according to witnesses, was a Polish supermarket, and a two-storey apartment above it.

Residents living nearby reported their houses shaking with force from the blast.

Firefighters worked around the clock to put out the blaze ignited by the powerful blast.

Leicestershire police said Sunday night that there are currently no indications of terrorist activity linked to the explosion.

"The incident will be the subject of a joint investigation with the fire service," local police said on Twitter, "At this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related."

Leicester City is located in England's East Midlands region and about 140 km from London.

Britain was hit by a series of major terrorist attacks last year, among which a suicide bombing at a pop concert at the Manchester Arena last May killed 22 people.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 18:37:55|Editor: Xiang Bo

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PHNOM PENH, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China donated nine types of medical equipment and devices to the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital here on Monday, officials said.

They included a CT scanner for cardiac, brain or peripheral vascular examination, four anesthesia machines, blood pressure monitors, ventilators, among others, according to the hospital's director.

The director said China has also sent its medical experts to train Cambodian doctors on how to operate those equipment and devices.

"These high-tech medical equipment will be used for diagnosing diseases such as brain tumors, cerebral infarction, cerebral aneurysms, cerebrovascular accidental diseases, and vascular diseases," he said.

"I believe that the equipment will further enhance the quality of medical services in our hospital," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 18:52:58|Editor: Xiang Bo

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URUMQI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's National Development and Reform Commission has allocated 2.65 billion yuan (420 million U.S. dollars) to upgrade the power grid in rural Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this year.

According to the regional government Monday, substations and transmission lines will be built or renovated to support rural development and electric heating.

Power grid upgrades have benefited over 4 million farmers and herders in Xinjiang over the past five years. Industries such as fruit processing, ethnic handicrafts and stock farming have since thrived.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:08:02|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tonga's King Tupou VI will pay a state visit to China from Feb. 28 to March 8, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Monday.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Tonga, Lu told a regular press briefing.

Both Xi and Premier Li Keqiang will meet the king during his visit, Lu said.

King Tupou VI will also visit Zhejiang, Hainan and Guangdong provinces, Lu said.

In November 2014, the leaders of China and Tonga reached consensus on a strategic partnership, Lu said, noting that bilateral ties have made rapid progress since then.

Both countries have had frequent high-level visits and close contacts at all levels, Lu said, noting cooperation in trade, agriculture and fisheries, infrastructure, people-to-people and local exchanges.

Lu said China and Tonga also coordinate in international and regional affairs.

China is willing to work with Tonga to enhance political trust, expand pragmatic cooperation to benefit the two peoples, Lu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:18:05|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The China Coast Guard solved 91 human smuggling cases and participated in 349 maritime search and rescue missions in 2017, the coast guard said.

The coast guard also handled 891 smuggling cases involving a total of 4 billion yuan (about 631 million U.S. dollars) last year, including cases in refined oil, sugar, cigarettes, alcohol, frozen goods and rare wild animals.

About 3,000 fishing boats were fined for violations of fishing laws and regulations, such as fishing without license, using prohibited fishing tools and fishing in closed seasons. About 209 people faced criminal penalties.

The coast guard also spent a lot of resources cracking down on offenses compromising the maritime environment, investigating 702 cases last year.

The coast guard, which merged the maritime law enforcement functions of four agencies responsible for fishery administration, maritime surveillance, customs enforcement and border control, formally began operation in July 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:18:05|Editor: Yurou

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TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday welcomed the recent UN Security Council decision on a cease-fire in Syria.

The death of the innocent people is never welcomed by anybody, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, expressing the hope that the UN Security Council's recent resolution would establish cease-fire in every part of Syria.

"We hope that this (truce) will pave the ground for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people," Qasemi said in his weekly press briefing.

"The implementation of the truce will hopefully reduce the violence in Syria," he added.

On Saturday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to establish a 30-day nationwide cease-fire in Syria "without delay" to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the affected people in Eastern Ghouta and other hotspots across the country.

The resolution, however, excluded the military operations against Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front from the cessation of hostilities.

Iran's Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Baqeri said Sunday that Tehran and Damascus would honor the cease-fire resolution in Syria that the UN Security Council approved unanimously.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:23:06|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Liu Yandong (L) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 26, 2018. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Liu Yandong met here on Monday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, urging efforts to boost ties consistent with the original intention of both sides in establishing diplomatic relations.

China and South Korea should take the 10th anniversary of the establishment of their strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to earnestly implement the consensus reached by and between the heads of state of the two countries, Liu said.

Liu met with Moon after attending the Feb. 25 closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. She noted that the attendance to the Feb. 9 opening ceremony by Xi's special envoy Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and her presence at the closing ceremony well reflect China's support for the PyeongChang games and the importance China attaches to its relations with South Korea.

During the meeting with Moon, Liu said China and South Korea should keep boosting mutual trust, launch mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen exchange in education, science and technology, culture, sports, public health and other fields of humanities, and properly handle sensitive issues, in order to consolidate the political basis and the basis of public opinions for long-term stable development of relations between the two countries.

On the Korean Peninsula issue, Liu recalled that South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) took the PyeongChang Olympics as an opportunity to restart dialogue and interaction, revealing the common aspiration for peace of the people on the Korean Peninsula.

China is dedicated to peaceful solution of the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation, Liu said.

Liu expressed the hope that the South Korean side will enhance confidence, eliminate interferences, keep promoting continued improvement of relations between the south and the north, and keep the current momentum of detente, in striving to make progress in peace talks.

China will continue to play a positive and constructive role on the issue, she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:28:09|Editor: Yamei

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Photo taken on Feb. 24, 2018 shows the United Nations Security Council voting on a resolution demanding ceasefire in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution demanding ceasefire in Syria on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

GENEVA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged all parties involved in the Syria conflict to observe Security Council Resolution 2401 to have at least a 30-day truce in the conflict-ridden country.

"Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented," Guterres said in his speech at the opening of the 37th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.

"It is high time to stop this hell on earth, in particular eastern Ghouta cannot wait," he said.

"I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained, particularly to ensure the immediate, safe, unimpeded and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and services, the evacuation of the critically sick and the wounded and the alleviation of the suffering of the Syrian people," he stressed.

The U.N. chief also reminded all parties of their absolute obligation and international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times.

"Efforts to combat terrorism do not supersede these obligations," he said.

Resolution 2401 was adopted unanimously by the Security Council on Saturday after two weeks of tough negotiations against the backdrop of escalating violence in Syria, particularly in eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel enclave near Damascus.

The resolution demands an immediate cessation of hostilities for "a durable humanitarian pause for at least 30 consecutive days throughout Syria."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 19:33:11|Editor: Xiang Bo

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ISLAMABAD, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Monday that the Belt and Road Initiative is an extraordinary venture, which will change the landscape of the world through its development agenda and win-win cooperation.

The minister made the remarks during a photo exhibition on the Chinese New Year in the ministry and said that the initiative signals the hope and spirit of South-South Cooperation.

Asif said the visionary concept of the initiative is a harbinger of shared dreams, common prosperity and win-win cooperation among the people of the world.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is the most significant transformative initiative in recent human history," said Asif, adding that "through a focus on the connectivity of infrastructure including roads, rail links, sea routes, ports, connectivity of policy, trade and finance, we are observing a phenomenon."

The minister was also satisfied over the practical implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan through its pivotal project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"CPEC is making excellent progress and is rapidly transforming the infrastructure and energy landscape of the country,"said the minister, hoping that CPEC will further strengthen the relations between Pakistan and China for the prosperity of the region.
LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Monday that it makes no sense for his country to abandon EU agencies and tariff-free trade which have served Britain well, marking an obvious shift in the party's Brexit policy.

The leader of the Labor Party stressed in a long-awaited speech on Brexit that Labor will want to remain part of agencies such as Euratom.

He also ruled out any deal that would risk the Good Friday Agreement.

In 1999, the Good Friday Agreement achieved peace in Northern Ireland after decades of unrest, in part by ensuring an open border and freedom of movement between the British-ruled North and the Republic of Ireland.

Maintaining the Agreements was set out by the EU as one of the three priorities for the first phase of Brexit talks.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 20:38:25|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang (Photo source: fmprc.gov.cn)

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China hopes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States can make progress in dialogue to promote settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.

A high-ranking DPRK delegation showed readiness to talk with the United States when meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in Sunday in PyeongChang, saying Pyongyang was willing to hold talks with Washington, and held that inter-Korean relations and DPRK-U.S. ties should progress together.

Regarding the reports, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a daily news briefing that China welcomes the progress the DPRK and ROK have made in carrying out dialogue and improving relations.

"The core of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is a security issue," Lu said, adding settlement of the core issue relies on the DPRK and the United States.

When asked for comment on the news that the DPRK and ROK may discuss resuming regular reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, Lu said, "For both countries in the region and the international community, it will be one thing that makes them pleased if the DPRK and ROK hold family reunions once again."

"It is encouraging that the two sides have released a series of positive signals recently in improving their relationship," Lu said.

China hopes the two sides will seize the opportunity, continue to show goodwill toward each other, and maintain the momentum of cooperation and dialogue, Lu said, adding both sides should make concrete efforts to further improve their relationship, ease regional situation and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 20:38:25|Editor: Yamei

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(Xinhua file photo)

LONDON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, said Monday he backed a Brexit deal that maintains the benefits of the European single market and the customs union.

In what was billed as his most important Brexit speech so far, he said Britain needs a bespoke, negotiated relationship of its own with the EU with no new impediments to trade and no reduction in rights, standards and protections.

In a keynote speech in Coventry, Corbyn set out details of Labour's Brexit policy and what the future relationship should be between Britain and the remaining 27 EU member states. He said he will also press for the British parliament to have a vote on the final deal with the EU.

Political commentators say that if pro-Remain MPs from the governing Conservative Party back Labour's approach, it could spell trouble ahead for Prime Minister Theresa May.

A defeat in the House of Commons could even lead to a vote of no confidence in the government, and an early general election, some commentators have speculated.

Corbyn said in his speech: "Labour would seek a final deal that gives full access to European markets and maintains the benefits of the single market and the customs union.

"Labour would seek to negotiate a new comprehensive UK-EU customs union to ensure that there are no tariffs with Europe and to help avoid any need for a hard border in Northern Ireland."

Corbyn said Labour was also clear that the option of a new UK customs union with the EU would need to ensure Britain has a say in future trade deals.

He said: "A new customs arrangement would depend on Britain being able to negotiate agreement of new trade deals in our national interest. Labour would not countenance a deal that left Britain as a passive recipient of rules decided elsewhere by others."

Corbyn said Labour respected the leave decision taken in the June 2016 referendum, adding: "We are leaving the European, but we will still be working with European partners in the economic interests of this country."

He added: "When 44 percent of our exports are to EU countries and 50 percent of our imports come from the EU, then it is in both our interests for that trade to remain tariff-free. So we will remain close to the European Union, that's obvious."

Corbyn said every country, whether it's Turkey, Switzerland, or Norway that is geographically close to the EU, without being an EU member state, has some sort of close relationship to the EU. Some more advantageous than others, he added: "Britain will need a bespoke, negotiated relationship of its own."

The Labour leader concluded his speech saying: "The EU is not the root of all our problems and leaving it will not solve all our problems. Likewise, the EU is not the source of all enlightenment and leaving it does not inevitably spell doom for our country. Brexit is what we make of it together, the priorities and choices we make in the negotiations."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 20:43:26|Editor: Yurou

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JERUSALEM, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops have arrested nine Palestinians from the village of the jailed teen, Ahed Tamimi, including a cousin shot by the army in December, the military and local media said Monday.

The pre-dawn arrests took place in Nabi Saleh in the central Israeli-occupied West Bank, one of the main sites of struggle against the Israeli occupation.

A military spokesperson confirmed in a statement that nine residents of Nabi Saleh were arrested overnight. "The detainees are suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, popular terror and violent disturbances against civilians and security forces," the spokesperson added in a statement.

According to Palestinian media, armed forces raided the village and arrested four minors and other relatives, including Mohammed Tamimi, a 15-year-old cousin of Ahed Tamimi.

In December, Israeli forces shot him in his head with a rubber-coated bullet, causing a permanent to his skull.

Shortly after he was shot, Ahed Tamimi was caught on a video kicking two soldiers outside her family home. The video became viral, leading to her arrest.

She became an icon of the Palestinian resistance against the occupation and an international campaign is calling for her release.

Tamimi is facing 12 counts of charges, including assault, incitement, and throwing stones. Her trial in an Israeli military court is being held behind closed doors.

Israel seized the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war and has held them ever since, despite international criticism and a persistent Palestinian struggle.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 20:43:26|Editor: Yurou

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BEIRUT, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Monday that Lebanon sought stability in the south, but was ready to defend itself if attacked by Israel, in a meeting with the top UN peacekeeper Monday at the presidential palace in Baabda.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix over the weekend made his first visit to UN peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon since taking up his position last April.

Aoun pointed to Lacroix Israel's near-daily violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, in addition to Israel's use of Lebanese airspace to bomb Syria on multiple occasions, according to the president's official Twitter account.

After the meet, local media reported that Lacroix reaffirmed the UN role as a vehicle for communication and dialogue between Lebanon and Israel through the regular tripartite meetings that are mediated by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Lacroix reportedly said the meetings calmed tensions, "especially in the issue of the construction of the wall," in reference to the concrete border wall that Israel started building recently, leading to increased tension at the border.

"The commander of the international forces plays a role in calming tensions and preventing any incidents that could lead to the deterioration of the situation," he was quoted as saying.

Lacroix also reportedly said the forces, known as UNIFIL, cooperated well with Lebanese authorities.

His visit comes after a report in Le Journal du Dimanch contained allegations that the Lebanese Army was failing to cooperate well with UNIFIL, adversely impacting their ability to fulfill their duties in south Lebanon.
ZAGREB, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The High Misdemeanor Court of Croatia has ruled that Uber is operating illegally in the country, daily newspaper Vecernji list reported on Monday.

According to Vecernji list, the court rejected Uber's appeal against the first-instance verdicts by the Split County Court which accused the company of illegally providing taxi services to the public.

In one case, the company was fined 10,000 Croatian kuna (around 1,655 U.S. dollars) and the driver 1,800 kuna, while in another case the company was fined 25,000 kuna, while the driver was hit with a 20,000 kuna fine.

According to the court, Uber was providing a taxi service without a necessary taxi license. However, Uber insisted it didn't offer public transportation because their service was not available to all people under the same conditions, but only those who use the Uber application.

The court rejected such claims, arguing that as anyone could download Uber's application, this therefore constitutes public transport.

Uber has been operating in the southeastern European country since 2015. According to the latest survey in Nov. 2017, 86 percent of Croatian citizens support Uber, while taxi drivers have been protesting Uber by blocking traffic near airports during tourist season or rallying in front of the parliament buildings.

The Croatian government is still working on the new Road Traffic Act which should liberalize the taxi market in Croatia and regulate the work of Uber.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 21:03:29|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank on Monday announced a decision to abolish five regulations in the latest step to cut red tape for a better business environment.

The annulled items include management of foreign exchange registration of foreign-invested businesses, management of foreign currency banknote transactions of domestic institutions, and settlement of domestic letters of credit.

The revisions have been taken in accordance with government requirements to reform administrative approvals and delegate power to lower levels, said the People's Bank of China.

Facing a complicated global landscape and pressure from an economic slowdown at home, the central government has made transforming government functions a top priority.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 21:08:30|Editor: Yurou

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TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday asked the U.S. officials to drop "psychological and propaganda war" against Iran.

The United States pursues this policy to prevent the global community and the Europeans from forging closer relations with the Islamic republic, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

However, "the Americans policy vis-a-vis Iran has been exposed to everybody and the global community decides based on their own interests," Qasemi said in his weekly press conference.

The U.S. reiteration of their anti-Iran rhetoric is a sign of defeat in its policies, said Qasemi.

"We are in negotiations with a number of countries for the expansion of economic ties," he said, adding that in the meantime "we advise the Americans to drop such (hostile) policies and incorporate wisdom in their policy-making."

Trump has constantly criticized the nuclear pact inked between Iran and Russia, Britain, France, China, the United States and Germany in 2015, which promised to relieve sanctions on Tehran in exchange for a halt in Iran's efforts to develop nuclear program.

U.S. President Donald Trump has laid out areas where he wants cooperation with the Europeans to put together a united front on demanding what he has called "the change of behavior of the Iranians."

The areas include alleged human rights violations, cyber threats and financial activities of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps.

Trump had earlier demanded the nuclear deal be altered to eliminate sunset clauses for some of the restrictions it places on Iran, and harden the inspection rules and to limit development of Iran's long-range missiles.

On Sunday, Iranian foreign minister rejected as "improper" the conditions set by the United States for upholding Iran's international nuclear agreement.

The United States as a party to the multilateral 2015 agreement cannot reset conditions for the deal, Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

"They have previously set some conditions that were improper. Their new conditions are improper as well," Zarif said.

The United States is attempting to elude its commitments through making such demands, Zarif said.

Iran said it would not take any measures beyond its commitment to the JCPOA (or the nuclear deal), nor will it accept changes to this agreement.

Iran has threatened to likely withdraw from the nuclear deal if it cannot receive economic benefits.
BUJUMBURA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A local official of Burundian ruling party was killed early Monday by two soldiers in a village of Gitega Province in central Burundi, said a provincial official and the police.

Evariste Ngenzi, secretary of the National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) of the Mutoyi village in Bugendana district, was shot dead when taking drinks along with his party mates in a bar at the village by two soldiers based at the Mutoyi military post around 2:30 a.m., said Beatrice Bukuru, administrator of Bugendana district.

Early investigations show that one of the soldiers found Ngenzi and his party mates by midnight upon the latter arriving at the bar, said Bukuru. People at the bar heard that the soldier said the latter were members of ruling party's youth league Imbonerakure who were coming from the party activities and vowed to kill one of them, she said.

She added that the soldier then went to the military post and came with his colleague to the bar. The two soldiers then urged people at the bar to lie down, said the administrator.

Ngenzi refused, arguing that they had done nothing wrong, she said, adding that the soldiers who had a stick began to beat him. Ngenzi attempted to run and they shot him 15 bullets and he died on the spot, according to her.

Burundian Police Spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said that the two soldiers have been arrested for further investigations.
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian opposition member of Parliament was on Monday jailed for five months after he was convicted of delivering a hate speech against President John Magufuli.

Michael Mteite, a Senior Resident Magistrate for the Mbeya Resident Magistrate's Court in southern Tanzania, jailed Joseph Mbilinyi, an MP for opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) and the party's secretary for southern highlands zone, Emmanuel Masonga.

Magistrate Mteite said it was proven in court beyond reasonable doubt that the duo were guilty of delivering a hate speech against Magufuli at Mwenge primary school grounds in Mbeya city on December 30 last year.

On Sunday, the two politicians urged their supporters to remain calm as they awaited the ruling.

"All you need to do is be calm and wait for the court's decisions. This isn't the time of mourning. We need to evaluate where we are taking the region to for the interest of the people," he told residents of Mbeya region.

Mbilinyi was elected by the highest number of votes out of all the 264 elected MPs during the 2015 general election.

He gathered 108,566 votes, and all the other applicants for the constituency shared only 57,690 votes.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 21:18:35|Editor: pengying

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People visit ZTE's booth during the first day of the 2018 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 26, 2018. The four-day 2018 MWC opened its doors on Monday. (Xinhua/Joan Gosa)

BARCELONA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mobile World Congress (MWC) opened its doors in the city of Barcelona on Monday following a ceremony attended by King Felipe VI of Spain.

The MWC has been held in Barcelona since 2006, growing in importance every year with the 2018 edition predicted to attract 108,000 visitors from over 200 different countries to see stands by 2,300 exhibitors

The 2018 MWC has as its motto "Creating a Better Future" to demonstrate its commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the benefits offered by mobile technology, such as eradicating poverty, improving education and aiding gender equality are reflected in 17 personalities on display at the MWC.

As in 2017 the event will continue to focus on the latest developments in 5G networks and their implication for the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Big Data, virtual and augmented reality, healthcare, drones, driverless cars and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, all of which will play an ever increasing role in everyday life.

The 2018 MWC is home to the Women4Tech section, which aims to close the gender gap in the world of technology. GSMA, the association which represents the interests of the mobile industry and organizes the WMC, has said that it hopes that this year women make up 25 percent of attendees, improving on the 18 percent in 2016 and 23 percent last year.

The 2018 MWC focuses on youth with the YoMo Festival (Youth Mobile Festival) which is aimed at adolescents and educators throughout Spain, while the 4 Years From Now zone looks to connect star-ups and entrepreneurs with potential investors.

Of course the MWC is also about mobile phones and devices and the Congress is a launch-pad for the world's major telecommunications companies to present their new products and ideas.

Huawei is not launching a smartphone at this year's MWC, but on Sunday presented its MateBook X Pro laptop, while ZTE presented the Blade V9 and the Blade V9 Vita smartphones.

Meanwhile major players such as Samsung, Sony and Nokia will all present new devices in the coming days.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 21:23:36|Editor: Yurou

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MOSCOW, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A ceasefire in Syria proposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is possible if all parties involved come to terms, which is a complicated process, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

Lavrov told a press conference that he saw many obstacles to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2401, which requires all parties in Syria to immediately cease clashes and provide a sustained humanitarian break for at least 30 days.

The top Russian diplomat said that new attempts were undertaken to tarnish the Syrian Armed Forces which were accused of using chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel enclave near Damascus.

Lavrov said he suspected that behind such activities could be a plan of the United States and its allies to create a "quasi state" in the eastern part of Syria in spite of the UNSC's demand to preserve the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He also said that the ceasefire regime would not apply to the Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other terrorist groups who support their peers, continue shelling parts of the Syrian capital controlled by the government, and send car-bombs and dig tunnels to carry out terrorist attacks.

"We will never support any action aimed at saving terrorists from legitimate strikes," Lavrov said.
GENEVA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Monday it is aiming for one billion passengers to fly on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025.

This aspiration was identified on the 10th anniversary of the first flight to blend sustainable aviation fuel and ordinary jet fuel, said IATA.

On Feb. 24, 2008, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 flew from London to Amsterdam with sustainable aviation fuel in one of its engines.

The flight demonstrated the viability of drop-in biofuels, which can be blended with traditional jet fuel, using existing airport infrastructure, IATA said in a statement from Geneva.

"The momentum for sustainable aviation fuels is now unstoppable. From one flight in 2008, we passed the threshold of 100,000 flights in 2017, and we expect to hit one million flights during 2020," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

A flight completely powered by sustainable fuel has the potential to reduce the carbon emissions of that flight by up to 80 percent.

De Juniac said IATA realizes that achieving a tally of one billion passengers flying on flights powered by a mix of jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuel will not be easy to achieve.

"We need governments to set a framework to incentivize production of SAF and ensure it is as attractive to produce as automotive biofuels," he said.

The push to increase uptake of SAF is being driven by the airline industry's commitment to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and to cut net carbon emissions by 50 percent compared to 2005.

Airlines, including Cathay Pacific, FedEx Express, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Qantas, and United, have made significant investments by forward-purchasing 1.5 billion gallons of SAF, said IATA.

The air transport group said that on the present trajectory it is anticipated that half a billion passengers will have flown on a SAF-blend powered flight by 2025.

But, IATA said, if governments, through effective policy, help the sustainable fuel industry to scale-up its production, it is possible that one billion passengers could experience an SAF flight by 2025.
SOFIA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's exports exceeded 52 billion Bulgarian lev (32.8 billion U.S. dollars) last year, a double increase compared to 2007, a report revealed here on Monday.

According to the report, released by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country's imports in 2017 amounted to 59 billion lev, an increase of 38 percent on 2007.

Bulgaria's trade balance has been negative for years, and the deficit in 2017 was nearly seven billion lev, mainly due to the large import of petroleum products and gas, the report said.

"It is encouraging that Bulgaria's trade deficit declined compared to 2007 when it stood at 16 billion lev," the report said.

Exports to European Union (EU) countries made up 66 percent of national exports last year, it said.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's exports to China grew by 36 percent in 2017 to 1.2 billion lev. Refined copper, copper products, and electrical parts were among the leading products in exports to China, it added. (1 U.S. dollar = 1.59 Bulgarian lev)
TRIPOLI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan conference of national reconciliation kicked off Monday in Tripoli with over 100 tribal leaders and elders participating, under the slogan "security, peace, reconciliation."

The Minister of the Interior Abdassalam Ashour and the Minister of State for and Displaced People's Affairs, Yousuf Jalal, also attended the conference.

The two-day conference discusses importance of reconciliation and its role in the stability of Libyan society, as well as the role of the tribal leaders and elders in promoting reconciliation in Libya.

More than 40 academic pieces were presented in the conference by a number of experts and academics.

"The large number of elders and leaders of Libyan tribes from different cities in the east, south and west of the country reflects the awareness among the Libyans of the importance of reconciliation and overcoming differences to promote peace and security in Libya," Emhemmed Al-Busefi, head of the conference's preparatory committee, told Xinhua after the first session.

"The conference was preceded by preliminary meetings in a number of cities and regions," Al-Busefi added.

The tribal elders are highly respected in Libya. They contribute to social reconciliation efforts in the war-torn country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-26 22:03:43|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The China Coast